The Group Interview

The Music.Blog team kicked off their project with a group call between AGI Designer Nancy Skolos, Paintsville Graphic Design Fellows Aaron Bressler and Aiden Belcher, and Automattic Designer Ashley vonClausburg. The conversation started with Nancy giving us a bit of info about her background; how having highly creative parents influenced her career; and what she’s focusing on for her sabbatical this year.

Aaron and Aiden asked questions about Nancy’s thesis Translating Musical Events Into Visual Imagery, her design process, and how she deals with creative blocks. They also gave us a bit more background on what got them interested in the design fellowship. Aaron was inspired by Mad Men and how Don Draper’s character used design, art, and storytelling to influence people’s behaviors and thoughts. Aiden was drawn to design as a possible career path given he already had an interest and inclination in traditional visual arts.

We had a great time discussing how the role of design has changed in some expected and unexpected ways. Nancy told a story about a time when her father, who was an industrial designer, took her grocery shopping. He pointed to all the labels and said that, given the rise of the influence of design, one day the shelves of this store would look like the walls of an art gallery 🙂

At the close of the call, Aaron and Aiden said they weren’t sure yet if they wanted to pursue a career in design. But, they felt this project was a way for them to get a better understanding of the field and what the different possible careers paths might look like.