Just a little background before we get started, Mike works as a senior designer supporting one of our government clients. He’s been with Eleven Peppers for a full year.

1. Do you have any nicknames?
My dad started calling me Moser when I was a kid. Now some of my nieces and nephews call me Uncle Moser.

2. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Stumble across the room to scan the NFC tag that shuts my alarm off as that’s the only way force myself out of bed.

3. What’s your favorite part about working as a designer?
I’ve always enjoyed making things and problem solving. Design is a great way to do both. 

4. How did you get started in this industry?
I taught myself how to use a questionably sourced Adobe PageMaker in high school to do the layout and design of my high school’s literary art magazine.

5. What are your favorite tools of the trade? What are the worst?
I’ve blown a few minds already with this one, but the ability to do simple math fields that support numerical data in Adobe apps. Like, I need to scale this up by one golden ratio, just type the equation in the height/width box. I’m telling you, as someone who hates math, this is the best feature in Adobe products. 

Worst? Once you’ve done the layout of a 300-page printed book in PowerPoint because that’s how the customer wants it, you develop a deep personal loathing for it.

6. Do you have a set process when starting a new project?
After so many years of executive level projects and quick turns, my process is “Semper Gumby.” Just need the due date and then I can start deciding how to work within the time constraints.

7. Rapid-Fire Round:

Caffeine or no? I can do all things thru caffeine which keepeth me awake.

Sweet or savory? Sweet.

Favorite TV series or movie? All things Star Wars.

Favorite place to travel? Anywhere I can fly my drone.

Hobbies? Drone Photography, 3D printing, drawing, painting, guitar, fencing, piano, tech gadgets…whatever my latest hyper fixation is.

8. Okay, admission time… If you could pick one design that you wish you had come up with first, what would it be?
There was a series of minimalist McDonalds billboard ads that I thought were genius. So simple, yet so genius.

Thanks for meeting Mike. Stay tuned for next month’s interview with another one of our Pepper’s.