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Dear Ben & Frank
How important is coffee in your creative life?
Question Submitted by Higglesbee Gnarlington
Ben SaysWell Higglesbee...if that is indeed your real name...I don’t actually drink coffee. Sometimes I drink tea, but it is not an important part of my life.
Frank Says
Ben SaysWell I certainly don’t believe it was his logo that won him the election. I do however believe that his overall presentation skills had a huge impact. This includes the design, messaging, and public speaking. None of this would have mattered if he had lacked ideas and substance.
I believe one of the presidents primary jobs should be to set the tone and goals of the nation and inspire people to move in that direction. In this regard based on how his campaign was run I think he has the potential to have a huge impact.
Frank SaysContent > Style
Ben SaysWell, I enjoy scouring antique stores and book stores. I also like to screen print which certainly has a lot to do with being a designer. Lastly, I really love cycling. It agrees with me philosophically and it’s just fun.
Frank SaysWait. That’s allowed?
Dear Ben & Frank
How do you keep yourself current in the design business?
Question Submitted by Anonymous
Ben SaysI don’t ever really read design magazines, but do I check some design related message boards and blogs on a daily or weekly basis. I think it’s important to know what’s going on but instead of reading about the cool stuff someone is doing I’d rather be doing it.
Frank SaysMostly through the web. Mostly through peeking at what my friends are working on. I wish I could say I was constantly up to my ears in industry magazines, but for the most part, I just don’t read them. I think it’s invariably more important to be current in almost everything. A wide net of curiosity is going to benefit any kind of designer, illustrator or creative professional more than any particular industry knowledge.
Dear Ben & Frank
What is it about design that keeps you interested in the field?
Question Submitted by Anonymous
Ben SaysI get to learn, draw, create, interpret, communicate ideas in meaningful ways, and that there are no rules on how to do any of those things.
I also believe designers are in a unique position to help inspire social change on a large scale and this is what keeps me up at night.
Frank SaysI’ve done so much learning in this industry, about about our profession, but more importantly, about lots of things outside of it. I think that’s my favorite thing about being a designer and illustrator and what keeps me interested. I’ve been fortunate enough to do illustrations for articles I can’t say half the words in about subjects I had never heard of before. You get a lot of exposure to many interesting things.
Also, I think certain people have an internal desire to just make things. With this job, I kind of get to make a living by fulfilling that need. It’s great.