As we turn our designer spotlight on once again, this time we have it fixed on Illustrative Designer Von Glitschka of Glitschka Studios. With years of design experience under his belt, and an artistic background to boot, Von has made a lasting impression on the field where he has made his home. And we are lucky to have gotten a moment of his time recently to get him to answer some questions for us and our readers.

Before we begin, we thought we would lay the groundwork a little bit more for those readers who might be unfamiliar with Von’s work. Passion is certainly one of the words that comes quickly to mind when describing Von, because his passion can be felt in all of his creative expressions. Whether he is designing for a client, preparing a talk for people in and out of the design field, or putting together a useful resource for the community; his excitement for the work that he does comes across almost effortlessly.

We will not go on and keep you waiting any longer. From this point forward we have a wonderful interview to share along with some select designs to showcase from the designer himself. Enjoy.

The Interview

Thanks again for agreeing and taking the time to answer these questions. So Von, if you don’t mind, tell our readers a bit about yourself. What are some of your personal highlights from your many years in the design game?

I kind of view my career as a path adventure. Even though I actively market myself in specific ways, I still get approached to work on a very diverse range of projects that many times I never see coming until they contact me requesting a quote.

I do have a few favorites I’ve worked on that come to mind, but the one project that was really close to my heart was a project I did for Wayne Enterprises. They manage and license the image of John Wayne, and I was asked to create officially licensed graphics they would give to those who license his image. You can view that project here.

Who are some of your biggest illustration / design influences?

The earliest and biggest design influence would have to be Neville Brody. And without a doubt the biggest influence on me illustration wise was the wonderful work of Jim Flora. (Way ahead of his time IMO)

You’ve been operating under the title of ‘Illustrative Designer’, a title you coined as your skills in both of these fields began to merge. What do you consider to be the finer points of being an Illustrative Designer?

I think the fundamental qualifying factor of an Illustrative Designer is leveraging illustrative skill sets specifically in context of a design project. This is different than a designer hiring an illustrator, I’m talking about being hired to execute graphic design centric solutions and pulling them off with an illustrative flair or approach.

This is why I hammer so hard on the fact that designers should also be avid drawers. Not to be confused with illustration though. Meaning I don’t expect every designer to be an illustrator, I just think every designer could benefit and improve their design by drawing. Analog methods are still as valid now in a digital age as they were prior to the dawn of computers. I cover this pretty extensively in my book Vector Basic Training.

This summer I’ll be doing a talk at the HOW Design Conference called “Drawing Conclusions” which will go into the importance of design within the context of a creative process as a designer.

You’ve worked with medium and large design firms, ad agencies, small businesses, and more to help with their creative needs through the creative firm you started Glitschka Studios, is there a particular type of job you prefer to the others? Or as long as it’s creative are you happy to play along?

My creative preferences seem to migrate from one thing to another through out the course of a given year. Right now I’m really enjoying working on custom hand lettered logotypes such as this one.

One thing creatively speaking (pardon the pun) I enjoy doing is speaking. It gives me the opportunity to share knowledge and the creative work of those within a narrative that is very enjoyable and fun. I’ve recently pulled together a mobile studio and I’ve started doing one day creative workshops geared for designers. We go over drawing, and how to move from your drawn design to final form. I recently did a workshop on this in London.

The only type of creative work I tend to avoid is brochures. Just don’t like doing them and usually just farm them out to a friend and art direct it.

On the website for your Studio, you layout the creative process that your clients can expect when working with your firm (a very inspired idea, by the way), could you give our readers an idea of how you crafted such a comprehensive and methodical process? Do you find clients receptive to this structured and set of a process?

Because I’ve worked for a lot of larger agencies I’ve read a lot of creative briefs and over time I just gleaned what I thought worked best from a variety of sources and weaved it into my own creative process.

When I’m hired by large agencies and design firms they have their own creative protocol that I adhere and adapt too. So what I posted on my own site is more geared towards the small independent business owner. It’s my best attempt to systematize an often unsure process so they’ll know in general what to expect regarding their need for a logo identity or marketing. It’s not so rigid that I never waiver from it though and at times can be far less complex. It’s always best to hedge expectations and communicate as clearly as possible before a project begins.

That said, regardless how well I attempt to prepare things don’t always go smoothly.

You have given numerous talks at conferences, schools, and events all over, and have talks on many topics prepared. Do you have a preference for the type of audience you are speaking to?

I’ve spoken to designers, illustrators, advertising groups, marketing groups, small business groups, in-house art departments, new media developers, ministry workers, college departments, art schools, local creative events, and even a tech conference. One of the best comments I ever got after speaking to a group of designers regarding “Living a Creatively Curious Life” was the IT guy who was recording it and handling all the technical stuff came up to me afterwards and said “I’m not a designer, I don’t even draw. But that was a fun talk and now I’m inspired.” I thought that was pretty cool, and I told him he should start drawing.

When I make certain points in my talks I try to use examples that breach outside our industry. I think they helps make the message more universal for all creative types and enables them to see how it can apply to their specific skill set within the industry.

What are some of the most exciting changes that you have experienced in the field while working under the title of Illustrative Designer? Anything you would like to see more of?

When I graduated analog was still king and remained so for about five years until the Macintosh fundamentally changed the creative process. I’ve always been a Mac geek since Apple II days and use to program in basic in high school so moving from analog to digital for me was a no-brainer and really did facilitate a greater reach for me creatively speaking. This is one reason why I loved Neville Brody, he embraced early tech and leveraged it to the fullest through his work.

Our industry is replete with an overwhelming amount of great design being produced. I’d love to see more focus on all the great ideas created in the pursuit of pleasing the clients that never get used. I think that would make a great book BTW. I’ve done a few posts over the years on this and they’ve always been the ones that got the most traffic?

Via VonsterBooks.com you have several inspired design resource tomes available, what was the initial inspiration behind throwing your hat into this ring?

In 2005 I was hanging out on design forum online, this was the precursor to social media like Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. One of the editors from HOW Books posted a thread asking what type of books you’d like to see published? At the time I had a text file on my computer called “Book Ideas.” Every time I had an idea I’d write it in the file.

So I just copy and pasted my ideas into that forum thread and a couple days later the editor contacted me and asked me to pitch two of them. I did and they signed me up to do “Crumble.Crackle.Burn” which is a book on textures. I consider these design resource books in that other designers can utilize the content to produce their own work. That is why each has real examples of the art being used by some very talented designers.

What advice would you offer to others just getting started at, or looking to become more adept illustrators or designers? Or even Illustrative Designers?

