Spicy Web Designer Interview with Justin Meyers

Justin Meyers is a web designer and art director from Southern California in the United States. He started designing websites back in 2000 when he was playing in indie bands. From there he went to Mt. Sierra College in Pasadena where he focused on print design and branding. Later on he was hired by an interactive agency in Los Angeles where he learned CSS, basic SEO and web standards.

1. How did you get started in web design?

I got into web design and design in general through playing in indie bands. For press purposes, there wasn’t a chance we would get signed if we didn’t have some type of presence, so we individually buckled down and begin to learn web design, screen printing, vinyl cutting and DIY packaging. After my stint in music, I decided to go to a design school in Pasadena, California. During my 2nd year of college, I was hired at an interactive agency in Los Angeles that specialized in the real estate industry. During this time I learned CSS, web standards, basic SEO, etc.

2. When did you start designing websites?

I started in 2000.

3. What are the biggest challenges that you face in web design currently?

Keeping up with web standards while utilizing new technologies.

4. Do you code on any of your web design projects? And if so, do you consider yourself a “Front-End Coder”? Why or Why Not?

I code a decent amount of the websites I design. I would definitely consider myself a front-end coder. I am only fluent in CSS and XHTML. I have had no success in my efforts of learning languages like PHP or Java Script.

5. Where did you go to school and has it helped you become a better web designer?

I went to Mt. Sierra College, which is a design school in Pasadena, California. My focus in college was directed at print design and branding, so in abstract I would say it definitely helped me in the world of web, but only in abstract.

6. What advantage has studying Art and Design in University/College given you as a web designer?

I feel that traditional design principles are often timeless and easily translated into other mediums. So my time studying at a design school was good preparation for projecting my education into new opportunities.

7. I see that you also do a great deal of print design? How has print design influenced the web design that you do?

I honestly feel that print layout and web layout are relatively the same in theory. Both share the same typographic usability principles. In other instances, I feel that I am less afraid to incorporate illustration elements into a website than maybe other designers are.