23 questions!

When someone mentions the name Nev in the Artisan office, there are big smiles breaking out across the office. He is one feel good kind of guy and, combined with some amazing studio skills, proven to be one of our more popular freelancers around. It took a while to get there and some dodgy excuses about his dog eating his computer however we finally managed to track him down for an A-List.

1. What sparked your passion for design?
My family has always loved photography, I think this gave me an excellent eye for composition. Apart from that, nothing much, a lot of Lego (runner up in the National Lego competition in 1981!) I don’t think I’m a natural designer, so probably try to understand it more.

2. How creative were you as a youngster?
I’ve always had a creative mind and been able to think on my feet (you have to when blagging your way through most jobs); getting these ideas into reality has been the greatest challenge. I feel more creative as a thinker/ writer than I do as a designer.

3. Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
Ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa; No. Mum grew up in war torn Germany where getting food for the day was a little more desirable than producing corporate art. And Dad was an Engineer – understanding highlighted by the question 3 years into my career – “So what the F*#k use is a graphic designer anyway?”

Don’t be mislead, they both loved photography and Dad always wanted to be a florist. I think he was a little happier when I joined the Army though!

4. What sort of education and training have you had?
Nursing… didn’t get into design and my last preference was Nursing. Got through that OK though. Then I studied, animation & multi-media and then finally a 2 year course in design at RMIT.

5. Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
Emery, Frost & Ken Cato, Neville Brody, Soul Bass – these guys were a big influence on me. OK Neville Brody only because of his name, but the influence still lived.

God, I feel old now.

6. Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
My big break came from the Victorian Arts Centre, I worked on 2 jobs concurrently. Form concept to final product I might add. They were both DL, the first was advertising 3 upcoming events. My advice to young players; don’t print duotone on yellow stock… end state – crap.

Second my masterpiece – I know, it came early in my career and I’ve been striving to get back there since – A double sided, tri fold DL, including weekend and weekday car park timings. Loved it, the fold was GOLD! (not foil, just good)

7. What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years?
Quark 6.1 – I think the way Quark has excelled in keeping up to date and it’s cross platform/ program interaction are amongst its strongest features.

8. What are the various mediums that you’ve worked with and is there any that you would like to explore?
I’ve worked with mainly print, however I’ve had a strong foundation in Photography. In school, I was involved with a lot of life drawing, mainly because of the models, but also because I was actually really good at it. I’ve tried to incorporate charcoal in Annual Reports, but even the mining companies weren’t interested in this.

Although my training was with Animation, I’ve not worked in the industry, I didn’t want to move cities at that stage of my life. Unfortunately I’ve never been able to get back into it, I’ve tried some Flash, but I fear that stuff will never catch on.

I would LOVE to get into documentaries, it’s amazing how interesting it is to look into another life/ place and explore it – I feel my writing would be of better use here too.

9. Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
NEVER. People are tactile creatures and need to touch and experience. Print will always be around. I cite Property campaigns. If digital is soooo good, why then is the budget for housing sales advertising so high? And in a lot of cases, really well done.

Brands are changing in Australia, advertising companies are engaging experiences and giving more substance to brands. This is essential if they are to survive, especially with competition increasing.



10. Whose work do you really admire and why?
Soul Bass – I grew up with his style and it inspired me to design the way I do.
Stephen Sagmeister – I simply enjoy his style.
Adrian Shaughnessy – Excellent views on the way to run a graphic design business, something that is missing in Australia.
Tom Moore – Glass blowing genius.

11. Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you?
Martin - He’s taught me rationalization and apparently there’s this thing called colour palettes. I sincerely admire his work and ethic. He puts effort into every piece he works on and it’s inspiring to see. I enjoy working with him and learn a lot every time – thanks Martin.

12. What has been your greatest achievement so far?
I remember making a font for the Ninja of the early 15th century. It was the first time they’d seen serifs and some of them didn’t even know what a ligature was!

13. How would you describe your work?
Commercial art – while not always attractive, it’s a challenge to communicate a message with extra barriers, not always design related.

14. What are your plans for the future?
Currently working on setting up my own studio with a view to having it fund my other projects like writing and making a documentary. Ultimately though I’d love to be a Doctor, not the Timelord type, a medical one. Totally ultimate is to continually sail around the world and sun bathe, drink mojitos and read books throughout the Mediterranean.

15. What sort of company would you like to work with next?
I’d like to keep learning. It would be ideal to work with a mentor, someone I can learn from. At the moment I’m working on running my own studio. It’s education and a real buzz to achieve something worthwhile. It also means I’m giving back to the industry.

16. Locally made...What is your opinion of Australian design?
Excellent – Innovative, BUT we must beware of not following the leader. I love NZ design for this reason, they are removed from the European & US design hub, their ideas are really fresh.

17. What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Best – We’re all technophiles. We embrace technology and explore it. THEN, we couple it with practical application. I love this attitude, I would love to come back in 100 years to see what we’ve done and how our innovation has changed the world, for the better I hope!

18. In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future?
We’re still really new as an industry. We need to define ourselves and not get stuck with a singular point of view. Also, accreditation seems to be a big question. It’s great for the fundamentals of design, however a lot of the people I admire would be out of a job!

19. What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Riding my motorbike at the speed of light through curvy roads. It’s wonderful, all you think about is survival, an excellent way to clear the head. Socialising with friends, fine food, wine and of Cheese, the 8th Wonder of the World.

20. What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
I used to love the dark and mysterious Greville Bar until it closed. A wonderfully dim lit place to meet and drink with your closest of friends. Now it’s the Back Bar off of Chapel, it has sense of community and a great style to just relax in.

21. What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
http://www.ffffound.com/ of course – inspiration, and a fab time waster.
www.designmuseum.org - excellent reference and tidbits.
www.yearbookyourself.com - a great laugh.
www.moreismore.com - this guy is a genius, what he can’t do with glass isn’t worth doing. Look out for his documentary on the ABC in Jan 09.
www.sbs.com.au
www.lonelyplanet.com.au - I thought I could sneak these 2 in and be a little indulgent. I love SBSs work and ethos, also Lonely Planet just reminds me of where I’d rather be.

22. What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
I'm listening to Kraftwerk & a podcast called Chillin' with the Chola - Bossa Chola 2008:

23. If I was a font, I’d be...?
Fonts want to be me.

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