Meet the Brand Designer: Kay Beaton

20th January 2020
Art & Design
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Kay Beaton is a brand designer and has been living on the Balearic island of Mallorca for just over three years. She is the owner of Tranquilo Creative an aspirational and intuitive brand design studio. Here she combines her knowledge and experience with a slower, more traditional, hands-on design approach and by adding a little “magic” to the mix, she helps her clients create more intuitive, meaningful brands which they will be proud of.

Kay says: “I really enjoy working with fellow lifestyle business owners and creative entrepreneurs – I find them truly inspirational..”

Mallorca Reflections caught up with Kay at Cala D’or Marina to ask some questions and find out more, including:

– How did your interest in design begin? & what originally made you want to become a graphic designer?

– Who or what has been the biggest single influence on your way of thinking?

– What are you passionate about besides your work?

Tranquilo Creative: Kay

Kay Beaton: The Interview

Where are you originally from? When did you first visit Mallorca?

I was born and raised on a farm in Aberdeenshire in NE Scotland. I then moved to the coastal village of Gardenstown, where I eventually met my now husband, David. I was a bit of a “late starter” when it came to visiting Mallorca – my first holiday here, to Cala d’Or, was in 2006, at the ripe old age of 37!

How long have you lived on the island and whereabouts do you live now?

We’ve been here for 12 years. Initially, we lived between Mallorca and NE Scotland. However, we sold our Scottish property in 2016, and we decided to move “temporarily” to Mallorca whilst we continued to search for something else, that was more than three years ago! Currently, we live near Santanyí, on the SE of the island.

Tell us about some of your favourite places and what’s the best thing about living here?

Favourite places? Oh, gosh that is such a difficult question to answer – there are just so many beautiful places, and each one has its’ own individual personality and character! As a city, Palma is just gorgeous, the architecture is stunning, it has such a diverse and interesting history, and it feels so intimate and friendly. It goes without saying, that I really like Santanyí, with its’ beautiful, glowing sandstone, independent lifestyle shops and one of the best markets on the island. I’m also very fond of Soller, Valldemossa, Colonia Sant Jordi, Arta, Portocolom, Fornalutx . . . the list goes on! There really is sooo much more to Mallorca than just beautiful beaches!

The best things about living here are the slower, more laid back, bohemian lifestyle and the quality of the food (and drink!). It also feels very similar to Scotland, especially with the mountains and pine trees – although the climate here is ever so slightly better!

Was creativity part of your childhood and were you encouraged in those types of pursuits?

My Granny Beaton was a big influence on me growing up – she definitely had an artistic streak, and was always making things – she always encouraged me to draw, write, and make. She said it I had a talent, and that if I gave it up I would lose it. I was also lucky enough to have some really encouraging art teachers at school who supported and nurtured my creativity.

Tranquilo Creative Collage

A collage of Kay’s recent designs

How did your interest in design begin? & what originally made you want to become a graphic designer?

Originally, I wanted to be a photographer, but there weren’t many opportunities in rural Aberdeenshire back then. I’d never even considered a career in graphic design, but I was fortunate enough to be offered a position on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) with a local design studio in Turriff, and the rest, as they say, is history!

How would you describe your approach to design? and where do you draw inspiration from for your designs?

I would describe my approach as being traditional, but with a twist – I’m just an “old-fashioned” kind of girl! I always begin each branding project by sketching some rough ideas with pencil and paper. This slow, hands-on approach gives me the space and time to work in an intuitive manner. At this stage it’s not about creating anything perfect, but more of a means to explore the different ideas and get them out onto paper. Inspiration can come from many places, but I find that I do reference nature quite a lot, whether it be colour palettes or design motifs.

Who or what has been the biggest single influence on your way of thinking?

I didn’t learn my craft at university or college, but hands-on in the studio, being taught by my colleagues and peers. This was back in the days before computers were commonplace in the graphic design environment – it was a different, slower time, but one which I loved every minute of.

One of the people who was very influential to me during my training years was Roy Chillingworth, who sadly lost his battle against cancer last year. He taught me about the principles of graphic design and how to use grids in my layouts. About typefaces and font pairings, how to use different colour combinations in my designs, as well as balance and composition. All of these practices still influence how I work today.

More recently I took part in a mentoring programme for brand designers with Fiona Humberstone, known as The Brand Stylist. This has allowed me to learn more about how to incorporate colour psychology into my work. Applying this knowledge allows me to create more intentional brand identities for my clients which will connect with their muses at a deeper, more subconscious level, faster than words or images ever could.

How many design disciplines do you work across? & what type of brief or project do you enjoy working on the most?

Over the years, I’ve worked across most design disciplines – everything from adverts to websites. I’ve also produced work for some quite large, corporate companies over the years, eg. Aberdeenshire Council, BP, Mobil North Sea and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign.

However, after moving to Mallorca, I decided to simplify my life, so that I could enjoy my new lifestyle, and focus more on the disciplines which I really love. So now, I specialise solely in brand identity design, with an optional add-on of design for printed collateral to maintain continuity through my clients branding.

I really enjoy working with fellow lifestyle business owners and creative entrepreneurs – I find them truly inspirational. Good design is an investment rather than an expense, so working on projects with people who really get that is essential.

Before starting a new project, what do you ask the client?

I ask them absolutely everything! I give my all of my clients a piece of “homework” to complete, in the shape of a branding client questionnaire. I really need understand all about their business – I need a real in-depth knowledge about what it is that they do, how they do and what makes them unique. I also ask them what their hopes and dreams are for their business in the future. Essentially, I encourage them to think big!

What areas of brand design are often overlooked?

These days, it’s all too easy to “knock-up” a quick, cheap logo using clip art and the system fonts on your computer – everybody with a computer seems to think they are a designer – but you wouldn’t dream of asking a baker to fix your plumbing problem, would you?

A good piece of intentional brand design however, has the potential to be commercially viable, will help to attract your ideal clients and elevate your business – this is a process which requires a little bit of time and effort to get right, but it is absolutely worth it.

What are you passionate about besides your work?

Food, cook books, history and culture! I have quite an extensive collection of cook books (58 at the last count!) Rick Stein is one one of my favourites – his books are part cook book, part travelogue – which covers all of my favourite things!

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Thank you Kay for your time today.

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Tranquilo Creative Logo