Nicholas Groves Feature!

Hey everyone, I'm really excited to bring this interview to you because I for one grew up playing with LEGO for hours on end. Nicholas talks about some really cool stuff and is very insightful so please take the time to read the whole interview especially if you love LEGO! And once you're done feel free to check out his Coroflot for more of his work.

1. You seem to love what you do; can you remember when you were bitten by the LEGO bug?
I guess, like most people, it started when I was a young boy. I think I was around 4 or 5 when I first starting playing and building with LEGO. I have an older brother, so most of my LEGO was passed down to me from him, and to be honest it was many years before I realized that LEGO actually came in sets. I just assumed it came to your house in a big Tupperware box! Me and my brother would build lots of spaceships then have a massive intergalactic space battle! This would normally end up in a BIG mess much to our poor mother's dismay.

However, once I got a little older it was decided I was too old for LEGO and it was all passed onto my younger sister and then to my younger cousins. So I didn't really touch LEGO again until they approached me about work - I was going through what the Adult LEGO fans call 'my dark age'. That's the dark, sad period in your life when you have stopped playing with LEGO before you rediscover it again. One part of me wishes I still had my old LEGO stashed away in the attic, but alas, I have no idea where it is now. However that's one of the things that makes LEGO different from most other toys. The LEGO that my family and I played with is probably still being enjoyed by some kid I'll never even meet. It's very rare that LEGO goes in the trash, unlike many other toys it takes on a life of its own and jumps from child to child, which is amazing.

2. LEGO pieces connect and build upon each other, how do you think designing a LEGO toy differs from tradition toy/product design?
Hugely. In most toy/traditional design, you can sit down, sketch out an idea, make a mock-up, put it into CAD, have a mold made and stick the product in a box (that's obviously the VERY short version!). We can't do that. With LEGO, you are working with a 'system', and that changes the design process a lot. Not only do we have to come up with cool ideas for vehicles, buildings, functions, characters and play scenarios but we then have to sit down and make it from scratch with our hands. Getting the idea from your head into brick is the main process we go through, you can't just mold up any shape or brick you want. You have to find the bricks that give you the form you want and then make sure its stable and build-able for a child. So it becomes a bit of a puzzle trying to get a great looking model that's build-able, fun to play with and on budget.

The fact we make our toys from a building system means we have to pretty much know every element and how they will work together. Becoming a LEGO designer is a bit like taking on a old fashioned apprenticeship in many ways. You work with a more experienced designer to get your building skills up to par and there is nowhere else you can learn these skills. We're the only team that do what we do and it can take a decent amount of time to be a good builder. Of course, almost anybody can go out and mold some bricks and put it into a box, but when you're working with people who have been doing it for 20+ years you know nobody out there can top them. The knowledge and the quality within the team is not something you can copy so easily and it's great to work with designers like these.

When we start sketching models after a briefing, we normally grab a big box, go to the element basement and grab handfuls of the elements we think might work and meet our needs. Then we will sit down in a group for a couple of days and build away. At this early stage we may even spray paint elements we don't have in the right colours yet and start discussing new elements and if they are needed. From this we will then pick the strongest models and functions and use those as a kick start for the project and design process. We go through many loops and variations before we get to the final model, you never get the model right the first time round.

One important stage we go through, is called 'model review', this is when I (or any other designer) will sit down with a committee consisting of: two other model designers, somebody from our building instructions team, an element engineer and somebody from global quality control. Together with my creative lead, this group will all build the model brick by brick so we can agree it is up to LEGO standards. This is a very crucial process that every LEGO model has to go through. If the team does not agree with any part of the model, it has to be addressed and shown to the team again before it can go into production. It's kind of like an exam for the designer! Plus you have to do this all from memory, not so bad if your doing a $10 set, but once you get in the $120 sets with 2000+ elements in it, then you really have to make sure you remember where every brick goes.

