About Nothing But Everything That Surrounds Us

An Interview with Motion and Graphic Designer (and more) Julien Vallée

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)
click on any picture to enlarge it to original size (also turn on sound for videos!!)

If you believe the ‘blogosphere’ (which I believe Al Gore invented), Montreal-based designer Julien Vallée is young man who is very much on the fast track. His talents listed on the Internet include a number of “skills”, roles or even media that he uses to help define his work. These include several ‘cutting edge’, ‘hot’ or however you want to phrase it talents such as art direction and installation, motion graphics and animation, print, graphic and video design, film direction and installation, a ‘cut & paste master’ and sculptor, and more. Great stuff for sure, even if we personally might be hard-pressed to explain the subtle nuances in terms of differences from one topic to the next!

Julien’s work can perhaps be best summarized using a description he had for one of his own projects. In this case, he said that the project – or his work in general – was meant to question ‘the relative roles of the computer and hand-made processes in design.’ The aim therefore was ‘to create something hand-made but that also had a clean, almost digital aesthetic.’ Viewing Julien’s works gives just that impression, even if it comes from a wildly, visually enticing video, a crisp design for a magazine cover complete with shadows and a real sense of depth, or even a 3D paper-based sculpture illustrating an explosion of vibrant colors on one side of the ‘screen’ and little but a black spray-can on the other. Again though, in his own words, Julien continually tries to get in touch with every aspect of his environment, using manual art strongly supported by the technological tools of today to create successful bridges across as many of these disciplines as he can.

Julien’s wide variety of work might also be summed up by noting that this is a great example of where graphic design may well be heading – or where it’s at already – even if he doesn’t necessarily want it to be that way. Still, keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground (or perhaps not, especially if you see a picture where he’s just slightly out of shot and only the soles of his shoes are seen, as if to show us he’s passed out, perhaps from exhaustion!), this recent ADC (Art Directors Club) Young Guns participant and avowed free-lancer definitely appears to be ‘on to something’ (no, we did NOT say he seems to be ‘ON something’, please pay attention!).

Ziggy Nixon was very pleased to catch up with Julien to find out more where both he and these myriad of different media might be heading:

Julien, considering your body of work so far as well as your career targets, is there a definition that you yourself think best describes YOU? Like what should appear on your business card : ‘Julien Vallée - __________’?
That’s a hard one! Actually, I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like to get stuck into a given sphere of expertise or get categorised as a specific type of artist.

You see this as well in my work and how I’ve managed it so far. When I feel like I’ve been working on the same type of work and have been exploring the same kind of technique for too long, I try to get projects that give the opportunity to try something else. I’ll look for different types of projects then instead of ones that are just asking for the same thing over and over again.

For example, if I’ve been doing a lot of motion design for a stretch of time, I will want to and try my best to make print work for the next months.

Black & White teaser from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

This video was created for the ‘Black and White’ division of Bleublancrouge in Montreal, also known as ‘BW Upperground Agency’ (the link here is to the original, give it a second to upload! Again, the above video is listed only as a 'teaser', so please do your best to feel teased). Julien describes the objects popping out from the books as being representative of the tools that were used to realize the collection of articles, all animated by stop-motion video. For more photos and input into the process, see also the ‘Black & White’ link at Julien’s home-page.

(NOTE: sorry, we were going to link in as many of the DIRECT URL’s as we could, but Julien’s web-site is based on a frames set format and as such each time you’re sent to front page. No big deal, noting Julien is also looking to launch a new site some day soon! But hey, be patient, he’s a busy guy! Jeez...)

The recent IdN craft’s issue said that your ‘works tend to be ... treading a ‘fine line’ between design and illustration’. In your mind, is there really such a ‘line’ or barrier or if you will, are such distinctions even needed when discussing design and illustration or even ‘art’ for that matter?
I think art, illustration and design can live and co-exist quite well together. I also think that it’s fantastic that we – designers I mean – have had over the past few years such a wide range of opportunities to create bridges between these fields. It opens up so many possibilities of using space and to work with such a wide range of different medium.

I just think that being a graphic designer in the 21st century involves so much more than only working behind a computer ... and that’s great!

As shown, Julien was recently featured on the cover and inside the magazine ‘IdN (International designers Network). The article can be viewed on-line via this link (and while wearing very good reading glasses ... or is it just me?).

How important is typography to your work in terms of getting across your message(s)? Have you had specific training in this area or does it just sort of ‘happen’ when you need it?
I actually have a base in typography from my University studies. Apart from that, I don’t have a deep knowledge about type, even though it has always interested me. For me it’s a lot of ‘learning by doing’, because I think I learn more and more each time through the projects I have that involve type in some form.

Sure, I was always fascinated by characters and the different aspects of typography. But I realize now that for me it’s really more of an interest in form than an interest of rules on how to use fonts per se.

You also quite clearly balance a great deal of your work between visualisation in the 2D and the 3D worlds. How do you approach the difference between the two, for example, when laying out a complicated 3D scene for photographing when finished in 2D? I would imagine that there is a lot of trial and error involved?
I’ve always been interested in working in 3D and how objects fit into an environment. I’ve come to realise that I often prefer to work in such a space instead of working only in 2D.

