MEET #1397 ANTHONY LANE
Designer • Minneapolis, MN
WNW Member #1397 Anthony Lane specializes in logo and brand design. He cites Brandon Oxendine, Nick Brue, and Matt Chase as fellow designers and WNW members whom he admires. Anthony's appreciation extends to the craft: "Be grateful for what you do—we as designers have the privilege of making design and solving problems for other people who rely on us. This shouldn't be work, if it feels like work find a way to get over it or do something else. Remember, you could always be pushing paper somewhere."
1. How long have you been freelancing?
I started freelancing December of 2009, so 5 years. I've been working full-time as well over that period of time, but spend a lot of time freelancing outside of full-time work.
2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?
Right after I look at great work from my favorite designers/studios or see something I really like. It could be an old piece of design (or anything really), that seems to trigger the desire to be creative. Driving in the car or doing something completely opposite of being in the studio also seem to be places where ideas come.
3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?
Now that I have a couple of children and a family, something like 80/20 feels close to ideal. Before that I felt like I wasn't being productive if I didn't always have something on my plate, I still feel that way, but have learned a whole lot about appreciating time away from design and that in turn, has helped me be a better designer and person.
4. Do your parents understand what you do?
They do, but I don't think they grasp the ins and outs of being a designer; I think they still think I just make logos.
5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
Buzz Lightyear tea drinking scene in Toy Story 1. Having a small child in the house, I've probably seen the movie a dozen times in the last month so it's immediately memorable. I'm just now appreciating the adult humor in that movie.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
1. Wikipedia
2. Google
3. The Atlantic
7. What do you do when Not Working?
Depends on the season. I spend a lot of time indoors doing fun stuff with my two boys and wife in the Winter and in the Summer I mix that with being outside as much as possible riding/fixing my motorcycle and doing housework.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Does juggling count?
9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?
Try to have fun with what you're doing and don't try to perfect everything—a lot of great things are found in the imperfections. Establish practices upfront that help with the management side of things to give you more time to spend on being creative. Be a master of setting expectations and asking questions. And remember why you were hired.
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
Spending lots of time going through high-res satellite images of our Earth from the European Space Agency. What an amazing world we live in.
11. Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?
Brandon Oxendine has a very neat approach, smart, weird, and always a little off—in a good way.
Nick Brue because he's a good Minnesotan and a really really talented designer.
Matt Chase has an incredible sense of wit and his range of execution in his illustrations are incredible, seems like a nice guy too.
12. Anything else you'd like to add that we haven't asked?
It's been said many times before, but be grateful for what you do—we as designers have the privilege of making design and solving problems for other people who rely on us. This shouldn't be work, if it feels like work find a way to get over it or do something else. Remember, you could always be pushing paper somewhere.