Landon Febuary was craving a change. After spending 10 years helping build e-commerce and web design agency LiveArea from the ground up, the Portland, Oregon-based creative director decided to freelance for a while. With a client list a mile long, including creative campaigns for big names like Starbucks, P&G, Smith Optics and Mountain Hardware, he had the experience and confidence to choose his next step. Now a few projects into collaborating with Pattern, the seasoned designer, outdoor enthusiast, and Colorado native says he’s learning something new every day. We caught up with Landon to hear about his experience as a Pattern freelancer, the power of user-centered design, and why he just might consider a full-time role far sooner than he imagined.

Tell us about your background. How did you become a creative director?
I've been doing this work for a long time. I originally went to school for traditional advertising at a time when they didn’t think the internet would be useful. You couldn't go to school for UX design and web design; it just wasn’t available. Most people were just starting to get into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash. Because I was in traditional advertising, I had to take a lot of extra courses to learn the tools I needed; they didn’t count toward my advertising degree. I also worked the graveyard shift at Kinkos, typesetting, and doing computer services, so I got a lot of experience outside of a traditional classroom setting. I designed invitations for customers while I built my portfolio designing websites. An agency saw my work, and I started working with a small web design group back when flash was in its hay day. We were all learning as we went.

After working for a few agencies, I moved out to Seattle to work for Microsoft Zune helping design and create interactive prototypes for the Zune music player interface. Then I joined Ascentium, another design studio. We did a lot of interface and mobile design for telecommunications companies like T-Mobile and AT&T. We also did all kinds of design work for Microsoft, including mobile interface design for the Windows phone, websites, and print. Beyond websites, I’ve really enjoyed the branding and print work I’ve had a chance to work on over the years, including branding Women Who Roar and a project with NOBL Pet Foods, which also included packaging design and a logo.

In 2010 I worked with Mark Moskal to help grow LiveArea into what it is today; I think I was employee number four or five. Mark wanted to focus heavily on e-commerce, especially in the fashion space. For 10 years, I was hyper-focused on designing digital commerce experiences. When we sold to a much larger company and after a few more years, I decided it was time to try something new. Taking some time to freelance and figure out my next step felt important. I already knew Pattern Co-founders Mike Janiak and Isaac Newton from past agencies, so I jumped at the chance to collaborate again. 

What’s it like to work with Pattern?
Pattern is good at making freelancers feel like part of the team right away. They pull you into their weekly sessions and all communication, like Slack channels and team meetings. Sometimes it's easy for freelancers to feel like third wheels, but I can tell Pattern is comfortable and experienced working with freelancers.

Pattern’s work also feels super smart. You can tell that everybody cares about what they're doing, and they're putting a lot of thought into it. Everything is intentional.

What have you learned from working with Pattern so far?
Mike and Isaac both run discovery sessions with clients, and after watching them in action, a few things stand out to me about the way they work. They are very human about their approach, and they stress the importance of having valuable conversations with clients. Clients come away feeling like they've gotten to tell their story, and we feel like they've told us who they are and what they're all about. It’s not just note taking and checking off a checklist; you can tell a real connection has formed, and we all come away truly understanding the client’s business and story.

Truthfully, though, I learn something every single time I get on a call with the team. When I'm working with the Pattern team on all different projects, I'm constantly pushed and challenged in a way that I haven't been before. It's incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.

"You can tell that everybody cares about what they're doing, and they're putting a lot of thought into it. Everything is intentional."

Tell us about a project or client engagement you’re proud of. What made it great?
My first project with Pattern was a redesign of a legendary heavy metal band’s website. This was a bucket list project that I didn't realize I wanted until I got the opportunity. The site was about more than just selling their products. This band—that pre-COVID-19 was selling out concerts globally of over 70,000 fans— wanted to tell a story, and they wanted to say, “Hey world, here's everything we've done, and we're going to let you just come play and dive in and learn and listen to all of this free content.” 

The project was more than just a redesign for my favorite band. This band is a cultural phenomenon and a lifestyle brand. Everything they have ever done is cataloged on their site. It's essentially an encyclopedia that could live forever. Fans can dive into every song they've ever written, every time it's ever been played, everywhere it's ever been played. We pulled together an immense amount of information about this amazing band. The team loved everything we did, the landing page was super successful, and we're looking forward to seeing the rest of the site come to life.

What gets you stoked? 
I get fired up about the outdoor space for sure. There have been a few projects where I've had the chance to work with sustainable products and companies that are hyper-focused on impact. Of all the e-commerce websites in my portfolio, the outdoor lifestyle space gets me most stoked. I’ve been lucky enough to work with incredible brands like Mountain Hardware, Columbia Sportswear, Brooks Running, Smith, and several others; they all feel aligned with my own passions and identity. If I'm going to sell something, then I'm down with selling stuff that lets you get outdoors. I want to sell stuff that keeps you dry, helps you hike better, camp better, go places, and get you outdoors. 

What is your favorite element of the creative process?
The storytelling element of design is my favorite part. Brand building is not just about design, it’s about helping craft the story from the beginning—from nothing—and helping clients define it. I love thinking about the overall presentation, what the story is, and how the logo relates to elements like the type that we're choosing, the photography style, the layouts, colors, and more. What are we saying in the type? What is the message? What is the copy? That whole process is exciting. The same goes for websites. I enjoy getting into the weeds of what we are saying.  I love the UX part. What's the tone of voice? Is this thing going to look good and work? Are people going to understand how to use it? Because you can design things that are beautiful, but if people don't know how to use them, it doesn't matter. It's not just the design and the visual; it's the storytelling. It's the functionality. It's the whole thing.

"I get fired up about the outdoor space for sure. There have been a few projects where I've had the chance to work with sustainable products and companies that are hyper-focused on impact — they all feel aligned with my own passions and identity."

What’s next for you? 
Right now I'm living in the moment. I'm super excited about the work we're doing for Truewerk, and I can't wait to see how that's going to come to life. I'm loving all of my work with Pattern, and I'm also in that phase of trying to figure things out. Do I keep freelancing in the new year? If I could work with Pattern full time, there's a good chance I would go that route. That says a lot, too, because coming off of a full-time job, I didn't think I was going to want to work for anybody full time for years.

Want to join Landon on our next project? We’re looking for freelance designers and project managers to join our team. If crafting award-winning digital experiences for emerging and established consumer brands is your thing, get in touch!

About Pattern
Pattern is a digital design & e-commerce agency that helps brands succeed in the experience economy. We design modern brands, eCommerce experiences, products & platforms that help founders, disruptors and visionaries find their place at the intersection of culture, community & commerce.