But as you just said, it does have an interesting dynamic when a 3D scene is translated into a 2D image for print. Still, I think this is part of the magic of photography and it’s a lot of fun to work on both. In fact, I often work with a fellow photographer Simon Duhamel. In my case, I’ve found it very beneficial to work with the same photographer because he knows how to light the scene and knows how to capture what I’m looking to say. We always seem to grow in our experiences together which of course always acts as a valuable tool for the next project.

Julien was featured in the 2007 edition of Die Gestalten’s ‘Tangible - High Touch Visuals’ (as part of the ‘Young Designers Youth Contest for Print Magazine’), where he created both the 24 foot long x 140 inch wide banner shown above (original 6-part series of pictures combined here, click on image to see full picture, or to the right to see the initial photo print) that he says was ‘about nothing but everything that surrounds us and from which we should take more inspiration.’ For more, see the link for ‘24 x 140" BANNER’.

Print magazine cover making of from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

For the same project for Print Magazine, Julien also created another set of images, providing as well this bird’s-eye view of the ‘making of’ the cover he did for Print Magazine (same video and more stills available under the ‘Print’ link at the home-page).

Do you have a particular preference for how your work is ultimately presented (e.g. in 2D, in 3D, or with bikini clad girls standing next to it, etc.)?
I think it depends on the project and it changes from case-to-case. For example, I would not have imagined the piece I did for the Illustrative Zurich exhibit would wind being used as a poster! That was a piece that was really aimed to be 3D only.

On the other hand, I’ve done other pieces, like for the Elle Decoration UK (see below), that wouldn’t or perhaps even couldn’t work any other way than being presented in 2D because of all the strings that were holding the bits of paper together.

You’ve said in other interviews that you became ‘bored’ with computer-based design and even that ‘its easy to get quickly stuck in a zone of comfort’ when following this route.
First, why did you find that computer design was becoming boring? After all, new software and neat computer gadgets are coming out all the time, no?
Well, for me it’s really had more to do with my passion for working manually. I’m definitely the type of designer that wants to touch the medium, to really get to know it and understand it. Plus, I love having to concentrate before I take any actions because with this technique you can’t just push any kind of magical ‘undo’ command and have it corrected.

I guess though I have to say that it’s not that I wasn’t bored with the computer in the way that I didn’t want to ever sit in front of a computer again. It’s just that to me a computer is a tool that I can use to improve my image; but it should never be the main character or component of every part of the design process.

Detailed image of commissioned work for Elle Decoration UK, featuring the UK's Best bookstores (September 2008 issue). Images created in collaboration with Guillaume Vallée, photographer : Simon Duhamel, for more, see under 'UK's BEST BOOKSTORES'.

With that in mind, how do you ensure now that any of your work doesn’t become also boring in some way?
Again, a good question! I don’t know, but maybe if you ask me again in a couple of months how I like working with paper, I’ll probably tell you that it bores the hell out of me!

So much of today’s graphic design and the images we see daily are intended for grabbing our attention as quickly as possible and then maybe holding it for a total of say 5 seconds. How does that fit into your work?
I believe that graphic design should communicate a message in the most direct way possible. I think if my work can quickly connect with the viewer and get across what I want to say during that time, that you can ultimately achieve an even deeper or higher level of attention.

Then, if you can hold their attention long enough – plus depending on their interests of course – then they’ll stay a little longer tuned in and can maybe really admire the details of the work.

But, to be honest, I don’t believe this happens more than about 1% of the time! Oh well, I still try.

MTV-One from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

One of Julien’s newest and best known works was this video creation for a pitch in collaboration with Dixon-Baxi for MTV-One in England. For more still images (see also next page) and details to the proverbial ‘making of’, check out Julien’s web-page under ‘MTV-ONE’ (Photographer Simon Duhamel, special thanks to Eve Duhamel and Nik Mirus).

Continued in Part 2

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All images including videos used by exclusive written permission of Julien Vallée. Any reproduction or other usage is forbidden without the expressed written consent of the artist, or artiste, as the case may be. We’ve probably also left out some of the credits in terms of photographers, so sorry for that, too, just in case.

About Nothing But Everything That Surrounds Us

An Interview with Motion and Graphic Designer (and more) Julien Vallée

Part 2 of 2 (link to Part 1)
click on any picture to enlarge it to original size

Julien, when you’re designing a relatively complex picture that utilises a series of images as part of the ‘total’, how do you decide, for example, where a picture should be placed or even when there’s perhaps too much ‘stuff’ being used that doesn’t really help with the overall image?
I think it’s a matter of composition. In so many cases, I could have just photo-shopped the overall, complex image – but I would have still had to show the exact same restraint. This ability to hold back sometimes is part of the set of skills you need to have as a graphic artist, and to me, it’s one of the most important.

Otherwise, you can find yourself looking at an image, feeling maybe like there is something wrong, but you can’t identify what. You just know it, you feel it – but you may no idea how to correct it because it’s too late.

