Hey there, and welcome to Feature Friday #004, our series highlighting some of the incredible people on Cotton Bureau. You can find Tim on Instagram and around the web. If you’re looking to pick up Tim’s new Design hat or his classic Heart of Pixels tee, you can shop his collection on Cotton Bureau.

(Oh, while you’re here, be sure to check out our new referral code program. You can read all the details on the blog, and you might just go home with a brand-new iPad Pro.)

Yo, Tim! We’ve had the privilege of knowing you and working together for over 10 years now. You’ve certainly moved around a bit during that time. Can you update us on where you are now and what you’re up to professionally?

Hello! You caught me at a rare moment where I'm in between full-time projects. I'm currently doing a mix of product design freelancing and advising, and have a bunch of keyboard projects running on the side as well.

We moved back to Belgium about 4 years ago, and I've been working remotely ever since (and loving it). We also got a dog, 4 chickens, and have 3 kids now (last time we spoke it was 1).

Wow. You’ve been busy! Tell me more about the keyboard projects. (But, also, have you seen the chicken orb??)

That chicken orb looks pure evil, not gonna lie. There's something diabolical about putting chicken in a cage shaped roughly like the eggs they lay/come from.

The keyboard thing…

Looking back, it was probably the side project I needed. After having been designing digital interfaces for almost 2 decades, I felt a bit burned out. During the lockdowns I slowly started experimenting with building mechanical keyboards (not tricky, most of the components are standardized, and you can customize anything you want to achieve the look/sound/feel you want).

Me being me, I started thinking about designing some of these components myself. So down the rabbit hole I went. This is where things started moving at a breakneck pace. Taught myself Blender to render out ideas for keycap sets (shout out to Youtube Premium), started learning a whole lot about the production process, got cozy with online shops all around the world to set up a global network of sales points, and so on and so on.

Today, I've got a nice little thing going (still a side project though). Every couple of months I release in-stock drops of keycaps, I've got some keyboards in the pipeline, and am working with some companies on commission projects (I design the boards and caps, my friend takes care of the production model, another friend is a machinist who actually makes the boards). Got some really nice projects coming up I hope I can share more details about soon!

The production pipeline is humming along, so all I really need to focus on is the design side. It's nice.

Very cool. The keyboards on your site look fantastic. Every one has a different vibe. I’m particularly digging Expo, maybe because it reminds me of Severance.

Do you think designing keyboards could eventually lead to other analog projects? Maybe other computer peripherals or desk accessories?

I fully expect that to happen. I’ve learned a ton about designing and producing physical goods over the past couple of years, and it would only make sense to use that knowledge on things outside of keyboards.

I’ve been asking a lot of designers how they feel about AI-assisted — or even completely generated — artwork. Where do you come down on this? What do you think the next 5-10 years of design and art looks like?

I personally see it as a tool which helps designers do even better work. The thing about tools is it’s about how you wield it. If you want you could do amazing work with MS Paint. I currently use it as inspiration, and that’s how I see myself using it for the foreseeable future; the final work will always be done by myself, but occasionally it’s helpful to get unblocked. Maybe one day I’ll be able to train it (like I would train a more junior designer), but I’m pretty against training AI by feeding it pixels and using the pixels that come out on the other side as the final product. Sure you’ll get some nice results, but you lose the human spark.

If I’m not mistaken, you’ve had a chance to live in some amazing food cities during the course of your career. If you had choose to eat the food of only one of those cities for the rest of your life, which one would it be? (And what would be your go to meal?)

Aaaaaaaah that's a tricky one!

Austin is where I fell in love with BBQ, but if I had to eat that for the rest of my life, it wouldn't be a very long one…

I'd have to say San Francisco or anywhere in California. The fruit and vegetables there are just insanely fresh and tasty year round. Typing this from Belgium where summer is the only time of the year we can get overpriced crappy avocados.

At least you have frites! Last question then we’ll let you go. You’ve got a sweet new hi-vis orange Design hat on Cotton Bureau. Your website has strong neon vibes. You’ve got a blindingly yellow keyboard. Have you always been attracted to bold colors, or is that newer development?

Ah, fries, classic. Every Friday; fries with mayo and some poutine-like stew over them.

The bright colors is a relatively new thing. It started with a pair of shoes from my friends at Atoms, and quickly became an obsession from that point on. Partially because it's so hard to produce in print, plastic, fabric… These days I'm just hoovering up whatever bright things I can find. I'd show you my favorite vacation outfit but it might blind you.

