Creative Talk With Joe Garlick

Joe Garlick is a feelance Senior Graphic Designer and creative chameleon. Working across digital, branding and retail advertising, Joe has collected international experience from London to Amsterdam, landing in New Zealand he has spent time working in Wellington and now Auckland, where he is currently based. Joe is also a DJ and passionate fan of music and vinyl records, as well as photography, film, art and cooking.

 You’re a senior designer who has travelled the globe, now that you’re back in Kiwi-land, are you here to stay?

Definitely. I’ve loved my travels abroad but NZ is my home.

What’s the charm in freelancing for you?

Experiencing a wide range different work environments, meeting new people and the flexibility and independence of being my own boss.

Do you ever have any freelancer fantasies about starting your own brand?

I am constantly mulling over the idea of starting my own agency. Hopefully someday soon I meet the right person who’s great with clients and business management to partner with.

Your work straddles print and digital very nicely – where do you see the future going for ‘Senior Designers’?

I think in NZ it is much a case of being as versatile as possible. Seniors in NZ are expected to be able to design for most applications, whereas say in Europe and the UK it’s not uncommon to be as specialised as, say, a high fashion packaging designer for example. I enjoy versatility.

Digital has taken over and we all know it’s not just a fad – do you find design has been compromised with the ever growing ‘screen factor’?

Definitely not. I think that in order to be a good designer these days the idea should be more important than the application, whether that is designing for a new-fangled smart-watch screen or a traditional A4 sized print brochure.

Do you have a favourite digital tool/app – one you just can’t live without?

As much as I hate how bloated Adobe software has become as it piles in more ‘features’ and fails to address basic UX issues, I still love using it. PSD/AI/INDD fo’ lyfe. I do miss Freehand however! Never forget...

Do you have a dream project, or one you loved so much you’d do it all again?

I recently fantasised about creating a collectable, limited edition, heavyweight hand screened coloured vinyl reissue series of all the NZ music I love that never saw a vinyl release. But the obstacles to making that a reality seem insurmountable. First up would be ‘Dimmer’s I Believe You Are A Star’ and then everything Darcy Clay produced.

What’s your favourite font of the moment?

I’m quite partial to Alright Sans. It’s what my letterhead / website / invoices are all set in. I do love a slightly friendly but super clean geometric sans.

What do you do when you aren’t designing?

I love cooking, in particular slow cooking massive hunks of meat as well as eating out at new restaurants. I also obsessively collect, catalogue and crave vinyl records. It’s a serious addiction but it’s better than being addicted to crack right?

Check out Joe’s website and ever growing creative portfolio at www.joegarlick.com