Be smart designers: Never stop learning, never stop adapting, understand how businesses run, familiarize yourself with marketing, be curious, try new things, be your worst critic, accept the fact you’ll have to say “no” to a client at times regardless how frustrating or uncomfortable it may make you feel, and never stop drawing regardless if you ever want to be an illustrator.

You are a very busy guy, with multiple irons in the proverbial fire, how do you keep your schedule balanced and moving forward? Any favorite productivity tips or apps that you use?

Lists are great whether virtual or old school writing on a piece of paper. Make a list every day. I use a web app called backpackit to make lists easier. Be completely honest with clients, don’t say you can get something done by a certain date unless you absolutely can. Tell them when you can and most often they’ll be OK with that. Also be honest with them if they are making a bad decision that’ll effect design, you may butt heads but it’s all part of building trust.

As an illustrative designer, what are some of your favorite tools that you keep in your arsenal? Your go-to tools of the trade? Any new developments along this front that you are looking forward too?

My preferred tools are probably underwhelming and predictable? I draw a lot, so I use your standard issue 2B pencil, mechanical pencil, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop. I’ve been using my iPad a lot in regards to research but it would be nice if I could leverage it more for creative work. I did manage to create this design on my iPad. I used an app called “InkPad” which worked pretty good, but Adobes own apps for iPad are at best equipped for noodling rather than precise creative work.

After watching the design field evolve over the years, what do you expect to see in the industry’s next evolutions?

I’m hoping the development of apps and mobile media moves out of the realm of needing to be a coder and more into the realm of a design program. I’m still surprised web development is still not there yet either? I remember in art school writing two pages of code to get green screen graphics on the Lisa Apple Computer I was using. We now have Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to do that now and the code is all behind the hood.

I’d love to see that same level of progression in web development and mobile apps. Where it’s about design and aesthetic and code is handled behind the hood. But entire industries have been created on the fact that someone needs to know the code so I feel the progression will move at a glacial pace much like automotive moving to full-on electric cars.

Apparently Adobe Muse is suppose to fill this gap but that’s what they said about other apps in the past and it didn’t really work out that way. So hopefully it will, but I won’t hold my breath.

Speaking of the future, are there any projects that you have on the horizon that you can share with us? Anything coming that has you excited?

Working on a new book with a friend of mine who is a photographer. It’s more of a creative coffee table book that anyone would enjoy. It’ll take a few years to get everything done but so far it’s been a lot of fun to work on.

(rb)

  

One of the things that we hear a lot in the design/development field tends towards keeping that passion alive which first drove us to this arena. For when we keep that flame burning, our work will always remain vibrant and successful. This idea is exemplified in our interviewee here, Veerle Pieters (one of the fascinating minds behind Duoh!), whose love for design in all its various forms shines through.

We’ll allow Veerle to introduce herself, informally in her own words, but we would like to take a moment and describe her in our words before we get to that. If you are not familiar with Veerle, her blog, or her work, then you are in for a real treat. Her work is as whimsical as it is precise, and packing as much personality as the lady herself. Her award winning work is a vibrant expression of her glowing inner child with the crisp, clean professional edge she has honed through years of imaginative exploration of graphic and web design.

Beginning as an illustrator in print design, Veerle grew her talents along with the world wide web giving her a much fuller perspective on the field of design overall. Her boundless talents are an inspiration to so many, and today we are lucky to be able to feature her and share some of her insights with our readers. Without any further ado, on with the interview…

The Interview & Showcase

Thanks again for agreeing and taking the time to answer these questions. So tell us a bit about yourself. Who exactly is Veerle Pieters? How would you describe yourself?

I always find talking about yourself extremely hard but here we go… I’m a graphic/web designer hailing from a small but beautiful European country called Belgium. I am a color lover that likes to listen to deep soulful music while designing. When I’m not at work I like to ride my bicycle to clear my head and snap pictures along the way to share on Instagram just to show how much beauty there is around us if you just open your eyes to see it.

Who are some of your biggest influences in web design?

Right now not really someone particular but many years ago when I started with web standards I was influenced by Jeffery Zeldman and Douglas Bowman and Dave Shea’s Zen Garden. I try to do my own thing and not be influenced by trends that overdo a certain design element. Personally I will use something that everybody claims you shouldn’t because I like to believe it’s all in the way how you apply it. I am of course also influenced by waves of techniques that popup in our industry like ‘responsive web design’ for example.

You’ve worked in both print and web design, which do you prefer and which offers the most freedom?

Print is still my first love because a web site can never replace that tactile feeling of having something in your hand you’ve created. Web design offers the most freedom, can be controlled easier and has a higher tolerance for error. Mistakes are deadly in print, especially when you are creating something that has a super high print volume.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

One of my favorite projects and most challenging ongoing project is without a doubt Fab.com. Another one is jolena.be where I really got the chance to explore creative boundaries. I wrote a little about the process of that project on my blog.

What advice would you give to other web designers?

I think the most important thing is to stay passionate about what you do and don’t loose that drive to constantly learn new things because we are part of a constantly changing environment. Learning and experimenting is a very important aspect of what de do. If you think you learned enough already I’m afraid that web design isn’t the right path for you. Also, believe in yourself and stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid to fail. Sounds cliché but that is what makes us what we are.

Can you give us a summary of your process?

Depending on how I feel and the amount of ideas that present I usually start by using my own Inspiration Stream as a starting place to look for that spark. Long time ago I browsed around CSS galleries but I’ve learned that they block my inspiration instead of helping. The most successful way is to look at things that aren’t related to web design at all such as my stream. When I got that inspiring spark I mostly start the process by doing some sketches in one of my little notebooks. Not always though, as I sometimes begin directly in Photoshop too. The more complicated projects have a wireframe stage that we go through first. Once those are approved by the client, the design work in Photoshop starts. I’m not part of the ‘design in a browser movement’ as I feel that approach blocks my creativity. About 90% of the projects, start with the inner pages first because these are usually the most difficult ones to work on. If the client approves the design we start the technical part by writing the CSS/HTML.

What are some of your thoughts on the importance of web standards?

Web standards are important but they are just guidelines, they aren’t a relegion if you understand what I mean. It’s a set of guidelines and best practices to help you but not a rule of law. It’s ok to deviate or improvise if you need to, and if there is no other way of doing it semantically. If you start mailing other people by pointing out validation errors you aren’t getting it. Projects can be complex and zero validation errors is sometimes impossible. The important part is that you try and that you think about structure, accessibility etc…

How do you convey the importance of web standards to your clients?

