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Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
My names I Alexander Wright, I was born 33 years ago in Swindon, England but have lived most of my life in this tropical mayhem also known as Venezuela. I am a father and graphic designer specializing in print and branding with a strong sense for typography and geometry. On the side I love to have a go at cooking and spend quality time with my family.
Your current job :
Part time freelancer (www.modovisual.com) and part time co-owner of In House International (www.weareinhouse.com) based in Austin, Texas.
In which city are you located?
Caracas, Venezuela.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Dedication
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Illustrator, Photoshop and In-Design. Macbook PRO with a Cinema Display and a scanner on the side. iPhone for when I’m on the go.
What does your office space look like?
I think I’m lucky to be able to say that I work from home (no need to waste time commuting). We’ve dedicated and area to use as office spaces. Three desks in U formation where we have our computers, turntables, books, gadgets, etc… friend’s artwork can be found throughout the house as well as sketches and print tests scattered all over. I definitely need to tidy up the cables!
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
Anything and everything. I tend to leave iTunes on shuffle and the range can be very wide: NOFX, WU Tang, Fania, Black Sabbath, Phillip Glass, Dave Brubeck, J DIlla, Lee Morgan, Chopin, Frank Ocean… lots of jazz and reggae. Right now I’m listening to this week’s episode of David Rodigan on 1Xtra.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
I try to work on the more complex projects that require more creative thinking first thing in the morning when I’m fresh, motivated and haven’t let myself get distracted with whatever else is going on around me. When I’m feeling less motivated I try to answer emails, work on budgets or any other boring administrative task. I start off early and by lunchtime I’ve gotten a good 5 or 6 hours of work done. Before 9 am is great to work since there are very few distractions.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
Doesn’t matter how much work you have always focus on one thing at a time. Dedicate 95% of your energy and attention to that one thing. Whether it be an email o working on a logo focus on that one thing. If you’re working on a logo but are always thinking about all the other stuff you’ve got to do, all that worrying will get you nowhere creatively and basically it will end up being time wasted , not used on the logo and probably not on any of the other tasks either.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
Time management. I take deadlines very seriously. I can assure you that the client values your timeliness almost as much as your creative talent.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
Be brief and direct.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
If you get stuck creatively, stop and change direction completely, maybe go for a walk or take a shower. If you need to get some serious work done ban yourself from checking the social medias and if necessary the internet all together. I couldn’t live without the world wide web but it’s definitely a huge time waster when not used for specific purposes.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
I start my day early, I’m normally up by 6 am. If I don’t have to take the kids to school I start off reading emails and the news, a little breakfast, then I start working for a good 5 hours. Around 11 I stop to prepare lunch and go pick up the kids, we all eat together, I rest a little and then I get back to work until the evening. If I have lots of work I’ll probably work later into the night, if not I’ll kick back and watch whatever series we’re hooked on at that time (House of Cards, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Veep, Parts Unknown).
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without ?
I can’t think of any, I’m not a big gadget fan. I don’t wear a watch or any accessories. In fact I only use 2 or 3 apps on my phone. Sorry I can’t enlighten you guys on this one!