What were you up to before you joined the TellyJuice team?
TW: Prior to this I was Design Creative in the Creative department at Viasat World, where my Creative Head was Paul Evans, a wonderful thoughtful boss. I freelanced for ten years with clients from post production companies, advertising agencies and TV Creative departments.
My career began in motion graphics at Bruce Dunlop & Associates back in 2001 – some say the golden age of telly, when everything was still on tape. Then with Jon Stevens and Max Wright at Smithereeen as Head of Design. Now those were the golden years…
What are your influences and inspirations in the art and graphic design world?
TW: That would be Alan Fletcher, Paula Scher, Jonathan Barnbrook, Margaret Calvert, April Greiman, Neville Brody, Saul Bass, Paplo Ferro, Paul Rand, David Carson, Vaughn Oliver, Jessica Walsh, Stefan Sagmeister and Nina Saxon. Enough.
What other influences from the wider culture influence your work?
TW: My wife has worked with brilliant art directors and photographers over her career, and she’s a brilliant art buyer and producer. I always ask her when I’m stuck in a creative black hole. Or my 10-year-old daughter, she’s got some pretty inspired creative solutions. We design album covers together, some you can see on my website.
I’m currently enjoying the podcast ‘Stuff from the Loft’ – check out the interview with Mark Reddy.
I can’t say the following influence my work, but they help me stay sane in a world going mad: the journalism of John Crace, the comic strip of David Squires and the comic relief of Frankie Boyle & Stewart Lee.
What most excites you about current motion graphic trends?
TW: It wasn’t like this when I started in the creative industry… In this internet-driven world wherever you go you are bound to encounter some motion graphics content; be it an animated explainer video on a marketing blog or a viral cat video on a social media platform.
The amalgamation of 2D to 3D excites me, but it’s the kinetic type and broken text that I’ve always loved.
It’s important to remember ‘if implemented appropriately, motion graphics can augment the ease of communication of the message and content’. That’s what I was taught.
What are you enjoying most about TJ life?
TW: Apart from its wonderful people and great location, it’s the variety of clients and work I enjoy. Everyone here is super talented and hardworking. I love it.
Friday ‘free lunches’ are a TJ tradition, what’s your top pick so far?
TW: Salad Kitchen, surprisingly!
And finally, you have now experienced your first TJ Karaoke session. Any standout performances? What’s your “go-to” karaoke tune?
TW: Yes… second week in. What a treat, it was Maddie & Natalie’s performance of All that Jazz that blew me away. I’ve started a Spotify playlist in anticipation of the next outing. King of Rock N’ Roll, Prefab Sprout anyone?’
