Dave Hile: Hi, Lorena, can you share with us a bit about your background? When did you decide to become a designer and what led you to your area of specialty—logos and typography?

Lorena Mirbach: I was inspired from the beginning. Since my early childhood I’ve spent a great deal of time in Venice, Italy. My father is Venetian and a large part of my family lives there. Among them are a number of artists including sculptors, musicians and painters. Of course the city too is inspiring with its architecture, its special atmosphere and its unique beauty. So, both these factors were equally formative in my becoming an artist.

Later as a student I developed a great love for typography. For me type is not just a functional transmitter of content, but rather it reflects emotion and character through its typographical characteristics and shape. It’s almost magical, and in my opinion, a similar magic characterizes a logo, whether as a word or pictorial mark.

DH: It’s apparent that type has been a passion for you from the start. Can you tell us about other influences besides your childhood and upbringing—either artists working today or from the past—that influence the work you do?

LM: In the 1980’s I was fascinated by typographers and brand designers whose key tools were very basic—their minds and hands. Standouts include artists like Neville Brody, Jay Vigon and Richard Seireeni. Others I consider to be “genuine” calligraphers include Niels Meulman, Martin Andersch and Jean Larcher.

Today there are of course a large number of lettering artists who create extremely inspiring works, even though the possibilities offered by the tools of the computer can occasionally obscure the actual quality and beauty of the hand-created line.

I should also mention that there are many superb type-artists on the creative website Behance of which I’m a part, although to be equitable I won’t single out any individual designers here.

DH: I agree with you on that last point. As a member of Behance myself I have been inspired by all the great talent on the site from all over the world (and in fact, that’s how I met you).

Can you walk us through your creative process? You have a very broad spectrum of styles in which you work. Is your process similar or different for each engagement you take on?

LM: I believe whether you’re an illustrator, a typographer, a packaging designer, or whatever discipline you work in, the process behind a project is usually similar for most creatives. You begin with a briefing from the client that hopefully inspires your ideas and helps define a design approach. Next, you weigh your options and create initial layouts. You then select your favorite design roughs, and finalize those for your client presentation. At least that’s how it usually works for me.

DH: You’re right. That’s pretty much how the process goes. Now let’s focus on a specific project. I’m particularly impressed with the work you did for the bar Florida Smokehouse. Explain the restaurant and what the client was looking for in terms of their logo. Also, for that project you created a great many design options. I‘m wondering if you showed them all to the client? At Hile Design we find that if we give our clients more than three or four options, it can actually make the decision process overwhelming for them.

LM: Oh yes—that project. Super start with a nasty end. So here’s the story. Through a fellow member of Behance we were hired and briefed to design a logo for a bar in Gainsville, Florida. The establishment was to be a “smokehouse” in the saloon style typical of that region, with a very masculine decor and historical photographs on the walls. It was aimed at being an entertainment hub with gourmet comfort food, live music, beverages and a fun social atmosphere. It was requested that the logo express an historical feel with an up-scale look.

Well, we developed a whole series of different logos. Normally we show far fewer variations to our clients, since we too are aware of the confusion that can be caused by too many designs, but for this project we went all out. Then we utilized our “inner circle” of peers for a “global poll” on the best design option and we selected the best of the best to present. So far, so good.

Now the “nasty end”! After presenting the initial design phase we contacted the client several times, but he never got in touch with us again. I just hope nothing bad happened to him.

DH: Ouch! I think all creatives have experienced similar tales of woe sometime in their career. Your experience was particularly difficult because you were working with a client outside of the European Union. My company has experienced a few occasions of the “mysterious disappearing client” as well, but we don’t dwell on them and we find most people are honest and trustworthy, so let’s move on.

That project was for a U.S. company, so tell us about the kinds of clients you serve and how you market yourself. Are most of your customers European or are you able to regularly provide services more broadly?

LM: I receive most jobs from design and advertising agencies, with only a few straight from companies or private individuals.

Regarding marketing myself, I’m fortunate in that I hardly ever have to advertise because my work tends to be generated by word-of-mouth. My clients are chiefly German and Italian, but I’d like that to change. I just hope the Smokehouse experience is not symptomatic of business relations outside of Europe.

DH: As long as you work with reputable businesses, it shouldn’t be a problem.

I wanted to ask about how you structure your business routine. What is a typical day like for Lorena?

LM: Let’s see, I warm up with green tea, stir my paint, set out my brushes and work till the job’s finished. And regarding routine, there’s no such thing as a typical day.

DH: That’s one of the things I like about my job too. I come into work in the morning believing I have an agenda, and as the day unfolds, it never ends like I think it will. Every day is new.

Now, could you tell us about creating an entire typeface? We have already talked about your process, but I have to believe that creating a whole typographical alphabet is a unique challenge.

LM: Almost everything I do is based on the same design principles I mentioned earlier, both in terms of strategy and implementation. And yet the development of a typeface differs dramatically from all my other tasks. Of course you have the prerequisites like inspiration, creation, evaluation, reflection, optimization and finalization. But the development of a typeface includes one further aspect, which gives the development process an entirely different dimension. And that’s the time factor. Scarcely any other project I’m familiar with demands so much discipline and staying power.

The process is organic and iterative by nature, so the more calligraphic and less constructive the face typology, the more frequently you need to go back and tweak already developed characters to match the new characters being developed. Yes, it’s a r-e-a-l-l-y long process (that is constantly interrupted by the day-to-day business I need to attend to).

DH: So type design is about creative discipline, patience and tenacity. And that’s what sets you apart. That’s not every designer’s cup of tea. Patience is a virtue many can’t claim.

So finally I have to ask; what are you working on right now, and what would you like to do that you haven‘t done yet?

LM: Currently I’m working on the development of more calligraphic typefaces.

What would I still like to do? Uh, learn Japanese characters from a sensei in Japan! Or update the Coca-Cola lettering!

DH: That’s right—dream big, Lorena. Coke, are you listening?

LM: Thank you, Dave, it was a pleasure speaking with you!

To view more of her work, visit Lorena Mirbach’s page on the Behance network.

Today we are speaking with Julie Fortenberry, a New York illustrator and painter who does just that.

Dave Hile: Hi, Julie. I know that in the past you worked as a magazine illustrator as well as supplying artwork for school publications. What motivated you to start illustrating children’s books?

Julie Fortenberry: Hi, Dave. Thanks for asking! I actually started out as an abstract painter working in oils. Later, when a friend gave me Photoshop I started playing around with it. My kids were small so it was inconvenient to be covered in turpentine and cadmium all the time. Having kids renewed my interest in picture books.

DH: Can you share with us some of the book projects you’ve worked on lately?

JF: Pippa at the Parade by Karen Roosa (2009), Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast by Jamie Korngold, and Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting (both to be released in 2011).

DH: Is there a favorite book project?

JF: My favorite is always what I’m currently working on. Right now I’m illustrating another book by Jamie Korngold, and the cover for Pirate Boy. Pirate Boy includes sea monsters, a magic potion, and (of course) pirates—assignments don’t get any better than that.

