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We recently met at TEDx at CMU. You have also appeared on the BBC television show “Beat the Boss,” and in Washington, D.C., speaking before a panel of the FCC. Do you enjoy public speaking? Yes, I do. In the last three months, I have had five big themed speaking engagements; of those, TEDx at CMU was by far the most nerve racking. I am comfortable talking about many things, but speaking about being fearless was a hard topic. That’s saying a lot because I have joined forces with Mark Cuban when speaking before the FCC, and I have even followed speakers like the COO of Twitter at large events. I made the topic fit to me, though. TEDx was one of those events I really enjoyed attending because I got to view many speakers as an audience member and then meet after their presentations.

I thought I was going to follow this older guy talking about a seemingly boring topic (finance), which would have been easy. In reality, this CMU finance guy actually did this hysterical rap to close his talk, and I was thinking ‘I have to follow this guy?!’ He’s great, I am actually meeting with him later; I really connected with him even though we do very different things. I love sharing ideas, having a conversation with people. Speaking engagements are a great way to meet people, hear ideas and share my thoughts with others.

Beat the Boss was a cool experience. It was filmed locally in Pittsburgh, and I teamed up with other entrepreneurs to compete against a team of kids to make a new condiment for Heinz. I told my team, “if you want to win, just mix cheese and ketchup.” We went that direction and it worked. We won by the largest margin in the history of the show, actually.

As CEO of Deeplocal, you have many projects running at one time. How do you manage to work in a creative designer mindset when you have to worry about the business side of it all? How do you fit in with your design group? I have to remind myself of the role I play, growing to accept that I am more of an art director than a designer. But I am better as an art director than a designer so it makes playing that role easier for me. I have surrounded myself with great employees which also makes it easier for me. Our environment also has a lot to do with our productivity at Deeplocal. So much in fact, that everyone was asked to sketch out what they would want their new work space to be as far as lighting, layout, sounds; pretty much a list of what you want and why you want it.

We are expanding, but we’re still small; we still afford the time to meet one on one and consult each other. We also try meet as a group outside of work at art events or pick-up kickball games (hence Pickupalooza). I have had the compliment of being told that Deeplocal is a culture. I want to further that culture by growing our design team and creating our work environment together.

Much of your creative work relies on using already existing technologies, assembled as new working parts in a system. What is the prominent advantage to developing designs using simple technologies? Oh yeah, repurposing items, yes! This is the value of being an amateur versus being an expert. You see things stripped down and basic. Like this (points to a fan), this is not just a fan. This has a motor; can I play a record on it? Can I put a needle on it? Can I use it to spin something else? You almost are squinting at everyday items. When you are a specialist you presume a lot of things to be true. By being an amateur, you see things as source materials. As you squint, you see things not as how they are, but as how they can be.

Inventors are the same; they find new ways to use old things. And as a consumer, people only care about end results. They don’t care where the motor came from, where the speakers or buttons came from. Chalkbot is a collaboration of a lot of already invented components, assembled as a new device. That’s why we want to expand and create a bigger workspace with more ‘things’, and ask ourselves, ‘why can’t I use a power drill using Twitter’ or any other challenges we want to ask ourselves.

Your most famous work to date, at least in the eyes of the design community, is Chalkbot. Chalkbot was debuted at the Tour De France in 2009 as a pneumatic powered painting robot with a software system that brings Twitter feeds to life in real time. In the process of bringing this project to life, did you have any other ideas? What is going on with Chalkbot now? Nike is going to run it again this year for the Tour de France! Chalkbot has since been recognized as a CLIO gold and silver award winner and also won an Andy Award and a One Show Award this spring. At first we were going to use powdered chalk to paint the road, but the nozzles limited what material could be used. We then tried environmentally-friendly spray paint, and it seemed to work.

What ever happened to the test run sprayed in the alley behind your house? The first thing Chalkbot wrote was, “hello world,” the famous words written by programmers. I actually did a test run behind my house about a mile from here. My new neighbors were curious to say the least about what was sprayed in the alley, but I don’t think they really know what Chalkbot is or understand the graffiti. Hey, it may be a historical landmark someday!

You helped in the creation of BikePgh’s new 2010 edition trails map. What can riders expect to see in the new layout and design, something that has been added since the last printed edition? We have created new icons and have updated recommended paths with newly created bike lanes; neighborhoods have changed and the bike paths are growing! There was over a decade between when we picked up on the bike map project, so now we are looking at three consecutive years where people have come to see Bike PGH map as expected. Once we get feedback, probably in the fall, we will get started on the new map. Of course, the cover was new, and we will do a new cover for the next edition.