I don’t convey it all. I just do it. Clients shouldn’t have to worry about this or decide on, it’s up to us to use what is best for the client’s interest and web standards does just that.

What made you choose expression engine for your blog over other options?

I opted for ExpressionEngine because at that time it was the only system that would let me create a web site my way instead of the other way around that the system dictates how you should use it. I wanted something that I could use my templates, just the way I coded them, plus I wanted a system that didn’t inject extra code in my templates. Another important reason was that it was powerful enough to create a site that covered all my needs without having to resort to learning PHP because I needed to extend it. I had no interest in learning another program language as a designer.

What drew you away from print design to web design?

Because I was intrigued by this new thing called web design. I saw an opportunity that it could become something very important and that it would provide a source of income.

Web design changes so quickly, how do you keep up?

By reading books and following tutorials.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you see facing the web design industry today?

The biggest challenge imho is keeping up with our fast changing industry. Not an easy task to accomplish with a full workload all the time and a blog that needs attention too. One does need a lot of time filtering out what comes online to finally get to what will become a standard way of doing things.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

There is some exciting stuff in the pipeline for Fab.com and I’m also working on a few projects that involve a lot of illustration work.

(rb)

  

As young kids, we all had our favorite posters adorning our rooms. From motorcycles to kittens to Justin Bieber photos… for which the coming years will hold guilt and embarrassment. Thanks to my hippie parents, I had Peter Max posters. In fact, I had a Peter Max room! While I loved the Beatles and Yellow Submarine (which was inspired by Max’s work but not done by him), sleeping in a psychedelic room made me the man I am today and please withhold the wisecracks, my longtime friends!

Sure, just try sleeping with über-bright yellows, pinks and oranges glaring through the dark. There was no need for a night-light as the vibrant glow kept me safe from the boogeyman but afraid of longhair love children, sitting in the corner of my room with bongs bubbling. Years later I would discover it wasn’t some childhood phobia but actual friends of my parents smoking pot in the wrong room. Yet something else, considering the second-hand weed smoke, that made me the man I am today. Again… hold off on the comments.

But Peter Max’s work was exciting. It was fresh and innovative and led a generation  — the love generation, to be exact — with visuals and messages that are still adored and worshipped today. Several days after I planned writing this article, I noted that Mr. Max would be appearing at a local gallery. Fortuitous? Karma? Too much second-hand smoke from “Uncle Bongchild?” Whatever it was, I made sure I was there to speak with him and get a few quotes.

A Bit o’ Background

There is a bit of confusion about Max’s actual date of birth, according to several biographies around the web. Some say 1937 and others say 1939. Considering the fact that his family, German Jews, fled Nazi Germany after he was born, the date may be earlier. The official bio on his website gives no date, so I would rather respect his obvious wish to have no date and judging by the man with whom I spoke, I believe numbers are not very important to him.

His family traveled to Shanghai, China, where they lived for the next ten years, according to Wikipedia, and they lived in a house that ‘overlooked a Buddhist temple, where Peter would observe monks painting calligraphic images with large bamboo brushes on large sheets of rice paper.’

The bio goes on to say his Chinese nanny taught him how to hold and paint with a brush by using the movement of his wrist. His mother encouraged him to develop his art skills by leaving a variety of art supplies on the balconies of the pagoda and told him to ‘go ahead and make a mess; we’ll clean it all up after you.’

During my interview with Peter, he did make a point of artists learning to move their wrists for the best training in rendering and control.

In 1948, the family departed China and, according to yet another bio, ‘in fact the young Max would move frequently with his family, learning about a variety of cultures throughout the world while traveling from Tibet to Africa to Israel to Europe until his family moved to the U.S. In America Max was trained at the Art Students League, Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts, all in New York.’

It is said that as a young child he simultaneously developed an interest in art and astronomy. If you follow him on Twitter, you will see posts dealing with art and astronomy! A key insight to his interest in “cosmic art?”

What’s The Real Story Behind The Man and The Myth?

There are many different bios about Mr. Max that dot the internet and they all vary slightly, so only Peter knows what is really true. The point to this writer’s look at Peter Max as a creative is to inspire the readers by his lessons on creative thought and application.

It’s important to note that Peter, like so many other great expressionists — if one can put him in that classification — learned realism before embarking on a style unique to his own vision. As one world-renowned painter once told me, “you need to learn the real world before you can create your own and have it be believable.”

Peter’s art was groundbreaking. That’s a hard position to be in. When you are the first, you face the doubters, the naysayers and the conservative mindset that makes expressing your love for what you believe in an uphill battle.

In all the biographies that one can read, it’s obvious that Peter’s parents supported his creativity and encouraged it. In a time of war and turmoil, moving from the threat of extermination under the Nazis to Shanghai under the control of the Imperial Japanese army during the brutal days of the Second World War, then to a young State of Israel, surrounded by enemies bent on destroying each and every citizen, Peter had to be aware of the tensions around him. It was probably the love and protection of his parents that made those years not so frightening for him. Throughout it all, there was art in which to immerse himself. Perhaps it was the world that he best knew and it gave him comfort.

With his family moving to Brooklyn, New York in the early 1950s, Peter was now part of a city that celebrated art and gave him many avenues to grow as a professional. His earliest work to gain attention was collages of photographic images, and it won a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in 1962.

Love, Peace and Art

The 1960s saw big cultural changes. The sexual revolution, the nightly broadcasts of the war in Vietnam, “doves and hawks,” “tune in, turn on, drop out,” “make love, not war” burning bras and draft cards and the growth of casual drug usage — it all happened very fast and people sought to find other “planes of reality.” It wasn’t just acid trips… it was a way to free themselves from the uptight 1950s with the frightened attitudes of the cold war and a possible threat of nuclear war, communists and space aliens… which were less feared than communists.

The beat generation of the 1950s was too quiet. Bongos, MAD Magazine, Kerouac and Ginsberg were too fringe at the time to threaten the American way of life. Max and his contemporaries were actually changing things. But the generation of freedom and “marching to one’s own drummer” also had a certain hipness that was an insistence of “being in.” If you weren’t “with it” you were a “square.” Fashions and causes change but people will always be people. With Max’s upbringing and art being his world of creativity and peace, I suspect it insulated him against growing up at a time when non-creatives committed unspeakable acts against humanity. His art was everything – his number one reason for being.

