After a nearly 2 year hiatus it is with great pleasure that I re-introduce my t-shirt brand, Crownfarmer! From now until forever it will be holding hands with Club Mumble to bring you a t-shirt designed by a member in good standing along with a quick interview with them.

Week 3 is a design by the dude who has designed some of your favorite Element and Stereo skateboard graphics over the years, the dude who started Delphi Collective and did Nike’s Hunter Dunk and Milk Blazer and who now works on Adidas Skateboarding with his design firm, Juice, it’s Matt Irving! Click HERE to grab one of his tees or continue reading to learn a little more about Matt and what he does…

What was the first design you ever got paid for?
I’m not totally sure, it was either the layout of a compilation CD for a local radio station or a logo for a coffee shop that I worked at in Victoria, Canada.

What was the last design you got paid for?
A trip to London to work with four of the guys that skate for Adidas. There was a big ad campaign shoot for the whole Adidas Originals brand and they wanted skating involved. My job was to represent the skaters and filter out all of the weird stuff. It was a bizarre experience, but if someone doesn’t know how to film skating it’s easy to make it look horrible. I guess I was like the “skate-police” on the shoot, and I probably annoyed the hell out of the people trying to do their job. But ultimately it was my job to help the skateboarders get out of not-so-desirable situations without them having to feel uncomfortable. Hopefully it’ll all turn out. I guess that’s not really a design but more of a project.

What’s your favorite book ever?
Sherman Alexie is really great, so maybe I’d go with Reservation Blues because it’s sad, bleak, and hilarious all at the same time. It also reminds me of growing up in British Columbia near an Indian Reservation.

What was the last book you bought?
Cinematography for Directors by Jacqueline B. Frost. I wanted to learn more about the process of filmmaking, so it seemed fitting. Making movies, short or long, really boils down to a cinematographer and a director sharing a vision and working together with their crew to make an idea come to life. Graphic design and art is often a solo pursuit while filmmaking is about working with other people and learning how to constructively communicate ideas.

If you had to list your top 3 influences, what or who would they be?
1) Good Design - This is a weird one, I’m not really a collector of things but when I see something that is so well designed or thought out, I absolutely love the thing and I get stoked! It could be anything, but when it strikes a chord, I get obsessed with it.
2) Traveling - Going to new places is always inspiring, I take a lot of photos when I travel. I like seeing a new perspective than what I’m used to. That could be some place in a foreign country or a small town with one stop light; it’s just different, but the same, but different.
3) Roadtrips - I like brainstorming during roadtrips when nobody is talking and the music is blaring away. It’s good to be trapped in a car with your brain and no major distractions. If I’m driving on my own I usually have a sketch book beside me so I can write or draw out ideas that come into my mind.

What’s the worst thing about your life right now?
Impatience. I’m always wanting to get into something new and exciting but can forget to enjoy the moment that I’m in. It’s not a big problem, I can just get a little excited at times and need to remember to slow down.

What’s the best thing about your life right now?
I love where I live, San Francisco is an amazing place. I walk to the studio most of the time with my dog, I work with great people that make jokes all day long, I live in a quiet part of town that feels a bit like a village and my wife is awesome and accepting of me! I’m lucky to like all of those things because I encounter them daily.

photo: chesty larue

See more of Matt’s work at the links below and check his Crownfarmer tee HERE.

www.delphicollective.com
www.juicedesign.com