PADRAIG HOLMES / GRAPHIC DESIGNER

@THISISCOUNTERPART @CNTRPRT

COUNTERPART.IE

Way back in school, I was a doodler – loved doing band logos, I was one of the kids whose bags were covered in grunge band logos. I had ideas of being a signwriter for a while. It never materialised, and I ended up working in the construction industry. After the crash in 08, with nothing to lose, I went back to college to do Visual Communications – aka Graphic Design.

After college, I got a job assisting startup SMEs which needed branding and visual identity in order to be brought to market and attract funding. In my first few weeks, I designed branding and packaging for a sports nutrition product which ended up on Dragon’s Den, and is now really I had full control of both products so it was a steep learning curve, but really valuable.

successful. I’m still quite proud of that one. I also did a full visual suite for an eSports company which has now expanded into the UK and Europe. beans etc. It actually came together quite quickly. I love getting to work on products that need to look slick and loud.

A couple of years ago, I finally got to brand a coffee house which does hand roasting etc. - something I’d always wanted to do. The client really trusted what I wanted to present, and we ended up with a really cool feel for the premises and their packaged coffee

Take ownership of the job you’re given. Often you’ll need to guide a client and explain that what they want is not always what they need. And always make eye contact!

“Say yes to everything, and figure out how to do it later.” I’ve turned down jobs in the past for various reasons, usually because I couldn’t deliver my best work within the given timeframe.

Always Mac. I’ve used a Mac since day one, and I just think they’re beautifully

Take of the job you’re given. “

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designed objects – doing creative work, I think it’s easier to get inspired when you have a beautiful object to look at and work on. Tools – this could be a long answer! Full Adobe Creative Suite goes without saying, first of all. I have an iMac, plus a second monitor which is my main setup – I like to use 2 monitors, especially for web/ coding HTML etc. so I can have an input/output type workflow.

A Macbook Pro for when I’m offsite. I use mainly Adobe XD for wireframing and prototyping websites, as a kind of digital sketchbook. I also use an iPad for sketching and mocking up as well as illustration, and I have a number of apps on that like Adobe Draw and Procreate, which can smoothly share files with my desktop/phone etc.

I’ll also use that tablet for testing responsive web. Other than that, analog tools are and will always be important to me – just lots of layout paper and pencils.

competitors first of all, and then find ways to differentiate from them. Usually projects involve a logo, so I’ll

I try to make everything strong and simple. The first logo design that really informed that for me was Cisco – it was saying so much about who they were, what they did, and where they were from in a really concise mark. I think that’s still my favourite logo.

It’s quite a balancing act sometimes – I work alone and have to take responsibility for everything, so the actual creative output is often the tip of an iceberg of admin, travel, sourcing work etc. I have my studio in my house which is in a pretty remote location, so it’s important to get off site as much as I can. But the morning commute is easy.

PADRAIG HOLMES © start from there with pencil and paper. Like a lot of people, I’ll mock up three concepts to begin, and develop the best one. You’re effectively telling a story, so the challenge is to tell that story in a single symbol with no words. That’s my approach.

Personally I’m pretty strict on my working hours – where possible, I make a point of closing the office door at dinner time and not going back in til the next morning.

That said, for designers and others working across the creative sector, what we do is more than just a job so we do end up tinkering at something after hours. As long as you’re still enjoying it, it’s OK. If it stops being enjoyable, take a break. But the reality is that deadlines are deadlines!

If we’re talking about an individual, I’d probably say Paula Scher. She’s a genius with type, and everything she does is always so strong and loud. She’s had a long and varied career – I saw her presenting in Dublin a few years back she just exudes authority on everything she talks about.

I love Studio Neue, based in Oslo. They’re incredibly versatile and their work is always so elegant. Closer to home, I would say the same thing about Red Dog.

On a technical level, Josef Muller Brockmann’s grid systems book is invaluable for anyone working with typography – it shows how much invisible work is happening in good type design. Design As Possible – obviously more product design than graphic, but it really explores his process, and teaches how important it is to consider the end user. And it’s a beautifully minimal, cleanly designed book.

I actually don’t listen to them much, but I’d suggest Debbie Millman’s podcast Design Matters, or 99% Invisible. Personally I prefer visual resources – websites like It’s Nice That.

PADRAIG HOLMES ©

Learn as much as you can from your classmates, but always look outward into what’s happening in industry. It’s impossible to learn everything in class (actually, you never stop learning). Design is literally everywhere, so look at it and critique it. Stay curious, and hold yourself to high standards.

You’ll figure it out eventually. Don’t take it so seriously. Actually, I’m still telling myself that.