How long have you been designing and what got you started?
I’ve been a (working) designer for 15 years, but (in a hindsight’y way) I’ve been designing my whole life.
I was first exposed to design through music—which remains a constant source of inspiration to my work and my life in general. I remember the first time I heard ‘…And Justice for All’, I was equal parts fascinated and excited, maybe even a little terrified (I was 10). That album opened me up to the Bay Area metal scene at its peak; Thrasher Magazine, skate culture and artists like Jim Phillips. I just consumed it all, spending countless hours drawing out album covers, skate decks and logos. When the thrash scene faded I got into hip hop in the early 90s, another music scene at its peak with a rich culture. Graffiti artists like Cope2, CES and Toronto artist SKAM, team logos and fashion (Cross Colours anyone?). That pattern is a running theme; discovery, research, influence = inspiration.
Design was on my radar in a very subconscious way, it took a gentle nudge from my high school art teacher (Mr. Payette) to consider taking the ‘Graphic Design’ class and think about it as a career. I was much more of a designer than an artist in the traditional sense, my paintings, drawings and photography had a graphic sensibility and a real cultural/consumer influence.
After graduating from Conestoga College I worked at a number of design studios in Toronto, Ove, Holmes & Lee/Sisu (now defunct), Indigo, q30 and Parcel. I started Russell Gibbs Design 4 years ago where I work for my own clients but I also consult for studios like Bruce Mau Design, ZAK, 123 West and John St.
Besides being an active designer you are a beekeeper (and purveyor of delicious honey). How did that come about? Does it benefit your design career?
Beekeeping has been in my family for 4 generations, my Grandfather did it as a hobby and my Uncles are commercial beekeepers… so growing up there was never a shortage of stories or honey. Even though I wasn’t around bees as a kid, the beekeeping business was around me.
I left Toronto 8 years ago and moved to Dundas. It was at that time that I felt there was something more I needed to do, something ‘bigger’, more ‘real’ than the world I was currently in. During a conversation with my Dad he mentioned beekeeping. He gave me his collection of beekeeping books and the veil he used as a kid. I read the books, took a course, worked with a few local beekeepers and eventually established 3 colonies. That was 5 years ago, I now have 13 colonies and will likely be around 15 or so this year.
It was exactly what I needed and the perfect compliment to design. It keeps me very grounded and connected to nature, which was missing. There is a wholeness to producing, marketing and selling a product that I find incredibly fulfilling. Every year I expand, and every year I can’t quite keep up with the demand. I love working the farmers markets in the summer and having people tell me that Gibbs Honey is the best honey they’ve ever had!
In some ways it benefits my design career, but it also causes some confusion. They are 2 very disconnected things, some people wonder which one is the hobby. That is kind of the nature of the design industry—people believe that you need to spend 100% of your time designing, having design related hobbies and consuming nothing but design culture. But people are complex, me not being an exception to this rule, and I don’t want to be just one thing. Design is everywhere, even in the hive, being out in the bee yard is an incredible, calming and inspiring experience. The bees were designing long before we were… I should stop there before I really start sounding like a hippie.
Hamilton was once seen as a bit of a steel mill wasteland, and not a very desirable place to live. Besides it being rich in beautiful architecture what is it about that city that makes you not only love it, but champion it?
Hamilton has always had a bit of a bad rep, admittedly before moving here I really had no idea what was going on. There is also a very beautiful contradiction of landscapes, 10 minutes in one direction; I am in a gorgeous post-industrial, gritty neighbourhood. 10 minutes in the other direction; I am in the country, or at a waterfall. On top of all of that, there are people here doing amazing things in a very genuine way which is inspiring. Not necessarily for personal gain, but because they want to do something different, or on their own terms. That option seems more attainable here and I really connect with that energy.
