Julia from Unmatched Style caught up with me after the Front-end Design conference managed to get me to ramble on video for a few minutes. I gave a basic recap of my talk (Design is in the Details) as well as chat a bit about what is currently exciting me in the web world. Watch the video and head on over to their site at unmatchedstyle.com. Thanks for taking the time to interviewing me!

Design from different perspectives is a series of short video interviews detailing the different kinds of jobs and environments that are available to designers and the pros and cons of each situation. In this video I chat with interview Chad Engle about his experiences working as a designer at an advertising agency. Stay tuned and grab the RSS feed for more interviews with other freelancers, creative directors, in house designers & more!

More About Chad

Twitter: Chadengle
Website: thechadengle.com

I am a designer & creative consultant. I work on projects large and small. I am also the editor for Fuel Your Creativity.

I created a little thing called Design Community Twitter Hours which, would not be possible without several people. I spend most of my time designing and creating. I try to find interesting and creative things on the web as well as apps that are well designed and fun to use.

What do YOU think?

Do you work at an advertising agency? Wish you could? Want to be interviewed? Feel free to chime! I’d love to hear your take on some of the same questions I asked Chad!

Check out the other videos in this series

Design From Different Perspectives Part 1: Kevin M. Scarbrough – Freelance Designer

Design From Different Perspectives Part 2 – Stephen Olmstead – In House Designer

Design from different perspectives is a series of short video interviews detailing the different kinds of jobs and environments that are available to designers and the pros and cons of each situation. In this video I chat with interview Steven Olmstead about his experiences working as an in house designer and freelancing on the side. Stay tuned and grab the RSS feed for more interviews with other freelancers, creative directors, in house designers & more!

A Bit More About Stephen…

Twitter: @sonatacreative
Website: Sonatacreative.com

Check out the other videos in this series

Design From Different Perspectives Part 1: Kevin M. Scarbrough – Freelance Designer

Design From Different Perspectives Part 2 – Stephen Olmstead – In House Designer

Design From Different Perspectives Part 3 – Chad Engle – Agency Designer

A little while ago I was contacted by a student that was considering design as a career.  Instead of answering her questions myself I thought I would ask my twitter friends.  Below you will find their answers including  some useful advice and suggestions and insight into what a career in design is like. Feel free to leave a comment and answer the questions yourself. Thanks to everyone who helped out!

1 Rags Vorm

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

have an eye for it. get some formal training. live/love it. be obsessed with it and you also need to be cocky, i think, to win.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

not sure. graphic design?! B.A.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

more art. more web. but mostly more hands on art classes.

2 Sascha W.

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

I work about 24/7…I even dream about new innovations, I write songs, I write about society, I wirte about what I hate but what the people want. You always need an anti society feeling to know, what they want. you manipulate them, by knowing what they think. You are not allowed to stand in line…you make the line where they stand to buy the stuff you make!

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

don’t care about the location, education…I never had the marks to be a successful designer here in germany, but my portfolio and my will to design and the motivation to be on top of everything made my personality…you always have to fight…like life is…a whole fight where you can reach your goals, but not without fighting…so never lose your desitny if it is really the thing u want to do.

in short text: you just need to find a way outside yourself…be free…but never say you need to be creative…thats bullshit and you know it, if you do advertisment who was never made before…because you are all alone a CREATER and not a copycat! if your brain is that free, you made a right decision.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would have done more for school and less about going skateboardin’…but it also made my life…I saw lots of things, landscapes, seas, the ocean and big citites which now inspire my design…

no, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I had to fight hard to become the person that I am…and with bad marks, I now design for chrysler, mercedes, siemens, bosch etc! its just what you do with yourself. life is learning and you never learn enough.

3 Patrick McCoy

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

It takes lots of practice and patience. I think one of the key skills would be listening to other people’s criticism and taking it with a grain of salt. While it’s important to absorb other people’s views it’s more important to develop your own style. Also a big thing if your going to be good at ad design please, please learn pre-press. One of the most sad things I ever see in the design field are designers who have no idea how to send files to printers in such a way where the printers won’t have to fix your crap! Ask, listen and learn.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

A degree of any kind in the design/arts will give you a solid footing for understanding colors, composition and get your creativity really kicking. Location is a hard one big cities are great for life long job seekers and offer enough choice to learn. Some states including the one I live in don’t understand design and most jobs are hard to come by. If your a self starter it’s good to understand that you can start from anywhere at anytime.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I don’t think I would change the fact that I focused in design but I would focus more on web design. In my class people would come to me and ask me advice for web stuff even though I am hardly the expert person on all things web. I would say without a doubt to pick a niche and stick with it. Design is too big to generalize there are too many different areas you could specialize and earn higher income.

