The Man Behind The Designs
We thought it’s high time we introduce you to some of them.
Meet Jonny.
He’s a true Glaswegian and an absolute whizz with a pencil and pen. At age 8, he peaked creatively when he drew all his family members as if they were in Spy Kids.
When it comes to the innovative and quirky designs you see on our t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, 5 panels, stickers and pins, Jonny takes all credit. And rightfully so – he is always coming up with new, creative ways to make our products unique and original. OutsideIn wouldn’t be the same without his wonderful creative eye.
We asked him a few questions on how he does it, and what drives him.
How did you get into graphic design? Why did you choose that particular career path?
“I always enjoyed drawing, but never ever considered graphic design as a potential career until I had already done 2 years of Maths at Glasgow University.
My first taste of proper graphic design was through this group who were pretty edgy and underground, called the Glasgow University Christian Union. I was on the society committee for a year, and really got into creating promotional flyers for the events we were putting on. The positive feedback I got on the flyers I was doing was really what got me thinking "Hey, this is fun and I'm not bad at it, and it's a way better fit for me than maths!".
Looking back, everyone was probably just being nice and the actual designs were pretty grim, but I'm very thankful whatever the case! I then changed course to Product Design Engineering. Graphic design then became my side game alongside my degree, and there was definitely crossover between the two.”
What drives you?
“I really like making things that other people like, or interact with. Even if it is in a negative way, at least it’s something! I've been fortunate enough to have nice, supportive people in my life who have encouraged me with affirming words and feedback. As an overarching thing too, I want to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps and He was a pretty creative bloke. Really I'm just nicking all His ideas but He seems to be cool with it.”
Why Oi?
“When I heard about what Oi stands for and what their aims and goals are, it made the designing job much sweeter. Like a lot of people, I want the world to be a bit of a better place most of the time, yet if I'm honest, I struggle to step outside my comfort zone and help. Knowing that I was able to help through doing something that I already enjoy was just such a gift, and my relationship with Oi has only grown since then. Now I feel like a proper part of the team, and I'm looking forward to working on future collections!”
Tell us about the newest design ideas from the summer collection. What is your favourite and what inspired you to come up with them?
“That's a tough question! Making me pick between my babies! I'd probably go for the Hope Sweet Hope jumper though, just because of its simplicity. It manages to communicate a message, make people think, and look dope as heck with just a little bit of embroidered type!
As far as inspiration goes, I wanted to keep the concepts simple and clean, so the message was the loudest part of the design.”
What would you advice be for someone who wants to make a difference in their society using their own unique skills?
“Don't ask for permission to do what you like to do. Just do it, and share it with people, and you'll naturally get better.
Make sure you have honest but kind people in your life to let you know where you should improve, and keep on doing that thing, then eventually someone will take notice, and ask you to do that thing for them. And if you can make a living off of that thing, whilst making a difference, then you can put all your energy into making a difference.”
