I know over the past year or so you have worked with some great people out there—Soul Assassins, Endeavor Snowboards, 3sixteen, FAM. anything you would like to talk about and highlight?
It was a really cool feeling to ride the snowboards I designed for Endeavor this season. I’d never done something like that before. I felt like I had designed a vehicle or something, even though I had zero to do with the actual industrial design part of it. It was just cool that it was something usable as opposed to a t-shirt.
I wanted to ask about the Converse (RED) project?! I know how you got involved, but can you fill people in on how it went down from concept to release.
Well the shoe was part of Converse’s 100th year anniversary, and it was a collaboration with (RED) which is a model for getting money from big companies to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa, among other things. I had this image in my mind of 100 hands, all different shades of grey to represent the different cultures, reaching out to help Africa. The design came together extremely fast, and I sent it off under the impression that it would end up being an artist one-off. Several months later I learned that it was going to be released across Canada and parts of the US. It was really exciting.
Have any other philanthropic projects come up since then?
I have been volunteering at an elementary school’s Running & Reading program (which is exactly what it sounds like), but I’m not designing anything for them.
What is your dream job? and when do you think you will be working there?
Pretty much what I’m doing now, traveling around meeting with creative people and coming up with projects to work on together and then providing a place on the internet to share these things.
Can you send me some smoked salmon in the mail? I am fresh out!
I should really be using the salmon as a bargaining chip to get more design work.
how many times a day do tourist ask you where the Coffee shops are?
Never. I don’t think I have the face of somebody who has the answers.