I noticed that (a) on your website that you list yourself with some projects as ‘Art Director’ and that (b) obviously you’ve worked in some successful collaborations including with both Nicolas Burrows and Eve Duhamel. Are these perhaps ‘hints’ that you are looking to open your own design studio?
I’ve never really thought seriously about opening my own design studio. I have to say I like to manage my own time and also enjoy not having to worry about managing other people.

Still, there are times I believe it’s necessary to get external input to a project or even get external output provided. So I do feel collaborations are a good way to explore different avenues through the ideas and exchanges that take place between other creative colleagues and myself.

In terms of other designers being able to bring different skills to a project, I would have to say that when I collaborate with other designers, it’s not really a matter of ‘using’ the skills of this designer. Instead, it’s much more that process of putting together and combining our different visions in order to create something that is very often really different from what we might both normally come up with.

For me, it’s always interesting to see the merging of the ideas of two or more people who each have their own established aesthetic, and then trying to further merge these ideas in such a way that creates a good image. Sure, it does happen that I ask help from talented people on how to best get my ideas done; but usually I like to tackle the challenge head-on and work out a way that gets something done that might have seemed impossible at first sight!

The ‘Raking Leaves in the Wind’ exhibition ran from late October to late November, 2008 as part of ‘Create Berlin’, featuring Julien and fellow Canadians Eve Duhamel and Brent Wadden. The exhibition included the trios skills and talents using graphics, drawings, paintings, animation’s, paper installations and no doubt other cool stuff we’re leaving out.

More pictures are available at Julien’s site under ‘exhibitions’.

Describe if you could please a little more about your ‘love affair’ with paper?
I work with paper for primarily two reasons:

First, I think it’s a very neutral material. I like to use it in a way that allows me to communicate a message first, and then the audience notices that it’s made out of paper and perhaps then they want to take a closer look at it.

The other reason is simply that it’s available everywhere. And once you’re done with a set-up, you can recycle most of your piece!

Julien’s well-known 3D paper sculpture was created while he was living in Berlin for the main exhibition of Illustrative Zurich festival 2008. For more images (AGAIN, just click on these to see full-sized originals!!), see the ‘PAPER SCULPTURE’ or even ‘ILLUSTRATIVE ZURICH’ links (latter is below ‘exhibitions’).

You already have an impressive list of clients and have done some interesting works. Still, as you are a relatively young and new artist on the scene, how do you get your message out to potential customers?
Hm, if you’re talking about how do I get clients, I have to be honest and say I’m not doing so much of this for the moment. I do try keep my web-site as up-to-date as I can, and the blog community takes care of the rest.

Sure, I could have take a more, let’s say, corporate avenue. I could have made a very ‘clean’ and highly structured web-site that maybe some people would think looks a bit more professional; but the truth is, I never wanted to hide that I’m working as a young freelancer.

Still, I’ve been very fortunate that I have worked with some great clients for the past couple of years, and I hope that it will continue this way. What’s very important to me though is that I want to keep having fun no matter what size client I’m working for. I mean, I will normally put the same amount of time into a video for the New York Times Magazine as I do on a personal project like the short Globo Logos film.

Globo Logos from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

The ‘Globo Logos’ video was created for the Earth Day 2008, which Julien also created as an ode to the work of Jacques Languirand. The videos were used for different festivals around the world, noting that Globo Logos aims to bring purity and dignity back to the ideation process by creating a space where ideas can live and evolve, independent of those who would use them for political or commercial ends. For more details and still images, please check out the appropriate link.

I see that you also recently completed a course under the tutelage of Stefan Sagmeister (who, by the way, when I interviewed him was EXTREMELY cool and very patient!). Why did you decide to participate in this and what was it like?

I think there’s not much to say about this... Stefan is one of the most talented designers of our time, and I would not have missed this chance for anything. I believe that most of the designers in the industry understand why!

In terms of being accepted for taking part in the course, there was a selection made by the design University of Laval in Quebec. We were judged by our portfolio and there were around 20 of us selected. So I was very fortunate!

See them here all at once by clicking on image

Or even here (again, images will enlarge upon clickage):

Julien took part in the exclusive workshop ‘Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far’ (see link of same name for more) directed by Stefan Sagmeister that took place in Percé, Gaspésie. The workshop consisted in part of a kind of ‘typographic exploration’. Julien’s collaboration with Karim Zariffa – also a fantastic and very talented motion and graphic designer – was based on the maxim ‘Do It Without Thinking of Critics’, in a similar style previously illustrated for some of Stefan’s past works, in this case again utilizing ‘everyday’ objects such as white cloth, paper and thread with the surrounding landscape acting as background to ‘spell out’ a given message.

I asked Stefan previously: ‘Do you see any trends either for your own work or the world around you?’ His answer was: ‘Everything that can be animated, will be animated. The still image will lose its importance.’ What is your opinion on his input here?
I think I agree, but I wish I didn’t!

