Interview
Greg Storey
What are some things you do to help yourself into the state of mind necessary for creative work?
I try to get to-do lists out of my head otherwise I'll continue to think about all the other tasks I have to get done aside from the design work. I also don't schedule any meetings or appointments during the time I know I need to keep focused on the work. Nothing is worse that 'getting it' and then having to stop half-way through.
Do you follow a strict daily (or weekly, etc.) routine with regard to workflow, or is every day (or week) different?
Aside from a regular routine of conference calls almost every day is different.
Do you prefer to work in a closed, private environment free from other people and distractions, or in a more open, collaborative environment?
If I'm designing I can't stand being around other people. Especially when the design is starting to come together and all I need is time and focus to finish the project.
What do you do to get your day(s) started in the right direction?
I read the Wall Street Journal, various blogs, and design sites. That generally helps me keep informed and motivated.
What task management technique do you use?
Wait, what?! I thought about installing some kind of pellet machine near my desk whereby I could hit a button to reward myself with grain based snack for every time I finished a task on time but the chick at the pet store said they don't make those devices for humans. Pity.
What things tend to disrupt your workflow?
The phone, email, instant messaging, TERROR ALERT ORANGE!!! OMG!!!
What previous experiences have influenced your workflow?
Bad clients who act like they didn't know. I am constantly amazed at how I can communicate clearly and they acknowledge what I have said and then proceed to act as if they were never involved in any decision making process. As we roll with the punches new measures are put in place to try to prevent these types of problems from happening again. They all have to do with improving communication between us and the client.
What other disciplines influence the way you work?
The word other would imply that I had one to begin with. Every day is a battle man, every day is a battle.
Is there anyone in particular you have learned from?
Over the years I've picked up that not many people really have a workflow process that they use from project to project other than taking a project through phases like documentation, design, development, and deployment. I keep hoping that someone has figured it all out but after twelve years I haven't seen anything that I would get excited about.
What things help keep you focused on the work at hand?
Headphones and isolation.