The Geek Talk

Who’s Tyler ?

I’m a 27 year old designer, father, musician.
Living and working in upstate New York (USA). I’d say I’m a creative type, but I really just enjoy making things, even if it means following a recipe for pesto.

Do you have a Brand ? and what’s Sursly mean ?

I might have a current brand, definitely an aesthetic (based on my site now) but I definitely don’t want to think of my “image” as something set in stone. I want to be free of a brand, and flexible. Sursly came as a friend’s way of saying (and spelling) “seriously.” She got me hooked on it, and that’s ok. Somewhere I have a t-shirt that she silkscreened for my son with the word “sursly” on it. Set in Papyrus.

How do you choose the idea and the colors in any new project ?

A project that I consider a success is ones where the idea jumped out at me right away, so I try to trust my gut. When it is forced, or I know I’m searching for something that isn’t working, it is harder to pull off something unique, and I’m often disappointed. I try to limit my palettes, usually with an overwhelming family of similar shades, and a compliment to that family. Something that sticks out from a good base of greys, or browns, or whatever the underlying colors are.

What does your typical day look like?

Unfortunately there is no typical day. I wish I could give a better answer than that.

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

I’d be hurting without Photoshop and a DSLR. For a long time I was in love with my Wacom tablets, but honestly a pencil (or charcoal) and paper feels like home. And music…either a few instruments or albums from many, many wonderful bands out there that I’ve enjoyed for years.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I’m either enjoying the outdoors with my son, making music or having drinks with friends and family. I also cherish the time I get to run long distances and read a good mix of fiction/non-fiction.

Current favorite apps?

Are we talking web apps, OSX apps (because I don’t own a Windows machine) or iphone? Maybe all three? Grooveshark is super for enjoying music you don’t own in a browser, but so is Pandora (which is also a wonderful iPhone app). When I have the chance to kick around in Final Cut Pro I always have a good time. And the Awaken app for the iPhone puts me to sleep every night with whatever song I feel like dozing off to.

What OSs do you prefer?

I’ve been pretty hooked on the mac OS since 2000 (when I began college).

Small pic for your Wokrplace ?

I’ll have to take one.

Favorite: Color, Font, With in design, JS Framework ?

Color: grey
Font: don’t have one
JS Framework: jquery

The things or source that inspired you ?

Music and human interaction have always inspired me, especially when the two collide. I grew up on pop culture staples but being from a small town in Maine seems to carry with me and inspire me continually. That being said, getting out of Maine (seeing Los Angeles, NYC, London, India) had a huge impact on me creatively.

What’s do you prefer, the freelance work or the full time employee ?

I kind of prefer a mix of both. Freelance work can be more rewarding and creatively interesting, but you’re independent and, for the most part, alone. As a full-time employee it is great to interact, learn from, and collaborate with other people…even if you have more boundaries to stay within.

Your personnel projects and goals for 2010 ?

I’ll be spending less time in Photoshop and more time shooting hi-def video, cutting it up, and composing music for it. There are some personal projects that tie-in with that but you’ll hear more about that later. I also plan on finishing a few fonts that I’ve been developing with the intention of releasing them at theleagueofmoveabletype next to my other font, Blackout.