4 Mike Kivikoski

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

You need a strong desire to learn. Things change so fast and peoples demands become greater you have to be willing to understand, adapt and execute. Being a perfectionist helps and superior design is definitely in the details.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

I have a BFA in Visual Communications with a concentration in Graphic Design from a Liberal Arts College located just outside of Boston, MA and I loved every moment of it. The work ethic I developed as an undergrad helps me the more then anything. Understanding everything that is expected from you, keeping open communication and making sure to hit all of your deadlines is a hard lesson to learn, but is invaluable.

The foundation design classes are also important and the web design classes were instrumental in pushing me in the direction I am currently headed.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would have taken my typography classes more seriously. If you indulge in type early, you will set yourself ahead of a lot of your competition/fellow classmates. I also would have networked with more of the Computer Science students for projects that need advanced backend functionality.

5 Brian Klepper

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

If you want to succeed in the design and advert market place you need to stand out from the crowd by pushing the limits but also understanding the core principals. Better to have 5 amazing portfolio pieces than 50 ok random bits.

Focus on your key strengths and stick to what you know best. No reason to be an all around designer like everyone else. If you’re looking to make it big with a Agency you’re going to be part of a larger team so you’ll need to know your key role very well.

You’ll need to know your strengths and weaknesses

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

This all depends on your focus and whether you want to Freelance, work with an agency or just a Small company etc..

Get a degree in whatever you feel will help with your overall success. The degree will teach you how to learn everyday skills in life and any working environment you may fall upon. A general Art Degree will help with key principals where Graphic Design is a little more specific. Nothing is more valuable than wanting to learn and having the passion to grow as an individual, I personally feel this will take you farther than anything else.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

Nothing. Im comfortable with the steps I have taken to get to where I am. I own a small business and have worked for 2 Agencies and am happy with that.

6 Ros Horner

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

Work Experience, Work Experience, Work Experience. So many graduates say that they can’t get a job because they haven’t got any experience, and can’t get any experience because they haven’t got a job! Go and work for free. And if that doesn’t sound very exciting, make it exciting… I went to work for free at a fashion magazine in New York, my boyfriend worked for free at Sagmeister inc. and our friend went to work for Interbrand in Amsterdam… Working for free doesn’t seem so bad then! It’s hard hard work to get good placements but that just adds to your experience.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

I don’t know many designers who haven’t done the traditional Foundation course and Ba (hons) in Graphic Design. Having said that I know some technically brilliant designers who started their careers straight from school working for printers. Having a specialist knowledge is a huge bonus, so if you don’t fancy going to uni go and become an expert in print, (but you may have to find a way to keep your creativity going outside of work!)

Once you have experience and a portfolio it doesn’t really matter where you got your degree or what grade. Your work speaks for itself.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

Ask more questions. It is always better to ask, even if you think the question makes you look stupid. And if you don’t understand the answer?… ask again. That would have saved me sending my entire final major project to print in RGB! as well as too many other mistakes to mention.

7 Brianna Young

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

It takes dedication to learning. You must constantly keep yourself updated on the latest web standards, coding languages, and programs so you will have the tools to get the job done. The best way to go about it is to learn one thing at a time, master it, then move to the next thing…however long that takes.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

A degree in art is helpful, but some schools offer a production degree, in which you learn the various programs you will need to know to create your designs.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would have interned with a small firm before I started my own small firm – even if they didn’t pay me. It took so long to learn the ins and outs of the business on my own! If only I’d had a mentor…

8 Matt Ventre

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

The best designers have deep intuition, empathy and the ability to communicate effectively. They also have no fear of failure. Experiment, try new things, take risks, but most of all listen to your peers, colleagues, clients, and mentors and you’ll learn more about design than you ever knew possible.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

Choosing an education will vary depending on which kind of designer you aspire to be. If you’re interested in visual design then perhaps a fine arts degree would be most appropriate. If you’re looking to get involved heavily in experience design or interaction design, then taking some classes in human computer interaction or behavioral psychology would be beneficial. The beauty of design is that school is just a starting point for many people. Some of the greatest names in their respective disciplines have no related education at all in their chosen field.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I don’t know that I would have changed much, but I think I would have done more to round out my graphic design skills to complement my experience design skills a little better. I spent a lot of time in my younger days drawing and painting and I would have loved to have continued that aspect of design on into my post secondary education.

