How did you get interested in typography in particular?

I studied graphic design at university. I went about it in quite a round-about way though. First of all I did a foundation course in Art and Design which lasted a year and covered most aspects of art and design?from textiles and sculpture to illustration and graphic design. Initially I wanted to be an illustrator, but quickly realized that the problem solving aspects of graphic design really appealed to me.

I then attended a higher diploma in graphic design on which you specialized in an aspect of graphic design for your second year; illustration, advertising or editorial design?that sort of thing. It was only half way through my second year of editorial design specialization that I realized there was a lot more to learn about typography and I was quickly running out of time. I was accepted on the Typographic Design undergraduate degree at Portsmouth University.

At first I hated it. I went from wanting to learn about DTP and layout, to hand-rendering Times New Roman and drawing grids on A2 paper on a drawing board. It was quite a traditional course. It's only now I realize the value in that kind of practice though. It was the enthusiasm of the lecturers, the precision of the mark-making, and the quest of typographic perfection which made the course incredibly challenging. I guess the kindling was set alight then.

What is your favorite font? Is this the one you use more often in your work?

I don't really have a favourite font. There are fonts that I find beautiful Baskerville or Garamond for example, and fonts that I sometimes default to Helvetica and Lucida Grande. As a designer who is working primarily on the web, I'm somewhat typographically constrained compared to our print-based cousins. However, the fonts which are available on most machines are enough to convey a typographic message, or set legible type.

Font selection, for me, is about answering two questions: 'does this font communicate what I want it to?' Then, if I'm using 'web' fonts, 'what do I have available which looks like this font?' Some of the most challenging aspects of designing with type on the web is trying to visually align fonts which users might not have (such as Futura Bold) with ones they do have and trying to retain the integrity of the design.

What do you start your design process with?

Asking questions. Then drawing. Firstly I really try and get to the bottom of the problem. Breaking a problem down to its core will allow you to build a solution back up. If you don't get to the very root of the problem, chances are your solution will be inadequate.

I always begin any visual design task by drawing. The Mac is the very last thing I touch and normally that's only to add the polish. The problem has generally already been solved by the time I get to that stage.

When you design a website, do you rely primarily on typography as a design element?

Yes, I always try and solve the problem typographically. Sometimes this is a hard sell to a client, especially if they want the latest swooshy-web 2 shape on their logo because the 'MD thinks that's what we need'.

I consider designing interfaces for the web as a typographic exercise. This goes for web applications as well. When you break down the elements of most of the successful web sites and applications, they are essentially type arranged within space. Colour, icons, rich-media etc. are all additions to this basic layout. In that sense, the majority of web sites, from a layout perspective, aren't that different to newspapers or magazines.

Is the typography of your personal website intended for people with visual disabilities?

The typography on my site is intended for the target audience. I'm not the RNIB. That said, my markup is valid and semantically coded. I use CSS for the presentation and consider it accessible. When I say accessible, I mean it can be accessed by people on a bunch of different devices, not that it's been designing for the visually impaired use as the primary user.

What websites do you consider as 'carrying typographic signature'?

By that, do you mean a unique? Most well designed websites carry a typographic signature.

Looking back at the time when you were a beginning web designer, what advice was or would have been rather helpful for you?

Learn HTML. I wish I'd learnt it sooner. I messed around with Dreamweaver for far too long before I realized the error of my ways.

A lot of designers are against learning HTML. I can understand why but I have a slightly different take on it. A lot of designers are focused on creativity; solving a problem through creative and lateral thinking. When it comes down to actually implementing the solution, designers are generally terrible at it?that's why in the days of print, you had designers and art directors doing the layouts, and 'art workers' making them work.

In order to design for a medium, you have to understand the mechanics of how the thing is built. Print designers should know about inks, presses and paper, and printing techniques. Architects should know about structural engineering, physics and have a decent knowledge of materials. Web designers should know about HTML and should make a point of keeping up to date.

How do you sharpen your skills?

Kung Fu. No, seriously, I'm a bit of a visual sponge. I'm also a terrible hoarder. On any given lunch-time, or trip into town, I'll generally come back with something I've picked up; a magazine, flyer, newspaper. Some visual trinket which will be filed away with all of the other junk.

With regards to designing?mark-making?as with most things, practice makes perfect. Grids for example. It would be easy for me to roll out the same 960px 12 unit grid every time I start a project. I don't do that. I'll create a grid, from scratch, for every project I do. For me, that process is a vital part of the overall design process. Nothing can come close to a rationally designed grid.

