I’ve been interviewed by WhoHub.com
Below is a transcript of the interview.
What is your specialty?
Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography
Where can we view your portfolio online?
http://www.zerflin.com
What made you interested in design?
I always drew as a kid, and design definitely grew from that.
What has been your professional career path?
I started out as an Art and Computers teacher, actually. After that, I moved to a print shop, then to a non-profit’s graphics team, and then to a full-blown agency.
I started my own company in 1999, though, and have been running it since then.
Have you received any awards for your work in the field of design?
Nope, but that hasn’t really been my goal.
What is your motivation? What makes you get up in the mornings?
To be honest, not design. I get up because I like living. I definitely get raw joy out of just experiencing new things. The design is a reflection of that, and sometimes a source of that joy… but not the main source.
How would you define your design style?
Eclectic. I like mixing styles from various timeperiods… and from various cultures to come up with something new.
How do you promote and move your work?
Mainly through word of mouth. My customers have been the greatest mouthpieces for my work; and a few particularly vocal clients have actually become part of my team and now get paid to bring in new clients.
In which new areas would you like to experiment?
I am constantly experimenting by trying to break rules and seeing what happens. When I was learning screenprinting, I asked my professor what things had never been done before, and then went and tried them out.
The results were pretty cool.
Shapes, color, concept: where do you usually begin when conceiving a design?
Concept. I draw. A lot. Drawing helps loosen me up, and calms me down from whatever stresses I might have.
What are your sources for documentation and to generate ideas?
Oh, all kinds of things. I have stacks of magazines and folder and folders of images on my hard drive of just pure inspiration. I tend to keep a larger mental library, though, so I usually just let things stew and come out of that. I only look at my inspiration files when I’ve got designer’s block.
Which festivals or awards in your field do you find most interesting?
Never been to any. Not particularly interested. Any ones with free food?
What is your favourite type of customer?
The ones who say “I trust you, you’re the professional. Do what you do best”.
I live for those customers.
To a certain point, is copying justifiable?
No, I don’t think it is. I hate the use of clip art. If you like a piece of clip art, just redraw it! It might take more time, but the result will be better. If the result is worse, you need more drawing practice.
…and you can practice using the clip art as reference.
When you use something as reference, you’re putting your own spin on it. If it’s not your spin that the client is paying for, what ARE they paying for?
List some things you dislike seeing in design.
Templates. Pre-made stuff that’s applied to everything. Pick a different font. Make UP a different font. Try a different layout. Take an overused layout and work to make it so different it’s brand new. But don’t take the default settings at face value.
Do you believe the newer generations are better at designing?
Absolutely. And they should. They have a bigger pool of design to draw inspiration from.
With which type of client would you decline in working for?
Anything that hurts other people.
How do you calculate budgets for a design project?
By the hour. I estimate how long it will take to create, and then charge by the hour.
Which professionals in your field -contemporary or past- do you most admire?
I don’t know of many. I admire the way my professor David Kasparek critiqued without making you feel personally offended.
Which software applications do you most utilize in your work?
Everything Adobe makes. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, After Effects, and Flash.
Up to what point do your designs reflect your personality?
Completely. My designs are a direct result of my personality, and often the way I’m feeling at that time.
How do you distinguish passing fads from mainstays in new trends?
By the time you realize it’s a trend, it’s on it’s way out. It’s better not to focus on such things.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be doing?
Probably drawing, animating, or playing the piano.
At this moment, what would be your dream job or project?
My dream job? Anything where I can combine what I love with what I’m paid for.
Can you see yourself in this field twenty years from now?
Absolutely. And I hope to be.
Which design resources online do you frequently visit?
StumbleUpon, Logopond, and Advertising Age.
