Interview: Rose Freymuth-Frazier

Mastery is not an accident. When I first met Rose Freymuth-Frazier she was painting still lifes in her studio and in Central Park. She busted her ass practicing her craft and tool another big step - she sought out mentors. Between her talent, intelligence, discipline and selection of mentors it's not an accident she's as good as she is.

How would you describe what is it that you do? 

I am an oil painter. I basically spend all of my daylight hours pushing around pigment with animal hair tied to the end of a stick. When I’m done I call the resulting paintings “figurative realism”.

Have you always done this for a living or did you transition from something else? What triggered your decision to make a change? 

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Know your audience - What drinking has taught me about design, Part VII

If you've worked in a bar you know there are different types of drinkers and it pays to read them properly. Do this well and it will result in deeper relationships, greater tips, and fewer lawsuits. I cast a light into the dark recesses of my brain and there, under layers of dust, I found my old classifications of drinkers. 

The Health Drinker - Steady retention, low monetization. 
The Social Drinker - Sporadic retention, good monetization.
The Problem Drinker - Low retention, low monetization. Trouble.
The Under-aged Drinker - Heavy retention, low monetization. 
The Alcoholic - Heavy retention, heavy monetization. Guilt.
The Binge Drinker - Low retention, heavy monetization.

Do these classifications relate to your audience? And does the way you relate to them change positively based on their motivations?

How do you make the case for the unexpected?

My term for well-executed but flavorless, emotionally void, design is ‘cereal box art’. It includes actual cereal box art, architecture, music, dance, video games, movies and anything that has the potential to be daring but takes the frictionless path.

Not every design needs to be an emotionally rich, daring, adventure for the end-user but how do you determine when and where your work can be pushed to challenge expectations?

If you’re working on products for the mainstream this will come up. We all want our products to be wildly successful but that often results in designs and concepts whose edges have been filed away to maximize appeal. Focus testing is great but most of us don't have the budget to collect real data. So, when faced with conservative clients, how do you make the case for the unexpected?

Interview: Baba Israel

I almost never bump into Baba Israel in NYC but the past two times I've been in Amsterdam I've seen him on the street. The same street, outside a cafe called Baba's. He's like that. He gives and recieves creative energy equally and, as a consequence, things just seem to happen around him. He manifests opportunity and, as a poet, an artist, a teacher, an emcee and a beatboxer he's always involved in something interesting.

How would you describe you what is it that you do?

I am an artist, producer, educator and an improviser. I was raised in NYC and found my creative voice in Hip Hop culture. I was raised in political and community based theatre and that is a big influence on my choices and focus. Specifically I am an emcee, writer, beatboxer, beatmaker, and theatre director. 

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Mastery is not an accident

Even though Luke had a natural gift for the Force he still needed to learn the ways of a Jedi Master. He had to travel across the galaxy to find a mentor and train hard to meet his goals. If he hadn't been committed to learning and growing he probably would've gone back to Tatooine and wasted away in the bars of Mos Eisley.

Through mythology we learn, over and over, that a hero needs to overcome trials before they can succeed but this is something we all face every day if we're taking steps towards growth. We're not all fighting Sith Lords but we do wrestle with the demons that supply excuses and limit the loftiness of our goals. Smite them.

Wishes and fantasies are great but they need action to make them happen. What do you want to master and does your effort match your expectations?

Consult the experts - What drinking has taught me about design, Part VI

I know you're probably amazing at whatever it is you do but I'm sure there are areas that are outside your depth of knowledge - areas where you aren't so amazing. No problem, that's why you have experts as friends, colleagues, and mentors. If you have the budget, hire them. If you don't have a budget, offer an exchange, or buy them dinner and drinks.

Consulting experts will get you to solutions faster and shorten your conversations with clients. That's more upside for you if you're working on a project or flat rate. If you work hourly it means moving to your next project sooner. 

Where do you lack expertise? Now, which of your friends and colleagues have the skills you lack? Reach out to them. Don't worry about being a pain in the ass, you'll return the favor at some point. That's cheaper than going to school or learning the hard way.

Interview: Pete List

In addition to being a good friend Pete is an animator, multi-instrumentalist, and beatboxer. Over the years we've collaborated on a number of musical projects, such as our band Djinn, and I'm always amazed by his abilities as a technician and an artist with a distinct vision. He's ambitious, a perfectionist, and he lays down some phat beats. After all these years it's interesting to get some insight into his creative process.

How would you describe you what is it that you do?

