Jeff Rogers

Graphic designer Jeff Rogers has a way with words. He transforms headlines and common sayings into masterpieces with funky lettering techniques and unexpected compositions. This typographer/illustrator has designed everything from murals for the Ace Hotel to illustrations for The New York Times, all with his signature style of charming type. He is currently a designer at SpotCo creating promotional and branding pieces for Broadway shows. See what this unconventional wordsmith has to say in his 10 ANSWERS below.

1. How would you describe your work in three words?
Makes me happy.

2. Who is your creative role model?
I have several and they are also good friends. Gail Anderson, Ryan Feerer, Amanda Spielman, Dana Tanamachi & Bashan Aquart to name a few.

3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Spend it with my pretty wife.

4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
In the context of my work, I’d have to say NYC. Everything about this city is inspiring. There are so many passionate, creative and insanely talented people here. It’s great being able to get to hang around them and absorb the greatness in person. You could just come to the city and sit on a park bench for a month and when you got back home your work would be better. Can’t even explain it.

5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
I would be the host on Man vs. Wild because that would mean I was Bear Grylls and that would be awesome because he is the man and he gets to roam the wildest of wildernesses.

6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
Paintings.

7. What is your favorite object in your home?
Fred’s XYZ blocks illustrated by the amazing Christian Northeast. (I just got them). OOH also my 1950′s Leedy and Ludwig snare drum.

8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Paul Jerde once told me, “Do what you love to do until it becomes what you do for a living.” At first I thought he was nuts, but I tried it and now I know he was right. And my high school art teacher, Mrs. Truitt taught me to use the mistakes in my work to make a piece better. She called them “happy mistakes”. Now I find myself intentionally trying to make mistakes happen in my work so I can use them; not cleaning my scanner bed for example.

9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
Oh there are so many but I would say my most frequently traveled are ffffound, Friends of Type, We Love Typography, Pilllpat’s flickr stream and yewknee.com.

10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
Well, it never looks like what I think it will when I start (“happy mistake” idea again) so it’s fun to watch a piece evolve. This may not make sense but it has to be sincere. If I go too far (and I do sometimes) it’s like I’m forcing it into something it’s not supposed to be and it becomes fake. I can usually stop myself before that happens. Over thinking is my worst enemy.