/Interview/ David Engzell
24/11/2006 | Filed under Design > Interview
Former pro skateboarder David Engzell left the cooler climes of Sweden and headed for the world of web design at Fantasy Interactive’s New York office. He’s enjoying working with MTV and making the most of living in Manhattan in his spare time.
.net: Why are FIso good at what they do?
DE: At FIwe really try to balance top quality technology and design, doing both at really high levels. It’s so much about quality here, attention to detail. We never leave a project if it’s not 100 per cent done. If we see one pixel wrong, we fix it before we launch. Everyone I work with is very talented in what they do; interactive, coding and design. Everyone is trying to do their best. When you feel that way, you develop the best. I think the focus here is taking the internet further, leading it into the future – that’s really exciting for me. I think that’s why big clients come to us (we only have one or two on the go at once), they know that our desire is to create the next generation of the internet, not just be good at design or technology, but both together or it’s no deal.
.net: What’s been your favourite work there and why?
DE: The project I’m working on now, MTV.com. I really like that we have the opportunity to work with such great clients, big clients, because when I’m done, I know that I actually did this for this major company, huge company, world renowned, and millions of people will see my work. That inspires me a lot. Before FII was sitting at a normal company designing their commercial stuff.
.net: What’s a typical day like at the FIoffice?
DE: I normally start my computer, check my email. If the coffee maker’s not running I put it on. But usually it’s running because Jonas (Fl ash developer) is there before me. We normally have a meeting on Monday and then I design all day. The people here are really good. We talk about anything, everything, it feels like no one has anything to hide among us. That’s a good thing about FI, everybody’s so close, almost like a small family.
.net: What got you into web design in the first place?
DE: Before I was a designer I was a pro skateboarder in Sweden. When I was younger there were these skateboard teams and each one had its own logo. I always made our logos on prints and t-shirts and stuff like that so I’ve been doing graphical stuff since I was 12. Actually I haven’t studied that much at all. I went to high school which is my highest level of education. After that I didn’t work for three years, I was just skateboarding all the time. There’s actually a lot of creative skateboarders around. I know a lot of skateboarders in Sweden that work with web design, and graphic design.
To be an interesting skateboarder to watch I think it’s really important to have a lot of imagination and creativity. I think there’s a lot of stuff you can compare when it comes to skateboarding and design, you have balance, creativity and vanity. Here at FIthere’s definitely vanity: we’re proud of what we accomplish.
.net: When you’re fl at out working for a client is it hard to keep track of industry developments?
DE: It goes in periods. Sometimes I visit design communities and blogs, then sometimes I don’t care at all. The only thing that matters is that I know the stuff that I create is good. You have to be aware of what’s happening, what’s new and what’s hip.
.net: What are your favourite sites at the moment?
DE: Geoterra.com – it’s really creative actually. It’s totally Fl ash but it looks like you could have done the whole site in Illustrator, and there’s some really sweet animation. I don’t really know what the site’s about, but I know it looks good.
.net: What do you love and hate about today’s web?
DE: I like it because it’s going to develop a lot. You can see a lot of stuff on the internet today, but there’s so much more to do. It feels like we’re not even doing ten per cent of what we’re capable of doing on the internet. What do I hate about it? Spam.
.net: How do you relax after work?
DE: I used to do a lot more when I lived in Sweden, skateboarding etc. In New York I haven’t skated as much. I go out, try to meet new people, try to connect with them, hang out with the guys from the office. I meet girls sometimes – I’m pretty good at that!
.net: What advice do you have for young people getting into the industry?
DE: It’s important to be proud of what you’re doing and still be open to feedback, both positive and negative. You don’t learn everything yourself, you have to get help from other people. Don’t be afraid of asking questions. Check stuff on communities or blogs and try to be aware of what’s happening out there. Don’t use standard settings on layer styles!
.net: If you weren’t a designer, what job would you be doing?
DE: I’d be an artist if I could make a living out of it. It’s such freedom.
Comments
Adde / 08/07/2007 / 15:05
Yeah David!
