Amy Gonzales is the art director of her home-based graphic design business, Jaylex Design Inc.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Jaylex is a hybrid of her two sons’ names, Jayden and Alex. “The name is a balance because it’s me balanced between the two of them or typography balanced between art.”
HOW BIG IS THE TEAM?
There are three members on the staff of the year-old firm: a graphic designer, an accountant and Gonzales. She also employs a freelance copy writer.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
The trio are all members of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?
“I make the initial pitch, present work to clients and do design work. I take verbal directions and turn it into something visual.”
WHERE SHE LEARNED THE TRADE
Florida Community College at Jacksonville is where she become certified. “It [graphic design] is a really competitive program. They don’t have full-time professors. They use people in the field to teach so you really know what’s going on out there in the real world.”
WHO GAVE HER THE EXPERIENCE?
Citibank’s in-house design department gave Gonzales an internship, handling advertising and marketing issues. After a year at The Dalton Agency, she started her own business.
WHY GO INTO GRAPHIC DESIGN?
“I’m artistic and I’ve always worked with people to hear what they had to say and how they can go about getting where they want to go. It’s a challenge to communicate and I enjoy it.”
WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY?
“When somebody has an idea where they want to go, to put it all together and take them there.”
WHAT OTHER ARTISTIC THINGS DO YOU DO?
“I’m into making things. I collect old doors and stuff and make things out of them. I build furniture with sticks and branches. My house is like a museum. It helps me get inspired about shapes, forms and lines.” Interior painting, dabbing patterns on walls, is another outlet. Crafts are a regular occurrence for the children in the neighborhood. They often come over to her house to design little creations. “It keeps me in touch with all sorts of ideas. It’s rubbed off because now my sons won’t throw anything away. It may be an art project some day.”
CASE IN POINT
“My concepts are inspired by my everyday experiences with my children. When I was at Dalton I was working on a mentoring brochure. A concept came to me about being a hero, depicting a figure tying on a cape. The message was that being a mentor, you can be a hero in a different way.”
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
“The biggest challenge is making people aware that you’re out there.”
WILL GRAPHIC DESIGN BECOME OUTDATED DUE TO NEWER TECHNOLOGY?
“There is a need for it so I’m not afraid of it being replaced.”
WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS?
“I seek clients for things we want to be involved in, things that are good for the community. For example, the Urban League needed to feel more human and get away from the technical look. Having work I believe in makes for a strong portfolio. The way they use it is advertising for me as well. I don’t want to do just that but I see a need for involvement there. If you’re passionate about your work, it shows and enables others to feel the same way.”
HOMETOWN
Wichita, Kan.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?
“My uncle was with the Navy. We came here to visit and liked it. Me, my mother and my sons came here to stay.”
WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
Riverside.
HOBBIES
Fishing, bicycle riding or redecorating her apartment. Reading Dr. Seuss, watching the classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” or dining at the West Inn Cantina are other indulgences. She is also keeping a journal, which she is contemplating publishing one day. “The book is a collection of my experiences as a woman and as a mother. I’m writing and drawing about it to document how I feel about the different roles I play.”
GRAFFITI PRINCESS
To capture the more urban side of Jacksonville, Gonzales and a close friend wander the streets looking for old buildings to photograph. Downtown structures slated for the wrecking ball are particular favorites. “I like those that are different, off-the-beaten path, not just what they promote to tourists. There’s only certain things that are sold here in terms of the look or image of the town. They make Jacksonville out to be such a hometown but it can be both [urban and homey]. I think there are cool highlights but they’re never mentioned, so we dress up in different costumes to fit the urban set look. It’s just for fun.”
—by Monica Chamness