How much does your city—or your neighborhood—influence your work? For many Chicago designers, the city itself has always been a muse of inspiration.

And understandably: It’s a city obsessed with it’s own history, civic pride and yes, even its political corruption. You’d also be hard pressed to find another American city so enamored—so narcissistic—with its flag; a flag so interlaced with historical nuances that local designers like Meng Yang has used its symbolism to make a name for himself.

The Chicago-based designer and art director at creative marketing agency, REAKT, is all about promoting local businesses, local art and educating oneself on the history of the city: a notion popular in the Chicago artist/ designer community. His Know Your Flag project is an homage to the historical facets of Chicago’s city flag (where each star has a meaning), among other Windy City tributes. It’s touted as “a love letter to the City of Chicago.”

In Yang’s portfolio you’ll find an impressive billboard marketing campaign for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Blackhawks at a past agency, as well as prints for popular neighborhood festivals. He also runs a t-shirt company, Support Your Local Industries, promoting, well, take a wild guess.

InspiredMag caught wind of Yang’s work and rising popularity in the Chicago art fest circuit and asked him about why local designers are so drawn to the city for inspiration, what he’d like to design out of the city limits and how he escapes from his work routine.

1. What fascinates you to devote so much of your work to the city of Chicago, it’s history and iconography?

For the first four to five years living in Chicago, I just never bothered learning about the city. It was only when I landed a job (as a freelance designer) in Evanston, biking daily from Logan Square that I discovered how diverse and eclectic the city was. That discovery created a deeper appreciation and a better understanding of Chicago for me. Also, I was creatively frustrated with the professional design work I dealt with on a daily basis and was looking to do something that was personal and meaningful. With those two factors in mind, I set out to make art that I cared about which I hoped would resonate with other people. So far, so good.

Meng Yang's workspace

2. Why do you think there is such a fascination for designers and artists with shopping and promoting local businesses? In Chicago especially, there seems to be a big “shop local” movement with no shortage of graphic design and inspired art.

I think this applies to a larger topic. The idea of ‘supporting local’ is so important these days because of a globalized economy where so much of our (American) products are manufactured elsewhere. The support local movement reinforces the notion that people still care and take pride for hand-crafted goods made by a person that could well be their neighbor.

3. When did you get the inspiration and the start to do the Chicago flag set, how methodical was the design, and for those that don’t live in Chicago, why does the flag hold so much pride?

Again, it was all thru discovery. For a good while, I thought Chicago had a large, prominent Jewish community because I would see this white and blue striped flag with four six-pointed stars. It was just through curiosity that I finally researched the Chicago flag and discovered what the design meant. I was simply awe-struck and I figured if I felt that way about learning this little bit of Chicago history, there’d had to be others that would feel the same way about it too. That’s when I started designing the posters; the most important part was to communicate history in an interesting way. Also, the Chicago flag is a great design by itself, which is why people gravitate towards it. New York has the “I Heart NY” design and we have our awesome flag.

4. What other projects outside the city would you like to tackle?

Over the past two years since launching Know Your Flag, I’ve mainly focused on Chicago because it’s shaped me as a designer/artist and as a person. So it was very important for me to visually express my gratitude to the Windy City. However, I was raised in Michigan in Detroit (elementary), Bay City (junior high) and Holly (high school). And I have family and relatives all over the Midwest so I consider myself a Midwestern boy. Recently I just went on a Midwest road trip with my girlfriend and am planning to design a series to highlight my love of the Midwest.

5. Who inspires you as a designer? And why is their work so influential?

There are so many artists and designers out there that inspire me but the handful I can think of are Mike Mignola, Bruce Timm, Batman and Mike Mcquade. As a kid, I loved comic books, which taught me how to draw and read, which is why I thank Batman and all the artists that have drawn him. Mike Mignola and Bruce Timm, ‘til this day makes me read comics and appreciate the art of drawing and lettering. Mike Mcquade is a friend of mine and he is a machine that continually spews great designs.

6. What would you go back to school to study or what classes would you like to take to learn more about (if given the time of course)?

Business. I wish art/design school taught students the business end of freelancing and financing.

7. What’s currently blasting on your iPod?

Mastodon, the hunter. Listening to them reminds me of the first date I took my girlfriend too.

8. How do you escape your work routine? What would you prescribe as best practices for living a life separate from your work life?

To get out of a repetitive way of thinking and designing, I usually do some physical exercise. I’ve been taking Brazilian jujitsu and kickboxing to get my mind out of a rut.

