The Texas Distance
Meet Hayley, Kong Screenprinting’s and TDC’s Sultan of Swag
Want to know who’s behind the Texas Distance Challenge, logo and designs? Meet Hayley Brooks! Designer extraordinaire from Kong Screenprinting! The team at Event Southwest (Texas Distance Challenge’s production company) has a storied past with Kong Screenprinting. They’ve been working together for many years on such projects like the Mobile Food Throwdown and Trailer Food Tuesdays in Austin! We were lucky enough to work on yet another project with them when TDC came along, and we were psyched to hear that Hayley was stepping up to the plate to create the TDC brand. Check out our interview with Hayley below.
TY: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
HB: I’m Hayley Books, a designer and illustrator born and raised in Austin, Texas. I love my dog and my cat, drawing, the outdoors, being bad at video games, cooking vegan food, and bragging about being from Texas.
TY: What was the thought process behind developing the “Texas Chic” vibe of the Texas Distance Challenge?
HB: I think one of the things that unites everyone from Texas is being obsessed with Texas. As I’m typing this I’m sitting next to a stained glass piece my aunt made of an Armadillo basking in a Texas sunset. Creative people from Texas end up making art about it because it’s an inspiring place filled with great people. I knew if we went in a very Texas-Forward direction with this project, it’d be a winner for sure.
TY: You brought a lot of emotion to the challenge though the styling, fonts and colors. Did you have any specific location in Texas in mind when you developed those elements?
HB: If there was a break from school when me and my brother were kids, you could guarantee my parents packed up our Ford F250 with our Nintendo 64 and a plastic storage bin full of Beanie Babies to drive us all out to the deserts of west Texas. We spent a lot of time camping, hiking, and looking at weird art in Marfa. Needless to say, this left quite an impression on me and I can’t help but romanticize the big open skies and martian-like landscapes of west Texas. I definitely used those memories to help create the look and feel of the Texas Distance Challenge merchandise I developed.
TY: Texas is absolutely massive. Do you have a specific getaway, city oasis or personal favorite destination that’s your go-to?
HB: Austin will always be number one in my heart, and I already talked about my love for west Texas. My mom is from as far east as you can get and still be in Texas, a small town called Orange right on the border of Louisiana. One of my favorite things to do when I was there as a kid was to get in a canoe with my cousins and my mom and ride around in the Bayou near my grandparent’s house. We would catch crabs with chicken necks, fight crawfish, and occasionally get spooked when an alligator gar would bump the bottom of the boat. To this day when I go to visit my family I still love to go down on the docks near where the Navy ships were built during WW2 and listen to the sounds of the Bayou. Not a super glamorous oasis but I love it!
TY: What’s one thing you’re eager to explore in this great state that you have on your “to do” list!?
HB: Houston! I’d love to stay there for a while and visit their museums and do an Anthony Bourdain style food tour of the city. Growing up in Austin I’ve obviously been to Houston, but never long enough to really absorb everything the city had to offer. I think when people think of big “Cultural Hub” cities, they think of New York or Los Angeles. So many people forget that Texas is home to Houston, one of the most diverse cities in the United States with a killer art scene and tons of fantastic food and culture. Seriously, if you have a favorite artist of any kind check and see if they’re from Houston, it’s almost a guarantee they are. We’ve really got it all here in Texas!
Like hearing about what takes place behind the scenes? Be sure you keep a lookout on our social media channels and Dillo Delivery Newsletters for more!
Like hearing about what takes place behind the scenes? Be sure you keep a lookout on our social media channels and Dillo Delivery Newsletters for more!
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