See this is the cool thing about the UK. You HAVE tv programs covering the web... oh, and you also have sausages for breakfast. And no… we do not have sausages for breakfast and I have no idea why this is.
Q. It's been close on 4 years since we last interviewed you. Please update us on your bio and what you've been up to.
A. Bio hasn't changed that much. I am 4 yrs older, have managed to stop smoking in exchange for starting drinking and the office is way bigger now. Overall life is good, work is fun and grey hairs look cool.
Q. How many hours do you work each week?
A. Hasn't changed that much as well. Someone I know came up once with 24/7 as a name for his agency. Guess what?
Q. How do you relax or unwind?
A. I have a wonderful family which helps me a lot to get back to the "real thing". Besides that, I am a videogame maniac with nearly every console ever build in my personal playroom. Watch out for "wonderwaffe" on xbox live.
Q. Is there a particular moment in your career that stands out?
A. Finally reaching the goal to work for the videogame industry and on famous brands like Final Fantasy or Tomb Raider. Especially the square enix projects were a huge honour for us. We love videogame websites.
Q. In terms of software, is there anything new you have been playing with lately or that has impressed you?
A. Photoshop and flash in its last build never fails to impress me... but I was playing a lot with zbrush 2 the last little while and this program is exactly what I ever dreamed of.
While after effects is photoshop with a timeline, zbrush is photoshop with a z-axis. I saw a demonstration of zbrush3... and this thing really rocks. Highly recommended.
Q. How many projects does your company juggle at any one time?
A. constantly between 3 - 5 per month
Q. Are there any websites that have shone through as being pioneering in the last 5 years or so?
A. Guess you are not talking about our own projects? Then it's Leo Burnett and that other website that works with those two resizing popups.
And, yes, I am too old to remember the URL, but I am sure Rob will help out on this. <FWA_Rob> Here you go, I think you mean http://www.dstrict.com/z107/index.html </FWA_Rob>
Q. Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?
A. It helped us a lot. Actually our first FWA enabled us to enter the American market and to get in touch with the clients we have today, such as universal, square enix, eidos, THQ any many more (I love saying "many more").
Q. When dealing with major clients, how difficult is it to meet the needs of such wide target audiences?
A. Believe me, major clients are way easier to handle than those smaller ones.
Sometimes it seems that your local car dealer gives you more headache than the entire microsoft empire could do. But we still love our local car dealers though.
Q. Looking 10 years in to the future, how far can websites go?
A. Besides those hologram websites that are controlled by a mind to motion plug-in and you throw the pages around like in minority report?
hm? I guess (and I hope) that we will still have what we have now: on one side those websites which are there to provide you with pure information (so I expect a white backround with text on it.. but in 10 years the white will be a way better white and the text will be written in a futuristic font for sure).
And those which are there to entertain you (high definition youtube). To be honest, I don't care how far websites can go... I just want a faster internet.
Q. Of all the websites you/your company have produced, which one are you most proud of?
A. I think teddies in space was the one where we had the most fun with, and while going nuts with stupid ideas, cartons and star wars samples.
It ended up being a really cool website (which made us an FWA winner and a london international awards finalist)
Q. In the UK, television programmes covering the web are way behind what is really happening in terms of web design and development. Is it the same in your location and why do you think this is?
A. See this is the cool thing about the UK. You HAVE tv programs covering the web ...oh, and you also have sausages for breakfast. And no.. we do not have sausages for breakfast and I have no idea why this is.
Q. How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest web trends?
A. Paid answer: I browse daily the wonderful archive of the FWA
Unpaid answer: I browse daily the wonderful archive of the FWA
<FWA_Rob> Cheque is in the post </FWA_Rob>
Q. What country excites you the most in terms of innovation?
A. Japan, in terms of a fascinating culture mixed with high-end technology while showing funny gameshows and having godzilla. It's not possible to be more innovative.
Q. There must be a project that you have always dreamed of doing, what is it?
A. Creating either the website for halo3 or my favourite band dream theater (or doing both).
Q. How difficult do you find employing the right people in a world where everyone calls themselves a web designer?
A. It took me 5 years to find a programmer. My next goal is to find a designer and a 3D artist latest by 2012
Q. How do you keep up with the latest capabilities of Flash or do you rely on other members of you team to do this?
A. I was always more the photoshop guy. Flash is cool, since flash 8 it's ubercool. I can do drop shadows and blurs and such... and there is also action script... somewhere... I guess.
To be honest? It's for the team members.
Q. What would be your ultimate vehicle to travel in?
A. I actually drive the ultimate vehicle. And now you wanna know what it is, right? Instead of googeling for "hummer" you could also visit our forum http://forum.24-7media.de
Q. Do you have any links to photographs of your offices you could share with us?
A. These were taken last year. It looks a bit different know, but you get the idea.
Q. What does the future hold for your company?
A. I am very thankful about the past, if the future continues like this, it's fine.
Q. Once again, it's been a privilege. Thank you very much indeed.
A. My pleasure. Am I now a FWA judge? <FWA_Rob> Who turned the light out? </FWA_Rob>
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