3. How do you approach your designs for LEGO as opposed to other products? Do you design each LEGO toy with expansion in mind (combining with other LEGO toys)?
Expansion is a given when your talking about LEGO, bricks today work with bricks that were molded 40 years ago so its not something we have to worry about or factor in too much when designing. Obviously there are sets that have multiple models made from the same set of bricks and that has it own set of challenges for the designer, plus this has usually been decided at the start of the project so the designer can factor in the right amount of time. It involves extra design loops for the team, but normally we focus on making one great main model, then try to make others based on the elements available... So again, it becomes a bit of a puzzle.

When starting a model or models, we simply start with brainstorming ideas. We normally start by creating a universe where we can base our story and characters. From this, the early ideas for the sets can develop. We pick key points from our story that will allow the kids to create and act out the adventure in the world we have made for them. Once we have a good foundation, we then sketch up some ideas in bricks and start looking at what is or is not working.

4. I’ve heard that LEGO has a custom CAD program they use, is that true? If so what’s the name and where can one find it?
Yes we do, its called 'Easy Builder Tool' or EBT as we call it in the office. It's an add-on to Maya that was made for us, and essentially, it has every LEGO element on file that we can import and build with. It also has extra features that only we would use, for example you can import all the 9 elements you need to make up one LEGO mini figure, then instead of assembling it yourself (which can time a lot of time) you can hit a button and EBT will piece it together for you. It's used mainly by our building instruction teams who can layout all the steps one by one and then have them rendered in hi-res. We as designers can also use it for costing and pricing of models as every element has a price, we can import all the parts and see how much it would cost. As far as I know, it's not out there for the public to use, but there is a program out there called LDraw that AFOL's (Adult Fans of LEGO) use to make renderings and do their own building instructions.

5. Do you start each design with a sketch, jump right into CAD, or simply grab a box of LEGO and start ideating?
It depends on the model and the designer really. If I'm working on an IP like Toy Story, then we already have a lot of reference to work from and I don't really need to sketch anything up on paper. The challenge there is to get the image that you see on screen into bricks, so on one hand, that's great because you can jump right into the building. But sometimes it can be hard if the vehicle or building is made up of some crazy abstract forms. However, if I'm working on a LEGO property like Agents 2.0 then I will do a sketch or two... and I do mean a sketch! There is no need to sit there and do a detailed marker or digital rendering, you need to get into the bricks and building ASAP as there will be many build issues to solve and time is always against you. 90% of my sketch work is done on Post-It notes and bits of A4 I grabbed out of the photocopy room. I simply sketch to help get a form or iconic shape out of my head and onto paper, it just helps to scribble the idea up a little before building. I then break the drawing down into simple shapes, and with that, you start to see in your mind's eye what elements could work to give you that form. I don't use CAD at all for my LEGO work, obviously those designing new elements will use Rhino and other CAD tools but as a builder you're ready to roll as soon as you're happy to start building.

6. If you could describe the LEGO marketing stance in the industry what would it be? How do you use the brand angle to influence your designs?
We have a company motto "only the best is good enough", so the design team have a lot to live up to. We really try to ensure that we offer the kids a great model that they will not only enjoy playing with but that they will also enjoy building. We have to think of the whole process from the ground up and not just them playing with the finished model. Making sure that the kids enjoy building the toy is just as important as the final model itself. We call it "Joy of Building, Pride of Creation". Ultimately you want a child to open the box, have fun building the set, have fun playing with the set and then have fun tearing it down to make something new from their own imagination.

LEGO is a very trusted global brand and we as a company do our best to live up to that. With this in mind, you can't help but let it affect your design work, knowing your product will be played with by kids almost all over the world really pushes you do something great.

7. LEGO has so many component parts yet I’m sure you still create products that need something new. How do you go about adding new pieces and how do you keep track of the thousands already in production?
Actually, over the past few years we have gone though a process of streamlining the amount of elements we produce. We have been trying not to produce tons of new elements a year because that would just make us like any other toy company. So when it comes to adding new elements we have to really think about how needed it really is, possible new element go through many check points before they are given the OK.

