Hi John, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Hi to you, thanks for having me. I’m a 23 year old designer and illustrator. I live in Sunset Beach, CA with my awesome wife Alex, and our little cat. I work at Biola University Communications and Marketing, in the design studio. My wife is also a designer, and we recently celebrated our first year of marriage. Oh, and we’re addicted to the TV show Breaking Bad.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

As a kid in school I had a short attention span, so I’d tucker down in my notebooks and draw whatever was on my mind. Drawing and making things always made me happier than anything else. Jumping forward to high school, I started playing around with pirated version of Photoshop, and started pushing pixels. I was fortunate enough to make websites, and other random stuff for friends and family with it. It was fun, but I didn’t even know I could do this for a living. It’s interesting, I hear a lot of designers with that same experience, that they didn’t fully know who or what a “designer” was until… one day it clicked. College was one of those first clicks (or defining moments), but those life-changing moments tend to continue to happen, I’m sure you know how things go.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I wouldn’t change a thing. I am happy to have made a lot of good friends, and have had mentors that helped me get to where I am now. I’m still pretty young, and still have a ton to learn; I always try to keep that in mind. Plus, there’s no point to live in regret, just onward and upward.

So, you studied Graphic Design at Biola University, where you now work. In an industry which changes at such a fast rate, do you feel a formal education in design is still relevant?

There is this ongoing debate, that I’m sure you’re aware of, and it’s comprised of formally educated designers and self-taught designers essentially duking it out, as to who’s the most superior breed. It’s only my personal experience, but in my life/career, having a fine arts degree has been a countless blessing. Classes like art history, drawing/figure studies, darkroom photography etc. all helped to bolster the work I was doing in my design classes, and I still reap the benefits.

How would you define the work you do? I mean, you do branding, illustration, print work – Do you see yourself as more of one of those than the others? And do you think designers should narrow themselves into one field/medium or be a jack-of-all-trades?

Massimo Vignelli talks about this profane visual disease that is around us, and how design is the cure to the disease. So whether it’s branding, illustration, or the rest, I’m aiming to be a visual problem solver. Yeah, it sometimes can feel like I’m putting on different proverbial hats, depending on what I’m working on that moment. That back-and-forth has the potential to get confusing, but it all aligns when I think about it all as the means for solving a design problem.

Designers can seem like jacks-of-all-trades, it appears that way because design is so much larger than its mediums. It is a balance, and I believe that we shouldn’t spread ourselves too thin, but it takes time to learn that boundary.

I couldn’t help but admire your desk, which you created yourself – Do you think creative pursuits like these, outside of what we define as “design” enhance you as a designer in any way, or are they just an entirely unrelated hobby?

Thank you sir, I appreciate it. Yeah, working with wood is special, it’s near and dear to me. Long before I knew what design was, I used to make skateboard ramps, among other things, with my dad. I can remember then, having to think through and calculate each decision, to produce the perfect ramp. Knowing what I know now, I treated the desk similarly to how I would design for a layout. I’m no master craftsman, but I keep finding excuses to make things, mostly because I want to get better at it (this is the second desk I’ve made for my home… I think of it as a “Mark II” kind of a thing). The hands-on nature of the whole process is very informative, and is loaded with design lessons.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

I’ll answer as an extension of the last question; I’d love to be some old carpenter dude. To be able to work day-in and day-out in a woodshop, with all the best equipment, would be a dream. It makes me feel happy inside just thinking about it.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

In all things, success is defined by a person who has balance, this is someone who has a practical understanding of many things through and through, by way of experience. It’s a bit like the philosophical idea of virtue, where at the center of the scale is virtue, and at the opposite ends is vice; so to be virtuous means to be balanced. Gaining balance is the tough part, but if I can be the kind of person/teammate/client who is willing to learn from my vices, I’ll hopefully find it.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Have self-initiated projects, they’ll keep you on your toes. Don’t be intimidated to contact people you don’t know. Make good friends, and keep them. The client is always right, sometimes. Make mistakes, and learn from them. Lastly, love what you do.

Thanks John!

Many thanks to John for sharing his thoughts with OMW. I had a lot of fun talking to him, and I hope you enjoy the interview as much I do!

Why not check out John’s site, and follow him on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Marie, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Well thank you for having me, glad to be part of it!

I officially started my career a few months ago, as a freelance illustrator (mostly) & designer. I’m based in Montreal, but most of my clients are located in the States. For a Frenchie, it is most satisfying – We get the chance to grow our community outside of here in Quebec and even if the internet plays a huge part in this maybe-success, it’s still a big step for someone like me.

I work digitally 100% of the time. I love to explore new tools though, which is why I think I produce different styles over and over again in my illustrations. And I usually focus on the mood, which is why experimenting will let me capture the feel I want to have in the drawing – Sometimes it’ll look like closer to painting, but other times it’ll look very digital. To be honest, I’m currently trying to make some space in my office to start traditional art, but this will take time… Got to be patient!

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

As far back as I remember, one thing I knew was that I was a serious fan of visual art in general. I studied cinema, publicity and communication for 5 years, but I didn’t think it was enough – I wanted to go to the very base of visual art: Creating it. So, one day I was flipping through the pages of a never-ending list of career and university programs. My finger stopped at Graphic Design but it actually took me 2 years before I was able to enter the program: I had nothing to show at that time.

I studied at the Centre de Design in Montreal. It was, and still is, a great school, with over 600 people applying each year and only a few getting in. I had no idea where I was going, but I felt it was what I needed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design completely changed everything: I don’t regret one bit of the program. I learned so much and I think those years gave me inspiration and a strong base.

Meanwhile, I was drawing on the side, trying a few things in my spare time. I had a few contracts here and there for some small firms, which slowly but surely helped me build up some confidence in this business. With time, I discovered more about the design field, like how I suck at typography (I have mad respect for those who don’t) but completely fell in love with the illustration world. I still work on branding (which I enjoy a lot too) but illustration is taking up more and more space. I’m not complaining of course – I hope it grows even bigger. It’s not the end, but only the beginning.

I’ve got to say that everything exploded when I created my final Bachelor’s project. I chose to create a book with 25 illustrations based on my top films from the last decade. I learned a lot, and this is when I found some sort of a style – Something that could work nicely with the book. This is where it all started.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I refused or agreed to do something that I shouldn’t have, well, it’s only experience, not a regret.