DH: Tell us a bit about how the process works. How do you work with the authors? Do they send you a manuscript and give you a lot of freedom to determine what to illustrate, or do they have a list of illustrations already in mind that they’d like you to develop? How much does the publisher have to say about the artwork?

JF: The manuscript comes from the editor. With Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast the author sent a few reference photos for ideas. But generally I just discuss the project with the art director or editor. Some editors send layouts with the text in place, and some let me design the layout. When I’m given the opportunity, I enjoy making the layout, pacing the page turns, etc.

DH: Let’s talk a bit about your style. Your characters are so simply rendered yet so compelling. Can you tell us how your style developed and from where you draw your inspiration?

JF: Thanks! I’ve always been interested in illustration. As an adult I admire Ludwig Bemelmans for his loose and sketchy style. As a kid I loved Richard Scarry’s funny animals and bright, flat color. Those would be my inspirations.

DH: And although your images look like they are illustrated in watercolor washes or gouache I know you work in Photoshop. Is there any point at which you work traditionally—say, with initial sketches?

JF: Not really. I paint entirely in Photoshop using layers and filters. (I’ve downloaded a trial of Corel Painter that offers an overwhelming assortment of watercolor-type brushes, but I haven’t gotten around to trying it.) Somewhere I read that sketching with a mouse was like drawing with a bar of soap. It is, but I’ve gotten used to it, and I can draw a completely awkward looking character and then move his limbs around to make him look as realistic or as comical as I want. I’m always experimenting. When your universe includes sea monsters, just how realistic do you want to be? I also go back and forth with just how loose I like it to look. I love that back button!

DH: Have you ever thought of writing and illustrating your own book?

JF: As a matter of fact, yes, I have a dummy that I want to publish. I love the character I’ve developed and would love to see her story in print. But I’m also tremendously happy illustrating other people’s stories.

DH: Finally, what does the future hold for you? How would you like your career to develop?

JF: I’m hooked. I would just like to keep doing what I’m doing.

Thanks, Julie. We appreciate your time and talent. To see more of Julie’s work please visit Julie Fortenberry’s website.

JF: Thanks, Dave!

Welcome back! Today is the third and final installment of our Jordan Jelev interview. From classic calligraphy to modern typographic masterpieces, Jordan has found a real niche for beautiful labels in the wine industry.

Dave Hile: You have an impressive range of styles, from an ornamental calligraphic style to a sleek modern typographic approach. How did you develop your strong type design skills?

Jordan Jelev: I am both a typography addict and a professional calligrapher, which sets me free in type design. My work might be improved by using some digital fonts, but in many situations you have to switch to custom lettering unless you don’t want to have just “another ordinary design.” Custom lettering is my specialty—it is one of those things that makes my designs more distinguished and recognizable. It is somehow like a personal signature that brings more and more identity to the final product. We are in the 21st century now—everything in our life is so plastic, synthetic and automatic. I think it is good for a digital artist to have experience as a craftsman. I’ll give you an example from March of this year. I was designing the new labels of the Royal Selection wine range (domaineboyar.com). I started looking for some interesting font set to write the word Royal in a more artistic manner—it took me nearly three days and I was still unsatisfied with the result. I used my quills and it took me one more day to do the custom lettering for the same word—the result was amazing.

The background of my custom lettering history starts in my near past. I got a present from my father and my wife—a set of automatic pens and an old bottle filled with ink. Up to that day I had so many digital fonts in my head, and when I grabbed the pens I thought I could write every one of them.

DH: Aside from the typography, you show a lot of innovation in the textures and shapes of your labels—in the planning process, do you tend to envision all these elements as one entity, or do you tend to focus on one element separately and then build the others around it?

JJ: The shape and the texture are design elements, too. They significantly improve the communication between the product and consumers. Imagine that you are 3-4 meters away from the bottle of wine in the store; what you see first is the bottle shape, the label shape, and probably some basic colors—that’s what our eyes produce as an image to our brain. The closer you get to the bottle, the more things you start to see better and better till the moment you have it in your hands, where you can touch it, feel it, maybe even smell it—and finally remember it (and buy it, of course).

All those textures, shapes, varnishes, embossing, etc. are important parts of my design—some projects need to use all of them at once, others don’t need them. It just depends on what both the designer and the market experts say and want from the final product.

DH: You’ve done a lot of work for Bulgarian companies. Are you looking to expand into new markets in other countries?

JJ: Bulgaria will always be an interesting place not only for wine label design, but for the whole wine industry, so I’m really happy to work for our native wineries. I am also focused on approaching some foreign clients from the U.S., South America, Australia and South Africa.

Maybe I should use your “Reverse Method” to approach them—start with a bottle of wine and then send an email! DH: Thanks for all the great insight into your work, your process, and your background, Jordan. It’s been fascinating to learn about design in Bulgaria, and we hope to see your labels gracing the shelves of American wine shops soon!

Visit Jordan Jelev or Factor R Studio to see more about Jordan.

Today we have part two of our three-part interview featuring Jordan Jelev, the vastly talented Bulgarian label designer. Also known as “The Labelmaker,” Jordan gives us an in-depth view of his career and his process, as well as some excellent examples of his work. Make sure to visit soon for the third and final installment.

Dave Hile: What does your creative process entail? Do you taste the wine before designing the label? Do you research the vineyard’s other offerings? For example, on the Bulgarian wine +359 design (which is based on the country’s international phone code), you utilized the type font from the Bulgarian Post in the 1960s. Do you always think so carefully about historical or social aspects of the design?

Jordan Jelev: I did not expect it would turn into a normal practice, but the answer is yes—I always taste the wine before starting my work. It is a significant part of the process. When you design the outer part, you have to know what is inside the bottle in order to make a connection between them and to portray it correctly to the buyer of the product. So when you know what’s inside the bottle, it’s really easy to design a label for it. This makes the whole thing 100% authentic because all the elements of the final product are related to one another. I don’t go crazy finding and creating such relationships between history, wine itself, design, or even aspects of consumer psychology, but I do think that if there is a significant story related to the product, we should bring it forward and show it to people.

DH: Do you have a few favorite labels you’ve designed that you’d like to share with us? Why are these your favorites?

JJ: Sure, though I might say I like all of them.

I am in such a creative period in my development that I am beginning to understand the sense of being different in the wine industry.

I started to think differently when I was creating a label following my new formula—which is, that there has to be something remarkable about the label so people can remember it.

There are several examples of my new period—Rousse Rose is one of them. I decided to make a label based entirely on custom modern typography. So I designed letters consisting of small dots overprinted with puff up varnish. The result was amazing—the letter looked like it was made of small led lights. I believe this label is a good example of modern thinking, considering the fact that I am addicted to vintage typography and calligraphy. So this label was kind of unusual for me. Another good example of my more modern design is my latest work for Sarva, and the Project Wines by Dragomir Winery. I had a wonderful time working for those people, and the result was surprising even to me. The whole design is based on the welding and intersecting of three elements, because the wines were a blend of three grape varieties.