Most new elements will got towards updating and giving the mini figures a fresh new twist. Kids and adults love the LEGO mini figure, so we try to add lots of newness and collect-ability to them. New wigs and accessories are the areas that will make a set even more appealing to kids and fans, so we try to offer something new with every set. Ultimately, we have to find the right balance, it's great to provide something new, but we don't want to produce 50 new elements just to make one model.

As for keeping track of all the elements in production, that involves lots of Excel spread sheets and big computers that makes my brain hurt. There is a huge logistical side to LEGO that's on a global scale and we have project managers within our design team who help keep track of this and ensure the elements and sets get to the right place when we need them.

8. Do you sometimes find the restriction of LEGO construction limiting when your design?
There's really not much you can't do in LEGO, so I never see it as a limitation. For me, designing a LEGO set is like creating and solving a puzzle all at the same time. You know what you want to build, so you have to find the right parts that make it work. There is a lot of trial and error and sometimes that will result in me banging my head against my desk, but there are days when it flows together nicely and that's all part of the design process.

The great thing about working at LEGO is there is always somebody who will have an idea to solve your problem. If I get stuck I can talk to members of my team or go find somebody who has some expertise in that field. Sometimes if we are doing a function in a model that uses gears and cross axles, we will go have a chat with the Technic design team, so you're never far from somebody who can give you some good advice.

9. What programs or tools could we find in your arsenal that you couldn't design without?
Post-It notes: I tend to do a lot of doodles and list making on these, I should probably take out stocks with these guys?!
A small pallet knife: Separating plates and bricks all day takes its toll on your hands....and teeth! A small artist knife makes life a lot easier.
My hands: Without these, I can't build, so they really are my most important tools... Maybe I should get them ensured.

10. Do you have advice for young designers wanting to break into the field? And for those already in the field what advice do you have?
For the younger designers, I would say: Don't be afraid to be you. When we are looking for designers, we're not only looking for good design skills but a great personality who will bring fun and life to the team and their models. I went to a very traditional design school with a long engineering history, so some people figured I was a little odd because I liked doodling cute characters and watching cartoons.

For those of use already there, I would say: Take time out to step back and look. It's all to easy to get tunnel visioned and forget what's going on in the world around you. So don't be afraid to take the time to watch a cartoon, read a book or go to the local toy shop.

11. What other artists/designers do you look to for inspiration?
Matt Groening and Pixar have a great ability to create characters and universes that we all love, and I don't think there is a piece of work they have done I don't like.
If we are talking 'classic' designers then I'd I say: Dieter Rams and Mark Newson are two of my favorites.

Monkey Doodle Dandy Feature!

Monkey Doodle Dandy is a fun and creative studio from Brooklyn NYC and is the brainchild of husband and wife team Kurt Marquart and Elaine K. de la Mata. Their studio has worked on everything from Dora the Explorer ,to Barnie, to Disney's Little Einstein's. In the coming year they hope to kick off several creations of their own including the Squaredy Cats ™ and Squarey Monsters ™. !

Please take a minute to stop by their website and check out their portfolios. They have great work and you will learn tons. Enjoy the interview!

1. You are a husband and wife consultancy/studio, that’s awesome! Could you give us a little history on how you ended up together as a design team?

We were both working at full-time jobs. Kurt was art director for a local newspaper chain, and I was an art director at a toy company. (So, I guess we have being bossy in common.) Kurt was really not happy, he didn't have much chance to be creative and there was no place in the company for him to move up. He was trying to work on his own projects at home, but it was really tough. His hours at the newspaper were very long and soul-sapping. He decided to live frugally and quit his job and see what happened. Luckily for our bank account, the toy company where I was working needed freelancers, so I recommended him, and as it turned out, they loved him and continued to send projects his way. I basically liked my full time job, but I was also at the point where there was no more room for growth. There were so many other creative avenues that I wanted to explore, but it wasn't possible to do while working 14 hour days for someone else. My original plan was to take 6-9 months off for exploring, drawing, painting and refreshing my brain, but I started to get freelance jobs, too, and I guess I was a little bit of a work-a-holic and I couldn't turn them down, so Kurt and I decided to incorporate and have a design company!

