My name is Orin Shepherd, and I make things happen. Not just logos, illustrations, brands, websites, characters and ads, but things that tell stories and engage human beings. Things that transform ideas and ideals, and turn them into works of art. I've been doing this for about 20 years, and I think I'm kinda damn good at it.
I've been involved in almost every aspect of marketing and branding for companies large and small, for myself and for others. I've worked to transform tech startups into entities that could tackle giants, I've saved small businesses from going under by creating entire new streams of revenue when everything seemed to be going wrong, and time and time again, I've demonstrated an energy and passion for unlocking brands, and nurturing the stories they're yearning to tell.
I even once ran my own new and used bookstore in the tiny town of Saxapahaw, North Carolina. That was freaking awesome.
Outside of design, I enjoy reading books, writing my own first novel, which is a task that's proven to be one of the most meaningful and ambitious project of my entire life so far, watching movies, trying new restaurants and recipes with my wife, as well as exploring my new home of California, which seems to have endless adventures around every corner.
I'm a proud trans woman who once packed everything up in my tiny car to make the big move from North Carolina to southern California. I could have bought a house with a garden, but instead, I took the boldest option to upend everything for the biggest changes in my adult life.
I've got an augmented reality (AR) tattoo on my left arm that works with a Nintendo 3DS-- when you point the 3DS camera at the tattoo, a video game pops out of the tattoo on the screen. It was covered by such sites as Engadget, Kotaku and Gizmodo, and even got me a write-up in a 2011 issue of Nintendo Power. My 10 year old self would be so amazed.
When I create content, I enjoy working for people and companies that I believe in. The power of art & storytelling is incredible, and it's important for all of us to use that power for good, to help make the world a better place than we found it, in whatever ways we can. It is important that we tell the stories in the way they should be told, and it's my responsibility as a designer and creative problem-solver to reveal the truth and authenticity in those stories...
When creating a website, a logo, a marketing campaign or a brand, we're not doing it for arbitrary reasons. We're doing it because we have something to say to the world, and because in our own little way, we want to make the world better. What I do is not just branding and marketing, it's not just messaging, it's storytelling, and it's about the meaningful exchange of ideas in a complex world.