Name: Daren Guillory
Place of Employment: Self Employed at Daren Guillory Design
Job Title: Owner, Art Director, Designer, Illustrator, Web Developer…etc…I actually do it all.

How long have you been an AIGA Houston member & what do you get out of being an AIGA member?
I’ve been an AIGA member since 2001 when I got into Junior Block at the University of Houston.

AIGA Houston is really evolving and growing rapidly and providing more and more than ever before. I enjoy the social events but more than anything I appreciate the guest speakers AIGA Houston brings in. AIGA cares about design, where it has been and where it is going, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

When you aren’t designing, what are you doing?
When I’m not designing – well, that isn’t too often – I enjoy all kinds of physical activity..running, basketball, biking, swimming, etc…but mostly I can be found hanging out and taking care of my wife and two kids.

I have a few pet projects I’m working on that take up the rest of my free time including building out an extra room in my upstairs, a self promotional illustration, as well as finding ways to make money while I sleep. 🙂

What’s one thing that everyone may not know about Houston that you’ve found?
One thing I’ve found…hmmm.

What designers are you following right now?
There are a few individuals I follow on the web, in general, but mostly I follow the major design agencies and what they are doing. Brand Union, Wolff Olins, VSA Partners, Tolleson, Pentagram, Landor, etc., the major players in the world of design, to name a few. There are a few other graphic artists like Michael Paul Young and Jason Santa Maria who are making a name for themselves and creating and developing new products on and for the web, which I admire.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date as a designer?
I think the greatest accomplishment to date was the AIGA 365 Award I received for The Forum of Civics Brochure I designed a few years ago. It’s quite and achievement to have your work in the permanent archives in the Denver Art Museum. I have to give credit to Savage for giving me the opportunity to design such a piece, and Doug Hebert for guiding me along the way.

What’s your favorite typeface?
I don’t have a favorite typeface, really. I do have a handful of typefaces that are so versatile that I find myself using them again and again. But, I really enjoy what Minion – serif – has to offer in terms of the broad family of styles and weights and classic design. I also appreciate Avenir – sans serif – as it references the Avant Garde without being too period specific and is so versatile in terms of its capability to be used at display size as well as being very legible at small sizes for body copy.

What type of music do you listen to while designing?
I normally listen to music that would be considered “noise”, in general; anything that can be a background to my thought process. I’m listening to a lot of Kevin Moore right now – he has two side project bands, one called Office of Strategic Influence and the other called Chroma Key. Both offer a very eclectic mix of progressive rock, electronic and metal which seem to suite me while I working.

Where can we find you?
My online blog can be found at www.graphicbio.com though it is a bit outdated. New site and new blog coming later this year!