Teaching the Footwear Designers of Tomorrow

by huber

A few weeks ago I had the extraordinary opportunity to talk with Ms. Newburger’s third grade class about being a footwear designer.  Let me tell you, if you ever need to be reminded how cool a career designing shoes is, go talk to third graders.

At first I was nervous about the idea.  I mean, I don’t really know how to teach a bunch of 8 year olds.  Luckily I was able to find several other designers who had previous experience with this.  Thanks to the Footwear Design Group on LinkedIn for your help. I would have been lost with out your suggestions.

When I finally met the class, I was blown away- they treated me like a rock star!  It took awhile to get started because each student had to know if I designed the shoes that they were wearing; I hadn’t :(   I broke the ice by first talking with the students about the sports that they play.  We talked about the movements involved in each sport and how those needs affect their footwear.  I then told them about the design process as I passed around lasts and taped up pullovers but they where most impressed by the skeleton foot.

Once the class had a good idea about the process we designed a running shoe together, which I drew for them on their electronic white board.  It turns out these things are very difficult to draw on.  Then it came time for the students to design their own shoes, some of which can be seen below.   Many of the students, even went so far as to and stitch lines and design their own logos, while others copied the Jumpman.

After about 20 minutes the kids each stood in front of the class and presented their designs.  If you are a children’s shoe designer start working on rainbow colors and glow in the dark shoes immediately.

Teaching the third grade class about shoe design was an incredibly rewarding experience.  It was great to see their creativity and to show the kids that design is a fun potential career path.  With any luck, maybe I inspired the next Tinker Hatfield.

If you have a design related story and would like to contribute to the MESH01 blog email [email protected]

Visit www.mesh01.com to join the community and help design or wear test the next great sports / lifestyle products.

My PENSOLE Experience by Barbieswaggkid

by huber

Wow, I do not know of any better experiences I have had in my life than the one I had in Portland at PENSOLE.

Arriving in Portland I was very excited, and Portland was everything I expected it to be… besides the rain.  I arrived in Portland about midnight and I could already tell that I was going to like it there.  I immediately fell in love with the town the scenery was beautiful.  The people dress dope and have some amazing sneakers on their feet.  I couldn’t wait to get off the plane to take the train since I had never ridden one before, but that would have to wait for the next day since I had missed it.

The first day I arrived late to class, since I have no sense of direction, and was greeted by Dwayne.  I became excited when I found out that the man shaking my hand created, my favorite sneaker competition of all time, Future Sole.  Dwayne teased me about being late but let it slide the first day.  Then he made an announcement that for every min we are late a push up would have to be done.  I was never late again.  Later he told us the reason he does this is to teach us time management.  If you are 15 min early you are on time, If you are on time your late.

I was expecting a class full of men, but was surprised when there was another girl.  The footwear industry is mostly male dominated, so going in I knew that I would have to be focused and dedicated.  What I liked about our class was that I never felt out of place.  Everyone treated each other like we had been friends for years.  We were in class a lot together but when we weren’t in class everyone would still meet up to go around Portland and do various activities together, like going out to eat, the Nike art show, or meeting up to go over our sketches for feedback.

The thing that I enjoyed about Dwayne the most was, he was down to earth and honest with us.  He was always there willing to help, no matter the time.  I appreciate and respect the feedback he gave and the lessons he taught.  He put us in front of other well-respected people, in the industry, that normally we might never have met.  He is serious about us succeeding and wants us to be even more serious about it.  Dwayne was hands down a great teacher and mentor.

While at PENSOLE I learned so much.  From my classmates I learned, when you’re working on a project by yourself it’s only your thoughts and ideas going into it, but when you have other designers with different thoughts and creativeness helping you out it is great.  They help your mind reach a whole new side to your project.  So many ideas are floating around, some good, some you appreciate but may not use, and some ideas make you say “Why didn’t I think of that”.  It also teaches you to take criticism.

Dwayne also taught me a lot. One of the first lessons that he taught was how each shoe has a story.  There is a reason for the colors, the sole, the design; everything has a purpose.  I had NEVER thought about that before.  Before coming to PENSOLE, when I wanted to draw a sneaker I didn’t think about a story and what it’s purpose would be, I would just draw.  So seeing it from his side taught me to be more serious about my designs and just “think”.  Another thing Dwayne taught us, was that a lot of times people don’t think about and understand what they are about to draw on paper.  The first week before we began drawing Dwayne just had us think about our designs.  Think about what type of products are needed.  What purpose is our design going to be used for?   We spent a lot of time thinking about it so when it was finally time to draw, we already knew what we wanted to do, and half of the process was done.