9 Debbie Campbell

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

Creativity. Love of design. A thick skin. The ability to drink in what you see. Strong skill at problem-solving. Willingness to do a lot of research. Being organized also helps. And if you want to freelance, learning basic business skills before taking the leap is often a good idea.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

I’m not sure if the type of degree matters so much – it depends on what you want to do. A general design degree may be more valuable than a highly specialized one. I think travel is also a really important part of a designer’s education – exposing yourself to new places and new experiences (even going to local museums counts). If you can get one, an internship at any kind of design company can be a very useful thing.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would probably have stayed in the graphic design track instead of switching to a more specialized one. But I’m a professional web designer; what I do now is about 90% from learning on my own and had nothing to do with school. At some point I may go back and enhance my design education further. Running your own studio is hard – I jumped into that without knowing much about how to run a business and that would have made it easier at the beginning.

10 Mary Dolan

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?
Researching design techniques and keeping up on your design skills is a must. Continuing your education helps keep a designer up to date on the changing times, especially when it comes to graphic design and web design. I keep up on this by using design forums or other design tutorials to help me better my skills and know what the new and current design trends are.

Having a kick ass portfolio also keeps you above the crowd. If you find you don’t have any really good pieces from prior design jobs, then make them up! I’ve done this before when I realized that I didn’t have some design pieces in my portfolio. Having a website to show off your work and personality is also a must.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

I believe that all you need is a BFA in graphic design and web design. (or a minor in web design) Designers only get masters if they want to become a professor in Graphic Design. A lot of future employers shy away from hiring someone with a Masters since they have to pay them more for what a designer with a Bachelors can do. I’ve had a few friends fall into this.

If you’re going to become a Graphic designer, then you should definitely get a minor or degree in web design too. Those 2 fields are starting to go hand in hand today. I get as many print design offers as I do web design offers. If you can do BOTH then that is a plus

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would have gotten a double major in web design and graphic design. I only have a minor in web design, and what I learned wasn’t very beneficial to me. I wasn’t taught Flash and what I was taught in coding didn’t make me feel confident that I could actually create a website for clients. Currently I have to outsource my web design clients to someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to coding. If I had a full degree in web design I believe that I would be making more in this field and I’d be more useful to some of my clients.

11 Liza Unson

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?
To be successful in design, you have to understand that learning it is an ongoing process. You have to love it, and love to learn it as it changes with the times and the trends of the Interwebs. And when it comes time for critiques, thick skin is a must. Know that constructive criticism is for your benefit, and use the knowledge to hone your skills.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

I got a degree in web design and interactive media from the Art Institute of California, and I work in NYC. With the recession, it’s hard to pinpoint where design jobs are available. I don’t think that the degree matters as much as a strong portfolio though.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would’ve gone into design sooner instead of pursuing a chemistry degree

12 Brad Weaver

What does it take to be successful in design and advertisement? What are the best ways to go about it?

You have to be willing to learn from others but not copy them. You have to be willing to not listen to trends always and be willing to go with tradition when tradition makes the most sense for the project. You must develop the analytical side of your mind and not only live as an artist, otherwise you have the same shot at design success as a high school basketball player does at making it in the NBA. There are some great artists doing great work who don’t analyze, but they find success through a combination of hard work, good fortune, and the ability to live a long time without a paycheck.

What is the most beneficial education for the field? What type of degree, education, location etc.?

A traditional education can help or hurt you. If you are able to start working as a designer before or during school and do work outside of student projects then I think an design education works well. If your goal is to work at an agency then an education works well. If, however, your goal is to be freelance or an entrepreneur I don’t think that design school does a very good job of preparing you for what real clients will want nor will your portfolio be applicable. So a good balance of both is good if you can handle it. If you want to go it on your own, then learn from the web, from books, seminars, conferences, and your own gut.