2. Have either of you worked as an in-house designer? If so how does this differ from employing yourself? What are some of the benefits of working for yourselves and some of the pitfalls?

Kurt has worked as a designer for newspapers, and I have worked for a few toy companies (as well a newspaper when I first got out of college). Working for ourselves has given us the ability to dedicate some time to developing our own properties. We don't have to waste time commuting or sitting through endless meetings. Occasionally, we can play hooky and sit in the park on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon and there's no one to answer to. We feel like we have more control over how much money we make, too. When you work full-time, if you work on the weekends, or until 4 am, you still get the same check at the end of the week. But if we work super long days, at least we get paid for it. It makes it easier to give up sleep. And we can bring our dog to the studio!

There are definitely pitfalls, too. There are those times when there are no checks coming in, and you start to get really nervous about paying bills. It gets hard to separate work from personal life because you can never truly get away from it. You're always talking about work, thinking about work, dreaming about work. Even though we worked long hours when we were in-house, we work much longer hours now!

3. Your studio is called Monkey Doodle Dandy, Inc. Where’d you come up with the name?

Um, I don't really remember! I think we wanted to communicate that we were fun and silly, and do art. So, that's the "Monkey", the "Doodle", and then the "Dandy" was just catchy.

4. Who is responsible for what at the studio?

We have our individual clients, but we also share a lot of work and help each other out when we get swamped. Kurt takes care of most of the billing and office work, which is a full time job in itself. I try to drum up new business. But mostly, we both do everything.

5. Dealing with clients can sometimes be daunting being that you often have direction coming from within the studio as well as the direction from the clients. For those who are already working professionally, we all know inter department teams have their strengths and weaknesses. What do you think the secret is to a successful relationship between two teams? (That being your studio and the client)

It's striking a balance between maintaining your creative integrity and knowing when to "roll over and play dead" - meaning that the client is after all the client. They are paying the bill, and you might not agree with their decision; but you must smile and accept it. At the end of the day, the client owns the work, not the studio. The faster you realize that the better, or freelancing is not for you. No client is going to come back to you with repeat business if you are argumentative. They need the work done quickly and to their specs. To balance that out, we're developing our own characters and products that we have complete creative control over. That's where we can be picky, and love it and hug it and squeeze it. Because WE own it.

6. Your studio does mostly illustration, concepting, branding, and product licensing. What’s the process when working on a product? How does it get from the sketch, through the control drawings, and into production? Do you continue to work alongside the engineers and industrial designers or is the next time you see your concept when it hits the stores?

Each project is different. Sometimes, we work on one little aspect of the product and we might not even know what the big picture is. Other times, we get to be involved from the very beginning - fleshing out the idea, thinking up names, doing drawings and presentations, working with the engineers. That kind of project is the most fun. And it's always fun when you see your concept on the shelves or in a tv commercial.

7. The product illustrations on your page are fantastic. How do you approach the presentation illustrations and what are some tips you would give to keep a product illustration looking playful rather than just sitting there static on the page?

Thank you! I'm not really sure what tips we have. Kurt especially is great at doing shadows and highlights and making the toys look super shiny.

8. You two have some great concepts coming straight out of the studio including my personal favorites Squaredy Cats ™ and Squarey Monsters ™. Can we expect to see these coming to market?

Thanks! We were hoping to see the Squaredy Cats plush in stores nationwide in October, but now it looks like early 2011 is more realistic. We're really excited, because we just signed a deal with one of the largest plush companies in the country! We can't say the name of the co.yet, though. Both Squaredy Cats and Squarey Monsters already have a deal in place for vending machine stickers and temporary tattoos across the US and Canada. So look out for them! They will also be showing up, along with GirlMonsters, as an iPhone app from Shakey Planet.

9. I see you have a licensing show coming up in June. How important is it for consultants, freelancers, or even just artists and designers in general or attend these shows and fairs to get their name out there, network, and see what’s new and fresh?

