When Dave Braden founder and creative director of The Engine Room, Inc. watched the production of his first design piece on a 2-color press back in college, he quickly understood the power and potential of design.
09.05.07
The Web's Guide to Being Green
What's currently your favorite site? From both the standpoint of forward-thinking design and a forward-thinking purpose, I think TreeHugger.com is up there.
What's the subject/topic of it? It's a media outlet for the awareness and education of environmental sustainability.
What's so great about it? Well, it does a good job of conveying to the general public that sustainability is not only a cool thing, it's a now thing and people need to start making changes now. And, let's face it, there's really nothing cooler about sustainability than eating, drinking or sleeping, but the founders here seem to be tapping into the cultural segment that may need a little dose of cool in order to get with the program. By way of a modern design look/feel, along with a kind of hip, colloquial approach to copy, they've done a great job bringing to the forefront all of the info you need to "go green."
What makes it technically compelling? I'm not sure. I haven't thought about the technical aspect of it. Maybe that's exactly it: The technology doesn't get in the way!
What's your job? I'm a brand identity designer with a focus on consumer packaged goods brands. I co-founded The Engine Room, Inc. in 1999 with my business partner, Mike Cotsifas.
Where do you work? We began in a small storefront space in downtown San Francisco with curious passersby peering at us through our big storefront windows. Had enough of that and moved to an area called the Dog Patch in San Francisco. We've got about a 1,200 square foot space with nice high ceilings and great light. We've been there for about seven years now...all commuting to work via the bicycle. The Engine Room studio consists of three of us: my business partner Mike Cotsifas; Doug Ridgway, our environmental design guy; and me.
If you have a degree in what field is it? I have a BFA in fine art with an emphasis in graphic design.
How did you get involved in this industry? My high school art instructor, Jerry Sawitz, encouraged me to pursue a career in graphic design. And, when I watched the production of my first design piece on a 2-color press back in college, the repetition of it all sort of gave me chills. Even though the piece looked horrible, I was into it. I got the idea very quickly that this business can be very powerful. The potential we have, as designers, to better our condition is, to say the least, inspiring. There are so many little decisions we can make every day that can result in big differences. It's this aspect that intrigued me in the beginning and it's this aspect that keeps me coming back.
What's your biggest Web (design) turn-off? Blatantly marauded ideas.
Who, in this industry (or not), has been your biggest inspiration? Since meeting in college, I'd have to say that my (now) business partner Mike Cotsifas has been my biggest design inspiration.
What's the weirdest thing you've bought online? A massive colony of microorganisms. I tried to home brew Kombucha tea once upon a time but the kitchen started smelling funky and my girlfriend said I had to stop. I also had a dream that I bought sixteen pillows online...but, that was only a dream.
What do you do in your spare time? I dream, watch baseball (although I'm not really a "sports fan," baseball's different), cook quite a bit, travel, watch live music, eat out...typical city things.
What music are you listening to right now? Right now I'm listening to the Headcoatees, which I believe is fronted by a once-girlfriend of Billy Childish. It's a song called Punk Boy. It's pretty cool. The music that inspires me, however, on a "lifestyle" or "meaningful" kind of level, is music of guys like Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Mark Kozelek, and more recent folks out there like Adam Green, Jolie Holland and the Great Lake Swimmers...they seem to be channeling some good stuff. Oh, and I think I've written some decent songs myself but it's likely the world will never come to know them.
What product/gadget can you not live without? I believe I can live without gadgets of any kind. But to oblige the question, I'd say my wine opener.
What's your dream computer set-up? I like what I have right now, a 20", 1.8GHz iMac. Although it could certainly be faster, "faster" never really seems to be fast enough. So, I put my time into training the mind to work more efficiently and to concentrate and forget that I'm even on a computer and simply let the tool be both the extension and receptacle of the mind's will.