–

Meng Yang

http://knowyourflag.com/

@KnowYourFlag

This is a post from Inspired Magazine. If you like it, you may want to subscribe to our RSS full feed to be updated on every article we're publishing. Also, it's highly recommended to follow us on Twitter!

Designer’s Block: A Q&A With Meng Yang

Digital artist Justin Mezzell thinks of himself much more as a storyteller. The goal of his images is to tell a graphical narrative—a comprehensive tale—in one frame. The now-creative director of design agency, Maven Creative in Orlando, Florida, has designed magazine layouts, album covers and infographics manifesting impossible worlds in dark illustrations and fantastic dreamscapes.

While devoting much of his work to Christian lifestyle magazine Relevant, Mezzell has conquered impressive feature layouts and even designed the RelevantFM music player app. Currently, at Maven, he works with clients like Chicago Bulls shooting guard Kyle Korver, mission-driven apparel company Seer and indie rock band and TheSet, to name a few—All coming to the spirited Maven team with a story to tell.

InspiredMag got to talking with Mezzell about his eye for retro-futurism, his visual time traveling skills and who inspires him in the design community.

1.You do a lot of illustrations with steampunk elements and night skies full of stars, why are these reoccurring themes for you? What other specific themes do you find yourself drawn to?

I’ve always been really inspired by space—in the cosmos themselves as well as our interactions to try and understand them better. I’ve been attracted to this idea of telling stories in the only way I know how, which is in graphical narratives. Steampunk interests me as a motif in its ingenuity. It’s an art form that so appropriately encapsulates this idea of a “time outside of time.” Like retro-futurism in mid-century modern design, it seeks to capture the world of tomorrow with the tools and ingredients of today. Working in these kinds of realms have created an interesting window into distant worlds–be it on earth or somewhere far off this plane of existence.

2. How would you describe your illustration work to someone you just met at a party? What would you say you specialize in?

Like most designers, I’d say I would want to be a known for having an ability to communicate effectively. To be able to tell a story in a static frame is a huge goal of mine and I would like to be able to tell people that I work towards building an illustrative window into a larger picture. A lot of people have said that there is a vintage flair to my illustrative work. Most of that is picked up through studying styles of people that were a lot better informed and had an even more visionary frame to work in for their time. It all comes back to that concept of a “time outside of time”. But more to the question, can I say I do my best to make 2-dimensional geometry and reductionist form live and breathe as a functional (sometimes) narrative?

3. What designer/ illustrator would you say you admire but haven’t met? (With links to work that you particularly like)

The design community really is an incredible group of people. Though, if I had to pick someone to specifically want to have coffee with, I’d have to say it would be Scott Hill of Foundry Co. Everything I’ve seen from him is executed expertly whether in illustration or typography. But to be honest, it really comes down to more than just his skills as an artist. From all that I’ve read from him and by him, Scott just seems like an authentic guy that is truly kind and an inspiringly warm person. This latest read from him was totally captivating.

4. What are you currently working on now that you are particularly proud of? Could you tell us about it?

For a client project, I’ve been having to try and develop a style for illustrating people. It’s simultaneously been one of the more exciting and frustrating endeavors I’ve taken on. Most of my scenes are vacant so I think it would be an interesting dynamic to be able to work with organic life.

5. Where do you start when expanding design ideas? Do you keep Moleskines, dot-grid notebooks, bar napkins handy or go straight to Illustrator?

I almost always start concepts at the most inopportune times. It can be while in the midst of an unrelated conversation, in the middle of a church service, or out on a walk with my wife. I do my best to find something to scrawl concepts on as fast as possible or just type it into my phone. I used to be really good about keeping sketchbooks, but I think working in the digital medium too long took me away from working in that environment. It’s been a constant attempt these past few months to try and get back to it. Illustrator has gotten to be a fairly comfortable part of my workflow but I wanted to challenge myself to break free from the digital grid and hand illustrate to lose my affinity to strict geometrics and 45/90 degree angles. Lately, I’ve been using a Moleskine and a dot grid notebook.

6. Who are some designers that inspire you (with links to work you particularly like)?

Huge fan of Tymn Armstrong and the book “Treasure Island” that he and the crew at Space Dog Books put out. Kendrick Kidd is another designer that is constantly delivering fantastic design in a diverse array of works. Mark Weaver is always inspiring and seems like we share a fervid love of the cosmos and science fiction. Then there’s my good friend, Riley Cran, who is one of the most talented and nice guys I know. Always a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.