Thanks for reminding us of that. We have now taken that banner off of the web site, because it was actually 2009. It's so expensive, that we can't afford to exhibit this year, although we would still like to attend the show in 2010 as visitors. That being said, it is very important to attend the shows, fairs, exhibits, groups, meetings, etc. You can't spend all of your time drawing in the studio. You really need to get out and meet other designers, see what everyone else is working on and thinking up. We always find that we return to the studio with a renewed determination to create good work. That's also how you make contacts for collaborations, jobs, everything.

10. What programs, tools, or simple inspiration objects could we find in your studio that you couldn’t design without?

E-mail. Almost no one ever calls, but everyone e-mails. If our e-mail goes down, we lose our minds.

11. Do you have advice for young designers wanting to break into the field? And for those already in the field what advice do you have?

Just to keep working, believe in yourself and your personal style, and know that it's really hard, but there will come a time when it gets easier. Call people, meet people, get out there. And don't waste beautiful days when you could be drawing in the park. I've wasted a lot of gorgeous, sunny days sitting in my dark studio, but I'm determined not to do that anymore!

12. What other artists/designers do you look to for inspiration?

We like old monster movies, cartoons, fairy tales, weird animals, and friends and random people we run into who are designing stuff and making art. Some of the creators who inspire us are Jim Benton, Jhonen Vasquez and Arthur Rakham. We look at a lot of contemporary cartoons, and children's programming to see what's happening, and do an awful lot of poking around at the gazillions of artist portfolios online. There's so much to look at that is a constant inspiration.

Joe MacCarthy Feature!

Joe MacCarthy has over fifteen years of experience designing in the fields of children’s toys, marine design, electronics, and most recently game concept design. He has won several awards for his products and continues to bring new ideas to the field of toys. Joe is constantly pushing himself to become a better designer, think even more creatively, and improve his skills while adding some new ones. He’s a graduate from Wisconsin-Stout and it’s my pleasure to bring his knowledge and advice to all of you.

Please stop by his Coroflot to see his professional work ranging from packaging, furniture, bikes, and more, or visit his blog.

1.Welcome to sketchatoy, I’m glad you could join us here so thank you. If you could describe your style and approach to design in three words what would they be?

Not 3 words but here ya go:

1. Openyourf*ckingmind- Really force yourself to think differently. Find the niche in the market to create something special and new. Let your brain flow and your pencil flow freely when laying down some new ideas. Have FUN!

2.Inhale/exhale-Take in all that you know from what is around you (learning from past projects, specific project goals and parameters, cool influential things) , relax, and do a vomit type of a brain dump on paper.

3. Play Well- Being a designer is working on a team. Keep in mind you need to work with people from many different types of backgrounds to make design happen. You really need to listen to other team members and do not try to force your ideas upon others. You never know what will happen to your design seeds that you plant when you expose them to other brilliant minds.

2. Walk us through your design process from thumbnails through to final stages. When do you know you’ve found that final concept to move forward with?

Stage 1 Research/ Define:
There are a few ways I tackle a new toy design at Leapfrog. The first is the team approach. I work with a team of Marketing, Program Management, and Content Design peeps to define an idea for a toy. Once we have defined what this thing might be (cost target, age ranges, product size, general content ideas, and theme) I will start the design process. The second way I will start off “give birth to” a new toy idea is generating ideas that start with me. I can find ideas from a cool product on the market (not typically a toy), from watching my kids play or kids in our play lab, a trip to the museum, or thinking about what I liked as a kid and how that could be updated.

Stage 2 Thumbnail:

Once the idea is generally defined I will start sketching out thumbnails of what this could be. I usually will have reference art on the side of my sketch page to remind me of materials, cool forms, kids the age of that I am designing for, or competitive product that I am trying to deviate from. I sketch mostly on my Cintiq 21UX at work but I also sketch on a sketchbook as well when I am in a meeting that allows me to sketch. I ALWAYS have a sketchbook with me. They are in my car, in my bag, in my office, in my living room, and I need one next to my bed. I get concept art visions all the time and have to jot them down. When I thumbnail sketch I will use different method s of sketching. Scribble sketching is way cool for concept art. You just do random sets of scribbles then take a look at each one and see what you can “read” out of the mess.

