Designer Archives | Page 9 of 14 | The Great Discontent (TGD)

Jeffrey Veen

Designer, Developer, Entrepreneur / By The Great Discontent

Jeffrey Veen is no stranger to the world of products. At the helm of Adobe’s Creative Cloud service, he has the ability to shape the experiences of millions of users. Before that, he led the team at Typekit in bringing web fonts to websites everywhere. But where did his story begin? As a young student, Jeffrey grew to love writing, and in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he studied as an English major, but his ever present interest in computers eventually led him to the web. His digital career began in 1994 at Wired, and included a handful of jobs that he left in order to pursue more satisfying work. Now, almost two decades later, Jeffrey opens up about the risks he’s taken, offers his thoughts on issues that are important to him—from the longevity of our content to product management—and gives his best advice: if you get really, really good at something, then it will almost certainly turn into your passion—a sentiment which is echoed by Jeffrey’s own journey. —Tina

Jen & Naz

Designer, Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

What a pair! As a husband and wife team, Naz and Jen can match each other stride for stride. Their strengths perfectly compliment one another and they have contributed incredible work to the digital sphere. Their individual paths started far from one another, but crossed in Chicago, where they met and began their journey together. Learn about Naz and Jen’s early lives, their pivotal experiences, the big decisions they’ve made, and what they hope to contribute. We’re already inspired by what Naz and Jen have accomplished together and, with their natural inclination for collaboration with each other, we know that whatever the future holds, it’s going to be awesome. —Tina

James Victore

Artist, Designer, Educator / By The Great Discontent

When we met James Victore at his Williamsburg studio a few weeks ago, we knew it was going to be a special evening. And it was. Over the course of the night, James recounted his path with unflinching honesty, describing his parent’s early influence on him, the events that led him to New York with dreams of becoming the best poster designer ever, and how he found, lost, and regained his dharma. Now, in the midst of doing the most important work of his career, James is certain that his life’s work is no longer about him; nor is it about money, awards, or fame. What drives James is the simple, yet profound truth that, “Our work is a gift.” As you read the interview, it’s our sincere hope that James’ words will resonate with you. Because no matter what you do, you have a contribution to make, but it’s up to you to be courageous enough to believe it and audacious enough to act on it. —Tina

Veerle Pieters

Designer, Developer, Illustrator / By The Great Discontent

If you work on the web, you’ve likely read Veerle’s blog in search of inspiration or knowledge–both of which are plentiful. We’ve certainly followed Veerle’s work and read her blog over the years, which is why it was such an honor when she agreed to talk with us. Veerle is as big-hearted and kind as one would imagine and our conversation was full of lively banter and laughter as Veerle shared about her path and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Read on to find out exactly how Veerle discovered graphic design, what sparked her interest in the web, her experience of working with her life partner, Geert, and her best business advice. While Veerle is enjoying a slower pace of life these days—along with her newfound love of cycling—she hasn’t slowed down on sharing her passion and knowledge with the rest of us. And for that, we are grateful. Thank you, Veerle! —Tina

James White

Artist, Designer / By The Great Discontent

Want to know what initiative looks like? Read this interview with James White. He grew up in a small town where the schools didn’t offer art programs. Even so, he loved drawing from a very young age and explored his interest in art with encouragement from family. At 18, his high school guidance counselor gave him a brochure for a graphic design course and his life trajectory was forever changed. He studied graphic design and then moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to work at an agency—but that’s only the beginning. James’ prolific body of self-initiated work has led high-profile clients to knock on his door and Signalnoise Studio was born. James continues to push the boundaries of his work and challenges all of us to chase after what we love to do—because no one is going to do it for us. —Tina

Jason Fried

Designer, Entrepreneur, Writer / By The Great Discontent

The story of 37signals is widely known among those who use and love the company’s web-based apps, but what about the story of Jason Fried, President and cofounder of 37signals? Although he originally pursued a finance degree, an interest in developing software led him to working on the web and the rest is history. In addition, his early job experiences taught him about the kind of company he wanted to build as well as the kind of culture he wanted to create. And he set out to do just that. Read on to learn about Jason’s personal path and to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophies that have shaped the way he does business and why he’s most interested in making something that stands the test of time. —Tina

Brad Smith

Designer, Entrepreneur / By The Great Discontent

Stories are powerful reminders that we are never alone and we’ve been continually reminded of that since beginning TGD in August 2011. Over and over again, we’ve received responses from readers who have felt a connection with the experiences of people we’ve featured. From the beginning, we have encouraged those we interview to be as open and honest as they’re comfortable with—those moments of vulnerability are the moments of deepest resonance. This is Brad’s story, uncensored. Drawing upon his wealth of experiences, he offers us what he’s learned about business, risk, purpose, community, and finding success in the unlikeliest of places—because sometimes success first looks like failure. —Tina

Matthew Smith

Designer / By The Great Discontent

It’s an honor to finally have Matthew Smith on TGD! We have followed Matthew’s work online for some time and finally had the chance to meet him in person last October at Brooklyn Beta. This guy is the real deal! He is super talented and has a heart of gold. After a long journey from hopeful fine artist to designer and entrepreneur, Matthew’s path has taken shape to reveal a man who truly cares about the work he does, but it goes beyond that. His desire to make a meaningful mark on those around him is evident in all he has accomplished in the last few years and we know this is just the beginning. Read on to learn about Matthew’s journey, be encouraged by his story, and be challenged by his bravery to ask the tough questions about the work we do and what really matters. —Tina

Sara Blake

Artist, Designer, Illustrator / By The Great Discontent

Simply put, we love Sara’s illustration work! Wanting to know more about the person behind the art, we reached out to Sara, who invited us to do an interview at her studio. There, we conversed about her path from growing up in Virginia to living and working in New York City, how she came to find such a distinct style of illustrating, the people who have impacted her the most along the way, and how she balances freelance work with a day job. In short, she works her ass off, which is her advice to all of us—we couldn’t agree more! Talent is an essential foundation, but the willingness to work hard and break a sweat is crucial to success. Thanks for reminding us of that, Sara! —Tina

Louise Fili

Designer, Illustrator / By The Great Discontent

Louise Fili is a force to be reckoned with; a trailblazer who has relentlessly pursued her interests to create a stunning, uncompromising body of work over the course of the last several decades. Interviewing someone as widely recognized and celebrated as Louise Fili is such an incredible, yet daunting, honor. Graciously, Louise extended an invitation to meet at her studio, where we conversed about her all-time favorite things: type, food, and Italy. We also talked about her path spanning from childhood years to present-day, which revealed her as a woman who is not only prolific in her art, but also rich with wisdom. Thank you, Louise, for inspiring me—and all of us—with your passion for what you do! —Tina

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