I was cruising through some great looking websites the other day and ran across GreenHousePartners.com. They have some interesting graphic concepts in their portfolio. I contacted Gary Wiese for an interview. Gary also has a personal portfolio website at PhonyLawn.com.

How did you get into web design? “I got into it at my first job out of school. There wasn’t much of a focus on it during school, so I was really immersed right after school. I enjoyed it right away.”

Describe how your work process usually flows, how do you like to start, what are the key points to consider, etc.? “Thumbnails, thumbnails, thumbnails. I find it’s the best way to start any project - id, print or web. It’s quick and easy to sketch something up to see if it will work. It’s also a way to get around the pitfalls of getting caught up in details like colors or fonts. Once I’m happy with a direction then I move to the machine.”

Do you submit your design works to showcase sites for reviews? “Occasionally, but it’s not my focus. I did, however, submit my own portfolio site to several.”

How much does other people’s opinion matter to you? “It matters a little. But really, the only opinions that matter are those of my clients and colleagues.”

Has anybody ever told you anything negative about your website? How do you deal with criticism? “Of course, but I don’t mind negative feedback so long as it’s constructive and honest. If it’s constructive, it will make me think about new projects differently before I start. It’s hard to take criticism that’s purely subjective.”

Where do you get your art for these webpages? “I think every designer has a library of textures, images, fonts, etc. they pull from. I often recycle old ideas that weren’t chosen.”

What do you think about Flash technology? “Flash is a great and powerful tool—when it’s used correctly. Designers are producing entire sites in flash and only using the technology for gimmicky transitions. I would only use flash when it’s going to increase the level of engagement of the audience.”

If you could eliminate one trend from the Web, what would it be? Why? “I feel like everyone’s using a white background with a mirror image of the object.”

What does “clean interface” mean to you? “One that strikes the balance of content and design. http://www.nytimes.com is a great example of this. They do an amazing job of keeping it visually compelling while staying informational.”

Tell us about your use of colors in your designs. “The use of color should enhance and bring to life the concept. Color should set a tone and should help illustrate what you’re trying to communicate.”

You’re a web designer and a creative person - describe the creative process and how you stimulate yourself? “I look at a lot of blogs, design communities, and personal sites everyday to get inspiration. I’ve got a large appetite for that type of research, so I really enjoy it. It’s also good no good to get offline and look at anything you can get your hands on - ranging from brochures, catalogs, annual reports, etc.”

In solving problems what kinds of process or guides do you use. “I recently did a logo for landscape architecture and urban design firm, who wanted their logo to represent the collaboration of the two partners. I solved this through type, and how it worked collaboratively as one. http://logopond.com/gallery/detail/12670 . So I guess the only guide I have is to make my work smart and conceptual.”

What are your sources of inspiration? “http://www.designinteract.com/sow/ , http://www.commarts.com/CA/exhibit/ , http://www.thefwa.com/ , http://www.designflood.com/ , http://thedenveregotist.com/ , http://logopond.com/ , http://www.goodmagazine.com/ .”

What are your favorite website designs that you did and did NOT design yourself? “http://www.nokia.com/nonstopliving - it has a great use of flash.”

What was the toughest project or customer situation you’ve encountered? “I did a site last year for an adventure travel consortium, representing 11 individual companies. We had to design a site that would be a hub for all these companies and make each company feel like it was being represented. So in actuality, we had 11 different clients to please. I feel the site was a huge success because our concept was dealing with the many ways people chose to travel. Some like adventure, others like relaxing. Our solve for this was to illustrate scenes at the footer of each page depicting the specific companies - http://www.adventurecollection.com.”

What advice would you give to beginning web designers? “Be conceptual in your work. Be thoughtful about why you chose a certain color or font. Don’t choose it because it looks cool—chose it because it fits with your concept.”

Thank you Gary for the ideas and the graphics. Have continued success!

Burning the Envelope,
Arthur Browning