We used ultra-gloss, silver-coated, self-adhesive foil to print the labels on and when used in combination with my favorite puff-up varnish, the result was a great success.

Now to the old classics—A few years ago, I began wanting to design a label that says everything about my skills, technical experience, calligraphy—everything about me as a professional creative. That turned out to be my Shiraz Label created for PVN brand.

The label is 100% hand-crafted, against all the supermoderndigitalhyperturbo 21^st-century technology. I drew it on a sheet of A4-size paper. I photographed it then transferred it to polymer plates and printed it in my kitchen in the cold winter of 2007 at 3 a.m. in the morning.

That label was great fun for me—I still recall it time and again.

Stay tuned for part 3…

Today we post the first of a three-part interview with Bulgarian wine label designer Jordan Jelev, otherwise known as “The Labelmaker.” In the interview, Jordan gives us such a fascinating look at his career and the way he thinks that we wanted to share every word with you. Be sure to come back for the second and third installments, which we’ll post within the next week.

Dave Hile: Jordan, thanks for agreeing to talk with us. First of all, could you provide a little background for us? You didn’t go to school for design, so how did you end up designing professionally?

Jordan Jelev: My design career is a mixture of my daily life events, personality and some strange coincidences. I graduated from the High School of Mathematics in Bulgaria, then I got my economics degree and finally became a graphic designer and calligrapher. It’s a long story!

There is a connection between all these things, though, from my youth up until now. I’ve always had an addiction to stuff like typography, graphic design, packaging, architecture and so on. These addictions allowed me to eventually focus every bit of my individuality, creativity and energy to becoming a visual artist.

DH: And with very successful results! I know you design labels and packages for other industries, but I want to discuss your wonderful wine labels. Did you intentionally set out to design wine labels or did it just begin as an assignment? Was it something that you immediately felt you had a knack for or did you grow into it gradually?

JJ: My wine label experience first started as an assignment, but then it turned into a passion, and then a lifestyle, I might say. In the 1990s I was commissioned to create names for two new wine brands and then to use those new brand names to create two different wine ranges: the Regalis Wines and the Nobilitas wines. This began a whole new stage in my life—both as an individual and as a professional. The truth is that I had some really confusing thoughts at the very beginning about creating a wine label design, but it actually took me a very short time to get inside the problems and specifics of this type of design. Then came the passion—and now I am here.

HD: Let’s talk a little about how you work—do you work independently, taking on freelance assignments, or are you part of a bigger firm?

JJ: To answer the question fairly, I must say that I do both, but it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I have worked for nearly 13 years for Factor R Studio, but my status there is far more than just being a designer hired by a company. I don’t think it makes any difference for the client whether someone approaches me via Factor R or epixs.eu (the official site of Jordan Jelev, the Labelmaker)—they will eventually find me.

DH: Now that you have such a solid reputation for your design niche, do you depend on word of mouth to market yourself or do you advertise your services?

JJ: I have never used any kind of ad to promote my business. Maybe here is the place to mention that for the past two years I have spent a lot of time on the Internet in different design forums, Facebook, and many other places like those. The result is amazing—I have connected with many, many new and interesting people (like you, Dave, for example), and now I feel more like an international designer rather than just a Bulgarian designer. I think the Internet offers a very positive change—it sets a view to brand-new horizons and opportunities worldwide.

DH: Back to the wine labels—I’m just curious: Have you ever tasted a bottle of wine and enjoyed it so much that you contacted the vineyard in hopes of working together?

JJ: (Laughs) No, never did that before. Maybe I should try it—it’s like reversing the process!

To be continued …

I am very happy to interview the well-known Toronto, Canada based illustrator Charlene Chua. She is someone that I have kept my eye on over the past several years, and I am a big fan of hers. A couple of the things that impress me about Charlene are her clearly defined style(s) and her ability to promote herself so successfully; landing a steady flow of assignments is not an easy task in today’s competitive illustration market.

Dave Hile: Hi Charlene. Could you give me a brief summary of your background? How did you end up making a living as a working illustrator?

Charlene Chua: Hi Dave! Thanks for including me in your lovely interview series!

I started work over 10 years ago back in Singapore. My first job was at a company that produced CD-ROMs and later, websites. I started out illustrating and designing screens for CD-ROM content and later moved on to designing websites. Later, I got a job as an interactive producer and interactive project manager.

I originally wanted to be an illustrator but there were no schools for it in Singapore, and my family could not afford to send me overseas to study. At the time there were no grants for that kind of thing, either. I more or less forgot about it until I met my future husband, who encouraged me to make a go at illustration. It was tough giving up my job and a stable income, although by that point I was quite tired of the office routine.

I took to drawing comics for no-name independent companies that offered little or no pay. In retrospect it was not the best idea, but it did get me back into the groove of drawing (I’d stopped drawing for about 3 years at that point). Eventually I started to get a trickle of illustration jobs, and after some time I had enough work to support myself through such projects.

DH: I can relate. When I started illustrating back in the early ‘80’s it took me about 3 years to move beyond living hand to mouth. Like you, I had a steady gig at an advertising agency, which I gave up to go out on my own. And I was married with a newborn! I made my mistakes too, but like with you, perseverance paid off.

I’m interested in how you work. When handed an assignment, do you prefer being given a defined set of project guidelines by your client or would you rather work under less structured parameters?

CC: I tend to prefer working with some sort of framework in mind. Perhaps it’s my character, or perhaps it’s because I like to think of myself as a problem solver, but I find it very difficult to work without any guidelines. It’s not like I like things to be spelled out to the nth degree before I can work, but I prefer having something to aim at. It’s all well and good to create a pretty picture for oneself, but I feel that a piece made for someone else has to live up to certain expectations and fulfill certain functions, and I need to know what those are, otherwise I start getting suspicious that someone isn’t telling me the whole story.

DH: I agree. Communicating the client’s intent IS what illustration is all about. The great thing is that we get to use our own illustrative sensibilities to fulfill that goal. Moving on…

While your work is executed in Illustrator and Photoshop, you work in both a tighter vector style, as well as a looser, more hand rendered look you call “Ink Style”. How do you decide which style to use for a commercial project?

CC: Right now the vector-based style is the predominant style. The ink style is still pretty much a work-in-progress. I do enjoy working in it and I hope eventually I get more jobs that ask to be finished in that manner. But as of now I think it’s still finding it’s place in the world, so I don’t actively suggest it to clients over the other style.

DH: I see. I think it’s a pretty cool style, so I hope you flesh it out more and offer it as a commercial option.

So you mention that your Ink style is something you are working on, which brings me to my next question: When you sit down to draw for pleasure, what are some examples of your inspiration? Are they different than for your commercial work?

CC: It’s sadly becoming a rarer and rarer thing for me to sit down and do a piece of art just for myself. Usually I have something to work on and after a day of drawing, rendering and conceptualizing, the last thing I want to do is draw more.

