23 questions!

Inspiration from Jem and the Holograms... now, we're liking this lady already! Another recent addition to the Artisan family, Emma has wowed, ahhed and won her way into our clients hearts all too effortlessly. With a growing reputation, we knew it was time to grab her for an A-List moment.

What sparked your passion for design?
Probably Jem and the Holograms, they had mad style! And I used to have this really great blackboard on a stand when I was a kid, and I had all this different coloured chalk, I'd sit at it and draw for hours and hours. My mum would take a photo of my masterpiece and then I'd wipe it off and start another one!

How creative were you as a youngster?
Well apart from the blackboard I used to like making my own paper dolls, I'd create entire lives for them! I was always away with the fairies when I was a kid and just didn't want to do anything else but draw, as the old cliché goes, I was drawing from the moment I could pick up a pen.

Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
I come from a super creative family. My Mum is a pianist and music teacher and she has recently discovered a passion for creating her own mosaics and sculpture, and my Dad was a bit of an amateur photographer and a chef. My younger sister recently completed her degree in Fine Arts, she is an amazing photographer and painter. So it was no surprise that I went into a creative field.

What sort of education and training have you had?
I was really torn with what to do when I left school and ended up doing one year of a fashion degree before I realised it was not the path I wanted to follow after all, that's when I discovered graphic design, and loved the versatility of it. I completed my degree in graphic design with honours from Massy University Wellington (New Zealand) in 2004.

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
I was so desperate for someone to just give me a chance that I wasn't going to be picky! I think initially I wanted to work for a large advertising agency like Saachis or DDB, somewhere prestigious that sounded good, which is much less important to me now.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
My first industry project was designing the cd packaging for a New Zealand hardcore band called Second Theory, I remember seeing it being sold in music stores and just thinking I was seriously hot s**t! I'm still fairly happy with what I did, I think because I was true to my own style and had a very clear vision of how I wanted it to look at the time.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? Of course CS3 as far as software goes, technology moves so ridiculously fast I can never afford to keep up with it, and to be honest, as much as I have mastered the mac, I'm pretty old school and prefer pens, paint and a photocopier.

What are the various mediums that you’ve worked with and is there any that you would like to explore? The majority of all the commercial work I do is digital, but I've worked with the traditional mediums like paint and photography, and I've done a bit of web. I'd like to do something in textiles next, and screenprinting.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I hope not! Realistically a lot of it is already being phased out, but I think there are always going to be people out there who appreciate the tactile, collectable qualities of print.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
I love Muckpuddy! They are a group of guys back in NZ who have a cool little animation company, they are flippin' geniuses! And one of the guys Alex is a really awesome painter and designs cute plushy toys with his wife Karla. Check them out!! Anything that's a little bit tongue in cheek gets me excited! I'm also a big fan of Banksy, Bleed and Jeremyville.

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you? I had a tutor back at uni who really taught me the importance of taking a few risks! It was quite liberating because even now when I'm stuck on an project, maybe I'm being a bit too safe, I'll think back to what he taught me and remind myself to rebel!

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Probably just having had the courage to pack up and leave my life behind in New Zealand and move to Melbourne. I had to throw myself into work headfirst with no fear, and it's definitely brought me closer to achieving a lot of the goals I've set for myself.

How would you describe your work?
A bit of a quirky mix up really, quite playful I suppose? It all depends on what it's for. When I have the opportunity to go to town on a project it usually ends up with a lot of hand rendered elements, I dislike relying entirely on a computer. I love experimenting with photo manipulation, and using different paper and varnishes too. I always try and produce carefully thought out, well crafted design, but I am highly critical of my own work and sometimes find it hard to be 100% satisfied with what I've done!

What are your plans for the future?
As far as the immediate future is concerned, I'm just going to keep working my guts out, try to meet some more of the 'right' people, and just keep getting better at what I do. I would like to move to London sometime in the next few years, I'm a bit of a nomad and I like to travel a lot!

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
Somewhere I can be a creative all-rounder would be cool. I'd love to work in a place where I could continue learning and be inspired by the people I'm working with.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
I think it's really starting to make a name for itself worldwide. Like New Zealand, Australia is quite a 'young' country and has to fight a bit harder for worldwide recognition, but that's what makes Australian design so resourceful and unique.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
The best thing is that doors seem so much more open to young designers over here than they do in NZ, and your skills and education are really valued. The worst thing I've found so far has been the realisation that there are several million other people trying to get through the same door!

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? I'm not sure that this challenge is one that is exclusive to Australia, but as technology becomes more accessible to the masses, I am always fearful of mass-produced, just add water design solutions taking over. Businesses are so often looking at ways to cut costs where possible and often undervalue the importance of hiring professional designers to come up with the goods.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Music is really important to me, I love checking out live bands, a lot of my money is spent on concert tickets! I'm a bit of a collector too, I love cutting pictures out of magazines, when I see something inspiring I cut it out and stick it in a book, I have about 3 books now completely filled with crap! I also find sewing quite therapeutic, I love going to fabric stores and touching all the different material, envisioning what I will make.

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
Hmm, embarrassing, I don't know because I haven't been to many bars in Melbourne yet, I'm actually more of a beers at the pub girl to be honest, I like my pubs smelly and dingy, preferably with a loud band playing on stage, bars can just get so damn pretentious! And you can't beat a good pub quiz!

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
dlisted.com (my daily dose of celebrity bashing)
nzherald.co.nz (gotta keep up with the news back home)
maddox.xmission.com (an oldy but a goody)
http://www.bestweekever.tv/ (more insights on current events)
http://www.mukpuddy.com/ (fantastic anamation, comics, paintings, very clever boys!)

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
I'm a total metaller, so at the moment I'm all about Meshuggah's new album Obzen, It's excellent, they have a very distinctive sound, I'm going to see them in October when they come here, very exciting! I also dug up Def Leppard Hysteria recently, that's an oldy but a goody!

If I was a font, I’d be...? A nicely kerned Bodoni

Do you need an A-List Artisan like Emma in your studio? Would you like to know more? Contact Michelle NOW.