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Q&A with Brian Moore

Creative direct, design, and develop

Hey! I'm Brian Moore. I label myself as a "Creative" which is understandably vague—in execution, I creative direct, design, and develop.

How did you get started in design and web development, what is your background?

My public schooling in Wisconsin didn't give me many options to get deep into computers. It was my software developing dad that got me started from a young age. By the time I was about 13, I was making websites for my friends on places like Geocities, and it was up and up from there.

Where did you study? Looking back, would you recommend your path to beginners?

I studied Film Production and Photography—neither of which I really do professionally today. All of the things I do for work now were things that I was doing to avoid completing my schoolwork from age 13 all the way through graduating from college.

As far as my recommendation is concerned, based on what I just said, I live very closely to Jessica Hische's quote:

The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.

What is a turning point in your professional career?

Most definitely my internship at BBH back in the summer of 2010. I had no idea what I wanted to do, I stumbled into this internship, but it was the place where all of my experience combined to create one insane project.

A group of interns and I were in a competition where we were tasked with "making something famous." Anything. And we ended up running an experiment where I (yes, me) dated 30 girls in 30 days. The internet "decided" what I did, who I dated, and what I wore.

It involved filming, editing, designing, coding, dating all in one project. Perfect!

After the internship I got a job at BBH, which gave me a good start in defining what it is I do and I how I do it.

What is your ideal work environment? Do you work in your design studio all day long or prefer to mix a few activities?

I freelance now, but I sorely miss being in a space with a lot of people. Surrounding myself with fun, intelligent, talented people is what I like most—inspiration abounds and also makes for nice social breaks from the work I'm doing.

If I'm really stuck on something, a walk will really loosen up my mind. Typically it's a walk to go grab a coffee, which helps even more. Some of my best ideas have been thought of while I'm in motion.

Where are your favorite places in your city or outside?

I'm typically in NYC, and while I'm there, I'm a fan of 61 Local in Cobble Hill to get work done (big open space, pretty solid food). And when the work is done and it's time to unwind, The Long Island Bar is the place to grab a cocktail.

Who are the designers, colleagues in your city/country or outside you admire most?

Their skills run the gamut, but here's a list: Justin Gignac, Chris Baker, Jessica Hische, Michael Lacher, Darius Kazemi, Devin Croda, David O'Reilly, Neven Mrgan, and Meagan Fischer