If you were given the ability to go back and change previous decisions, what would you have done differently?

I would have started designing much sooner in life than my late teens and I would have kept everything I ever created so that I could learn from it.

What do YOU think?

Feel free to leave a comment and answer the same questions in the comments.

Designer, Entrepreneur, Music Festival Organizer and avid Twitter-er: Roby Fitzhenry is a busy guy! I managed to track him down to ask him some questions and snag a video tour of his workspace in Bryan, Texas.

1 First off…do you like bananas? Why or why not?

Ha! Bananas have to be my favorite fruit. This may sound weird but I actually prefer them more on the green side than the mushy yellow. “Mush” is a texture I’ve grown to dislike.

2 How did you get your start in design? Education? Past jobs?

My grandmother taught me how to paint when I was around 8-10. This was my first introduction to art and color theory. Additionally, my father has been in the offset printing business since before I was born. Some of my childhood summers were spent in a print shop shooting rubber bands at the pressmen. From there, BMX was a huge influence for me which I did from age 12-18. It introduced branding and design although I didn’t really know what they were or why it intrigued me so much. All of these experiences began to bubble to the surface and eventually led me to designing show flyers for my friends’ bands. Those I will count as legitimate projects and my first was at age 17 or so. From there, it all made sense that graphic design was my true passion and I ended up attending a community college and nabbed an Associates in Visual Communications. While going to school I was also a headwaiter at a restaurant and made some pretty sweet cash. Screw money though. I found a local sign shop that seemed interesting, quit my restaurant job and worked for him for free for a month to show him that he needed help and I was his guy. That stint lasted for about a year while my freelance career began gearing up. After leaving, freelanced paid the bills for my last year of college and I eventually moved to College Station to be with my girlfriend. I lost all my freelance clients somehow within a month of the big move, got desperate and ended up being offered a position at Texas A&M University. The rest is history. haha

3 What prompted you to start Always Creative?

As mentioned above, I ended up taking a job at Texas A&M. The opportunity was great but having 4 bosses definitely wasn’t. Travis Ward (co-founder) started a week before me as a web developer and we quickly became office buddies. Ironically, we both had the same car and always daydreamed of decking them out with fancy rims and overly obnoxious exhaust systems. So one day we came up with the most kickass idea ever: he needed help designing websites and if we worked together, we could buy all these fancy toys for our cars. That was in November of 2006. By March of 2007 we both gave our two weeks notice and launched our company full-time with only $500 in the bank. I’m proud to say we started out of a spare bedroom in his house. What prompted us to start was the response we recieved from our collaborating. It was either time to take the leap or get rid of all the freelance work.

4 What are some of the pros/cons of working for yourself/starting your own company?

The biggest plus is that you take pride in watching your company succeed. If it fails, you have no one to blame but yourself and/or situations that prompted failure. Another plus is the control you have in your processes, the clients your work with and the types of projects you do. Some downfalls include high levels of stress, unstable banks accounts (haha) and a few client situations. Although you think you can just tell a crazy client how it’s going to be, you usually suck it up, finish the job and get paid. We’re all design whores anyway or so says Art Chancery.

5 Favorite project you have worked on?

Damn good question. I love projects that help grow Downtown Bryan, the area that our office is located. Our city has a ton of potential and seeing things happen is very rewarding. On that note, I’ll say that DesignCamp has been one of my favorites. It was my baby and any failures or successes were on me. Besides those types of projects, I really really enjoy Desired Hearts which is the small fashion label I co-own. Talk about building a brand … fashion is a LOT of work and I’m loving it! Expect some massive changes to DH in the next month or so.

6 What has inspired you recently?

How about a list: bills, my girlfriend, all of my talented friends that kick ass but don’t talk about it, sneakers and streetwear fashion, Benny Gold (who is my favorite designer right now) and The Creative Space/Downtown Bryan. Beyond that, I’m driven to do things I can’t do or shouldn’t do. Who’s to say I can’t run a design firm, a small fashion label, host a music festival and a free design event simoultaneously? Sure as hell not me.

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7 Favorite Typeface?