Of course, technology is getting better and better all the time, and there is a lot of demand for moving image because you can put it everywhere. Even the papers will eventually integrate it in an affordable and practical way. It will be everywhere! For example, I’ve been asked by Nike to create a shoe with a chip in it that allows you to change and select the artwork on your sneakers! Still, I think there are some things that need to remain static, both in a conceptual and practical way.

Above and right: Julien’s cover art for the book ‘Tangible - High Touch Visuals’ from Die Gestalten Verlag (released January 2009), including detailed view. For more details, see here. (cover art photographer: Simon Duhamel, special thanks to Eve Duhamel and Matthias Hübner)

Can you explain more about your influences in terms of ‘art’ in general or even personally?
For me, art is everywhere. Even if it’s in the manufacture of a table, or it involves nice paint job on a car, or it’s from a guy who shapes trees, or even one of those ugly paintings you see in restaurants, this is still all part of ‘art’ for me. It’s these things that influences me.

However, I also believe that art was not made to just remain in the galleries. We are now in a time where we are experiencing more and more artists moving out of these specific, well-defined, ‘static’ spaces. And therefore, the chance to have these things all coming together and sometimes being presented in an unexpected place, this is very inspiring to me.

Sure, I could name lots of inspiring artists that I think are really good, but again for me, I think most of my inspiration comes from my surroundings, you know, the world around me. That’s why travelling to me is something very inspiring. And for me, this is because you are aware of things around you and you can see and appreciate the differences.

New York Times Magazine from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

Video of commission from the New York Times Magazine. For more details including still images of the video and object-making processes, see link of same name.

How did you get involved in working for a while in Berlin? What was that like?
I was there twice before deciding to stay and establish myself there for some months. It was really kind of a love I had with the city that pushed me to go there. I can’t really explain it, it’s just a feeling I have when I’m there. It’s just so many things. But I really enjoy the architecture and I always like to go into strange places, you know, discover some clandestine clubs or improvised galleries.

Sure there are shitty parts, too, like the weather. Hey, at least this convinced me to escape to Barcelona for 3 weeks! And I’ve been back here in Montreal since March.

What’s next for Julien Vallée (next months, next years)?
Wow, again a hard one!

Well, my first attempt to work on some really personal stuff failed when I was in Berlin. I also have a sketchbook filled with experiments that I want to make, so we’ll see how that goes.

However, I definitely want to make more with ‘motion’, perhaps even maybe making a short film. We’ll see. Later this year in August and September, I’ll be travelling a bit to give some workshops and talks, so maybe after that it’ll be a good time to try some personal work again.

Above: Detailed view of the cover ‘Grafika - 2008 Quebec annual graphic design studios guide, 2008’, which also included an article featuring Julien’s work. (Photo of cover : La Workshop) For more to the process and additional still images, please see the short-cut titled ‘GRAFIKA - GUIDE DES STUDIOS '08’.

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In addition to the various clients and exhibitions listed in the previous tome, Julien has worked for a wide range of exciting local and globally active clients, including Computer Arts UK, SWATCH, XLR8 magazine, YCN Online, ScreenWorld Films Los Angeles, Radio-Canada, Artv, Télé-Québec, and many more. 2008 was a particularly busy year, including the course with Stefan Sagmeister, and also Julien’s selection as one of the 50 winners of the ADC-YG6. Some of his work was even exhibited in New York at the ADC Gallery in September, see details here.

And we are pleased to say that he is also an artist with his very own PLETHORA of publications, awards and exhibitions. We won’t even try to list them all but instead draw your attention to the latest at his own web-site (under ‘PUBLICATIONS’). Even ‘Die Gestalten’ raves about his works, which have been featured not only in the mentioned ‘Tactile’ collections, but also ‘Fully Booked’ and ‘Lemon Poppy Seed’ as well. Yes sirree, it’s a full-fledged plethora, just count ‘em up ... and that’s not even including all his listed friends and compatriots (a lot of talent listed there, just try a few!).

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All images including videos used by exclusive written permission of Julien Vallée. Any reproduction or other usage is forbidden without the expressed written consent of the artist, or artiste, as the case may be. We’ve probably also left out some of the credits in terms of photographers, so sorry for that, too, just in case.

Why even bother, we’re all doomed!!

click on any image to enlarge it to original size

It’s The End of The World As We Know It
Sob! I don’t know why I should even bother with this bi-weekly update, as I’ve just seen the news that Earth is doomed! Doomed, I say!! It seems that when measured against the grand scheme of things in terms of galactic timing, our demise is just around the corner.

In case you missed it, there was an article released the other day that indicated that there’s a very real possibility that Earth and Venus – yes, the same planet where women come from (note: this is NOT a bad driving joke) – are going to fly into each other in ONLY 3.5 billion years. If there wasn’t enough out there for us to be concerned about, it seems now there’s a newly identified force known as orbital chaos that, quote, may cause our Solar System to go haywire, leading to possible collision between Earth and Venus ... or even Mars.