Haha, incredible. We will just have to leave that outfit to the reader’s imagination. Thanks so much for your time! Good luck with the keyboards. Can’t wait to see what you do next.

Hey there, and welcome to Feature Friday #003, our series highlighting some of the incredible people on Cotton Bureau. You can find Amanda on Instagram, her website, or check out her entire Cotton Bureau portfolio.

Hey Amanda! How's it going? Looks like you're coming up on a year in your new home, are you happy with the move?

Hey Bethany! Life is good. I couldn't be happier with our new home on Vancouver Island. Not knowing much about the area before we moved (which was brave of us), we really lucked out. (Thank you Universe!) Not only is the town full of wonderful people, there's so much nature here and I really feel connected to the area. Life is slower, quieter, and more restful which is really inspiring new designs and even a new lifestyle.

I've been exploring new activities like spiritual circles & practices, volunteering with a forest society, spending even more time in nature (hiking, swimming, gardening), and just generally taking more time out to rest and turn my brain off - which I haven't done too much of in the last 5 years trying to build a business. So it's been a great change of pace and I'm really honored to have the privilege to be able to do that.

Aaah that sounds incredible, you paint such a relaxing picture of the area. That's awesome you've been able to create some time to disconnect a bit. I feel like sometimes that's exactly what's needed to inspire new ideas. Really sounds like the move was meant to be!

Is Kya enjoying the new digs? Being a floof on Vancouver Island must be the dream lol. I saw you guys had a close call with a doe recently. Any more animal encounters?

It does definitely feel meant to be 😊 And Kya LOVES it here. We go to the forest, rivers, and ocean more than we ever did back in the city. It's a little easier to do here - and less stressful to do so.

We have all kinds of nature encounters because of it too which has been such a pleasure.

Whether it's deer ripping through our campground, snacking on our lawn, or hidden in the shadows of the forest. Owls surprising you in a fly-by and nearly knocking you off your feet. Otters on the shorelines of the rivers. Fish spawning in the local river channels, Bunnies hopping by you on a trail. Bears happily snacking on fish during spawning season. And being in the company of so many eagles!

Magical stuff. It's so special to be so connected to nature and all her creatures - no matter how they decide to show up. I feel a little like Snow White sometimes 😅

Kya loves the animals too. Although she hasn't quite figured out that the deer aren't big dogs that she can play with. And her prey drive goes bonkers when it's spawning season or she see's a bunny. Definitely have to keep her in-check there or she'll have me exploring the pavement.

Definitely exciting to have such wonderful encounters - but it's also a little sad (since leaving the city) to see how much our human ways have really impacted wildlife habitats. I really hope this area can maintain its harmonious relationship with nature because it sure is amazing and an honor to be part of.

Sounds amazing, I can easily imagine why you and Kya love it so much. Also, thinking about seeing otters just makes me want to squeal so BRB while I plan a trip to Vancouver Island.

It's so neat to see how your art compliments the stories you share. Do you ever do any illustrating while you're out on your adventures? I imagine it would be so peaceful working in such a serene landscape but I definitely respect the need to just take a time out to enjoy your surroundings.

You definitely should come for a visit! It'll leave an impression for sure.

Nature is my sanctuary so I like to appreciate and spend some quality time with it when I'm out there. And I find it has so much to share & teach so I want to really be present with it to soak all that up.

The only time I might bring my sketchbook is when I'm going camping or will be away for an extended period of time. Because ideas do happen when you least expect it. And I don't like to wait days to get home to sketch those things out.

However, day-to-day nature walks, I tend to not bring much with me. A phone, for emergencies & recording cool stuff I see. On the rare occasion, I do like to record a story or two for Instagram to show people a little behind the scenes of where I live and the activities I indulge in for inspiration. But I mostly like to keep the phone in my pocket to fully unplug and immerse myself. Smell the smells. Listen to the birds. See what I can see. Even spend some moments meditating or walking barefoot on the trails. Then come home and sketch any ideas I get during that time.

Really cool. Sounds like a healthy work/life balance you have going on.

Can you tell me a little bit about the forest society you volunteer with? The respect you have for nature is really inspiring, I'd love to hear more about how you're leaving a positive impact with your volunteer work and art.

The forest society I signed to volunteer with, helps to protect and care for the Cumberland Forest. They do bat counts, toad migration protection, tree planting, fish rescue, and a number of other things I'm sure I'm missing.