This is going to sound trite but it has to be Helvetica. Not because I use it a lot but because of what it has done and continues to do with visual communication. I probably use Trade Gothic more though.

8 Favorite hex or pantone color?

Can’t really think of a pantone color or a hex. Anything bright or grey works for me!

9 Favorite designer or designers you look up to? why?

Benny Gold – This dude designs for top brands around while running his own signature brand, Benny Gold. I recently had the chance to work with him and I can’t explain how awesome it was. If you don’t know about him, Google away.

A few of my other favorites include Stefan Sagmeister, Stefan Bucher of 344, and pretty much everyone who is a part of The KDU. I have to take a moment and thank Paul Rand for being my biggest design inspiration ever.

10 Mind giving us a video tour of your studio?

Not a problem!

Any suggestions of who we should interview next?

Eric Downs of Downs Design. Funny as hell, just opened up his own studio full-time and he’s a GREAT friend. This dude is going places!

Want To Know More?

Check out Roby’s personal blog and website, follow him on twitter @robyfitzhenry or check out his company’s website: Always Creative.

I recently had the chance to interview Collis Ta’eed who runs Envato – quite possibly the coolest company in the world! In this interview Collis answers tough questions about bananas, hex colors and emerging web technologies.

1 First off, Do you like bananas?

Yes! Growing up in Papua New Guinea, bananas were plentiful and various. We even had fried and cooked bananas (though they are a different sort of banana).

2 How did you get into web design? What peeked your interest?

My best friend was a web designer and he always looked like he enjoyed his work more than I did (I was studying maths at the time). Although people like to make remarks about grass being greener on the other side, in this case it really was a lot greener, so I’ve never regretted switching.

3 What is your favorite project you have worked on or created?

Definitely Psdtuts+ (http://psd.tutsplus.com). That site started out as a tiny side project and just escalated like crazy. I’ve always loved Photoshop so it’s pretty cool to work on a site that encourages other people to love it too!!

4 Where do you get your inspiration from? Online? Offline?

99% online. My job involves a lot of perusing of design sites and I wind up getting a lot of inspiration from them. I very much love blogs like Smashing Magazine or BuildInternet (a site I just recently came across!) as well as CSS galleries like WebCreme and CSSRemix.

5 If you could be any html element – what would you be and why

<q> Because it’s my favourite letter! Meanwhiles in case you don’t believe this is actually an HTML tag: http://www.w3schools.com/TAGS/tag_q.asp

6 I know you are a traveler – where the heck are you located right now and where are you headed to next?

For the last year I’ve been trekking around the world working from different locations. But just two days ago my wife Cyan and I finally returned home to Australia. It was a great year but I must confess I’m more than a little happy not to have to live out a suitcase anymore During our travels we stayed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, the US and Paris. They were all fantastic, but I think Hong Kong was my favourite, that city is just so alive!

7 What was your first design job? What was it like? What did you do?

My first job as a designer was for a little company (at the time it was just my boss and me) in Sydney called Cyrius (http://cyrius.com.au). Working in a little company was really great because I got to do a bit of everything. I met clients, learned SEO, reprogrammed a site in ASP (which I didn’t actually know until then) and of course designed and built lots of websites. Looking back some of my designs were not so great, but they did the job and I loved every minute of it!

8 If you could only view 1 typeface for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Oh my, definitely Zapf Dingbats … just kidding, I would have to say Helvetica, anything else would be rather painful I imagine.

9 Favorite pantone or hex color?

#111111, it’s such a cool dark grey. I love it!

10 Any emerging web technologies, or other cool things you would like to learn about?

You know I’ve always wished I knew Ruby on Rails. But these days I get less and less time for development, in fact recently I handed over my last HTML/CSS work to a new employee and now I only do Photoshop design.

*11 Bonus Question! Any suggestions out there for students or newbie designers trying to learn and grow as designers?

Absolutely! The best thing I ever did when learning to design was to spend copious amounts of time in my local Borders reading through all the expensive books on design and typography which I couldn’t afford to buy. There’s so much great information which isn’t yet available online, in fact with books often there’s a lot to learn simply by looking at how the books themeselves have been designed!

Liz from CMD+Shift+Design Blog interviewed me yesterday. Go check it out and see a video tour of where I work and freelance. I promise there will be dancing and bananas.