I had a great time in Portland, great time w/ Dwayne at PENSOLE and my PEN TEN classmates!!

If interested in attending PENSOLE be sure to check out the latest class PENSOLEOGRAPHY.  adidas will provide scholarships for up to 12 hand-selected aspiring footwear designers to experience PENSOLE’s rigorous “learn by doing” curriculum, where students are assigned  projects to develop from idea to final concept while working in a team environment.

Submission Deadline: May 13, 2012 11:55 PM GMT

visit http://www.mesh01.com/forms/competitions.aspx to learn more

 

 

Designer Limelight: Charles Sollars

by huber

We would like to introduce the community to one of MESH01’s newest members, Charles Sollars.  Many of you, like me, may have stumbled across his work while searching for the new 2012 NFL uniforms.  His faux uniform designs have generated over 2 million views to his flickr account in just 60 days.

Hey Charles, can you tells us about your background in design?
I have no real design background. I do photography, I paint, I doodle, I took art in high school, but no art school or any high level formal training. I just know what I like and what I don’t like.  I want to be able to learn in a higher ed art school setting but with out someone else paying for it I can’t afford to go back to school.

What inspired you to start redesigning team football helmets and uniforms?
I saw the new Missouri helmet on the web months before it was known to be the helmet and I didn’t like it. I talked to some people and was like I can do better and they should do this. So, I downloaded a free trial of the newest photoshop and tried to make something better. I think my Mizzou helmet kills the one NIKE did and the uniform for that matter. I did Mizzou and the Chiefs and then people started telling me to do more and I just kept doing it because the demand just kept growing.

By now you must have spun hundreds of professional and college football uniforms, any favorites?

It is well over a thousand at this point. I like the Chiefs headdress helmet, the tiger head Mizzou, LSU wrap, several of the ravens helmets, the corn Nebraska ones because I love the idea of butter stickers for big plays, the Bama ghosted houndstooth, the Nebraska blackshirts skull helmet, the army hat helmet, the jags helmet, some of the terps ones I like because I think I did a better job than UA did, the seahawks, some of the cal ones, and the Oregon ducks full mascot uni I really would love to see Nike run those out this year.

I am sure you have heard some feedback from fans of the various teams.  How has the response been?
Response has been really good I have had 2.1+ million views on my flickr account alone, 4,000 or 5,000 sites have covered my stuff everyone from yahoo to the smallest blog. Most everyone loves the helmets except for the die hard traditionalist at some schools but even people that say they hate uniform change have said they would be fine with some of my designs. The biggest feedback that I get is why hasn’t someone hired you yet, are these real, and I hope we get these.

How about the fans of teams with “untouchable” designs, like the Oakland Raiders or my personal favorite the Pittsburgh Steelers?
I actually had a feature on a few Raiders only sites. Most of the fans were cool with the idea but only on a special one or two time kind of thing. The logo removing the mask to show the skull face was really popular. The Steelers fans all liked the one that had the logo on a rusted beam looking background. Several fans wanted to buy a print of that design. I don’t think any fans want to see my designs replace the classic looks of any team like the raiders, steelers, sooners, and so on but for a one time thing most people like it if nothing else so they have new team stuff to buy. I know I feel the same way with the Chiefs, I am a huge Chiefs fan but if you have a white and a red uni you have the entire uniform collection since the team started there are no alt or throwback for them which is cool because it is classic but on the other hand it sucks.

Anyone approached you about turning your designs a reality?
I have been in talks with Va Tech and Illinois. We are currently trying to get a real helmet made to determine pricing and build time to see if it is something the schools can first afford to do and then get approved. The Illini Chief helmet is also in the prototype stage but only as a fan item since the school doesn’t use anything Native American related anymore.

Now I noticed that many of your designs put the mascot front and center.  Does your experience as the Springfield Cardinal mascot have anything to do with this? Sorry had to ask. :D No, not at all. I just like the cartoon mascots of some teams better than the blah logos they use. I mean KU has a sweet mascot logo but they use the letters k u on all their stuff, same can be said for Oregon, Ok State, and a bunch of other schools. All of my designs are meant to be a one time special kind of design for 95% of the designs. Some of the NFL ones are everyday but most of the NCAA designs I was thinking once maybe twice a year kind of thing so why not bring in something fun either with the size, color, or logo or all 3 for some.

