The Orange County Design Awards (OCDA) are almost here and we’re looking back and reconnecting with former OCDA winners. Today, we’re sitting down with Margaret To from Brandify to answer some questions about where she’s been and where she is going. Last year, Brandify was selected for the In House Award for Brand Identity.
Brandify is a location-based digital marketing solutions provider who helps brands maximize their online presence and drive customers to store locations with customized marketing services and strategy. In the design department, our projects vary from in-house branding and video promos, to mobile app and client web page design.
Brandify recently moved to a new office in Anaheim, only 5 minutes away from the Packing House. The new office space is much more spacious, allowing our teams to be more creative and collaborative.
Earlier this year, Margaret worked on a personal project, “Bloom.” It is a 3-minute animated visual music piece that explores different scenes in a forest from dawn to dusk, syncing to the classical music piece, “Barcarolle” by Offenbach. It was challenging because it was the first project she’s done where she was given the music first.
Traditionally, filmmakers create animations before adding the soundtrack. Reversing the process makes the music much more important, like a protagonist in a story. “I listened to Barcarolle over and over again to come up with illustrations and stories that fit the beat and emotion of the music,” she says.
One important thing she learned throughout this project is being open to critiques. “When you’ve worked on a project for a long time, it becomes even more important to get fresh eyes and a new perspective on it.” Bloom was screened at the Sight of Sound International Film Festival in Dallas in April, check out the film trailer here: https://vimeo.com/megatoe/bloomtrailer.
For inspiration, Margaret loves going to film/animation festivals, gallery openings and museums to check out other artists’ work. Observing different artists’ styles and learning about their stories inspires me.
The best advice she has to share is to remember that “it’s about the journey, not the destination.”
Margaret says, “many of us work really hard to reach the goals and aspirations we have. Working hard is important, but enjoy the journey as well. Sometimes we may feel discouraged or incompetent of the big dreams we hope to achieve, but embrace the fear and challenge. Start by trying your best in the little things, taking it one step at a time, and have fun in the process.”
Te be selected for the OCDAs meant a lot to her and the Brandify team. “It was especially inspiring to see the amazing work from other designers and agencies in Orange County,” Margaret admits. “We can’t wait to see the work at this year’s show!”
You can find Margaret via her web site and via social meda.
Instagram: megatoe.design
Twitter: megatoeDesign
Website: http://megatoe.design