On your site, you sell a load of prints of your work. In an industry where work can fluctuate so greatly, how important is a passive income source, do you feel?

Yes, you are absolutely right but it’s not as important as it looks. It was mostly because people were starting to ask for a particular print that I developed the store. And there’ll always be a curious new fan coming in who enjoys your previous work. I don’t count on these to pay my bills, but it is very satisfying at first when someone buys a print and hangs it on their wall. You know that somewhere, you made someone happy, which is the best part.

You’ve done a load of film illustrations, most of which are more representative of the film that the film’s artwork itself. What do you think of the current state of film art?

Good question. Regarding film art like posters and such, Mondo takes the lead with a few great names out there. But nowadays, a thousand or more want to do the same thing – Our work could easily get lost in this noise, there is too much going on. The fanbase you build is there to support you and helps so much. If you’re lucky and work hard, it will only grow and you’ll be able to pass this noise field. I’m still really far from the top – Still a lot to do!

It seems like galleries want to be part of this huge community too. In a week, you can have 4 shows going on just in one city, all about films. It is nice to see that happening but I think it’s becoming too loose: Now, it seems that if you’re capable of doing some sort of a movie poster in Illustrator, you’re automatically in. Exposure should be chosen more carefully – but then again, I’ve had my chance, why shouldn’t others? I won’t be the one judging if your work is worthy or not.

Something else is also going on, on the very top of it all: Those big Hollywood studios are starting to go with freelancers to conceptualize movie posters. Just starting though. Personally, however, I’m not a huge fan of creating movie posters – I prefer working on a particular scene or an actor’s emotion, for example.

On that subject, if you could have done the artwork and “branding” for any film in the past, which would you choose, and how would you have done it differently?

I have no idea! I guess a lot of movies. But differently? None that I can think of. The films that I would have loved to work on are mostly the films I enjoy visually, so why change anything? Tarantino’s films are probably the ones that most artists dream of working on. When well-executed, credits are something that I enjoy a lot – I might try something like that later on.

I actually did sell a print to Paramount for an upcoming summer film. It won’t be the official poster or whatever, just part of some third act marketing stuff, if they choose to use it. But just the fact that it reached someone there makes me so happy, and curious to see what it will change for me in the near future.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

Sagmeister for his general remarkable thoughts on design. Olly Moss for working with great film studios. Banksy for his love of art, and great conceptual ideas. Sam Spratt for his skills.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

Success is when you are able to live a decent life with what you enjoy creating. When people want your work more than anyone else’s. When you are respected by most artists. When you are happy in what you do.

No, of course I’m not successful: Success is far, far away. Like I said, I hope everything that I’m doing right now is only the beginning of something even bigger. I know it is. I’m still in my “let’s experiment” days more than anything else.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Work hard, try hard. Do what you enjoy the most, don’t worry about the failure – Just concentrate on getting better. Be patient and don’t give up!

Thanks Marie!

Many thanks to Marie for taking some time to talk to One Minute With. I really enjoyed interviewing her, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it!

Why not check out Marie’s site, and follow her on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Chris, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

I am Chris DeLorenzo, I’m 26 years old, living and working in Boston as a graphic designer and illustrator. I spend my days designing fun and humorous shirts for the clothing line Johnny Cupcakes. But it doesn’t stop at shirts, I design posters, flyers, web graphics (but more recently a web site), hats, sweatshirts, stickers, keychains, signage for the stores, and even the stores themselves. After hours I’m usually caught illustrating and doodling some more. My personal work is more expressive and hand-drawn – Lately, I’ve been very into creating characters and floral, ornate objects that are familiar but have been put through this new Chris filter. This year I really feel like I’ve been focused more on creating my own world – or vision – in my art than I ever have before.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

I have always been crafty and I definitely have a good case of ADD – I knew I didn’t have the patience to sit for hours at a canvas and paint a picture or be decisive and say “this is my thing” and do that for a number of years. I was attracted to design because of the freedom of projects, the turnaround time and the way that design trickled down from a set of principles and ideals rather than a medium. It was a way for me to sharpen my brain from all sides rather than just one. I was going to go into illustration as a major but my friend Aimee told me that design was the more fun major. She was pretty, so I signed up.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I like my career so far, but I would love to change my location. I would rather be on the west coast or in Europe, haha!

Johnny Cupcakes is very definitely a brand with a personality – Does this make it harder or easier, do you feel, for you to express your own personality through your work? Do you think that putting personality into design is important, and if so, how do you go about doing that?

Putting personality into design is one of the most important things a designer can do in order to fill that void we designers all have between being an artist and being a designer. Some people are okay with just pumping out work for other people, but if you’re like me, you want to put your stamp on it. If you can do a job for somebody else that also has a little touch of you in it then you’ve succeeded. Personality is what makes this world so interesting – If no designer fought for their work than we would live in a very banal, vanilla world. Your personality comes through in your thinking, not just your execution. People think you need to have a style, but you really need to have a lens, because that’s what you’re offering in the end. Here’s a common scenario that has a weird and convoluted solution – There are always going to be clients that just want you to do something their way and you’re going to need money, so you do the work but don’t put it in your portfolio. Instead, put the version that you loved but the client didn’t choose in your portfolio, so that when the next client comes around they pick you because they saw your personality, vision and style, rather than that you were just a subordinate design gun for hire. Haha, there’s got to be a better way though.

You studied graphic design at Syracuse University. In an industry that changes as rapidly as ours, do you see a formal education in design as necessary and/or beneficial?

Yes, it is definitely beneficial. The less education, the less history, the less foundation we have to build off of, the less rich design becomes. Without formal education design, becomes a very superficial, competitive community. You need to learn to take criticism, to work in groups, to understand how to think like an industrial designer or an interior designer when you’re needed to. Especially at the age we enter school our minds are so malleable that it would be a shame not to put it into a thousand different scenarios and problems that it has to figure out, so by the time you’re in your mid-twenties, you are very surprised by how much you know and what you can do. Exposure is one of the keys to approaching design.

Where do you see yourself in, say, 5 or 10 years? Do you still hope to be working at Johnny Cupcakes, or do you want to have moved onto some bigger (or smaller) by then?