Where can we go to see more of your work?
You can see all of my work on my flickr account. I also tweet my new designs @charlessollars, tumblr, and youtube also have some stuff but the full collection is on flickr the designs are set up by team, conference, ncaa, nfl, and finally full uniform

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

Be sure to check out Charles Sollar’s profile

Washing Windows to Solhiem Greens: Designer Johnny Mitch

by huber

Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Jonny Mitch, designer who inspired the Callaway Women’s Hyperbolic Golf Shoe.  The Hyperbolic is a very special shoe for MESH01.  It is the first shoe inspired by the MESH01 community to hit the market.  You may have even seen it on the feet of LPGA stars including Morgan Pressel at the Solheim Cup

First of all, congratulations on the Callaway Women’s Hyperbolic Golf Shoe.  What is it like to see a shoe that you where a part of go to production, and even be worn in the Solheim Cup?

The Solheim Cup is a huge deal in the world of women’s professional golf. I wish I could attend- it’s the WPGA’s Ryder Cup. I’m proud that some of the United States women will be wearing a product that I was a part of.  Thank you Brian, Mesh01 and Callaway for giving me a platform to get my work out into the world!

What was the inspiration behind your Hyperbolic design?  How did you incorporate this inspiration into the design?

So, to be honest with you I don’t really remember all the details. I do know that the brief was one of the easiest for me to design from.  There was no guessing involved because Callaway did such a great job telling the designers what they were looking for. So… I took direct inspiration from the brief.

Jonny Mitch's Callaway Hyperbolic submission

I’ve grown up around the game, (of golf) and loved it since I was five or six when I won a local tournament. In middle school/early high school I worked as a cart boy for the local municipal course so I could play for free. We picked up range balls, cleaned clubs, gassed up carts, hunted rattle snakes, and perfected 360-degree power slides down the wet grass of the driving range hill. Those were the days! Haha.  Jim Oscarson is going to kill me if he ever reads that : )

Anyways, my research is based on real life experience- not some meaningless picture found on google.  I know what golfer’s dress like, so my goal was to design an upper that will go well with the rest of their wardrobe.

8 hours were spent designing the shoe and explanation pages with only 11 minutes to spare before the contest deadline. Not going to lie, towards the end I was getting a little nervous. The first hour I taped up a last and figured out how I wanted it to be constructed based on the brief’s expectations. Then I took a picture of the drawn on last and dropped it into Photoshop. From there it became a digital art exercise geared toward catching the judges attention. Sorry, If that isn’t a very exciting back story- I was just too cramped for time at that moment. But hey, it all worked out.

Sample created from Jonny's drawings

Getting here has not been the easiest; I hear you started your own business to put yourself through school.  Can you tell us about your window washing business?

My Dad bought the (window washing) equipment and a small list of accounts from a guy leaving town.  Then, when I turned 16 and received my driver’s license, he dropped it onto me and my brother’s laps and said that if we wanted to be able to pay for college this was our ticket.

Have any of the lessons learned as a business owner carried over into your design work?

I don’t know how much it has carried over into my design work, but it taught me many life lessons. The main one is- Why work for “The Man”- when you can be “The Man”.  One summer I was tired of scrubbing bug poo and dried dog nose prints so I quit to go work for the city down at the marina.  I quickly learned that 10 hour days at minimum wage weren’t going to work for me. You just can’t beat making your own schedule and salary-even if its not a very glamorous job. The job also taught me to dream big. Once the word got around town that a 14 and 16 year old were the best in the valley the Seattle millionaires with summer mansions on the lake started calling. They introduced me to a whole new world that I am still working toward.

You recently finished an internship at K1X in Munich, Germany.  What was this experience like, traveling abroad for an internship?

Besides having a total creeper as a roommate and no money to get out and experience the city, my time in Munich was great. Pete and Rainer were amazing to work with. Pete taught me so many insights into becoming a better designer. And Rainer is a master craftsman.  He could take one of our designs and make a real sample within a day.

How would you compare the design scene in Munich to the North West United States?

I don’t know if I can answer that question. I say that because the K1X design scene is not normal for Munich. Some of these guys are ballers. They are consumed by hip hop culture, and have their own clubs where they can promote all the new releases.  Some of them have moved onto starting their own brands. I haven’t met a group of people like them anywhere.

