Product Designer Chudo Loo has been in the industry for over 15 years, coming of age just as the first dot com bubble burst. Learn how his interest in anime and manga turned into a deep appreciation and love for art, which fueled his decision to make a career out of design in our interview. Read on.

CB: Tell us a little about yourself, how did you get started in Graphic Design?

CL: I’m currently a product designer in San Jose, California. I “turned pro” at the tail end of the dot-com boom and have been designing for print and screen ever since. While designing with others in mind is rewarding, t-shirts have always been my outlet for more personal work.

Growing up, visiting my Japanese relatives every summer and attending preschool and kindergarten there left an early impression. I read a lot of manga and watched animated TV shows even after I settled in California. I remember drawing characters from Dr. Slump in kindergarten (and later from Dragon Ball), and knew I wanted to be a visual creator. In high school I looked into architecture but settled on graphic design after discovering the joy of designing logos, posters, and flyers. By the end of college, I transitioned to web design but I’ve luckily been able to work on print projects from time to time.

CB: Was it hard to transition from a life in Japan to California?

CL: Yeah, I was born here in the SF Bay Area but my dad’s work took me to Tokyo when I was three, and also to Beijing from third through sixth grade. I had to relearn English in first grade when I came back from Japan, but I think the tougher transition was coming into an already cliquish junior high as an international school kid from China. I was fortunate that a friend who I kept in touch with helped re-assimilate me before too many people noticed. I was up on Def Leppard and pegged pants in no time.

CB: Whoa, blast from the past - pegged pants! I bet that was quite the transition for sure. Does your Japanese heritage influence your work? If so, how?

CL: Not so much on my day-to-day work, but there are t-shirt designs and illustrations that I’ve done that were definitely influenced by Asian art and design. With t-shirts especially, the limitations of woodblock printing are similar to screen printing so Japanese ukiyo-e prints and even Chinese paper cuts are great sources for inspiration.

I’ve also looked to Japanese patterns, family crests (kamon), and their minimalist design aesthetic for ideas. I love working with patterns so I’ve collected books and origami/chiyogami for reference. In addition to the traditional stuff, manga and anime like I mentioned, and contemporary Japanese art and design have all had an influence on a fair bit of my designs.

CB: I noticed on your instagram feed that you post a lot of art from galleries and museums you visit. Do you also use those visits as sources of inspiration? Why do you make seeing new art/artists a priority?

CL: My first real interest in fine art and museums started when I discovered a magazine called Giant Robot. I felt connected not just to the culture pieces of the magazine but also with the art and artists the magazine showcased. A lot of the artists I follow create works I wish I had imagined and had the skills and dedication to execute. While I don’t think the art influences my design work too much, knowing my own limits and seeing how vastly superior and dedicated these artists are to their passion inspires and humbles me the same way watching “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” did.

There’s also joy in finding new artists much like finding new music, and ultimately being able to support their work. I think a lot of designers have at some point considered fine art as a profession, and for me, going to galleries and museums is one way to live vicariously through them.

CB: I always feel intimidated in museums and galleries, knowing I will never have the skill set necessary to create works like the ones surrounding me. Being humbled and inspired as you are is a much more positive outcome than what I experience! If you weren’t a designer, do you think you’d try your hand at fine art? Or is there another profession you think you’d have gone into instead?

CL: Oh I feel the same way - I know I’ll never be at their level but maybe it’s a bit like watching elite athletes perform.

If I were to switch it up, I might give woodblock printing a shot and I’ve had fun with sculpture in the past. But for now the closest thing I have are t-shirt canvases for Cotton Bureau.

Outside of the creative realm, I’ve always wanted to open a guest house in Hakodate, Japan, my mom’s hometown, after having some of my best travel experiences roaming solo on a budget. My wife is Japanese-Brazilian so we’d have at least three languages down and I’m pretty sure I can handle the website, branding, and of course, the souvenir t-shirts.

CB: That’s an excellent analogy, I never really thought of it that way before! The guest house in Hakodate, Japan sounds like a great alternative career. How much fun would it be to meet people along their journeys? So many interesting conversations could be had. Thanks for chatting with us Chudo!

You can see more of Chudo’s work on his website, keep up with him on twitter, or follow along on his art gallery adventures via his instagram. Sign up to see Color Triumvirate have another run here.

This week we spoke to Beth Sicheneder, a junior designer based in Minneapolis. While she’s only just started along her career path, she already has some great advice we can all take to heart (especially for us introverts.) Read on.

CB: Tell us a little about yourself - how did you decide Graphic Design was right for you as a career?