The city gives me so much inspiration, so I wanted to give something back. Which is what “You Can Do Anything in Hamilton” was born out of. I wanted to create a simple message that could relate to anyone, doing anything. The shirts and totes are sold at various locations throughout the city and from me. It’s an ever-evolving campaign that still has legs. I am truly grateful that the campaign was accepted as well as it has been. I love that people connect with it.
You have a strong sense of typography and it comes through in a quietly confident manner in your work. Is this a deliberate decision or totally subconscious?
Thank you. It’s subconscious and deliberate. It’s also one of the main “tools” in my “toolbox”. Typography can be so expressive and subtle—which is a running theme in my work. I like to think I use type well, make appropriate choices and communicate well with it.
What for you is it about design that keeps you coming back for more?
It’s never the same, its always a challenge and can be very rewarding. Communicating an idea, a feeling or a concept without necessarily spelling it all out is intriguing. Or to tell a story with various elements that are all working together, is also something I am attracted to. You can get a lot out of it.
You have taught design in the past. What are the core design principals you try to convey to students?
Creativity, concept and expression.
Having said that, design is a tough subject to ‘teach’, there are fundamentals which are very important, but what is generally at the core of all good design and art for that matter is more intuitive and less tangible. When I taught or even when I was a Creative Director, I focused more of my time on facilitation and guidance vs. showing or directing people how to design. I wanted to help my team and my students reach their own unique solution. Getting there is a journey and it’s an important one that nobody else can do for you. It’s like going on a road trip; sometimes it’s a lot faster to fly… but, think of the shit you’d miss out on. How you got there is sometimes more important than just arriving.
It seems you have a thing for vintage Volkswagen’s. Is this born out of love for the design or for more nostalgic reasons? What do these things mean to you?
It’s design and nostalgia. There is something about that early design that I connect with, exterior, interior and even the engine. You can’t deny how iconic they are, everyone smiles when they see a Beetle or a Westy (camper/bus/hippie van). My first was a 1978 Westfalia which we called Dirk, sadly he met a tragic end which is a long story. A few years later he was replaced by a 1972 Super Beetle named Lars. I still remember the first time I sat in Dirk, it was like a time machine, a rolling antique that gave me this overwhelming sense of place. Everything was where it should be, nothing was over the top, only what is absolutely necessary. No extra shit. Which in contrast is everything about the world that we are currently living in, so many things are overdone. This again is a reflection of my aesthetic, I just like it simple I guess.
Are there any skills you wish you had or are actively working towards, and why?
Networking, business development and sales will always be the ‘work’ side of what I do, its just not something that comes naturally. I have learned a lot of the last 4 years of being my own boss, making connections and selling myself to potential clients. There is still a lot to figure out, but making progress I think… I hope!
Do you have a daily working routine or do you take a more relaxed approach to your work?
I try to keep a pretty strict routine. Work/life balance is very important, having a routine helps me keep that in check. Since creativity is largely a mental exercise, I build physical activity into my day every day; whether it’s CrossFit, running or yoga. As soon as I start to hit the wall, I get outside. It really clears my head if I am stuck. I can’t tell you how many concepts have come up in the middle of a run, or during yoga practice or during CrossFit.
In terms of my creative routine I keep that fairly loose, I make sure I give each project whatever it needs. Since I’ve gotten away from a 9-5 type situation of working at a studio, my creativity and quality of thinking has gone up. I have more time to think, to sketch, no longer chained to a desk, I can go for a walk, workout and work to a schedule that works for me, which ultimately benefits my clients.
Who in Canada is doing great work that you admire?
I decided to tackle this a bit differently since I don’t really follow who is doing what. Lately, I have been crazy in love with Kashink’s street art and murals in general—I was recently in Miami and the Wynwood Walls (and area) is incredible. Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice is a master work, the story, music and visual landscape is so on point. I was just at the Darwin Martin Complex in Buffalo, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright I love his work so much, I recommend it, Oak Park in Chicago and of course Fallingwater. Music wise, there is a lot of Father John Misty, Ty Segall and of course Phish never cease to amaze me.