I hope to change cities in a few years. I want to call the world my home, not just a coastline. I hope to have a sweet beard, and some tattoos by then. But on the career side, I would love to start pushing my own drawings more, be involved in more art shows, work with bigger clients, show the world that flowers can be masculine, take all the creative people I know and never let them go. I just love working on projects with people I admire.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

I would love to live the life of Dalí for a day. He was like a Willy Wonka but respected by the culturati. I would drink wine, ride chrome bulls down spiral staircases, make a pizza out of women and skulls, and get away with puns. But if we’re talking about a living person than probably Damien Hirst because I would love to know exactly just what it is he does all day.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

Success can be defined in small and big ways. A small success these days consist of having your inbox at zero or not looking at your phone all day. On a bigger scale, success is waking up and not dreading the day. If you can do that, congratulations. No matter how much money you have or where you are in the world, if you love waking up and aren’t bothered by the forthcoming tasks then you are the complete human being.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Make friends with everybody, make connections. Be nice. Take on a lot of jobs of all different kinds at first so you can figure out which ones you really like or that you enjoy the most and then pursue those jobs more.

Thanks Chris!

Thanks so much to Chris for giving us an insight into his world! I really enjoyed talking to him, and found his answers really interesting!

Why not check out Chris’ site, and follow him on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Timothy, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Hi, thanks for the interview! I’m a 3D illustrator currently living in Milwaukee, WI but was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC. I moved here for a job about three years ago. Just before that, I had sold everything I owned back in early 2009 and left my hometown to look for something more. I lived in Denver for a few months, drove around the country for a bit freelancing out of hotel rooms and then spent the better part of a year in Atlanta.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

Pretty typical story there in that I’ve always drawn since I was old enough to hold a crayon. Rainy days after school just meant stay inside and draw. I really enjoyed all of my art classes more than any others throughout school. But it was probably during the first year of college that I realized I wanted to do something design-related. I can still remember the first time being introduced to Photoshop [version 6, I think] as a freshman in college and just staring at all of those confusing buttons. I knew then that I had to figure how to use it. Then a few years later, I went back to school for architecture where I stumbled into 3D software [SketchUp] and I fell in love with it. Building and moving stuff around in 3D space was like a dream come true. 2006-ish. That’s when I knew [loosely] what I wanted to do.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I don’t think I would change anything about my career so far. I’ve been lucky enough to work in a few different industries that have really helped me progress as a designer. I’ve worked for architecture firms, trade show companies, and marketing agencies.

You’ve got a pretty unique style, full of low poly 3D renders. Do you think it’s important to have a style in an industry as diverse as ours? Did you set out to develop this style, or did it just evolve naturally?

Sure, I’d definitely say style is important. But I also think being able to offer a variety of styles, or even having a few different skill-sets, is important. If the whole low-poly bubble bursts tomorrow, and it might, I’m really fortunate to also have a grasp in exhibit design and architecture, too. I spent years trying to figure out a style that I was not only happy with how it looked, but happy to make. The process is a wonderful thing. From sketch to modeling to lighting to rendering to post, it’s all so much fun. Every time I open Cinema 4D and see that blank screen with all of those buttons, I get excited. I’m sure other illustrators feel the same way about Photoshop/Illustrator/etc.

So you studied architecture in college – How does that translate into the work you’re doing now? Do you think it proved to be worth the investment, both in time and money?

It’s funny, I initially went to a university for a few years but ending up just taking art classes and ignoring all of my “required” classes. Apparently, they don’t care for that. I got away with it for a good two and half years, though. It was a fun “party” school in the Appalachian Mountains of NC [ASU]. After I came home and tried to figure out what was next, I enrolled in a 2-year Associate’s degree in Architecture. That’s where I was introduced to 3D software. I quickly fell in love with the possibilities. Finished that up in 2006 and started working in the industry the same week I graduated with a firm my Professor hooked me up with. I quickly figured out that architecture might not be a perfect fit for me. It was a bit too technical and I knew from school that I was in for [at least] 5+ years of grunt work just to possibly get anywhere with it and/or to be able to do anything creative in the field. I was in for years of being a “CAD monkey.” And I definitely did not enjoy AutoCAD and that was essentially what my degree bought me a job in. Long story short, that quick, affordable degree was a stroke of luck that set me on the right path.

A few years back, you essentially started a whole new life for yourself, selling all of your possessions and moving state. Can you tell us that story? Has it had a positive impact on your life, do you feel?

Oops, I hit on that a bit in the first question. Sorry! But sure, I can talk more about it. I think it had just become more and more evident to me that I needed to leave my hometown. I had recently turned 26 and felt an internal panic that I was going to die there, that I wasn’t going to ever find what[ever] I was looking for there. That might sound dramatic, but I really felt that way and I knew I had to take off. Obviously, leaving family and friends and everything I’d ever known was tough but it was necessary. I feel like I’ve grown so much in the last few years in ways that would have been impossible had I stayed in North Carolina. I had a great job as an exhibit designer that I had been at for a little over a year and had worked in an architecture firm for about a year prior to that. With that, I kinda just crossed my fingers that it would be enough experience to get work wherever I ended up. Selling everything I owned was truly amazing, though. Really liberating to get rid of everything I had previously found “value” in. Mostly eBayed everything I had that was worth anything and somehow talked a buddy into buying ALL of my furniture/TV/desk/etc in one fell swoop. With all of that done, I put in my two-weeks notice and tied up all loose ends. Hopped in my car in February of 2009 with an iMac and a box of clothes. Oh yeah, and my snowboard. [Denver-bound, initially] There’s lots more to the story from between then and now, but I’ve rambled enough already.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

Hmm, tough question. I’m going to have to go with J.G. Quintel. For anyone who doesn’t know who that is, he’s the creator of Regular Show. It’s a hilarious cartoon on Cartoon Network. I think I would just love to have seen an idea that far through. They just hit their 100th episode and I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into something like that. Especially a hand-drawn animated show. I’d also love to be surrounded by a team of people that I can trust like that and have fun with on a daily basis. That show’s got something pretty special, in my opinion. I hope it goes on for another 100 episodes.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

I’m definitely still trying to figure out what I’m really doing. I still work full-time for a marketing firm as a Sr. 3D Designer and moonlight as a 3D Illustrator for lots of different clients. I’ve been really fortunate in the last 18 months or so, picking up solid, consistent work from tons of different startups, agencies and magazines. What started out as just experiments doing tons of personal work has now turned into paid work. I couldn’t be more grateful. I’ve always shared my work on Flickr for years but it always felt very much like a black hole that no one really ever saw or responded to. But once I started making so many of these little worlds and just kept posting them, I started to pick up a little steam. So, to answer your question, I’m still looking for “success” but I definitely feel better/closer than I was yesterday. The future is exciting.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

I think the best advice to anyone starting out is what they’ve already heard before; make work. Make lots of work. Make the kind of work you want to get paid to make. Make work that you love doing. Make work that challenges you, that you care about, that you’re proud to show. And then do just that; show it. Make, show, repeat. There’s that great Ira Glass quote about this exact thing, and I definitely think he hit the nail on the head.

