Today it seems like everyone thinks they are a graphic designer because they know some computer programs and produce some basic form of visual imagery that all too readily has become generic, redundant and dare I say boring. Graphic design is so much more than mastering the computer it’s the business of making and choosing images and words and arranging them on a surface to convey an IDEA. Graphic design ultimately involves problem solving and communication.

So am I a graphic designer? God I hope so or I paid LMU a hell of a lot of money for nothing. My work consists more often than not of the Postmodern aesthetic this approach to design that breaks free from all restraints and experimenting with type and image to create something of visual interest and yet still have something meaningful to say describe what I try to do. My basic philosophy is to enjoy what I’m trying to do, have fun with it, and be involved in order to create visually interesting things or how can I expect to keep others interested.

Since I was a kid, I had always loved art and doing some form of it, but it was the postmodern designers, Neville Brody and David Carson who initially got me attracted to design and what it can do. You can satisfy the client/viewer with it is they need, but at the same time, design needs to also be about personal expression in order for it to be truly satisfying to all parties involved. This is why with my work, I look at sources that inspire and appeal to me not only as a designer/artist but also as a person. Born and bred in sunny California all my life, elements of popular culture like music as well as the grittiness and aggression of street and beach culture seem to influence my work one way or another. I consider myself more of a fine art graphic designer because of my preference for my hands over the computer, but rely on both to get the job at hand completed.

Today I balance my creativity between design, illustration, and photography to help me capture my experiences and share them with whoever is interested. Currently I work as a designer and illustrator for California Label Products in LA creating labels and hangtags for the garment/clothing industry but I also started Local Design in 2005 so I could pursue a number of different projects that never keep me bored. -pf