Interview with Designer Graham Smith
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It probably won’t come as a surprise for you to learn that Graham Smith’s answer to the question “why do you think you are great” spanned a full (single-spaced) page. His design blog ImJustCreative gets monthly hits well into the 5 figures and it is growing rapidly. Ask any other designer why they come back and they will say it’s because his design work is outstanding and they can’t wait for his next post.
“Greatness comes from years of experience,” he said and he’s got those years to back that statement up. With over 20 years in the design business plus “a few more” growing up as a kid involved in all things creative, Smith takes pride in the fact that his experience includes stints in industries such as commercial printing, advertising and reprography to name a few. He says those jobs made him the well-rounded, design jack-all-trades that he is today.
Smith has had some formal training in the form of college and a year at an art/design school, which he left early to take on an apprenticeship at a large commercial printer in his hometown. Smith admits that discontinuing his school pursuits is his one educational regret.
As with many designers, his creativity was recognized and fostered from an early age. One of his early memories was borrowing some of his decorator grandfather’s rolls of paper and painting and drawing on hallway lengths of it at a time. While an obvious love was creating art from an early age, Smith attempted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a member of the local police force, which “just didn’t work out.” In hindsight, the contradiction of careers is almost laughable and it was decided that while the motivation to be in law enforcement from a young age was there, “he had to make the whole design thing work.”
This charming designer lives in Seaford, East Sussex, England in a three-bedroom detached house with dramatic view of the country side and sea. Smith describes the décor of his house using a couple of the same adjectives he sometimes uses to describe his work: “mostly sparse, clean light walls with brown contrasting furniture.”
Smith enjoys the company of a full-time rescue Lurcher named Dylan and has occasional custody of a dog from a previous relationship named Fermoy. An avid runner who has completed several marathons, Smith is big on physical fitness, both mostly of the solitary sort. One any given day, his Twitter followers will see various messages about his runs or bike rides with Dylan and will sometimes be treated to pictures of the scenic landscapes he is privileged to be surrounded by. Not surprisingly, photography is one love that closely rivals design for the first place spot in his life.
When asked what his typical mid-week day is like, he answers that it’s the same as the other six. Most of his time recently has been spent branding ImJustCreative and his new collaborative effort with Adelle Charles of Fuel Your Creativity and Kristi Colvin of Design-For-Users called Fresh ID. What precious free moments not spent working or physically active are spent brewing his preferred non-alcoholic beverage FairTrade Oxfam coffee or imbibing in his preferred alcoholic beverages, white wine or the occasional Stella Artois, (depending on his location.)
It is a popular belief that many artists and creative persons are tortured souls, allowing them the uncanny ability to infuse their work with the raw emotion and fervor that can only be expressed by someone who feels and experiences life deeply. Finding himself turning 37 on January 9th doesn’t mean Smith has accomplished everything he wished to have accomplished by this age. In fact, he confesses that he finds himself “at the beginning of a dirt road, for mostly dark and personal reasons.”
Don’t mistake him for a dark, anguished personality, though. Continuing with this theme of contradictions in his life, Smith has a side that can only be described as a bit cheeky and snarky, at least when faced with the same. When Adelle suggested bringing up Smith’s supposed love for Speedos in the interview, he delightfully played along, describing them as “residing in an emergency glass box like fire ‘thingies.’” He went on to say they are sparkly gold, fur-lined and very expensive. In fact, the answer to the Speedo inquiry was surprisingly detailed, leading a person to wonder how much of the subject actually rings true.
Another favorite activity of his is playing devils advocate and taking part in -if not instigating- heated debates about any subject of the minute. He confesses to having to bite his tongue a lot and being very outspoken, especially when meeting up with people who “push their thoughts or opinions on me, bully or {an} arrogance type thing.” Readers take notice. He claims he is very hard to argue against and is “up for a verbal fight anytime.”
This self-proclaimed “shy guy” will constantly keep you guessing about which side of him you will be graced with on any given day. He admits to this true and ever-present contradiction. While he may not always be a man of many words, he doesn’t need to be, as his designs speak for themselves.
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…Urmmm. Speechless…
;0)
@Michelle Krasniak great read!
@Graham… Congrats on the interview. it has been a pleasure getting to know you over the last couple of months… keep doin what your doin man.
Aaron I
Aaron Irizarry´s last blog post..Defining User Experience pt.3
I thought the same a few times while reading your responses. ;-) Thanks for making things interesting!
@Aaron Irizarry Thank you!It was a challenge to convey the message behind this complicated guy. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
That was AWESOME!
