Interview with Ryan Paonessa

Throughout most of my career I've operated as an independent contractor and stayed away from working for a larger outfit or building a small studio. While I occasionally subcontract for smaller agencies as well as outsource tasks beyond my capabilities, I prefer a more hands-on, direct approach to each project — ultimately conceptualizing and executing from start to finish.

Design is about efficient communication and problem solving. Design must be functional. I strive to create effective work that does not follow current trends or attempt to wow people on visual aesthetic alone. The solutions should be visually appealing but not in a way that marries them to a specific time period.

I enjoy creating clean typographic logos & monograms. I also enjoy working on brand identity projects and grid-based layout for websites.

The first thing I designed for a company was a typography-based graphic for the bottom of a skateboard.

My favorite physical materials to work with is pencil and grid paper. On the computer, Adobe Illustrator is my most used program.

I have a daily system for being productive but that doesn't necessarily mean that I will be creative. The house must be clean and everything in order. I like to spend some time outside doing something unrelated to what I'm working on. Then I sit down with a pencil and paper. If it works out, then I dive in, but if nothing comes to me, I won't force it and I'll take the day off.

I have not had an exhibition in many years but have been actively working on a new series of large scale figurative works on canvas. I took a break from fine art to focus more on design until recently. This new series, Intersections, was started almost 3 years ago, which I hope to show at some point soon.

I'm inspired by a lot of things but I'm most drawn to architecture, furniture, hand-painted or utilitarian typography, and nature. I'm very inspired by the way we as humans, and the things we create, interact with nature.

I'd say my style reflects a very clean, systematic approach to design. I believe in grids and formatting the work on some sort of predefined structure and rules. I enjoy the process but most importantly, it works. I believe that creating work this way promotes flexibility and ultimately timelessness.

I think companies should spend time finding the right designer for the job — one who understands the brief and overall objectives and is willing to put in the time to do the research and planning. The company should then trust the designer and allow them to work towards the best possible solution.

Eames Herman Miller Lounge Chair, Hasami Porcelain, Amish-made custom dining table and benches, a large collection of design books (architecture, logo design, furniture design, interiors, etc.), and Dyson products (fan, vacuum).

Wake up after sleeping for 8 hours; feed my dog Odin; make my bed and tidy up the house; make a coffee and take it to the front patio while the dog plays in the yard. The rest of the morning into the afternoon is spent on the computer working, painting, or drawing. I take an afternoon break for lunch and may tend to some stuff in the yard or go for a hike. I get back to work for the afternoon and that can sometimes go until very late at night.

My suggestion is to focus less on current trends and figure out what works best for the objective at hand. Study the great designers of the past and look at the work that has stood the test of time. What logos from 50 years ago are still in use today? What brands haven't had to completely change their website year-to-year? Why?

Honestly, I don't. I spend most of my time thinking about design, aesthetics, functionality, and efficiency.

As long as it takes.

"Why does it cost that much?"

There is contact information on my website rspny.com — including email addresses for different types of inquiries and links to social networking profiles like instagram (@rspny).