A lot of my personal work these days are just sketches in my sketchbook. Sometimes they are concepts that explore ideas I have, other times they are just random images of whatever comes to mind.

Some examples from my blog:

http://blog.charlenechua.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/crow.jpg

http://blog.charlenechua.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/seated-348×500.jpg

http://blog.charlenechua.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/koi-goddess.jpg

DH: I can definitely relate. I literally went about 20 years without doing any art other than assignment work. Then a few years ago I went out and bought an easel and set up a painting studio in my basement. I got into it for a while, but it drove my poor wife Claudia nuts. Every time I would finish a painting and hang it up in our house, I’d later take it down, gesso over it and start another painting. Out of the 4 or 5 paintings I did, I only have one that still remains.

As I mention in my intro, you have successfully stayed very busy in a tough business. Share a bit about how you market yourself. What’s been most successful, and have you ever used an illustrator’s rep (a professional art representative who promotes several illustrators and takes a percentage of their assignment profits)?

CC: A rep represented me some years ago but I decided that it wasn’t for me and I left.

I market myself in the usual manner – postcards, e-newsletters, and emails to previous clients. Most of the time people just say that they found my website, saw my work and contacted me. To be honest I dislike sending postcards. I think they get tossed out most of the time and that it’s a huge waste of resources. E-newsletters are sort of better that way although everyone is sending them now and they don’t do very much in helping you stand out from the crowd.

DH: So for you it seems as though word of mouth is as effective as anything. That speaks a lot about your talent.

Now let’s talk about some of the projects that are meaningful to you. What have been some of your most rewarding jobs, and conversely, your least favorite projects (if you can express it without naming names)?

CC: Recently I had the opportunity to work with Mclaren McCann Toronto on a direct mailer for World Vision

(http://www.charlenechua.com/illustrations/worldvision1.html). The job included the illustration for the envelope as well as a little mask that was done with lenticular printing. I enjoyed working with the art director to bring the concept to life, and it was great to see the finished product.

With regards to least favorite projects, any project that ends with the client skipping out on payment is probably my least favorite project.

DH: Ouch! Has that happened very often, and if so, do you take legal action?

CC: It’s happened a few times, sadly.  I’ve never engaged a lawyer because the amounts were never big enough (in my opinion) to warrant it. In one case at least the client was in a different country and it would have just been too difficult. I send email reminders and try to follow up with such clients but sometimes things just don’t work out.

DH: Let’s move on to a new subject. Do you work from home or do you have a studio or office out-of-home? If at home what are the advantages, disadvantages?

CC: I have a small studio in my similarly small apartment. Working from home is fine for me; I don’t get distracted by the TV or bed. I find the idea of commuting to be a pain – it takes up time and energy. I get up in the morning, walk 10 steps to the studio and turn on the computer, go make coffee and wash up, and I can start my work. My routine is usually set so when I need a meal break I can go prepare a meal for myself and my husband (who also works from home), which tends to be healthier and cheaper than eating out.

I suppose the only disadvantage of a home studio for me is that sometimes I wonder if I spend too much time ‘at work’. It’s past 1am as I am writing this and I spent my whole Sunday working, and most of Saturday as well. When your office is your home, it’s a bit harder to enforce weekend breaks on yourself.

DH: When I first started out, I worked out of a small apartment my wife and I were living in. But after a few months I knew I needed an office away from home. I’d start watching news during lunch and before I’d know it I’d be scolding myself for watching some lame soap opera. You have a lot more discipline than I had.

Speaking of your schedule, between CharleneChua.com, your Illustrophile blog, your Sygnin work, your professional jobs, and your personal work you seem to have A LOT going on; how do you make time for it all? And do you have a life outside of work (which is a valid question for an illustrator)?

CC: Most of my time is spent working on the jobs that pay. When I have extra time, I work on my own stuff. Lately I’ve been contributing to a magazine that my husband writes for – it doesn’t pay but it lets me use the ink style in just about any way I please. I think that, when I need to be, I can be more efficient at managing my time than some people, so that’s how I seem to get more done.

My husband and I also like to joke that we are a boring couple, and in a sense that is true. Our lives for the most part involve work, playing video games, getting groceries and eating. We hang out with friends now and then, but apart from that we don’t do anything exciting. We’re also at the mercy of the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) since neither of us drives, and that pretty much puts a stop to any ideas we may have for day trips and the like.

DH: One of the outlets for your work that we haven’t discussed is ETSY. You have quite a bit of your artwork for sale on there (http://www.etsy.com/shop/charlenechua).  Have you found much success in the independent retail sale of your work, and do you feel a different sense of accomplishment between getting paid for commissioned work than for personal sales?

CC: I’ve had some success with Etsy; I believe I have sold over 100 prints on it. But that’s been over a period of 3 years or so and I have not been marketing it so it’s a really relative success.

The things I sell on Etsy are small prints that I think people can buy without too much thought. I offer them for the odd fan that would like to show their support, and to make a little pocket money from the sales. I don’t consider them pieces of ‘art’. To me there is little difference in selling a print in a store or online. I did sell a few originals, which seemed kind of cool. It does feel a bit sadder; selling an original, since you know you can never get it back.

DH: You’ve already referenced the work you did for World Vision. Tell me how you got into the children’s market, and how much of your project work it comprises?

CC: Right now, the lion’s share of my work comes from educational publishers. I am usually contracted to produce work for grade school textbooks and workbooks.

I suppose I got into the children’s market because that’s how people saw me. I did not start out wanting to be a children’s illustrator. But clients saw a use for my work in children’s products, and well, strength builds on strength. Perhaps my work is also naturally inclined that way; it’s a suspicion I have but I can’t really tell for sure.

DH: You clearly have some big name clients under your belt (Dove, Google, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, National Geographic) as well as plenty of awards—so what do you want to do that you haven’t done yet and what are your long-term career goals?

CC: For awards, Commarts keeps eluding me, as well as the Society of Illustrators (NY). I may keep trying till I win at least once. Or I may just think it better to save my money.

I don’t really have any concrete long-term goals at the moment, which is probably quite horrifying to hear. I guess my medium term plans are to try and see if there are any options open to me that would allow me to continue illustrating yet provide some more stable, predictable form of income, since I doubt illustration alone will be able to see me through the next 30 or so years. That, and building up my portfolio with more ink and concept-driven work.

DH: Modesty aside, I think you have what it takes to make it for the long haul. My illustration career morphed into founding a graphic design studio and then into an advertising agency, so you never know what will happen – plans or no plans. I do hope that whatever you do, we will continue to see your work in editorial and advertising projects from around the world.

Thanks again for sharing with us, Charlene.