So what is next for Jonny Mitch?

For now I’ve been advised to work in the footwear industry for a few years before I start my own brand. Be on the lookout.  I feel my mentor D’Wayne Edwards is setting me up with the best chance to succeed in such a competitive industry.

Once again congratulations and thank you for the interview.  Can you offer and words of advice to the other designers out there in the MESH01 community?

I’m going to leave you with the wisdom my friend Christopher Burns gave me way back in middle school. He said “Everybody gets what they want in life.” I quickly laughed tried to argue with him saying, “I want a Lamborghini- but I’m not going to ever get it.” And with a dead serious face he replied, “If you really want something, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”

When you get that Lamborghini I call “Shotgun”.

 

 

 

 

Ramp “Connect. Elevate”

by huber

 

 

When you graduate college and receive your degree magically you know everything needed to know to be a designer.  Right? …No?  The world of design is constantly changing and evolving with technologies and things like social media.  Even for experienced designers, you either keep learning or get left behind.   But, where does one go to continue learning and developing their skills?  I mean it is not like we are all looking to get another degree, we just want to keep expanding our skill set.

The best way to continue learning is via a mentor.  It is always a good idea to surround yourself with people that have more experience or are more knowledgeable.  Nothing beats hands on learning especially from a friend or colleague.  If you are with out a mentor in a particular area, perhaps you do what I do, turn to books or the internet.   There is another way.

When I was in Portland last I met with Janene Larson the founder of Ramp, a Learning Resource Center for brands where curriculum can advance professionals working in the Product Creation Process.  Ramp addresses the educational needs of professionals in the Product Creation Process through offering Professional Development Training specific to the sportswear industry. Ramp classes provide students a holistic perspective of the product process from product brief to consumer.  The “Ramp Way” is anchored by the need for DESIGN, MATERIALS AND MARKETING to work together in the creation of successful product lines.

“I founded ramp in 2011 as a learning resource for my peers and those entering the complex active brand industry to master the BUSINESS SIDE OF DESIGN.  I have worked globally with multiple categories in footwear, apparel and accessories at both Nike and Adidas. Whether working in Adidas Basketball, managing key accounts for Nike and adidas or as a Global Merchandiser for Nike, I was always looking for the “Playbook” onhow to do my job.

 How do you write a line plan? Where did that trend come from? What does our consumer think? What am I supposed to do with that information? Forecast?  Based on what?  Why do people get so amped up about sneakers anyway? Why are Design and Marketing always fighting?

 Well there really is a method to the madness. I founded ramp as an avenue to share what I have learned over the last 19 years of launching products into the marketplace with a few mistakes and a lot of successes. The key is to keep learning ALWAYS and as soon as you think you got it, it is time to dig deeper and share what you know with others.”  - Janene Larson/Ramp Founder

 

The Ramp Approach

Ramp has partnered with the most experienced and respected industry experts in the Sportswear Brand Field (from Nike, Adidas, Jordan, Auto Brands to name a few) to teach the line planning process, color and trend theory, consumer culture, material process and more.  Classes are taught at the epicenter of Active Brands in Portland, Oregon at the PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy.

What You Learn

Upon completing a Ramp training course, a student will understand the needs and objectives of DESIGN, MATERIALS AND MARKETING in the product process and each department’s role in creating a deep connection with their consumer.

  • Align your goals with the rest of your organization
  • Understand the process and your consumer’s expectations
  • Master the role of Color & Trend in the success of products
  • Anticipate the needs of Design for inspiration and accurate problem solving
  • Appreciate the role of Product Briefs as the agreement between Design, Development and Marketing

Instructors include some names that I am sure many of you are already familiar with.

DʼWayne Edwards – Pensole Design Director
Suzette Henri – Material Technology Goddess
E. Scott Morris – Designer/Inspiration Cultivator
John Knight – Consumer Research Guru
Michelle Battista – Trend & Merchandising Expert
Dee Wells – Sneaker Culture Historian
More to Come…

“This is what I promise you.  You will learn from the best in the industry skills you need to be better at your job, gain an understanding of the perspectives of your Design, Development and Marketing teams and learn how to use information to influence your product success in the marketplace.” – Janene Larson

Check out some of Ramp’s upcoming classes

  • COLOR APPLICATION & MERCHANDISING – Michelle Battista – 4/19
  • CONSUMER RESEARCH THAT MATTERS – John Knight – 4/20
  • PRESENTING AND DEFENDING YOUR PRODUCT LINES & DESIGNS – E. Scott Morris – 4/30
  • REALITY VS. MYTH – THE STORIES PRODUCTS TELL – DʼWayne Edwards/Dee Wells – 5/3
  • MATERIAL EDUCATION – Suzette Henri – 5/4

Register @: www.ramppdx.com/classes

Visit http://ramppdx.com/ to learn more.

