This month, we chose to feature identity designer and illustrator mastermind, Jay Fletcher of J Fletcher Design. With years of successful design experience under his belt, Jay has gained well-deserved respect and admiration, for the effortless beauty that he puts into every design that he creates.
Tell us about yourself: your background in design, and your design aesthetic.
I grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design in 2000 as an illustration major. My first couple 9-to-5 jobs after college were at daily newspapers — first in Florence, South Carolina and then for seven or eight years in Charleston, South Carolina — doing editorial illustration work. I was having a blast, but my art school friends began getting jobs at design firms and I was exposed to more and more graphic design. It seemed like a much deeper world where everything I knew about illustration could be made simpler, more functional, more conversational, and I was hooked.
I steadily took on freelance work and built a late-night side gig over the course of 3-4 years, eventually going out on my own in 2009. At this point the bulk of my work is brand ideation — straight-up logo design, mostly — but I do a little bit of everything.
My design aesthetic is simple and honest (I hope). I like when things have a “take it or leave it” confidence. I don’t ever want my work to look like it’s trying to talk you into something.
On your website, you describe yourself as “a one-man show, not a one-man band.” What do you mean by this? What about you makes you unique, when compared to other designers?
Honestly, I wrote that so long ago that I’m not exactly sure what I meant. I think I was trying to get at the idea that I’m a light-on-my-feet specialist, as opposed to a circus monkey jumping through a hundred different hoops.
This is a cheesy response, but I’d like to think that all designers are unique in their own way. If I’m hired for a project, I want to believe that the client did their homework and determined I was the right tool for the job.
What was it that made you want to pursue a career in graphic design? Did you ever want to give up and do something else?
My earlier days in illustration were a great way to stretch my legs, visually, but graphic design introduced a social component that really resonated with me. I love the idea of creating things that exist out in the world with a longer shelf life, subtly delivering information and influencing people. There’s a responsibility to it that I take seriously.
Yes, I constantly want to give up and do something else. Something where nobody can subjectively question the quality of the outcome. “You needed a 10’ deep ditch dug? There you go, it’s a ditch and it’s 10’ deep.”
I’m kidding. But maybe I’m not.
What does your design process look like? What tools and/or vices do you use to help you get through difficult projects?
Most of the initial conversations with the client revolve around establishing a vibe. Does it need to feel light? Dark? Elegant? Friendly? Hip? Iconic? And then I look for contrast and try to straddle the line between two somewhat-opposed ideas. For example, saying something needs to feel either “friendly” or “secretive” isn’t necessarily a great jumping-off point for me, but if we say something needs to feel both friendly AND secretive, that’s the springboard I’m looking for.
Then I usually spend a day or two in Illustrator getting all the bad ideas out of the way so I can discover the good ones. Those initial days can be excruciatingly frustrating, but necessary. After that, my output becomes exponential. The longer I work on any given project, the more completely my head becomes wrapped around it and the more efficiently I can create.
If I’m struggling with a project, the best thing I can do is walk away from it. Go outside, go on a run, go fishing. Anything other than work. I have to let things cool off so I can return with fresh eyes and see the glaring problems I couldn’t see before.
What designers or design agencies inspire you the most? Who or what inspires you outside of the design world?
I have the same fascination with Pentagram as everybody else does. I can’t imagine navigating the enormous scopes of work that their partners seem to routinely (and deftly) navigate.
Right now Owen Davey and Malika Favre are consistently blowing me away. I guess they’re more “illustrators” than “designers,” but still. Good lord.
What work or works are you most proud of and why?
When I first went out on my own I was nervous and pinching pennies, living on peanut butter sandwiches and cheap beer. But every Friday I’d walk to a cafe in Charleston named Caviar & Bananas and treat myself to a delicious (and expensive, for me at the time) duck sandwich as a reward for making it through another week unscathed.
A couple years ago they got in touch about an identity overhaul, which was a wonderful “full-circle” moment for me.
Please describe a current project that you’re working on?
I just finalized a set of stamps for the USPS that are about to go to print. That was a bucket list project, for sure.
What are the best and worst parts about being a graphic designer and illustrator?
Getting to be creative for a living is pretty amazing and I routinely remind myself to not take it for granted.
Working with clients can be both rewarding and challenging, as we all know. It can be tough when you know you hit a home run for somebody who thinks you struck out.
What are some quotes, mantras or practices that you live by?
“Don’t try to be original. Just try to be good.” — Paul Rand
Is there any advice you would like to give to those designers still in school or just starting out? Any tips or tricks to making it big?
Learn to see your work through the eyes of non-designers. Don’t get wrapped up in details that ultimately don’t matter. Concept is king. A poorly-executed logo based on a great idea is often better than a wonderfully-executed logo based on nothing. I’m not endorsing mediocrity. I’m just saying it’s easy to build a beautiful house on a shitty foundation, and that house will ultimately fall down.
To view the work that Jay Fletcher has uploaded to the Lounge, simply click here. To view his personal website, see here. Be sure to check back with us next month, as we bring another talented designer “Center Stage.” The next featured member could be you!