7. What artistic media are you dying to try but haven’t yet?

Without a doubt, I would love to move into the 3-dimensional motion space. I have an unabashed love of digital abstraction in short film and it would be so rad to be able to work in that world. It has huge potential in storytelling. What it all basically boils down to is a love affair with story. And design is really the only vessel I know how to do well–you don’t want to read my written narratives. I’ll spare all of you.

8. What’s your wackiest indulgence, sure to cheer you up?

I don’t know how wacky it is, but I really do love video games. I rarely get to play them on my current schedule, but if/when I do, I totally zone. It’s an amazingly immersive storytelling experience with the potential to bring you into an interactive world that can be touched and manipulated more tangibly than any other current field.

–

Justin Mezzell
http://justinmezzell.com/
@JustinMezzell

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Designer’s Block: A Q&A With Justin Mezzell

Browsing through designer/ illustrator Brent Couchman’s portfolio of work is like a cardio workout for the eyes. You’ll dance around the page absorbing every fanciful slab serif and eye-popping logomark. There’s a distinctive look to his logos and custom typefaces for sure, and if you’re a fan of watch and leather goods-purveyor Fossil you’ve definitely seen his design work encompassing packaging, logos and advertisements (online and off).

The San Francisco-based designer can be found at creative agency, Hatch Design where his design work transcends JAQK Cellars’ wine bottles and Harrah’s Entertainment employee engagement ads, to name a few examples.

He’s big on illustration work with London-based map maker, Herb Lester Associates―check out his illustrated map, A Glasgow Companion. Similarly, for Monocle magazine, Couchman designed a map of Sydney and Sao Paulo. And if that wasn’t enough, he does custom typefaces too.

Inspired Mag caught up with Couchman to talk about his take on “Modern Vintage,” why finding design inspiration offline is rewarding and what brand he’d love to do design work for someday.

1. I’m a huge fan of your design work for Fossil, how did you get involved with the accessories and watch maker, and how would you describe their design aesthetic?

I was an in-house designer/illustrator in the Fossil Illustration/Graphics group for a little under three years. Our group handled most of the illustration and graphics you see on the product as well as in-store. So, everything from apparel graphics, hangtags, product packaging to posters and environmental graphics for the retail stores.

As far as the aesthetic goes, at the time I was there it was referred to as “Modern Vintage,” the idea of mixing mid-century modern approach and techniques with modern design. I started at Fossil right at the beginning of the Modern Vintage push so it was a lot of fun to figure out how it looked and different ways you could push it. Our Creative Director would have workshops with us where we’d learn different techniques like gouache and watercolor so that led to a lot of playing and experimenting which would work its way into our everyday work.

Brent Couchman's Workspace

2. When you start working on design/illustration work for a client, where do you begin? What is your process (do you go on an online inspiration spree in search engines, hit up specific libraries and bookstores for research, doodle on bar napkins, etc.?)

My process is pretty typical, sketch first, come up with as many ideas as possible, even if they’re bad I think jotting them down to get it out can lead to something good. From there it’s just trying all the good stuff out in the computer.

I like to experiment with new techniques in between projects so they are fine tuned and can be used when a project comes up that’s a good fit for that technique. If you’re constantly working and trying something new on your own then when it comes time to apply it you’ve got plenty to work with.

As far as inspiration goes, I’m constantly looking for and purchasing design books from the 40′s-70′s or going to local flea markets and junk shops for lost treasure. There are tons of great places to find inspiration and the most rewarding ones aren’t online.

3. You have developed various custom typefaces like Sasquatch and experiment with others in development (as seen on your Flickr stream)―is the typography and typeface creation realm something you’d like to delve deeper into as a designer, why is it important to you?

I don’t think creating an actual typeface is something I’d end up doing. When I’ve looked into it (more than just drawing characters in Illustrator) I was scared off by all of the technical know-how. True type designers know way more than I do about type so I’ll leave it up to them.

That said, the type/lettering work I do is all for fun. I’ve done a few custom wordmarks for real projects but for the most part it’s just me playing around. I’ve always drawn letters so it’s just an extension of something I do on a daily basis on paper.

4. As far as client work goes, what brand identities started out as a challenge but ended as work you are particularly proud of―why is it now a feather in your cap?

Hmm that’s a tough one, I’m not sure there has been a brand identity like that but I’ve been working on some packaging for a while now that I think has really come a long way. I remember really digging the first version and then being aggravated when the inevitable client changes started coming in. But after looking at the first version again I realized it has come a long way for the better. It’s easy to design something nice for the first round, but the working and reworking really forces you to hammer out the details you may have missed earlier. That’s one of the things I always come back to with my work, good work takes lots of hard work. I wish it was easier, maybe someone out there has it figured out, but for me it’s a challenging but rewarding process.