I’m a multimedia character animator and composer. I create hand drawn animation, stop motion, photo animation, clay, but always animating characters. I play a number of different instruments, but I think of myself more as a composer than a musician.

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Stay loose. But not too loose - What drinking has taught be about design, Part V

Sure, a drink or two helps relax inhibitions. That's why so many people rely on a drink to relax and be creative. Somewhere between tipsy and sloppy there is a relaxed zone of openness, socialiblity and creativity. But it's a fine line. Being relaxed is good. Being sloppy and unable to exercise good judgement? Not so good. You're not a monkey throwing feces at a wall and hoping it'll be art. You want quality ideas and the skills to present them well.

How do you find the creative fugue state without the vino or absinthe? Practice and many hours spent doing the thing you love. Don't worry about making something perfect. Just make something and learn from the experience. Stay relaxed. It’s proven that falling when drunk will result in fewer injuries than falling down sober. Make some mistakes and learn how to stay loose in the face of adversity. The thing you're making might become something unexpected, and better, if you let it breathe.

Panera Bread: How not to design a menu

I recently had an experience with such terrible design that I can’t stop thinking about it - the Panera Bread menu.

What’s the difference between a Cafe Sandwich and a Signature Sandwich? A Signature Panini and a Premium Signature Panini? A Cafe Salad, Signature Salad and a Premium Signature Salad?

It's so crowded with nonsesne I chose the only item that read clearly - the gloriously photographed, 'seasonal promotion' that paired two items and costs more than anything else. I’m sure that’s by design but as a customer I felt manipulated. Panera can afford effective, focus-tested, design so the only conclusion I can make is that the orchestrated confusion serves their corporate bottom line. That's fine, all menus do this, but when they're designed well the consumer still feels empowered. Panera's menu sucks. Rant complete.

Interview: Ryan Daniel Beck

Ryan Daniel Beck is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and visual artist. I'm not sure if he'd describe himself as a philosopher but, after reading his interview, I'm sure you'll agree he's an active thinker on a whole bunch of levels.

How would you describe you what is it that you do?

I consider myself a visual art teacher, working through the medium of dance. Unlike the static forms of sculpture, photography, or painting, my medium is constantly changing and evolving, but the underlying principles of visual art remain constant.

Have you always done this for a living or did you transition from something else? What triggered your decision to make a change?

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You need a wingman - What drinking has taught me about design, Part IV

As an artist you may know exactly what you want to say but you may not see your work clearly from inside the creative bubble. Whether you’re developing personal or commercial work one thing will be constant: your objectivity will probably suck.

That’s why you need a wingman. Someone to keep you honest, on-target and motivated. A friend, an art director, an editor, or colleague who knows what you’re trying to accomplish. What you see isn’t necessarily what anyone else sees and sometimes it helps to have someone to ask, “Are you drunk?”

Yes, even the best artists, writers, directors and dancers have agents, directors, and editors to help focus the message. To make something great even better. If you don't have a wingman, find one. Be critical of yourself but also invite focused criticism.

Why I love beer labels - What drinking has taught me about design, Part III

I’m obsessed with beer and liquor packaging. I admit it and I do my best to share my obsession with the people around me.

A good label combines strong typography, illustration, and clear focus to communicate what the product is, to whom it’s speaking and what separates it from the competition. Not an easy task when a consumer is scanning a shelf of beer at the store. And that’s the thing: people don’t read, they scan. This is especially true in packaging but it applies across all media in varying degrees.

I also love book cover design for similar reasons but here’s the difference: a book cover describes the contents but a beer label describes both the contents AND me. As the craft beer market matures so does the packaging and the identity statements are becoming more nuanced and adventurous.

Interview: Eric Fogel

My first animation gig was working on Eric Fogel’s The Head at MTV Animation. Eric later created the stop-motion cultural phenomenon, Celebrity Deathmatch, and ensured his place in our collective consciousness.

His personal projects are an ode to the kid drawing lightning bolts and skulls on the back of his notebook. The challenge, and appeal, of this work is that it is both youthful and gruesome. It has a base appeal that celebrates the bit of darkness in all of us. The little bit of weird that we’re afraid to share. Thankfully, Eric has no such fear.

How would you describe you what is it that you do?

I’ve been creating, directing and producing animation professionally for over 20 years.

