Today it is my pleasure to showcase my good friend, the talented, award-winning illustrator Thodoris Tibilis. Thodoris, based in Athens, Greece, has worked for leading advertising agencies throughout Europe and the USA, including McCann Erickson, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and Ogilvy & Mather. His clients include Coca Cola, Fiat, Procter & Gamble, Heinz and the 2004 Olympic Games as well as many others. He specializes in commercial assignments that call for funny, energetic and humorous characters aimed primarily at the child and young adult markets.

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.

Quantum physics is a branch of science that deals with discrete, indivisible units of energy called quanta as described by the Quantum Theory. And as we all know, graphic design is a branch of art that deals with discrete units of energy called designers. There are five main ideas represented in Quantum Theory:

1.  Energy is not continuous, but comes in small but discrete units.

2.  The elementary particles behave both like particles and like waves.

3.  The movement of these particles is inherently random.

4.  It is physically impossible to know both the position and the momentum of a particle at the same time. The more precisely one is known, the less precise the measurement of the other is.

5.  The atomic world is nothing like the world we live in.

And now the five key concepts of Graphic Design (in the context of a small design and advertising firm):

1.  Energy is not continuous, but comes in small but discrete units (layman’s term: coffee).

2.  The designers behave both like professionals and like creatives.

3.  The behavior of these designers is inherently random.

4.  It is physically impossible to know both the original bid and the boundless creativity of a designer at the same time. The more precisely one is known, the less precise the measurement of the other is.

5.  The artistic world is nothing like the world we live in.

To quote Niels Bohr: “Anyone who is not shocked by graphic design has not understood it.”

Discuss.

In the advertising industry, “Quick and Dirty” refers to completing a project without much creativity, design or thought behind it. People whose primary goal is to keep costs down are the usual instigators of Q & D, and we often hear phrases like, “Just throw it together” or “Just do something really simple and quick.” If the project is a website, it’s, “We just need to get something up on the web. Don’t spend a lot of time on it.”

Here at Hile Design, we don’t like Q & D because it negates the core skill-set we bring to our clients—namely, developing thoughtful, well-designed advertising promotions. Advertising is about connecting with people, and with all the media messages we get every day, coming up with something fresh that gets noticed (and acted upon) is hard work. Creative directors, marketing strategists, graphic designers, writers, art directors, illustrators, web designers and photographers are hard-wired to do their creative best for their clients. Removing the goal of excellence takes the wind out of their sails. Because Quick & Dirty usually starts with the word “just,” there is the implication that advertising and design are processes that don’t require much thinking.

Further, when a client reviews the hastily “thrown-together” promotion it’s not uncommon to hear phrases like, “So that’s it?” or more often, “That’s not what I was looking for.” Because in the end nobody is satisfied with Quick and Dirty. Clients want solid, professional work.

When I was in college in 1973, I bought my aunt’s 1963 Mercury Comet for $300. The car is an entire blog article unto itself, but to make my point I will discuss the vehicle’s ancient, treadless tires. Although I was working two part-time jobs, money was scarce. So when it came to replacing tires I decided to buy retreads for $13 a pop (pun intended). The problem was that one of my tires would blow out every two to four weeks, so back to the tire store I’d go for another retread. Looking back I can’t believe I didn’t see the futility of this so-called inexpensive solution. Over the three years I drove that jalopy I ended up paying more than the equivalent of a good set of tires, not to mention the hassle of changing flats along busy highways in freezing rain and blistering heat. Quick and Dirty is like my collegiate tire buying approach: Spend a lot of time and effort trying to go cheap, and in the end you’ll deplete resources that should have been invested in a thoughtful solution.

My recommendation is that if you are going to advertise your company and its services, don’t skimp. Advertising is about ideas, and good ideas are hard to come by and take time to develop. Give your creative team the resources they need to do their job right, and you will end up with an effective solution that offers a great return on your investment.

Every year Lake Superior State University publishes its “List of Words and Phrases to Be Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.” This year’s list included such phrases as “going green,” “iconic” and “desperate search,” among others.

As Hile Design’s copywriter, it’s my job to keep copy (both in-house and client-related) clean and lean, which  means, among other things, keeping it as free as possible of both industry-specific jargon and tired words and phrases.

Here’s my own list of overused or confusing language. While I won’t go so far as to say these words should be banished outright (jargon is useful when people within an industry are communicating with each other, and some words are just too good to discard entirely), I’ve heard them enough on TV and radio, and seen them pop up in unedited client copy and print ads, to make me think twice before using them.