5. From a design perspective, why is it important for businesses to think of a branding and identity as an experiential campaign, crafting unique and intricate stories and personas?

I think it comes down to us as humans wanting to connect or relate with something. The best brands feel comfortable and approachable to their audience, like a friend you just met but already know. Apple always seems to come up in these kinds of discussions, but I always think of Deus out in Australia, they’ve created a really unique brand and personality that just fits with their audience.

6. What company’s branding (retail, service, etc.) do you look at with admiration that you haven’t worked with?

I just mentioned Deus, I’d be thrilled to work with them. One of my favorite brands that I’d like to work with someday is Nike. That might be cliche and probably on everyone’s list but I’ve had a strange obsession and admiration for them since I was a kid. It was probably because I had to settle for Reebok’s back in the day. Thanks mom.

7.  What are you currently reading/ playing/ Netflixing on your spare time?

Most of the reading I do lately has been on the bus to and from work. Actually a lot of suggestions from LinkedIn’s “top headlines” feature have been pretty interesting. They do a surprisingly good job of suggesting stories based on who you’re connected with.

8. What artistic medium have you always wanted to try but haven’t taken on yet?

Something with wood. I’ve had a few ideas for hybrid sculptural print kinda things that I think would be fun to try.

―

Brent Couchman

http://www.brentcouchman.com/

@brentcouchman

This is a post from Inspired Magazine. If you like it, you may want to subscribe to our RSS full feed to be updated on every article we're publishing. Also, it's highly recommended to follow us on Twitter!

Designer’s Block: A Q&A with Brent Couchman

If you spend anytime on Reddit you’re probably familiar with the term “lurker.” I don’t know if there is an UrbanDictionary definition for the term, but it’s basically someone that has an account, or continues to come back to a site time-after-time, day-after-day – reads lots of the material, but generally doesn’t participate.

As connected as I am – I’m a lurker.

And one of my favorite blogs to “lurk” – one I’ve been reading for years, but never participated is:

Bruce Turkel’s “Turkel Talks”

Bruce is the CEO of a Brand Management firm in Miami (just across the way from me!). I first learned of him 2 or 3 years ago when a friend attended a speaking event he was hosting. She was very impressed (and as cool as she is – she’s very hard to impress) so I checked him out. I’ve been lurking on his blog ever since.

Every week or so he writes a post and every week or so I’m amazed. Now – I typically view web writing as a means to an end, and advise clients in this manner – the more you write, the more often you write, the more likely search engines will find and respect your site. However, Bruce proves once again that quality is so much more important than quantity.

He doesn’t write often, but each post is filled with amazing gems. 

Turkel Talks brings together our world as consumers, business owners, etc. and teaches us about the way we all interact (with each other, with the companies we do business, etc.). If it is not the most important blog you need to be reading, it’s definitely up there with the top 10.

I decided to write this post today because, as our name implies, Bruce’s blog again inspired me this morning. So with that said I thought I would highlight a few of his recent posts and how they can help inspire you as developers, freelancers, business owners, or people simply interested in the web.

Lions and Tigers and Planes, Oh My – The importance of direct communication – This round about post regarding the creation of an LTE network that will compete with the major Wireless Telecoms takes a little while (and I believe that is part of the point) to demonstrate that very few care about technology. Only Turkel can bring together Apple’s Steve Jobs, satellites, and politics proving how important your message, your delivery, and your language are in solving real problems and truly communicating.

What Business Are You In? – Understand your REAL business – I promise after reading this post you’ll have a different take on business in general – and if you’re an owner of a business – your own brand and message. Don’t believe me? Even the CEO of Dominos knows “he’s NOT in the pizza business.”

I Have No Idea What I’m Doing – Finally a successful CEO admits what we all secretly know, and all fear others might find out!

Deth Bye A Thowsend Cutz – The importance of writing -Learn how important great writing is in communicating as well as establishing legitimacy both on and offline.

The Internet Giveth and The Internet Taketh Away – Are you a business owner thinking about using the Internet to advertise your business? This interesting take on modern consumers’ ability to both find AND evaluate your business won’t necessarily turn you away from online advertising, but may convince you that, the same savvy consumers that find you online are better equipped to evaluate and spread their opinion of their experience with your company than ever before.