When I saw that Peter would be at the Ober Anderson Gallery in Clayton, Missouri, I tried to arrange a meeting so I could ask a few questions for this article. My biggest quandary was what questions does one pose to an iconic talent whose work spans decades? The usual questions have been asked and answered dozens of times. I wanted to find answers to questions that would be relevant to what creatives face today. I wanted gems from the master that would change lives and thinking.

I had expected a few minutes of Peter’s time in the gallery but was delighted when he suggested we sit at a sidewalk café to chat.  I assured him I would only ask two or three questions, as I knew he was busy. “Ask four or five or more” he replied, with a genuine smile.

Mr. Max was a pioneer of many things. Aside from his art style, often referred to as “cosmic art,” he also was the first to experiment with licensing and mass production. I actually had some of his Mead book covers, which were ripped from my books by a teacher who screamed at me about “filthy hippie, drug-addled art not belonging in a clean, wholesome American school.”

If you consider the generation who fought the status quo, the establishment and old mainstream thinking, Max’s foray into licensing his work may have seemed too commercial for the current art movement at that time. Was Max “selling out” to the establishment or using consumerism to spread the message of his art? His art adorned clocks for General Electric, school book covers for Mead, airplanes, postage stamps, work for six American presidents, among too many projects of shear importance to mention in just one article.

I was curious about what brought him into licensing his work. Not even Norman Rockwell, who was America’s darling artist from the 1940s through the 1980s, had done it before. Did Max see potential in consumerism or was it just an extension of his art and the tools with which he experimented?

When I asked about his entry into licensing, Mr. Max smiled and leaned forward. “It was really great… historic… sensational… such a rush from every direction toward who I was and what I did. It was hard for me to even believe it. I just somehow captured the mood the way the Beatles captured the music mood of the late sixties and early seventies, I captured the visual.”

“Licensing is where you license your name to be reproduced commercially but to the public, they just see the objects out there… the Peter Max objects and they just loved it. How else were they to get Peter Max things? The posters weren’t enough. I sold a million posters at least, if not two million. Then there were Peter Max blue jeans and Peter Max shirts and I had 72 licensing deals. After about two-and-a-half years, I realized that the only other two people doing licensing were Dior and some other designer in Europe. I decided I didn’t want to be that company anymore and gave up a two million dollar business. I did two million dollars gross in 1970 dollars. You can imagine. I gave it up and then I missed it a lot. It was an exciting period for me and then, in the late eighties, I did it again but this time with only 35 licenses and gave it up again. Today, every major artist who gets ten to twelve million per piece licenses, when asked why they are doing this, they say, ‘isn’t that how Peter Max started?’ So, it’s a way to distribute your work and to getting your work out there. People loved it, so I gave them what they wanted. It was a lot of fun for me, so I may do it again, very soon.”

I had to ask if his contemporaries resented his work for “the establishment.”

“No, no! It was a huge, big, beautiful community, the love generation. We were all together generating the feeling of love, peace, harmony and togetherness. It was not a competitive thing; it was unity… in unity is strength.”

He also mentioned his work in the spiritual community. Mr. Max, it turns out, was the force behind the Satchidananda Ashram, affectionately known as “Yogaville,” in Buckingham, Virginia. If you are in the area, make time for a visit and mention his name.

Someone from the gallery rushed out to inform Peter that he was needed in the gallery right away but he politely replied that he would be there once he was done with my interview. The graciousness and consideration overwhelmed me! I did, as I had promised, keep the number of questions down to three. With only one question left, I asked what advice he had for designers to help their creative thought. What did he think about the belief that creatives had to have a certain “style” for which they are known?

“The advice I always give young creatives, “ he started, “go to a print shop where there’s a lot of random sheets of paper they throw away and you can get forty pounds of paper they don’t need for twenty or thirty dollars and draw all day long. Draw nonsense. Just let the hand and wrist go and draw anything. Circles, squares… if a drawing comes out it comes out, if not then go on to the next piece. So just draw, draw and draw and don’t worry what comes out. Let the pen and the wrist get used to the movement. You should become an expert in moving the wrist. You get better with repetition. Not every drawing has to be a good drawing. Every sheet should be a bad drawing, just move the pen around. Eventually the great drawings will come.”

Picking up an inspiring quote from Max’s Twitter account (@Peter_Max), “when I approach a canvas, the only thing I anticipate is being… surprised!”

How Does This Translate to THIS Generation?

It was never success or money Max was after – it was always about the art. Sure, he made millions and will continue to make money but if you hear his words, it falls behind his love for creativity. As with his words on drawing, until “it comes,” keep loving your creative projects and the money will come. If not, at least you’ll love what you’re doing. I have to take credit for that afterthought.

Look for opportunity in technology and marketing. Consumerism was a bit more innocent in the 1960s, if “innocent” can be used as a descriptor, but as rampant as consumerism is, why not use it? With digital technology evolving every day, there are always avenues open for creativity. Get inspired by Max’s words and life!

Yes, we may not want to actually draw on paper, but Peter is not the only great artist to encourage others to draw every day. Picasso was also quoted as saying one should draw every day. No matter what tool you use to create, practice makes perfect and mistakes, or “bad drawings,” as Max refers to it, hold lessons that lead us to become better at creating great pieces, designs, websites, etc.

It’s hard, if not impossible, to fathom such thoughts as “unity” and “harmony” in our generation as we rebel against our parents of the love generation and live behind the “me first” generation of entitlement. There are great lessons in Peter Max’s words, as well as his career.

If you check the Peter Max website you’ll find, among other words of wisdom that inspire, a schedule of his exhibits and personal appearances. I highly suggest you go to one and meet the man. You will find a gracious, kind and humble man who will be happy to shake your hand and take a few moments to chat with you. You will come away from it feeling better about being a part of the creative community and inspired about starting a new day with a new outlook.

Check out his book, “The Art of Peter Max” (available signed, too!)

Images ©Peter Max

  

Ever wonder what freelance designers do all day? Do they sleep in, design in their pajamas and drink tons of coffee? How do they juggle design, social networking, admin duties, lunch, families, the gym and so on? As designers and developers, most of us have often wondered how others spend their days and manage their freelance businesses so successfully.

When we asked some creative, talented folks who have become colleagues through Twitter, we received many different answers. The designers covered in this article range from students to full-timers who have transitioned to freelance work, and some are long-term veterans. Glance below and discover how each of these fine designers spends their day.

Lee Munroe, Web Designer

My typical day: up at 6:30 am, read through RSS feeds, reply to any emails, off to the gym, then to the office, client work (on at least two different projects to help spread it out), home around 6 pm, me time (side projects, Xbox, TV, etc.). Unfortunately, the 6:30 am thing doesn’t work every day, but it’s always my aim!

