Interview with:Alan Vitek [alanvitek]
DESIGN
 | What is your specialty? My specialty is design, in any sense. I love web design, image design, and typography.
Good design is an important part of any creative work, and I feel that it is necessary to first understand the rules and foundations of good design in order to break them and make new standards. |
| Where can we view your portfolio online? http://www.alanvitek.com |
| What made you interested in design? I've been able to draw ever since I was little, but I never looked at art and design as a profession until late in high school.
I guess I'm interested in design because I can't look at anything without thinking about how a designer put it together, and which parts I like and don't like. |
| What has been your professional career path? I would really like to open up my own studio and create fine art, but I have not been successful enough to do that yet. I know I'll get there one day! |
| Have you received any awards for your work in the field of design? Yes, I won several awards back in high school for my art, such as the Kiwanis scholarship award, and I have received a couple of honors in college. |
| What is your motivation? What makes you get up in the mornings? It's interesting that the term "morning" is used here. One of my favorite ads is a picture of a dark room illuminated by a computer, and there is a designer sitting there working away, and at the bottom it read, "Because great ideas don't always happen at 9 AM."
What really gets me going is seeing other people's work, and getting inspired to push the boundaries that they have set. |
| How would you define your design style? I would say I like very clean forms of abstraction, and minimalism. However, I also have like very messy, and scribbled work as well. |
| In which new areas would you like to experiment? I have done very little work in film, but I feel like directing a few short movies would give me invaluable experience and make me look at art in a different sort of way. |
| Shapes, color, concept: where do you usually begin when conceiving a design? Concept.
It's important, especially when working for a client, that form FOLLOWS function. If your concept doesn't have the right function, then why would anything else matter?
Usually, once I get the concept down, everything else falls neatly into place. |
| Do you believe the newer generations are better at designing? No, we aren't better at everything.
I haven't met many type designers that are my age (early 20s). And I dont mean type like decorative fonts, but REAL type design.
As far as our understanding of computers, yes I do believe we have a better hold of things, except that there is a real vacuum of laziness in many "designers."
What I mean by this is that there are a ton of kids running around these days with a pirated copy of photoshop, and they think that they can start up a "logo design" business.
First and foremost, logos should usually just be the name of the company. And logos should also never be made in photoshop. Thats just dumb.
Secondly, these "designers" don't understand the traditional values and rules.
I'm not trying to be conceded or anything, but I feel that most people my age lack understanding of good design. They just jump in and the first person to critique them harshly gets them all bent out of shape. The internet hasn't helped either, because now these "designers" can hide behind whatever kind of mask they want to. There is no need for them to become face to face with any client and that scares me.
Finally, THE COMPUTER IS JUST A TOOL. Most designers my age do not understand that at all. Yes, it's a very powerful tool, but it shouldnt be solely relied upon. And there is more than just photoshop too. And people that rely on stock photography to do anything, well, thats just sad. I'm not dissing stock photographers, or stock designers, but I do believe that people my age abuse the privilege of design, and then turn around and call it their own.
Okay, I think I'm done ranting now, haha. :) |
| Which professionals in your field -contemporary or past- do you most admire? I dont know if I have a favorite designer, but my favorite past artist is Andrew Wyeth. If only I could design like he could paint. |
| Which software applications do you most utilize in your work? I love all of the Adobe products. My favorites, and the ones I use most often would have to be Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver. |
| How do you distinguish passing fads from mainstays in new trends? That's a tricky question.
I believe that fads contain elements of mainstays in new trends. But really, trend is a relative word. Things that look outdated are trendy, and things that look space age are trendy. It just depends on your targeted audience.
However, I HATE decorative, distressed typefaces. If you are going to have a distressed look, custom make your distressed type. Ugh! I cant stand how every "E" or every "A" looks exactly the same. |
| Can you see yourself in this field twenty years from now? Yes. Of course. I never want to leave this field. |
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Alan Vitek
Gainesville-USA
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