This is a post from Inspired Magazine. If you like it, you may want to subscribe to our RSS full feed to be updated on every article we're publishing. Also, it's highly recommended to follow us on Twitter!

Inspired Writers (and Speakers) Bruce Turkel

To say that Matt Braun is dedicated to letterpress in design is an understatement. Clearly. When you look at his portfolio you’ll see loopy ampersands, whimsical descenders, ’50s-diner-inspired iconography and an attention to detail to keep your eyes wondering, mesmerized.

The senior designer at Pittsburgh-based design and development agency Bearded has done design work for Campfire’s chat app Briquette, biodiversity promoter The Sprout Fund Spring Program and bestselling confessional book series Post Secret’s “Confessions on Life, Death & God.”

Most notably, Braun co-founded the Wood Type Revival, an historic wood type face rescue-and-recovery project and successful Kickstarter we profiled on Inspired Mag in the past. So we touched base with him to chat about this project (post success), which company he’d love to do redesign work for and that fine line between letterpress printer collectors and hoarders.

1. Where do you look for the Wood Type Revival fonts and what exactly are you looking for?

As letterpress and type enthusiasts, Matt Griffin and I are always on the lookout for unique fonts and equipment. Most of our personal collections were acquired by finding old shops that were closing, but that often takes some luck and a lot of patience. Fortunately, we did find a shop in Pittsburgh that was closing after more than a century of owners. We also looked on ebay and found that once we contacted some sellers and told them about our project they were more than willing to offer some rare faces, even some in their own collections.

As for the specific faces, we were looking for stuff that was truly unique and not represented as digital fonts. We were especially looking for any that were hand carved, chromatic, or outlined. It worked out quite well because we ended up with a little bit of everything.

Matt Braun's workspace

2. What were/are some of the challenges of bringing the Wood Type Revival project into fruition?

One of our first concerns was being able to find the type that we wanted. Once we got a hold of it, we then had to do some experimenting with the process of recreating these faces for digital use. Our goal was to try and stay as true to the original contours and forms as we could. Once we got the creation process down then there’s the whole other world of font software and trouble shooting.

Another issue was locating any missing letters in incomplete fonts that we bought, which is how a lot of type is now. For the most part all the faces that we purchased were complete but there were some we had to do research and find a specimen that would fit the font.

3. While working with Bearded, what has been your proudest work done for a client to date? What makes it so special?

It’s difficult to narrow it down to one project but I would have to say the work we did for the Sprout Fund Spring Award was one of my favorites. It was a small project done in effort to promote local initiatives in biodiversity. Matt Griffin and I both collaborated on the design due to the tight timeline. We used a letterpress feel to emphasize and represent the grass roots part of the project. We had to then carry this over and apply it to all the different mediums involved. To follow it up we did a letterpress poster that combined plates and some wood type from our collection.

One of the great aspects of this project was the amount of collaboration in the work. I can’t say the design is solely mine, nor do I think that Matt would tell you it was his. However, we worked together to produce something that really suited the goals of the project.

4. Where do you start in your creative design process? (Doodles on bar napkins, stacks of Moleskins, straight to Illustrator?)

My process usually begins with headphones, a Dot Grid Book, and a lot of failure. I try to avoid evaluating what I start with but focus on some of the different avenues that could be taken. Sometimes I will work back and forth between illustrator/photoshop and sketching. I find this is helpful and effective when you want get a variety of thoughts and look at them comparatively.

5. What company logo (any company) would you love to redesign or work with that you think would outshine your portfolio?

Like all designers, I love doing great work and having a killer portfolio at the end of the day. However if I could choose any company’s logo to redesign I don’t think I would pick it based on what would produce the best work for me. The longer I am in the design field, the more I find that what’s fulfilling is doing great work for companies and organizations you really can get behind. One of the aspects about Bearded that I enjoy is that a good amount of our work is for non-profits. With that said I would love to work with the Make-A-Wish foundation or ASPCA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

6. What do you personally collect or feel you constantly look for in shops?

I am always on the lookout for type, printing equipment or presses. I am pretty sure that most letterpress printers are secretly hoarders. All of the old shops I have seen and my basement can attest to this. However, I also am constantly looking for old packaging, design, and anything I can fit in my car from the 60′s and back.

7.  Aside from the letter press and printing press, what functional object is better left low tech, and why?

There are a lot of processes that can be left in the “low tech” realm. I think the key is not what the technology is but how we plan on using it. Letterpress is an extremely skillful trade, especially when the form is handset and the process is taken from beginning till end using no digital aspects. Craftsmanship like that will never be obsolete to those that can appreciate it for the artistry it involves. It’s not better or worse to remain “low tech,” it is just a preference of how one likes to work and to what end.