The article goes on to say that it’s good news – GOOD NEWS – that the likelihood of such a smash-up is ONLY about one-in-2500. Ha! Get out your old notes from, say, four or five years ago and check the odds-makers’ input about an African-American becoming President and THEN see how you feel! I bet you lottery winners are also feeling just a tad uneasy as well, no? And if that isn’t enough, we also expect now our own Sun to only last another five billion years, after which, it will likely expand into a red giant, engulfing Earth and its other inner planets – Mercury (where puppies and some forms of frogs come from), Venus and Mars – in the process.

Well, as long as we are still alive, I’m glad to see that there seems to be a thriving business for artists depicting the end of our home-world, as we found all kinds of renditions of same. Oh, and if you’re the impatient type, then please check out this article titled ‘Top 10 Ways To Destroy Earth.’ However, I would point out though that in college, my friends and I tried three of these without – obviously – much success.

Then Again, Maybe We Deserve It
I know what everyone tells me and I can see it every day in the banner above my desk: ‘Don’t Let the Little Things Bother You’. But quite frankly having a planet smash into us isn’t such a bad thing if these types of things are allowed to continue:

First, there’s the now famous story about the Belgian girl who ‘accidentally’ had 56 – not 36, not 46, but 56!!! – stars tattooed on her face while she supposedly SLEPT through the procedure (here’s one of about 3.5 billion links to choose from in this case). Now the closest I can come to that from experience is having a mole burned off my face, but I can tell you, sleeping was not something that I was in danger of (passing out from screaming, yes, but sleeping? Nuh-uh). But apparently this young lady – pictured here – is suing the tattooist for a ‘mistake’ (well, duh) as she insists she only asked to have him tattoo 3 stars on her face (oh and that’s better how please?). She claims the tattoo dude made the mistake because he couldn’t speak EITHER French or English good enough to understand her (wouldn’t that be a sure warning sign NOT to go through with it? Hello?). On the other hand, the defense attorney for said inker claims she’s only reacting this way because of the outrage of her father and the fact that her boyfriend promptly dumped her. Gosh, I just can’t figure out those reactions AT ALL!

And if that wasn’t enough, even President Obama is finding himself sucked into the black hole of ridiculousness. It seems that ‘He-That-Many-Think-Can-Walk-On-Water’ swatted and mercilessly killed a fly the other night during an interview. He even toned in with a Clint Eastwood like catch-phrase of ‘That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker.’ (not as smooth as ‘Go Ahead – Make My Day’ but still the whole ‘President Can Kill With His Bare Hands’ says it all to me ...)

Well, it doesn’t end there. Now our dear friends at PETA – that is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (again, students, that last word is pronounced ANN-EE-MULLS!!) have decided to put out a PROTEST STATEMENT against President O’s heartless and cruel actions. Even though a PETA spokes-weirdo said that even though they were pleased with Obama's voting record in the Senate on behalf of animal rights and noted that he has been outspoken against animal abuses, they added that ‘swatting a fly on TV indicates he's not perfect and we're happy to say that we wish he hadn't.’ (The Republicans have apparently refrained from chiming in as after all, killing small creatures is one of their main party platforms)[just kidding]{kind of}

Okay, so now I’m thinking of painting the roof of my house with a sign that says ‘large comets and/or wayward planets, strike here, please.’

This Is Just Really Funny
I thought some of you – especially those that have some teaching or other lecturing services under your belts – would like this blog article : Which Student are You?

Chuck Dillon from the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia has put together about 20 different types of art students from his 10 years experience. Apparently stuff like this has been done before, but what the heck, this is still gold.

I picked out my favorite two shown here (just click on them to get the full sized graphics) including the one I think I would wish to be like and the one I probably would be like, if I had gone to art and/or design school. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is which.

Yes, I Relate to Pictures of Small Things
This is just a shout out to my main micronaut, Martin Oeggerli, who not only delivers delectable details of tiny things on his web-site, www.micronaut.ch, but has also started delivering even more goodies via his own blog. Martin joins the growing number of artists and more who are getting their messages and works out there by as many media as they can (but if he starts ‘Tweeting’, I’m going to cancel his Fresh Ziggy subscription).

See http://www.oeggerli.blogspot.com/ for more! You’ll be very glad that you did, noting we’ve also either got to get one of those hoodies, or even better, make one of our own! Oh and by the way, these are NOT grapes (want to know more? Well, check out the blog! Man, you’d think some of you have 56 stars tattooed on your faces or something...)

It Was Nice To Finally 'Meet' You
As the title of this section says, it was indeed nice to finally meet the Raw-Edges team of Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay face-to-face at the recent ‘Design Miami (Basel) Show’ in the cool confines of the show that featured the so-called Designers of the Future.

I have to admit though it felt just like stopping by to say hello to old friends, as the 3 of us had after all spent a lot of time ‘together’ during our previous interview process (see here and/or there). But it was indeed very cool to see them and their wild ‘mountain’ instalment shown here, as well as to get to meet others who participated – including fellow Platform 10 alum and studio-space-sharer Peter Marigold (aaagh, I can’t get the palindromes out of my mind)[more later] and the very interesting and somewhat tall Tomáš Gabzdil Libertiny. How I missed though getting a picture of Yael and her wildly colorful socks, I’ll never know...

