Graduates 2009: Tim George

Snooker-obsessed Tim George comes from an artistic background – his mum and dad worked as a graphic designer and painter respectively. He’s managed to carry on the legacy by studying graphic design at Bath for the last three years, building up a nice folio of work as a result…

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

My earliest memories are of wanting to be a steam train driver! I think this was probably influenced by my dad’s love of trains somewhat…

As I got older I always knew it was going to be something creative or design-based. I went through a long phase of wanting to be a car designer, but by about the age of 14 I knew graphic design was for me.

In reflection, how bad was your work in the first year?

Pretty awful! Well it wasn’t all that bad I guess, but very different to what I do now. I was obsessed with collage and that old ‘Foundation favourite’ Charles Wilkin. I saw myself as an illustrator for a lot of the first year, making images and collages. But even then I still loved type – I drew a lot of fonts by hand which was good for me. Looking back, I can see massive development throughout my first and second year.

If you could show a piece of your folio to one person, what piece would you choose, and who would you show it to?

That’s a good question. I guess I’d like Max Bill to see my homage poster. But in the real world, I’d love Michael C Place (of Build) to see any of my work.

If you had your own business, who would you employ and why? (this doesn’t have to be design related)

What a lovely fantasy to consider! I’d definitely employ Martin Parr to do all my photography, and I’d get Oliver Jeffers to do any illustration. I’d need a good space to work in, so I’d get Dieter Rams to sort me out with some sweet Modernist decor & 60s Braun goodies. Is it too much to ask for Jonny Ive to be my computer tech?

I’m big on food, so I’d get a top chef in to cook for me. I know it’s clichéd, but I love Jamie Oliver’s cooking, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. And lastly, I’d employ my sporting hero Steve Davis to improve my snooker.

If you’ve got any left, what will you spend the last of your student loan on?

Ha! I don’t have any left at all. But if I did, I’d go down to Dungeness (on the Kent coast) for a few days. My girlfriend and I have been planning to go all year and never got round to it. It’s a fascinating place; I’m desperate to get down to the seafront with a camera.

Where will we find you in 12 months?

I’ll definitely be in London – I’d like to think I’ll have a ‘proper’ job in a studio by then. I can’t wait to move in to my own place in the city, but in a year I may still be commuting from my folks’ place in Chesham. Unless they’ve kicked me out by then…