So at the risk appearing narcissistic, i’m going to “interview” myself. i’ve got the questions out with a few designers, but haven’t heard back yet. so, for want of content, here’s my interview with me.
1. what does your workspace look like?
click the image to visit the flickr page and hover over the notes to view points of interest. this picture makes my office (or studio rather, designers are supposed to work in studios, right?) look way bigger than it actually is.
2. what’s you desktop wallpaper right now?
3. what prompted you to pursue graphic design?
i used to doodle type treatments and abstract designs in my notebooks in high school. they were awful awful awful. but, i thought they were awesome at the time, and knew it was something that i would enjoy doing for a career. so you can imagine my joy when i found there was actually a university major for such a thing.
4. what kind of things do you do to ensure that you continue to grow as a graphic designer and improve/expand your skill set?
within design, i digest and analyze a lot of other designers’ work. when i see something i like, i study it, i think to myself, “what makes this work, why do i like this so much, how can i use this same technique in a fresh way in my work? i also like to work outside of the computer, to do something that’s “de-digitized.”
5. what’s one lesson that you’ve had to learn the hard way as a designer? how would you do it differently the next time?
haste makes waste. the times i’ve made the biggest blunders have been because i was rushing to get something done. slow down, take a couple of extra days if you can, and make sure everything is right. it’s better to print it once a few days late than to print it twice because you misspelled someone’s name.
6. when you’re not designing, what are you doing?
i love to be with my family, my wife and daughter, doing, whatever really, as long as i’m with them. also enjoy exploring new york city, generally on skates (note: don’t skate across the brooklyn bridge. the path is made of wooden planks.). playing guitar too. trying to read more, but i’m such a terrible time-waster. and google maps. i really love google maps, and anything google does for that matter.
7. being creative and creating; what steps do you take to make sure that you are actually producing instead of just thinking up pie-in-sky ideas all day?
action method helps tremendously. i feel utter shame when i have overdue action steps. turning off email and chat is good to. those are often just distractions.
8. who are your top three design heroes and why?
shepard fairey. his deep understanding of ornament, and the relationship of one object to another, and his utter attention to detail blow my mind.
dan funderburgh. one of williamsburg’s own, amazing ornament and pattern design.
i’ve been kind of obsessed with H&FJ lately. i think designing type is one of the toughest design disciplines out there, but also one of the most rewarding. if you do a great poster, maybe a lot of people will see it, maybe not. if you do a great typeface and distribute it well, not only will a lot of people see it, but a lot of other designers will use it, and perpetuate your work for you. i think that’s pretty cool.
9. what is your greatest fear (pertaining to design)? what haunts your dreams?
i guess that i’ll go blind, really, and won’t be able to do it anymore. but i have to remember, that if i do go blind, then i wasn’t supposed to continue doing it anyway. i’ve got a different task.
10. what, in your opinion, is the highest possible function that design can have?
to communicate truth, and beauty.