But all kidding aside, everybody had some cool stuff to display and just between you and me:
(a) I wouldn’t call them ‘Designers of the Future’ but instead ‘Designers of NOW’ and
(b) the rest of the show left me desperately wanting a LOT more (I had one gallery owner tell me ‘well, FURNITURE is what design is all about’ ... silly me...).

So their section was definitely my highlight for my shorter-than-expected visit (leave it to me to go to something as ‘safe’ as an art show and nearly break an ankle). But like I said, more later on this from ‘The Maestro’ at http://www.xymara.com/ and hopefully also here at Ziggy Nixon.

It’s Gotta Be The Pants
While we’re shouting out and about, we say ‘merci/thank you/danke’ and more who shared not only their interest but also found the humor and total fun present in Scott ‘Woody’ Woodworth and Loudmouth Golf’s offers to the fashion world that we reported on last time.

They continue to receive tons of funny and interesting press and we’re really please that things are working out all around. We’ve seen about 30 new pictures on line since our own research was completed, including another snazzy Sports Illustrated photo featuring golf pro John Daly.

But for some odd reason, all I can think about is that this would have been a great way to get all those slow- and non-moving stocks of weird dyes we had laying around moving out to the market! You know, those vibrant oranges, melted candy magentas or oil-slick purples that seemed to hang around the warehouses for years and years...

This Week Features the Motions, Musings and More of Julien Vallée
Wow, this week’s webisode was fun to put together, and not just because it’s our first foray into the world of video linkage.

Julien Vallée as you’ll see in a moment is a VERY TALENTED young designer from Montréal who has experience in more aspects of design than we’ll list here (again). Check out Julien’s sagely input and also the collected photos and videos. Enjoy... eh?

And if you don’t well all we can say is ‘What a bunch of hosers...’ (too dated? Sorry...) I know, I know: stop picking on Canadians, you may need them one day for asylum or cheap medicines or something...

Blog Header: Back in Black for the First Time
This week’s blog header may not be a Louvre worthy masterpiece (no comment) but it was a heck of a lot of fun to put together.

For this week’s exercise, I got the idea to start off with a black screen instead of with a white background. On top of this, I had been spending some time recently also looking at the works of Tim Burton – a very big influence on so many including the fellow who is releasing the movie Coraline in the next days (here at least) – so I had a lot of wacko ideas floating in the few cells of brain matter left to my usage.

Obviously then shapes and forms were added in white, including some other tricks to get some off-focus echo effects and more. It actually came out a lot better than I expected and it was really quite liberating in terms of expression! And for the oddest reason, this was almost a ‘single sitting’ piece of work because I found working in this way just somehow let me run with it. My bio-rhythms for creativity really seemed to be working well! Something to definitely explore in more detail in the coming months!

In addition, if you look closely this week’s art features some ‘typographical experimentation’ I was doodling around with, kind of harkening back to 7th grade social studies when we all drew what our future rock band names were going to be. Again, I think this came out kind of cool and I’m thinking of using some of the details for a business card I want to make. But somehow with stuff like this, I’m always scared that someone will write back and say, ‘Way to go nimrod, that’s the official font from Herr Schlappenstrudel of Schlappenstrudel Design’ or something to that effect. Oh well, is there anything original anymore when you think about it?


Okay faithful followers (and the rest of you tied up in the cellar of course), we’ll wrap up the Freshness for this week and let you get on with your lives... as short as they may be. Wait, what’s that large spot up in the sky... aaaahhh, run, it’s Venus... splat!!!! Sorry, false alarm... but I’m definitely going to put a dent in the liquor cabinet in the coming weeks, be a shame really to let it go to waste...

Design Neither Tasteless Nor For Turkeys

An interview with graphic and golf accessory designer Scott ‘Woody’ Woodworth

Part 1 of 2 (link to Part 2)

click on any picture to enlarge it to original size

There are – as the story goes – as many definitions of what design is intended to be as there are different types of designers out there, or objects to which designs are applied, or designs of things we intend to create. If one searches on the web for the answer to the question ‘What is the purpose of design’, there are just as many different answers as above, including the seemingly popular view that ‘the purpose of design is to improve life’. Well, yes, but define ‘improve’ please, especially the part about who’s life it does indeed improve and in what way. Even turning to the fount of modern knowledge for the common man, Wikipedia states that ‘To study the purpose of designs, beyond individual goals (e.g. marketing, technology, education, entertainment, hobbies), is to question ... controversial politics, morals, ethics and needs... (Furthermore) these philosophies for the "purpose of" designs are in contrast to philosophies for guiding design or methodology.’

