On Your Way Here

On Your Way Here is a series of interviews with designers. The conversations dance around the topics of life experiences & career decisions. 

The project started as a series of informational interviews while I was in my last semester of school. As a requirement for our portfolio class we contacted working professionals that we didn’t know to ask them questions about their career. It was awkward at first, but I did it, and it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences during my time at school.

I was surprised how willing so many well respected industry professionals were to sit down with me. These people took time out of their busy lives to share some of their wisdom with a soon-to-be college graduate.

Each interview features a large image of the author and an inspiring excerpt from the conversation.

Initially, I was just grabbing lunch or coffee with people and taking notes in a sketchbook. Not really recording much of the experience, save for my furious note taking. I felt selfish that I was having these amazing conversations with people and not sharing them with anyone else.

Each interviewee recommends the next person to talk to.

It was during one of these conversations that someone suggested that I archive them somehow. That’s how this project came about. At the end of each interview, I ask the interviewee to recommend the next person I should talk to. This leaves the project open-ended and without an agenda.

I’ve always been interested in the reasoning and motivation behind decision making. Are some people just always in the right place at the right time? How do some people surround themselves with success? People that truly care about what they do seem to continually make the right decisions. What life experiences have these people had that lead them to where they are now? It’s these types of questions that I want to explore in this series and I’m curious if I will find a common