Thanks so much for the interview, Conor. I’m honored to be among all the great designers you’ve talked to so far.

Thanks Tim!

Many thanks to Tim for sharing his thoughts with One Minute With. I really enjoyed his answers, and I hope you love the interview as much I do!

Check out Tim’s site, and follow him on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Anna, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Of course! Think nothing of it. Let’s see, how about we start at the beginning?

On July 8th, 1985, Mr. and Mrs. Hurley looked down at their third-born child and said to each other, “Huh.” My youth was saturated with grand delusions of joining a Norwegian traveling carnival. I could oftentimes be found wearing a blue and red striped jacket, just in case, and wandering about the countryside with a notepad and pencil, studying such carnie vernacular as “sugar shack” and “donniker,” in order to prepare myself for my soon-to-be-nomad-lifestyle. Then sometime later I decided to forget all that and whittle away what little time I have left in this crazy world to focus on drawing things. Now I work at Hatch in San Francisco.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

As a youth I dabbled in illustration and design, but always figured I’d eventually become something that sounded more grown-up to me, like a writer or a teacher. I do remember the day when I realized I could actually be paid to draw and design all the time. I think it was a Wednesday. I had an ice cream bar during recess. It was a great day.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I spent a lot of time early on not believing I could actually pursue a career in design and illustration. It always just seemed like a passing fancy. I wish I had motivated myself to practice and study much sooner. It was a slow-going learning process for me.

A lot of the work you do seems to be print-based stuff – What is it about the medium that you like? Do you put any credence in the idea that print is dead?

One of my first jobs out of college gets the credit for this. I worked at the lovely letterpress design studio Hello!Lucky, where I was heavily influenced by all things print. I became used to the limitations of letterpress, mainly designing things that were one to two color, and I loved it. Print is certainly not dead, it just has a very different purpose than it did in the days of yore. People have a hard time getting over that

Your style has a really nice, genuine 60′s feel to it, which fits in pretty nicely with this whole retro “trend” that’s occurring these days. Did you intentionally fit your style around this trend, or was it simply a natural evolution? And how important are trends to the progression of design, do you feel?

My illustration style evolved as a result of obsessing over and studying every bit of mid-century ephemera I could get my hands on. There was no escaping it. To put it simply, it’s just a style that I really enjoy.

Trends are incredibly fascinating to me. What suddenly becomes popular to designers and non-designers alike, is such a strange phenomenon. And naturally there’s value in consistently studying and staying current.

Where do you see yourself in, say, 5 or 10 years?

Getting out of this illustration racket and finally fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a carnie.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

Owen Gatley seems to have it all figured out. I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time. I’d live his life for a day, discover all of his secret tricks for his incredible illustrations, take copious notes, maybe pet his dog if he has one or something, see if he has any good snacks, then be back the next day to use those notes for my own nefarious purposes. Maybe I’d leave him a note: “You’re swell!”

This sounds especially creepy because he has no idea who I am. So let’s just hope he’s reading this and doesn’t think I’m a weirdo. Hey, Owen!

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

Not failing. And no, I fail all the time. Almost constantly.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Study everything. Practice what you like. Be nice to people. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Go swimming. Call your mom. She misses you.

Thanks Anna!

Many thanks to Anna for taking some time to talk to One Minute With. I really enjoyed interviewing her, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it!

Why not check out Anna’s site, and follow her on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Spencer, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Thank you for inviting me to chat, Conor! I would describe myself foremost as a letterer and typographer. I’m currently Senior Designer at Louise Fili Ltd. in New York City, a studio that specializes in design for restaurants and food packaging. Before that, I graduated from the University of Utah in 2010 with my BFA in Graphic Design, and my first proper design job out of college was working as a sign artist for Whole Foods in Salt Lake City.

Walk us through a typical day in the life of Spencer Charles.

Mornings are always very surreal to me, I often wake up very confused about my whereabouts. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for about a year and half, and I think I still haven’t been able to fully process that I live in New York, not Utah. I certainly have a normal morning regimen of getting ready for work, but it’s not usually until I’m at the studio that I feel like I can begin my day. Because of this, I make it a point to get to work pretty quickly. The commute from where I live in Brooklyn to Manhattan is about 30 minutes, and I usually pick up everything I need for the day on my way to work. On average, I get to work about 20 minutes early each day – I like to use this time to make coffee, check my email, and make a checklist of everything I need to accomplish in the day.

The work day is pretty standard 9-hour day. After work, I hurry home as quickly as possible, and spend the rest of my night working on personal projects, or freelance work.

And so, on that topic: What are the differences between studio work and your freelance stuff? Do you think you’ll ever want to go totally freelance (or the flip side of that: Would you ever want to stop doing freelance altogether?)

The work I do at the studio is mostly very large scale projects. To be completely honest, at the moment, the work I do for Louise is much more rewarding than the work I am doing for myself. I’m not sure if you know much about her work or career, but she’s built up a really great oeuvre over the last few decades, and because of that, she’s in a position where she can take on only the work she finds the most rewarding. Over this last year, I’ve designed a book from start to finish featuring beautiful type vernacular, authored by her and her husband Steven Heller. I’ve also had the opportunity to rebrand and brand some fantastic and fairly well known restaurants in NYC, plus a plethora of other lettering projects. Another thing that has been really rewarding about working for Louise is that she really gives me the time to explore new techniques, and provides the necessary guidance so that I’m not wasting my time, only to end up in a dead end. Honestly, as far as a job in design, it doesn’t get much better than that. With all that being said, I still feel compelled to be doing my own work outside of the studio. I have my own questions, interests, and ambitions that can ultimately only be fulfilled by working for myself. So yes, I do believe that eventually I would like to work for myself, but at the moment, I am very happy and content with my job (which seems rather rare for most people these days).

