In part two, the design gurus chat about what they’d be doing if it they weren’t designing, letterpressing, time management, influences, and moodboards/comps.

Matt
If you weren’t working in this industry, what could you see yourself doing?
Jason
[Note: Jason Santa Maria, not Jason Fried] I love making things with my hands. If I weren’t a (graphic) designer, I might like to make furniture.
Jason
Or if I weren’t doing web work, I might like to go back to print design. I would love to design books.
Ryan
I want to direct movies.
Ryan
And sometimes, gardening seems appealing.
Dan
Yep, creating something/anything
Matt
Ryan’s dream scenario: directing a movie about gardening. ; )
Jason
:)
Dan
I’d watch
Greg
LOL
Ryan
That would be a box office smash.
Greg
The Web Standards Gardener?
Dan
CSS Zen Garden: The Movie

Matt
Q for all: What’s something that you’ve learned (or been learning) recently?
Jason
Letterpress printing and sewing
Dan
Dan
was inspiring
Jason
Thanks!
Jason
It’s an incredible feeling to get to actually use metal type
Jason
Completely different appreciation for the past and for typography
Dan
Has it helped you with typography on the web? (easy question, but..)
Jason
Well, to me, letterpress is all about spacing
Jason
Finding the best way to make things legible and getting a much more detailed view of letterforms
Jason
Being able to see text as content, but all as art, and something beautiful
Matt
JSM: It’s definitely nice to make something real after dealing with pixels.
Ryan
I’m learning to appreciate down time and rest.
Dan
I’m with Ryan—I’m leaning that time management is just about as important as anything. Work/life balance is key, even if you love what you’re doing
Matt
Any secrets to share re: time management?
Jason
Set a schedule, and stick to it. Actually factor in time to read, go for a walk (of course, this makes more sense when you are your own boss)
Ryan
I’m learning to say no and to do what I say I’ll do.
Greg
I need to hire more people, I barely have enough time for food and sleep
Greg
Every morning is a twelve step program
Matt
GS, if only there was a job board somewhere for you to post on!
Greg
Yeah but I would need Authentic results
Greg
zing!
Jason
:D
Ryan
HAHA
Matt
def deleted from transcript!
Greg
LOL
Ryan
HAHA
Ryan
Oh man
Dan
:D
Matt
OK, another big picture question: Who is your biggest influence?
Greg
Studio Archetype
Greg
before they were sold and turned into Sapient
Dan
Anyone who designed a 7" sleeve in Boston from say 1990-2000.
Jason
Influences change as tastes change for me.
Greg
Max Huber… Chip Kidd…
Jason
Rand, Mok, Chris Ware, Chip Kidd
Ryan
Will Ferrell
Dan
omg Will Ferrell, yes
Greg
Do any of you use mood boards for projects?
Jason
Nah
Ryan
Nope.
Dan
Embarassed that I don’t know what it is
Jason
That seems like something to appease a timid client
Greg
Sometimes I wonder of using Moodboards would eliminate some of the typical client art direction phaes
Ryan
I don’t even know what the futon that is
Jason
moodboards reek of the hollywood "Jerry Maguire meets Friday the 13th" pitch methodology
Greg
I’d rather do a mood board than provide three comps
Greg
I’m done with the three comps things
Dan
Greg, I’m done with that as well,
Jason
Three comps too many?
Greg
way too many
Dan
1 ends up being one that I put 80% effort into
Dan
client never chooses that one
Greg
yeah
Greg
it’s like giving a kid three choices of which candy they want
Dan
and I spend the rest of the project not "feeling it"
Greg
but I’m through with the three design directions, it’s like creating your own Nospec problem
Matt
we gave up on the 3 directions thing long ago. it always turned into a little bit from column a, a little bit from column b, etc.
Jason
If I have to do 3 comps for a client, I usually try to solve the problem 3 different ways. Because there is always more than one way to solve a problem.
Ryan
I never got that whole 3 thing.
Ryan
No matter how hard I tried, I could really only see it one way… but that’s just me.
Dan
I just can’t get myself to be committed to more than one direction
Jason
It all depends on your process for getting to the solutions
Ryan
Maybe I’m just lazy.
Dan
Ryan, then you and me both :)
Jason
The worst way for me to solve something is to try and cut right to the problem
Greg
Don’t hire Happy Cog, they only do 3 comps… at Airbag we have spent millions on research to find that 4 comps are better


This is part two of a three part chat. Part one of this chat. Part three of this chat.

Guests
Dan Cederholm
Jason Santa Maria
Ryan Sims
Greg Storey

[Fireside Chats are round table discussions conducted using Campfire.]