Well, okay. But let’s turn our thoughts instead to the lighter side of design and accept as Ross Bleckner recently said that ‘something could be just beautiful and decorative ... and that’s fine!’ Couldn’t we also modify this slightly to read ‘something could just be fun ... and that’s fine, too’? Well, without sounding overly philosophical ourselves (read: pompous), that is indeed what Scott ‘Woody’ Woodworth has set out to do with his growing business endeavour, ‘Loudmouth Golf’. In terms of Woody’s designs and offers to the world of the ‘fashionista’, this wacky team of fun loving folks make it very clear that ‘Loudmouth puts the fun back into golf!’ And why is that? Well, again in their own words, because ‘men’s golf pants have turned to mud. Where did all the fun fashions go? We’re bringing them back single-handedly. Pants that go from the fairway to the party.’

So sure, when you see this blog, you may think ‘oh my stars and garters, that is NOT design’ ... but I’m guessing that many others are thinking ‘that would look totally cool as a font, texture or graphic back-up for this piece I’ve been working on.’ Or even: ‘that is so retro, it reminds me of all those wild styles from the Austin Powers movies’ (an inspiration of Woody’s, in fact). Or perhaps – dare we say it – you’re thinking, ‘how can I get a pair of these and how many places can I think of to wear them?’ Ziggy Nixon is therefore pleased to present our conversation with Woody as we trace his journey from type setter and graphic designer to what can only be called trend setter and designer of some pretty wild, graphical things indeed:

Woody, despite all the ‘hullabaloo’ about the pants, you are in fact a professional designer, correct?
Yes... well, now I am. I mean, I just started doing it for myself and it just turned into this venture into golf pants. But no, I am not a trained textile fabrics designer, if that’s what you mean. I’m actually a graphics designer by trade. To be specific, I am a typographer, which I’ve been doing for about 25 years, maybe even longer than that now.

What led you to design?
I guess it was just the fact that I was always doodling in class all through Junior and Senior High School that really led me to it. Also, my dad had this really cool handwriting and drawing style. He was a sort of architect and I just always thought that his printing and drafting style was pretty cool. Plus, I was interested in advertising. I read Confessions of an Advertising Man, by David Ogilvy, when I was younger, which was a big deal in the 60’s and 70’s. And I thought that was cool, too.

You apparently had a rather unique aspect in terms of your major, dealing with a word we perhaps have to define for everyone (heck, I had to look it up, too!)?
Yes, you mean semiotics. Gosh, where did you get all that stuff? Do you know where I live, too? (ZN: yes, and I would just like to point out that the right rear tail-light on your wife’s car needs to be replaced)
Semiotics besides it’s official definition is really the study of all communications beyond just the written and spoken word. If you break down the word in Latin, it comes from semi- which means half, and -otics, which is ear. So it involves any communications that can be carried out or interpreted with any of our senses.

My education was pretty interesting. It involved movie classes, and even quantitative satellite communication, you know, studying how airwaves go through the air. It involved a lot of English and linguistics, too. It all just seemed like a lot more fun than just reading and writing to me. Plus, with what I originally signed up for, I realized that once we started going beyond a certain level in math, you know, beyond differential equations and into heavy calculus and integrals, well, I couldn’t do it any more. I had to pick something different than that, and as such I went with a degree that was heavily weighted in English instead!

What did studying this ‘study of signs and symbols’ ultimately teach you about life, the universe, and everything?
Nothing. Other than it was easier to take another major so that I could drink more beer and have more fun with my friends! But I do appreciate proper use of English when I see it. (ZN: uh-oh)

What has been your career path leading you here? Are you still involved outside of the Loudmouth venture in the world of design?
Well, initially, when I got out to California, I went to work for a newspaper selling advertising space. Since it was a small operation, it was literally ‘all hands on deck’ when it was time to actually physically put the newspaper together. Everyone had to help with all aspects of the production. So I learned and grew experienced in how to run old typographic equipment – realizing that back then the machines were about as big as a Volkswagen Beetle. You couldn’t just sit there and look on a screen what you were doing like you can now. It was a lot more difficult and totally different than just typing in text and measuring what the pica-width of a column has to be.

But I had way more fun any way piecing something together with my hands. And I enjoyed using my eyes and lining things up a lot more than selling something. I mean, especially selling ad space, it’s like you’re really just... well, I don’t even think of it as selling, I guess, because you’re just selling air, like they say in the movie ‘City Slickers.’ Okay, yes you’re selling air when it’s for radio – but in newspapers it’s just as bad, because it’s like you’re selling blank pieces of paper. Ultimately, I had no desire to be a salesperson at all! I needed to make something.

In fact, I started using the newspaper’s equipment after hours, you know, doing some free-lance graphic design, which was a lot of fun. I still did sales for the newspaper, sure; but even if I sold or didn’t sell something to a store, I’d still ask them if they needed anything else, like a brochure, or a coupon, or something like business cards or whatever. Then I would do some designing for menus or flyers for, I don’t know, Chinese restaurants or whatever. And I had way more fun doing that than anything else.

Are you still involved with graphic design, for example, with the Ann Hill group, where you’re still listed as a member of their team? If so, how does this fit into your golf pants venture?
No, I’m not a part of that group any more. It’s funny that you ask, because the tipping point came just this last month basically (May, 2009). It was tough because they were so good to me for so many years. But I had to tell them that Loudmouth is now my full-time job because of the simple fact that I’m spending 10 to 12 hours a day at it, just trying to keep up with everything that has to be done and needs to be caught up with in terms of running a successful business.

