Christian Helms is president of The Decoder Ring Design Concern, a quirky and spirited young studio located in the ever-evolving epicenter of Texas hipness—Austin. He spends his days harvesting the aesthetics of our past and scrambling them with awkward sketches, happy accidents and big ideas.

Part designer, part writer and part dance-machine, Christian is proof positive that you can become a success by being "kinda good" at a lot of different things. Beginning his career as an intern for Michael Bierut at Pentagram NY, Christian went on to blaze an unremarkable trail through Manhattan before serving as a founding member of John Bielenberg’s socially-conscious design collective, Project M.

His obsessive sketching and perpetual motion has resulted in award-winning work for clients ranging from Wilco and Modest Mouse to Leo Burnett and Toyota.

07.23.08

Building A "Dream Job"

If you have a degree in what field is it? I graduated from The University of North Carolina with a degree in journalism before heading to Portfolio Center in Atlanta. I found design late in school, and at the time I felt like I was way behind. It turns out that the broad education I received as an undergrad has made me a better designer. Well, that and learning how to craft a story.

Which designer (or design studio), other than yours, do you most admire? That’s a long list. My buddy James (Victore) has been a hero of mine since I was in college. I admire folks like Paul Sahre, Sharon and Sarah at Werner Design Werks and Bob Gill for their unique points-of-view and independent spirits. Then there are studios like Saul Bass Associates, Sandstrom Design and Planet Propaganda that do consistently stellar work and have built their businesses in really impressive ways. Geez, if I was supposed to name a single studio I really screwed-up that answer.

What’s the strangest request you’ve received from a client? I’ve had a number of folks ask permission to tattoo a logo or illustration, which was pretty staggering. That’s a hell of a compliment. Luckily they’ve been marks or illos that I’m proud of and not ones that I keep swept under the rug. I couldn’t bear to know someone was walking around pimpin’ the one that got away...

If you weren’t working as a designer what would you be doing? In a Utopian scenario I’d be writing and performing smart, beautifully unique songs like Will Johnson or Tom Waits—but I have the musical ability of a tone-deaf howler-monkey, so that’s probably not in the cards. Realistically, I have no idea. I would probably be miserable at anything else. Maybe writing?

What well-known identity is most desperately in need of a redesign? There are plenty that need a redesign, but more frustrating to me are the entities that should revert back to a design that honored their heritage as a company. You don’t have to redesign every other year to remain relevant. Of course I’m blanking on specifics. Oh, and every time I walk through the room while my girlfriend’s watching VH1, that logo drives me nuts. It’s absolutely horrible.

From where do your best ideas originate? Out of thin air, usually. I’ll be riding my bike or showering or cooking dinner and the idea I’ve been struggling for will just show up. I walk to the studio every day from my apartment downtown and get a lot of ideas then. When I start a new project, I do a lot of writing and a lot of walking.

How do you overcome a creative block? I take a walk or bike ride, see a show or grab a beer with friends. I think I’m a lot more creative when I’m laughing and relaxed than when I’m trying to come up with a big idea. I wonder if it’s that way for other folks or I’m some sort of freakish anomaly?

What’s your dream project (not client, but project)? It changes pretty often, but this week it’s beer. I really want to work with a brewery on crafting its identity, aesthetic and personality from the ground up. We love beer at Decoder. Past that, my stock answer is anything involving Tom Waits. He’s just about the coolest guy on the planet.

Do you have creative outlets other than graphic design? I spend my weekends knitting hipster caps and fingerless gloves for my seventeen cats. The gloves are particularly difficult, on account of their claws.  I do enjoy writing. It’s how I organize my thoughts. Both my girlfriend and my best friend from college are brilliant writers, so there are always pieces of stories bouncing around between us.

What’s your approach to balancing work and life? That’s a blurry line for me, if it’s there at all. So many of my friends are creatives of some type—writers, musicians and the like—so I’m constantly surrounded by creativity in some form. You can’t really stop ideas. They pop up whenever they want, and there’s no way to turn that off at five o’clock. So in that regard, I’m always working—it’s just more of a conversation than a clock-punching gig.

What product/gadget can you not live without? Hmmm. Coffee maker? MP3 player? Bottle opener? Maybe the Uniball Vision fine-point rollerball pen. I feel naked if I don’t have one on me. And nobody wants me out roaming the streets of Austin naked. I wish I could live without my cell phone. They really are the bane of our society when it comes to manners and the consideration of others. Damn handy though. Love them iPhones.

What’s your favorite quote? If it’s not one from among a zillion Tom Waits lines, then it’s probably Joseph Campbell's “If you’re on a path that’s beaten, then it’s not your path.”

Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Find a mentor and a place where you can learn. And if you reach a point in your job where you’re no longer building muscle, get the hell out of there and find a place where you can be challenged.

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? That no one’s going to make you happy but yourself, and that there’s no such thing as a “dream job.” You have to build it for yourself.