Tim Van Damme: Otherwise known as Maxvoltar & madebyelephant.com

_tim-500Tim Van Damme, known as @maxvoltar, is a freelance web designer from Belgium (madebyelephant.com) and innovator in the industry. We have enjoyed his personal blog maxvoltar.com and suggest he makes it into your list of people to follow online.

How or where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in everything that isn’t webdesign. Lately I found my self getting inspired a lot by product design. Especially Apple products, Samsung, Braun… Combine that with looking at old print design, and you’re refueled for a couple of projects 🙂

Who is the biggest influence on your work right now?
It’s really hard just naming one person. A lot of designers influence me in different ways. Andy Clarke inspires to design more inside the browser, Mark Boulton on typography and grids, Veerle Pieters does some mind-blowing illustrations, and has a very good eye for color, Jason Santa Maria is the master of art direction on the web…

Where are your “design roots”? Print or Web?
Web. I grew up with just webdesign. In a lot of ways, I think this might be a disadvantage for the current generation of young designers, as on the web it’s easy to make adjustments, even after the project got launched. On the other hand, it gives us a lot more flexibility, which also pays of in the end.

How important is it to know the history of design?
You need a basis of design knowledge to start with. Depending on what kind of person you are, you might want to learn more about the history of it, or just look at what’s going on right now in design. I do notice that people with more background knowledge tend to have more original designs…

Serif or Sans?
Display: Sans; Writing: Serif.

Do you code and design? Are you a “Hybrid”?
I design and write my own front-end code, but don’t ask me to develop something in Ruby or PHP. Heck, I can’t even write a single line of JS, dabbling with jQuery already makes my head spin 😀

What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
The first meeting with the client. As they’re telling me what they want, ideas shoot through my head, and most of the time it’s hard keeping up taking notes.

What makes your creative process different from everybody else?
Maybe the fact that I don’t really have a process. It either hits me right away, or I need to force it by drawing wireframes or playing around in Photoshop.

What do you see as the single biggest shift in the evolution of design over the past 5 years?
The fact people are finally aware that using standards and good browsers is something everyone can benefit from. In 90% of the projects I do, Internet Explorer 6 isn’t an issue anymore. Clients even ask to include easter eggs only visible to people using the latest version of their browsers. Fun times!

What’s the difference between User Experience and User Interface design?
UX is more important than UID. Too much design is almost always a bad thing for the UX. Design should support the experience, not try replacing it.

What makes one a web design professional?
You love doing webdesign.
People pay you to design websites.
Profit!

What are designers/developers doing right (or wrong) in the web 2.0 world?
“Web 2.0”? People still use that term? Well, the thing they’re doing right, is not talking about “Web 2.0” anymore, and focussing more on how to build _good_ websites, that are accessible while also being visually pleasing.

What’s your favorite flavor of design or development programs/languages?
Good ol’ HTML and my CSS with a splash of CSS3. Weapons of choice are Photoshop (because sadly it’s the best there is) and Espresso by MacRabbit.

What is your favorite book?
Does Watchmen counts?

What is your favorite movie?
Speed Racer, Star Trek, The Tenenbaums… Everything that let’s me shut down and sink in.

Who is your favorite musical artist (or What musical artist are you listening to the most right now?)
According to Last.fm, I’ve been listening to a lot of Deftones, Radiohead, dEUS and Mastodon lately 🙂

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News & Articles

The Essential Guide to Getting Started on Freelance Writing

The Essential Guide to Getting Started on Freelance Writing

Explore the lucrative and fulfilling world of freelance writing with our essential guide. Learn about specialties like blogging, social media, article, and technical writing. Build a portfolio, find work, set up your business, and discover the potential earnings. Embrace the freedom of working from home and follow tips for success in your dream career.

Securing Your Website: A DevOps Security Checklist

Securing Your Website: A DevOps Security Checklist

Learn how to secure your website with a comprehensive DevOps checklist. Dive into SSL/TLS encryption, password practices, and more. Discover the power of Content Security Policy and safeguard your online presence effectively.