Even if You’re Selling Garbage, Tell a Story

Now those are words to live by.

Lynda.com’s documentary on Rick Morris featured plenty of insight from the inspirational motion graphics designer, but only showed a brief montage of his work at the beginning of the video. I asked google for a little help and managed to find his demo reel, which I watched quite a few times. The variety in his work and the types of stories he tells (such as the Panasonic Hollywood Labs ad versus the Archer Season 3 promo) reminded me of something he discussed in the documentary: the kinds of effects you choose to use should revolve around the type of story you want to tell. Sometimes minimal, low-key effects work best. The Toyota Autobiography campaign, which tells one of the most engaging stories in his entire reel, is by far my favorite though.

My only complaint is his writing. Whether it is on Noble Assassins (side note: awesome name) or his LinkedIn profile, Morris refuses to capitalize any letters and uses somewhat random punctuation. While I understand you are a designer, when it comes to sharing information about yourself and your work, let’s go for legibility.

Minus what I mentioned in that passive-aggressive little aside, Morris offers some useful advice that will especially resonate with iMedia students upon graduation. Interactive Media is constantly evolving, and to not only stay “current” but, more importantly, develop a kind of foresight, means pursing a lifelong education. Morris may have an extensive background in design and art, but when he made the transition from paper to computer, it was “trial by fire”– something I experienced daily working as translator for an automotive plant. When you have zero experience with technical Japanese, it’s either learn on the job or get fired. The same could be said of any new position. No one knows exactly what to expect, and as such, adapting quickly is an essential part of the process.

Also, Morris, while I understand having multiple opposing themes and designs influence your work (and often think it’s better that way), don’t hide your science fiction posters and Japanese plushies in a dark room somewhere. We don’t actively choose what inspires us– it just happens. Embrace it.

That “I understand” was a not another passive-agressive aside, by the way. It was a happy, positive, “I understand because I have science fiction posters and Japanese plushies too” sort of thing.