Never be satisfied while working on a project, always keep niggling away at every detail. Save being satisfied for the moment you win that FWA.

Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

My name is Quinten Beek and I am currently active as Executive Producer at MediaMonks. My reward after spending years as a Lead Flash developer, honing my Actionscript skills to superhuman proportions. Now, i just send emails and make GANT charts.

With MediaMonks we work with and for advertising agencies to craft amazing digital work for global brands. We have over a decade of digital experience, offices in Amsterdam, London and New York, and 150 Motivated Monks versed in a wide range of digital disciplines. I joined in 2004 and started as an all-round monk (design, html and php) but quickly specialized in Flash/Actionscript. In 2006 I started MediaMonks Games which grew out as the number one advergame studio in the Netherlands.

What do you do for inspiration?

I am a feed junky and mainline on RSS goodness. I literally have hundreds of feeds on design, flash and marketing in my reader. Damn Google for the 'recommended items' functionality, it just keeps me addicted to the sweet-feed-candy.

Please list 3 of your favourite sites.

creativeapplications.net  - Very creative coding

How do you relax or unwind?

I unwind with sports, which i do 3 times a week, and I tend to relax while listening to very loud music, think dubstep, electro and drum&base.

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

Since I studied industrial design for a couple of years I guess I would be designing coffee machines, toothbrushes or other lame "real-life" stuff.

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

Ah, my personal record is around the 40 hour mark; after that I really lose my focus (possibly because I do not drink coffee.) The office record for working hours in single week currently stands at 114 but breaking that is going to be up to the next generation.

What software could you not live without?

Spotify. (I really need music while working)

We use it as a functional tool as well, check out our 'deadline music' playlist (http://spoti.fi/rNurIS) with songs like 'don't stop believing', 'the final countdown' and 'the theme of mission impossible'. Great music if you're finishing those late night projects.

In terms of software, is there anything new you have been playing with lately or that has impressed you?

Molehill.

Finally we have the power of the GPU. I think we are going to see some very nice GPU accelerated websites on FWA in the near future. Looking forward to it.

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

I have great respect for Firstborn, Fantasy Interactive and Big Spaceship. Their design work is well thought through and the production quality is always top notch.

What area of web design lacks the most?

Responsive design. 

There are a lot of different screen sizes nowadays, especially with the increasing use of mobile browsers. A great design should adapt to every screen size and offer the user the best view possible.

Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?

I won my first FWA with my very first flash website during my early days at MediaMonks in 2004. It was a microsite for a new Zelda game for the Nintendo Gameboy. The site was designed to fit on an 800x600 resolution, was multilingual, had keyboard-only navigation and mimicked a level of Zelda gameplay. I wrote the complete site in actionscript 1-ish and somehow pulled it off.

MediaMonks decided to keep me.

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

I did my high school 'Zuckerberg-style'. In my last year I created a website for students to give their unfettered opinion on the school. This did not go down well, so i got suspended and had to take it down. Good times.

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

Ah, well. I can remember we did a pinball game for a client that involved a lot of physics. This was in the pre-flash-physics-engines-era so there were no open source engines available which meant I had to write my own engine and finish the game within 3 weeks. Coincidentally that's also how i found out that having a nap after a 40 hour working stretch is a good idea.

If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring FWA award submitter, what advice would you give them?

Never be satisfied while working on a project, always keep niggling away at every detail. Save being satisfied for the moment you win that FWA.

What would be your ultimate vehicle to travel in?

Lamborghini Reventón. Most bad-ass car ever made.

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

Do a lot of experimenting in your spare time. Also try to insert challenges in your client work. A steep learning curve really is the best way to push yourself, so get out your comfort zone. If a client has an brief that's over your head, smile, show confidence, then figure it out when you get the job. Might take some more time, but you'll become a much better developer along the way.

What does the future hold for your company, or you as a person?

MediaMonks just opened shop in New York and London. Which means even bigger brands & campaigns and ever expanding demands. We love acting on the global stage though, and duking it out with the best. It's a nice challenge for MediaMonks and me personally, but keeps everyone on their toes.

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

Iphone 4s.

Unfortunately Siri does not understand my English that well.

Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

'Talent is given, true skill is earned'

For more pearls of wisdom visit our eightfold path to digital enlightenment.

It has been a privilege, thanks very much

My pleasure!

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