What/who inspires you the most?

I know it sounds awfully trite, but my Dad is a big professional inspiration. He's an architect. As a kid, I grew up helping him with surveys on site. Architecture is very interesting and a draw daily parallels with it.My Dad's practice has somewhat of an accidental specialism in designing car parks. In fact, they've won the National Car Park Awards (yes, there is such a thing) for the past two years running. For a seemingly dull subject, car park design is full of interesting and challenging problems. Wayfinding and traffic flow is a key concern as is getting the most out of the scheme in terms of car numbers. Then there is pollution and air-flow which goes hand-in-hand with the choice of materials. There is a mind-numbing amount of problems to be solved.

When talking to a client for the first time, what are the core questions you usually ask in order to find out what will suite him/her the best?

What are you trying to say? Who are you trying to say it to? I generally start with these two. As I said before, in order to design something, you need to establish the core of the problem. Answering these two questions generally gets to that.

Is completed website design mostly the product of your own vision, or a collaborative effort? Who has the authority ? you as a designer, or your client?

Collaborative, without a doubt. A client will know their business better than you ever will and a good designer should never assume otherwise. To be honest, I think clients have suffered with the 'I'm the designer and I know best' attitude for long enough. Good graphic design?for the web, print, screen, whatever?is about solving problems. I strongly feel a designer cannot solve problems in a vacuum.

In terms of authority, the client again has authority over almost all of the project. They own the brand, they have the customers and more importantly, they pay your bill. Let's not confuse authority with respect. A good client will always respect you and the decision you make, even if they are bad ones, and vice-versa. As soon as respect (not authority) breaks down, then it's best to part ways.

In August of 2006 you said in an interview to Web 2.0 Magazine that Web 2.0 '?will be about designing stuff that people use and all that goes along with it. It will be simpler, better and more rewarding for designers but only if we let go of the aesthetic and grab hold of the other stuff.' Now, a year later, do you think we're still missing something you foresaw? What does Web 2.0 mean to you?

I still think that's the case. Web 2.0 is still a silly term that describes certain websites and services that enable people on the web to do things with other people. Be that share videos, chat online, host their bands website etc.What I meant about the aesthetic there was, at the time, web 2.0 was seen as a certain 'look'. You know, gradients, drop shadows etc. I think that is fading now. I still get this is a requirement from certain clients. I ask 'why?' and they can never give me a satisfactory answer.

Fashion in design is okay, I'm not knocking it, but as with fashion in clothing, it's fading away.

Tell us about getflowing.com. How did you come up with an idea? When do you plan to launch it? What are some of the other projects you're currently working on?

Flow is simmering away. Problem is we're all so busy that finding time for development is getting increasingly difficult. Without saying too much about it, lets just say we're planning on getting something out fairly soon.

I can't say too much about what I'm working on at the moment. I've done some great work recently for a big branding company in London. I'm redesigning a major sports website in addition to work for one of the biggest energy providers in the world.

I'm also feverishly trying to finish my self-published book. I announced I was writing it last November and it's been slow going. Very slow. However, I have a new employee starting at Mark Boulton Design next month, so that will ease the pressure a little so I can get the thing finished.

With regards to the Web, do you find any particular technologies or innovations intimidating?

That's an interesting question. I don't really. I think I know my place within the industry. A while ago, when I was heavily interested in web standards, I could have so easily gone down the route of trying to learn JavaScript. That would have lead to Ajax stuff and then that would've lead to hacking around with Rails. I know my place?I'm a designer, not a programmer.

There are plenty who can do both fairly well?design and develop. Me? I want to design really well, and that's it.

What industry sites/blogs/magazines do you read regularly?

There aren't that many really. I read quite a few blogs, so, the usual suspects: Khoi's Subtraction, Zeldman, ALA, Jeff Croft, Jason Santa Maria, all of the Brit Pack?

I try to keep up on what's happening and where things are going based on those few. I try to draw inspiration from other things though. As I said, I collect stuff and still buy magazines. Looking only at the web for your inspiration isn't a good thing.

What do you like to drink during your work, guys?

Tea, and lots of it please!

Real Englishman ;) Thanks, Mark, for sharing your experience with us!

Helen Walker

Helen Walker graduated with a degree in Mass Communications and Sociology. She worked as a newspaper journalist for two years after that. Having always been interested in cyberculture and its impact on society, Helen switched to online journalism and joined Design Interviews blog in July, 2007. Ever since she's been interviewing web designers and administrating the blog. Helen is a keen movie-goer and she is also a panda lover.


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