In the latest installment of our Columbus Creatives: A Day in the Life series, we talk with Alex Webb, a graphic designer and co-founder of a brand strategy and digital design studio. In his free time, Alex has many hobbies that vary from hosting a video game podcast to rock climbing. Alex is a great example of the creatives in Columbus who work hard AND play hard.
Hello! I’m Alex Webb and I’m a 30 year young, Columbus born and raised bipedal hominid. I’m a graphic designer and co-founder of Snow Day Studios. I’m in a touring screamo band (Prize The Doubt), I do a video game podcast called So Game We All, I climb rocks and am a sucker for transparency and vintage Honda motorcycles. I currently live and work out of German Village.
Morning
My alarm clock broke this year and I just threw it away. The gesture is silly but it was extremely satisfying. Most people like making sweeping generalizations about “creatives,” but I can assure you that we are not morning people. Unless I have a client meeting I am typically fresh for work by 10 AM. Shower, coffee, cook breakfast, doggo walk, playlist; now we are ready to push pixels.
Afternoon
This is 50-70% of the workday. Knowing when to walk away from the screen is extremely important for productivity. I do little audio sketches every day when I take design breaks. This helps me maintain a creative mindset without getting tunnel vision. Almost analogous to stretching after a run. Let it be noted that studies have shown the 8-hour workday consists of about 4 hours of actual productive work. One mistake I see more conservative agencies make is forcing their creatives to be in their chair from 9-5. That format is an old way of thinking and it inhibits creativity. Changing your environment and breaking routines is key to personal growth.
I find my mind is too lethargic for free association after eating, so I started intermittent fasting. Lunch is around 3 followed by rock climbing at the Columbus Audubon (weather permitting). I usually slack my progress to my friend and Creative Director, Brandon Mullins before taking a break. This gives me a problem to solve while I’m taking a break
Evening
I am a night owl. I think some of my best work has come from burning the midnight oil. Since I work from home I avoid all of the distractions that come with office life. I have 1000% more energy than I did in the traditional workplace. It certainly isn’t for everybody, but I find that people make time for what is important and design is one of those things for me. I typically finish the work day around 7-9 PM. This is the home stretch where I am coming back with fresh eyes and able to pinpoint what is and what is not working. When the day is done I’m most likely playing Fortnite or Destiny 2 with some bourbon. Cheers guardian!
