PT: I surround myself with people who are better than me and yet still follow the same vision that I have. It’s only because I have an amazing team of people around me that allows me to grow and lead them in the right direction.

SM: And what would you say is the biggest challenge you face as a designer today?

PT: The biggest challenge is really removing the term “designer” from my title. I see myself as a creative thinker, a connector, a businessperson who uses design as one of his tools. So the biggest challenge becomes trying to come up with that new description for what I do. You know, how do I fit into this picture? I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m doing so many things and design is not my only passion.

SM: I think the industry as a whole is having a challenge with the limited stigma as related to the definition of what most people understand design is. The industry has evolved to a point where most good firms are not just doing design any more. There’s so much more to it and I think we are all struggling with this issue of what to call it. It’s a challenge and dilemma, and I think the jury’s out on it.

PT: Also, I think the term designer changes throughout a designer’s career. We start our career path really owning that term and using it to identify who we are. Our identity is tied into being a designer and we spend probably 90 percent of our time doing design work. But the more we grow and develop our business the less we design. We become managers, marketers, budgeters and wear so many hats that don’t come close to being a designer. However, the benefit of starting out as a designer allows us to be very good problem solvers —we’re always up for a challenge, so it’s natural to grow in many directions and often succeed.

SM: What gives you your greatest satisfaction at work these days?

PT: After doing this for almost 15 years, the biggest satisfaction I get from the work is to know that ultimately what we do helps create a better world. I believe that our purpose in life is a life of purpose and this work connects me to a bigger purpose. We do work that helps make a difference in the world and that’s a great feeling. I also get great satisfaction from mentoring and coaching other designers and creative professionals, something I started doing last year. It has taught me whole new ways to contribute to our industry. Ways I can use my experience and knowledge to help my peers. I feel blessed. It’s very fulfilling. How about you?

SM: I think it’s a two-fold thing for me. One is a longer gestation, because we do so much product development and product launching. I love seeing the fruits of our efforts in the hands of the consumers —the end user experiencing whatever we intended them to experience. That still thrills me, especially when it comes to kids. I love seeing kids engaged, and the beauty and fun of experiencing something that we were involved in.

On the business side of things, I still love connecting with a client and creating this great relationship with them. Doing all of that hard work and setting the stage for the possibilities of good creative strategies, allowing me and my team and my client to do great work. It’s still a thrill for me to go through that step-by-step process of winning the client’s trust and setting up the stages to make everything happen.

Were there moments when you thought about closing your firm because times were hard?

PT: Hard times don’t motivate me to give up. That would be the easy way out, and I have too many high standards for myself. Hard times only motivate me to change and evolve. They help me look at what’s not working in my life and business and inspire me to improve things.

SM: I sometimes wonder if all the stress of being a business owner and all that comes with it is worth it or not. But throwing in the towel and giving up is not part of my core nature. Most days, I love what I do. I love the constant change, its offerings to allow me to grow as a human, and the largely creative elements surrounding my work. My good days and great moments outnumber the bad, by far.

PT: Was it all worth it?

SM: Well, the jury is still out on that, but my hunch says that without a doubt it will all be well worth it in the end—even if it was just a grand experiment.

What about for you?

PT: Absolutely. I wouldn’t have traded a moment of it.

Steven Morris | Morris Communication | 619.234.1211 | www.thinkmorris.com
Peleg Top | Top Design | 818.985.1100 | www.topdesign.com