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You'll make bad decisions - What drinking has taught me about design, Part II

A friend once told me that he didn’t consider it a successful night of drinking unless he blacked out. He claimed to enjoy the game of piecing together what happened in the days following the blackout. This is extreme and suggests deeper issues but most of us have enjoyed a scaled back version of this scenario where a drink or two has led us to decisions and scenarios that we wouldn’t normally consider: the ill-advised trip to Taco Bell, the Walk of Shame and the hangovers.

We all have our stories and we all have had to deal with the consequences. That’s the lesson: Drunk or sober, you will make bad decisions in life and you need to deal with them. You’ll need to claim your mistakes, personal and professional, and continue moving forward. It’s counter-intuitive but embracing the bad calls will earn you respect and it's the only way to learn from your mistakes.

What drinking beer has taught me about design

A bottle of beer on a store shelf has one second to capture a buyer's eye and communicate why its better than the dozens of competing brands on the same shelf. A night with friends can bring surprises and you need to know how to roll with it. Falling when drunk, and relaxed, will result in fewer injuries than falling down sober. 

Want to learn about typography? Study beer, wine and liquor labels. Want to learn what motivates people? Watch them socialize over drinks. Want to learn the value of human kindness and see it repaid? Tip well.

So, with my tongue only half in-cheek I present a series of posts about what we can all learn by tipping back a cold one. The ancient Greeks knew the value of induced chaos and they had, arguably, more geniuses per square than any other culture throughout history. Let's learn from them. It'll be fun. 

Interview: Sean Mosher-Smith

You may not know Sean Mosher-Smith by name but I’m willing to bet you know his work. For almost 20 years he has been a go-to visual designer for the music industry and, in recent years, has expanded his vision in other markets. He has developed a distinct photo-illustrative style that is elegant, dark and immune to trends. Like many of the creatives I’ve featured he is disciplined with both hemispheres of his brain and works well solo or collaboratively. 

How would you describe you what is it that you do?
I am a Creative Director and Image maker.

Have you always done this for a living or did you transition from something else? What triggered your decision to make a change?
I have always done this since graduation,

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The Four Horseman of the artist's apocalypse

Stress doesn’t come in a sudden rush. It creeps up, easing into the subconscious and slowly strangling creative flow. Learn to recognize the four obstacles to creativity and stop them in their tracks.

Fear: Usually the fear of judgement or rejection. Remember that ideas are made better when tested. You won’t be judged for accepting feedback but you will be judged for shutting down input.

Time: It's painful when we haven’t budgeted enough time or underestimated a project. Develop the ability to estimate accurately and communicate changes to your team.

Tools: The tools we use to make stuff are constantly changing. Talk to experts, pad your time and manage your teams expectations.

Distractions: Email, SMS, TV, Facebook, personal hobbies, etc. Solution: block out time to focus and turn distractions into rewards. 

Kill your babies

I can’t take credit for this wonderfully grim phrase. I can’t even remember where I first heard it but it stuck with me and that’s what counts. Our babies are the ideas we are attached to that prevent us from shifting gears and letting our concepts evolve.

Babies usually contain the seed of a good idea, which makes them hard to release. They consume your time and distract you from alternatives. They are the ideas that no ones else seems to 'get'. They are the amazing ideas that you can't seem to finish. They are the things you defend emotionally but can't describe their quantitative value.

Recognize when you're defending a time sink. If you feel overly defensive when an idea is criticized there's a good chance it's one of your babies. Step back and shift gears.

Anticipate needs

There are few things worse than then doing a review with your client or PO and getting clobbered with questions you didn’t anticipate. Ideally you would have interviewed them about their goals before you started any actual work but inevitably something slips by.

Think like your client. Internalize their goals as your own. If you work with the same people regularly write down the feedback you anticipate and compare it to the feedback you recieve. Do this enough and you’ll see patterns emerge. Most of us have a limited set of scripted needs and we express them over and over. You boss/client/PO is no different.

Regularly step away from your work and anticipate your client's needs. Write them down. Developing this empathy will focus your work, reduce revisions, save time in reviews and your boss or client will trust you more.

The Six Human Needs

Do you know what motivates you? Several years ago I attended a Tony Robbins weekend event with my wife and some friends. It was a complete information and sensory overload but here is what I remember. As humans we're all driven by the same six basic needs. 

1. Certainty: assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure
2. Uncertainty/Variety: the need for change, new stimuli
3. Significance: feeling unique, important or needed
4. Connection/Love: a strong feeling of closeness
5. Growth: an expansion of capability or understanding
6. Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping others

ACTION >> Learn which of the Six Basic Needs are most important to you. Use this knowledge to make life, career, and relationship decisions that align with your values.