Meet Jay Fletcher, Graphic Designer and Illustrator.
Since 2001 Jay Fletcher has been living & working in Charleston, South Carolina as a graphic designer and illustrator. In 2004, as a means of burning off unused creativity, a budding freelance career took root as a late-night side gig. Kegs of coffee were brewed, midnight oil was burned, and now Jay has received accolades from the design world’s most prominent voices and completed work for companies like Apple, Google, The New York Times, Wired, the US Postal Service, the NFL, Gillette, Iams, Nickelodeon, and Smirnoff. This week we talk to Jay about his background, the projects he’s worked on, and his process for delivering amazing work to clients.
Sandip: Howdy Jay! So, let’s start from the beginning, where are you from?
Jay: I grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design in 2000 as an illustration major. Sports, Boy Scouts, and art were the three pillars of my childhood, so to speak. Though as I got older, the volume on “sports” got turned down and the volume on “art” got turned up. I’m an Eagle Scout, so I suppose I saw that part of the trio all the way across the finish line.
Sandip: I was a scout myself (got my Arrow of Light and quit). There’s different levels of Eagle Scouts right? Are you the highest level? What sports did you play?
Jay: There’s many different levels to progress through within both Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts, with the final, highest level being becoming an Eagle Scout. I don’t think there are different levels of Eagle Scouts (sort of like graduating with honors, or something along those lines?), but I could be wrong.
I played baseball and tennis, and dabbled in hockey. As a boy growing up in New England I think you’re almost forced to dabble in hockey. Haha.
Sandip: Got it. Growing up, do you think your parents knew you’d be a designer and illustrator?
Jay: I don’t think they’d have predicted I’d be a graphic designer, but I’m sure they figured I’d be an artist of some sort.
Sandip: Do you recall what your first job in “design” was?
Jay: Right out of school I worked at a small daily newspaper in Florence, South Carolina. I was doing some illustration work, which is what I wanted to be doing, but the job mostly consisted of smaller routine design tasks. Formatting infographics, locator maps, TV Guide grids, and so on. At the time, I felt like I wasn’t getting to stretch my creative legs, but in hindsight all those seemingly boring daily chores were teaching me the ins & outs of working digitally. Which, as odd as it might sound now, wasn’t something us illustration majors took very seriously in art school back then.
“Concept is king. At the end of the day, if the client isn’t happy and your work isn’t doing its job after you’ve passed it along, it’s all for nothing.”
Sandip: You design, illustrate, do branding and run your own studio. How do you do it all? If you had to pick, what would you say you’re the best at? What would you say you enjoy the most? What do you enjoy the least?
Jay: Some days I don’t feel like I do all those things very well. At least not simultaneously. It’s too many hats to wear if I try to put them all on at once. My creative process is extremely dependent upon getting into the correct headspace for any given client, and then staying there for as long as it takes to produce work I’m happy with. So I don’t multi-task well. Some days are for e-mails and phone calls, and other days are for ignoring those things so I can zone in and create.
Sandip: You’ve been in business for awhile now. What are some things you believe have helped in the success of staying in business and growing? How have you weathered the ups and downs that come with running a business? Ever any low points that made you question what you were doing?
Jay: I know it’s a cliché, but running your own business is a roller coaster ride. For me, it’s hard to find a comfortable middle-ground between “overwhelmed” and “underwhelmed.” I can get worried about having too much going on, or worried about the possibility of not having enough going on. Neither of those extremes are ever the case, but having everything squarely on your own shoulders can make you paranoid. The silver lining, of course, is that the paranoia keeps you hungry and on your toes.
I don’t have any big secrets for success, but I’ve always tried to remain focused on what graphic design is and what it isn’t. We all want our work to look cool, but if you get too caught up in design trends you’ll quickly lose sight of what’s right for the client. Concept is king. At the end of the day, if the client isn’t happy and your work isn’t doing its job after you’ve passed it along, it’s all for nothing.
Sandip: Your client roster is beyond impressive. As a “one man army”, how have you managed to get the work that’s come your way?
Jay: I have absolutely no idea. It’s gotta have something to do with the whole “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” thing.
Sandip: Having worked on all types of projects, what would you say are some common themes or patterns all successful projects have?
Jay: From a client relations standpoint, I think it’s helpful to quickly assess how’s best to conduct yourself with whomever you’re working with. All clients are different. What are their expectations? Not just in regard to the work itself, but in regard to how they view your relationship. Do they want to steer the ship and make all the decisions? Do they want you to take the reins and confidently tell them what to do? Most clients are somewhere between those two extremes, and I consciously try to strike the right balance from client to client.
From a work standpoint, as I mentioned before, concept is king. Us designers can get wrapped up in obsessing over aesthetic details that, arguably, don’t matter. The client won’t care how cool your cat logo is if it was supposed to be a dog. That’s an extreme, unrealistic example, but you get my point. A beautiful house built on a shitty foundation will ultimately fall down.
“I don’t want the client to say ‘OK, we like where you’re going with this.’ I want them to say ‘oh wow, that’s great!’”
Sandip: What’s the hardest part of running your own studio?
Jay: Saying no.
Sandip: So true. On the flip side of that, what’s the best part of running your own studio?
Jay: Saying no.
Sandip: Walk us through the process of starting a new project. What’s that look like for you? How do you typically like to start, what are your processes, and the tools you use?