To see more of Charlene’s work please visit these sites:

http://www.charlenechua.com/

http://altpick.com/charlene

http://blog.charlenechua.com/

We’ve all shopped for groceries. It’s part of our daily, weekly or bi-monthly routine. We may experience shopping either as a mundane routine to be endured, or as some in our office have confessed, a fun and relaxing “event.” We all have brands that we buy regularly, others we don’t like and still others that we are willing to try out. Our decisions for the brands we buy can be shaped by word of mouth, trial and error, and advertising and packaging. Products might tout a newly added ingredient (“New and Improved!”) or position themselves with price versus value, nutritional benefits or some other determiner that’s important to us. Some on our staff have even bought products based solely on how cool the package design is—but of course designers are not your typical demographic consumer group!

As we reach for that can of green beans, jar of facial cream or box of breakfast cereal, we may not be aware of all the brainstorming, research and marketing that goes on in support of the products we buy.

This past year a local brand innovation firm, The Arbor Strategy Group (ASG), was acquired by GfK, the world’s fourth largest marketing research firm, and is now known as GfK Strategic Innovation, GfK’s global innovation practice area. The company helps their clients address a variety of growth issues through strategic brand innovation by utilizing a process of identifying relevant, high-potential market opportunities and developing successful new concepts and products to fill those spaces.

GfK Strategic Innovation’s Phil Roos has agreed to share with us about his own background, some insights regarding product branding, and how his company does what it does.

Hile Design: Hi Phil, thanks for taking time to speak with us. For starters, please tell us about your own professional background and how you ended up founding ASG.

Phil Roos: I have a strange background. I started as a CPA, but never actually practiced the craft, and decided instead to go into marketing. I was in brand management at Quaker Oats, where I worked on granola bars and cereals, and I ran the Gatorade business as my last assignment. Since then, I’ve been president of a cookie and snacks company, head of marketing at Little Caesars Pizza, and held a similar position at a leading lawn and garden chain—with a couple of stints in consulting along the way. I have a resume only a consultant would love.

I started Arbor Strategy Group in 1998 as a boutique growth-strategy consulting firm. In 2001, we bought what we now call NewProductWorks, our innovation center located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It contains the world’s largest physical collection of innovative new consumer products from around the world. We track every new product launch across 300-plus product categories globally, and procure samples of the most innovative for our collection. We also have a database and analytical interface of global new product launches that we use to understand patterns in how categories develop and what innovation will work at a given period in the category’s evolution. We have a tool called the Innovation Tree® that we use to predict what type of innovation will be successful in the future. That has transformed our business, as we now have a way to make disruptive innovation predictable. We now can truly show clients how we can help them to “See the Future” and “Be the Future”—to figure out where the big opportunities of the future are, and then develop winning ideas that will help them capture those opportunities.

We were recently acquired by GfK, which has allowed us to truly apply our knowledge on a global footprint, as GfK has offices and local expertise in over 100 countries.

HD: Wow, you’re right, that’s quite a resume. And I wonder how you stay so fit and trim while working with all those snacks, cookies and pizzas? You must have strong willpower!

I remember the first time I visited your office (which is very cool) here in Ann Arbor. When I walked in and saw your NewProductWorks, I thought I’d entered a grocery store! It’s really fun and informative to select a product from the collection and see its marketing history expressed through its various packaging and messaging over the years. I also enjoyed seeing products and packaging from different parts of the world—fascinating.

Speaking of packaging, share with us what makes for an effective brand, and how do consumers’ buying habits affect the messaging of a brand?

PR: The most successful brands are able to connect with consumers’ emotional needs. This is particularly true of brands that cross multiple categories. They “own” a consumer emotional space that allows them to transcend the dynamics of different categories. Beyond emotional benefits, what is critical is that the brand backs that up with the product features and functional benefits that are right for a particular point in time. Consumer emotions don’t change much, but the features and functional benefits they see as addressing those needs change all the time. Hitting the market with the right message and product bundle at the right time is critical to success.

HD: Got it. I bet a lot of people reading this article don’t realize that emotion is a part of their buying process, but it is.

Does the process differ between rebranding an existing product compared to launching a new product?

PR: Truthfully, there isn’t much difference. The key is in understanding where the market and consumer are in their evolution, and delivering the right bundle of benefits to match the current and emerging needs. With an existing brand, you have the existing equity and baggage of the brand to fit into the equation. That means that whatever track you take in addressing the market opportunity needs to be approached through the lens of all of the good and bad that the brand brings to the situation.

HD: Yes, one brand that comes to mind in terms of consumer evolution is how Cheerios has adjusted its marketing message to position itself as more than just a nutritional cereal. With the aging of the U.S. population, it now includes messaging about its cholesterol lowering benefits.

You mentioned that one of the reasons that companies come to you is to help them determine future consumer buying trends. Can you share more about NewProductWorks (NPW), and how it is used in this process?

PR: NPW plays a key role both in “See the Future” (i.e. identifying the big future strategic opportunities for innovation) and in “Be the Future” (i.e. developing specific winning innovation concepts/ideas). In “See the Future,” the product collection and database are central to analyzing innovation patterns to determine “what’s next” in terms of successful innovation in a category or market space.

HD: I see. Can you share about the process of product ideation—that is, when your team and the client meet to work together? What does a day of ideation look like?

PR: Among other things, our consulting and client teams (and even consumers) “shop the collection” for inspiration from other categories, other parts of the world and other points in time (we have about 30 years of historical product categories, and I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “there is no such thing as a new idea…”) to generate ideas for a market space or category in which they are trying to innovate.

HD: Can you share with us what you see as growth spaces within the grocery industry in the next 10 to 15 years?

PR: In our model, we think about there being four cornerstone consumer motivators that drive consumer interest in any given product or product category: Gratification, Wellness, Convenience and Safety. Gratification is where you’d find benefits like taste, indulgence and customization “for me”—anything that says, “I’m worth it”—and the other three motivators are probably pretty self-explanatory. There are many different dimensions of each (e.g. under Wellness, you can have Holistic Wellness, Prevention of Disease, Performance, etc.). We see a future with tremendous advancements against all of these drivers, as consumers look for ever more powerful ways of getting their needs met. We see particular advancements in Wellness and Safety. We expect to see many more food and grocery items that purport to prevent disease and to deliver an even higher order of wellness needs, such as giving you a sense of personal fulfillment and well being. In the Safety area, we expect continued advancements in the area of sustainability: from natural, to organic, to locally grown, to new and more advanced ways of “doing the right thing” for your community and the planet. It should be an exciting next decade.

HD: I’m particularly happy to see companies being more concerned about sustainability. Since our own firm creates packaging for several different industries I can say that this is at the forefront of much of today’s packaging. For instance, there are new blister plastics created from cornstarch, as opposed to petroleum-based chemicals. Although they aren’t quite as clear as the traditional petrol plastics, a lot of research is going into refining the new materials so that they are of equal quality, while being biodegradable.

As mentioned earlier, last year your company was bought by the German marketing research agency, GfK AG. Was selling the company that you founded a difficult decision to make, and could you describe the benefits that you’re seeing with the new relationship?

PR: Partnering with GfK was an easy decision for us—a natural given where we were in our growth trajectory. The innovation business is becoming increasingly global, and being part of GfK gave us the ability to much more easily serve large global clients across multiple geographies. GfK also brought other infrastructure benefits that would have been difficult for a company our size to build on our own. So, it was a good match.