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

I love drawing. I think that first and foremost, I wanted to draw. As a teenager, I went back and forth between wanting to be an artist and an architect, and I ultimately settled upon choosing the path of an artist. I was attracted to arts ability towards individual expression, over the utilitarian functions of architecture. I guess it’s a bit ironic that I ended up in design. I enrolled in a general art program, I was a little bit interested in design at the time, but I think the thing that really pushed me towards it was seeing the discipline and precision of the cartoonist Chris Ware. I wanted to learn to draw letters and images that could evoke the same feelings that his work evoked in me. Another big turning point was interning for a fully functioning, true-to-form letterpress studio. It was amazing to me that there was this massively rich history of letterforms and images that has for the most part completely fallen to the wayside. Obviously, referencing that work has become very popular, but I don’t think most people take the time to really understand the connection of the forms to history. My first real mentor David Wolske really opened my eyes to that.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

Career-wise, I’m very happy with where I am. In fact, I feel unusually lucky to be where I am, as young as I am. If I could go back and do one thing differently, I think I would have explored lettering more in college. I spent much of my spare time in college playing music, which was a great outlet, but I think I could have really developed my lettering skills then. It wasn’t until I graduated and started working at Whole Foods that I really started to push myself to learn how to draw letterforms.

You just recently published Black Creek, your first commercial font. What was this process like, compared to lettering? What new challenges did it bring?

The process wasn’t unlike many of the other large projects I’ve done for Louise. The first 25% of the work is exhilarating, pure creation. The rest is very technical, mundane, and repetitive work to ensure that the font works as a whole. Very fortunately, Black Creek is steeped very heavily in the American wood type tradition, so I could get away with not designing most auxiliary glyphs.

When designing a font as opposed to lettering, you have to make a lot of compromises to get the whole puzzle to fit together. I found that some of the letterforms I had started off with in my sketches weren’t working in the context of the font. Plus, kerning pairs are a whole other beast unique to designing a font.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

Robert Bringhurst. The Elements of Typographic Style was my bible in college, and beyond that, his poems and essays are incredibly articulate, humorous, insightful, and humbling. He tackles written and verbal communication through the lens of a cultural anthropologist, and to be able to see his process and the breadth of his intellectual framework; that would be enlightening.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

Honestly, this might sound ingratiating, but I try as hard as possible not to think about it. Most rubrics seem to pale in the grand scheme of things. If I can earn a decent living drawing letters, doing continuous research, and constantly pushing myself to evolve the quality of my work, then I can’t ask for much more. If I can inspire others to do the same, even better.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Listen very closely to other people’s criticisms, insights, and advice. Work for someone whose work you deeply respect. Ask a lot of questions, but always be prepared to dig for an answer.

Thanks Spencer!

Thanks so much to Spencer for giving us an insight into his world! I really enjoyed talking to him, and found his answers really interesting!

Why not check out Spencer’s site, and follow him on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Justin, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

No problem, thanks for having me. I’m currently a Sr. Designer at the rather large in-house department at Mutual of Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. There I do a variety of work, from branding and design to illustration. Something else I’ve been exploring a lot more is hand lettering and screen-printing. I love bringing in a handmade quality into my work. I like to think of design as an opportunity to solve a problem.

I’m also newly married. My wife and I are getting ready to move to Minneapolis, exciting, yet stressful. Because of that I’m currently on the hunt for an art director position at an agency there and rebuilding my website at justinschafer.me. That’s what seems to consume most of my time nowadays. But, when I’m not designing or preparing to move I love building mid-century modern furniture, and training for triathlons.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

When I was younger I was really interested in computer animation. Movies like Toy Story were starting to come out and I was captivated by the new form of animation. Along with art class I was also building websites when I was in high school. Graphic design meant being able to blend art and technology, which was a perfect match for me. I also loved logos. I remember being in middle school trying to redraw popular logos in my sketchbook. I ended up having an entire folder full of them. I think I was curious as to the meaning behind them and why they used the shapes, colors or symbols they used.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I’m not sure I would change anything so far. I still have a long career ahead of me and I feel as though I’ve had a fairly diverse experience thus far. In the future I’d like to explore how design can have a more meaningful impact in the lives of individuals, whether it’s through experience or interaction design. I think there will be a real opportunity down the road for someone like myself who balances that line between left and right brain.

So, you’ve won quite a few awards throughout your career – Have you found these to be important to your career, or is it simply that it’s nice to be recognised by peers?

I’m not sure if they’ve necessarily been important in anyway, but it’s always nice to be recognized for your work. Recognition always makes you feel like your headed down the right path.

Speaking of awards, your wedding invites were recently recognised by AIGA – How different is it to design with yourself (and your wife) as the client? What new challenges did it bring?

Any designer will tell you that designing for themselves is a lot harder than clients. When you’re your own client the sky is the limit. As much as creatives struggle to have absolute control and total free reign, the truth is having parameters helps us focus in on what the problem is. On the other hand it gave me an opportunity to explore new techniques I had wanted to. Hand lettering all my wedding materials was a rewarding experience, and gave a genuine quality to the work. However, it made fixes and typos a pain to go back and fix.

Where do you see yourself in, say, 5 or 10 years?

Well my wife and I are currently in the process of planning our move to Minneapolis. It’s a great city with tons of agencies and creative professionals so I’m expecting us to call it home for quiet sometime. I’d like to learn more code as well as explore how design thinking and technology intersects. Things like interaction design and experience design are becoming increasingly popular as design values and ideas become more mainstream. I’d also like to see myself step into a creative director role, impacting larger more strategic decisions.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

I’ve recently been reading a lot about Saul Bass. He was an incredible illustrator and practically invented the genre of film title sequences. He saw an opportunity during the film that no one else did. Plus he got to work side-by-side with guys like Martin Scorsese and Alfred Hitchcock. How could you beat that?

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

No, I think the best is always yet to come. There will never be a moment when I say I’ve become successful; it’s just not my nature. I’m constantly pushing forward, reworking things and looking to make them better. I feel like success is a form of settling, in my eyes, success doesn’t exist.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Make sure you love it, and commit yourself to it. Be prepared to work hard, the design industry is pretty popular these days so you’ll have to put in the hours in order to set yourself apart. Learn the web side of things, it’s constantly increasing in demand. I’d also suggest taking some classes in sociology, anthropology or psychology. You can’t impact people through design without first understanding what influences us and why we make the decisions we do. If you approach design as a problem-solving tool you’ll be able to rationalize your work and have a more meaningful impact.

Thanks Justin!

