Interview: Keyword Design

What do you enjoy about being a graphic designer?

My Top Ten List:

• Hand-kerning type
• Gestalt
• White space
• Psychology of color
• Conceptual thinking
• Visualizing
• Editing information
• Drawing (with a real graphite pencil)
• Making a grid…then breaking it
• Getting to the root of the problem…then solving it

These days, I would actually say DESIGNING is what I enjoy most. I struggle more and more each year with clients hijacking my design. The saying “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” comes to mind. I remember a time when clients did not know what a font was. Now I have to deal with them spec’ing fonts. Hideous fonts. Design is harder than it looks. The problem that we designers have is that good design looks deceptively simple. The designs I enjoy creating the most are the ones that make others think, “why didn’t I think of that?”

I love the Paul Rand quote: “Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”

What do you feel is the most challenging part of your work?

The business side of a design business is by far the most challenging part for me. Design is the exciting part. Business is the necessary evil. At times I wish that business classes would have been part of the course study required for my design degree. Of course I say that now, but I probably would have hated those classes.

How do you keep your creative life when you’re working under pressure?

To be honest, if the deadline I am given is unreasonable, I may not be able to be very creative. I know it is a dirty little secret but…I may be creative, and then again I may not. When time runs out, I have to be done. Deadlines are deadlines. Clients need to know if they want super-fast they may be sacrificing excellence. I need time to let my brain stew on a problem in order to find a creative solution. I wish there were no rush jobs.

People don’t realize how unreasonable it is that designers are expected to be creative on demand and be creative every minute of the work day as well. It is a process that takes an indeterminate amount of time depending on the complexity of the problem. I personally cannot just turn it on and off. And my brain continues to work on creative solutions to problems round the clock. It doesn’t know the difference between billable and non-billable hours.

What I CAN do to increase the level of creativity I have is keep looking at inspiring work, keep reading inspiring ideas and pay attention to the world around me. The more I read, observe and learn, the more I have to draw on for my creative ideas and the easier they come. You have to BE smart to DESIGN smart.

When designing or concepting, what do you feel is the most important: Research, Planning, Design or Implementation, and why?

I would say the first and last steps are most important because they are the first to be sacrificed when time or money is short. Nothing extraordinary can result from no research and poor craftsmanship.

When it is design for a new client or design about a new topic/field, any concept needs to be informed. I do research or interview the client to ensure I present an appropriate solution. Without this step, the result could be painfully generic design.

The final product should be flawless, so I prefer to take time and pay attention to every detail during implementation. A good idea can be obscured by poor execution.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Inspiration for a specific project more often comes when I am not looking for it. And from the most unexpected places.

When I actually seek inspiration I find it by looking at lots of design. I get trade mags like Print, HOW and Communication Arts. I also peruse books about specific designers or design styles and periods. My favorite is mid-century modern. I also watch films and look at fine art photographers. I see design, pattern, color, composition, juxtaposition, line, shape, balance, etc. all around me. Anything visual gets my mind visualizing.

Who is your favorite designer? Why?

Well, I refuse to choose just one:

• stefan sagmeister
• paula scher
• paul rand
• margo chase
• april greiman
• milton glaser
• saul bass
• hillman curtis
• john maeda
• just to name a handful that come to mind.
And my favorite firm is Pentagram.

The designers I like are either old school, “less is more” designers or they are pushing the capabilities of current technology. I think there is something of a balance in appreciating both approaches.

I also admire several local designers. Just because we are in competition for some of the same work does not make us adversaries. I want to see us all elevate our game to improve the reputation of design in NWI. Keeping an eye on the creative work they are producing motivates me.

One more thought on this topic: I was disheartened to discover that many young NWI designers and students are not aware of past or present well-known designers. They seem more impressed by photoshop gurus. I think there is something lacking in their education if they have not had to study design history. You cannot work in a vacuum. To be a good designer I believe you should know what has come before you (before computers) and you should stay aware of trends in order not to be trendy. Only then can you aspire to create original work. Work that matters. (Gosh, that got a little preachy.) Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own education. Nuff said.

Do you do any non-profit work?

Yes, I do. As designers we sometimes squander our talent on selling widgets and gizmos that end up in landfills, so I feel a responsibility to contribute to the greater good of our community by doing pro bono work. Design is powerful and I like it if sometimes I get to use that power to do good. When I moved to NWI 11 years ago I looked around for an organization in need that did not budget for design services. I found South Shore Arts and after sitting down and meeting with them decided to offer my expertise to help support the arts. I helped them rebrand several years ago and I am still working with them to this day.

In the past year, what is you favorite portfolio piece and why?

One challenging project I had this past year was rebranding the Northwest Indiana Symphony. Because this organization was steeped in history, it was important not to do something merely trendy but instead create something that had some longevity. As with any large non-profit, there was a large board of directors as well as the staff that had to buy into what I designed. I am pleased with the end result because it speaks to a slightly younger demographic than they have attracted in the past without alienating their base. The logo itself has a lyrical quality and is an abstraction of the waves or dunes of the South Shore area that they serve. I created imagery just using the typography so it has a simple clean look.

It is always exciting to me to look at the big picture and create a strategy for overall branding, not just do one-off designs.

Favorites, GO:

1) Food: pistachio ice cream, guac, pad thai
2) Music: pop-punk
3) Book: any Tom Robbins. I wish he would write faster.
4) Color: Chartreuse or Hot Pink…a little packs a big punch.
5) Day of the week: I have to say Monday, just because it’s so maligned. Yes, I root for the underdog.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 1:12 pm and is filed under Share. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.