What helped me become successful was working hard, learning new things, trying stuff, having mentors and role models, blogging and enjoying what I do.

My favorite productivity tip is to write your day’s to-do list the day before. Also, check emails only twice per day: once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This is admittedly hard to do, but keeps you focused.

About Lee

Lee Munro (@leemunroe) is a freelance Web designer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He started freelancing 10 years ago and continued to work while he studied, although he has technically been full-time for only one year (he completed his Master’s degree a year ago). His expertise is in front-end Web design: HTML, CSS, Web standards, JavaScript, user experience and WordPress. He also has experience with Flash, ASP, PHP, Ruby on Rails, SEO, content management and more.

Lee’s background is in both design and development, which makes it easy for him to work alongside developers on large-scale projects. His work has been featured on a number of Web design gallery websites and in various media publications, including Wired Magazine.

Natalie Niemi, Graphic Designer

My typical work day is demanding yet enjoyable. In the morning, during the time another person might allot to getting dressed to go to work in an office, I make a hot breakfast (one of the perks of freelancing) and sit down at my desk with a piping cup of fresh-pressed coffee.

If there’s nothing urgent to tackle first thing in the morning, I spend the first part of my day regrouping and prioritizing tasks and waking up my brain by browsing Twitter for a few minutes, where I network with hundreds of other designers and creative professionals. I learn something new about my field literally every day by reading their tweets, blogs and linked articles pertaining to creative fields.

Daily tasks include organizing to-do lists, responding to client emails, researching for projects, filling out estimate forms and contracts, invoicing, keeping records of income and expenses, interacting with colleagues, perusing the Internet for pertinent information on design and illustration trends, proofreading and editing (another service I offer to clients) and, of course, actually doing the design and illustration work.

Many of these tasks, although imperative to the daily flow of my business, are not actually billable, so it is important to book enough work to keep a steady income flowing, as well as to manage my time to allow for these tasks throughout the work day.

My favorite productivity tip would be lists, lists, lists. The more I put down on paper (or on screen), the easier it is to stay focused and organized. This applies to record-keeping (tracking income, time and expenses) as well as to scheduling and to-do’s. I use different methods for this.

For time-tracking and keeping records of my income, I use Mac Freelance combined with Google Docs spreadsheets. For scheduling, I use iCal. To make to-do lists, I prefer good old fashioned pencil and paper. I keep a notebook beside my desk so that I can make a note whenever a new task comes in. It feels great to physically cross things off that list as I get them done.

About Natalie

Natalie N. Niemi runs an independent freelance design and illustration business called NNNdesign (@NNNdesign) (named for her alliterative initials and, of course, her love of design), which is going on its fourth year. She specializes in graphic design for print, original vector illustration and Web graphics and design. Natalie believes the main factor in her success as a freelancer is versatility: maintaining a multitude of skills as well as an interest and dexterity in a variety of styles and subject matters.

“Life as a designer,” she says, “is an ongoing journey. Not only is it an artist’s personal quest to continually hone and refine his or her skills, but the trends, techniques and knowledge critical to the field of graphic arts are ever-evolving at a rapid rate. This is one of the things that makes being a graphic artist today so exciting. It’s a field that one grows into, and also one that grows and develops with you.”

Brian Hoff, Brand And Website Designer

I partition my day as much as possible. Things do come up that throw me off schedule, but normally my day starts off with reading my RSS feeds from 8:00 to 9:00 am, browsing Twitter and checking website statistics. From 9:00 10:00 am, I usually respond to emails. Then I start my client work.

I usually work between two different projects each day. This allows me to approach both projects with fresh eyes and allows me to spend only a few hours at a time on each (as opposed to eight straight hours on one project). In the last hour of my day, I usually respond to more emails, get paperwork in order, invoice (if need be) and organize expenses and payments. All in all, maintaining a workflow is extremely important.

My blog is a major reason for my freelance success, although hard work is probably the most important aspect. Many friends look at what I do and say, “Oh, that’s awesome working for yourself!” Sure, it definitely is, but it requires a lot of work. While my friends work the typical 9:00 to 5:00 jobs five days a week, I work the 8:00 to 8:00 job five days a week, with an additional 10 hours on the weekend. I work even when I’m not supposed to be working.

My blog seems like a full-time job as well. Keeping it updated helps and inspires others, and it is a major traffic source for business because of SEO and high rankings. I also try my best to get out and network by attending events, meet-ups and other gatherings, which is important when growing a freelance business.

My favorite productivity tip is to stay organized day to day. This is the key to my success, especially when running a blog and all the aspects of an independent design business.

About Brian

Brian (@behoff) is a brand and Web designer based in Philadelphia. He collaborates mostly on corporate identity and branding but has experience building all kinds of strategic design, both in print and on the Web. He started full-time freelancing about a year ago, although for three years he spent his days working at Apple (from 9:00 to 5:00) and his nights freelancing (7:00 pm to 1:00 am) while building up his business to where it is today. Read Brian’s successful blog, The Design Cubicle.

Rafael Armstrong, Graphic Designer

These days, I’ve been doing a lot of on-site work with a couple of clients, which gives my day more consistency. What a “typical” day looks like depends entirely on the amount of work that’s required on-site in a given week. By and large, it breaks down like this.

My work day starts at around 9:00 am, when I arrive at the client’s office (give or take a few minutes, depending on traffic and whether I forgot to put coffee in a travel mug on the way out of the house). I usually work straight through and “clock out” at around 2:30 pm. At that point, I switch to Mr. Mom mode. I pick up my daughter at school, go home, supervise homework, prep dinner, etc.

After dinner (around 7:00 pm, when we pick up my wife at the train or bus station), we spend some family time together. After everyone else is in bed, I go back into the office for a while, go through my RSS feeds if I haven’t already, work on my #daily365 entry and whatever off-site projects I may have, if any. At around midnight, I tend to shut things down and call it a night. Get up around 5:30 or 6:00 am. Rinse, repeat.

My favorite productivity tip? Five words: “(Named) Layers Are Your Friends.” I know it probably sounds simplistic, but working in layers (and naming them—that’s an important component) is one of the two things that has improved my workflow and general productivity over the years. It affords me control. I can, for example, isolate the background elements in a print ad from the art/photography and type so that I can lock out whatever I’m not working on and not be afraid that I might accidentally grab something by mistake (I speak from experience here). It also provides flexibility, because I can work on different concepts for a single piece and see how each works without having to toggle between files. This is especially helpful because I work on one monitor.

