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Cover: Jon White (Sauce)
Acorn Ridge, Ashgate, Brampton, Brookside, Holymoorside, Somersall & Walton
ICONS
A bit of Sauce by Jon White
Words: Simon Paterson
Images: Jon White
This month’s front cover star is from Jon White from Sauce design. I grabbed a coffee at Board and Bean to chat about his new business and what art and design means to him…
Guitarist, marathon runner, gamer, movie buff, and father of two - Jon White wears many hats, but his greatest talent lies in his work as a designer. His design journey started in his days as a songwriter and guitarist for the 'criminally underrated' band Vigilante Wing (his words, not mine). With no budget for album covers or tour posters, Jon took matters into his own hands - teaching himself graphic design to create the artwork the band desperately needed.
"When I was in the band, a friend of mine, Leigh, showed me the ropes with Photoshop. I already knew how to code, so with a bit of time, dedication, and passion, I managed to create album covers, posters, a website, and all the other promotional bits Vigilante Wing needed. That was my first dip into the world of design, and I absolutely loved it," Jon smiles.
Jon enrolled in a Graphic Design course at Rotherham Art College, leading to a BA Honours degree in Graphic Design at Sheffield Hallam University. "Once I finished my degree, I landed my first design job at SDL Minorfern, creating brochures, flyers and vehicle graphics. If you’ve ever seen their vans out and about, that's my work on the side," he says proudly. After sharpening his skills in graphic and web design, as well as branding, Jon stepped into a leadership role as Web Design Manager at DFS, the national home furniture giant.
"Leading a design team for a big-name company like DFS has been amazing," says Jon. "But I’ve always dreamt of starting my own business. The experience gained gave me the confidence to launch Sauce, my own dynamic design agency, alongside my wife Jen, who also happens to not only be an incredible mum to our two boys, Harrison and Lucas, but a brilliant copywriter and marketer too."
And the name has a story too. "When Jen was pregnant with Harrison, we knew we were going to name him Harrison Patrick, so his initials would be HP, like the sauce. So, we just started calling him ‘Sauce’" laughs Jon.
Jon’s skills are plentiful so I asked what packages are on offer at Sauce? "Alongside freelance and piece work, I offer two main packages," Jon explains.
Bottled Sauce: Like a retainer, but without the limits. You pay a single flat monthly fee, request as much work as you need, and get a highly experienced designer on your team. Simple.
Gourmet Sauce: A more traditional designerclient relationship. It’s a tailored, collaborative experience that aligns perfectly with your business and brand identity.
"I understand that not everyone needs a one off specialist piece or has the budget for one, but sometimes you just need a professional rather than someone’s nephew who knows how to use Canva," Jon smiles.
Jon’s front cover features 30 Chesterfieldinspired icons. "I like taking something complex and shrinking it down - simplifying to something minimal, but still recognisable. Hopefully, people can tell what they represent. It was great fun to research and design. I’m not an artist or illustrator like many of the creatives featured on previous covers, but I enjoy creating graphic designs that are bold and eye-catching," he adds.
Thanks for the cover Jon, and to get in touch see below.
hello@get-sauce.com www.get-sauce.com
