I love Jesus, my wife, and design. I do my best to keep them in that order, too. I’ve been a designer for about 8 years (2002). Within that span of time, my personal definition of ‘design’ has changed drastically. What used to be a means to make something that simply looked cool, has changed to a much more effective and satisfying out-look. I believe that a designers first and foremost responsibility is to listen. Being able to listen carefully to your clients needs, then analyze and interpret them into a feasible solution.

Design is more than simply being creative (though that is part of it). Design is about understanding people and how they react in certain scenarios. Design is conveying a message and making a blatant statement while you’re doing so. Design is about finding order and following process. Design is smart. That’s where I’m at now. I’m guessing that I’ll have a different opinion in 8 years from now though.

About Me

My wife, Jen, means the world to me. We do everything together. She’s an artist (and fashion blogger) herself and is a constant inspiration to me. We’re currently expecting an amazing little girl to be born this fall and couldn’t be more excited. I’m pretty sure she’s also going to be a designer someday. Mostly because I plan on forcing her into it… along with hockey, surfing, skating, snowboarding, piano/guitar and a few other things I know she’ll thank me for later.

About the Site

This site has been around for about 4 years and has been through 4 iterations since. It started as a portfolio site to help me land a job when we moved to Hawaii and again when we moved to New York. On the version prior to this I incorporated a blog as an after thought. I posted to it sporadically, but always felt that it didn’t support the text as well as it needed to. So now I’m here. I’ve recognized the importance of writing about design rather than simply posting my work to a portfolio. It keeps me in check and allows me to contribute to the design community, which is something I feel strongly about.

The new format of this site was inspired by one main concept, ‘design explanation’. I love looking at and creating great work, but understanding the reasoning behind the work is even more satisfying to me. So I decided to put a strong focus on it. Along with Design Explanation, I’ve also put a focus on Design Practice & Photography. These are the three categories in which I’m most interested, so why not plant a flag and get to work.

If you’re interested in learning more about me or this site, you should follow me on twitter, or dribbble. You should also feel free to shoot me a note; even if it’s just to say hi: encrg.others [at] gmail [dot] com

 
  1. Design Practice

    The Vicious Cycle of Careless Praise.

    When popularity weighs more heavily than design theory itself, we run the risk of dangerously giving birth to trends that are focused more on politics, than solid foundations.

    August 16, 2010

  2. Design Explanation

    Why suggest it, When you can say it?

    Why show someone something when you can just tell them? An entire campaign based around cleverly written copy, beautiful typography and monochromatic colors.

    July 21, 2010

  3. Design Practice

    Design & Present with Passion

    Creating a beautiful design that fulfills your clients needs is only half the battle. Without rationale, your designs critique will consist of nothing more than personal opinion.

    July 2, 2010

  4. Design Practice

    I used to play hockey. Now I Dribbble.

    The latest and greatest asset to your designer tool box. Beyond being a show & tell for designers, Dribbble has proved to help me focus on the details within all of my design solutions.

    June 21, 2010

  5. Design Explanation

    This is a real headline, indeed.

    A detailed explanation covering the purpose and reason behind this site and it’s design; the fourth version of ENCRGothers. Focused on textual content, and a clean interface.

    April 24, 2010

  6. Design Practice

    Rules to Live By

    I think it’s in our nature to overlook thinking before taking actions. But, without strategic planning (or in my case, common sense) we’ll just end up back where we started, or worse.

    December 17, 2009

  7. Design Practice

    With Risk Comes Reward

    I’m personally a huge advocate of taking risks and seeking adventure, but not without strategy and purpose. Taking a completely random risk can be down right foolish.

    November 16, 2009

  8. Design Practice

    Typography: Part 2

    Content should be re-evaluated at each stage of design in order to be as cohesive and visually appealing as it can be. Lets be honest though, this is hardly ever the case.

    October 11, 2009

  9. Design Explanation

    Art & Advertising in One

    I find myself fascinated with simple vector illustrations that posses a bit of irony. This isn’t the only style of illustration I like, but it’s certainly the style I like best.

    September 12, 2009

  10. Design Practice

    Two fields, One Career.

    Is it safe to assume that my skill set will be obsolete in the near future? Am I destined to be a one-trick-pony who has no place in the progression of the modern world?

    August 22, 2009

  11. Design Practice

    Typography: Part 1

    More often than not, I notice that strategic typography is one of the first elements of design to be overlooked when dealing with a small budget or a tight timeline.

    August 11, 2009

  12. Design Practice

    The Budget Battle

    Finding a client in whom you can build a lasting and fruitful relationship is hard to come by. Like any relationship, it’s common that everything seems ideal in the beginning stages.

    June 30, 2009

  13. Design Practice

    What Makes a Good Design?

    There are many roles within the design industry. Each person within these different roles will have an opinion on what good design is, regarding their specific area.

    May 31, 2009

  14. Photography

    Tradition at it’s Best

    It’s not common to hear about a company whose product hasn’t changed in over a century. From product design to the process of creation, the original blueprints remain.

    May 14, 2009

  15. Design Practice

    Not So Constructive Criticism

    If you can’t logically back up any criticism regarding a design, then there’s a good chance that your opinion is exclusively based on personal preference; which may not be relevant.

    April 21, 2009

  16. Design Practice

    Reason Before Rhyme

    When you take the time to follow an organized process that includes research and planning, your odds are much higher to not only create better results, but hit all of your marks.

    April 7, 2009

  17. Design Practice

    Stand by Your Title

    Maybe I have to wait for my ego to shrink before I feel resolution with this issue, but I’m looking forward to the day where I can proudly state, “I am a graphic designer!”

    March 30, 2009

  18. Design Practice

    The Start of a New Chapter

    This site will serve as a place for me to vocalize and document the every day challenges that I face as a designer as well as the solutions that keep me moving forward.

    March 24, 2009

  19. Design Practice

    Almost There

    I’m thrilled that you were so inclined to actually attempt to read one of my articles. Unfortunately, there’s still 1.5 seasons of ‘Lost’ left, so I won’t be getting around to this until spring 2010.

    March 18, 2009