Ann Hill was actually one of my biggest graphic design customers, in fact, the biggest. In terms of my service for Ann Hill: besides doing PR for companies she also asks them if they need brochures, or press packages, or advertising. This would often go hand-in-hand her promotions and so I did all the graphic design that spun off from her PR connections. Ironically, I actually hired them to do the PR for Loudmouth Golf, which was funny, because it was really Catch-22 there for a while: the better Loudmouth did, the worse of a graphic service provider I was for them. But now that’s finished.

To be honest, I like to think that they’ll have trouble replacing me, because I was a very good graphic designer. Don’t get me wrong: I wasn’t super, super creative but on the other hand, I wasn’t super, super egotistical either. I just did your standard ‘meat and potatoes’ variety design, you know, ‘nice’ work which was finished on time and for a good price. And in terms of my own work, I really only had 5 or 6 good-sized customers over a span of about 20 years. In all that time, I had never had to do any ‘cold calling’ and I just kept my businesses going very well. But even though I was still working as a free-lance graphic designer I was somehow able to put a roof over my family’s heads and raise my kids, which I think is not that easy to do in this field.

Looking more now at the pants or other accessories themselves: how did you ever conceive of such a notion?
I didn't! If you go back and look at any golfing photographs from Golf Digest or Sports Illustrated between the years 1968 and say 1974, you see the pants were already being worn by those guys! And I mean, that’s when golf was really fun! And the proverbial horrible plaid pants that everyone’s Uncle used to wear when he used to play golf in the early ‘70’s, well, everyone knows about that! That’s the joke!

I mean at that time, it wasn’t just the golf pants, it was also sometimes the design of carpet or wallpaper or even furniture; it was just the mod, psychedelic look of the time! You know those patch-work and other wild patterns. I mean, the great Johnny Miller wore striped pants all the time with turquoise colored belts, and that was the thing. Okay, it may not have lasted very long, but everyone remembers it. I mean even now whenever you see a cartoon in the New Yorker magazine or wherever that involves someone holding a golf club, just to make sure they create the right persona for the golfer, the cartoonist puts striped or plaid pants on them.

Where I’m going with all this is that later there came a time for me, you know, when I was finally earning enough money where I could afford to take an afternoon off here and there mid-week to go play golf with my buddies. And, well, I wanted to celebrate that. But just wearing khakis wasn’t, I don’t know, traditional or proverbial enough. I wanted to bring that iconic style back!

So I decided to make one pair of pants for myself. I went to the local fabric store – just picture it: there I was alone with about a six tiny, elderly ladies with their blue-hair and we were all perusing fabric aisles on a Tuesday morning. I found a powder blue fabric with pictures of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck and their Looney Tune cohorts all swinging at golf balls and riding a golf cart. I took this pattern and brought it to a local lady to sew up into pants. And then I went golfing.

It was amazing really, the reaction I got. I mean, people were coming up to me all day long. A lot were laughing at me and asking, ‘oh what did you do, did you lose a bet?’ Others were saying ‘oh those are great, where did you get those, they’re awesome!’ But it created so much attention – negative as well as positive, which was fine with me. I mean, I thought the more I could annoy someone with those pants, the better! So it was good on both sides! And as fate would have it, a lot of the guys came up to me and said they had to get a pair for themselves! And as such, I’d make these wild pants for them. Well, not me personally: I’d just pick out the fabric and send them off to a local seamstress to be made, then I’d mail the finished pants to the customers.

Was it difficult to find the ‘right’ patterns?
Yes, at first. What I’d do is I’d go into these fabric stores and I’d look at the folds. And I had a little note pad and I’d write down the company who made those fabrics. Then instead of paying retail, what I’d do is go call up the companies that had made the fabric and have them send a sales person to my house.

The fabric suppliers would send the same guy that serviced these fabric stores, which were basically selling to hobby quilt makers. And these guys would always show up with 3 suitcases full of patterns and give me their usual sales spiel. I’d maybe thumb through about 400 swatches of fabrics with different patterns and come up with 1 or 2 that looked sort of fun and that I thought could be worn on a golf course. And then, I’d buy a hundred yards and bring the fabric to Sacramento to be made into about 50 pairs of pants. When they were done, I’d put them up on my web-site and they’d sell in about a month. And then I’d have to go buy more fabric and make new pants because the sales were quite successful.

But a big problem was always that I’d go back to the companies and they’d say ‘sorry, we’re out of stock.’ You know, these big fabric companies change their styles quite often, especially if there’s not a lot of demand. That was really frustrating.

continued in Part 2

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All pictures and images used by written permission of Scott Woodworth and are the sole property of Loudmouth Golf or the professional persons illustrated. No further usage is allowed without written consent of Loudmouth Golf ... or you'll wind up sleeping with da turkeys, gobble gobble! (Keep reading to see just how real of a threat that is!)