Last week, we went to a creek bed that was drying up due to the extended hot, dry weather we've had and rescued fish fry that were living in the pools. They were released in a local lake, which is where they were trying to swim up to but got trapped. We saved almost 300 fish that will eventually make their way back to the rivers to spawn. Along the way came across some tree frogs, water beetles, wood peckers, eagles, all by being surrounded by old growth forest. Epic stuff! I'm learning a lot.

If I'm not volunteering my time, I like to donate to projects and organizations that I feel strongly about; The Raincoast Conservation, Canadian Parks & Wilderness, Comox Valley Land Trust, Cumberland Forest Society, Indian Residential School Survivors Society. While I don't technically do official fundraising with my business, I tend to assess what I can offer every quarter and donate what I can. This year has been challenging for that but I hope that turns around soon. I really want to do more.

Still trying to figure out how to better integrate this into my work without centering myself & not being too heavy-handed about the messaging. But I am slowing bringing that awareness factor in through my illustrations and collaborating with organizations to help them raise money for their efforts in these arenas. 8 Billion Trees is an organization I recently partnered with for this. Great people doing great work.

Hopefully by sharing my own stories & raising that awareness it inspires others to take action in their communities - whatever that looks like for them 😊 While one person can't change the world, I feel with small actions made by many, we can really make positive changes.

But that's just my unshakable optimism speaking 😃

That's really neat that there are people out there thinking up and planning ways to help all the little critters that need an extra hand. I can only imagine how eye opening these experiences are for everyone involved.

I absolutely think through sharing your stories and donating both your time and resources is creating a tremendous change not only in your area but also your online community. I'd be shocked if I'm the only person that is reading this wanting to put on some boots and go rescue the fishes.

Have you noticed your love of nature influencing your work at all? Has your style changed over the years? I believe I read on your website you've been a graphic designer for 20 years, that's so impressive. I'd love to see some of your earlier pieces compared to todays designs.

Oh yea, my love of nature & connection to it has informed & influenced my work. Having grown up on the Pacific Northwest, taking in everything on all my explorations outdoors, and my own personal advocacy for nature has woven its way into a number of designs in my catalogue. And I'm always trying to do my best when it comes to packaging the items I sell to ensure it's tree-free, reused material, recyclable, or not packaged at all. But, there's always more work to do there. I have had thoughts about not offering products at all eventually - but I'm not there yet.

Don't ask me about my old stuff - haha. It's pretty rough, sometimes even boring and ugly so I hesitate to even look back. Although it's kinda fun just to see how much my style has evolved and how I'd do things a little differently now. My work now has become more sure in spirit and clean in execution so am proud of the work I'm doing now. Even still, I'm always trying to level it up.

The graphic design work that made up the bulk of my career, was done under the umbrella of firms or businesses - a few freelance jobs. But it was a lot of ads, brochures, proposals, reports, and PowerPoint presentations *shudders* Again, a little boring 😝

Having said that though, it was foundational to my success now so I do value the experiences and what I learned in that industry. I also met people and friends along my journey that helped me get to where I am today, so I would never take it back.

I do feel I've left graphic design behind me, officially, though. Now, I'm focusing more on the artistic side of the fence; Storytelling through illustration & concept, some typography with a very healthy dollop of self-expression. Of course that's also graphic design, but in my experience, that artistic side was always a little challenging to bring to the forefront as a graphic designer. There are a few more rules and players in that game.

Being able to express my ideas freely through my own illustrations and business has been really rewarding and has allowed me to connect with people that value the same things, which make it even more rich. And I've actually just started taking on external illustration projects with like-minded businesses so I'm excited to see what comes of that. Always adapting and challenging myself so I'm sure 10 years from now, things will be different yet again 😊 Who knows, maybe I'll think of THIS as boring one day? Ha! How much more exciting can things get though? It's been pretty awesome.

sHaha a healthy dollop of self-expression, I love that. Joining forces with other businesses with shared passions sounds like it could be really gratifying. Looking forward to seeing what all that entails!

Packaging is such a project even without adding the extra challenge of making sure it's tree-tree, reused, or recycled. Any progress you've made there at all should be applauded.

I think that'll do it for our interview, Amanda! It's been so nice chatting with you and I'm so excited to follow along and see if things do get even more exciting for you in the next 10 years :)

Thanks so much for your time and the opportunity to chat and connect 😊

Hello, and welcome to Feature Friday #002, our new series highlighting some of the incredible people on Cotton Bureau. You can follow Steve on Instagram to keep up with all his work, or check out his entire Cotton Bureau portfolio.

