Randy Gregory II in Arizona puts his own spin on web design from his experiences in print design and photography

When Randy Gregory II is not designing some great websites you can also find him behind the lenses of his camera. This web designer and photographer from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States has been designing for the web for the last 2 years professionally and has turned out some great work in that time. As a seasoned print design professional, Randy made the leap into web design as has yet to look back. He originally studied at Northern Arizona University and graduated with his bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I had a chance to ask him about his experiences in web design and if his background in photography has helped him become a better web designer, his experiences at Northern Arizona University and his story of becoming a web designer.

Luc @ SWD: When did you start designing websites professionally and how did you first get into web design?

Randy says: out of my 7 years, I’m relatively new to web design, about 2 years, and I took it in school as a side course, but I’ve been mainly a print designer. When I started working for U-Haul in their in-house web team, I was basically thrown into the fire, and had to re-learn. While there, I discovered all of the fantastic things that can be done with the web, including alternate realities, human connections, interactive design, and of course, whatever print design will turn into.

Luc @ SWD: What are your favorite tools to use when designing a website?

Randy says: My favorite tools for designing are my Moleskine and small collection of Sakura Micron pens. I find that getting the idea down on paper completely, greatly helps in the design process, and it’s nice to get away from the computer. Other than that, I use the usual tools, including the Adobe Creative Suite, my camera, the internet for inspiration, using sites like Design Observer, Spicy Web Designers, Core77, and plenty more, and most importantly, great music or a TV going off in the background, typically travel or food programs. I find that having something mentally stimulating in the background helps the creative juices flow.

Luc @ SWD: Has the education you received from Northern Arizona University helped you become a better designer?

Randy says: I believe my education at Northern Arizona University greatly helped make me a better designer. Even though it wasn’t like going to a trade school, I got to learn about multiple art subjects, ones that actually help me in my everyday tasks. I also learned a variety from other interest areas, from lab science, Meso-American Art History, to Japanese!

My professors were also on another level entirely, with pasts such as working with MTV and Nike. They were amazing, and I learned all about theory and respect from them. Also, I was taught by Rodrigo DeToldeo, who was very tough, so much to the point that we butted heads often. It wasn’t until after I graduated, and got into the real world, that I realized exactly why he was so aggressive and tough, he needed to be in order to make us realize our true potential. I now have some much respect for him, and what he has to deal with.

Lastly, I got to meet a ton of people who were all unique and interesting. And some of them aren’t even designers, which makes them perfect candidates for critiques, because in a sense, they are the audience.

Luc @ SWD: Do you think understanding web standards are important as a web designer?

Randy says: I believe that web standards are extremely important, especially in these days where the web is becoming even more widespread. I use tools like the Firefox Web Developer Bar, Firebug, WestCiv’s X-Ray, and the web development tools in Safari and Internet Explorer to make sure that #1: I get all bugs, and #2: I make sure that I adhere to the W3C standards, which I view as the absolute authority for web guidelines. And of course, I read up on all things affecting the web, mainly A List Apart.

Luc @ SWD: How long have you been doing photography for and has it helped you become a better web designer?

Randy says: I have been a photographer for 12 years and I’m very glad that you noticed! It was through photography that I first learned about composition, and how it affects an image, along with color skills, and framing. A lot of my inspiration comes from images I shoot of buildings, artwork, urban landscapes, et cetera. Also, I have used photography throughout my work, most notably my Phoenix Design Week poster, which was a combination of photography and handcrafted typography out of desert materials. I would definitely say that I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my years in photography.