TJ Zark + Partner + Brand Guru + Design Fanatic
I am fascinated by the notion that everything single thing on the planet offers us an example of good or bad design. Nature shows us the most pure and dramatic design examples, but I even find myself lost in my local market studying packaging. Who designed this? What were they tasked with? What story does it tell? How does it make me feel? I think all good design starts with asking questions that push beyond the surface of a project. It is critical to understand the audience, the objectives, and the many constraints that govern every venture.
Of all design principles, I believe balance is the one that most commonly drives me. I push myself to stay with any given visual task until I achieve overall balance of color, composition, and communication.
Much of my career has been spent designing very complex projects that have required many diverse elements and mediums to come together as a unified whole. Retail products, services organizations, software, web portals and mobile apps also require logos, iconography, font selections, print materials, web assets, advertising, content, even music. This type of complexity requires a commitment to creating and deploying a look and feel that can hold the intended user in place and build engagement. This is the kind of thinking required to build memorable brands. Each touch point has to honor a strong set of design principles, while seamlessly conveying the brand principles.
Unlike some designers, I don’t have a ridged style ethos. My approach is to immerse myself in the needs and culture of our clients and find the visual heartbeat needed to tell that story.