Matt Willett
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I like to articulate my job as a visual problem solver. ”
My work encompasses: making memorable logos and identities for companies, building and improving websites, and creating organized documents and printed materials for businesses.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I always asked why. An insatiable drive to find rationale and order in chaos, has driven me to constantly up-level my skills and experiment daily. In the career space, I’ve been driven to find opportunities where I can help others (and particularly enjoy working for mission driven companies and clients). Another way to envision ‘mission’ is to think of it as a question or prompt with a solution. This mentality of ‘solving for X’ has been pivotal in my career and has helped me approach every project with a level, rational, scientific method for creating something great.
How do you stand out in your field?
Saying I ‘approach something differently’ isn’t enough. However, nearly every client and colleague I’ve worked with has complimented my unique, but still rational, approach to ideation and developing visuals. Particularly with developing brands I like to look for ties in history, unique traits, unconventional colors, and how all of those items come together in unexpected ways. Sometimes the most strange combinations of ingredients yield the most powerful and unexpected delights. (Vanilla ice cream with a tiny splash of soy sauce for example; trust me. LIFE. CHANGING.)
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I’m working on a rotation of small projects including brand development for a financial training educator, year’s end reports for a non-profit, and illustrating a series of repeating patterns for a personal project soon to be revealed.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My style is pragmatic, sensible, and magical. I like to look at things and see what they can be, not necessarily what they are presently. My work at TW Lighting was a great achievement in elevating hard industrial lighting elements into a eco-focused and attractive brand for mid-market consumers. LED lighting’s main draws are the reduction in energy used and the reduced environmental impact. They were seen as purely economical buys, and not necessarily statement pieces. I helped cultivate the brand into a contemporary and easy to understand format while keeping the visuals sensible and with small flourishes of delight throughout.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I wish I could focus more into user experience research. Qualitative work is fascinating and really insightful for high-impact projects, however it does consume a lot of time and resources compared to quantitative analysis. Many of my clients have lacked the capacity and budgets to benefit from robust qualitative study. I enjoy cultivating brands and designing new looks, but conducting research to further support those projects is not always possible on short schedules.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Getting around to refreshing/reformatting my work laptop. I’ve been pushing it off for around 3 months now since I know it will inevitably be a day long commitment at least. Setting up all the apps, signing into each environment, and reconfirming all of the new device sign-in alerts from Gmail. Thankfully much of what I do is stored in the cloud so file transfers aren’t the problem - it’s getting all of the apps to work the way I like again after wiping the slate clean.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would seek an agent. Finding work has been the most difficult part of my freelance game. I’m an ‘extroverted’ introvert and always have a difficult time starting conversation, especially ones that are sales or project minded. Once I’m introduced, we’ll be the best of friends. Finding clients is the trickiest bit for me - but of all the clients I’ve had, I’ve maintained great ongoing relationships and engagements. I’m just awkward at introductions. It’s why I like to start every project with a coffee chat and get to know my clients in a casual setting.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Before I began my career in visual design, I was unsure of what I wanted to accomplish in life. Approaching high school I seriously considered accounting, records keeping, and office technologies as I had a knack for organization - but it didn’t necessarily scratch that itch. I’d go back and tell myself that its ok to be unsure. Ultimately I’d want to tell myself sooner that “no time will go wasted, You can learn and apply whatever towards future things.” (Learning how to keep better records has given me more order years later, and learning Microsoft Excel has gained me friends in every office I’ve worked in).
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Psychology. Behavior is fascinating, particularly how the brain interprets images and resolves different elements into a composition. I’d like to learn more about how we process design behind our eyes as that would give insight into creating better design and experiences. The study of how language has changed over time and how the mind connects characters informs how some authors write - designers should approach design and visual language the same way.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I thoroughly enjoy building brands and crafting experiences. Digital, printed, experimental. Cultivating new business identities into trusted brands are my favorite. Have a budding restaurant, studio, or business? Let’s chat. Brands are very much like plants - with the right balance of nutrients, attention, and sunlight they can bloom into memorable experiences. Is your brand a sunflower or a lily? Does it like direct sunlight or light shade? Let’s grow your brand into something beautiful.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
My ideal client is a small business owner, startup, or far-off dreamer. Someone with a vision, be it a commercial one or a theoretical one. I approach every stranger as a potential new friend that I can learn things from. Puzzles and strategy games are a passion of mine, and they’re things that are best shared and being solved with others; collaborative, open-minded, and adventurous clients are always welcome.
Who is a creative that has helped you elevate your work?
She’s a great professor, mentor, and accomplished artist who really helped me elevate my design thinking in my studies. I have a small wafer of notes stapled together from her design critiques and one-on-one sessions. I still refer back to them whenever I’m stuck. Of my academic mentors, she was at the forefront of asking the questions that needed to be asked, and sometimes by not asking the questions at all. Yoon Soo taught me a different approach for finding a solution, by thinking more critically, empathetically, and sometimes by trying to not think and seeing how something might resolve in isolation. Her classes were certainly not easy for me, but her approach taught me to find resolve and know that it takes the right balance of time and pressure to make a diamond.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Great partnerships have started with a two part introduction for me. First, clients have reached out explaining who they are, what they do, and what they’d like to accomplish - this usually includes a rough estimate of scope and a request for proposal. My reply includes an introduction, my reply to the RFP, and an invitation to a quick chat in person (pre-covid), nowadays a Zoom or Google Meet call to really get to know my clients through Fika - a Swedish coffee break. Its my way of gaining more insight to how my clients work and what interests them outside of work, as many clients of mine work and personal passions align - be it finance, art, website development, etc. It is a moment in which we can meditate on how we’ll work and communicate.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Compulsion to learn; charting the orbit and course; changes the approach.
This member profile was originally published in February 2021.