Math Times Joy

What was your plan for graduating and what actually happened?

R (Rob): I was pretty optimistic when I started school; I wanted to get out and jump right into a gig that matched the source of my inspiration. At the time, magazines and record labels were still doing well, and I really wanted to find a way to tie my “art background” into my career somehow. I considered quitting school on a few occasions, so I spent some extra time analyzing what I wanted out of my education and career. As a result, I made the decision to work in the field while finishing school, getting me in at a studio that I very much admired—which was probably a much better outcome being both, the record industry + print sort of went belly up not to long after.C (Celeste): My main goal, as I’m sure is every students, was to land a job ASAP. I worked full time, so taking on an unpaid internship was difficult. So, for my final quarter I decided to take on an extra loan to support me, which allowed me to intern (aka ‘real world experience’) full time until graduation. During that time, I applied everywhere and made it a point to talk with everyone whether a job was available or not. It paid off. In my final weeks of school, I was offered a contract to hire position with a small design studio!

Who are the members of your team and their roles?

R: We are a two-person team and since we’re only two people, we don’t really give ourselves titles, and often do a lot of cross-disciplinary work. Each project requires a unique approach and we each get to fit into that in whatever way we think works best.

C: As Rob mentioned, we’re both designer + partners at our studio. The most interesting aspect of this, is that we naturally assume roles based on the needs of the project but also land on roles that play to our individual strengths and weaknesses. As an example, Rob interests and talents tend to be strategic in nature, whereas I can be incredibly task oriented and happy to just get to work.

Who are your top five design crushes right now?

R: I’m not sure I have crushes. I think it’s more effective to pick out a few people who you respect, or do something great, meet them and do everything possible to support them. Your network should be full of people you revere.

C: My current favs creating interesting work: Manual, Landscape, A Friend of Mine, UMA and Design, Bitches.

Are you involved in any teaching and if and how it shapes your practice?

R: I don’t have any official channels for this, but I try to stay sharp, and share often. I believe people get too caught up in the accolades and forget that you can be involved in variety of meaningful ways.

C: I just starting teaching first year graphic design at California College of Arts. It’s been an interesting experience! It’s definitely keeping me sharp. Teaching has done a great deal in shaping my point of view, and has forced me to be concise in expressing both my ideas + criticism.