01. How did you begin your career – formal study or otherwise Where, how long, would you do that again or is there another alternative: been around it all of my life as that was my dads profession as well, as he owned the business before I did, I had no real formal training, but I worked with my dad as a non official apprentice/ trainee for many years but I have been in the busyness for 10 years full time. And yes I would do it all again!
02. How did you feel when you handed your first job over. It was good to see the sign I designed and made! It gave me self satisfaction and I was proud of it. It was great getting good comments.
03. How did you go through the ranks to where you are now? There were no real ranks as I just took over the business after my father.
04. Describe your own design style. Lots of colour, I use gradients and fading colours together a lot, I try to incorporate pictures and graphics where ever I can.
05. What do you predict as new trends of design style? More photo art and graphics (which is already happening) and mainly more manipulated photos as printers and computers are making these things more possible.
06. Influences and inspirations of your design career. My father, reading sign and design mags and looking at other peoples styles and designs.
07. Tools of trade Typical, favourite: correl draw, sign wizard, digital printer.
08. In your years designing what changes have you seen style: more strait lettering, block colour, 1 dimensional graphics, photo generated artworks from single basic colour to colour blends and photos which are made easier my new technology such as digital technology of the last few years.
09. Favourite areas of design - advertising, painting, typographic etc: mainly typographic- lettering and advertising.
10. What strategies do you have to cope with creative blocks: mainly just go away from the project and do something else eg: make a coffee, work in the workshop for a while, sometimes give yourself half a day or day to work on it in your subconscious. You cant wast time sitting in front of a screen with doing nothing.
11. What are your future ambitions, umm, to retire and get more into photography.
12. Do you prefer to work within a team or on your own. Why Give example: probably in a team because there are more ideas floating around and I like taking and mixing up ideas as well as influence different views and angles.
13. What extra skills have you learnt working as a freelance and or within a company structure. When you come up with a idea which is totally your own with no other influences, it’s a lot harder but a lot more rewarding as it feels better because you have a higher scene of achievement because you know it is all your own I deals.
14. What inspired you to become a designer? I was sick of being an electrician and wanted a change and to do something fun and creative. And because I had been around it and enjoyed it all of my life I thought this was the right path for me.
15. What kind of design work have you found to bring in the bread and butter - The most common jobs. Mainly just general signage like shops and vehicles and that type of thing.
16. what achievements or design projects would represent your best work. Certain well known campaign logos which are continuously seen throughout the years time and time again. Design logos which are still relevant after a period of time and the period of time they were meant for.( logos which stand the test of time) and still look good!
17. What has been the low point of your career. What was the worst job, the worst client. What did you learn from it. Client- going to a lot of effort to design a great artwork and design and client not willing to pay for the privileges and then going to someone else and getting a crap design for cheap., other designers stealing your work and ideas and then obviously doing a job cheaper because they did not have to take the time to design it themselves.
Most Mondays are my lowest point… joke.. Na I don’t really have on that I can think of.
18. On a day to day basis- what is the most rewarding of your career and the least rewarding?
Least rewarding = frustrating creative blocks where your can’t get a design that you and the client are satisfied with.
Most rewarding = completing a big job without any hiccups and still make a buck or two.
19. Do you undertake environmentally sustainable methods of design processes. As much as we can, we try to save as much leftover materials such a vinyl or core flute as we can. We also use eco sold products such as ink wherever possible.
20. Do you as a graphic designer feel you have a moral responsibility/obligation to society and how does that make you feel? Not to many moral obligations, I mainly just try to keep designs as appealing as possible to as many people as I can. I want people to want to look at my designs.
21. How do you establish your hourly rate when presenting the cost to your clients. I have to work out how much it costs to run the shop- (industry standard costs) work out the cost of running the busyness. etc.
22. What does your pricing structure include; eg fuel costs, person hour rates, materials cost, advertising etc lease/rent/premises, repayments, on purchasing machinery, hard wear, soft wear, vehicle expenses, staff expenses, materials, labour, etc.
23. How do you sell yourself. Do you have a website or regular advertising structure/mode? Not really! Mainly word of mouth, small labels on the bottom of some signs, vehicle advertising, etc.
24. How do you work through client conflict and difficult customers? Swear a lot…. Joke! Umm, mainly try and negotiate a positive outcome which satisfies all.
25. What would you consider your dream job or dream client?
Client- a client who appreciates a well designed sign and doesn’t compromise on price.
Job- any job for that client.
26. Where do you see yourself in future years. Do you think you will be in the same field or are you interested in other avenues? I see myself retired but still getting more and more into photography but still incorporating graphic design into photography but more as a hobby rather than a job.
27. How do maintain ongoing professional development. Conferences, updating skills, updating software and materials? Mostly by updating soft wear, keeping up to date with products, going to conferences and sign shows so I know what is being used and what I need do or buy to stay up the top of the industry. I like to read industry related literature and magazines so I can read all about new products.
28. How do you remain progressive in your skill of trade – magazines, study etc? sign shows, magazines, soft wear etc…basically all the same as the last question.
29. Do you think the graphic design industry is high pressured? yes because there is usually a dead line to get a creative result. And I feel it is harder to get a creative result when you are stressed or under pressure as you don’t have much time to think or for your ideas to grow.
For my interview, I interviewed designer and sign writer Greg Gooley from ‘Gooley signs’ in Murwillumbah
By Lucy.
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