Presenting the kick ass class of Young Guns 22
It’s a kick-ass class. Young Guns 22 is topping the charts in creativity. But are you even surprised? Of course, not. If you’re new here, let me catch you up. Young Guns is a community of incredibly talented individuals – think amazing cinematographers, animators, illustrators, photographers, designers, and directors – and a new class of winners is chosen by an expert jury every year. This year we have 33 winners and among them, we have some very new, very exciting titles to unveil – an Architectural Designer, Composer, Stage & Show Designer, and Colorist.
We interviewed the winners so we could share their prowess with you. And if you’re a NYC local you can snag a ticket to the official YG22 Party at Sony Hall on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, where you will have the chance to meet and greet them.
Young Guns continue to dominate the creative industry, so we’re happily presenting you with the kick-ass class of Young Guns 22.
Elizabeth Goodspeed
Writer & Designer
Based:
Providence, RI
Hometown:
Larchmont, NY
What were your original impressions of the Young Guns competition, award, and community?
I honestly don’t remember how or when I first learned about Young Guns, but it stood out to me early on in my design career because of how many of the creatives I admired most — whether they be illustrators, designers, creative directors, filmmakers, or animators — had won it. It seemed to be a common link between the people whose work I looked up to.
How did you end up in the creative field anyways?
I’ve always been creative, but I spent most of my time in high school focused on more academic subjects like math and science. When it came time to apply to college, I mostly looked at research universities with strong STEM programs, but I ultimately ended up enrolling in a new-ish (at the time) dual degree program at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design because I thought it would allow me to explore both worlds. I majored in cognitive science with a focus on visual perception and color processing at Brown, and graphic design at RISD. Well into the five-year program, I still thought I’d pursue a career in science, but over time, graphic design unexpectedly grew on me. It felt like a more practical, hands-on approach to the same questions I was exploring in my visual perception curriculum. Also, somewhat counter-intuitively, I really struggled with the actual craft of graphic design at the beginning of my time in art school, which really lit a fire under me to want to improve. After graduating, I worked at Pentagram with Michael Bierut and Emily Oberman, then at RoAndCo before going independent, which I’ve been doing for the past five years.
Congrats on the YG win! Why did you decide to enter this year?
My birthday is quite close to the cut-off, so when I applied last year I actually thought it was my last year, but I didn’t even make the finalists list. I thought that was it, but then I realized I could apply again shortly before this year’s deadline, and ended up with almost the same portfolio as last year (I didn’t have time to pull together any new case studies!) except for a few small swaps so I could add my writing as a project, which I hadn’t thought to include the prior year. I’m not really sure how much I’ve matured as an artist in one year, but I do think positioning myself as someone who is more of a jack of all trades, rather than just a designer, likely helped me stand out.
“I do think positioning myself as someone who is more of a jack of all trades, rather than just a designer, likely helped me stand out.”
You only get to submit six projects that embody you and your talent. So, how did you decide which pieces were good enough to make the cut?
I tried to choose projects that would represent my full range of experience and interests as a creative, which includes writing and designing, working with studios and directly with clients, and on both print and packaging. My even more honest answer is that I am incredibly behind on documenting my work (perils of being an independent) and these were the best looking options I had to include!
What was your reaction when you discovered that you won?
I was home and very sick with literal pneumonia when I got the news, so it was definitely a welcome pick me up! I celebrated by telling my partner and then immediately going back to sleep.
How does your current home inspire your creativity as an artist?
I moved to Providence, Rhode Island a few years ago after a lifetime of being a “New York or Nowhere” person. I still visit the city often, about once a month — and of course find it to be inimitably stimulating — but I’ve been surprised at how much inspiration I’ve found in New England as well. Living in a smaller city means everyone knows each other, and that creates interesting moments of cross-pollination and collaboration. I also find living in a more affordable city (respective to New York, at least!) has allowed me to be a bit more intentional about the work I take on, and given me more room to follow my nose rather than always chasing a paycheck. Even as someone who has historically been a little “meh” on nature, I will admit I have been won over by the extremely nice foliage.
Now that you’re a part of the Young Guns community, are there any past winners you look up to and admire?
The New York design scene is very small and disproportionately represented in Young Guns so I’m loath to list just one or two winners given how many people on the alumni list I have had the chance to become friends with or collaborate with during my time working there! That said, my very long short-list of all-timers includes Laila Gohar (YG14), Hassan Rahim (YG14), Andrew Myers (YG12), Leo Porto (YG17), Bobby Doherty (YG11), Tracy Ma (YG11), Noemie Le Coz (YG15), Tre Seals (YG17), and Ben Denzer (YG16).
If you could create a new Young Guns tradition, what would you want it to be and why?
I’d love to see some kind of mentorship program where Young Guns leverage their talent and connections to help younger creatives who need help breaking into the industry. Maybe we can also do karaoke.
Name a dream project that you have yet to fulfill — maybe Young Guns will propel you in that direction!
I’d really like to write a book! I’m also in the process of officially launching my own studio this year, which I would say is a dream project in and of itself.
Will we see you at the YG22 party in NYC in November?
Yes!
Come party with us and celebrate the class of Young Guns 22 on Wednesday, November 13, 6:30 PM, at Sony Hall in NYC!
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