JEFF ANDREWS

I've often been asked, in developing and running this site, why I don't turn the tables on myself and answer my own questions for inclusion in this interview blog. The reason I haven't, to this point is that I didn't want it to appear to be a blog about me. I'm not big into nepotism. I wanted the site to establish itself before I took that leap. That said, and because the question keeps coming up, I've decided to celebrate the 40th post to Design Inspiration and take the advice of my peers. So this, in it's entirety, is my interview with myself, I hope you gain some enjoyment in watching me squirm. ;)

Greetings, my name is Jeff Andrews, and I'm the principal designer/creative director of my own design studio aptly named Jeff Andrews Design. My studio's main focus is on print related design and business identity. I've been working in this industry for just under 11 years.

I am also the creator of the illustration community Sugar Frosted Goodness. A collaborative space where illustrators from around the world converge, post their work and interact.

http://www.jeffandrewsdesign.com/
http://sugarfrostedgoodness.com/



When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

Probably the real pivotal moment in my childhood that led to my interest in graphic design and more specifically logo design was when the grocery store my father worked at when I was a kid, Safeway, updated their logo.

They went from this one, that you can see displayed on this storefront:






















To this:















This change was the first time I'd ever stopped and actively asked questions related to logos and logo design. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. To this day I count this realization as “the moment” that I really began to notice the logos and brands around me, and to take note of them. I remember studying this new logo, which at the time of the change-over was on everything my father was bringing home. I carefully scrutinized the way the "S" interacted with the strokes encasing it. The line weight, the color, everything. I'd always had an artistic eye, my mother once joked that I'd been born with a pencil in my hand, so I guess it was a natural progression. Natural for me anyway.

Another logo that made an impact on me at an early age was when First National Bank of Oregon became First Interstate Bank. Coincidentally the bank that my mother worked for.













The interaction between the two stylized "F's", and how they combined to form the "I" in their negative space blew me away the first time I saw it. (First Interstate has since been bought out by Wells Fargo Bank. Their logo doesn't even compare in my opinion!)






Who or what inspires you?

Alot of things inspire me in different ways. My fiancee Michelle, for instance, inspires me to be a better person. Design-wise, I'm probably most inspired by my friends in the industry who are doing phenomenal work and are constantly pushing themselves to become better designers. Their struggles, in essence, becomes my own. People like Von Glitschka and Keith Bowman for instance. They inspire me. Two extremely talented guys, and good friends, who both in their own ways, have pushed me to be a better designer. Seeing what these guys are accomplishing just makes me want it that much more. I'm lucky to have them as friends, and my work is better for having known them.








Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

I was formally trained at the Art Institute of Seattle back in the early part of the 90's. To put it into perspective for you, I started about the same time O.J. Simpson took his tour of the city in the "white Bronco", and Kurt Cobaine took his own one-way tour in another part of Seattle. However, despite the education I received there, I would consider myself "self taught". Though I received the core knowledge I would need to build upon at AIS, it was after college that I really began to learn. Not to mention all of the software and programs that I use today, (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver etc.) I've taught myself how to use.






How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I tend to buy alot of design related magazines and books. I'm a junkie sometimes when it comes to a good design book or magazine. I get lost in the pages, like I used to get lost in comics when I was a kid. (Who am I kidding right? Like I still can get lost in a comic from time to time.) I also spend alot of time perusing design-related websites and forums, and of course spend time developing and maintaining my own sites, like this one. The interaction I get working with the talented designers and illustrators who have contributed here and on my collaborative illustration blog, Sugar Frosted Goodness, has been invaluable, and the friendships I've made in doing so has been pretty fantastic too.






What are some of your current projects?

My biggest project right now is the development and design of my own website. I'm my own worst critic when it comes to this site and it shows. I can't tell you how often I'm asked, "Is the site up and running yet?" Well, no it's not. but it's getting there. I have a great design nailed down that I'm happy with, I'm just currently working on refining the site to my exacting specifications. It's getting there folks!

I'm also currently working on a couple of different logo design projects. A logo for a local Mexican foods vendor, along with a complimentary menu design. And a logo for a local dentist. Both projects are in their infancy, so I'm not able to share the comps just yet, sorry. :)





Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

I'm proud of alot of the work I've done in the past. I've been lucky to have worked with some really great people in helping to develop their image and brand. Those are some of the most rewarding projects I've worked on, where you know you're helping a business start out on the right footing. It's a great feeling. As an example, I recently helped a telecommunications company in Pennsylvania, NCG (The National Communications Group) develop a new look for their corporate image. A new logo, business stationery etc. were the first things we tackled together. It was great working closely with them, despite the miles between us, to find the right look and feel they wanted for their new image. Very rewarding indeed.






Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

There are a number of things I still want to try. Gosh, so many. I'd love to work with a letterpress, get my hands dirty and just get into what was once such an integral part of the "graphic designer's" process. I'd love to write and illustrate a children's book. I even have a great concept for a children's book that I've been nurturing for the past six months or so. I'd love to see it come to fruition. I'd love to be involved with graphics for movies or television, as a child of the 70's and 80's, so much of my life experiences were molded by these two mediums. I could go on and on... I love learning new techniques and skills. I think it just makes your work and your life that much more valuable.






Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Best advice I could give is to never convince yourself that you know it all. There is always someone out there who is better and knows more. Always work to keep learning, broaden your horizons and challenge yourself to get better. Set goals for yourself and your work, and more importantly stick to them. And always, always, always think "Concept First!"






What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

A designed piece or illustration will be successful if the concept is strong. My buddy Von said it best, "Good design without a concept is nothing but decoration. And a concept without good design is mute." Words to live by if you're a designer, and bear repeating.








What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

As I've stated earlier, the interaction I have with other designers who are constantly pushing and striving to better themselves motivates me to do better myself. Maybe it's the competitive nature in me. I don't have any notions of being a "world class" designer, in fact most times I'm my own worst critic . But I will keep pushing to get better as long as I'm drawing breath. It's that competitive nature that keeps me fired up, and fuels my desire to see myself get better. To avoid burn-out, which has plagued me since art school, I spend time with my beautiful fiancee, or my family. I'm a big family man, i can't wait to get married and have children of my own. Ultimately, what works best for me is to get away from the drawing board and the computer and just live life. The satisfaction I get from that, feeds my creativity when I'm in my office working on a project.






And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

I have to sheepishly admit that, like the majority of contributors to this site thus far, I'm a LOST fanatic. I think it's one of the best and smartest shows on TV right now, and the one show each week that I find myself really looking forward to.

Labels: Jeff Andrews

posted by Jeff @ 1:27 PM 4 comments links to this post

DANI NORDIN

My name is Dani Nordin, and I run a graphic/web design and branding studio called the zen kitchen in Somerville MA. My goal is to help clients create a brand that tells their story in a way that relates to their audience as human beings, not as just another demographic. In addition, I help my clients promote themselves in ways that have less harmful ecological consequences by supporting sustainable printing practices and finding ways to provide more information via the Web, which reduces paper waste. On less overly business-minded notes, my various passions include photography, cooking (which is part of the reason my studio is called “the zen kitchen”—my monthly newsletter includes a recipe, always from my own kitchen), yoga, most things spiritual and/or holistic, and looking for new ways to both fuel my creativity and give back to the community. I’m also a somewhat obsessive learner and sharer of things learned, which often results in more stress than it needs to—but I’m working on that! Apparently I also like to invent words—is “sharer” a word?


When did you first decide to become a graphic designer/ illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

Working at kinko’s when I was in college (back in 1995), I got really bored one day and decided to ask the Computer Services guy how to scan things. From there, I started teaching myself Photoshop, and then Quark. After leaving kinko’s to work at a mortgage company for a couple of years, I experimented with a few different design things while keeping the rent paid, until I decided one day in about 2000 that I was a designer and that was going to be it. I ended up going back to kinkos. Didn’t stay long there, but it got me on the path and I haven’t looked back since.


Who or what inspires you?

My yoga practice. Nature. The photography of Nan Goldin. The paintings of Edvard Munch and Kathe Kollwitz. I like art (especially photography) that expresses emotion and shows snippets of real life, as it’s happening. I love the work of Milton Glaser, the stuff at CSS Zen Garden, actual zen gardens, anything that can teach me something I didn’t already know, or show me a way of doing something I hadn’t thought of before. Kerouac, the Beatles, Sarah McLachlan and Jim Croce (I always listen to Croce when I draw). And Jeffrey Zeldman is my lord and master—he is the reason I do websites, and I actually like doing them.


Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?

