01 | About

ABOUT GOOD CRAFT DESIGN CO.

Hi! I'm Jared Shofner, lead illustrator and designer behind Good Craft Design Company. I have over 15 years of experience in the creative field and have managed to establish a reputation for what some consider to be 'fairly above average' in my ability to craft dynamic, vintage-inspired mascots.

Hailing from midwestern roots, I am grateful to call the bustling city of Indianapolis, Indiana my home. I draw inspiration from a nostalgic love for the past, as seen in my references to turn-of-the-century matchbook labels, vintage comics, and classic Golden Book illustrations.

When I'm not illustrating, you can find me spending time with my family, hiking trails, remodeling my house, and making woodcuts.

02 | Process

CHARACTER DESIGN PROCESS

1. Consult

The process begins with a kickoff meeting where I will work to understand your business, brand, and target audience. It's important to also consider how the character will be used (e.g. as a brand element, apparel, mural, etc.).

2. Sketch

During the initial concept stage, we will work to come up with a visual direction for the character. This includes deciding on the character's personality, emotion, backstory, and visual appearance. It may be helpful to create mood boards to narrow down the visual direction. Our goal is to explore as many ideas as possible in a short amount of time. We want to walk away with a lot of sketches for us to consider—ultimately narrowing the selections down to no more than 2-3.

3. REFINE

At this point, we have 2-3 solid concept sketches selected. The sketches themselves are rough and need refining. This stage involves taking rough drafts of the character and further refining the drawings. We may explore different expressions and make fine-tune adjustments to the details. We will consider things like anatomy, proportion, and style when refining your sketches. At the conclusion of this stage, we will narrow our refined character concepts down to one that will ultimately move forward to the last stage of work.

4. Finalize

In the final stage, we will take the refined sketch, vectorize it (if required), and add color. This may involve further refining the character's appearance, choosing appropriate colors, and making sure everything is cohesive. You may also add details such as shading, highlights, and texture. I will provide any appropriate file type requested at the conclusion of the project.

03 | Expertise