22 Questions!

You don't need us to tell you that hot Web Designers are always hard to find so we're clapping our hands for joy that we've been fortunate enough to meet Michael W. With a wealth of international experience under his belt, he recently moved to Australia from the UK after developing the concept, interface and flash design for some top notch brands.

What sparked your passion for design?
Simple strap lines, posters, billboards, slick advertising campaigns, and typography.

How creative were you as a youngster?
I had a vivid imagination, and loved to recreate film-advertising campaigns. Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future – were my favorites. I loved copying the typography too.

Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
Well, one of my grandfathers was a signwriter (probably explains an affinity for typography!), the other one built his own ‘wireless’ radios – which took up half of the spare bedroom!

Mum studied her A levels in Art as a mature student and I was dragged along (she couldn’t find a babysitter). Then, Dad was always sketching renovation ideas, reworking our family home.

So yes, my family were supportive -they recognised my creativity, encouraged and fostered it.

What sort of education and training have you had?
Diplomas in Design and Design Communication (Glouscester, UK), and a BA(HONS) in Design Communication in (Cardiff, UK).

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
Saatchi & Saatchi (of course) and TBWA– the simplicity and directness of their campaigns always appealed to me.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
A CD Cover – to be honest, I found it recently when I was packing for Australia and was quite embarrassed… I guess you have to start somewhere.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? I love Photoshop for manipulating images and developing concepts. The greatest advancement simply has to go to the iPhone or 'smart phones' in general. As far as I’m concerned the iPhone can do no wrong… I’m currently suffering withdrawal my UK one won't work here. ;(

What are the various mediums that you've worked with and is there any that you would like to explore? 3d animation, 3d Studio Max, Swift 3D. I’d actually like to explore the world of animation more and perhaps conquer Blender.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
Yes, but not for a generation or two, the smart phone will replace print.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
Banksy – I used to see his work when walking the streets of Bristol in my lunch breaks . I was a Junior Web Designer at the time and the punchy social content combined with great imagery really appealed to me. In fact, I saw Banksy’s exhibition at the Bristol Museum recently – well worthwhile!

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you? My last boss actually – Matt. He is the Director of Type 3 Digital. He taught me to focus on content, then the pretty stuff. I tended to focus on the pretty stuff…. He is an all-rounder – a great role model able to sell, manage, programme, design run a business. I also learnt that being a tech geek was nothing to hide.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
This one is still on the boil...

How would you describe your work?
I don’t want to be pigeon holed… I like variety.

What are your plans for the future?
To work in a mutually creative environment where I can bring my skills and knowledge to the table to share and learn with colleagues.

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
I would like to work for a company like Hi-Res. They are great at making flash interactive sites with strong layered visual imagery.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
Whilst backpacking in Australia 5 years ago I was impressed by the standard of work back then, especially Melbourne. When I found out that Banksy had visited here too, I was doubly impressed.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Not sure yet … I guess if the air conditioning breaks down in summer?

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? Augmented Reality (AR) 3D interactive, GPS, Face Detection and Recognition technology will be the next big thing. To implement this technology, Australia needs cheaper, faster, unlimited upload/download broadband and also unlimited web access on mobile phones.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Music, photography, gardening and interior decorating.

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
Again, give me a few years and I’ll get back to you on it … any suggestions?

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
My favourite and useful sites are:
www.my-private-network.co.uk - This site is brilliant if you are an Expat or an Aussie who loved British TV. It provides you with access to UK restricted content such as the BBC iPlayer and other UK media services.
http://logopond.com/ - Great site to research Logo designs.
http://html-ipsum.com/ - Time saving site.
http://www.blender.org/ - If you like to get in to 3D, this site is free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License.
http://colorschemedesigner.com - Useful site to choose complementary colours. It uses a nice bit of JavaScript

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
Newton Faulkner latest album ‘Rebuilt By Humans’. I would give it three and half stars out of five. His first album ‘Hand Built By Robots’ scores five out of five stars.


Do you need an A-List Artisan like Michael in your studio? Would you like to know more? Contact Charlie NOW!