Interview: Michael Guill from 107 Designs
July 29th, 2010 by Tweet
I cannot believe we have had 12 amazing interviews since we have started our interview series here at Admix Web, where we are publishing interviews of fellow web designers, web developers and graphic designers. As always, we are looking for fresh minds to pick and fresh faces to introduce to the design and development world! I have a few interviews set for the next few weeks, but I am still requesting designers and developers to nominate colleagues in the field or themselves! We want to know the real you! Please contact me if you are interested at hlamarche[at]admixweb[dot]com. This week we have a cool web designer named Michael Guill, which we had great fun getting to know! He runs 107 Designs and works as a web designer. Get to know more about this great guy below! I hope you like the interview! Enjoy!
Thank you so much for doing this interview for Admix Web. Can you give us a brief background on yourself?
I own a small design studio and live all over the place, thanks to my rock star wife, who’s an officer in the US Air Force. I spend a healthy bit of time off the grid in a Cessna Skyhawk.
List three things people might not know about you.
I’ve cooked for quite a few celebrities and military leaders, I don’t really like sports (except hockey), and I know Japanese.
Why Design/Development as a career? What were your inspirations for that profession?
I’ve always been drawn to creative work no matter what career I’ve been in. After spending some time as a stay-at-home parent, design turned out to be a good fit for me, my skill set, and my personality.
Do you do more front end or back end web development?
I do both, but as an old guy I’m losing ground on the back end part. These days, I’m finding it’s better to hire developer friends to do that sort of work. I’m now trying to stick to the front end designs and coding, focusing on user experience, interface design, and accessibility.
Are you self taught or did you study design/development?
I don’t have a degree in design or art if that’s the question. My degree is more of an Information Technology Management degree, but I’ve taken art classes and I study from textbooks on my own quite a bit. I’m not quite wired up to appreciate formal education like so many other people, but I’m a firm believer in continual learning.
How many years have you been in the field, and how has the field changed during that time?
I’ve been in and out of web design since 1997, but my first logo design was in 1994 and I sold my first painting sometime in the mid 80s. I don’t think that the concepts and the processes of design have changed much at all, but the tools and the contexts have changed considerably.
Can you describe a day in the life of you?
I make breakfast for everyone at 6am, get everyone on the bus or off to work at 7, and then have my coffee and read RSS feeds on the sofa or the deck for about an hour. The rest of my day is broken into chunks and spent on project tasks and meetings using the Pomodoro technique. Somewhere in the day I do a short workout, and in the late afternoon I call it quits and close my office door for the night.
What does your workspace look like?
My desk is very simple, and I like it that way. I rely on bookshelves and side tables for extra surfaces, and I try and keep the area somewhat organized. My brain is the true “cluttered desk” though. You might see me working in an airport, a hotel lobby, a coffee shop, etc., with just my phone and a laptop.
Would you define yourself as introverted or extroverted? Describe your personality?
I’m not sure how to describe my own personality. I used to think that I was an introvert, but now I believe that’s only the case in certain situations. Those that know me in person would probably say that I’m a mild extrovert, and hopefully they’d say I’m pretty witty, too.
What makes you unique?
I’m a problem solver. More specifically, I’m a lateral thinker, always coming up with different ways to accomplish a task. I figure that nothing is impossible, and as a result, many friends over the years have called me MacGyver, which doesn’t just apply to design or IT concepts. I’m good with tools, too.
What is your favorite color? Does it infiltrate your designs?
My favorite color changes from time to time, but lately it’s brown. Coffees, chocolates, woods, leathers, all of those sorts of colors tend to catch my attention. I do have to admit that left unchecked, they would find a way into my designs, but try to stay focused on what’s best for the project at hand, and as a result, I’ve created some pretty diverse designs.
What was your first design you actually marketed? How do you feel about it now?
I designed a logo for a restaurant concept that ended up failing. However, I’m still happy about the logo. I got to see my work in print and formed into a custom 3D sign. It gave me hope that I’d be able to do design work full time when life allowed it to happen.
What is your favorite type of design work? And, what has been your favorite project?
The best design work really depends a lot on the client. When there’s good chemistry, communication, and trust, the design just sort of happens on it’s own. My favorite project so far has been working on the Aging with Grace website. The people at the helm of this company have a lot of heart, great business sense and concepts, and just needed a way to make it all work online for their customers. I’m really proud to be associated with them and they’ve been great brand ambassadors for my work.
