Life & Work with Shawnda Williams of Central

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnda Williams.

Hi Shawnda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I can’t begin my story without mentioning what I have reconciled as my gypsy upbringing. I am your quintessential Air Force Brat. 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 follow my passions and embrace situations where I am often the “only.” Being the only woman or Black person has been consistent throughout my life. In undergrad, I was the only black student in the fine arts program. My professional career in design and technology has shared this common theme. So 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.

One day I found myself at an exciting crossroads, a chance opportunity that would change the direction of my life. It was 2016, and on a casual perusal of Facebook, I noticed a peer’s post asking interested women of all experience levels to participate in an all-female vehicle restoration called “Chevy Montage.” I was intrigued. I would not consider myself overly mechanically inclined. I was handy but only knew the most minimal of basics regarding car repair. So much about life is influenced by timing; this situation caught me when I did several hobbyist-level modifications to my motorcycle. Mostly cosmetic changes, but I was eager to learn more in this space, so I said why not.

I still look back and marvel at this modest project, which would allow me to meet some of the best and brightest women working within the automotive and skilled trade industries—consistently inspired by the sheer passion shown by these women. They came from all corners of the US to participate in this effort. Each was more remarkable and gracious with their knowledge than the previous one. It was an array of tribal knowledge. Admittedly something I seldom saw at any point in my career progression. My career bounced between corporate or agency creative settings, where my peers guarded their knowledge and kindness was a measured commodity.

This experience was entirely different. I learned so much from these ladies, and they invested heavily in me. I was an outsider to the auto industry. They all taught me despite not knowing if I would ever pick up a tool again. It did not matter to them what I did or didn’t do with the knowledge.

I left the experience entirely changed but motivated to give back. As the project ended and we returned to our everyday lives, I noticed a void in myself—this earnest desire to use my hands and be a more tactile maker. My day job was still very technology-focused. Aside from scribbling on a whiteboard, my life is tethered to a laptop. But then I had a crazy idea; the great spirit of timing fell upon me again and presented me with an opportunity to purchase a 1956 Chevy truck. It was two months since the last project was unveiled, so the experience was still fresh, my connections with the women were still active, and the universal sentiment of what’s next loomed. So I had a truck, an ill-conceived plan, and the support of an excellent network of women. I reached out to the woman who had run the last project, Bogi Lateiner, got her blessing to utilize the shop space and provide some guidance, and I was off. Luckily, I spent the first fifteen years of my career in creative agencies, so I was familiar with bringing a product to market, creating buzz, and selling. So my product was this truck build, and I sold my heart out. It was finally landing a sponsorship with BluePrint Engines, who graciously gifted a new 350 small block engine that fueled and ignited this idea into life. After them, other large sponsors came on board, and this pipedream of restoring this truck was genuinely coming to life. So, of course, I made a logo, social media, branded and dubbed this project “High Yellow 56.”

High Yellow 56 was my turn to help shine a light on the lack of gender diversity in the automotive industry and the even scarcer number of black women in the industry. Women are an extreme minority, but black women are practically invisible, especially in restoration. So it was crucial to me to help elevate this issue. As a novice, it was brave of me to embark on restoring my truck, but it was entirely audacious to do this and want to compete on the main stage restoring this truck to show levels. Of course, that is crazy, but sometimes to create change, you must be prepared to get a little bit crazy.

This project had many starts and stops but was fully realized and announced for public participation in April 2019. In the background of the truck build, Bogi and I formed a business, Girl Gang Garage, which leans into the gender gap in the automotive trades and provides women hands-on learning opportunities. She led the female builders while I focused on the design decisions. We unveiled the completed restoration at SEMA 2019 at the BluePrint Engines Booth. SEMA is effectively the Super Bowl of car shows. Through this, I became a first-time car designer, a scarcely seen black woman, unveiling a car that was brought to life by an entirely female crew of women spanning all corners of professional industries and lifestyles.

It was a remarkable accomplishment and the basis of my ongoing efforts. One of my favorite quotes is, “if you can design one thing, you can design everything.— Massimo Vignelli ” Although this truck is my most significant departure, it has brought me to this place where I ordinarily would be limited to the constraints of 2D design. As a result, I am now adding in the third dimension and designing in 3D. In addition, it has spirited a new business concept called Southern Fried Concepts. Still early in its existence, it helps me finally be in a position to give back to many of the women within the automotive industry who gave so much to me. It’s a progressive, accessible, female-forward design services solution oriented to empowering women. We believe in the motto of “by women, for women” and seek to provide a service that helps support women through the vector of graphic expression and business consulting. I have provided brand designs for several prominent women within the automotive and trades industry and am eagerly looking to do more. I’m also creating custom parts for my truck while learning CAD as a resident in the Autodesk Technology Centers Outsight Network. So it is an exciting time for me, and I feel like I am inching closer to making a noticeable impact.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In short, No. I am a person who wants to follow my passion wherever it leads me. Unfortunately, this often puts me in scenarios where I operate outside the majority, which I have accepted as the consequence of doing what instinctively should be done. When I chose to pursue Graphic Design as my major in college, I was confronted with protest. Repeatedly told me I would never make any money, which was a mistake. I entered an academic program where I was the “only” black person—struggling alone to understand the nuances of modernism and having to develop a design aesthetic that was contrary to my natural inclinations. Black culture is the vibrant antithesis of the austere modernist ideals my program taught. However, I wanted this career, and I had already fought to pursue it and welcomed the challenge of having a more robust aesthetic. That mastery helped propel my job and made the transition from print to digital easier. The refinement and design principles also inspired the design choices for High Yellow 56.

I wish that were my biggest challenge, but even as my career progressed more directly toward technology, I found the same persistent narrative just magnified. I was often the only woman on teams and always the only black person. So, when I crossed paths with the initial truck restoration project, I intimately understood the plight of women in the automotive industry.

Finally, there was my sheer audacity to restore a classic truck. Unfortunately, many people did not understand my “why” and actively tried to limit the potential of what I believed High Yellow could be. So I tend to attract adversity, but I take it in stride.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional career has evolved from a graphic designer to a digital product design leader. The landscape is persistently expanding, and the tools are constantly changing. However, the need to ask, research and appropriately understand the wants and needs of the intended audience remains core and constant. Branding has always served as my art because I believe this need for truth and clarity translated into a representative visual artifact. The expertly designed logo becomes the signature your customers identify you by. It helps you stand apart from competitors. I believe in a traditional approach rooted in scribbles on a sketch pad, transitioning to tracing paper for refinement, before finally making my way to a digital landscape. My process is tactile. Most include hand-drawn lettering and strive to provide more than just a logo but an original work of art. Many of the logos I have done for ladies in the auto & trade industry have been pro-bono. Why? Because my primary passion in this is setting these women up for success, ensuring they are being heard for once, their logo truly reflects them and characterizes their brand. This isn’t a business of ends. It is a business in the service of seeing women succeed and allowing those with less to have the quality their dreams deserve.

What makes you happy?
I’m big on the notion of being in the service of others.  As a result, my happiest moments usually begin with those around me, helping someone visually bring their vision to life. Similarly, I find joy in mentoring and watching the successes of any of the women I have helped. The teensiest bit of support goes a long way when it supports others. There is no more incredible accomplishment than knowing I positively impacted someone’s journey in a meaningful way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://southernfriedconcepts.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/highyellow56/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highyellow56