Today we’d like to introduce you to Jassamine (Jazz) Domino.
Hi Jassamine (Jazz), so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, I always knew and had a feeling I wanted to be apart of the technology world. I would take electronics like calculators or anything with a motherboard apart that no longer worked and put them together with each other, pretending they actually worked. Thats where it started. After graduating high school and relocating to Austin, Texas, I enrolled at Austin Community College and started taking computer science classes. At the time it sounded like the right path, but soon into the semester, I learned that this might not be for me. When I wasn’t in class, I would spend time on the social media platform, MySpace. At that time, you could source code for your background page from websites by copying and pasting them into MySpace. I would have music playlists playing when you came to my page and whatever artist I themed the playlist on, I would find backgrounds to match it. One day I started to look at the code and quickly found out that I could read some of it. That’s when I started to customize it even more. Changing colors, fonts, photos, etc. This was also around the time you would see other people adding customize photos, making covers and their profile photos with an artistic graphic vibe. I found some websites and started dabbling into that, not knowing that programs like Photoshop existed. It was so much fun, I really loved it.
One day in my computer science class, I stayed back to talk to the instructor about my major and how it might not be for me. I showed her some of the photos I had added graphics to and she immediately said “You belong in the visual arts program with Graphic Design.” I went home and scoured the ACC website searching for the program. That summer I registered for two graphic design classes. In one of the classes, we were going to learn the program Adobe Illustrator. As the teacher was talking through our syllabus, I felt inside of me that this is right where I belonged. Two years later I received my Associate in Graphic Design.
Before finishing the program, I found out about another school in Los Angeles, California called The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. They had a Digital Media program. Classes from video production, 3D modeling to sound and story telling. I was so intrigued and took the leap of faith and applied. I wasn’t ready to jump into the workforce after Acc to start my career. I felt I needed and wanted to learn more about design and what I could do with it. Soon after graduating from ACC, I packed my bags and headed to the City of Angels. I spent almost two years there learning even more about the design and creative world. After I graduated FIDM, I had both graphic and digital knowledge in my toolbox and I was ready for the world to see what I would create.
I moved back to Austin around 2013, defected for months because no one was hiring me. Shortly after, I finally landed my first real job with a start up company. There I unitized both of my degrees, being able to create all kinds of graphics, even a custom cowboy boot design. I also learned the process of what it took to develop apps for both web and mobile. Working close with their developers, I created UI/UX, video tutorials — using my own voice as the VoiceOver. I would take reports and calls from clients who were having issues with the apps, then go in and test to see where the problem lied and report back to the developers. I was actually pretty good at finding the path of the problem and even broke the web apps more than a few times with my testing, finding bugs we didn’t even know we had. It was truly amazing, I learned so much while working there. Being that it was a remote job, I was able to move back to California and still work with them. After leaving that company, I worked for a few companies doing similar things for the next few years.
When Covid hit, I decided that it would be best to come back to the great state of Texas, my home base, and reevaluate my future. Picking up side jobs and for a short time a retail job, I decided that it wasn’t for me and I needed to make a big leap back into faith. Being born with a physical disability, it has been hard for me to be on my feet for hours and not breakout in blisters. Starting from the ground again, I started to slowly build my client list. This took me realizing the true potential of creativity I had and believing I was a great designer. For the last 15 years, owning my own business was very scary. I had no idea about how to start one, let alone do taxes and file the correct paperwork. For three years I was working under my own name and the fear of starting a company. In November 2024, I established Pixsoul Productions. A dream I always had, finally coming true. For years I spent building and investing in other companies the skills and knowledge I had gained, now it was my time. I couldn’t just pick one thing after finishing school like branding and logo designs, I wanted to do everything I learned because my love for it all was there. I took a couple of months to research, make checklists and started checking off the things I needed to do.
I still maintain a small client list of companies who need my services, but now I am moving into my own projects. I am so very excited for the future of Pixsoul Productions. All the ideas and creations are underway and it is going to be amazing! Jazz of all trades, mastering some.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been far from a smooth road for me in my career. Times of technology are always changing and advancing, so keeping up has been a learning curve. I am so happy I didn’t settle on one field in the design world. I know a little bit about a lot of things and that is what has kept me a float for so long. Having a disability and choosing the field I am in, was a true gift from the universe. I am not able to stand for too long or walk a lot. In the jobs that required this, I was physically and mentally at my max. Working from home for the last 10 years has really helped me keep going in my career. Despite the struggles I face daily, I know this is where I belong. I love bringing peoples visions to life through pixels. I still have a lot to learn, but I am excited for what is to come. Always keeping my head high for the future and staying positive is the most important key I have.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Pixsoul our most important goal is to bring our clients vision to life. A lot of people and companies don’t know the basic rules when it comes to design or don’t want to spend hours learning programs. That’s why we are here, to take off that pressure and relieve your shoulders. We specialize in everything from branding and identity, web design and development, full video production, product design and development, digital and print production, social media content creation and more. Anything you need created, we are the company to help you. We don’t believe in misleading our clients or offering packages that don’t produce results. If we can’t do it, we will let you know and help guide you in the right directions. We uphold honestly and trust to the highest. It is our gift to do what we can do and a bigger gift to share it with the world.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t pick just one thing to master, pick a few things you feel is right or you love and dive in deep. It’s okay to give up for a short time, but it’s so important to get back up and continue the ride. Be like a sponge, keep learning new ways to do the same things you love, it keeps it interesting.
Pricing:
- • branding and identity – starting at $1500.00
- • digital and print product design and development – starting at $500.00
- • full video production – starting at $1750.00
- • web design and development – starting at $2500.00
- • social media content creation – starting at $150.00/mo
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pixsoulproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixsoulproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixsoulProductions/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PixsoulProductions
Image Credits
@TheJuiceSpot.co