Jay: I’m sure it’s not groundbreaking, but it looks a bit like this:
The first step is getting to know the client and what their needs & wants are. How does the work need to function? How should it feel? Who are their competitors? Are there any must-haves? Any must-excludes? And so on.
Once I feel sufficiently armed with all that knowledge, I deliberate on my own to create. I don’t present anything rough or share ideas in progress. It’s never gone well for me. My work tends to be minimalistic and geometric, and often the success or failure of a piece depends upon the execution being finalized and perfected. I don’t want the client to say “OK, we like where you’re going with this.” I want them to say “oh wow, that’s great!”
Sandip: I’m sure it all depends, but do you have a favorite project to date? Or one you’re particularly fond of?
Jay: I honestly can’t think of any one project in particular that stands out as being overwhelmingly meaningful to me. The goal is to have whatever I’m currently working on be my new favorite project. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Every day is an opportunity to create the coolest thing I’ve ever created, which is exactly what keeps me excited about being a designer.
Sandip: Have you had any mentors that helped you along the way?
Jay: There hasn’t been any single person who’s fully taken me under their wing, but there have been lots of people I’ve learned from and bounced ideas off of.
Sandip: Who might be some of those people?
Jay: A really good college friend of mine works for a design studio in Columbus named FORT. When I was first starting out I bounced a lot of basic business questions off his boss, Terry Rohrbach, who was always gracious enough to give me some helpful insight.
The Godfather of graphic design in Charleston is a guy named Gil Shuler. I looked up to his work for so long, and I’m proud to say that somewhere along the way we became friends. He’s helped me out with occasional advice as well, but as a testament to his character & personality I’m even prouder to say we don’t talk about work much anymore. He’s one of my main fishing pals and one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.
Sandip: You’ve recently been sharing this sneaker series. Would you call yourself a “sneakerhead”? Tell us more about that project.
Jay: I’m not a “sneakerhead” at all. That was actually work for Apple, as part of their effort behind releasing iOS 11. The new App Store includes editorial content coupled with app roundups, and those illustrations were created to accompany a roundup of sneaker apps.
Sandip: Do you have any favorite brands (can be new or old)? Similarly, do you have any designers whose work your fond of?
Jay: I have the same fascination with Pentagram that most designers do. They routinely create distinct, simple, thoughtful work for enormous clients. I can’t imagine navigating the waters that they seem so comfortable in.
I love Malika Favre, Owen Davey, Riccardo Guasco. I suppose they’re more illustrators than designers, but damn. And then all the classics, of course. Saul Bass, Massimo Vignelli, Milton Glaser, Herb Lubalin. With Paul Rand being the ultimate in my book.
Sandip: What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Jay: I’m not sure any of it would have anything to do with design. Start saving money sooner, buy a house sooner, travel more, things like that.
Sandip: Do you have a person, place or thing that inspires you?
Jay: I have a 15-month-old son who’s the apple of my eye. The whole damn orchard. Walking away from work to spend just a couple minutes with him will cure most of my ailments.
Sandip: Ah, that’s the best right? So you live in Charleston, SC, what do you love most about living in Charleston? If someone was planning a trip, what are some things on your list of must-do, must-see, must-eat places list?
Jay: The pace of life here is perfect. Charlestonians know how to get stuff done while simultaneously stopping to smell the roses.
When you come to Charleston, you eat. We’ve been blessed with far more than our fair share of world-class restaurants. You’re hard-pressed to find a bad meal here. Start with FIG, The Ordinary, Leon’s, Edmund’s Oast, Butcher & Bee, 167 Raw, Chez Nous, Xiao Bao Biscuit, The Obstinate Daughter, and Rodney Scott’s BBQ.
If you can still move after all that, go for a walk and get lost south of Broad Street, or venture out to The Old Village in Mount Pleasant and walk along the old Pitt Street bridge for one of the best, most underrated views of the city.
Sandip: What a killer list, appreciate the great recommendations. Do you have a favorite book or podcast (or both)?
Jay: I’m embarrassed to say that the only time I read is on airplanes, but the last great book I read was “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life.”
Sandip: Ha, no need to be be embarrassed, anyone with kids knows how little time you have. What are you listening to? Do you have a favorite artist or band?
Jay: I’ve had the new National album on repeat since it came out. I’d probably say they’re my favorite band if I were pressed to pick just one. I’ve also been listening to Sturgill Simpson a ton lately.
Sandip: Do you have any morning or evening routines? Something you do almost daily?
Jay: Yes. My life is one giant routine. Every weekday I get up with my son, get him dressed and cart him off to daycare. Which might sound like a chore, but it’s one of the best hours of my day. Then I come home, make coffee, and get down to business.
Sandip: Last question, the deep one. Do you ever think about legacy? What sort of dent do you hope to make in the universe or legacy would you like to leave behind?
Jay: In regard to work, I don’t ever think about it. It’d be great to end up in a graphic design textbook or something, I suppose, but it’s not a goal I’m consciously hoping for. It’ll be enough if people simply say “yeah, he did cool stuff.”
Another cheesy answer coming your way here, but the only legacy that matters to me at this point is that my son grows up to be a happy, healthy, smart, respectful, independent person. I never thought I’d be the guy saying stuff like that, but he’s become, and will always be, my favorite client.
Thanks so much for reading! Each week our team publishes an interview with a designer, illustrator, filmmaker, animator or artist that inspire us. A big thank you to Jay for taking the time to chat with us! You can see more of Jay’s work over on his personal site and Dribbble. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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