About Rafael

Rafael Armstrong (@rcarmstrong) is a designer based in North Jersey. He has experience developing creative solutions for all types of print and Web projects. For the better part of the last decade, he has been involved in print campaigns, signage program creation, logo development and branding, packaging design and production, large format ads for cinema, photo retouching and photo shoot art direction. As well, he has expanded into digital design with HTML and CSS.

He also has extensive experience in production management and media negotiation. Rafael defines being successful as enjoying the variety and challenges of doing what he loves, while getting paid and having time to spend with family.

Brian McDaniel, Web And Graphic Designer

My typical day starts at 5:00 am, with the cat scratching at the bedroom door, demanding her food. Freshly ground and pressed coffee follows, accompanying my morning reading of RSS feeds and email. I tweet what I read or think others might find interesting, while simultaneously diving into whatever my main project is for the day. I use Adobe CS4, so once I have all the programs open, I get going. Usually it’s a custom CMS theme of some kind, or designing and coding an email blast of some sort. Sometimes, I will use the quiet morning to write a proposal if an email request has come in overnight.

Throughout the day I keep tabs on RSS feed updates and Twitter as much as possible without getting distracted. Around 1:00, I’ll give in to the rumbling stomach and make my way to the kitchen, where I’ll make something to eat while watching Sports Center or whatever quick snippet of TV is available. Within the next hour or so, my two daughters come home from school, so I spend a few minutes with them talking about the day. Then it’s back to open projects. At about 4:30 pm, my son makes it home from school, and we catch up, too. The day takes a pause or, if I’m lucky, ends at around 6:00 for dinner with the whole family. If it’s unusually busy, I will work after dinner, but the work day almost always ends no later than 8:00 pm.

About Brian

Brian McDaniel, or bkmacdaddy designs (@bkmacdaddy), designs as a one-man Web and graphic design studio, specializing in custom websites, WordPress themes, Joomla and Magento templates, along with anything else you might imagine for your online presence.

Founded in 1998 by Brian McDaniel as a side business for extra income, bkmacdaddy designs has grown to serve clients worldwide, using the latest technologies to provide quality solutions paired with a unique focus on affordability and extreme customer service.

Brian believes his success as a freelancer is primarily attributable to his personal approach: he believes wholeheartedly in treating people the way he would want to be treated in each and every encounter. “Unfortunately,” he says, “this seems to be a rarity in business, which means my clients find my methods refreshing and genuine. My goal by the end of every project is to exceed the client’s expectations and leave them completely satisfied.”

Grace Smith, Web Designer

A typical day means having breakfast and reading through my RSS feeds (in Google Reader), and checking the morning news at 8:00 am. I also use this time to go through my emails so that I’m ready to start work at 9:00. I work through my prioritized tasks until around 10:30, when I have a morning break. At least one cup of tea is involved in this. I also use this time to return phone calls or contact clients. I work through to 1:00 pm, when I stop for lunch and leave the office to meet with friends or family. This helps re-fuel my creative energy for the afternoon.

My work throughout the day is usually a combination of design and development work (in Photoshop, Coda, Mamp, etc.), mixed with communications, for example in Skype and Basecamp. I finish earlier than most because I like to take 20 or 30 minutes to plan my next day (using TaskPaper), prepare invoices and tie up any loose ends from the day’s work. This is a general overview of my daily routine, but of course every day is different. This is especially true because I do a variety of consulting work, so I may be out of the office or in client meetings that have been scheduled throughout the day. I try to keep both evenings and weekends free of any work-related activities and use that time for personal projects instead. I find it’s important to set boundaries and keep a good balance between work and the rest of life.

A favorite productivity tip is to use templates, with both my business documents and emails. I have templates for the following: contracts, proposals, estimates, website planner, branding questionnaire and additional services. I can easily edit and personalize all of these. I also make use of Canned Responses (in Google Apps), which saves me from having to type the same information over and over again in response to emails that I regularly receive. These are set up for inquiries that I get through my contact form and in reply to inquiries for each of my services. Templates increase your billable time by cutting down on the administrative work that you have to do for each client and project.

About Gracie

Grace Smith (@GraceSmith) is a 26-year-old Web designer and the owner of a small design studio called Postscript5, based in Northern Ireland. She works with individuals and companies that are based mainly in the UK and US on a diverse range of projects, from branding and blog design to application UIs. She has been freelancing for the last four years with Postscript5, her current brand and studio.

As for her success, she says: “In my opinion it takes four main ingredients: passion, dedication, knowledge and professionalism. However, the single biggest factor in being successful as a freelancer is reputation. Remarkable work and attention to detail will continue to generate future business. Loving what I do and being able to use that to pay the bills is, to me, success in its purest form.”

Nicole Sims, Graphic Designer

My schedule is primarily filled with these four things and looks something like this—though not necessarily in this order after the planning stage:

1. Planning
   I’m a list girl and am rarely without my sketchbook. My day always starts by making a plan in my trusty sketchbook, and this includes setting daily goals and making lists to prioritize tasks. Good planning is what makes it possible to juggle a fluid work schedule into my hectic life.
2. Conception
   At least 40% of my time is spent in this stage, which includes reading, research, sourcing inspiration (this can be done anywhere in or out of the office, either on or off the computer or iPhone), doodling in sketchbook… I could go on forever here, and it often happens in the dark p.m. hours!
3. Production
   About 20% of my time is spent in this stage. A solid concept helps keep my production time tight. Production includes pencil and sketchbook or mouse in hand, mainly with Adobe Creative Suite. Most often I do my production during the day, unless it’s a crunch and I’m working around the clock.
4. Marketing
   This is roughly another 20% of my time and can include Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging, networking events (at any time, day or night), giving talks, trade shows and conferences.

I fill in the final 20% with these kinds of things (it’s a little different everyday): client meetings, invoicing, more networking events, GDC events (Canada’s AIGA), tutorials. I will always continue to learn and add to my skill set, of course. I run or use gym class to clear my head. And of course, I couldn’t do any of it without coffee!

My productivity tip is to be super-effective! I make sure to build my creative working time with a wall or cushion; that is, I completely tune out the outside world. This means turning off Skype, leaving social media tools alone until I’m on a break, not answering the phone, not replying to emails and giving a fiercely furrowed brow to anyone who knocks on my door while I’m working. I work from a home office, so this is all possible for me, but it might not be for everyone. I believe that productivity and creativity skyrocket when you’re left alone in a “vacuum.” It’s like a musician in a recording studio: when they’re recording, nothing distracts them from their mission.

