After reading part one, you’ll know that Scott Fuller is the amazingly talented graphic designer behind The Studio Temporary, and man to credit for the Furrow Books logo and belly band designs. This is the second and final part of the interview.
What were your thoughts and ideas behind the Furrow Books logo?
When you call it Furrow Books, I’m a big fan of a lot Midwestern design. There’s some incredible designers and work coming out of the Midwest, and when you first told me the name, I initially thought of the Furrows in the field, but when you went into a little more, about the graph and the lines that you put behind that pages – you know to plant the seed, then take it away and you’re left with just the crop or the content. And that was one of the best descriptions that I’d heard as far as that goes.
So I sat down and started sketching. I knew it was going to be small. I knew it wasn’t going to be very big on anything, so I figured, something that kept in line with your other business, like the Zeller Writing Company, so I wanted to keep it along that same line, but differentiate it a little bit. The “F” was one of my first ideas. It just seemed to work. The Furrows, the way they were drawn made it looks like rows, but also looked like books. You know, it just like match made in heaven. It was very simple and to the point. People got it. It was kind of like what I talked about earlier, you know. You could have done some big gradient, this or that, or some transparent doo-dad, or whatever; but this was all I needed. This F fit perfectly with what you described and fit with the type. You know, large size, small size, it works no matter if it’s the size of dime or on the side of a building and people can read it and go from there. That was how it turned out and I think it works very very well.
How many different designs did you work through or work from?I’d have to go back and look at my sketchbook, but I probably made around 100 different sketches at least. Some of them were originals, some were variations on the ideas that I picked upon, but everything that I did kept coming back to the design that you have now. At that point, I just said that if I can’t think of anything else, there’s no other way and like you know it’s just staring you right in the face that that’s the one. Then I presented it, you liked it, and we went from there. We finished the logo, worked out the belly bands, and everything just kind of fell into place once we realized exactly what we were going for. |
Were there any specific influences you drew on for the logo?I looked at a lot of fields. I went out to my local farmer’s market and checked out some of that. I looked at a lot on the internet. I know about books and memobooks and different things like that, and I think backfiels said it best, “If you want to design a good logo for a dry cleaner, go spend some time at a dry cleaner.” Forget about asking about what others did for a dry cleaner, and just sit there until something pops. Until you can write something down or draw something out that can represent that. |
Are there any changes you’d have made to the logo, had you had more of an artistic license for it?I don’t believe so. I mean we believe very well in what we put out. If we feel like something is not right, we’ll fight for it. But, I have no qualms with what’s out there right now. Whether it’s working with the type, with a sans serif vs a serif. You know, but in the end, we wanted something that’s good with everything else and stand out from the rest while keeping with that Midwestern feel; and I think that in differentiating itself and going with the typeface we chose, it was very well done. Generally what you see me put out, I’m 100% supportive of. That’s why a lot time, I might show you a couple options, but we’ll talk serious about what we think would be the best thing. If we’re like, something’s not right, then we’ll scrap it and go back to the drawing board, but I wouldn’t make any changes whatsoever to this logo. |
How do you feel about the results?Pretty good. I mean I haven’t seen any feedback on the logo. But then again, you have to understand who you’re designing for. I was designing this for you, basically. It was your idea, it was your concept, you know. I mean you’ve been working in this business before and knew what people were looking for in a book. As far as designers that have seen it, they like it. I haven’t heard anything back from your customers, but I think it turned out very well. I think that it’s uniquely your own and separates itself from the rash of memobooks that are on the market right now. It’s not about this cover or that cover, it’s about the content. |
So, contingent on the success of the Kickstarter campaign, how do you feel about having your work on the thousands of notebooks across the world?
Haha, this is where it starts to get real for me. People, a lot of time, work on these big projects that they’re so proud of, which they have every right to be; but then this little mom-and-pop store comes along and they think they’ll just put a little something together for them. I don’t subscribe to that at all. The work that I did for you is the same level of work that I’d do for anybody. We give everything into all of that. But the idea that thousands of people will hold something that has something of mine on it? Yeah, that’s really cool and really humbling. But the idea is that it’s not so much that my logo in their hands, but your book is in their hands. We just helped people identify with something. It was your concept and your idea and we just gave it an identifier, and that was it. That being said, seeing that identifier on this book is pretty darn cool, I’m not going to lie.
Aside from the Adobe creative suite and your computer, what tools do you use to create your designs?I always have my memobooks with me at all times, a pen, a pencil, and some drafting tools. Often times you’ll see a fully sketched out version at actual size before I take it to the computer. It takes a little bit of extra time, but if it doesn’t look good there, then it won’t look good in the computer, but yeah, just your basic pen, pencil, and paper. |
Are there any tools, besides your computer, that you just couldn’t do your work without?I’ve got to have my pencil. You know, that’s where this all comes from – where this all starts. There’s no way I’d be able to do what I do without being able to visualize and sketch it down, make mistakes erase, and start all over again. There’s no way that I could do what I do without that. I honestly find that to be, I mean, I know we need the computers and everything, and I have nothing against these computers and this amazing software that we get use, but if I don’t have my basics, like that, then nothing is going to get to the computer. |
What’s in your everyday carry?
Usually, I have a couple notebooks on me at all times, one pen at least, my wallet, my keys, then a couple of The Studio Temporary stickers or buttons to give out. I try to stay pretty light.
Now, including my backpack in that, anywhere I go, I carry my studio with me. I carry a book, the EOOQ book brand bag, I think it’s called Boa. I’ve had that bag now for three years and hasn’t worn out one bit since I bought it. It’s a phenomenal product. I honestly almost called my studio Backpack, just because of how I cart everything around. But that would pretty much be my everyday carry.
Do you have any advice for aspiring graphic artists?There’s no quick way to get to where you want to go. There’s no shortcuts. There’s nothing. I have a design degree, but it’s a piece of paper. I was self taught. I learned things through experience and making mistakes. You know, just sit back, buckle down, and do work. It’s not about even doing what you want to do. Your best advertsiement is just doing good work. It’s not about saying that you’re only going to do a certain type of work – only going to do this type of work, or only want to work with coffee shops. It’s just about, whoever you’re doing the work for, do a good job. That’s the best thing I can say. I don’t want to be known for designing a certain type a logo or a certain thing. I want to be known that if you give something to Scott at The Studio Temporary or wherever it is, it’s going to be done right; it’s going to be done well; and it’s going to be done on time. Those are the three things that I really want to be known for. You know, this stuff is fun. I have a fantastic time doing this, and it should be the same with your clients. Treat them well, the same as you’d want to be treated, and just do a good job for them. That will take you so, so far. |
What’s next for The Studio Temporary?More work. I’m always trying to get more work. Whether it’s blue collar type work, or scouring Facebook for people that need help, or even calling people out of the blue, like I did for you. However that works, I’m always looking for more work. I want to be able to do this for the rest of my life and it’s all just about the next thing. Now we are going to be speaking at Creative South, April 10-12th, 2014. My buddy, Mike Jones, is going to be putting it on in Columbus, GA. We will be leading off the last day of the conference. On the 12th, we’re going to be speaking at 9 o’clock, if anybody wants to show up. That’s what’s next – keep finding more work, working hard, speak and tell our story and take it from there. That maybe the last time we get to speak, but we’ll see. I’m kind of putting everything into that so we’ll see what happens. |
Find Scott on:
Twitter: @StudioTemporary
Instagram: @StudioTemporary
Facebook: TheStudioTempoary
Website: http://www.TheStudioTemporary.com
