Studio Tour: Designer, Filmmaker, & Letterpress Printer Doug Wilson
You’ve recently witnessed graphic designer and filmmaker Doug Wilson’s chair competition with office mate Brandon Goodwin. Today, we’re giving you a closer look at workspace where they created their clever short film (among others). Take a spin around the office Doug’s Mirra chair shares with Brandon’s Aeron chair in this latest studio tour.
Tell us about yourself and your work: what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. I recently finished directing and producing my first documentary film called “Linotype: The Film.” It is about the Linotype typecasting machine and its impact on communication and the modern news media. It is also about a bunch of awesome old guys that work with crazy machines.
As trite as this answer will be, I find my inspiration all around me. I love travel and find my clearest thinking at 30,000 feet with my computer off. Most of my favorite projects have started as a result of traveling.
I am currently teaching typography and letterpress classes at Missouri State University and working on freelance design and video projects. I just finished two years of traveling around the world with the film, so I am trying to slow down and decide what is next. I have a few ideas about upcoming films, but I don’t have a direction just yet.
Tell us about your space. What’s your aesthetic? What do you like or dislike about it? I share the office with filmmaker (and “Linotype: The Film” cinematographer) Brandon Goodwin. It is in an old brick building in downtown Springfield, Missouri and we share the building with a few other creatives.
My aesthetic is a mix of trying to be clean and modern but also accepting that I am a collector of vintage ephemera and objects. I decorate with many letterpress-printed posters along with objects found at flea markets.
Brandon and I built our own desks using solid-core doors and legs. This kept our costs down as well as gave us a hand-built feel to the space. As a collector, I can never have enough flat files to organize and sort my vintage finds.
One perk of the office is our single-malt scotch collection that everyone shares. This keeps things relaxed around the office. My current favorite is Lagavulin 16 or Glenmorangie Finealta.
Photos: Doug Wilson. See the short film of the office’s Mirra vs. Aeron competition here.