3. What does a typical day as a principle designer entail?

My typical day consists of 30% team meetings to go over current or future projects, 40% Design Time and about 30% of my day is just zoning out at the computer monitor. (ok that was ripped from Office Space). Seriously though…the other 30 % could consist of 1 on 1 meetings, perhaps a trip to Target to walk the Toy Isle, looking for inspiration on Core77.com , a good design Magazine, kid testing, or zoning out at the computer monitor.

4. You are truly passionate about design and spend time outside of work on side projects. Do you find it important to design and draw for yourself?

Hella Yeah! (in Oakland,CA accent) I love creating and designing new things. I still remember as a kid I was always like “Hey Mom, what if….” “Hey Mom, what if…” And my Mom would reply “Would you quit asking me the what if questions!!” I certainly am glad that I didn’t. I find myself always wanting to peek into the future and see what is next. I guess that is why I am always sketching the “What If’s” About 1 year ago I started putting time into doing concept art to develop a gaming portfolio to hone my skills, get faster, and possibly start getting some Gaming Companies interested in my work and get some freelance. Mission accomplished on all levels. Next plan of attack is doing a book of my sketches called “What if?” and send it to my Mom!!

5. You have lots of vehicle concept designs on your blog. Could you talk about how you approach a concept illustration and how it differs from product design?

Concept Art: If I am designing work for my portfolio doing a concept vehicle there are no boundaries! That is what is so fun about it. You can do a series of thumbnails and then look at them and find lots of hidden forms, surfaces and ideas that will amaze you and make you wonder where this stuff comes from. I am excited to see where these designs take me. When I am doing gaming concept art for freelance projects there are a lot of parameters involved but since I am not manufacturing it I am not concerned with safety issues, mechanical engineering issues or cost!!

Product Design: The process for Product design is quite constrained with factors such as limited size, limited cost, limited technology, safety parameters, and taking into account the wishes from other outside forces. One thing you will find when you are a designer and work on a team with other disciplines is that everybody wants to be a designer. In saying that I mean that everybody has their favorite color, everybody likes certain shapes and everybody sees something familiar in your work. In being a designer you need to strive to design something that you believe in and be able to justify what you came up with. Pour the passion in what you do and get into the project enough to have it become a part of you and remember that this project will and can be KILLED at any moment ;)

6. You’ve worked for several toy companies over the years including big names such as Fisher Price and V-Tech, but you’ve also worked in other industries, what is it about toys that keeps drawing you back in?

I love kids!! I actually am kind of a big kid at heart as well. I grew up with 7 kids in my family and during College I worked with kids at YMCA Camp Icaghowan every Summer. Now I have about 14 nephews and nieces to hang out with and I also have 3 kids of my own. I have always loved toys and still buy the cool ones even up to this day. Just ask my full scale Sandtrooper “Sphen” in my living room ;)

7. How has your experience changed throughout your working career and what/who do you feel guided you to become the successful designer you are today?

Experience Changes:
Over the years I have seen the design teams dwindle to about 50% of their original size at the companies I am and have worked at. We are expected to manage a lot more projects with fewer designers. Regarding production a lot of companies are phasing out local USA based Mechanical Designers, Manufacturing Engineers, and other local positions. Now a lot of the ME support is overseas or is done with our selected manufacturers. At work we tend to run faster with projects and once we have a good feel of the directions we jump right into 3D modeling and rapid prototyping. This is done a lot easier these days since the Rapid Prototyping machines are so affordable and our overseas model shop is FAST and they are very cost competitive.

*A prototype toy that is made at a local model shop here is the USA is about 3-4 times more expensive than our Hong Kong model shops.