@Michelle – You’re a great writer. Thanks for asking the questions I probably would have never thought of. As a ‘fan’ of the Graham, it’s pretty cool to gain insight into what makes him tick.
@Mr. G – I’ll admit, I have a pair of speedos as well. They’re layered beneath my regular swim shorts for extra support :D Happy Holidays, mate. By the time I thought to send you a card, it would have made for an early 2009 delivery. I wish you, your closest and the pups nothing but the happiest of happies.
Take care,
Emil
Emil Wisch´s last blog post..Holiday (and beyond) Gift to All My People. What’s Yours?
Don’t like the fella…. : )
Stay strong be strong, like a good cup of tea!!!
Rajesh Pancholi´s last blog post..Joshua Davis Art Gallery – Spoof
This is an amazing interview, nicely written!
@Kathy K Thank you! Glad you liked the story.
@Rajesh Pancholi Ya. I don’t like him much either ;-) Can’t deny he’s pretty darn cool though.
@Emil Wisch Thank you for the compliment! I hope it lived up to all of the hype :-)
Nice interview, I think you’ve captured Graham mysticism – he’s a great guy and always brightens my day, and I’m forever thankful for his support (amongst many others) that helped me through some difficult times in the recent weeks.
Martin Newham´s last blog post..mjnewham: RT @mjnewham: @robertbasic hmm, "2008; an insight into the years history – basically speaking" ** [insight prob wrong word, "a review of..]
@Michelle Definitely Hype-a-licious. I was pleasantly surprised, though I did expect great things anyway ;)
Emil Wisch´s last blog post..Holiday (and beyond) Gift to All My People. What’s Yours?
Michelle – a great interview! I continue to be amazed by Graham’s dedication to help others. It’s a rare quality – especially in competitive professions. And it’s a great example for younger designers.
Ross Kimbarovsky´s last blog post..Ten Practical Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Tips
awesome photo there sir!
“Greatness comes from years of experience”| very true!
He claims he is very hard to argue against and is “up for a verbal fight anytime.” | also true. had my fair share of that ;-)
go go Graham!
Great to hear from you Graham.
Continue to love your site and your work :)
Nice read, a different take on the interview and more of a short story, good stuff Graham and Michelle
Max Stanworth´s last blog post..Get more traffic with good web design
Fantastic read, and very inspiring. Its good to finally find someone in the design industry who is a great showcase for what life should be like in the later 30’s.
Keep up the great work and inspiration, you are helping out a lot of younger designers.
sailtheworld´s last blog post..sailtheworld: FLIR great buy below $25 http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FLIR
Where’s the interview (as opposed to a descriptive article about the subject)?
Michelle, great job on a nicely written glimpse into the life of the man behind the beanie and shades :) It’s nice to get to know him a little better (fuzzy speedos an all) through the eloquence of your writing.
Graham, thanks for being you :)
Chris Rossi´s last blog post..nonsense, babble and mumbling
@ David Rodger- Thanks for giving it a read. This is a different type of interview to give a glimpse into who Graham Smith is as a man outside of his work of being the designer whose creations we already enjoy. There are plenty of sites out there who post question-answer interviews with people and this style is meant to set FYC apart from the rest of them. As you can see, it has been very well-received. Please come back soon as there will be more to come!
@Chris Rossi- Thank you for the kind words! I have had many requests to elaborate on Graham’s joked-about choice of swimwear! ;-) I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
@sailtheworld- I’m glad you liked the article. I agree with you. Graham truly is a source of inspiration. Thanks for the comment!
@Max Stanworth- I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this style of interview. As you can see, it has been very well-received. Keep an eye out for more profiles of other great designers in the future!
@kenroy george- I haven’t quite had the pleasure of a Graham vs. Michelle verbal battle. At least not that I know of! Maybe in the future, huh Graham? ;-) Thanks for the comment.
@Ross Kimbarovsky- Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview of Graham. There is a lot to learn about this great guy!
@Martin Newham- It’s a real compliment for a writer to hear that he or she captured the true essence of their subject. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the read and thanks for the comment!
those are more then just pics love the moments captured,
specially the 2nd image,that pic the girls smile is amazing
Unique Tattoo Gallery´s last blog post..Hawaiian tattoo Designs
Hmm, his creativity is inspiring. With his portfolio I just wish there were more hours to the day for a humble designer to catch up. ;)
Great Read!
Richard Andersson´s last blog post..Real Cash Gaming – Week 3 – “The Longer You Play…”
Graham is a wonderful designer and true professional. He does a great job in keeping things simple yet powerful and effective. He did a fantastic job in creating our logo and I would highly recommend him.
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