BS: I’m a homegrown Minnesotan, nature loving, rock climbing, book-reading introvert (who also happens to dabble in graphic design). Current WIPs: Learning to play my Grandma’s old folk guitar and to make crepes without burning them to a crisp. (It’s important to always have a few hobbies that I can enjoy being terrible at.)

I want to have a really cool origin story I can share as to how I got started in art and graphic design. Some sort of miraculous “ah-ha” moment! But honestly I think it was just the only thing I really felt suited for. When I had to do times table quizzes in math class as a kid, I would quickly give up, turn the paper over and draw pictures instead. I mean really, the answers to the math facts were always the same – where’s the fun in that?

I’ve always loved the process of creating. Having a vision of something in my mind and being able to make it a real, tactile part of the world is wonderfully gratifying! And moreover – the product of creation can be different and unique and startling each time!

CB: Origin stories definitely don’t need to be miraculous to be cool - sometimes the truth is right there in front of us and we can see it the whole time! :) Doing what you have a natural aptitude for is the best way (in my opinion) to have a happy career. You’re currently a junior designer, correct? What have you learned in the two years you’ve been in the working world that school didn’t prepare you for?

BS: Yes, I’m working as a junior designer right now, and what haven’t I learned?! There’s definitely a steep learning curve that comes with moving from school to a real desk with real clients. One of the things I’ve come to realize is what a fine balancing act each project is. With each new piece I have to balance that big, grand vision the client has with a big, grand vision of my own. At no point will the result be 100% mine or 100% theirs. So much of it needs to be a harmonious and graceful balance.

Another thing I’ve learned is the approach for each new project needs to be different, because there’s no set formula for brewing up creative solutions. Even if you’ve done 500 logo projects, project 501 will be different. You need a new roadmap every time!

CB: How do you communicate to clients that their big, grand vision may not be the best solution?

BS: Usually by offering up another solution they may not have dreamed up on their own. It’s often about getting to the heart of their vision and expanding upon it so that with some collaborative effort, it can be made greater than it was before.

CB: You mentioned earlier that you’re an introvert. Do you ever find it difficult to bring your ideas to clients, especially if they might not be similar to what the client had wanted?

BS: I am! But my friends joke that I’m a “socially graced” one. I never have too hard of a time sharing ideas that might be different from what’s expected because I’m able to get excited about them and want people to know why they should be excited about them too! And I’m lucky to be a part of a larger team with other designers, strategists and account managers with a variety of strengths, so my voice will never be the only one bolstering up an idea. I’m learning the importance of setting expectations with clients so if the idea our team will be presenting is something unexpected, they’ll be prepared for it. Sort of like giving them floaties before pushing them into the deep end.

I do find as an introvert that long, full meetings tend to exhaust me. When I find myself feeling drained afterwards I know it’s time to find some quiet time to rejuvenate. Usually this means plugging into some music, kicking back and working on a solo task for a while.

CB: That’s great to hear your coworkers support your voice and vision with clients, it’s always so important to show a unified “front”! What kind of music do you listen to? What gets you ready to work again?

BS: Yes, it’s really quite wonderful! I’m happy to get to be a part of such a talented team. As far as music goes I tend to lean towards songs with more alternative, acoustic sounds to them. Most of the time I listen to the Current, a local Minnesota radio station with a big mix of music including some lesser known artists and lots of local talent. I have so much respect for people who make music and it’s great to tune in to artists that are successful locally. When I need to get into the creative mindset, all I need is a solid playlist, a sketchbook, and a steaming hot cup of green tea, no matter the season.

CB: Thanks Beth! It’s been fun chatting with you!

Sign up to see Beth’s one and only CB tee, Campersand, come back to the site. You can follow her on twitter or dribbble, and see more of her work on Behance or her personal website.

Philadelphia based artist Martha Rich got started in the art world after a desk job turned her into someone she didn’t like so much. Learn how she transitioned into being a full-time artist and how she stays excited by work now by checking out our full interview below the break.

CB: We know you haven’t always made your living as an artist, we even heard you once worked repossessing peoples cars! Was there a driving force that brought you into the art world?

MR: Ha! Yes I was a collector for Ford Motor Credit Company in Atlanta back in the day. I sat in a cubicle with a monitor, a head set, one plant and one picture (that was all we were allowed) and called people all day about their late car payments. On several occasions they made me go out and physically repossess cars. It was kinda scary.

There was one day when I got really excited about finding a car that someone had quit paying for and was hiding from the repo man. I got up and high-fived my co-workers and at that moment I realized I was whooping and hollering about repossessing someone’s car! That’s despicable. I didn’t want to be despicable.

Then I looked at the woman in the next cubicle over. She had been with the company for 20 years and was a miserable wretch. I looked at her sitting there smoking a cigarette with a sour look on her face and I saw my future. I knew I had to get out. Fast.