Hiii, how are you!? Looks like you've been keeping busy this summer. Do you enjoy getting out and working the shows with fellow artists? I imagine you meet so many talented people, it's got to be interesting.

Yes! I do a lot of live events this time of year, and I love it. I live in a small state, so it's a pretty tight-knit artists community. It's honestly an honor to be among such a talented group of people. I'm always amazed when I see the creativity and ingenuity of fellow artists and artisans. As a small community we are also always rooting for each other, supporting one another and working together to encourage each other's success.

Live events are fun, too, because I get to have face to face interaction with my customers. They often share their stories about why they are attracted to a certain piece. My work tends to be a little quirky, so I really enjoy seeing people laugh or smile when they look at one of my drawings. It's just a good all-around energy to be live and in person among fellow creators, and those who appreciate the arts.

Gosh, that's awesome! Sounds like a really cool experience. I think I'd be nervous seeing people interact with my work irl but maybe not if I was as talented as you! Speaking of quirky, I'm a little obsessed with the Animal Farm series. Do you have any animals yourself? Or just get a kick out of drawing them. Something about a chicken with pearls and shopping bags just feels so wholesome. Definitely curious about the inspiration behind these.

Luckily for me, by and large the in-person feedback is mostly positive! Currently I'm owned by an orange tabby cat named Pooh. I have been obsessed with animals large and small since I was a kid. I actually almost became a marine biologist instead of an artist and graphic designer, which is why animals and ocean life are subjects I really enjoy drawing. I was also heavily influenced by books and cartoons that anthropomorphize animals, like Calvin and Hobbs and the Wind and the Willows.

Certain animals have very notable traits and behaviors, and I use that to imagine what they'd be like if they were human. I think it's just funny to consider an uppity chicken clucking around in fancy clothes, pecking into high-end shops. Or you had mentioned my thrash panda. I feel like if given the chance, a mischievous racoon would totally shred it up on a skateboard. It's playing up those traits I think these animals inherently have to the most ridiculous degree I can think of when I conjure up my ideas.

Ha yes, couldn't agree more with the notable traits and behaviors. I find myself wishing there was a book to go with your drawings sometimes. You create characters that are so interesting, I just need to know more about them. Ever consider something like that? Maybe a children's book or cartoon?

I've been asked many times about children's books, but I stick to what I know, which is drawing. Writing is not my strong suit. If a writer ever came to me with a compelling idea, I would definitely entertain the possibility though! As far as a series of my own, I have one character that I call Lil Grim. He's featured in a set of drawings exploring what the Grim Reaper does on his days off. As you can imagine, there's always a little twist of the macabre involved in his free time activities. I also tend to do "sets" of ideas. I have a set of drawings I call party animals, with different animals drinking (Beer Bear, Whiskey Wolf). And my pool days drawings (my shark in a flamingo floatie, and my dolphin in a donut floatie). I hope to expand on both of these soon!

The sets of ideas are really fun, I'd like to think all the Party Animals hang out and have a really good time. Hoping to see a Mai Tai Monkey join the mix soon lol. It looks like your preferred technique is stippling, has that always been the case? The time lapse videos are great to watch, but I'm not sure I'd have the patience to actually take the time to create a whole drawing that way (granted, I can't draw to save my life, so maybe it's more fun if you know what you're doing).

Haha I love a monkey with a mai tai. I just came back from Hawaii and had quite a few mai tais so I may have to make that drawing happen! Stippling does take quite a lot of time and patience. Right now, I'm working on a large, detailed drawing and am somewhat regretting the small penpoint I chose. Over the years I've experimented with a lot of different methods and tools, and always just preferred the end results of the stippling technique. Now it's become something of my trademark. I do draw in other styles but it's just what I prefer. I just love the fact that all these little dots can come together to create something visually clean and striking.

Hahah yesss I'll keep an eye out for Mister Mai Tai. But yeah, the tiny little dots turning into a whole masterpiece is really something. Did you learn the technique anywhere or just one day pick up a pen and went to town?

I'm self-taught at stippling. It's just something I decided to try and have worked on it over time to hone my skills.

That's awesome. One last question for ya. Do you have a favorite project? Anything that's really stood out for you over the years?

I don't have one particular favorite or stand-out drawing or project. For me it would be like picking a favorite child. They all are meaningful to me in different ways. I think overall just building a catalog of work and turning it into a business has probably been my favorite "project."