 

Wear Testing: Ready for Launch

by Jeff Whelpley

How do you know something works unless you try it out? You can guess and conjecture all you want. You can do field studies, polls and focus groups, but the reality is that most of the major decisions we make are fraught with risk. For example, the Red Sox thought it would be a great idea last year to bring in John Lackey for some veteran leadership. It turns out that the only leadership Lackey provided was leading his teammates to beer and buckets of fried chicken.

This is a fundamental problem that exists in life. No, I am not talking about drinking beer and eating fried chicken.  I am talking about the challenge of figuring out whether something will succeed or fail BEFORE it actually succeeds or fails. About 6 months ago I decided to get a new job and I had to make a big decision about where I would go and what I would do. I did a lot of research online, but the thing that ultimately helped me make my decision to join MESH01 was talking to other peers and experts who provided insights I would have never picked up on my own. Conceptually speaking, I was able to validate my hypothesis (i.e. I would enjoy working at MESH01) through a form of empirical evidence (i.e. people that were like me who have tried to do the same type of job and indicated they liked it). Of course, I was still taking a risk, but that risk was greatly diminished.

Read More

MESH01 will be at ENKWSA

by huber

MESH01 will be in Las Vegas for the ENKWSA conference February 6-8.  It is looking to be a fantastic show.  If you are in the neighborhood be sure to check us out at booth # 10345

I recently had the chance to catch up with David Dea the Director of Global Sourcing for ENKWSA.  We talked about this year’s changes to the ENKWSA show and what you can expect to see including the recently added ENKWSA Seminar Series.

Tell us about your role with the ENKWSA show.
I am the Director of Global Sourcing. I focus on bringing the suppy chain vendors to ENKWSA.
Its exciting to see that we are really looking to expand this area of our show by having additional product offerings to help with our attendees’ supply chain needs.

What is the ENKWSA show for those that are unfamiliar?
ENKWSA has 2 components. The Sourcing Show at ENKWSA is my focus. This is the largest, most comprehensive marketplace for footwear supply chain from concept to consumer. Supply chain is very important in the day to day of a footwear company. There are so many moving components to create a shoe from concept to completion and that is what The Sourcing Show at ENKWSA helps deliver.

ENKWSA also has the Affordable Fashion brands that exhibit at ENKWSA. This is an area where we focus on fashionable footwear that sells at higher volume.

Who is the show being directed at?
ENKWSA benfits retailers, designers, product developers, sourcing executives from all brands.

For those that have attended the show in the past, I understand that there is a new direction.  Can you tell us about the new direction of the WSA show and what kinds of things are being done to spice it up?
The direction of ENKWSA houses Affordable Fashion brands and Supply chain vendors from across the globe. We have included a seminar series to house intellectual topics that are of value to our attendees. There are more things to come for August 2012 some of which include working with Mesh01.

This year you are the running a free seminar series, tell us about what attendees can expect from the series.
ENKWSA’s seminar series is really exciting for your community. They can expect important topics to be addressed that can really help them with their business. These topics include:

Changes in the World Footwear Market from 1993 to 2025 and the Effect on the Volume of Soling Materials Required

Protecting your Footwear Designs– Design Patents

and Trade Dress and Branding in the USA – A Beginners Guide to Effectively Brand Your Products

Thanks for your time David, we will see you in Vegas.

Click Here To read more about the ENKWSA seminar series

If you would like to register for ENKWSA Click Here and be sure to stop by booth # 10345 to say hello.

2012 MESH01 Designer of the Year

by huber

In 2012 we want to make Designer of the Year even bigger by awarding cash or product prizes to the top 3 designers in 2012.  We will also be awarding a winner at the end of each quarter.

Some of you may be aware of the current points system where the top 8 designers in a competition receive points.  In 2012 we will be expanding our point system to also include designers who contribute content for our blog or are particularly helpful in the forums.