Where do you go for creative content? For some people it is a short list of blogs or websites, or maybe a group of creative people that stir their creativity. Where is your creative drinking hole? I find myself getting sick of new media. I read a lot of print; the New Yorker, Post Gazette, plenty of books. I get a lot of links from friends and colleagues, but I try to spend less time online. My functioning computer is at work, so when I’m not at work I try to stay active and off of my computer. I hike, I bike and I run. Not that each one defines me, like I am a ‘hiker’ or a ‘runner’ but I pursue qualities that I want to encompass me. My creative input comes from picking and choosing what things I am a part of: music, time with family, outdoor activities. I go beyond blogs and online new media for creative input.

Are there any new projects you can speak of that you are excited about and looking forward to launching in the near future? We are looking to expand to create more room – possibly acquiring a nearby store front. It would be used to host Waffle Wednesday, have a working lab with kind of a gimmicky appeal. We are also working with Nike and EA Sports, too. We have a project in the works for World Cup 2010; I really can’t speak about that now, but you’ll see it soon enough. But watch for more things to come from Deeplocal!

Thank you so much for your time!

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You are soon to be welcomed into Pittsburgh as guest speaker at the TED conference at CMU. Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Yes and No. I had a layover in Pittsburgh but have not been to the city; but I am looking forward to it.

Do you have any specific plans to seek out any location or attraction for photographing while visiting? With a packed schedule and being a speaker at TEDx, I have no planned events. Travel has me stopping in Pittsburgh for this speaking engagement and then flying to New York City for business, then back to the West coast. I have been super swamped leading up to this event, so no camera crew; but I will have my iPhone. Look at the Best Camera website and I am sure I’ll post some pictures from Pittsburgh.

What is the oldest photograph you own; one that you had taken at a young age? And who played a role in you taking pictures early on? Oh my goodness, I have a pile of pictures I shot with the square flash bulb camera, from maybe around 1974. My family took a drive to see relatives in California. The action of the flash was intriguing to me, just as much as the pictures I was taking. My father is a hobbyist photographer, my grandfather was a photographer, so I am a third generation photographer.

In my life I have seen the progression from Polaroid, 11O, 35mm, disposable cameras, digital cameras and now cell phone cameras. What are your thoughts on how we take photographs today? You know, growing up we would have a camera with a roll of film on it, take 4 pictures over the holiday, a couple more on my mom’s birthday, then spring break take a few more, and then finally develop it over summer. With my photo app, Best Camera, people from 170 countries around the world are able to share their photos in real time, right as they take them. There is no reason to take a picture if you are not going to share it with people. You no longer have photos hiding in a roll of film. That’s amazing to me. I have a huge sense of excitement for me to be able to see and share pictures so easily. Before my app, there was no way to share your pictures with others after you took it on your iPhone; it was revolutionary.

Are you as tight knit with your creative staff as you appear to be? You seem to have a core of dedicated people working with you that support you in your creative ventures. Very much so. We have all been friends for some time, they help me to manage my time and help in running the great studio we have. Especially the handling of my tight schedule and blasts of emails; it would not be possible without my staff.

Where is your next destination, and what future work are you currently planning for? I am traveling to New York, and then to the west coast like I had said earlier, but I am not at liberty to speak about the work I am working on. Short films and commercial ventures are always in the works though. My Seattle 100 Project, a documentary I am working on for a book and a gallery show that profiles the underground culture of Seattle; musicians, scientists, bartenders, computer programmers, and everyone who makes up the culture of Seattle. Songs for Eating and Drinking is another ongoing project of mine. Hosting good friends in the music industry so that we can document a gathering of good food and good music. My phone is always ringing with a new project.

Does your travel schedule allow you to blend your work travel into leisure? Well, without making it more complex than it is, my schedule is very hairy. The reality is that my time is very packed, which is the way that I like it. That is where my creativity comes from. My life is so immersed in art, and it is a dream come true. So there is no line I draw between work and leisure. I am just 1OO% engaged. I fly 150,000 miles a year, work 18 hour days. Being a professional creative, I never really disengage. Quiet time allows for me to relax and to maybe work on my fine arts after a commercial shoot, but it’s not like I schedule two-week vacations. All I need for leisure is quiet time to sketch, or dream or think.

Any words of wisdom for our viewers who want to seek out to be as creative and adventurous as you? For me, my day starts early; I try to get outside first thing, usually with my coffee. I have a mole skin sketchbook I sketch in and, obviously, I use my iPhone to snap pictures for the Best Camera. But here’s more broad sweeping advice for the viewers; just do something creative everyday. When you sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on your cappuccino, do it in a pattern, whatever it is. Be mindful of being creative. I want to see an awakened creative consciousness of creativity in our culture. I am getting a ruler waved at me; I have to click over to line two. But thank you for the interview!

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