Thanks a million to Justin for sharing his thoughts! I really enjoyed talking to him, and found his answers really interesting!

Why not check out Justin’s site, and follow him on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Melanie, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

No worries, thanks for having me! Let’s see, I’m an illustrator living in Melbourne, Australia. I create artwork for all kinds of things – one of my favourites being a kids’ meal box for a national fast food joint – but mostly I work in advertising and publishing. Lately I have been exploring different things like hand-lettering and drawing maps, which has been really fun.

How did you get into illustration? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as an illustrator?

I always drew as a kid. One of my favourite hobbies was writing stories and drawing pictures to go with them.

After school I studied illustration, and this became a turning point for me in my life – I realised that, hey, I could do this freelancing thing. Getting paid money to draw stuff? Sign me up! Sometimes local illustrators would come to our classes and speak about their career and how they started. This had such an impact on me, I think. I really wanted to be like them.

Almost immediately after I graduated I got my first job illustrating a book cover. It was a kid fighting a dragon and it was completely different from anything that I do now. They were so happy with the work that they asked me to work on some interior illustrations for the book series as well. All of a sudden I was a bonafide freelance illustrator. Hooray!!

I continued to work with that client for 2 years on a couple of different projects, and still talk to them now and then – my experience with working with them taught me a lot about building and maintaining relationships with clients.

I’ve only been at this for a few years so I still have loads to learn. I can’t imagine ever doing anything else though. This is way too much fun!

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

I think maybe studying something else for a little while would have been really useful. For a few years I studied fine art; this was before I did illustration. It was the biggest waste of time ever. I wish I’d spent it learning something completely different, maybe zoology or even music.

I used to be a promising jazz musician, playing the double bass. I was really good but I ended up giving it away. Anyway, the point I’m getting at is that perhaps my work might be more interesting if I had done something different for a while. Something that I could look back on and draw ideas from, I suppose?

Does that make sense?

Totally! Now, animals seem to be very much your thing, with just about every illustration of yours featuring at least one. Is there a reason for this? Or are they just easy to draw?

That one is easy, I just love animals. I love drawing them and I find them endlessly fascinating. I have my favourites, but drawing any animal is such a joy to me. By looking at it and drawing it, I learn about how it works, why it looks a certain way, and sometimes how it’s solved problems through evolution. I think it’s incredible.

For some reason I can’t really get that excited about drawing people. Usually I try to replace people with animals if I can. It makes it more fun for me.

So, you live in Melbourne – does your location affect your work in any way, and if so, how?

I don’t think so, not really. Many of my clients are local, but I also have a lot of clients in the US. I work while it’s nighttime there, and when they wake up they have sketches waiting in their inbox. Then they have the whole day to send me their feedback while I sleep. It works out pretty neatly that way.

I could work from anywhere in the world I reckon, as long as I had a laptop, a Wacom tablet and a reliable internet connection. It’s one of the great perks of being a freelancer these days.

Where do you see yourself in, say, 5 or 10 years?

Maybe I’m dreaming but I’d love to be living in New York and being an illustrator there. That would be nice. Give it 30 years maybe?

Aside from that it would be wonderful to be earning most of my income through self-generated projects instead of client work. It would be awesome to do picture books and perhaps even a graphic novel.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

Yikes. I have no idea. How about Mary Blair? I could see how she works and somehow magically absorb some of her talent. It sure would be interesting to see what it would be like being a woman and working as an artist/illustrator for Disney during the 50’s.

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

This is probably going to be the most boring, eye-roll-inducing answer ever. But success to me would be making a good living working on stuff that makes me happy. If I can get to that place where I can work and not worry too much about when the next job will come in, or whether I’m going to have to eat ramen next month, and have enough that I can go traveling every year, then, well. Happy days.

For the record, I’ve never had to live on ramen. Whew.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design or illustration?

Be prepared to learn as much as you can about running a business and working for yourself. These days there aren’t too many in-house illustration gigs, so most of us freelance. Read books, attend conferences and talks and things. Doing all this stuff gave me a real head start after I graduated.

Although, I know some people who would recommend spending a few years working in a graphic design studio or something to learn the ropes of running a creative business. I didn’t do this but I think it’s a rad idea.

Oh, and keep drawing, love what you do, yadda yadda yadda. Obviously.

Thanks Melanie!

Many thanks to Mel for taking some time to talk to One Minute With. I really enjoyed interviewing her, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it!

Why not check out Melanie’s site, and follow her on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Linda, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Hello! Thanks so much for having me. I’m a Georgia girl currently living in New York. I work for Squarespace doing mostly web and icon design, but in my free time I like to dabble in lettering, badges, and illustration. My style is very minimal and flat, and it typically has a sense of humor.

And speaking of fun things with a sense of humour, I think that’s also reflected in your online “persona” to a large extent. Do you think it’s important to be a “real person” online, rather than just another Photoshop/Illustrator bot?

Absolutely! I think that young designers (and just people in general, really) tend to try and fit a mold instead of find the niche that really suits them. I try to be honest and personable, and sometimes that means that I make inappropriate fart jokes – but that’s just me and it’s worked out okay so far.

How did you get into design? Was there a moment that was a turning point in your career, or when you suddenly realised that this is definitely what you want to be doing?

Can you cue the cheesy music please?

Now playing: Gonna Fly Now – Bill Conti. Wrong kind of cheesy?

Haha! I was thinking of Kate Bush, but that will do just fine. When I was three years old, my grandparents took me to the Illustration studio at Disney. I was old enough to hold a pencil at that point, and I was already a bit obsessed with drawing. But once I saw a room full of people doing it as their job, I started to tell my parents that when I grew up I wanted to be a cartoonist.

So from then on, I was constantly drawing. I would get these out-of-date instructional how-to books like ‘How to Draw Wacky Faces!’ and ‘Maybe You Like to Draw Dragons Too?’ and ‘Shapes That Make Other Shapes, Why Not!’ I don’t remember the actual names of the books. But I would skip the how-to parts, and just try to copy – Not trace (There’s a big difference to an 8 year old!) – the final result. By doing that, I learned a lot about proportion, space, line, and color. And that crayons and markers only come in the ugliest bold colors, and something needs to be done about it. Later on when I was 13 and painting designs on mine and my friends trapper-keepers with fingernail polish for money, I ended up running an errand with my grandfather that literally did change my life.

