Meet Shawnda Williams | Designer of Things

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawnda Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawnda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is my oldest friend. The familiar companion has pushed, challenged, and broken me, yet forced me to rebuild bigger, stronger, more resilient, and exceed my wildest expectations. Society often pressures people into prescribed paths and boxes, but I prefer to forge my own way. As a result, I fearlessly follow my passions and embrace situations where I am often the “only,” which introduces tremendous risk. Being the only woman or Black person has been consistent throughout my life. So asking me about risk, it’s something I accept, welcome, and bearhug with all my might because it is my constant and the secret to my success. Growing up, it was present every time I stepped on the soccer field as the only black player. It loomed its head as an undergrad, where I was the only black student in the fine arts program. My professional career in design and technology also shares this common theme. The risk was there when I picked a new sport, boxing, in my late twenties. A sport that is dominantly male. I held on tight to risk when I transitioned to fighting as a licensed amateur boxer which produced accomplishments like having won Golden Glove & State titles and has evolved into a dedication toward coaching & mentoring that I still do today.

My life’s accomplishments are all tinged with risk. When my life inexplicably collided with the automotive industry, an industry where only 2.4% of Automotive service technicians and mechanics were female, it inspired a resounding “hell yes” to help create change and take on unimaginable risks. I stepped outside of my profession and comfort zone and leaned into this cause to help found Girl Gang Garage- an advocacy group focused on closing the gender gap in the automotive trades and providing women with hands-on learning opportunities. One of the most significant extensions of risk was in my decision to restore a 56 Chevy truck, lovingly called High Yellow 56. This project would evolve to be an all-female restoration and involve 80 determined women of all skill levels from across the US. The experience allowed me to stretch my Designer abilities and extend my reach from 2D to 3D design. I am responsible for designing the entire structure, down to sketching out seat treatments, logo design, and handpicking all accessories and trim. I thoughtfully considered every aspect of this truck, and it was unveiled for public display at SEMA 2019.

My newest foray with risk is in the launch of Southern Fried Concepts, which feels like a lifetime of risk-taking in the making. Southern Fried Concepts is enriched by inherited traditions, a celebration of manual tools and methods, with the charge to deliver results that reflect each customer’s individuality and unique needs. It is a multidisciplinary design service born from dreams, inspired by service, and created to visually elevate the voices of women, dreamers, and badass people. Courting risk is a lifetime commitment; my entanglement will likely not stop anytime soon.

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Southern Fried Concepts is steeped in family heritage and soul, nurtured by a mother who put a pencil in my hand at an early age. She never wavered in her support of me, art, and the belief I could do anything I put my mind to. The consistency in her support helped me navigate a tumultuous Air Force upbringing. I lived in more zip codes by age ten than most people have in their entire lifetime. My life has always been a veritable turnstile of places, bases, and people. As a child, I was not too fond of it, but I can genuinely appreciate it as an adult. It has inspired, empowered, and motivated me to fearlessly navigate situations where I am often the “only.” Although it may sound as though it would be a limiter, it instead has been an inciter. Even at an early age, I have been aware of the differences and limitations that race and s*x can create and have woefully railed against them for as long as I can recall. I don’t shy away from significant challenges. That tenacious energy has allowed me to kick through closed doors and progress my career forward when it felt like the world was systemically against me.

My love of art manifesting into a multidisciplinary design service is not a surprise, and it feels like I am making good on a childhood promise. One of my favorite quotes is, “if you can design one thing, you can design everything.— Massimo Vignelli”. This quote embodies the spirit of Southern Fried Concepts because I believe in design that solves problems. To do this honestly may mean designing for all mediums or media. So this is not a typical design service, nor am I a typical designer. Instead, I consider myself a “designer of things.” It’s a nod back to designers of yore, converging different artistic mediums into one unified approach with an emphasis on design principles. My projects range from being audacious, like High Yellow 56, to the more traditional like a logo design. I aspire to figure out opportunities to introduce and not forget about tactile or manual processes when solving design problems. I don’t believe in it for gimmickry but as a purveyor in the artistry of making, an appreciator of process, and a lover of authenticity. The world seems to be rapidly forgetting how to get its hands dirty, and I am here to remind everyone how and why it is essential.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Phoenix has become a foodie & libation haven, and no one is more excited about this than I am. So it’s 1-2-3 buckle up and be prepared to be sufficiently wined and dined anytime I have a guest in from out of town visiting. A well-known adage among chefs is, “You eat with your eyes first,” but we drink with them too. With the influx of cool concept bars, I have become keen on pre-dinner cocktail time, and The Rose Garden downtown is an excellent starting point. There is terrific sushi across the street at Harumi Sushi. Another favorite of mine is Rough Rider in the Roosevelt neighborhood which has delicious food and drink. If I can be so disciplined not to stay and eat dinner there, I love to take people to the Larder + The Delta. It’s incredible cuisine and is Black-owned. A final favorite of mine that is burgeoning to be a top happy hour or nightcap venue is The Boom Boom Room in the Coronado neighborhood. This place has the dopest vibe and amazing drinks; it is notably Black-owned and doing its thing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been truly fortunate that my career has been elevated by a handful of Boss women that, during the more formative periods in my maturation, provided me the scaffolding that helped me grow strong, willful, and never afraid of the power held by my voice. Beginning with my mother, she’s always encouraged me; many times in my life, she was the lone voice supporting design as a viable career and way forward. Additionally, as I was taking my fledgling steps into professional spaces, I was fortunate to intern with two fierce women designers, Susan Hemphill and Lisa Blevins, who collectively taught me more during my internship than the entirety of my collegiate design experience. I’d also like to acknowledge Ann Wolnick, who took a chance and hired me fresh from school into a leadership role. That opportunity has fueled my professional path and is why I can boast almost 20 years of progressive design leadership experience. I want to recognize Joann Bortles, a mentor, supporter, and great friend who has helped inform, validate, and support more endeavors within the automotive industry. She has persistently been the red phone I can call when I’m stuck or frustrated. The collective of these women has gotten me to where I am. Still, I would be remiss not to mention my little sister, Krista Williams, who is not a designer but has helpfully art directed, copy edited, brainstormed, and silently cheerled every ridiculous half-baked idea I have ever had. My often collaborator and my sister from another mister Briana Huhn, who keeps me sane and believing my wildest dreams are within reach. Rounding it out, I have to give special praise to my father, Larry Williams, who first put tools in my hands and the drive to march forward. I believe in the power of the village, and this village starting at birth and extending to today and, hopefully, tomorrow, has helped me be the woman I am.

Website: https://southernfriedconcepts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernfriedconcepts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sofriedconcepts

Other: https://www.instagram.com/highyellow56