Originally from Brighton, Andy Callahan has just graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University.
With an interest in design for literature to compensate an inability to write as well as design for music to compensate not being able to sing Andy is heading back down south upon graduation, keen to rectify his faint northern twang.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I think either a dinosaur or a dinosaur expert.
In reflection, how bad was your work in the first year?
Terrible. I took advantage of how relaxed my course was and produced self-indulgent work with no context. I would later attempt (in tutorials) to give meaning to the meaning-less work. “This piece is about the struggle of the Jewish partisans of Belarus in WWII” was one of my favourites.
If you could show a piece of your folio to one person, what piece would you choose, and who would you show it to?
My ‘Quiet’ poster, and to Dave Eggers. The poster is for a short story by Eggers, and shows six televisions hooked up to a computer, which fed strings of six word quotes from the story—with the words flashing up sporadically on the screens. The back of the poster has the story typeset, ready to read. Eggers owns a publishing house in San Fran called McSweeney’s. I’m considering sending him the poster and asking for a job.
If you had your own studio/business, who would you employ/share it with and why?
My brother, James Callahan (I’m seeing Callahan & Callahan in lights above the entrance) and David Pearson so he can teach me everything he knows. For that same reason I would employ Christian Brett from Bracket Press. Oh, and my old philosophy tutor who told me I would never work as a designer. She could make the tea.
If you’ve got any left, what will you spend the last of your student loan on?
Spending this last week getting drunk and having fun with my friends, who I may only see a few times ever again, and some maybe never.
Where will we find you in 12 months?
In Brighton, in a nice studio on the seafront.
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Will founded It’s Nice That in 2007 and is now director of the company. Once one of the main contributors to the site, he has stepped back from writing as the business has expanded to become The HudsonBec Group.