Interview with ?ke Bratberg

Hello ?ke, please your short biography -- how did u start to be a designer.
Hi there! It started out when I was a little boy, my older brother got into computers and so did I. When the Internet started to be accesible to the people I started to think about how ugly everything appeared. So that is what lead me to started be interested in design. My older brother went to a Advertising and Communication school and later did I. We learned from each other and started up a webcompany straight after school. This lead me to Hyper Island where I learned a whole lot of things... And so on, and so on...

Daily abstract on www.inclosure.com - what inspired you to do this?
And what can you tell us about this project?
Actually, I had nothing todo at work (Famestudios) and where currently
really into vector graphics (such as Prate, Maeda, TPC) wich lead me to this project. Just wanted todo a new abstract image everyday for a year. Just for fun, but also to learn some new techniques.

You do commercial design mostly, right? Tell us, where do you work, and what's your position.
Right. Right now at Perfect Fools in Stockholm, Sweden. Here I do design, motion and interactivity. Mostly design but also some ActionScript.

You got very nice photography stuff. Did you study photography
somewhere?
Thanks. I did study Photography at school yes. There I experimented the old-school way wich was fun. I like to take photos, and one day, I'd like a studio at home.

Your friends designers?
Not all of them of course, but most of them, yes.

What is design for you?
Color, form and function in a great symphony.

How do you rest, when you are not in the front of computer?
When I go back to where I grow up and hang out with some old friends. None of them are into computers or design. So we do other stuff like Skateboarding, ATV'ing, Paintball or play with the band. It's very nice to get a distance from the hectic life here in Stockholm sometimes and just sit on a big rock in the forrest. ;)

Smoke?
No, though I take Swedish Snus.

Any goals for the future?
For sure! Get rich and continue todo the stuff I love.

What can u you suggest to young designers? How they should start?
Start out learning as much as you can from your favorite designers. Rip and learn!

Do you surf on e-zines? Any thoughts about it?
Not much. But I think they are good for the community. If I want to find
some inspiration, then I go and look at all the big E-zines for that...
Eh, or looking in magazines.

Do you travel to design-conferences like OFFF? Any thoughts?
I do sometimes. There has been a couple of FlashForward's. I love meeting new people that are into the same stuff as yourself, I do get a lot of inspiration this way!