Ep. 10 - Lettering, Design, & Building a Niche Career

OverviewJason Carne has been doing lettering professionally for two decades. His client list reads like a mashup of a record store, a sports bar, and a spirits cabinet — and that range isn't accidental. It's the result of staying a student of lettering long after most people would've gotten comfortable. In this conversation, Jason and Joe get into how that career actually gets built: the early days doing hardcore merch, the pivot toward packaging and branding, the Stanley Cup project that came in during COVID and somehow still landed, and the ongoing challenge of positioning yourself without losing what makes your work yours.Key TakeawaysJason started in design through the NJ hardcore and metal scene ( making flyers, album art, and MySpace layouts for friends' bandsThe Stanley Cup project came through Fan Brandz (via a conference connection with Mike Sulik), got shelved when COVID hit, and was quietly approved once sports resumedWhen he works with big names (Harley-Davidson, NHL, Wu-Tang ) he's rarely talking directly to them. There's always a layer between. Know what you're claiming and how.Closer and Closer reps him; roughly 50% of his work comes through them, the rest directHe's currently repositioning his site to focus on two things: high-end spirits packaging and logo/branding workCarmel Type Co fonts (including Botanist, Railroad Company)The Lettering Library to preserve lettering and design from the past.His ideal art director gives some guardrails, then trusts the creative like the positive experience working with Joe BaronWhen work slows down: focus on personal work, fill gaps with less glamorous jobs, and reach back out to clients you already have relationships with"Give me some guardrails, but trust me enough to do my thing." - Jason Carne0:00 - Preview0:04- Intro1:19 - Influence of the Hardcore Scene on Design2:34 - Tom was everyone's 1st friend3:01 - Creative Challenges in High-Stake Projects4:12 - The Stanley Cup Project5:45 - Working with Smaller Agencies vs. Big Brands7:50 - Navigating Client Relationships and Expectations8:52 - Lettering is Easy12:52 - Relationships in the Creative Industry16:57 - Quality Work and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome19:45 - Client Needs vs. Personal Vision22:19 - Marketing Yourself as a designer25:10 - Art Representation28:26 - Navigating NDAs30:07 - Jason Carne's Type Foundry33:08 - The Business of Fonts35:57 - Preserving Design History with the Lettering Library40:02 - Art Directors nailing it like Joe Baron44:46 - Adapting to Slow Periods45:18 - Rapid Fire QuestionsConnect with UShttps://markit2me.com/Jason Carnehttp://jasoncarne.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasoncarneBehance: https://behance.net/jasoncarneJoe Baronhttps://www.brandedbaron.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandedbaron/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/brandedbaron