Ric Bixter

I first saw Ric Bixter's work with these rubber band boxes he designed for a school project.  The assignment was to go into a store and find an object to repackage in an interesting and creative way.  Not only is the text on the boxes amusing, the shape of the boxes varies, based on the strength of the rubber bands they hold.  I thought this idea was really clever, so I asked Ric if I could interview him about what he does.

Fifteen Seventeen:  How would you describe your work?  

Ric Bixter:  I try to base my work around ideas and clean graphics.

FS:  How did you end up studying graphic design professionally?

RB:  I always liked art when I was younger and studied Art and Design in school. The course was about experimenting and I started designing on the computer. Moving on to study Graphic Design at university was quite a jump as it was a different way of thinking and working. Since starting university, I have been introduced to a whole world of design, literature and ideas which I am still discovering.

FS:  How do you go about starting a project?  

RB:  I usually start with some broad research on the topic, finding as many images as I can, that relate to what I am working on. I will then sketch out some ideas before moving onto Illustrator to continue the development. 

FS:  What is your workspace like?  

RB:  I have a sketchbook in front of my laptop which is plugged into my tv so I can use a duel screen when designing, on the other side of the desk, I have my cutting mat and usually a heap of trimmings that pile up on the desk. I try and keep it relatively minimal and tidy but sometimes in the middle of a project that idea goes out the window.

FS:  What is your dream project to work on?

RB:  I would love to be designing film posters for some of my favourite directors like Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro or Christopher Nolan. If I could completely make up a job, I would be the on site graphic designer for the F1 teams just in case they needed some designing in the middle of a tour around the world. 

FS:  What is the most challenging project that you've done?

RB:  I would say any of the projects I have done at university. With rather broad briefs and 5/6 tutors, it can be hard to get your head around an idea sometimes.

FS:  What do you think is the biggest influence on your work?  

RB:  I would have to say my university course as before I was doing Art and Design but since then I would say being surrounded by students and professionals of graphic design and reading books like The Art of Looking Sideways, Elements of Typographic Style and A Smile in the Mind. 

Another project that Ric has done, a design for recycled tissue paper is pretty cool, and you can see it here.  Ric's blog is here. Thanks for reading, and if there's anything cool that I should write about, email me.