Totally understandable, they're all pretty rad from the outside looking in so I imagine putting blood, sweat, and tears into them really ups the ante. But anyways thanks for participating on this one, Steve! It's always neat learning more about our designers and I'm excited to see what's next for Habby Art :)

Thanks for asking me to do it. It was a lot of fun!

Before you go, check out Steve’s perfect summer vibes Ahhhhh. Time to Relax. Dad Hat available now on Cotton Bureau!

Hey, everyone. Welcome to a new series we’re starting highlighting some of the incredible people on Cotton Bureau. Virginia created our wonderful 10th birthday celebration tee (available only until Wednesday, June 21) and is a fantastic designer and illustrator. We previously interviewed Virginia all the way back in 2014 if you want to read more. You can follow Virginia on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all her work, or check out her entire Cotton Bureau portfolio.

Hey, Virginia! How are you?? Are you still in Johnstown? What’s new?

Hi there! I am still in Johnstown - and what's new? Let's see...well, I've been working for about a year at a Start-up out of San Francisco called "Observable", it's a collaborative data visualization platform. It's been very challenging in the best way. I love the fact that the CEO is a woman, and my manager (the Design Lead) is also a woman. Sookie is still my office manager, of course, and she's still interrupting meetings in an arbitrary and capricious manner (I love her so much!).

Last time we talked you were working on some fun Google Glass projects. Since then we’ve had a number of AR (but mostly VR) projects that haven’t quite become mainstream the way smart phones and watches have. Are you still interested in the space? Do you think AR/VR are going to be as central to our lives in 10 years as phones are today?

I am interested in the space, but there are still a number of issues, I think. The price point for all of these devices is still prohibitive to the average consumer. Additionally, we haven't really found the problem we are solving - sure, you can do some cool stuff, but what are they REALLY for? And there is still this vague, like, factor of looks, right? People aren't used to seeing these facial devices, and they think it's not cool, or it freaks them out, and that's a real barrier to ubiquity. I don't know when, or if we will see cultural saturation of these AR / VR devices, or what form factor they will take. I will say, it is really fascinating to see smart folks working these problems out and finding solutions. And maybe it isn't the designers or companies that will crack the solution to this, I think it'll be the developer community - what they build, and how they build it may be the answer to changing public perception.

I love the hand-lettered place names and photos on your Instagram. Anywhere in particular you would like to visit next?

Ahhhhh thank you! I was inspired by all the phenomenal letterers on Instagram, so I started using this little Muji notepad to doodle names and get photos on trips. We were in San Francisco awhile ago, in line for the cable cars, and a tourist couple from Germany were asking about it when they saw me taking photos. They thought it was very cool 😎 I showed them all the places and names and we got to talking while waiting in line!

The top three cities I would love to visit someday are Tokyo, Lagos and Chiang Mai. No plans or tickets just yet, but I'm optimistic! I need to figure out a way to get a cantankerous, geriatric sausage dog flight ready (kidding, I think she would hate it). I recognize the privilege I have, being able to see all these amazing places, it's really delightful to try and document it as much as possible.

Wow, you have clearly thought about this. Those are some pretty amazing locations. (No disrespect to the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania farmland!)

Last question: what’s your favorite thing to do that isn’t drawing, designing, or traveling?

LOL the rolling hills of Pennsylvania farmland, I love it!

Whew, great question. Napping and snacking are two favorites, for sure! Also seeing concerts and live music, camping, hanging out with family, being outside, these are all things I really love to do as well. Oh, and I can't forget the Jeep! I have a 2006 Jeep which I adore (I know, I'm being one of those "Jeep people", it's fine). Sookie has a special harness she wears, and LOVES going for rides in the Jeep, it's hilarious. Her little ears flap in the wind and her little nose is up in the air, sniffing away.

Also, of course, creating shirts for Cotton Bureau ❤️

Aww, that’s super nice of you to say! Thank you so much for chatting with us. We love the 10th birthday design you put together for Cotton Bureau, and of course, everyone should check out your new Sookie hat.

That’s it for this week’s interview! Don’t miss the Cotton Bureau 10th birthday sale. We’ve got three incredible limited time only items available: the appliqué logo sweatshirt (on the ultra-soft Bella + Canvas 3901 in mauve, heather navy, and dark grey heather), Virginia’s flowery Cotton Bureau logo on a variety of black t-shirts, and our 10th birthday metal cards. Use code HBDCB10 at checkout to get free shipping on all items, and pick up a metal card to get free shipping on all orders for 12 months.

Oh, and don’t forget, we’re giving out prizes from our friends at the end of the sale. Read more about the whole sale.