I’ve been invited to be a mentor of See-Saw which will be one of many events that will form Sydney Design 2010. Fitting as the annual Sydney Design event was where it all started for me in 1999 (I had the opportunity to present the INfront manifesto in front of a large audience at Darling Harbour).
See-Saw will be: ‘a collection of short stories’. 25 students, 5 mentors, 1 story. The art of storytelling is a collaborative effort. Through design we take the same back and forth process of storytelling beyond a verbal exchange into more visual and tangible outcomes.
Yesterday Daniel Dittmar (who’s running the project) sent me an email asking for a little content from me (about me). He asked a couple of questions which I had fun answering (as it all just came out without thought).
I used to do a lot of interviews for various design related online and offline magazines and web sites. I enjoyed doing them too as I found that every time I answered questions I was defining where I was at that very moment. Sometimes I read my own answers back and realised that I was proud of where I was at, sometimes I read it back and realised I had to change my ways or push harder.
I thought I’d post up a couple of his questions and my answers:
– A short spiel on your approach to design practice
With more creative stuff (art) I always liked the idea of taking from my personal background. Sometimes I’d photoshop a photo of my grandma (or another relative, or personal belonging, or anything I loved at the time or times before) into a layer and work it into the image. The end viewer might not see it in the final image but I know it’s there and that makes all the difference to me.
With less creative work (design) I tend to try and be as invisible as possible. I still believe that good design is invisible. You can’t/shouldn’t have to see it, it just works. If a client is asking for a mac operator I fire them, if they’re asking for art I fire them too (sometimes).
– The focus of your design practice
I’ve been working for myself for so long now and I’m very inconsistent with the amount of commercial work I take on. But my focus is very much on my passions, or more importantly whatever passion I value the most in the current moment. I’m only ever capable of being in the zone when I am truly obsessive compulsive about something be it art, design, cars or bikes.