I am, in fact, almost entirely self-taught—I had been doing design off and on for about four years when I decided to go to school for it, but I wasn’t able to finish my degree due to budget issues. I started out as a theatre major, actually—but I’d always been creative in one way or another. I was always singing or acting out weird skits when I was growing up, and then at 15, I discovered writing and fell in love. About the same time I found acting, but I found myself ultimately unwilling to put up with the body image issues an acting career forces on you, so I focused on design instead. Now, I find every opportunity for self-learning and creative challenge I can—I recently discovered a few online that I’ve started contributing to.


How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

There are a few magazines I read every month—Print, HOW, and Yoga Journal are the ones I read most often, and there’s a new environmental magazine called Plenty that I really like—amazing articles about green life. I also spend time on Speak Up, the HOW forums, and occasionally Design Observer, and I’ve recently become somewhat addicted to the articles at Creative Latitude. In addition to reading about design, I also spend a lot of time reading about things that matter to me—sustainable living and organic food are two of my pet causes, as well as domestic violence and equal rights. Wind energy is another current fascination of mine—there’s a scientist in Australia who may have discovered a way to harness the power of the jet stream to produce renewable energy at 90 percent efficiency (modern windmills are currently only at about 35 percent efficiency) for as little as one cent per kilowatt hour! I like the idea of renewable energy, of processes that sustain themselves rather than sucking the life out of the earth without giving anything back.


What are some of your current projects?

I’ve been getting a TON of web work lately—I just finished two sites, and I have one in process (for the Picklepot, a craft store in Salem, MA) and another one that’s due to begin development soon. I also get a good amount of work from Virgin Life Care, which runs a web application that helps you track your workouts in health clubs and gives you rewards for healthy behavior. On a more business-centered note, I’ve been re-focusing my marketing plan, and working on getting more print work, which is really my first love. And I’ve been writing—blog entries, poems, articles, etc.


Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

Definitely, my favorite work is the work I did for Branches Fine Gifts—http://daninordin.net/logo.html (whose logo will be featured in the next edition of LogoLounge) and Sojourner House—http://daninordin.net/pr_shbro.html, a Providence RI domestic violence agency. The Branches stuff got me to try my hand at illustration, ad copy, and product photography; Sojourner House gave me an opportunity to bring broader exposure and a more professional image to the great work the organization does. In addition, both clients helped me learn how to make the best of a tight budget, and I got to use my own photography in many of their pieces.


Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?

I can honestly say I’ve never designed an entire book or magazine before (aside from my poetry chapbooks, but I don’t count those—they’re hideous). I’d love to try it!


Any advice to the novice designer/ illustrator?

Learn everything you can, but don’t make this your life. Your life informs your design; it shouldn’t be the other way around. Find other things you love and work that inspiration into the design you do. I’m still learning this lesson.


What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

Ultimately, what makes a piece successful is not whether a client loves it (although trust me, that makes life easier), but whether the client’s AUDIENCE loves it—and how they express that love. Some of the best compliments I’ve gotten on my work have been from clients who tell me how often the work I do for them gets praised.


What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I’m still working on the right answer to this one. Yoga is a big one—I try to make sure I do it at least three times a week, if not daily. Also, making sure I don’t over-book myself (which is a trend), and making sure I get to have a social life that isn’t just business networking.


And finally, what is the best thing on prime-time TV right now?

LOST!!!! It’s flipping addictive. Even American Idol I can forget to watch after a while and be fine (although, being a bit of a karaoke diva from way back, I still enjoy it when I do get to see it).


Related Link:

http://www.daninordin.net

Recent Work:

posted by Jeff @ 9:54 PM 0 comments links to this post

HOLLY DEWOLF

I'm Holly DeWolf and I am an illustrator. I create "handmade experiences" in gouache, ink and collage. My daughter tells me that I make pretty pictures. I say I am a visual problem solver in paint. Both descriptions are fine with me. I grew up on a tiny, picturesque island in New Brunswick. To survive county life I developed a huge imagination. This helped fuel my creativity and maintain sanity. Now I live Ontario and life is pretty sweet and happy!



When did you first decide to become a designer/illustrator? Was there a pivotal moment?

Absolutely! I was artistic at birth really. In grade three I was asked to paint some murals on the walls by myself, legally! Just like that I realized I was going to be an artist and not a doctor. I was lucky to have great art programs in my schools. My jr. high art teacher told me, helped by his one furrowed eyebrow, that I needed to stop goofing around, that my art education was serious! By the time I was in grade ten I was already researching art schools to attend. I knew it was my ticket to an un-boring and fulfilling life. Conventional 9 to 5 is just not me.


