Hello Rob, how are you doing?
Great thanks! I've actually just come out of a week of illness where I was lied up in bed recovering and I watched Lost seasons 2 and 3 so now I'm totally inspired and ready to get back into things!

Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.
k. I'm originally from the south of England but currently live in the north with my family. I work n the fields of motion graphics and static design in a small studio as a one man band under the name The Ronin. When I work with others I work under the name Devoid of Yesterday. I love photography and I love to travel.

Can you describe your style of design? What it's about, where it comes from and how it's inspired?
I'm not sure how to describe my style really. People have told me its dark and dramatic which I guess is right. I like to think of it as cinematic or at least thats what I'm trying to do. Alot of it comes from memories and emotions I am feeling at the time. I tend to see alot of life as a film whether I am looking through a lens or not. Music plays a huge part in my inspirations as does spending time with my family, friends and photography.

What have been your best work/commission?
For a long time I was really proud of Black Day To Freedom; a short animated film I made back in 2005 about refugees and asylum but just two weeks ago I completed a short film in colloboration with Chris Hewitt under our Devoid of Yesterday alias called "Things Fall Apart" which has superseded Black Day To Freedom for me. I'm really proud of it as its a story that is very personal and dark and my son features in it both visually and audibly. Alot of the concept comes from experiences I went through myself as a child and also things I see happening to my son Jordan and the changes kids go through as they grow up. We created it in about 3 solid weeks but it had a lot of development time prior to that where we would discuss ideas, treatments and different meanings. Ben Boysen from Hecq did an awesome job on the audio and in taking Jordan's voice and multi layering it to create a powerful mood. You can check it out at http://www.devoidofyesterday.com

Which one you prefer light or dark?
Dark without a doubt.

Can you tell us alittle bit of your studies? Like have you been studing design or are you "self learned"?
Although I did a part time degree in Graphic Design in Manchester I don't think you can "learn" design.

What is the best program for motion graphics? Do you prefer adobe programs or something else?
For me I use Adobe After Effects because thats what I came up with but I know there are alot of programs out there that do things better but for me its fine... it gets the job done for what I need to do. I'm not really a technical person at all. I'm more interested in the vision of a project. The idea, concept and execution. If I started worrying about what programs I need to be using to be up to date I would never get another out!

What do you think is the best way to get into designs? There are alot of young guys who play with photoshop these days, but they dont really have any idea what it takes to be a graphic designer or so. Any advises for these youngsters?
Don't get caught up in technology and the lastest style and concentrate on concepts and ideas.


What's you favorit "design festival"? Why?
The best one that I have been to is the Toca-Me Conference in Munich. They have only had 2 so far but its an awesome experience. Only 5 speakers throughout the entire day but it feels alot more personal than some of the larger conferences where you have 30 or so speakers. At Toca-Me you go to all 5 of the sessions and hang out rather than just hang out at the bar picking and choosing what to go see. I do love the conferences such as OFFF in Barcelona and think thats a great community experience but personally I love the way Toca-Me has got it just right in a one day event.

Do you work alone? Or in a team?
Totally depends on the project. When I work under The Ronin its usually myself and an audio designer and on certain projects my brother will illustrate for me but 75% of the time its on my own. With Devoid of Yesterday which is a collective set up by myself and Chris Hewitt of Dstrukt and something that we are currently pushing alot on then everything we do is together and its a much more rewarding experience as you can bounce ideas around etc and still keep the themes personal. We have very similar ideas so its always a great outcome after we've rocked a project together.

What do you think of these all flash websites? It's very popular these days that designers make their portfolios with flash.
They don't really think about the usability of the site, more important is the nice and crazy effects. What is your opinion?
Even though I have a flash site myself I'm not really overly excited about Flash and its use. Usually when I get to a site I just want to check out someones work and move on. Overly complicated sites with too many whistles and bells just puts me off. Simple navigation and speed is of the utmost importance to me when I'm browsing.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Film, Travel, Love, Friends, Music, Memories.

Any big plans in the future? Something we should look forward in design industry?
Devoid of Yesterday.

Do you prefer freelance working or fulltime job in a agency or studio? Why?
Again this answer totally depends on what the project is. For personal projects then as a freelance working alone but on massive campaigns definitley as a studio.

Do you think communication is important between designers? Do you have friends/designers who can help you and you communicate with them? If some of them are well known on the net, tell us!
I don't think communication is absolutely vital between designers but it does have a lot of benefits and helps you to raise the bar on your own projects. Its always great to get feedback and a fresh pair of eyes on a piece of work that you have been looking at for too long on your own. I know alot of designers both online and in person alot of who are well known on the web... name drops I guess would go to three who's work I really admire Dstrukt, Tom Muller and Kyle Cooper.