Anxiety is pretty normal at the start of everything, you learn to chase it away the deeper you get and the more time you put in.

  Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

In 98 I received my post-secondary in Multimedia at a small college in Moncton New-Brunswick, an eastern Canadian town where I was born and raised.

Since then I've moved around and worked in Ottawa, Italy and Boston for firms such as Fuel Industries, and Juxt Interactive.

I've come to settle and I am currently an Art Director for Mindflood here in Southern California.

I got married this past year in Vegas and I have 2 wonderful children, Isaiah and Taya.

I am huge hockey fan, so glad it's back!

  What do you do for inspiration?

I find inspiration in magazines, when I shut the computer off, music, daily experiences but most importantly the people around me at work.

Every day, I'm around the funniest, most creative people you'll meet. We all work hard, and respect each other and keep it a fun joking environment.

Everyone takes a part in the creative process for each project. It's good to have everyone feel involved.

  Please list 3 of your favourite sites.

www.espn.com

www.canada.com

www.cbc.ca

  What do you regard as being your biggest achievement?

Besides becoming a father, probably dropping everything back east and making the move to California to work for peanutes over at Juxt, literally.

I didn't have much money and had to borrow some just to get out there, it was a big risk but I'm glad I took it.

As a kid I've always dreamed of living out here. My time at Juxt gave me the opportunity to really learn and meet lots of talented people.

  What software couldn't you live without?

Photoshop.

  What projects do you have in the pipeline?

Right now we have RedBull, Discovery Channel, Symantec, Infinity and Move to this, an online community for motion designers.

  Who do you rate as being the top 3 design companies?

Tough question, but off the top of my head my current 'favorites' would be:

- BrandNewSchool

- Odopod

- Wddg and WeFail, those dudes are hilarious.

  What effect on traffic do your new designs have?

For moosesyrup I haven't checked my 'traffic meter' or whatever you wanna call it in over 3 years. I honestly don't pay any attention at all for that sort of stuff.

  Who is your target audience?

Our target audience is pretty much whoever our client's target audience will be.

For internal work it is those who appreciate work that is conceptual and not always templateted.

  What area of web design lacks the most?

Research.

  What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?

It isn't, it was a small pop-up flash site with a lot of cheap expiremental 3d 0bjects for the background (typical).

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

Nope and probably not, can't write. I think I’ve had some of my work published in a few books, but that’s about it.

  What was the toughest thing you ever did with Flash? How long did you spend on it? Is it still online?

Toughest as in most annoying thing I've ever done was this 5 mins educational video I had to do on Youth, drugs and violence.

I had to stream it to this annoying POD, Youth of a Nation song. I had to work 2 weeks on it with my headphones on, just hearing it on the radio later in my car made me want to hurt someone, drove me crazy!

  Do you think Flash is here to stay?

I think it is, should be interesting to see how better it gets now that Adobe is involved.

  What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

No doubt, the most talented people I know are self-taught.

I think at school you really only learn the design basics and the tools which of course are important, but I find you learn more away from school trying things on your own, at least from my experience.

These days most companies really care about how strong your work is and how good you are at conceptualizing. Having a schooling background definitly does not hurt.

  When your company was just getting started, what did you find was most effective for getting new clients?

Chris and Noah told me that romancing them and dark chocolates really help.

  How have you learned so many Flash/design skills and techniques and can you offer any advice for newbies?

Learn the basics of design and Typography. Continue experimenting and don't be afraid to take risks.

Anxiety is pretty normal at the start of everything, you learn to chase it away the deeper you get and the more time you put in.

Conceptualize, don't focus on only being an 'interface' designer. Style is not design.

  What is the most expensive thing you've bought in the last week?

I've been spending a lot of money on beer for Chris. He keeps telling me he'll give me money back, but never does.

  What type of overcoat do you wear when Flashing, basically are you a labels man?

Shorts, tshirt and skateshoes, almost daily. California gives you that luxury.

  Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

Love what you do and enjoy doing it. Try to unplug and actually having a life after work, 18hr work days isn't exactly the key to being successful. Don't be egotistical, it's only websites.