HD: Sounds like it’s what you needed to do to stay competitive. We just hope your branch stays here in Ann Arbor. We like you guys.

Finally Phil, get innovative. If you were a brand of beer, would you be a pale ale, a lager or a fancy import?

PR: Beer, like every other consumer product, is occasion-driven. When I’m having a special “me moment,” I’m a super-premium Weiss beer. When I’m watching the Red Wings with my brother, Bud Light does just fine.

HD: Thanks Phil. We wish your company continued success, and we’ll be thinking of you next time we’re buying groceries. I don’t suppose you hand out savings coupons, do you? No, didn’t think so!

For more information about The Arbor Strategy Group (GfK Strategic Innovation) and NewProductWorks, visit Arbor Strategy’s website.

If you are like me, you may not have a clue about what the advertising world is like beyond the shores of the USA, so let’s find out.

Hile Design: Hi, Thodoris. Let’s start with the fact that you live and work in Greece, a small country compared to the United States, where most of our readers are from. Can you tell us about what it is like to make a living as a commercial illustrator in Greece, and a bit about the overall advertising industry in your country?

Thodoris Tibilis: Hi, Dave! Though Greece is a small country, many international ad agencies are located here. From my personal experience of working with ad agencies both in Greece and in other countries, I’d have to say the experience is about the same. The main difference is an issue of exposure. When you work for a Greek ad agency, most of the time your exposure is limited to the Greek market. Of course there are always exceptions. I have created illustrations for Greek ad agencies that have been used in many foreign markets as well.

But when you work for an American ad agency the exposure is greater. The target market is much bigger to begin with, and the benefits to the illustrator don’t stop there, because you have the possibility of reselling additional rights through different channels.

So far, my responses have concerned the commercial [agency] illustration market.  Things are not so optimistic if we talk about the book publishing industry in Greece. Publishers here pay very small project fees and demand that they receive complete illustration copyrights forever! It is outrageous but sadly, it’s common! That is why the majority of the talented Greek illustrators are working as freelancers worldwide or for Greek-based ad agencies and not for book publishers.

Actually, there are only a few Greek commercial illustrators who make a living at it, because the market is small here and there’s a lot of competition. It takes time and effort to became one of them, but when you succeed you are rewarded.

The overall advertising industry in Greece produces very high quality work, and things are getting better year by the year. Some campaigns from these agencies are used internationally and many Greek ad agencies have been recognized in international competitions.

HD: As you mentioned, besides Greece, you work for clients in other European countries as well as the USA. What are some additional differences that you experience when working with clients outside your country?

TT: The main difference I experience when working for ad agencies in foreign countries is the many miles separating us. But thanks to the Internet this issue has largely been resolved. Unfortunately though, I don’t have the opportunity for direct interpersonal communication. Another thing to mention is that the legal contracts differ from country to country, due to varying laws.

Also, different countries belong to different time zones and, especially when a project is in progress, you have to be available at all hours of the day and night. Of course the currency is different, but that is a minor problem. The last difference I should mention is that promoting yourself to ad agencies in different countries makes for an awful lot of self-promotion.

HD: I bet it does. Let’s turn to your background. Growing up did you always know you wanted to be an illustrator? And what is your educational background?

TT: As a child I didn’t know what I wanted to become professionally. But from early childhood I always enjoyed drawing and making sculptures and handcrafts. Even though I successfully graduated from university with a degree in economics the only thing I truly learned is that I knew what I should avoid! So I am a self-taught illustrator. It took me many years after university to realize that I wanted to be an illustrator, mainly because I didn’t even know whether there was such a profession that could sustain me.

HD: For a self-taught illustrator you certainly have learned your lessons well. You have such a great style. Your cartoon characters have a lot of vitality and energy, and they definitely appeal to the kids’ market. Is this the subject and cartoon style you have always worked in, or did it evolve over time?

TT: As a self-taught artist I have tried many media that I discovered in art stores without knowing how to use most of them at first. Different media led me to different forms of art. Through this procedure my main cartoon style evolved over time.

DH: Speaking of different media, I know that you have recently been experimenting with creating characters in clay, which you then photograph. What led to trying this new medium?

TT: I like to experiment! It’s fun and I believe that it is extremely helpful to spend some time trying to express oneself in new ways. At the least it charges my batteries and gives me new ideas. This is true whether it leads me into a new style or just expands my horizons in my current style.

HD: Let’s talk about workload. As an illustrator myself, I know that life can be filled with industry ups and downs. Depending on the project, one day I’ll feel on top of the world and the next I can feel like no one in the world likes my work. Can you share with us the most enjoyable and rewarding project you have ever worked on, and conversely, the worst, most horrible job?

TT: It’s nice to know that I am not alone in this world. I share the same ups and downs (fortunately for me, more ups than downs), but I know now after 15 years as a professional, that this is the reality of being an illustrator.

I feel lucky to have done many enjoyable and rewarding projects over the years. I wouldn’t want to choose one of them, but I can definitely say which was the worst, and really horrible. It was a book that I did 13 years ago. In mid-project the deadline changed to half the time we had agreed upon, so I was rushed. Though the client was happy in the end, I was not satisfied. After a couple of months, when I saw the published book I felt so disappointed that I promised myself to never do something like this again. It was a great lesson and since then I’ve tried in every project to give it my best.

HD: I think all illustrators have had similar experiences. You and I email back and forth a lot about how we market our illustration services. Tell our readers about how you reach new markets and obtain new clients. And I never asked you whether you have ever used an illustrator’s rep—have you? (For our readers, an illustrator’s rep is someone who partners with illustrators to handle the business side of project negotiations. Typically a rep will work with between 5 to 50 or so different artists, each with their own unique style. The rep handles drumming up assignments and advertising for the illustrator. Then the rep takes an agreed-upon percentage of the illustrator’s assignment fee.)

TT: Self-advertising and showing my portfolio are my promotion tools. I try to maintain a strong presence on the Internet as well as in publications through illustration ads. To date I have never used a rep, but I am thinking of finding someone to represent me in the US market.

HD: If there are any reps reading this, take note! Thodoris, I have always been impressed by the amount of work you turn out. It’s a testament to your talent. But a downside of being so busy for extended periods of time is “Illustrator Burnout.” Earlier in my career (when I was much younger) I pulled a lot of all-nighters. It’s just something I had to do to build my business. I know that you have experienced similar stresses due to your workload. How do you deal with burnout, and has there ever been a time when you just wanted to get out of the commercial art business?

TT: I have experienced “burnout” three times (fortunately, for small periods of time). The symptoms: feeling miserable and losing the desire to illustrate. I just wanted to go on extended vacations and spend my days doing nothing. I handle it by just stepping back and listening to myself, then I get over it. Interestingly, it doesn’t happen when I have projects in progress. It happens to me when I’m on vacation, because then I allow myself to relax from all the hard work. [With burnout] I just want to stay on vacation indefinitely. I think that burnout happens because of our love of illustrating. We love it so much and we accept all these nice projects coming, without keeping in mind that we also have a need to rest. It’s a love issue…

HD: Yes, I agree that because most illustrators love to illustrate so much, they don’t separate their work life from their private lives. It all blends together. And that can lead to burnout.

