Interview with Chris Picheca

Hello there, please tell us your short biography, how did you get into design and what inspired you.
I’m a Canadian art director and programmer with a background in music. I began my career in Edmonton, Alberta, and have since lived and worked in Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Newport Beach (briefly), and Vancouver. I have worked as an interactive designer with the DM agency FCB Direct, been a Defenseman at the Vacuum, interned at Critical Mass, and currently design game interfaces for the PSP at EA Games. I continue to be a freelance art director doing animation, print, motion, brand, and online work for such clients as: Interscope/Sony, MGM, LG, Fox, Paramount Classics, Best Buy, Mazda, Acura, Air Canada, and Aeroplan among others.
I enjoy sharing in collaborative design, photography, and art projects. I’m a contributor to Three.oh, and a member of the Systm network.
Outside of my professional work, I’m a classically trained musician, able to play 14 instruments, enjoy traveling, sports, and doing nothing.

Where are you located and where do you work? Current projects?
I’m currently living in beautiful Vancouver, Canada after relocating here in September of 2004.
As of this moment, I work full-time at Electronic Arts (EA Games) with a team of talented designers, engineers, and 3d artists – among many other positions - making games for Sony’s PSP. I also work an equal amount of time doing freelance interactive, print, motion and branding work I would otherwise not get the chance to do during my time at the day-job.
As for projects - at EA, I have been leading on Tiger Woods 2006, Fight Night Round 3, and will be starting the pitch and pre-production phase on a new title, which has yet to be announced - all for the PSP. Recent freelance projects have included flash work for Acura – produced with Grip Limited, a micro site for the Mazda Miata - produced with the guys at Idiogroup, and some interactive/motion work for LG Phones – produced with Big Spaceship out of New York.

What is design for you?
Design for me is: consuming, a mesh of logical and artistic creation, the user(s), information, experience, excitement, thought, brand, networking, ideas, communication, a lifestyle, and a challenge.

What are your goals?
Career: To eventually get my Masters in Marketing when the time is right, and be a senior in an agency helping to lead and direct challenging and creative work in multiple mediums.
Life: Eventually reach a point where time spent working and time spent living are balanced and healthy.

Why freelance? Not to go to work in a team, fulltime.
Working full-time and freelancing on the side gives me the best of both worlds, but there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both.
I like the team environment of a full-time job where you’re able to brainstorm as a group and solicit feedback from team members (taking the best ideas from the feedback) to eventually make a product that’s super tight – ideally. The scope of projects in a team environment can obviously be significantly larger, and having a large project hit the market is fulfilling when it happens.
In comparison to the rigidity and structure of a studio or corporation, freelancing allows for a lot of creative and technical freedom. Timelines are dependant on you as an individual (or as a group if you’re working with a small team of people you trust), and there tends to be far less ‘cooks in the kitchen’ so to speak. That being said, when you’re freelancing, it’s easy to become disconnected from humanity when you’re sitting in a dark room at 3am.

How do you see web design in the next 5 years? How do you think it can be changed?
I recently watched the film Contact, which was produced in 1997 – really, not so long ago. There are many scenes within that film that show e-mail, styles of instant messaging, and programs which were probably trying to be futuristic or, at the very least, current. Looking at the technology then, in comparison to now, the things depicted in that film are archaic.
The upward trend of technology, in the last 5 years alone, has been amazing. That said, the principles of web design since its inception, I feel, have not changed. I think the tools used to produce online systems (more encompassing than web) will be forever changing. I think people will be connected more virtually rather than using hard-line connections as the majority of us do now. I also feel the surge of more ambient networking will be seen as a way to present information – either in the background wrapped in a tightly-knit front end shell, or in the foreground of applications. In terms of experience, I feel that as connections and hardware get faster, more efficient, and more integrated, you’ll see more real-time solutions, user-generated virtual experiences, and random entertainment-based productions. Think of the random AI behind games such as Civilization, or the upcoming Spore done online as a way to present information in an engaging way to the user. Overall, I think the days of wasting time online (even if we’re talking about seconds) without having a purpose are over. The novelty of the ‘web’ has long since died, and I think you can clearly see that the focus of the medium has changed over the past couple years.

Other hobbies? What do you do when you don't work?
I grew up being very involved in music, so I’m always seeking out new music when I can. I like moving around and pulling things at the gym, I dig traveling to faraway lands and experiencing other cultures. I enjoy the science and art of photography, I’m big into film, and too big into food.

Do you care about your health from youth? Don't smoke, don't drink?
I tend to be quite health-conscious. I live a vegetarian lifestyle (virtually vegan as I tend to avoid anything dairy in my diet), I’ve never smoked, and very rarely drink. The occasional glass of good wine or a cocktail at a restaurant isn’t unheard of – but it’s rare. I also got really tired of all the fear-inducing propaganda, and straight-up garbage on television, so despite having a movie theatre in my living room, I don’t have tv. I’d lump that into the health (mental health) category as well.

Do any sports?
Certainly – I get into squash and most other racquet sports with the exception of tennis, moving around at the gym, ‘blading, running (although I haven’t in a while), hiking, baseball, chair-dancing and basketball. It’s said that there are only 3 things that give you an endorphin high – sex, drugs, and exercise.

What would you suggest to young people starting their careers in the design industry?
Be observant, find your voice, think like your audience, and practice.

Your favorite website? Why?
Google.com – it’s everything it needs to be.

The most beautiful woman in the world?
My mom – she’s determined, scarily smart, stronger than anyone I’ve ever met, has overcome much, has a super fine ass, and is extra-super rad. Is that clich?? I don’t care.

Well, that's all for now, any last comments?
Thanks for the opportunity!