Explain the significance of your company name.
This is one of the rarest questions I get asked. My wife and I were married on January 7th.
Are you a Mac or a PC?
Can I say both? Primarily, I’m a Mac. I find that I’m quite a bit more productive on Apple’s OS than in Windows, and that’s really the main issue. I do have a PC, which is very useful for design testing and a few other things, but for day-to-day use, my trusty old iMac gets the job done.
What design tools do you use? Which tools would you suggest to fellow designers/developers?
I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Coda, and that’s really about it. There are also a few small utilities and web-based tools, but those are the main three. Other people really need to experiment and find their particular set of tools that allow them to be the most productive, but Photoshop and Illustrator are probably necessary if you work with other designers or agencies.
Do you work better under pressure or do you need time to cultivate your ideas?
I definitely need pressure, deadlines, and coffee to get a project done, but it does take time to cultivate ideas. On some projects there is time, on others there isn’t, and the work has to get done regardless.
Tell me about you blog or business: What made you start it and why do you write?
I started my blog because I wanted to start building a rapport with people on my site. I have lots of friends online and off, but a blog was a logical step for my business presence.
What is your favorite blog article you have ever written? Why?
I’m particularly fond of “It’s Not Spicy Enough” because it’s such a great metaphor and it applies to any line of work you’re in.
What is your view of Vlogging?
I love it, but just like podcasts, I need to have some incentive to keep watching or listening. I’ve unsubscribed from several podcasts with great content because they couldn’t keep my attention and weren’t presenting the material with conviction or authority. You don’t have to be a great stage presence, but keep your eyes open and at least be enthusiastic about your subject.
What are some of the design and development blogs you read on a regular basis, why?
That’s a tough one to answer, because I read so many. My reader has at least 150 RSS feeds in it, and I dig through all of them pretty frequently. I do find myself revisiting Freelance Folder, Boagworld, and CSS Tricks quite a lot, though.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself doing more speaking events. I’ve been fortunate enough to be asked to speak a few times this year, and it’s been a great experience. After hearing good feedback, it encourages me to do more of it and become even more helpful to others.
Where do you see design, the web, and development in 10 years?
I think we’re going to continue to see development in a broad variety of mobile devices. Once more organizations realize that content is being accessed and consumed in so many different ways, I believe there will be a push to deliver content based more on context than it is now.
What are your thoughts on the opinion that mobile technology will replace the desktop computer?
Instead of replacement, I think that the lines will simply become blurred between mobile and desktop, similar to the way we’ve seen the lines blur between SUVs, minivans, and station wagons. People need the multi-use functionality, but there are broad interpretations of what’s considered one or the other. Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? People will tend to have preferences for one style over another, and they’ll make choices based on budget, too.
Please share some pearls of wisdom for up and coming designers in the field.
Get to know everyone you can, and work as hard as you can to expand your circle on influence. Be yourself and be willing to learn and adapt to change. If you find the thing at which you excel, latch onto it and focus on marketing yourself with that specific skill.
What do you like to do to relax in your free time?
I need to be outdoors quite a bit to really relax. I like to spend time on my bicycles, I take my family camping or hiking, or we just go for a walk with the dogs somewhere.
How can people get in contact with you?
I’m pretty easy to find, but by far the easiest and quickest way to grab my attention is to send me a note on Twitter @107designs. If you don’t use Twitter, there are several ways to reach me, which you can find on my website’s contact page.
Holly Lamarche is a writer and attorney from New Orleans, Louisiana. Holly lived in Santo Domingo for two years, where she taught at a local private High School, and she currently writes and edits part-time for AdmixWeb and lives in Lafayette, Louisiana.
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Congrats to Mr. Guill on his success, I can relate to and share many of his insights on designing for the web, and enjoyed reading this interview. BTW Aging with Grace is beautiful! Great job!
Yet another amazing interview and interviewee here on admixweb, I really thoroughly enjoyed reading through this. I would not mind swapping my life for the life of 107 designs!
Lauren: Thanks so much! I really appreciate the feedback, especially coming from you.
Holly: Thanks for featuring me here. I’m really honored to be in this series among such talented designers.
Nice to read-through the whole interview…
I liked Michael Guill’s work space..
A well organized desk…