Communication Arts interview
Dan and Michael are interviewed over at CA's Insights.
This interview is taken from CA's Insights website. For information on the feature, visit their site at www.commarts.com/insights
If you have a degree in what field is it?
I have a degree in graphic design from the University of North Texas and Michael has BFA in graphic design from Brigham Young University.
Which designer (or design studio), other than yours, do you most admire?
I say Sandstrom Design and Michael says Tolleson Design. We both understand what goes on behind great work and as owners of our own business we’ve gained a greater appreciation for what these two studios have built and how they’ve done it.
What’s the strangest request you've received from a client?
Our number was mistakenly published by the Oregon Humane Society so we get a lot of calls from people wanting to adopt cats. My favorite call went something like this... Me: “Hello, Opolis Design.” Caller: “Do you guys have horses?” There was also a request that involved Michael, a sasquatch suit and an Amy Winehouse impersonator.
If you weren’t working as a designer what would you be doing?
Probably something to do with animal husbandry.
What well-known identity is most desperately in need of a redesign?
Verizon and eBay.
From where do your best ideas originate? Definitely from my frontal lobe but for Michael it’s the first fifteen minutes after a briefing meeting.
How do you overcome a creative block? Easy... start rifling through old CA annuals. Or, just keep noodling; we’ve learned to trust that the answer will come.
What’s your dream project (not client, but project)? Creating a consumer brand from the ground up. One that has just the right amount of money: enough to do interesting things, but lean enough to force uniqueness through resourcefulness.
Do you have creative outlets other than graphic design?
For me, mostly fantasizing about all the cool creative outlets I want to pursue; Michael, on the other hand, is, at heart, not a very creative person.
What’s your approach to balancing work and life? I’ve never had an approach, which is probably why I work way too much. I’m a strong supporter of balance, but unfortunately, I’m not very good at it. Michael’s wife just schedules everything and tells him when and where.
What product/gadget can you not live without? I’m just like everybody else; I can’t imagine life without my iPhone but Michael would be lost without his 1955 portable Underwood Ace Typewriter.
What’s your favorite quote? I really like this one… “Every time man makes a new experiment he always learns more. He cannot learn less.” —Buckminster Fuller
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Don’t go out on your own until you’ve spent time at a place where you’re surrounded by people who are smarter and more talented than you.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career?
That I was going to fine. I was driven by a fear, which actually served me well, but wasn’t very fun. It took me a while to build enough confidence to realize that I could solve most problems just as well as the next guy.
For more info, contact info@opolisdesign.com
