The Fitzroy

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and your work.

I’ve lived on four different continents: Europe (Germany), Africa (South Africa), South America (Brazil) and North America (US). Somehow, I ended up living in Utah, where I currently reside and where I earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Brigham Young University in 2008. In 2008, I starting working for a small studio called Hint Creative based in Salt Lake City. I eventually became an art director there and worked for six years… like to the date. Towards the end of my stint, I started doing lettering and type-centric identities on the side, which I found to be more fulfilling than the work I was doing. But Hint really honed my abilities as a designer and as an art director, and taught me to be methodical and strategy/concept driven in my work. It enabled me to then start my own studio, which I operate to this day.

Cottonhouse Hotel

Cottonhouse Hotel

When did you know you wanted to be a graphic designer, and what was that journey like?

I was a senior in high school and was participating in a state specific art contest. A mentor from previous years showed me some of the work he was working on at the time, and it was a brand identity system. That was the defining moment, where I discovered design and branding. I knew I wanted to do whatever he was doing. I discovered he was studying graphic design, (didn’t even know what that was previously), and he helped me prepare a portfolio to get accepted into BYU’s design program. I started trying to do work on the side for my dad’s business and any other business that I could get to hire me. I ended up getting into the program, interning at a few places, and landed my first job after graduating. Two years ago I left my agency and started my own studio. I’ve been blessed with all the experiences along the way that have helped me have so much success.

Tom's Town

What makes a successful brand? A successful graphic designer?

Much more than design honestly. I’ve designed startups that have been extremely successful, and some that tanked after a couple years of business; both had great identity systems. Did the design influence their success? Certainly. Design is a key component of a brand’s success, as it helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace and emanate quality and craft. Great design will be both functional but also memorable. But it goes deeper than aesthetics. A well designed brand should consider demographics, marketplace analysis, strategic alignment, functionality, and modular application, across a broad range of brand touch points. It should have the ability to evolve in order to have longevity.

 Fetcham Park

A key to being a successful graphic designer is procuring balance. Be engaged in life and relationships. Life is all about relationships. Read. Watch inspirational media. Be informed on world events. Engage in other hobbies of both mental and physical exertion. Serve others. Be an asset to your community. Be a part of something bigger than yourself. Endeavor to progressively get better. If you can provide for yourself and those under your stewardship, you have your own form of success.

 Fetcham Park

Fetcham Park

Who/what inspires you the most?

With my diverse upbringing, I have really diverse tastes. From period movies, books, nature, obscure ephemera, to marvel movies, sports and religious texts. I get a lot of inspiration from writing and lifting weights. They are fairly opposite exercises, but both help bring me balance. The most important things in life, last the longest. My family has to be the most important thing therefore. Life is all about relationships; relationships are one of the only things we carry with us past this life. As I get older, I want to allocate my time around the things that matter most, and I’ve found that they inspire the most and give life the most meaning.

 Cunningham Studios

What would be a dream project or who would be a dream client for you?

U2 is what got me into music when I was younger. I’d love to do some packaging for them, but not sure that would necessarily be the best fit. It would be great fun to do a record label. A movie logotype would be EPIC. I’d love to do some type-centric graphics for a movie as well, preferably a period drama.

 Cunningham Studios

What works are you most proud of? Could you tell me about the process?

Always hard to identify which ones, as I’m pretty attached to all of my work. Each piece represents a chunk of my life. Maybe identifying key pieces is a good way at looking at it. The Luminares poster was my first attempt at custom lettering, so it really kick-started that path for me. The Terra poster was by far the most challenging piece typographically that I’ve ever done. The Fitzroy branding is special, as it’s pretty rare to name a building in New York and create a great identity system. Tom’s Town is another piece I really love, and I am still working with the client. Great clients make the experience and the journey so much more worth it, and I’ve been fortunate to work with some really great ones who champion great creatives.

My process fluctuates depending on the project. Some commonalities are finding excellent resource material with authentic roots appropriated to the subject matter.

Hawthorne & Wren

According to your website, you have a deep love for lettering and typographical aesthetics. What about these mediums draw you in and make them special to you?

I’ve always been drawn to the arts since I was a boy. From comics, to cards, to video game packaging or cricket bats. My true moment of rapture came however, when I discovered Victorian typography and ornamentation. It’s hard to explain why, yet for some reason it really resonated with me and drove me to push learning that specific style. It started by replicating the Sanborn Maps and then honing my skill set until I could create unique forms from it. Since then, my skill set has increased to myriad styles. What interests me is concept driven work, executed at an extremely high level typographically. Work that means something, really resonates on top of immaculate craft. But immaculate craft still makes me salivate, regardless of the field.

Tates

Do you have any advice for anyone starting out in the design world? Advice for those who have been in the business for years?

Design is more than being able to make something look good or function. Identify what interests you and what you are really good at. Moreover, try and do good with your work and lift others around you. Type has always been a strength of mine in design, but I have some great friends who are phenomenal conceptualists or copy writers, photographers, or maybe their niche is editorial or web design. We all need each other. One thing that can be a strength, but can also be a weakness, is being too specialized. There is so much talent in the world pool that you need to specialize to a certain extent, simply to hone your craft at a high enough level and become an expert that clients seek out. However, the future of designers is being adaptable and continuing to increase your skill set exponentially. One thing often overlooked is the importance of knowing how to operate a business. I know great designers who flounder because they neglect the business side, and I know decent to average designers who find immense success because they are extremely savvy businessmen, and know how to amass great talent under one roof.

Theory 11

For more of Kevin’s work, check out his logo collection uploaded to the Lounge, by clicking here. You can also see his work, by visiting his studio’s website here.