We are glad to have the chance to get some time with Andrio Abero, who runs 33rpmdesign.com. Welcome, Andrio! We’ll jump right in with our questions as we are eager to hear from you. We know that you started your site in 2000. What was it like back in the day?
I built the site in Dreamweaver right around the time I was trying to figure out how everything worked. It focused too much on the interface and didn’t leave a lot of room for the actual work. Content wise it wasn’t too different from my current site in terms of organization.
How much does having your website aid you in getting you hired for jobs?
I don’t have a phyisical portfolio, and haven’t since graduating from school. It’s very easy to see my style even from the first few pages. The onc comment I get is that I’ve done so much work for just one person, and that it’s so stylized and recognizable. Having a site is the quickest and easiest way to reach out to people.
Some websites are constantly changing their look, others stick with one. We know that you recently revamped your website. How often do you do that?
I usually keep a site for about a year. The latest version of my site is based off my previous design, which was up for two years before the update. I liked how it was laid out and how it functions, so rather than scrap a good idea I just gave it a facelift and a little polish.
Can you explain why you think it is important for websites to be redesigned every-so-often?
It helps keep people coming back to visit. Personally I change every year, my influences, style, and having a new site reflects that. It keeps it fresh and exciting for me.
Where do you get inspiration for your art?
Mostly listening to music. The people I met and the friends I make that do design and art inspire me a lot, too. I love to travel and experience new cultures. It’s humbling and keeps me grounded to reality. Working on the computer all day is exhausting, and information is at your fingertips, but it doesn’t compare to real life experiences.
What do you think are standard things that you have done and continue to do, that many other graphic designers do?
Use Helvetica.
Conversely, can you share with us any of the things that you have done, or do now, that you think make you stand out from other graphic designers?
Having learned and practiced the silkscreen printing process has shaped my aesthetic and workflow considerably. It has kept my work to be a little more simple and graphic in nature as well as achieve different levels of layering and order.
You recently moved from Seattle, Washington to Brooklyn, New York. What prompted this move, and is it more beneficial for you as an artist to be in New York?
I’ve visited New York a bunch and always had an intense response to how different it was to the Northwest. I wanted to move here before I turned 30 and live here for at least a year. Having been here for several months now I can see myself living here for at least several years.
I generally needed a change of pace, a new environment to draw inspiration from. The clouds all year long didn’t help either. I’ve been considerably busier having moved less than a year ago, so I can definitely say it was worth moving here, despite leaving my friends and family.
A semi-finalist in this years Cut & Paste (www.cutandpaste.com) tournament, can you tell us what that experience was like?
It was CRAZY. It was kind of a blur for me. I had been sick all week prior to Saturday. I was convinced I’d be sick during the tournament, but thankfully recovered in time. I wasn’t expecting such a huge crowd and that made me really nervous. The first round was the worst.
Just trying to get in a zone and forgetting there are over a thousand people watching your every move was hard to get over. By the second round I wasn’t as nervous. I was convinced I made it into the final round. I missed it by less than a point! Overall I had an amazing time. All the other competitors were great as well as the organizers.
What would you recommend for new designers: taking as many jobs as you can get and actually work on, no matter the quality of the job or project you’re asked to do, in order to build up a large resume, or focusing on projects that are more prestigious?
I think in the beginning it’s good to get as much real job experience as possible, especially if you’re a little directionless. It’s also a good time and place to make connections and get your feet wet. On the flip-side being more selective and narrowing your focus based on projects can make you stand out more in the long run.
In your opinion, is being a graphic designer a stable job? Is it a risk to decide upon this profession?
I read somewhere that the graphic design is one of the largest growing careers in the nation, which will probably make it more difficult to get a job. It’s continuing to get more and more competitive, but I think there’s good job security when you enter this industry.
I think people are more design conscious than ever. It’s strange to look back over the past several years and see the trends come and go and the amount of talent there is in the world.
That wraps this up. We want to thank Andrio Abero and encourage you all to check out his website.
www.33rpmdesign.com