8. Who is your favorite designer that you’ve never met? And what is it about his or her work that inspires you?

Well this might be a somewhat common answer, but I have admired Aaron Draplin’s work for a long time. He is able to communicate a great deal with very simple forms which is evident in all his logo work.  His style is also extremely approachable while at the same time very professional and unique. I have never met Mr. Draplin but would be honored to one day.

―

Matt Braun

http://brainvsbraun.com

@BrainvsBraun

This is a post from Inspired Magazine. If you like it, you may want to subscribe to our RSS full feed to be updated on every article we're publishing. Also, it's highly recommended to follow us on Twitter!

Designer’s block: A Q&A with Matt Braun

Designer, illustrator, screen-printer and “portraiture” artist, Aaron Scamihorn says he has a mixed media love affair with typography and serigraphy. His work can be found on gig posters for bands like CAKE, Queens of the Stone Age; reppin’ roller derby tournaments; and illustrating striking expressions from celebrities and iconic films. His use of rigorous texture and bold color pallets really slap you in the face.

The Indianapolis-based designer, also known as Ronlewhorn online (and on XBOX), works professionally for creative agency MediaSauce, conquering design, branding and illustration for an array of clients.

Inspired Mag got a hold of Scamihorn to chat about his distinctive illustration work, the collaborations he’s made (and hopes to make) with other artists and why he prefers creating a portraiture of a flawed face, with a little character to tell a story.

1. You’ve collaborated with some amazing creative groups like The Silver Screen Society and The Roving Cinema. Who are you dying to collaborate with but haven’t yet? And what draws you to their work?

I love a good collaboration. Nothing is better than the amalgamation of unique minds and talents. I’m always down for interesting initiatives and unique opportunities. If I had one person individually that I would love to do work with it would be Aaron Draplin. The dude’s sheer passion and boisterous badassery is infectious. His nod to the aesthetic of the past paired with precise iconography of today is something I strive for in my own work. As a fellow Aaron that is big, bearded & born in the Midwest, I think we could make some pretty rad stuff together.

2. Gig posters seem to be a passion of yours as well. What are your favorite bands and more importantly, who would be your dream commissioned artist/band print?

The whole screen printing thing just happened one day when I realized something was missing. I’d been staring at these pixels too long and I needed to get my hands dirty and produce something physical. Having played in garage punk bands since I was 13, I’ve always felt at home in a crowd of musicians and music fans. I set my bass down a couple years ago and sold my rig to buy a new iMac. Gig posters are my way to keep doing what I love and stay plugged in to the scene. I love everything from helping a band I truly believe in to getting to work with some of my favorite musicians such as CAKE. I’m a huge fan right now of bands that have kept a flair for the punk of our youth while blending it with classic rock & roll: Bayside & The Gaslight Anthem are at the top of my list for who I’d love to do gig posters with. I have also been on about a 2-Year kick where I can’t stop listening to Frightened Rabbit. I’d love to work with them. And, of course there are my favorite bands I’ve listened to since the 80′s when I first started buying my own music that are still doing their thing today such as MxPx & NOFX & Rancid.

3. You had your first solo exhibition show called “Freaks & Geeks” in Indianapolis with the tagline “Art and Story” (where your pieces were accompanies by narratives). What is your primary goal when designing portraits or portraitures without narratives? What story are you trying to tell?

There is something raw and subconscious about the connections we make with other peoples’ faces. I am passionate about a less-than-perfect face. It’s the wrinkles or patchy beards that make someone who they really are and I can’t get enough of it. I live for some solid eye-bags. Illustrating Steve Buscemi was my pièce de résistance. The more bizarre and unique a face, the more I can’t help but want to use it as reference for a portrait. I really enjoy perceived beauty & innate intrigue.

4. What are three spectacular art print shops (with links) we should know about and what do they specialize in?

I’m a huge fan of Burlesque of North America printing everything from Draplin’s Speaking posters to Aaron Horkey’s phenomenally intricate work to Wes Winship’s ridiculously amazing Arcade Fire Posters!

You also absolutely need to check out Mama’s Sauce. They do SICK letterpress & screen printing. And man, I love that brand!

Also check out my friends Wellington & Robbie over at ShedLabs. Their “MeWithoutYou” poster is super-rad. Bummed it’s sold out! They also have one of the best 404 pages.