About Nicole

Nicole Sims is the owner of Coley Sims (@ColeySims), a visual foundry. She is an art director and graphic designer who specializes in corporate identity, illustration and print. Nicole offers clean, well-thought-out designs that communicate messages effectively. The freelance advantage allows her to be dexterous and agile in providing swift custom solutions. Having experience in both agency and freelance environments, she has developed a toolbox of contacts and resources to assemble nimble teams of experts for any project.

Nicole started out working the better part of a year for a small design firm as she finished school. She’s been a freelancer ever since—about seven years now—although she still occasionally fills in the gaps with agency contracts.

“I measure success,” she says, “by the happiness of my clients. Over time, I’ve become better at choosing clients and helping them choose me; I sense when there’s a good fit. My portfolio is full of clients who fit and are very happy; they keep coming back, and they refer me to others! I also think success has come with a clear vision of my evolution as a designer and of what’s happening around me. I stay on top and am keenly aware of things as they shift. I’m excited about all the new platforms opening up on which I can apply my skills.”

Blake McCreary, Web Developer, Project Coordinator, Student

During the summer, when I’m not in school, I work full time. I wake up casually around 9:00 or 10:00 am. I eat a hearty breakfast at my own leisure and check my BlackBerry to see if any urgent emails need responses. I often consider my business to be “ad hoc” because I assemble groups for different purposes. Whenever I get the chance, I like to leave the office to collaborate with peers from college and trusted partners whom I’ve met over the years. We all have specialties, and when we get together we can accomplish larger projects.

Sharing ideas and approaches helps me stay fresh. Sometimes, I will leave the office and meet with clients over lunch to spice up the day. Meeting in person helps a business relationship solidify, especially because these days—with email and bidding websites—it’s too easy to be distant from clients. I also prefer a phone call to email when convenient. I never spend too much time working on one project. Stepping away allows me to regroup. When I return, I see the big picture and notice things I may have missed. Sometimes hitting the gym, taking an Xbox break or drinking a Yoo-Hoo does the trick.

Cool office tip: I keep a dry-erase board in my office, as well as several cork boards to pin up current work. The dry-erase board helps me visualize my thought process, and the cork boards hold previous work (I occasionally take a glance to critique, to remind myself of my core values, or to remember ideas that could be applied to other projects). My favorite productivity tip is to master multi-tasking and to know when to step away. Leave a frustrating problem and do other work for a while. You might be inspired, and you’ll come back with a fresh outlook.

About Blake

Blake McCreary (@BlakeMccreary) has been a freelance designer since 2003. He is currently finishing a Bachelor’s degree in visual communication at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Joanna Ciolek, Web Designer

During the day, I take care of three rambunctious boys, ages 2, 3 and 5. At night, I morph into the designer. Come around 9:00 pm, you’ll find me at my desk, sketching, drafting, coding. Somewhat less happily, I also promote and market my business, handle invoicing and billing and answer the ton of email that collects in my inbox apparently at the speed of light. Like any other freelancer, I wear many hats. I’m not yet ready to outsource the more mundane tasks because there is so much I’m still learning by handling the business all by myself.

Here is my favorite productivity tip: because checking email can easily become the biggest disruption of the day, I designate 30 minutes in the morning to scanning my inbox for anything important. I also immediately delete what isn’t. Then I make the task list for the day, in order of importance. I write it down on paper rather than on the computer because this keeps me focused and away from my laptop (once I log in, I can get lost for hours).

To avoid interruption and to complete tasks on time, I do everything in blocks of time, and I don’t deviate. I set up a block for each task or project, anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours (depending on the task), and do nothing else but what’s at hand. I close all other windows and block the sound on my computer (so that I’m not aware of new messages coming in). This works best for me and allows me to prioritize and execute efficiently.

About Joanna

Joanna is the owner of two design studios, Joanna Ciolek Web Design Studio and BOCO Creative (@BoCOCreative). Joanna says, “I started only about a year ago as Joanna Ciolek Web Design Studio. My goal from the start has been to offer affordable Web design solutions to small-business owners. What I’ve learned is that my clients were often lost when it came to building an online presence for their companies. To educate them and help them grow, I started offering consulting services in fields such as Internet marketing and social media. Just last month, I decided to start BOCO Creative, a design agency that specializes in building online strategies to help businesses maximize their online potential. BOCO’s ideal client is someone who needs the whole online package, from a targeted, ROI-oriented design to brand positioning and promotion. On the other hand, my initial studio concentrates on more creative designs, an area in which I’d like to grow.”

Conclusion

So, it seems not everyone stays in their pajamas all day drinking coffee. These are real, serious and talented designers who make a living doing what they love. Even though there is no “right” way to go about your day (as they have shown), it is definitely good practice to stay focused and organized. Everyone has their own schedule, their own way of being productive and creative. The success of these designers might motivate us to take some of their tips.

How do you stay productive throughout your day?

(al)(rb)

  

Today we have a new designer spotlight, where we interview and feature a member of the design and development community. In this installment, we shine that light on talented motion graphic designer and sports branding specialist Fraser Davidson. If you are not familiar with his work, then you are in for quite a treat (and just might find that you have seen some of his designs around the web before.

In his own words, Fraser is:

“An award winning London based, freelance Motion Graphic Designer, Animator and Director. He was previously Head of Motion Graphics at Mainframe, a Motion Graphics, VFX & Animation House.

Graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a BA in Graphic Design, Fraser has six years experience creating advertising, music videos and channel branding across many media. Fraser has had his work featured in a number of publications and has collected three International Promax Awards.

He is the writer and director of the multi-award winning Youtube series ‘The Alternative Rugby Commentary’ and has collaborated on projects with Australian comedian, Tim Minchin. These include animated short, ‘Popesong’ and the BAFTA nominated animation for his nine minute beat poem ‘Storm’. Directed by DC Turner and Produced by Tracy King”.

In Our Words:

Fraser is like a force to be reckoned with. His work absolutely screams creative overflow! With his intense and near flawless design work in the sports field, to his deft, imaginative animation and motion graphics designs that are executed with such precision and skill, Davidson’s portfolio is simply stunning to behold. Below, interspersed throughout the interview are some of Fraser’s skillfully crafted pieces.

The Interview

Thanks again for agreeing and taking the time to answer these questions. So Fraser, what got you first interested in the motion graphics game?

