NaNo Interview: Our Road Trip Designer Sebastian Abboud

We’re about to set off on a new adventure: redesigning the NaNoWriMo website! It’s an ambitious project, so we’ll need your help as we embark on this exciting journey. Next week, we’ll kick off an epic, road-trip-themed fundraiser–so stay tuned!  Today, we’ve interviewed graphic designer Sebastian Abboud about his design process for this project:

1. When a client comes to you with a concept, what are the steps you go through to turn that concept into a visual reality?

First things first, projects usually start with a conversation. It’s always helpful to just talk to the client, ask questions, and go from there! I need to understand the goal of the piece, who is the audience, what are we trying to say and how we should say it. After that and all the initial business stuff has been taken care of, I’ll typically hop into “research". Now, this is different for every project, but it usually consists of brainstorming, making word lists, gathering visual inspiration, and asking questions. 

Now, I’m sketching and writing little notes, and doodling, on paper and hopefully nowhere near a computer. Letting my mind roam at this point is crucial. Just exploring and having fun with it is an important part of the process.

Usually, I’ll share sketches with my client for feedback, and in a typical project, I’ll go back and forth a few times, until we get it right. I find that projects are always more successful when there’s a good bit of transparency and openness, not to mention trust between the client and creative. 

Once we have the overall direction figured out, I usually hop on the computer and make it happen! More feedback, more back and forth and that’s about that, until we get it right, of course. Projects always turn out better when the process is a collaboration between client and creative.

2. Have you gone on any road trips that informed the designs that you came up with for our road trip theme?

Last summer my wife and I drove from our home in Nanaimo, BC, down to southern Oregon, camping along the way. Just the variety of scenery from the sand dunes, to the dense forests, oceans and mountain landscapes were an inspiration for the different backgrounds. I’m excited to get back out on the road this summer! 

3. Do you have any daily drawing/creative habits that help you with your work?

I make a ton of stuff… Usually at least 3-4 times a week, I’ll make something. It might be a vector doodle or a drawing with Crayola markers. No matter how great my work is, I love making stuff for me and sharing it on the internet. There’s just something fun and rewarding about creating art and putting it out there! It’s also fun to look back and try to remember how I was feeling or what was going on in my life when I made a specific piece.

4. Has there ever been a point (either with this project or another) when you’ve felt like you’ve run out of ideas for a design concept? If so, how did you get past that point?

Oh for sure, it happens all the time. I feel like every creative person feels deflated or burnt out or uninspired at some point. It helps me to change the scenery, to work somewhere different, or just take a break and go for a walk or explore somewhere new. Do ANYTHING that doesn’t involve a screen.
Lately, when I start a new project, I’ll find a random podcast that relates to the subject matter. Cue it up, and go for a walk, taking notes on my phone. You never know how or where your next great idea will come from!

Sebastian Abboud is a designer, illustrator, and doodler in Nanaimo, BC, Canada. He splits his time between freelancing for cool clients and teaching at Vancouver Island University, in the Graphic Design program. Sebastian’s an avid daily doodler and can usually be found making art stuff, skateboarding or playing music. He lives and works out of his home studio that he shares with his lovely wife Maxine.