With a 15-year career behind you, what is there to do as an illustrator that you haven’t done yet?

TT: One of my goals is to do character design for a 2D or 3D cartoon movie. Another goal is to better master the 3D software that I am now learning, in order to create 3D illustrations as well as 3D animations. I am sure that when I succeed with these goals I will create some more goals and this is the way it goes.

HD: I know I will be keeping an eye on your work in the future. Thanks for sharing with us, Thodoris.

Finally, I would like you to end this interview with whatever you would like to say, but it has to be in Greek! Then if any of our readers are fluent in Greek, they can leave me a comment translating your text. (Readers beware: I will run your reply by Thodoris for a quality check of your translation skills!)

TT: Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη συνέντευξη. Εύχομαι για την εταιρία και εσένα προσωπικά ό,τι καλύτερο!

Visit Thodoris’ website to see more of his illustrations.

Let’s find out a bit about what it takes to conceptualize, design and manufacture everyday consumer products that are functional, environmentally friendly and also beautiful to behold.

Sorapot

Hile Design: Hi, Joey. You have an interesting background in that you started out in college pursuing creative writing. Writing is a medium that depends on people forming their own mental images based on the imaginary world the author creates. Industrial design, on the other hand, reveals a physical object interpreted and designed solely by the designer and presented to the consumer. Do you see a parallel between these two different creative processes?

Joey Roth: Hi, Dave. The two processes actually aren’t that different to me. I think that the meaning of a teapot, a short story, or any creative piece comes from a conversation between the creator’s intention and the reader’s interpretation. Once people start using something I designed, I lose the final say on what it means—and that’s part of why I love design. An object, like a piece of writing, means something different to each person who uses it because of the person’s unique memories, associations and expectations. These mediate any encounter with something new.

HD: Sorapot, your take on the modern teapot, made it into the marketplace in a big way. I’ve seen it all over the Internet and in catalogs such as Veer. Can you share with us the background story of how you conceived the pot and how you went about designing it?

JR: Before I loved design, I loved tea, and making a teapot for my first independent product was an easy choice. I wanted to emphasize the beauty of leaves unfurling as they steep, and use materials in their most raw form. The glass tube that bisects the steel arch flowed naturally from these parameters. Figuring out how to make such a simple shape function as a teapot took a lot longer.

HD: Tell us what kinds of considerations and challenges went into finding a manufacturer for the Sorapot, and how you went about marketing the product?

Photo credit: Jean-Marie Phonesavanh

JR: I designed Sorapot as a portfolio piece during my junior year. I didn’t intend to manufacture it until a writer for Cool Hunting somehow discovered it and posted on it. The same day, I received a ton of emails from individuals and stores asking about price, availability and minimum order quantities. They thought it was a real product, so I decided to make it one.

I eventually finalized the design and found the right manufacturer through a great referral. I began to take pre-orders through my site, and was able to fund the first production run largely from these sales. Not coming from a design school background, there’s a ton I’m still learning about manufacturing, ergonomics, SolidWorks and all the other things that industrial design students master by the time they graduate. Luckily I’ve made some friends who are design school alums, and they’ve been an invaluable resource. The same goes for wrangling incorporation, fulfillment, insurance and forecasting into a viable business—I couldn’t do it without help from friends who’ve done it already. In general, I try to see all the day-to-day frustrations as map markers that force me to find a better way as I shape my business. The process is a lot like designing a product.

HD: You have a strong commitment to to the environment. How does that get expressed in your products and packaging?

JR: Most products that harm the environment are made from permanent materials, but are designed for short lifespans. I make sure that my designs either become more beautiful with use or disappear as cleanly as possible. My dream is to see a well-used and well-loved Sorapot in an antique shop in a few decades. The raw stainless steel will record the user’s daily tea making, becoming shinier where it’s held, revealing where it was scrubbed, and changing color gradually as tea tannins are deposited on its surface. It will look far better than when it comes out of its box, which will have decomposed long ago.

HD: What inspires your design work?

JR: I’m inspired by everyday rituals like swiping a card at a train turnstile, talking on the phone, and of course, making tea. I think each of these rituals has the potential to become an oasis in modern overcomplicated life, but people tend to ignore them, largely because of ease-of-use advances that designers have made. The less thought a product requires to use, the less the user will think about the task. This is great in most circumstances, because it allows people to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. Some tasks reveal tremendous beauty if they’re given some thought, however, and I try to design products for these tasks. For example, the easiest way to make tea is to nuke some water in a mug and stir in powdered Lipton, but the point of making tea isn’t the tea itself. I designed Sorapot to encourage its user to attend to the details, while still making a delicious cup.

HD: Could you share a bit about your daily work routine and environment?

JR: I like to wake up early and make oatmeal for breakfast. I use the daytime to call people, meet with people, find new customers, make sure my existing customers are delighted. In the afternoon I usually take a break to explore San Francisco. After dinner I do creative work—designing new products and planning for the future.

HD: Are there any projects you are working on currently that you are excited about?

JR: I’ve been spending a lot of time designing shoes, trying to channel elegance through humble materials like cork, felt and steel. I’m also working on cardboard furniture that’s designed to last about a year, and then decompose in your yard. I’m starting to get into interiors as well.

The next design that’s actually ready for production is an optical mouse made from felt and teak. Mice are in constant contact with your hand, but for some reason they use the same materials and design language as computers, which are in constant contact with your desk. I re-imagined the mouse as a personal accessory, using materials that feel good against the skin and will change over a break-in period to fit your hand. Felt also allows me to maintain the boxy aesthetic I love while ensuring that the mouse is comfortable. I hope to have it ready this fall.

Optical mouse

HD: You are a young guy with a whole career ahead of you. Envision yourself at retirement age. What would have been your greatest achievement?

JR: If I ever feel like my greatest design achievement is behind me, I’ll go back to writing.

Want to learn more about Joey Roth and his work? Visit his website or the sorapot website now.

Hile Design: Hi, Robert. Can you tell us what Filtre Studio does for its clients?

Robert Frolich: Filtre Studio’s primary focus is high-end creative image retouching. We work with advertising agencies, design firms and photographers to artistically enhance images, or in some cases create them from scratch. Projects we work on range from simple color correction to complex multi-image composites, combining 10 or more images to create one extraordinary image.

Often, we work with a client to create a composition that would be impossible, or at least cost prohibitive, to create in camera. Or the task can be taking an ordinary photograph and increasing the drama through a carefully crafted color palette, creating an entirely new look and feel.

Sometimes, it’s about making an already beautiful photograph even more beautiful. We have had the pleasure of working with some very talented photographers. Recently, some of our retouched images for TYR Sport, shot by award-winning photographer Steve Bonini, have been featured in Lürzer’s Archive 200 Best Ad Photographers worldwide. Also, German Vanity Fair has featured some of our International Truck images, shot by Andy Goodwin.

