Matt’s take on:
Clarity in advertising.
A designed piece should clearly relate your message and your call to action. That requires thoughtful hierarchy of information, both written and visual, Matt says.
“It’s a simple idea, in that we want to communicate clearly what the ad is about and what we want the viewer to do,” he says. “But then there’s the hierarchy of what’s going on around the ad – is the viewer driving down the street? What’s going on around them? How does the ad relate?”
Thinking before designing.
A final design is the tip of the iceberg, with the bulk of the work unseen: “An ad is effective because we’ve thought through the strategic decisions, the hierarchy of information.”
Matt says:
When you use good processes and internal reviews — and you keep doing what’s best for the audience — you do work that makes a difference.
When it’s time to bring all that to life visually, Matt draws on creative tools such as mind mapping — “a bubble map of ideas and words around an idea or concept.” These help him identify relationships among words or ideas, to make unintentional and surprising connections. “I like having a lot of tones or themes to explore, and to think how they could be expressed visually,” he says.
Finding family by helping kids.
As a North Carolina native, Matt found a family away from family with Camp Journey, an Inland Northwest summer camp for kids living with cancer. He helps the organization with planning and fundraising. He also serves as camp counselor, on the job all day and all night during the weeklong program.
“It is without a doubt the most intense and draining week of my life, but it is also the most beautiful,” Matt says. “You know you’re giving them the best week of their year.”
Education
Bachelor of fine arts, graphic design, Appalachian State University
Leadership & Volunteering
Board Member and counselor, Camp Journey