Point System

-       Top 8 designers in a competition earn points for their submissions

  • 1st        1000 pts
  • 2nd          800 pts
  • 3rd          600 pts
  • 4th          400 pts
  • 5th          300 pts
  • 6th          200 pts
  • 7th          100 pts
  • 8th             50 pts

-       200pts for user provided content that we run (blogs, Education, etc..)

  • If you have content that you think would be of interest to the community, submit it by emailing [email protected]

-       20 pts for a forum post that we find particularly helpful (will be rewarded at our discretion)

 

Designer of the year will be awarded to the designer who accumulates the most points from competitions that end in 2012.   Q1 winner will be the designer who accumulates the most points between January 1st and March 31.  Q1 winner will receive $500.

We are interested in giving a way prizes other than just cash.  If you would like to recommend a prize other than cash that we could consider for either Designer of the year or our quarterly winner, you can suggest it here

MESH01 2011 Designer of the Year: Renderman

by huber

We are proud to announce that Mark Kokavec AKA Renderman is the 2011 MESH01 Designer of the Year. I had the chance to talk with Mark to learn a little more about him and his background in design, he even tells us where you can learn his and other leading designer’s techniques.

  How did you learn about MESH01?

I was doing some “design” research online.

Had you participated in a design competition before?

I had never participated in an online competition but I had hosted a couple on my old website a few years back.  They were focused on footwear design and the winner was featured in SLAM magazine.

Can you tell us about your path towards becoming an Industrial designer?

Growing up, I was always an artist and realized I wanted to do something related to design while in High School.  It wasn’t until my best friend introduced me to the College For Creative Studies (CCS), where I decided to make “Design” a career.  I started studying Automotive Design at CCS and later transitioned into Product Design.  I never interned for a large company (but wish I had).  I landed my first job with Reebok 3 months prior to graduating.  Yes, I finished my degree before starting the new job!

After 6 years heading up the Tennis category, I moved to Converse to manage and lead their Basketball division.  Then it was off to Under Armour where I worked on Football, Baseball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Training, Slides, Kids and Basketball footwear.  My main responsibility was as Sr. Design Manager for Running and Trail.

What are some of the highlights of your career to date?

The exciting part of being a footwear designer is the opportunity to work closely with professional athletes.  I’ve have the opportunity to work closely with athletes at the top of their game such as… Venus Williams (Tennis), Chris McCormack (Iron Man) and Dwyane Wade (Basketball).  Seeing my designs on their feet during Grand Slams and Playoffs is a hard feeling to describe.  It’s very special.  Being part of that history, albeit in a small way, is extremely fulfilling.

What do you feel makes your designs and style different/unique from others?

The main difference is the integration of the digital medium into my process.  The way I use multiple software packages in harmony to achieve a final design is my “special recipe”.  I’m always looking for new processes to add into my workflow.  If there is a program that can help improve the final design, I try to figure out which parts to use and add them in.

Who are some of the designers / artists that you pull your inspiration from?

When I feel the need to get inspired, I typically turn to the entertainment industry.  I find the images and concepts to be full of creative energy and always come away with a refreshed and energized mind.  Daniel Simon’s “Cosmic Motors” picture book is always nearby.

In addition to designing you have also founded a company called Render Demo.  Can you tell us a little about what Render Demo does?

Render Demo started out as a hobby in 2008.  I wanted to share the skills and techniques that took me years to develop, with other designers.  I was fortunate to receive an education at CCS and realized that there are so many young artists and designers out there that (for whatever reason) wouldn’t be able to access this type of training.  So that’s when I decided to start Render Demo.

Render Demo consists of industry leading designers sharing their real-world techniques and processes through detailed video tutorials.  We currently focus on digital techniques but will be expanding our library to include traditional techniques like pen and paper, in the near future.

Our mission and goal is to provide artists and designers that are looking to improve on their current technique or interested in exploring new techniques, the means to do so.  From beginner to advanced level training, there is something for everyone.

For design training tutorials: http://www.renderdemo.com

I have personally seen one of Renderman’s live demos and would recommend it to any designer looking to expand on their techniques.

Where can our designers go to see more of your work?

For my portfolio and freelance design services: http://www.renderdemodesignstudio.com

Thank you for the interview, can you offer any words of advice to the other designers out there in the MESH01 community?

Never give up!  Keep pushing for your dream and do whatever it takes to live it.

One other thing… Always keep an open mind.  Taking criticism can be tough at times, but use it as a learning experience to grow and as a “fuel” to better yourself.