I always wanted to do a memoir pretending I was a colour blind Art Director.

Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

I'm a Digital Creative Director working at a Creative Digital Agency called Kolody, in Toronto.

What do you do for inspiration?

Go home and look at my beautiful family.

How do you relax or unwind?

I have two very smart active kids that take my mind of first world problems.

If you weren't working on the internet what would you be doing?

Living and surfing on a beach in South Africa.

What's your favourite part of your job? What's the hardest part of your job? What do you do when you get stuck?

Nothing beats getting a visceral emotional reaction out of someone from something you've created - I strive to do that with as much work as possible. The highs are great but the lows of managing people and their problems and dealing with the irrational project requests can be challenging. I try to set up each year with opportunities for highs to offset the inevitable lows.

What's the longest you've ever stayed up working on a project?

I was up for two straight days on a pitch then had to present. I remember shaking and wanted to vomit. We won - but I wouldn't suggest this technique.

If there are any pivotal experiences/decisions you could point to that helped shape your career, what would they be?

Two things: As a South African I had to do mandatory military service - This was a horribly great experience and gave me a work ethic. Deciding to move to Vancouver Canada helped shape my career when I was lucky enough to get a job with the then Palmer Jarvis DDB under Chris Staples. The work I did at the shop set me up for success - Thanks Chris.

What software could you not live without?

Adobe suite, Twitter, foursquare

How many projects does your company juggle at any one time?

10 to 15 of various sizes for apps, websites, social or marketing.

What area of web design lacks the most?

I think mobile is going to be a great challenge to do better on.

Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?

Hell yeah! An MFWA looks great on the book - shuts up the naysayers for a bit.

When dealing with major clients, how difficult is it to meet the needs of such wide target audiences?

I always like to keep it simple and look for what the human emotional payoff is. If we can connect to our audience beyond the rationale we tend to win and stand out from the wallpaper of our competitors.

Have you written any books, if not do you plan to?

I always wanted to do a memoir pretending I was a colour blind Art Director.

The web is getting out of the web. Do you find that thinking in digital solutions alone hinders you? Do you feel the urge to solve the problem using all mediums necessary?

I'm lucky in that I studied to be a designer, worked as a traditional Art Director and Creative Director then jumped into Digital. If only I could code......

What would be your ultimate vehicle to travel in?

Short wheel base Landrover. The old classic ones.

How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest web trends?

I'm an avid reader and using flipboard for iPad makes it easy. Twitter really helps me get broad input from the world on all digital.

There must be a project that you have always dreamed of doing, what is it?

I'd love to do something that really helps a country. Not just selling a product but really helping them change.

Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

We should all keep failing.

It has been a privilege, thanks very much

Thank you Rob for pushing us all. Keep it up.

createwithcourage.com