Interview - Hillman Curtis of HillmanCurtis.com

Hillman Curtis is well-known among the Flash design community as the writer of the definitive “Flash Web Design” (New Riders, 2000). The recent launch of his new book, MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer has put Hillman back into the spotlight as a leading designer of our time. Recently, he took a few moments to answer some of the key questions that readers of his new book are asking…

SP: Hillman, you were a guitarist for band the Green Things for 10 years. Then you worked in the Interactive realm and established HillmanCurtis.com, your own cross-media design and development business. You give presentations at industry events and make appearances at everything from the Digital Arts Festival in London, to the Apple Store in Soho. And this year, you released your third book, MTIV - Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer. Do you have an obsession with communication, a lust for self-expression, or both?

Well, with the bands it really came with the territory. I much preferred the writing and recording aspects of music. But the live aspect was part of the deal and it actually was not natural for me. I learned to do it over time and came to enjoy it... especially the tight leather pants!

With speaking at design conferences it's a much more natural thing, though it, too, is very much a learning process. I've learned that if I speak about something I feel strongly about at the time, it usually goes well, and preparation is paramount. But I like it because it scares me. The whole process scares me. I don't really like traveling as much as I do: I'm a nervous flyer and I don't like to be far from my family. But the process of traveling and waking up in a strange place and meeting new people, though it starts with plenty of anxiety, is one of the richest things I do.

As far as the books go, I've always wanted to write a book. Back in college I was a creative writing major/film theory minor, so I sort of thought one day I might write some fiction, but it turned out differently. I really have enjoyed both books, especially MTIV because it's such a beautiful book (props both to designers The Rooster Group, and all the great artists who allowed me to republish their work). So the answer to your question is: yes. It’s an obsession and lust for communication and self expression.

The New Book

SP: You're typically referred to as "the man at the forefront of Flash", and shot to "King of Flash" status with the publication of your first book, Flash Web Design, in 2000. Yet your business creates for video, print, and Web - and you latest book focuses more on process and inspiration than on any single technology. Have you felt typecast as “that Flash guy"?

It's wonderful to be associated with Flash, but yes, my interests and my work are much broader. I do only about 30%-40% Flash work these days. Most of my time is spent developing larger site design, brand work, video and motion graphics (both Flash and Broadcast).

For MTIV I followed the same rule I do for speaking, which is to speak -- or in this case, write -- about something I feel strongly about. MTIV is all about the creative process. It's about the power of collaboration and the importance of inclusivity in the design process. It's about inspiration and keeping that part of your process alive. All things I care deeply about. Which is why I wrote MTIV.

SP: “MTIV” stands for Making the Invisible Visible. What's that all about? And why is it important?

It's all about communicating the theme. You don't do that through marketing slogans or corporate speak, though those elements will probably be involved somewhere in your design.

Rather, you do it by combining color, type, layout, and motion in a way that supports an identified theme. You might not see the way these elements work to communicate theme, but you feel it. So your mind hears the marketing slogan, and either buys into it or dismisses it, but it's that huge area underneath that has the potential to move you. As a designer I try to justify every element and move in support of the theme.

SP: Who is MTIV written for? Does it suit the freelance designer/developer just as well as the in-house, Web agency creative? What about creatives in other disciplines, and other professionals in the new media industry?

I wanted to write a book that had some of my favorite artists/designers/writers and poets in it, and I also wanted to write a book for the designer I was 8 years ago when I was just starting out, self taught and desperate for guidance. Then, I did not even consider myself to be a designer, and I was certainly not yet aware of the importance and potential of design. So I think MTIV was written for myself maybe at first.

That said it seems to be, judging from the wonderful notes people are sending me, very appropriate for anyone, from designers, to project managers, and onwards.

SP: What was the key message you wanted to communicate to readers through MTIV?

I think the theme that runs through the book is inclusivity; that is that we're all creative people and while, perhaps, your client's creativity manifests itself differently than yours, it's still there and it's valuable. Also, I wanted to consider the inclusivity of inspiration... the way we as creatives share and borrow and build upon the ideas of those around us, and those who came before us.

SP: The book explains your own agency's approach to the development of creative solutions: Listen, Unite, Theme, Concept, Eat the Audience, Filter and Justify. How did you devise this ethos - and does it apply universally to every job you undertake, regardless of the nature of the project or the media involved?

It's a non-linear process. We may use four of the "steps"...we may use all of them. It's not a check list, but something I try to check in with every once in a while. The process really helps me stay focused.

SP: The "Inspiration" section of the book explores the ways you gain inspiration for design, and from the "Work" list at HillmanCurtis.com, it seems that you have no problems getting inspired. Do you feel that variety in your work is as important as searching out new sources of inspiration in tackling creative challenges?

No. I think searching out inspiration is the most important thing I do as a designer and as a creative. That said, pursuing a variety of work is wonderful. It's sort of part of being a New Media designer: the media are always changing, offering new opportunities.

SP: In his review of MTIV , Steve MacLaughlin remarks that "While reading MTIV you can't help but notice how much Hillman Curtis has been influenced by the motion picture industry." Yet, in a previous interview you commented that you hadn't owned a tv in over a decade. How much have motion pictures impacted on you? What are you favourite sources of inspiration right now?

I don't own a TV. It's been about twelve years now. But I own many films (DVDs, which I watch on my laptop). I also purchase DVD collections of music videos and shorts and spend a lot of time online watching teasers, promos, and commercials. I was a film theory minor in school so film has always been important to me. But I get ideas from just about anywhere: magazines, films, online motion graphics, static sites, fine art, poster art... on and on. Right now I'm very interested in music videos.