I had been working in my grandfather’s body shop “Ernie’s” (painting and fixing dents in cars, that sort of thing) for a summer. After work one day, Papa said we had to make a detour on the way home. His son (my uncle) had just moved to California, and we needed to pick something up from one of his friends. We walked into this place, and I remember it perfectly still – I got butterflies in my stomach and felt my heart stop.

There were 5 guys sharing a studio. They each had drafting tables and computers. There were awesome posters on the wall. There were skate decks everywhere. And they were playing Joy Division on vinyl.

I asked them immediately where I was, and they told me that they were a graphic design studio that did mostly album art, posters, and skate graphics. This was the first time I had heard the term ‘Graphic Design’, but I felt like it was what I was looking for all along. So I decided that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

That is an awesome story. Okay, so if you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

Hmm… I’m pretty much in love with what I do, and feel so, so lucky every day that I get to do this. And I’m not just saying that. I have moments where it hits me hard – I stop what I’m doing and exclaim to whoever will listen “I JUST GOT PAID REAL MONEY TO DRAW A HOT DOG! I LOVE MY LIFE!” Even when I’m doing tedious web layout work, it’s 100x better than my 15-year-old job of fitting spoiled, smelly, crying children for soccer cleats.

But there is one thing that can bug me about the industry, and that’s the egos. It’s mostly a friendly and welcoming industry, but occasionally it can feel too exclusive for me. I forget who said it, but they said it best: “Being the most famous graphic designer is just as big a deal as being the most famous plumber. Nobody outside of your industry gives a shit.”

So, back in August, you left Atlanta, and with that your job at MailChimp, to move to New York. How have you found the experience thus far? What have been the biggest challenges you’ve encountered?

Leaving MailChimp was a really difficult decision, and it was made entirely for location reasons. I had lived in Atlanta for 8 years, and I spent most of my childhood between Georgia and Florida. It was just time to get the heck out of Dodge. So I spent a weekend in NYC, and within about 3 days of getting back to GA, I made the decision to relocate. Moving to NY is like ripping off a band-aid: You just have to suck it up, not think about it too much, and do it. (And make sure nobody sees you cry, which you inevitably will end up doing in public at some point.)

I’ve had an unusually easy time moving here, compared to most people. I found an apartment straight away and I adjusted pretty easily to the city. But there were two things that stick out as a challenge.

1. The start-up that I moved up here to work for… It just wasn’t what I had expected it to be, and I’ll keep it at that. I decided to take a new job only 2 months later, which is uncharacteristic for me. I don’t like to quit, and doing so that soon was a difficult decision.

2. Dogs. I had 3 dogs when I lived in Atlanta, and since New York apartments aren’t known for their luxurious dog accommodations, I had to leave them behind with an ex. I missed them so much at first. I remember waiting in line for the bathroom at Starbucks one time, with Chris Rushing. I was showing him a video of my dog Hoppingtots, and I started crying. In the Starbucks bathroom line. Facepalm. But it’s gotten easier, and I get to Facetime with the canines regularly.

Walk us through a typical day in the life of Linda Eliasen.

Sure thing! It’s really hard to say what’s typical when you’re a single New Yorker. In Atlanta, I had such a routine, and here I feel like every single day is different. I never have exactly the same route to/from work, my evenings range from working all night to raging all night, and my sleep schedule can be anywhere from 4-10 hours. But I’ll try! Here goes.

I live in Greenpoint, which is in the very top of Brooklyn. I usually start my day by waking up in my apartment there, where I live with 3 other amazing people. (They really are some of the greatest people, and they feel more like family than roommates.) I spend about 20 minutes scratching my stomach and staring at my closet before eventually getting myself out the door. I walk about a mile to the L train in Williamsburg. On that walk, I’ll eat a hard boiled egg (because I’m awesome, duh) and get a Cortado at my favorite haunt Five Leaves. I take the L to the Downtown Q to my office in Soho. Then I work all day, doing designy things.

After work, sometimes I’ll go to the gym where I do Interval training with kettlebells. And from there, anything goes! That’s the great thing about New York. There is always something to do, relevant to your interests. Whether it’s an amateur astronomer’s lecture series, a design debate, or a gallery opening, people here just do more, and the energy is incredibly contagious.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

AHHHHHHH

What a question.

Wellp, I’ll just go with my gut then.

Wait, you want to live as your own gut for a day? That’s messed up.

Aww maaan, but guts are all warm and squishy. Don’t hate.

Anyway, I’m going to change your “Freaky Friday” reference to more of a “Being John Malkovich” situation.

Like every other designer/illustrator ever, I love Charley Harper. I’m almost ashamed that my answer isn’t more original than that, but whatever. He’s loved for a reason. For my birthday this year, my mother in-law gave me this amazing cook book, illustrated in a style of his that is less popular. I had never seen any of these illustrations before, and if you know his later work well, you can really see the evolution between the styles.

If I could go back in time and live inside his head like in Malkovich, I would go back to these very moments where he was growing as an illustrator and making these very creative decisions. I’d bring some coffee, a sleeping bag, a pad of paper and a sharp pencil, and take notes while he decided how to draw this busy chef, these critters, and this pig. Seriously who draws a pig like that!? It’s amazing!

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

I feel like Success is this big unobtainable thing, lodged in a mountain. I dig and work and sweat and think I’m the worst designer ever, and every now and then I work hard enough that I get what feels like a small piece of success. I don’t really think that there is a true definition to it, or any amount of money, or any client that counts as success. We’re all just trying to do what makes us happy. So my success will look very different from someone else’s. As long as I’m always in the act of digging (which I’m not. I get lazy sometimes.) I’ll feel at least somewhat successful. I don’t think anybody can ever dig up all of it.

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design or illustration?

To anyone who’s getting started as a designer or illustrator, I say to work more, fail faster, and swallow your pride. I have to say it to myself constantly. It’s important to remember to keep iterating, recognizing when something doesn’t look quite right, not second-guessing that notion, and fixing it until it does look right. Nobody ever gets it right on the first try (Okay, unless you’re Paula Scher designing the CitiBank logo). It takes some getting used to, but you have to let yourself be wrong a lot.