I went home and in my apartment there was an Atlanta Magazine on my coffee table. I thought to myself hey I love magazines, I should work there! The next day I sent my resume and pestered them until they hired me. It turned out to be one of the best jobs I ever had and it was there where I was introduced to graphic designers, art directors, writers, editors and creative people.

So I would say this was the job that put me on the path to being an artist.

CB: That’s amazing that you had the insight to realize your job was turning you into someone you didn’t want to be, and good for you on getting out! Was painting the creative medium you started out in?

MR: Well as a kid I was a drawer. I loved drawing and drew all the time. I still love drawing. In art school they teach you everything; drawing, painting, sculpture, video, computer design and more. So I guess no painting wasn't where I started, but it is where I am now.

CB: What is your favorite medium to work in?

MR: My go to medium is acrylic on paper or wood, but I also love drawing with India ink and a brush. I love markers, spray paint, screen printing and I wish I could work in oil more, but I have bad ventilation in my studio. I can’t pick a favorite!

CB: Your paintings are so bright and colorful, where do you draw inspiration from?

MR: Well I am a fan of color. I think it stems from working in beige corporate offices for so long. Or growing up in the beige suburbs of PhiIadelphia. Although my parents had some color. Our house was a nice blue with a bright yellow door. If you think about it, a lot of buildings, homes and places in the US are beigey. So I am inspired by beige. Too much beige made me want to make things colorful! Also even though I have been doing colorful stuff for a while, my visit to Mexico City in December only reinforced my quest for color. That is one colorful place. You can even see the color when you fly into the airport! I loved it there and wish Americans were more daring and playful with color in daily life.

CB: Are there ever things about the art world that bog you down or discourage you? How do you stay excited about making new things?

MR: Oh heck yes! One of the big things that has discouraged me about the art world is that it can be pretty dang unfair and random. Comparing yourself to everyone else’s fabulous-looking careers is the worst. Getting caught up in envy sucks. Luckily the older I get the less I do this. I realize everyone is putting their best face forward and hiding their crummy stuff. So that arteest whose shiny success you covet may have a career that is not all sweetness and light. EVERYONE feels insecure. Everyone has successes and failures. Everyone I tells ya! Ya gotta put blinders on and focus on what you are making.

I stay excited by coming up with projects for myself that no one else has a say in. They always seem to lead to cool stuff, like the Stop Talking cat for instance. I did that for my 100 pieces of art for $100 project I came up with when work was slow. My corporate cubicle world experiences have made me a very don’t-tell-me-what-to-do type person so these projects are great for me. I also take time off from making art too. I like to go out and experiences things, travel, eat, drink wine with friends, read books, hang out with family and stop thinking about art for a bit.

CB: Thanks for chatting with us, Martha!

To learn more about Martha, you can check out her website, shop her artwork here and on 20x200, or follow her on twitter, instagram, and tumblr.

Our most recent interview catches up with Gerren Lamson. As the Head of Design & Community at Creative Market, he gets a chance to make sure that the work he does makes an impact, not just on the business, but on the greater community as well. Read on to see how important intention is to design.

CB: You’re the Head of Design & Community at Creative Market, co-founded Satchel & Sage with your wife Morgana, work on side projects like Drawologist, and you’re a new Dad. How do you wear so many hats and stay sane?!

GL: That’s a great question! Honestly, I think it comes down to context and priority. It goes without saying that being a dad comes first above everything else. (That includes changing diapers.) Next, I prioritize my design and creative projects. My work at Creative Market takes up (more than) 40 hours during the workweek, and then I squeeze in illustration projects and drawing exercises when I need to scratch the creative itch. I’m doing a lot less of that these days. Spending time with our son is its own rewarding “creative” experiment.

CB: Do you work from home? How has being a Dad changed how/when you work?

GL: I do work from home, and have been working remotely for Creative Market for 3 years. I’ve traveled a ton to our San Francisco HQ, too. To be honest, becoming a dad has totally enriched my design work. I care a lot more about the intention of my design work and the time I spend on it, and a lot more about the humans (read: users) who benefit from it. I love the fact that I get to be around my son all day. I can take a break at any time of the day to kiss his forehead or change his diaper, and that keeps my design work in perspective. I imagine that working from home with a kid will change in the future when he’s running around and banging on the office door.

CB: What does that mean, intentional design? Why is design better when the designer thinks about the people who will benefit from what they’re building?