If you guys don’t know who Von Glitschka is….well then…you should! Von is an amazing designer and illustrator with a knack for being silly Von tells us about his ‘official’ company name, favorite designers and how he began his freelance career.

1. First off….do you like bananas?

Yes I like bananas. Technically however I’m allergic to them. I had a blood test done about four years ago and found that out. I still eat them though. And a little factoid most people don’t know is my official incorporated name is “Floating Banana Inc.” or FBI for short. http://www.floatingbanana.com

When I started my business in 2002 my brother helped me being a CPA. I didn’t want “Inc.” after my company name so he suggested I use “Glitschka Studios” as my DBA and incorporate under and different name. I asked him “What does the name of the incorporation have to be?” He mad the mistake of saying “Anything you want.” and hence “Floating Banana Inc.”

2. If you could be any illustrator tool – what would you be and why?

You’re kind of like the Barbara Walters of design interviews aren’t you Niki? Well I suppose I feel like different tools at different times. So here goes:

- I feel like the “Blob Brush” during the holidays because I eat too much.
- I feel like the “Selection Tools” when I pick a line at the grocery store. Mainly because I have a hard time selecting the best line and always screw it up.
- But most of the time I’d have to say the “Pen Tool” because most days I have it under control, but somedays I drive my wife nuts.

3. What is your favorite thing about design? Least favorite?

The creative challenge I face in solving a design problem. Working through a process to arrive at a successful solution. It can be painful but like physical exercise creative exercise works on the same principle of “No pain, no gain.”

My least favorite aspect is when digital tools don’t work the way they should, thus effecting my creative process and productivity. Or the companies that create the the tools that my livelihood depends on keep ignoring certain functionality for the sake of creating more feature blot so their marketing people can get all hot and bothered about pimping the next version release.

4. How did you get started in the design field?

My career counselor in high school was lazy and told me she couldn’t find any information regarding a film school otherwise I probably wouldn’t have gone to art school I would have gone into the film industry.

I knew I wouldn’t go to regular college though and one day a person from the Burnley School of Art (Now called The Art Institute of Seattle) came by our high school and that interested me so my parents and I drove up to Seattle and met the dean. I enrolled the following winter in 1985.

5. How did you get into freelancing? What made you take the jump?

I didn’t really jump I got kicked off the full-time job boat. Cliff Note version: Caught my daughters cold over a weekend, called in sick Monday. Came in an hour early on Tuesday and my boxes were packed and I was handed a check and told “We’re letting you go.”

Come to find out later my emails that I forwarded from home to work which I had deleted my boss read and saw one where another agency in town offered me a job. I had turned it down but because that agency was made up of his former employees he over reacted and fired me.

The whole experience wasn’t fun at the time, but I’m glad it happened in hindsight. My wife was the one who told me at that time “Just go out on your own.” So I did.

Most don’t realize I worked 15 years for others prior to starting my own business in 2002. I wouldn’t recommend a freelance career right out of art school, get some experience under your belt, learn from veterans, make mistakes on other peoples dime, and build a network.

6. What designers inspire you?

Early on it was Neville Brody out of the UK. He doesn’t get a whole lot of press here across the pond but the work I do see I still really like.

A designer who I have personally enjoyed following over the past six years or so is James Strange who works as an Art Director at http://www.baileylauerman.com He is crazy good and one of the nicest guys you’ll meet too.

Another designer who always inspires me is Paul Howalt of http://www.tactixcreative.com he’s an incredible designer too and a good friend.

7. What is your favorite site out on the internets?

There are several I frequent a lot just to keep my finger on the pulse of design.

- http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/
- http://www.designobserver.com/
- http://www.core77.com/
- http://www.dexigner.com/
- http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/
- http://www.freelanceswitch.com

I’ve also been using Twitter since 2007 and that community of designers has been a very fun and informative network sharing links and inspiration and ranting about one thing or another. It’s a great way to share ideas and network. You can find me at http://www.twitter.com/vonster

8. Favorite Pantone color?

Pantone 1505 C. More commonly referred to as “Orange.” Ironically enough I’ve yet to get an idea using that color approved. Every time I have spec’d it I get reactions like “What? Oh! God no.” So, just because I like it doesn’t mean it’s ever been an appropriate choice for my clients. I think Halloween has forever typecast my favorite color.

