Meet Print’s latest Designer of the Week, James Nash, a web designer with a keen eye for detail whose work we came came across in Patrick McNeil’s The Web Designer’s Idea Book Vol. 4. Clearly, we couldn’t resist reaching out to learn more about him.
In Nash’s own words, he’s a “design-trained developer. Or a developer-trained designer. Or a coding creative. Whichever you prefer.” Either way, this creative who codes makes incredible ideas come to life on the screen. Take a look.
Name: James Nash
Location: London
How would you describe your work? Each project is tailored to each client, and balances beautiful design with functionality.
Design schooling: I was an apprentice in typesetting, where I was exposed to a wide variety of design fields.
Where do you find inspiration?This massively varies. When I began my career it came only from magazines and colleagues. As I traveled more, I saw and experienced more. I started to appreciate the smaller details, and realized that you often find inspiration when you’re not looking for it. I now have an overwhelming book collection, I hop on a plane at any opportunity to see somewhere new, and have a wealth of screenshots, bookmarks and notes for future projects!
Who are some of your favourite designers or artists?I’d struggle to pick a favorite, but I’ve always loved eBoy’s pixel art, Jon Burgerman‘s doodles and Olly Moss’ illustrations. I also visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition every year without fail!
Do you have a favorite among all the projects you’ve worked on?Summer Isle Films would be up there, as I was able to integrate lots of innovate features that I had never tried or seen before.
Is there a project that stands out to you as having been the biggest challenge of your career so far?Summer Isle Films was also the most challenging. So much of it was unchartered territory, so when no amount of Googling provided me with the answers, I had to create my own solutions.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?To be my own boss, and be able to work from any location. Ideally a beach in the Philippines; mouse in one hand and a chilled beer in the other!
What’s your best advice for designers today?Travel and see the world. Absorb a wealth of inspiration without looking for it.
Additional work from Nash:
A wordpress theme designed and built for sale online by James Nash. Designed with a fluid grid to fit any device size.
If you’re interested in being considered for Designer of the Week, please email a headshot, 5–10 images of your work (around 628px max width if possible) and answers to the below questions to info@printmag.com with the subject line: Designer of the Week.
Name:Name of Firm/Studio, if applicable:Location:Website:How would you describe your work?Design school attended, if applicable:Where do you find inspiration?Who are some of your favorite designers or artists?Do you have a favorite among all the projects you’ve worked on? (Please provide an image of this project if possible.)Is there a project that stands out to you as having been the biggest challenge of your career so far? (Please provide an image of this project if possible.)What do you hope to accomplish in the future?What’s your best advice for designers today?
Coding for Designers: HTML and CSS Independent Study Workshop
In this HOW Design University four-week course you’ll learn how to start writing HTML and CSS and develop a better understanding of these core web languages. Patrick McNeil created this class specifically with graphic designers in mind, so you can make the print-to-web transition more easily. Learn some basic combinations of HTML and CSS, and you’ll start building common website layout elements. This course is also the next step for students who’ve taken Principles of HTML, CSS and JavaScript.