What is your overriding professional goal?
To use stories (empathy) to find connections between ideas (synthesis) to solve problems (art/design).
How do you explain what you do to “regular people?”
Oddly enough, I think I’m one of the few designers who hasn’t been asked “What *do* you do?” by someone with a quizzical expression on their face. However, people do seem to treat me as if all I do is make logos, design websites, illustrate, paint, or draw, depending on context. Few seem to realize that I do all of that and more (or less depending on who it is). I guess that’s just the nature of remaining an interdisciplinary person in a time where the tendency is to specialize, or at least to appear so.
What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?
That I’m not done yet, there’s more to do, room to grow and that while sometimes I might feel like I’m behind and it’s too late to catch up, at that moment the universe reminds me that there’s still plenty of time.
What is your non-work creative outlet?
Reading, writing, drawing, painting
What’s your biggest design-related pet peeve?
This tendency towards enshrining minimalistic, Swiss/International Style as the apex of what Graphic Design is capable of. Generous white space, rational grids, and Helvetica all have their place, but I feel like sometimes, at least in Western culture, we’re afraid of art(s) that remind us that we exist in physical bodies in all their frail wonder. In the realm of Graphic Design, ornament, vernacularism, retro, historical, etc., designs all speak just as much to what it is to see, to remember, to hope, and to dream: what it truly is to be a person in a biological construct. I could go on, but I’ve got an essay or three brewing about this very subject and that would take up too much space…
Why are you involved with AIGA Raleigh?
AIGA Raleigh offers the opportunity to meet the larger community of local designers in a casual, friendly atmosphere. In addition, it’s uniquely positioned to be a driving force for design in the area. It’s a great way to keep up on design trends and issues as well as to keep your professional practices in shape. Finally, it’s a great way to keep tabs on the local industry and its goings-on: if you’re looking for a job or looking to hire or just want to network in the best possible sense of that word, AIGA Raleigh is perfect. As a designer, the chapter is invaluable to me for all of the above and more; it’s just a no-brainer, a default option/choice to be a member.
What have you gained or what do you hope to gain through your involvement with AIGA Raleigh?
I want to be a force, or help forces, for local design advocacy.
What is the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
A ridiculously staged and costumed faux version of Romeo & Juliet as seen in the brilliant Canadian TV show Slings & Arrows.