9. Favorite project you have worked on?

No real over all favorite. It’s always changing. I do have current jobs I enjoy more then others though. Right now I’m working with a developer on the east coast who invited me to design a level for an iPhone game coming out soon. I’m still working on the graphics and it’ll be cool to see it in action once it’s all done.

If I had to pick a favorite type of project it would be brand logo development. It’s like carrying out a creative investigation of sorts. The research and brainstorming is fun.

10. Any suggestions for newbies or students just starting out?

1. Never stop drawing.
2. “Marketing without design is lifeless, and design without marketing is mute.” – Von Glitschka
3. “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain

Thanks Von! To see more of Vons’s work check out his website here or read his blog Art Backwash!

If you guys have any suggestions for who I should interview leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I had the pleasure of coming up with some silly questions for @ChrisCoyer from CSS-Tricks. Chris offers his insight on bananas, web design and buying domain names on a whim.

1) First off, Do you like bananas?

Oh no. What if I get this first question wrong? The tiny mouse will kill me. The answer kinda sorta not really. I’ll eat a banana, I think they are alright, but I really don’t buy them very often.

2) If you could be any HTML element, what would you be and why?

Definitely <sup>. He’s cool with anybody.

3) Whats your favorite Hex color?

I’m rather partial to #eee – very chill gray. I remember the first one I ever memorized was #900, which is like a deep red. I once asked people a similar question. They grays seem to be popular.

4) How did you get into web design?

It was basically desire and persistence. I have a degree in Graphic Design, but after college I was working in print and had no professional web experience at all. I knew I wanted to work with the web though, so I learned and learned and built websites. Eventually an opportunity came up at a small design agency to be a part web part print guy, and I was able to land it.

5) What is your favorite thing about Web Design?

It’s the satisfaction of creating something that almost anyone in the world can see. I still am amazed when I go through the process of buying a domain and setting up hosting and writing little bits of code and seeing a design take shape on a real website. It’s so damn cool.

6) What do you find most frustrating about Web Design?

Well there is the obvious hair-pulling stuff like cross-browser issues with designs. Nobody LIKES troubleshooting layout problems (at least, that is a normal human being). We’ve already spent countless hours creating a beautiful design. We’ve tried out best to write in standards based code and do smart things. It looks wonderful in all the browsers that have came out in the last 5 years. Then we find that in an ancient browser that inexplicably high number of users still use, the design is mangled. Great… like we didn’t have anything better to do today.

7) Have you ever purchased a domain name on a whim?

Ha! Yes… How about this one? I’ve owned far stupider ones as well, but I’ll keep those to myself =). For the record I’ve never once sold a domain and actually made a profit. Definitely not a get rich quick scheme that it once might have been.

What kind of music do you listen to when you design? when you code?

I’ve always hated the answer “I like all kinds of music.” I feel like 95% of people will say that in answer to this question. Well maybe just because it’s true I guess. It’s true for me. Probably my favorite kind of music is old time music. I’ve played in old time, bluegrass, and irish bands in the past. Banjo, mandolin, and guitar mainly. But I really do like all kinds of music. You might catch me listening to Wu Tang in the morning, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers in the afternoon and The Country Gentlemen at night. Lately I’ve really enjoyed Fleet Foxes, Vetiver, and Bon Iver.

9) Any advice for newbies?

Work hard. Being good at anything take either very rare natural talent or ridiculous amounts of practice. I practice. A lot. And I still have a long long way to go. If you love web design, absolutely go for it, the more the merrier. Build websites until your fingers bleed =).

10) Any suggestions on other cool people that should be interviewed on The Design O’Blog?

How about some students who are right in the middle of their education. That might be interesting. To find out why they chose design, how they are liking it so far, what they think their future might be like…

Everyone has their own style of writing and their own process for maintaining their blog. Some of us are very methodical about how we blog and others are more random. Anyway you look at it, almost every blog is different in some way. On any given day, you can browse a blog in the design community and find new and original content. Other times you may find many blogs have posted almost the same thing, but in a different way, with emphasis on a different sub-topic.

AJ over at Phire Design interviewed several bloggers and designers including myself about their blogging process. Read the rest of the post and let me know what you think!