Life & Work with Derrick Whitfield Sr.

Thank you so much VoyageATL for the amazing opportunity to share about my business!

My story starts in my hometown, San Diego, California. From the age of 6-to 7, I always enjoyed watching and drawing Saturday morning cartoons such as Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, Droopy The Dog, Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Animated Series, etc. Once my family elders started to take notice of my artistic ability they made me practice drawing…a lot!

I always excelled in school, but my teachers were confused with me because I was withdrawn and used to draw quite a bit in class. My school decided to give me a series of tests in the 3rd grade, upon the test results my teachers suggested to my mother I should skip two grades because I wasn’t being challenged enough in the classroom. My Mom thought skipping two grades would be too much for me to handle socially, so she sent me to a magnet school that specialized in art, math, and science.

While I attended a magnet school in the 4th grade, I did a lot of still life drawings, which cultivated my skill as an artist. I created pretty consistently through high school, mostly comic book characters and portraits. I also picked up a habit of getting into trouble. After a couple of run-ins with the law during my teenage years, I decided to join the Navy to discipline myself. I didn’t draw at all during my naval service (2005-2014). But, I did travel all over the world and customer service was my job in the Navy. I definitely use my experiences from the Navy in my business today.

Nearing the end of my Naval service, I decided I was going to go into Human Resources (the civilian equivalent of my job in the Navy) until my wife Dominique (girlfriend at the time) saw me draw. She strongly suggested I go into Graphic Design for college.

I definitely did my homework on the Graphic Design field before I started college and found out for whatever reason, there isn’t a lot of diversity within Graphic Design studios/companies. So, I decided I wanted to change that. I came to the conclusion that in order for me to be successful as an African American Graphic Designer, I would have to create my own business. So, when I walked into college on January 15th, 2015, I also walked into entrepreneurship.

Fast forward to 2022, Whitfield Designs Company is the go-to design company for unconventional brands. In proud collaboration with my clients, my work has been featured at

The House of Blues – San Diego, BET, The 2021 Sundance Film Festival, The Grand Hyatt – San Diego, The Hyatt Regency – San Diego, JESS SIMS, the Peloton fitness instructor, and House of Harlow 1960.

Starting my own business with no blueprint whatsoever has definitely presented some unique challenges. Did I mention, that I never worked for a design company before? Lol!

Everything in my business has been trial and error. Finding clients, developing my design/illustration skills, managing money as a designer, learning how to draw from a ten-year hiatus, getting clients to invest in your work, and learning how to use Graphic Design programs ( I’ve never heard of graphic programs before 2015). All of it has been challenging!

Two of the largest challenges in business I faced were early in my design career. One of them was not being able to afford my son’s first birthday (2016). That one hurt a lot! It still stings to this day.

The second would be having to sell most of my possessions (cars included) to feed my family (2017). That was a really tough time. But, there is no crown with some thorns attached to it.

I believe people don’t learn much from success, it’s the obstacles that really make or break a person.

For the past seven years (2015-2022) my work has been mostly logos for small businesses and t-shirt designs. I specialize in custom logo design.

Although I am known for my design work, the rising popularity of NFTs has created considerable demand for my digital illustration art.

It’s an amazing time because having a demand for my artwork puts me back into my “childhood drawing during Saturday morning cartoons roots.” The creative work these days are slightly better than when I was a child lol.

I would say my customer service and ability to draw set me apart from others.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice for artists/designers starting out is some advice I received from my college professor: “Creative work isn’t necessarily about how good a creative piece is. What matters most is how many eyes can you get on your creativity.”Another piece of advice is don’t underestimate word of mouth. Look at past great creatives (Basquiat, Picasso, Dali, Emory Douglas). Don’t get me wrong, the creatives I’ve named have created some pretty dope work, but what kept these creatives employed was their relationships! I know a lot of creatives are naturally introverts, sometimes you gotta get out there like politicians, shake some hands and kiss some babies.Lay a brick every day! You don’t get to Michael Jordan status by avoiding jump shots.

Lastly, have a compelling reason “why” outside of money. I know it sounds cliché, but I would say my son is my main reason “why.” I’ve always wanted a son, so the decision of being the best designer I can be becomes really easy if it ensures he has what he needs.

Thank you VoygeATL readers!