GL: I believe that the intention of design work should always be to benefit the humans who engage with it. It’s easy to see how an app can help users achieve a goal, but I also think that illustrations, shirts designs, and related design projects can make people pause and think about the important things in life. In western culture, we focus so much on achieving, and that’s ok. It’s great if a design intention helps raise money for the impoverished or those in need. However, I also think that we undervalue design projects that makes us contemplate and gain perspective on our life experience. That’s equally important.

CB: Are there some examples of design that you think do a great job of being intentional? In what ways have you incorporated intention into your work lately?

GL: Here are a few projects that I’ve seen others applying *more* intention into the work to affect viewers and produce a positive outcome from their experience or use of the design. Sometimes, positive intention is baked into the business that the design work is supporting. Sometimes, positive intention is the thoughtfulness put into the visual work itself.

Atomic Lotus by Scott Lewis
This CB shirt illustration is sure to stop people in their tracks and think. By combining the lotus flower (a symbol of purity and rebirth) and the atom (a scientific symbol), viewers might be encouraged to see science and spirituality as a combined and integrated - rather than a polarized - system.

Skillshare Class! by Mikey Burton
Mikey’s class teaches folks to create illustrated idioms, which could spawn off a ton of intention-rich illustration pieces that could make the public think more about what’s going on society. We can only hope, yea?

50 Logo Mockups Bundle by GraphicBurger
This handy mockup set-up could help designers present their identity work as high caliber visuals for client presentation. It could make their logo pitch easier, ensuring that their current project is secure and approved. It could also aid them in growing future potential work just by elevating the presentation quality.

Learn Lettering by Simon Walker (for Sean Wes)
Simon took time to support the education efforts of fellow designer Sean Wes, by putting together a small batch of appealing visuals to help Sean promote the launch of Learn Lettering 2.0. Simon’s intention with this work is to excite and encourage users to illustrate lettering. Sean’s project is a deep dive of education, which has many layers of intention of teaching the visual craft and turning it into a business.

Here are a few of my recent projects that I’ve created that have more intention:

Pay It Forward Bundle
This one was an automatic win in terms of great intention. We (Creative Market) partnered with many design brands to create a pay what you want bundle of assets and services to raise money for Watsi last December. It raised over $150,000, and Watsi started sharing stories of how the money impacted impoverished people in need of healthcare.

Studio App - Birthday Kit
I produced a batch of fun illustrations for users to overlay their photos in the Studio App. This pack let’s them celebrate the birthday of their friends and loved ones online in a positive, fun manner.

Made With Creative Market
I designed a sub-identity for our Made With Creative Market platform where users can share how they’ve used design assets in their personal projects. It gives customers a place to share their creative work, gain more spotlight for their creativity, and a new channel to meet other creative professionals in the community.

Make Good
I drew a hand with a ribbon tied around the finger a while back, and then decided to upgrade the illustration and turn it into a gold on charcoal print for sale via Satchel & Sage. The message encourages the viewer to do two things: (a) remember to keep their important promises to others in their life, and (b) to go out and make a positive impact on the world.

CB: The Creative Market “Pay It Forward Bundle” seems like it was quite successful! How did you guys decide to partner with Watsi?

GL: Great question! The pay it forward bundle was a larger campaign that the team conceptualized as a natural evolution of similar past campaigns. The idea was to partner with lots of top design brands and services that the greater creative community loves, and get them to offer great resources in a pay what you want bundle. Before that, we also helped folks who were impacted by the flooding in Colorado and Hurricane Sandy through All Hands Volunteers.

We chose to work with Watsi because they have a great mission and they also went through Y-Combinator just like Creative Market. They were one of the fewer non-profit initiatives to go through Y-Combinator, and they showed great promise in terms of helping impoverished communities. How could we not join them in their cause?

Since creating our campaign for Watsi, we also launched an initiative to raise funds for disaster relief when Nepal got hit earlier in the year too. It’s in our culture to find a way to make a positive impact outside of the creative and design community, so we’ll likely do more campaigns like this in the future!

CB: Wow, congrats! That must be so rewarding for your team to have had such an impact on all those organizations. Finally, and for something a little different, where is your favorite place to visit? Why?

GL: I’d be hard pressed to pick one place in particular. I really enjoy visiting big cities with different cultures than the southern part of the United States, like where I live in Austin, Texas. I get energized by exploring places like France, Italy, New York, California, and more. In contrast, I love making treks to quiet destinations in nature, like state parks, beaches and mountain ranges. I find that those recharge me more than city trips. I guess the tl:dr short answer would be the mountains or the beach. We don’t really have either down here in the south.

CB: Trips to the beach are always a great way to recharge. Thanks for chatting with us Gerren!

To learn more about Gerren, check out the blog on his website or catch up with him on twitter, instagram, and dribbble. See all of his CB designs here, and check out his side project, Satchel & Sage, here.