I also strongly recommend sharing your work with people whose opinions you trust. Ask them for an honest critique, and take their feedback to heart. This weekend, I was in the concept stage designing a logo that kept looking very, ahem, phallic. I had to let myself feel vulnerable, exposed, and embarrassed, and show these sketches to a few friends saying, “Am I crazy or does this look like a penis?” This is an exaggerated situation but it happens ALL THE TIME in design, where we get so stuck in our amazing genius concepts that we overlook the obvious. Every now and then you just need someone to say “Linda, that totally looks like a penis.” before you can admit that yes, you basically just drew a penis and it’s time to move on from that concept if anyone’s ever going to take you seriously as a designer. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Thanks Linda!

C’mon guys, that was a bloomin’ good interview there, right? Many thanks to Linda, who was just a delight to talk to, perfectly blending excellent insights, awesome advice, humour, and penises. As you do.

Go check out Linda’s site, and follow her on Dribbble and Twitter?

Hi Liz, thanks for taking the time to chat with One Minute With. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Hello! I am a designer & illustrator, but for the past year or so I’ve been more on the illustration side. I was born & raised on Long Island, NY and now I live in Brooklyn, NY. I did have a 4 year stint in Portland, Oregon which was really nice—it gave me a different perspective on how people can live (without constant stress!)

As for my everyday work and such, I do a lot of editorial pieces for magazines and newspapers, though I am lucky enough to still get a chance to experiment with design through infographic projects that involve a lot of planning, tons of lines & too much typography. I love having that variety to keep me on my toes a bit.

How did you get into design? Was there a defining point in your career, and if so, how did it shape you as a designer?

I was actually on my way to pursuing a career in the medical field—I wanted to be an Oncologist, believe it or not! Though, I was at a rebellious point when I was 18, and I just wasn’t invested in having a mostly thankless job, with a 12-year education (& an infinite amount of sleepless nights) ahead of me. I went on a bit of a self-reflection kick over the next couple of years and eventually landed myself at an art school in Portland. 4 years later I graduated with a BFA and absolutely no idea what to do with myself.

I was lucky enough to have had friends doing editorial work and an amazing boyfriend (Gavin Potenza) that would let me hitchhike on his design projects to make some money to pay the rent while I figured things out. Eventually I had enough bits of work that I could put together a portfolio, which got my first few jobs.

I think my defining point though, was when I got into Cooper Type and moved back to New York. I really needed to get myself together and focus completely. It was the most intense year of my life, workload-wise, and it really forced me to figure out what I was really working for.

If you could change one thing about your career to date, what would it be?

It may not seem like it now, but it took me a really long time to get to the point where I could motivate myself enough to pursue a career. I have a terrible, classic case of designer’s block, so working on self-initiated projects has always been really difficult. You know how in school, people always say, “Make your own work! Just come up with an idea and go for it!” Well, I was never any good at that. So I’d love to go back to be able to work through those sorts of hang ups and get a better head start on trying to find my own style.

So, how did you get over the creative block, and develop a style for yourself? Is this something that you still struggle with, or have you managed to vanquish it completely?

It definitely happened over time, and with gaining confidence in my work. Some personal successes really do go a long way when it comes to being able to feel like you’ve made the right decision, career-wise. Developing a style comes directly from constantly working. Every time I do a new project I try something new with it, in the hopes that I’ll find a new & useful technique.

But still, no one is perfect, and no one will work at 100% capacity each day. When I have a project I’m really into, I will wake up early and get really excited to start the day. But on other days, I do still struggle with getting myself to work on personal or less time-sensitive projects without getting distracted.

I recently heard a comment from someone that went something like, “creative blocks mean that you’re uncreative.” I disagree… for the most part. I think if you truly are a creative person and still find yourself having a hard time working, then it’s very likely that you’ve merely allowed outside factors to come between you and your creative process. If you can work through your own procrastination demons then I think it should all work itself out eventually!

You share a studio space with Grace Danico, Gavin Potenza, and fellow OMW interviewee, Dan Cassaro. How beneficial has that been for you? Does it ever bring about any challenges?

I think it’s really great to be able to work around people you enjoy hanging out with and that will inspire you to work harder. We generally don’t work together on projects but it’s still nice to be able to all be working towards similar goals.

Challenges related to sharing a work space usually has to do with the fact that I have to stay showered, avoid wearing the same clothing every day and make sure I actually look like I’m super busy all day long. Just kidding……sort of.

So, as you said, you studied at Cooper Type. How useful do you think this has been in your career? Is a formal education in design still relevant?

The best part of Cooper Type is that it is, by design, the opposite of formal education. It’s essentially a sort-of-masters program wrapped in an intense 1 year. Though I haven’t quite been using the skills I’ve learned for actual typography design, the level of perfection needed for that field has infiltrated into the work that I do everyday.

As for a normal, formal 4 year college experience, it really depends on who you are. For me, I don’t think it was the greatest use of my time, since I focused more on making my teachers happy than finding my own style. But for many people, school is really what helps give them the structure and guidance needed to pursue a creative career. Not everyone has the resolve to do it on their own, and sometimes they need help. My advice though, is to go to a school with really amazing teachers that you respect and would love to get to know. Those relationships that you can potentially build will be a huge deal after you graduate.

If, in some Freaky Friday-like situation, you could live the life of another designer, illustrator or creative, for a day, who would it be, and why?

I mean, there are tons of cool people I’d like to be for a day. But I’m friends with some of them, so that’d just be weird to admit publicly :) But in reality, I don’t like focusing on the fact that there are other people out there that might be better, more successful, etc. than me, because then I will just be depressed all the time. That’d be pretty awful now, wouldn’t it?

How would you define success? Do you think you’ve found it yet?

I think considering yourself successful is kind of a dangerous game. Everything can end really quickly, so it’s best to just enjoy whatever’s going on, while it’s going on! But if we’re getting real here, I think I’m on a really interesting path and if I can just keep pushing myself then I think I can hopefully call myself successful when I’m like, 70, looking back!

And finally, what tips would you give to anybody who is looking to get started in design?

Experiment a lot. See what sort of stuff comes naturally to you in your favorite medium (paint, pen, vector, etc). Just make sure you don’t force anything and it should hopefully work out!

Also, take internships with successful designers/illustrators—I know it’s really annoying to do grunt work but the time you get to spend with someone who’s really making it happen is so valuable. Seeing how they work, their daily issues and all that good stuff—all kind of amazing ways to see if that is the career path for you!

Thanks Liz!

Many thanks to Liz for taking some time to talk to One Minute With. I really enjoyed interviewing her, and hopefully you enjoyed reading it!

Why not check out Liz’s site, and follow her on Dribbble and Twitter?