5. What is your favorite historical era in design (for example, 1960s minimalism in advertising), and why?

I’ve always been really into mid-century stuff. Vintage comics & old hand typography will probably always show up in some influential way in my work. I think Lou Dorfsman’s gastrotypographicalassemblage will always be one of the most amazing things ever designed.

7. What are you currently reading/ Netflixing/ playing leisurely, to get your mind off work?

I am often on XBOX playing Call of Duty to get my mind off creating for a while. I think it’s the perfect fix for creatives. It’s very mindless and I can play for just a few minutes and jump right back into designing and feel refreshed. Battlefield 3 is about to come out as well as Modern Warfare 4, so expect my productivity to decrease slightly in november/december! Look me up if you play. Gamertag: RONLEWHORN.

8. Tell me a little about MediaSauce and what your specialties are. What has been your proudest client work to date? 

MediaSauce is a creative agency just north of Indianapolis. We create some pretty unique websites for a diverse range of clients. I continually get to mix up my daily work with design, branding, photography and illustration. One of my favorite projects was a website refresh for the Indy Humane Society. I took what was a pretty stark palette of Red, Black & White and introduced this steely-grey-blue to the mix and introduced Gotham Rounded Bold as a typeface that referenced the rounded toes of the heart-paw logo. These subtle updates mixed with some photographic and organic container shapes I think really helped give the site a sense of approachability and friendliness it was previously missing. They are a no-kill shelter and do great things for orphaned pets in our city. It was an honor to work with them.

―

Aaron Scamohorn

http://portfolio.ronlewhorn.com

@Ronlewhorn

[Photography by Chris Whonsetler]

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Designer’s block: A Q&A with Aaron Scamihorn

Brooklyn-based designer Jon Contino’s work can be found among various brands. But much of the freelancer’s creative energy is funneled into typography-centric menswear label, CXXVI Clothing Company, where he is the co-founder and creative director. He describes himself as an Alphastructaesthetitologist (say that five times fast).

While specializing in hand-lettering and illustrations, much of Contino’s designs pay tribute to classic Americana, from nautical themes to reworked historical iconography. Other branding identities where you’ll recognize Contino’s handiwork: Brooklyn-based Silk Road Cycles, logo design and lettering for FX Network comedy series “Louis,” and in illustrations for American military supplier Alpha Industries.

Inspired Mag got to talking with Contino about his Land-of-the-Free-inspiration, the science behind apparel graphic design and how to effectively mix antique with modern aesthetics.

1. I bet you could write a series of books on apparel graphic design. What makes for good design, are there truisms, key elements or do’s and don’ts (clichés to avoid, etc.) you’ve found?

There’s definitely a science behind apparel graphic design. It’s something I didn’t really learn until a few years ago too. I’ve been doing it for so long, but to really know it is a completely different ball game. It’s all about understanding your canvas and utilizing the fabric as an element in your design. I wouldn’t really say there’s any right way to design for apparel, it’s all about the feel and the aesthetic, but if I had to complain about one thing, then it would have to be any design that’s off to the side or coming up from the bottom of a t-shirt. That was a bad trend and it needs to die already. Whoever’s holding onto it…please stop.

Jon Contino's workspace

2. Where did your Americana inspiration stem from?

I’ve always been a sucker for Americana. I really can’t remember a time when anything USA-based wasn’t a major part of my life. My favorite holiday is the 4th of July for crying out loud! The nautical stuff has always been pretty natural as well. I grew up just outside of Manhattan on Long Island right on the Atlantic Ocean. I spent a good portion of my life surrounded by water or nautical stuff in general, whether it was at the beach, on a boat, or in a cheesy neighborhood restaurant that had oars and anchors hanging on the wall that was run by an old sea captain or fisherman. It’s one of those things that has been drilled into my brain and has some kind of subconscious, yet major, influence on my style. The detailed historical work I’ve been doing lately is definitely the newest of my major influences though. In the past few years, I’ve really developed an appreciation for history, and the more I learn, the more I want to revisit it in some way. Going back to a time when the production of all things was so different is so fascinating to me. I try to incorporate that sense of magic into my work whenever I can.

3. When looking for inspiration and influence for your historical work, where do you turn (bookstores, museums, libraries, websites, stroll to park, etc.)?

