..:: DIG THIS ::..

To say I am a fan of Christian Helms, is a major understatement. Here is a great interview with him he did for Method and Craft. If you dont know who he is, you're losing it, go check his work out now!

Via Method and Craft
"Tell us about your background. Where are you from and how did you get started? Have you always worked independently?

I grew up in a small mill town in North Carolina called Bessemer City. I went to college at UNC Chapel Hill, where I earned a degree in journalism before “finding design” and studying at Portfolio Center in Atlanta. From there I went to intern for Michael Bierut at Pentagram in New York. I was up there for about a year but it just wasn’t the right it for me. My southern roots were a little stronger than I liked to admit at the time.

Around then John Bielenberg was starting Project M, which sounded to me like it could be an amazing and defining experience for a young designer. It was. And it let me leave NY without feeling like I was turning my back on all of the great opportunity up there. After M wrapped up I wanted to go somewhere that felt like a better match with my interests, and Austin seemed like a perfect fit. Again, it was.

I moved here in 2003 and worked a year at McGarrah-Jessee before starting my first studio, The Decoder Ring. That eventually ran its course and I transitioned to running a shop focused on larger design work and brand building, Helms Workshop.

Oh, and somewhere in there my Decoder partner Geoff and I started a hot dog joint called Frank.

Seems like it didn’t take too long for you to make the decision to strike out on your own. Was that something you had your sights on from the beginning or did that evolve over time?

I moved to town with a lofty and probably slightly naïve five and ten-year plan. It’s something I’d always hoped to do eventually, but the opportunity arose a lot earlier than I’d imagined it would be a possibility. I talked about it a lot with James Victore, who’s a good friend and mentor. He gave me a lot of encouragement." Read the full interview HERE