Well, I studied graphic design at University. I found after two years on the course that I didn’t really enjoy the emphasis on what I considered to be the mundane aspects of design. I wasn’t that into the nuances of type layout, grids and high concept stuff. I happened to stumble upon the After Effects section of the course (web design was full) and got sucked in from there. I self taught and spent the rest of the course bending projects to my purposes. I got a job with Mainframe in London shortly after leaving university and was lucky enough to work with some of the best in the business. Mainframe has since spawned several great companies including key components of Man vs Machine, The Found Collective, Beautiful TV and several more.

WRU In Stadium Animation from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.

This is a project for the Welsh Rugby Union. Fraser was the Live Action Director/ Animator/ Compositor

Branding is a delicate, very involved process, how did you first become interested
in this area of design?

I’m not convinced it is that delicate an art to be honest, and I certainly don’t feel that way about my own work. I enjoy branding as it gives you a chance to be quite gestural with your marks. You only really need one good idea. This helps as I tend to avoid good ideas on the whole.

Your work in branding focuses on the sports field. Is this a niche you came to focus on as you saw a need there, or were you drawn there as a fan? Or was it a bit of both?

Well, I had a fairly brief career in rugby before starting in design. I’ve always been drawn to the contact sports, and since a young age was interested in the symbolism and the visual derivation of logos and team colours. Theres a real tribal nature that comes with sport branding, there are very few other industries in which consumers/ fans feel such a connection with a brand or logo. The idea that you can create something that people wear as a genuine piece of heraldry, as part of a clan or tribe really appeals to me. Team logos are things Ive drawn virtually my whole life, its just that I have only recently started doing it for a job.

With your work in sports identity, what is your process like? How do you typically get started?

Hmm. Its a good question, but not an easy one to answer verbally. I typically have a rough idea for a feeling or stance of a given animal/vegetable/mineral and kind of work into the detail from there. Its important that logos have movement and the feeling that you have captured a particular attitude or emotion. Once you have that sense of purpose locked down, the rest of it is just tweaking really.

You have worked with some really high profile clients and organizations, is there still some dream client (or team) that you would love to have the opportunity to work for?

Yes, in the last year Ive had the opportunity to work with some great clients and organisations on some really exciting projects. Most of these I cant really share at the moment as they wont be in public domain until next season. But there are hopefully going to be some interesting new looks for a few very big NCAA schools. I guess if I were to be greedy, I’d say that an absolute dream job would be to produce a logo for an NFL franchise.

With your work in motion graphics, how would you describe your process there? When getting started what do you do differently than with your branding work?

The two have very little in common to be honest. A typical logo takes 2-3 hours to put together on average, animation projects can last for months. Its much more technically involved. After the initial creative ideas and bursts, a large part of the job relies very heavily on hours of thankless graft. There is a somewhat pervasive idea that computers make animation a) easy and b) fast. Its still neither, if you do it properly.

On the motion graphics front, you also do art direction and animation. Do you prefer to handle all of these various aspects of a project, or do you have a favorite you’d rather focus on?

On the whole, Its far easier to express your own ideas than it is to express someone else’s. I’ve worked on jobs where ‘creative’ people see you as an extension of their own tool kit and not as a creative person in your own right. It can be quite hard to have someone with no design experience sit next to you and have you shift keyframe velocities about. On the whole I like producing every part of an animation. Except voice overs, there’s a total budgetary minefield.

Tim Minchin Storm Trailer from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.

This is the preview for the animated short Tim Minchin’s The Storm. Fraser was the animator on for this project.

What are some of your go to tools to work with? What software would you essentially be lost without?

As a mograph designer you will need an extensive working knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects. A 3D program helps a great deal also.

What advice would you give to other motion graphic designers just getting started in the field?

The best design advice I ever received is that you are known for what you do. Seems obvious enough, but the number of people I come across whose jobs involve 3D compositing, who would far rather be creating character animation (or vice versa) is crazy. The principle point has a that people will not employ you to create work in areas you do not have form in. If you want to design sports logos, start today, get them out there where folk can see them. If you want to get into character animation, start animating shorts in your spare time. Be prolific, don’t be guarded of your design and don’t hide it away. This applies to anyone, not just beginners.

Zappar Sting from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.

This is a promotional video for a Zappar Branding Project. Here, Fraser was the Animator and Director

What tips would you offer someone who decides to toss their hat into the branding arena?

Practice I guess? Again, I dont mean to seem facetious, but my answer is really the same as above. Do as much of it as you can and get as much feedback as you can. Very few people get worse at something the more they do it.

What would you say are some of the major developments that have helped shape the motion graphics field since you have been in it? What things would you say are on the horizon for the field?

Its really almost been the perfect industry from my perspective. The internet/ youtube/ the viral and all the other content avenues have meant an explosion in the need for video content. When I first started (only 7 years ago) we were still working predominantly in TV branding, there weren’t web budgets like there are now. The certainties of traditional media have disappeared and a guy in his bedroom with a good desktop computer can make anything from film quality vfx to animated cartoon series with millions of viewers. With all the new technology and means to view video, its hard to see where we’ll be in 2 years time. Obviously the resurgence of 3D in films and TV is yet to reach an apex, but I think augmented reality is going to be the next big unexplored vista.

This is a still from a series of videos for The Alternative Rugby Commentary. Fraser was the Animator/Director/Writer for the majority of the promos in this project.

Speaking of the future, do you have any projects in the works that you can share with our readers?

Motion wise, I have a quite original induction video for a large ad agency that’s getting its final renders while I write this. I recently worked with my friends at The Found Collective on a nice piece for the UK Government promoting Britain. Rumour has it that it was to be viewed by the big man from the White House. And I have a nice personal piece that’s overrun by about a year for the awesome British comedic poet Tim Key. They will hopefully all feature on my website in the next few months. Unfortunately I cant really tell you too much about the College rebranding.

Your work reflects the passion of someone who is always having fun. Is this the case, or are you just really good at making look that way?

Ha. I tend to work in frenetic bursts of good humour I think. I’m quite easily distracted, so I often work on a number of projects at once. Hopefully this keeps them looking fresh and fun.

How would you say designing a logo for a sports team or franchise differs from designing a logo for a regular business? In other words, are sports fans more demanding than your average customer in terms of accepting the design?

People don’t send you hate mail if they don’t like the financial services logo you designed. Companies ‘belong’ to the people who own them and if its a good company, the people that work there. Teams and their logos ‘belong’ to fans. People might wear Nike/ Diesel/ D&G logos because they like the product or associate with the brand. People wear team jerseys for far stronger emotional reasons. They pour far more time and energy into these organisations, the teams are part of who they are. A good team logo should reflect this.

(rb)