I’m featured along with fifteen other tremendously talented creatives as part of Generation Wow in January’s HOW Magazine. The profiles are abridged to fit onto one page, so I thought I’d show the entire interview answers I provided when they first contacted me.

When did you (or will you) graduate from college? What’s your degree?

I graduated in 2010 from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Graphic Design.
 
 
What are you currently doing? Are you job-searching? Working for a creative firm? Working for yourself? (Please note your city & state, and the name of the firm you’re working for if applicable.)

Currently I’m working as a designer at Planet Propaganda, a design agency in Madison, Wisconsin. Occasionally I’ll do a little freelance work on the side, but it’s mostly for friends, family, or friends of the family. I also get a kick out of spearheading collaborative projects with others designers and creative types I’ve met around town or on the web.


How would you describe your design style or aesthetic approach?

I’ve always felt that the idea itself carries more weight than simply the execution. Obviously they need to work in tandem to create a successful end result, but without a solid conceptual foundation, you’re left with a lifeless design. This belief informs the description of my style, which is to say that my work is often highly conceptual in nature, or at least I try my damnedest to make it that way. The aesthetic varies from project to project and is always dependent on a number of factors. The same goes for self-directed projects, though in terms of content, I try to inject elements of humor into my work as often as possible.


What do you love about doing the work you do? What aspect is the most challenging?

I suppose it would sound ungrateful of me to say that one of my favorite aspects of my job is that, at times, I can do it without pants on, but I do sincerely believe that. The work I do suits my desired lifestyle. I get to draw and color, watch hilarious and typically Not-Safe-For-Work YouTube videos, and drink beer while playing darts, foosball, or ping pong with my coworkers. And then of course there’s the actual design work itself. I work with great clients, and phenomenal fellow designers and creative types. Working with, and learning from them day in and day out is something I’ll be endlessly appreciative of. The most challenging part of my work is something I think every designer struggles with on occasion, and that’s being unsure of myself and my abilities. Sometimes certain projects or clients just don’t resonate with me, and all I can do is work my ass off and hope that I eventually find a way to clamber up and out of any pit I dig myself into along the way.


What’s been your most exciting experience so far as a budding creative professional?

I think every designer remembers seeing, out in public, the first fruits of his or her professional labor. Nothing will ever beat seeing my work around town or on television, or seeing people discussing it on the web. Whether folks are saying positive or negative things about my work, it’s a bit of a rush knowing that anyone outside of my office is discussing it in the first place. I’ve always believed that if the work I produce isn’t worth talking about, then it’s probably not quality work. And then of course there’s perks like photo shoots in San Diego that allow me to escape frigid Wisconsin winters, if only for a week at a time.


What kind of work do you hope to pursue?

It’s a little too early to honestly say what type of work I’d like to pursue in the future as I’ve yet to really get a grasp on what certain projects are like on a larger scale, though I’ve always enjoyed creating branding systems for startups. There’s something infectious about the excitement and enthusiasm one has for a new business idea, and I love sharing that with them as clients. However, that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy tackling larger projects for well established brands as well. As I grow as an individual and as a designer, there’s a chance I might become more interested in strictly advertising as it’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I was back in high school, but I’m really loving the work I’m doing now, so there’s an equal chance I’ll grow more fond of it as time goes on. All part of the experience I guess.


Who’s your design or creative hero?

My creative hero, no matter how unorthodox this might sound, is comedian Demetri Martin. His humor appears simple and elementary on the surface, but his thoughts are so complex, and are usually built in layers that often go unnoticed despite his audience being overcome with hysterics. He’s known for sometimes drawing on a large pad of paper to visually explain certain jokes to onlookers. These jokes are perfect examples of how an idea alone can carry one’s work despite poor execution. Demetri isn’t known for his exemplary illustrative abilities, but the concepts are so strong and so hilarious that people can’t help but laugh anyway. At a certain point his sub-par doodles might just be part of his unassuming act, but none of that matters if members of his audience are struggling to prevent themselves from passing out from laughing so hard.


What was your favorite class?

Aside from a Handball class, my favorite non-design course in college was far and away a historical perspectives course called Monsters, Robots, and Cyborgs. Admittedly I’m a bit of a nerd, and any course that interprets classical literature such as Frankenstein or Dracula, along with analyzing allegories in films such as Star Wars, and even recounting true events through time such as the infamous Donner Party, is alright by me. My favorite design-specific course, however, was Senior Portfolio. Our instructor was committed to preparing us for the real world of design and brought in successful, young designers working in town at the time to speak to us about what methods had worked best for them for presenting their work, searching for available positions, and professionally networking. I gained invaluable insight from these speakers, and their advice sticks with me to this day.


What’s your dream job?

No holds barred, the pornography industry seems like it could provide some interesting opportunities. Though if we’re limiting it to design related jobs, I’d have to say that I’d like to one day become Creative Director of either my own firm, or a firm I’ve worked at for quite some time with established connections and a history of strong client relationships. At this point all of that is a bit of a pipe dream as I’ve only been working in the industry for just over a year, and wouldn’t really know how to start my own firm from a business owner’s perspective. But I suppose it’s a dream job for a reason.