Guidance:
Man, whew….that is a great question. I will have to say that encouragement from my 6th grade art teacher really had an early and strong impact on me even though I did not realize I did not was going to go into the art and design world until my Sophomore year of College. I also had some great Professors at UW Stout that were pretty tough (Graphic Design, Art History, Manufacturing and Processes, and ID) and I thank them for that HARDASS attitude every day!

8. Is there a product you’ve done past or present that has received an award that you are particularly proud of?

I would have to say that the Scout Line that was just released from Leapfrog would be a recent success that I am proud of. The Scout Line is a tech forward learning line that is features our characters Scout and Violet. I did the Product Design for four of the products in the line so far. They are all performing really well and the Moms really dig it according to the great reviews on Amazon and the fact that “Scribble and Write” is the number one toy in the Preschool Toy Category right now. Go Leapfrog!!!

9. What do you think is most important when designing for a specific age range?

The most important thing is to remember who you are designing for. When you get into the technical, marketing, costing, materials side of things you can forget just who the heck this is for. It is sooooo helpful for me to have kids the age I am designing for at home and also have a whole bunch of them in our play labs here in the office to observe and interact with.

10. You’re currently working at Leapfrog, a company known internationally for their learning toys. How do you cater a design to encourage a developmental milestone and promote learning?

Well that is a great question. We actually have developed a thing here called our Learning Path. With the Learning Path most of our products falls into place so as kids grow with us. Parents can monitor what the kids are learning and not learning to make sure that certain developmental milestones are hit. We look at our product line as a whole on our team and see what areas of learning need more reinforcing and will take that “content” and infuse that into new concepts for the appropriate ages. We are trying to make our toys still learning but really focus on the FUN in and ID way while still having the Leapfrog learning infused in the product. You don’t have to slap the abc’s and 123’s on every product to justify that it is a learning toy. You will see some great fun first products coming out of a new line called the Everyday Play line this year!!

11. You have a strong understanding for both traditional sketching methods as well as digital rendering and sketching. Is there one you prefer, and why?

Lately I have been generating a LOT of concepts with traditional digital sketching. I will do a few a week for practice and fun in my spare time. I really enjoy the fast paced level of sketching and being able to crank out a lot of concepts in the time that it would take to build one of them in 3D. (Even though I am pretty fast in Pro-E)
I do also love refining a developed concept in Pro-E model and doing some tasty Bunkspeed renderings with Photoshop tweaks to Ohh and Ahh my team here at work. What is really sweet is to have a meeting one day and present a design and 3 days later have a white FDM model in your hands.

*Now for the repeat questions.

12. What programs or tools could we find in your arsenal that you couldn’t design without?

Good Music (Pandora), Photoshop, BunkSpeed, Pro-E, and Illustrator. This has been a great tool to have when working with my Mechanical Engineers. I used to work with Alias and Solidworks but the Pro-E Wildfire is a pure delight!!

13. You’ve been in the industry going on 15 years. Do you have advice for young designers wanting to break into the field? And for those already in the field what advice do you have?

For young designers remember that you are not a designer once you graduate from College. You are a designer THE DAY THAT YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO BE A DESIGNER! Get a feel for an area you would like to work in early in your career if you can and start researching and studying that Industry. By the time you graduate you will thank yourself for taking the time to be ahead of the crowd with some great portfolio pieces that are ready to roll! Also, if a place is not hiring, don’t give up! Keep working towards that goal and develop a portfolio that will excite them. I wanted to get into a place years back and I sent them postcards that featured different projects on a weekly basis. It worked to get me noticed and got the job. You really need to stand out when you have literally hundreds of other designers applying to the same position these days.
If you are already in the field I would just say to keep honing your skills and keep being inspired!! Get out and see new things and create new things on your own time that do NOT relate to what you design for a living. Go sculpt a pig out of the snow in your backyard for cripes sakes!!

14. What other artists do you look to for inspiration?

Glenn Barr, Dr Seuss, CORE77 (Designers,Illustrators,Sculptors) Picasso, Salvador Dali, GNOMON Artists…