Any place that I can find history, I use it as an influence. I have a great collection of old newspapers, books, journals, records, and so on, and they serve as a great resource for me. There’s plenty of times when that’s really not enough though and I take it outside my studio into places like antique stores, used book stores, or even museums like you said. There’s so much inspiration in the world, why stay inside and reference the same things over and over again when I can get out there and find an endless amount of ideas just waiting for me to discover them? I do try to take pictures of anything I see that could potentially help spawn an idea somewhere down the road though, so my collection is constantly growing and the need to keep going outside isn’t as great as it once was.

4. What was the last commissioned illustration/ design work you completed that you were really proud of and who was it for?

This was one of my smaller projects in recent memory, but I did a background image that I really loved for EXFM’s music service. It is an illustrated denim jacket covered with patches of fake death metal bands and typical metal-guy pins. It was a blast to revisit my high school days like this and I wish I could do a whole series based on this idea. Actually…maybe I will, haha.

5. Do you have any unique hobbies or collections that might surprise people?

I absolutely love playing Wiffle Ball. Like, more than anything else. It’s my favorite thing in the world and if there was an equivalent to Major League Baseball in Wiffle Ball form, I would drop everything and pitch for the New York Wiffle Yankees.

6. What item do you never leave home without?

My iPhone. Man, if 15 year old me heard that I needed a phone at my side at all times, I’d probably get a swift kick to the nuts. I’ll tell you though, this thing is unbelievable. The service may be absolute garbage (thanks AT&T), but the other things I use it for make my life so much easier. I literally have my entire life hooked up to this thing. It’s the best personal assistant I could have ever asked for.

7. Where would you like to travel that you’ve never been?

I need to go to Sicily one day. My family came to America from there in the early 20th century and I’ve never been able to get over to see what it’s like. I would love to take a trip to the Mediterranean and see just about everything over there though. It seems like such an amazing place.

cxxvi.net

8. How would you describe your home in Brooklyn, how is it designed/decorated?

It’s awesome! …but I have to thank my wife for that. She has a knack of combining antique with modern in such a way that it just feels great to be home. I’ve contributed a few things here and there, built some furniture, made some shelves, but the majority of the decoration is all her. We live in a really old building and we have a great collection of mid century furniture that is highlighted by some great antique pieces. Our stuff ranges from about 1860 to 1960 and somehow it really works in such a way that you’d never notice the time difference. Well, actually, the fact that I’m a giant nerd with a thousand flat screens all over the place probably ruins that whole vibe a little bit.

―

Jon Contino

http://www.joncontino.com/

@JonContino

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Designer’s block: A Q&A with Jon Contino

As you may know by now, Inspired Magazine is a sucker for data visualization. That’s why we invited Tony Shin – a social media ninja and creative design samurai – to curate the weekly dose of infographics. If you like them as much as we do check out some of the older editions and follow Tony on Twitter and Facebook as well!

For those that celebrated the 4th of July, I hope it was a relaxing weekend and to all my fellow North Americans up there who celebrated Canada Day; I hope you safely returned home without getting a flash bang grenade thrown at your lower extremities. *wink* Regardless, I do hope that all of you stayed safe! Perhaps because of the weekend where Americans rips off their shirts and drink ’til they drop, the vast selection or inspirational infographics were a bit poor.

1. The Biggest Tech IPOs of this Year

Regardless, I do hope that all of you stayed safe! Perhaps because of the weekend where Americans rips off their shirts and drink ’til they drop, the vast selection or inspirational infographics were a bit poor. However, Single Grain’s graphic on the biggest tech IPOs this year, really caught my eye. The use of data and information! =) It’s pretty easy but I’ll touch base with you either tomorrow or Sunday.

2. The State of Education

With advances being made every day, it’s hard for education to keep up. It’s just one of those issues that need to be addressed, but as we know, it’s not just some walk in the park. I featured this one because it literally hit home for me. The Online Education team using the college rule notebook paper and creating the student-like point of view, as if a child were expressing their concerns, was completely ingenious. And completely hand drawn. The illustrations were down to the teeth, as if you were a student who doodled because they were bored and needed to be heard. =)

Take a look, you’ll see what I mean.

3. That’s What THAY Say

“ Hunch has a new product. It’s supposed to change our lives and revolutionize the Internet. THAY (Teach Hunch About You) asks the person a series of questions to find recommendations to the wherever it is, that Hunch thinks is best for you. For a bit more elaboration, go to Tim’s post and learn a little more about this scary but exciting new product.

This is a post from Inspired Magazine. If you like it, you may want to subscribe to our RSS full feed to be updated on every article we're publishing. Also, it's highly recommended to follow us on Twitter!

Infographics of The Week #3