Can you share a pivotal moment or experience in your life that ignited your passion for design? How has that influenced your creative journey since then?

I was always fascinated by graphics from an early age. Things like the livery on toy cars or camouflage patterns on toy tanks. Later in my pre-teens, I got hooked on comic books and the sleeves on my dad’s record collection. Album covers really gave me an understanding that graphic design existed.

Do you have any “rituals” or habits that get your creative juices flowing? If so, what are they? Walk us through how you get into the zone before starting a new project.

Aside from the standard stuff like reading a client’s brief, I like to start with words, creating mind maps before looking at any research visual. After that, I like to look at examples of great design from curated online sources, books and my own folders of interesting graphics I have collected over time. I actually really like going to the public library or a bookstore as you get exposed to a lot of different ways to use images and typography together. After that, I try and let all the inputs mix together before trying to generate some outputs (new visual ideas).

Seeing as collaboration is often integral to the design process, how do you navigate working with clients or teammates while staying true to your creative vision?

I’m pretty pragmatic about working with clients. Mostly we work with experienced marketing professionals, and they come with an established idea of what they want to try. So listening is key, and looking for opportunities to tease out more from what a client might say, and then translate that into a step forward from what they might expect.

Beyond the finished product, there’s a story behind every design. Is there a project you’ve worked on that holds a special place in your heart? What makes it meaningful to you?

I remember a very early project for AppZero from very early on (first few months) at Initiate. The client was looking for a refreshed brand (they were looking to attract a buyout). Another designer on the team had created a logo and I was tasked with expanding the branding to a website, but also a booth and promotional items for an event. I remember the direction was to do something coders would think was cool. I created some custom illustrations for all the assets, including a T-shirt.

It was memorable for me because the end result was fun, but also I felt a realization I was now working in an environment where I was trusted to use all my skills. Even to this day my dad still occasionally wears one of the T-shirts I designed.