Rad Dad Collective: Off The Wall

Gassin with Glenn Millington

We haven't hooked up with many true graphic designers, so it was well cool to sit down with Glenn for a gab.

RD: Hey Glenn, can you tell us about yourself please, where your from, where your going?

Sure, I'm from a little village in Oxfordshire originally, but came to Derby in '98 to go to University and haven't left yet... At the moment, things are very up in the air, and the future is likely to be just a random.

RD: Your media is Graphic Design, how did you get interested in that and have you had any training?

It was through the album artwork of bands I listened to while in college that got me interested in design. People like the Designers Republic, David Carson, and Dave McKean that really grabbed me by the eyeballs. My degree was in 'Sustainable Design', which apart from a little web design, was all practical work based in a wood/metal workshop, creating products with an environmetally sound slant. After Uni though, without workshop access, it was pretty difficult to keep working in that field so I decided to change track. Over the last 6-7 years I've been retraining and learning about graphic design/digital art/typography and seem to be gravitating towards design for music/bands, the thing that hooked me years ago.

RD: What are your views on animated graphic media?

I'm in to it! As well as graphic design, I'm in to vjing/live visuals, so I'll work with dj's or bands and add a little eye candy/motion graphics for events. I work with video files rather than using 'particle generators' or software that creates images for you, and trigger them/effect them in real time, so its as much of a performance as the music itself. A few examples can be found here *see below for more

Rd: Have you dabbled in any other media?

I've assisted on a couple of music videos for local bands. I find that so many creative disciplines overlap that its quite easy to hop from one to another when needed. I need to know how to edit video to create the clips I use for visuals, so already have the skills when I need to work in another media.

RD: Are you a solo designer hooking up with different companies, or are you affiliated to a specific organisation?

I'm a freelancer, I can work for anyone that likes what I do. I don't think I would want to tie myself to any particular company or brand exclusively. my site can be found here **see below for more

RD: What graphic packages do you use-is Adobe on top of the list and do you use a sketch book for initial ideas?

I sometimes use a sketchbook or whatever spare paper is to hand for making notes, but mostly my brain advances things quicker than my hand can move so, a cup of tea and a think is usually the way forward for me! I do use Adobe software, a mixture of Photoshop and Illustrator for imagery and InDesign for document layouts.

RD: What past times have you got, do you skate for instance?

I used to skate but got 'the fear' so haven't for a long while. Music is my other passion, predominantly electronic music, but I can appreciate most forms/genres of music as they all influence and borrow from each other these days anyway. When I get the time I try to fire up my music studio.

RD: Hat on the Head or Hood up?

Preferably hat on - but hood up is a good substitute!

RD: If you could change something in the world what would it be?

That is a pretty long list... The first thing that springs to mind is the tiny issue of capping bankers annual bonuses to try and sort out the mess this country is in...

That's a good place to start dude, thanks for sittin with us man.