• Solution. I suppose it could be argued that every company is some client’s “solution,” but I’ve become weary of hearing this ubiquitous word. It’s used in every industry from technology to health care. An old adage in writing is, “Show, don’t tell.” So don’t just say, “Kitty-bites: Your finicky cat’s food solution.” Tell me why and how, or paint me a word picture like Meow Mix does: “Tastes so good cats ask for it by name.” Exception: Use it when a word rhymes with it: “Easy-Clean: Your backyard pollution solution.”
• Cutting-edge and out-of-the-box. These come from Hile’s creative director Julie Tibus (thanks, Julie!). The two words mean pretty much the same thing, and using them is supposed to show that the company they describe is really “with it”— with it enough, in fact, to think of using the words cutting edge and out-of-the-box. Except that everyone is now using those words to describe themselves or their particular “solution,” which means that if you do too, you can’t claim the description. Exception: Use the words when talking about pizza: “Ricardo’s Pizza: We’re your cutting-edge, out-of-the box dinner solution.”
• Utilize, over-utilize, under-utilize, utilization. I admit this word (and its many variations) is one of my personal pet peeves, because it takes the perfectly good, solid word use and turns it into what we used to call a 75-cent word (which adjusted for inflation, makes it a ten-dollar word). I’ll grant you that sometimes you need a three-syllable word to make the sentence flow. Companies that use “utilize” in their copy also tend to create complex sentences filled with company jargon about “cutting-edge solutions.” So, use use, if you can. Exception: Use it in a tongue-in-cheek way: “We’re the guys who utilize.” And you might be able to get away with rhyming here, too: “Realize. Prioritize. Utilize. Yep–We Do It All.”
• Global. Most local businesses won’t try to get away with this one, realizing that it would sound ridiculous to say,”Bob’s Corner Market: Your Global Solution for Items You Forgot at the Grocery Store.” But big companies use it in an attempt to sound experienced and far-reaching, which they usually are. The downside to this word is that customers can think you’re too big to care or provide great customer service. Exception: Use it if you’re a company that sells globes: “We’re global. ‘Nuff said.”
• ROI and other acronyms (CEO, COO, CPU). Some companies throw these around  to show they are knowledgeable about marketing or whatever industry the acronym falls into. Think fast: Do you know what ROI stands for? I got into writing early but marketing came along later in my career, so I had the disadvantage of sitting in on staff and client meetings while advertising jargon dipped and soared over my head like so many bats on a summer evening. If you have a background in marketing or business, or even if you took a business-related class in college, you know that ROI stands for Return on Investment, and you may think, “But everybody knows what ROI means.” Not everybody does (confession: I didn’t), but even if they did, that fact wouldn’t justify using the word as a tag line or main selling point of a service. So, there are two points here: Avoid jargon, particularly acronyms, and avoid words that don’t lead to a concrete mental image that helps you sell a product or service (see Solution, above). Exception: Use a bunch of acronyms in a single sentence as a way of making fun of yourself or to make a point: “Is your ROI getting held back by your CEO’s lack of creativity or your computer’s slow CPU?”
• Arguably. This word is not specific to advertising, but I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately, and it always makes me pause: “Justin Verlander is arguably one of the best pitchers in the American League.” OK, Are you saying that you really think Verlander is a great pitcher, or are you saying that people will probably argue with you if you say he is, or are you saying, “One could argue that Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in the American League”? It’s supposed to be a positive statement about Verlander’s pitching ability, but I always imagine people arguing whenever I read that word, and it makes me wonder. So I’m not going to use it (but you may if you like). P.S. Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in the American League. He just had a bad year last year.

Am I saying I’ll never use any of these tired words when I write ad or website copy? No, and you’d probably be able to find copy I’ve written where I’ve used more than one, either by client request or because I feel it’s the best choice for the situation. As a Hile creative, though, I try to avoid sounding as if I missed my daily McCafe and just went into autopilot, spinning out the first words that come to mind.

Do you have words or phrases that you’re just tired of hearing? Let me know. I might utilize them in a future post!

I love contemporary design: furniture, home and business accessories, architecture, motorcycles—you name it. Anyone visiting our office has seen my collection of (some would say obsession with) modern clocks. So it is a treat for me to be able to interview the very talented designer Joey Roth. I am not the only one who has noticed Roth. He has gotten press in magazines like Forbes and Wired and design blogs such as MocoLoco, Josh Spear,  Apartment Therapy and DesignSpotter.

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.

A while back I met with an industry colleague of mine who admitted to struggling with a moral dilemma because of her involvement in advertising. She mentioned that she regularly considered getting out of the business. I found this particularly interesting since most of my friend’s work was done for nonprofit organizations that help people. She felt that there is something inherently “bad” about advertising. Hollywood often portrays big businesses as “evil” (when was the last time you went to a movie and a big corporation was the good guy?), and my friend seemed to have a similar take on her own profession. I thought it was sad that a person would continue to work day after day in a job they feel is taking advantage of people.

I don’t feel that way at all. Sure, there is a dark side to the industry. I’m thinking of the schlocky “Girls Gone Wild” TV spots that come on late at night, those unsolicited phone calls for time-shares during the dinner hour, and of course spam (never before has anyone been so concerned about my medication needs and my opportunity to meet Russian girls who want to get to know me better). But there is a downside to almost every good thing. A glass of wine with dinner is fine, but we all know what happens when alcohol consumption goes unchecked. It’s a matter of balance. We can always tune advertising out—that is, until we need something. For years I ignored the Sunday ad section of our local paper until I wanted to buy a snow blower. And then I was all over the ad inserts looking at options and matching prices from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears and others.

No, for the most part advertising is good. It’s the grease that turns the wheels that run our free-market economy. And a free market spurs products and services to keep improving, raises the standard of living and even helps prevent civil unrest and wars. Advertising helps people find goods and services they need, educates them about their benefits, helps them save money and even entertains them. (Remember the Super Bowl ads?)

Further, in the nearly 30 years I’ve been involved in the industry all but a few (I can count them on one hand) of the vendors, managers and creatives I’ve worked with have been fine, upstanding, moral people who really want to help society.

Has advertising enhanced your life? Think about the last time you needed something—say, an electric hedge trimmer, groceries you could afford, toys for the kids at Christmas or a jacket in the springtime. How do you know where to go and what to buy? You got it: advertising.