Who or what inspires you?

Wow! I could be here all day. My paint brushes are a big one. I love how they look and the craft it took to make them. Plus they hold such potential for future work. I have a huge book collection and I could pour over them all day and fill my brain with ideas. I love illustrators like
Lane Smith. His work is quirky and quite fun. Vacations by the ocean can really refresh a tired brain. Music is a big one. Plus I try to be creative in all I do whether it is cooking or decorating my home. You can never add enough flair to your space.


Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/art school?

My early academic years established a very good foundation. I then attended NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I spent a very creative, exhausting and very expensive five years there. Just thinking about it makes me want coffee! I initially took Visual Communications, which was great because I learned layout, type, Mac-speak, and printing. I
also studied photography. I loved the process of splashing chemicals to get that photo. But it was not what I wanted to do. I then took a class on Making Visual and Verbal Narratives and I was hooked on the idea of illustration. In my last two semesters I focused on illustration and then
"it" fell into place. After graduating I spent a while researching and learning all I could about the business of illustration. What is great is I am still learning. The creative possibilities are never ending.


How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?

I never stop learning and changing. I am always looking, reading, collecting snippets here and there. Another way I keep fresh is to have an "Idea Journal". I throw in tidbits of quotes, clippings, ideas, random thoughts and promotional ideas. It is invaluable when it comes to new
projects and assignments. I keep up regularly with what the industry is doing. Having other creative outlets helps too. It is amazing how that can seep into my illustration work. Believing that there is no "box" keeps my mind open to all possibilities. Lastly, I learn from my mistakes. Failure can be a good thing.


What are some of your current projects?

My daughter keeps me very busy plus I have another baby on the way and I help keep my husband focused while creating visuals for the world to ponder. Oh, and I am launching my own greeting card line and working towards selling prints of my work. A new promotional project is on the horizon. I am working on promotional visuals for a Lodge in Port Dover, Ontario. And I am contributing work to an up and coming book. Then I will take a nap.


Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?

I am proud of all of my work because of the work it takes to not only conceive but the have the final outcome be what the client wanted. I'll have to twist this a bit and tell you my favourite tidbit. It was when I brought a piece to the late Halifax designer, Lou Cable, and he complimented me by saying that he "could not afford my work". That was so nice of him. Well once I fit my head through the door on the way out I fired back some wicked Peruvian blend to celebrate.


Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, and projects in your field that you have yet to try?

I would love to illustrate work for packaging. Getting my work into a children's book would be fantastic. Also doing some Pro Bono work for charities that I believe in.


Any advice to the novice designer/illustrator?

The advice I give myself daily, an internal pep talk if you will, is to trust myself and enjoy the process. I don't recommend comparing yourself to other illustrators or designers. See them as inspiration and motivation. Don't try to create in a bubble. Find a supportive community to help you get started or to just bounce ideas off of. There are many very talented people out here who love what they do and love talking about it. Distinguish yourself in an original way. Put a twist on what you do. And, as Woody Allen stated, "90 percent of success is just showing up."

What makes a designed piece or illustration successful?

The client will let you know. That doesn't mean it is easy. Getting it finished on time while creating a kick ass piece helps too. I feel believing in your work is another way. If all else fails, reject their reality and substitute your own.


What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I am motivated by my 3 year old. She is inspiration and a wonderful distraction when I need to take a break. Knowing when to step away is critical. I know there will be off days where nothing is going to happen and nothing seems to work. I'll take advantage of these days to recharge.
Escaping in a good book or music helps. Also exercise is a quick way to lift my spirits and energize me on those hectic days. If all else fails I just stay quiet!

I also keep in mind that I am building a career. I craft a weekly plan of what I will do. Plans change and things come up so I try to get the bulk of it done. Every month I evaluate what I am doing to see if I am staying on track and what isn't working I lose, post haste.


And finally, what is the best thing on prime TV right now?

Gilmore Girls. I really love the endless banter and how the characters can hold their own. I am also a sucker for the classics like Frasier, Cheers and M.A.S.H. Sometimes I don't want to see negative stuff and I just want to tune in to humorous dialogue after a long day.



Related links:

Holly DeWolf Illustration- http://www.sweethappy.ca
Creative Blend Blog- http://creativeblend.blogspot.com

posted by Jeff @ 6:20 PM 0 comments links to this post