Design Feast Series: Designer’s Quest(ionnaire)

Jussi Gamache

Designer of Jussi Gamache Design and Singer of Freezepop

Primary design concentration:

I do a little bit of everything: web, print, illustration, whatever.

Most preferred tool for designing:

Aside from pen and paper, I love my Wacom tablet. I can’t use a mouse or trackpad or anything like that anymore.

1. How and why did you choose to become a designer?

I remember when I was a teenager, watching some documentary on PBS about the food industry, and they showed a person mocking up sketches for some cookie packaging. It looked like a really cool job. Then I went to art school and majored in design. I am one of those rare people who ended up doing what they went to school for.

2. Challenges you encounter as a designer and how do you deal with them?

People who have really bad taste. Clients who think that using clip art or making the logo really big and centered is a great idea. Like, why did they hire a real designer if they’re gonna insist on that? They could find some yahoo on Craigslist who’ll do it for $8/hour. I wish I had a better way to deal with it. I guess I just gently try to convince them otherwise, and failing that, part ways with them.

3. Your definition of an “elegant solution,” that is, good design?

Something that’s appropriate to the subject matter, and that you can keep noticing little things about it the more you look at it.

4. From skills to values, what makes a designer successful?

I guess if you can make a living doing work that you enjoy doing, and your clients are happy with you, that’s a basic measure of success. Bonus points if your contemporaries also like your work.

5. How do you stay motivated and grow personally and professionally as a designer?

I am lucky being in a band, I get to do a lot of “fun” work in addition to the bill-paying stuff. And a wide range of stuff too, the website, weird packaging, fun t-shirts. I really enjoy keeping a consistent thread, but being able to evolve our look from album to album.

6. For those aspiring to become a designer, whatever the discipline,what is your advice?

Pay attention to your typography! That’s the dead giveaway of an amateur.

7. What is your quest in design?

I like to make things look nice. That’s pretty much it.

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