HD: You came out of an ad agency background, before founding Filtre. Can you share a bit about your past positions and tell us how you ended up specializing in digital imaging?

RF: I come from a design and art direction background. I started out with a small agency in Ann Arbor, Michigan, working on General Motors assignments. I then moved on to a Raleigh, North Carolina, agency for 6 years before returning north to Chicago as a creative director for Bagby and Company. There I worked on Sony, International Truck and Miller Lite. I’ve always been with small to mid-size agencies, which gave me the opportunity to wear several hats. With the larger shops, everyone is more specialized—the creative director is often more of a manager, overseeing art director/writer teams who come up with the concepts that then get handed off to production. Being at smaller agencies gave me the opportunity to see a project through from start to finish. Especially in the early years, if I wanted to see one of my ideas produced, I would have to do the retouching myself. Often, the budget just wasn’t there to send it out to a studio. Creating an image from scratch, or making a photograph more beautiful than it was to begin with, is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. The post-production has always been the icing on the cake for me.

HD: If there is such a thing, what is a typical day like at Filtre Studio?

RF: Every day is different, but at Filtre the one common denominator is the morning routine. Coffee.  Lots of coffee. Then, on to the day’s business. I know many creatives like to use that early morning time to generate ideas. We generally prefer to use that time to answer emails, make phone calls, do invoicing, estimates, scheduling and any other administrative tasks that need to be done. Then we can focus on digging into an image. With the larger composite images, it’s good to block out several hours of uninterrupted time. Late morning through mid-afternoon is usually a good time to focus on that.

HD: We know that Adobe Photoshop is an indispensable tool for you, but are there other tools you use in your work as well?

RF: Yes, Photoshop is where we spend 90% of our time. Because it’s so important to what we do, it’s also the one program where we approach each new software release with fear and trepidation. While we eagerly anticipate all of the “revolutionary” new features, we also know there are going to be an equal number of new bugs to ferret out. At the end of the day, we mostly rely on a core set of tools that have been with Photoshop from the first release: curves, the selection tool, the paintbrush tool and the info palette. These are the foundation tools of any image work.

For camera raw processing, we have Capture One Pro and DxO Optics Pro. While we typically don’t do big corrections in raw, we’ll process the images differently based on what the original looks like, and where we’re going to take it. Photoshop, for example, has superior tools for enhancing detail in the shadows and recovering highlights. DxO Optics Pro has very advanced camera/lens specific optics corrections and noise reduction. For example, if a photographer gives us raw files shot on a Canon 1Ds Mark III with a 24-70mm lens, there is a module for that specific camera body/lens combination.

On the Windows PC side, we use Autodesk 3D Studio Max for 3D work. We also use Onyx RIP (raster image processor) software, which gives us very accurate continuous tone proofs from our Epson 4880 printer.

In addition, we have a 21MP Canon 5D Mark II that comes in handy for pickup shots and shooting textures for 3D work.

HD: You work with a lot of leading photographers who are hired by different agency art directors and creative directors. How do you all get on the same page to assure that after the photographer has his shoot, you have what you need to complete your assignment successfully?

RF: It just depends on how the job comes to us. If we estimate the job through the photographer we’ll usually have more input at the preproduction phase. Ideally, we can be at the shoot to consult, but due to budget and time constraints, that is often not the case. Usually we’ll have a prepro call between the agency, client and photographer to ensure a smooth process. If the image will be a composite of several elements combined with the background plate, the best photographers deliver a set of images that pay strict attention to perspective, and direction and quality of the lighting. As is often the case, talent will be shot separately from the background. If the lighting doesn’t match, it makes our job very difficult.  Even in this day of digital magic, it’s almost always better to capture everything you can in camera, then use post production to enhance the image.

HD: To date, do you have a favorite assignment, and why?

RF: My favorite assignments tend to be the ones that go beyond what you would consider traditional “retouching.” Where Filtre Studio really excels is developing a visual treatment for an image, or a series of images for an ad campaign. Filtre worked closely with internationally recognized British photographer Stuart Hall and McCann Erickson NY to enhance a series of Images for Mobil 1. A limited color palette and stylistic treatment was created to heighten the drama and speed of the images.

Currently we’re working on a project for Chicago design firm Zun Partners and the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.  It’s a very interesting project for us. We’re working with curators at the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House to ensure historical accuracy. From a combination of current photographs, and historical photographs taken in 1909, we’re creating a series of images that show the Robie House dining room during various stages of the restoration process, from where it was when FLW Preservation Trust acquired the house to where it will be, fully restored, a year from now.

Right now, they’re about midway through the restoration, so we had to “deconstruct” the room to show the bare, beginning stage. We digitally removed the custom rug, replacing it with a separately photographed oak floor. The wall finishes were removed along with a built-in buffet that had already been restored. Then, we recreated the stages in between, adding back in the wall finishes, rug, buffet and missing woodwork. Next, all of the furniture and light fixtures will be digitally added to show a fully restored dining room. As a side note, it’s a little weird when the client calls here. The caller ID truncates the name to “Wright, Frank”, so for a moment you wonder who’s going to be on the other end of the line. We hope that our finished work will live up to Mr. Wright’s legendary standards.

HD: Technology has advanced so rapidly in the digital industry. As you move forward, where do you see the technology going? Are there aspects of the business that you feel won’t change?

RF: No matter how fast the computer, it’s never fast enough. Each new software release places greater demands on the computer’s processor. Just about every file we work with is well over 1GB, with many as large as 4GB or more. Hopefully the hardware will get fast enough so it’s one step ahead of the software manufacturers.

I think the one thing that won’t change is that it always comes down to a matter of aesthetics. Either your images are going to resonate with art directors and clients, or they’re not. There’s nothing automatic about what we do—there’s no “Easy Button” that we push, and voila…amazing image! There are a lot of “technicians” out there that know how to use the software, but the artistic vision and the ability to deliver that vision is what really matters.

HD: Currently Filtre Studio is you. What are the positive and negative aspects of running a single-person firm, and do you see taking on additional staff in the future?

RF: Right now I typically have one or two talented freelancers working for us at any given time. When we’re busy, I’ll often get help with file preparation, cleanup, clipping paths—that sort of thing. Of course, the downside to having a staff is that you have to spend more time giving direction and managing. As our workload increases, however, I will have to consider bringing in additional artists so that we can continue to deliver an excellent product to our clients in a timely manner.

HD: Here’s a Barbara Walters–inspired question: If you could retouch yourself, what would you alter?

RF: Well Barbara, I think I would take about 4 inches off my waistline. Why go the gym when you can just fix it in post, right?

HD: Thanks, Robert. We wish you continued success and we look forward to seeing more great work coming out of Filtre Studio!

RF: Dave, thanks for the opportunity to share our story.

Visit Filtre Studio’s website to see more work.