Daphna Sebbane

Graphic Designer

Daphna Sebbane

Graphic Designer

Daphna Sebbane is a Graphic Designer from Austin, Texas. By day she works full-time for a gaming company and by the light of the moon she freelances. Her work is so full of mystical and occult influences that's she is starting to be known as the “Queen of Occult” on Instagram. And it was definitely what first attracted us to her work, we love it! We can tell there are big things in this talented woman's future. Thanks so much for chatting with us Daphna!
© Daphna Sebbane
© Daphna Sebbane
© Daphna Sebbane
© Daphna Sebbane

What do you do?

I’m a graphic designer based out in Austin, TX. I work as a full time designer on the marketing team for a gaming company and freelance on the side. Though, I’ve been navigating this world of freelance a lot more.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I knew I either wanted to get into the arts or work with animals. And I can say I’ve done both. In college, I worked as a kennel tech while going to school to become a designer and knew at a young age that I wanted to be in a creative field.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a freelancer.

There are times when my full time job lacks a bit of creativity and I wanted to design stuff for myself. I started this journey of doing daily designs and posting them on social media which led me to start working on real projects for clients.

Stay Wild © Daphna Sebbane

When you first started, how did you find clients?

It took me quite some time to find clients. What helped me build clients was consistently posting my work. My work has mystical elements to it and I have a lot of people who admire the occults reaching out for their brands. Branding yourself with a unique style, can help you stand out and people will take notice.

What are the biggest milestones that have led to where you currently are in your career?

I think the biggest milestone would be garnering the clients I have so far through social media and doing more work locally. I’ve met a lot of creatives in my city through local meet ups and creative events and being a part of the community is helping me grow as a designer.

Do you have a motto that you work by?

As cliché as this sounds, “Don’t give up”. Things take time even when you are building your career. You will go through highs and lows but that’s what helps you become a better designer.

How do you stay productive?

I try to do a little bit each day and take on projects that excite me. If I don’t do work that I love it will show in the quality of work. It’s also important to take days off to recharge so when new projects come in, you don’t get burned out.

Mystical Tiger © Daphna Sebbane

What are you working on right now?

I’m actually working on designing my own tarot card deck and hopefully have an online shop up a running soon. I have a few merch projects lined up at the moment and branding work for a few businesses starting out.

What is your dream project?

My dream project would be doing branding for local breweries. I’d like to do more packaging design particularly for the beer industry. It’s something I haven’t delved in much but would be really fun to design.

“You will go through highs and lows but that’s what helps you become a better designer.”

What one piece of advice would you give to a freelancer just starting out?

Share your work! I can’t stress that enough. Even if you think it isn’t great, show people what you’ve got. It will help you become more confident in showcasing your work and you never know who will appreciate it.

What is the best piece of advice you've been given?

Be inspired by your surroundings and life experiences. I hope I can bring a little bit of beauty into this world through my design, because I’m constantly inspired by the people around me and the life I’ve set out to live.

Tell us about a time in your career when you struggled.

There have been times when initially I’ve taken on a project that I thought would be a great fit and along the process it turned out it wasn’t. Those types of experience can be a struggle but help you grow, and teach you how to better navigate every project.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

It’s honestly been meeting all the other awesome creatives out there! Whether that’s through social media or locally it’s been great being surrounded by awesome people doing great things.

What are you listening to, reading or watching that is inspiring to you lately?

I’ve been listening to a ton of podcasts. It’s easy to become lost in the world of podcasts while designing. I enjoy listening to anything that’s paranormal / supernatural to comedy podcasts. The supernatural podcasts definitely inspire my work and I’ve recently been called the “Queen of Occult” (which made me smile) on Instagram by other designers because of my work.

What is your favourite piece of clothing?

A good pair of leggings. The most comfortable piece of clothing that can be dressed up or down.

What is the strangest thing about you?

This is such a good question haha. People may not know but I still have a baby tooth. I’m 29 years old and that thing has been with me since the beginning. I think it’s pretty strange.

Who would you like most to answer these questions next?

Meg Dever – check out her work on instagram!

How can we find out more about your work?

I mainly post my work on instagram and you can find me @daphnasebbane.