Q: You mentioned that a lot of people write and tell you how much they’ve been impacted by your work. What do you think touches people so profoundly?

A: I don’t know. I got a message from someone this morning telling me he liked the way I told the truth.

Q: How do you think you tell the truth?

A: I think I either get the opportunity or I go looking for it. Sometimes I have to go digging for it. There are surface–veneer–solutions to design problems, and that’s appropriate if you’re talking bullshit. But to get to the truth, you have to push everything aside. Everything–and then get down to that one perfect little gem.

Q: How do you know when it’s a gem?

A: I talk to my students about this all the time. It’s about whittling. It’s about taking something and whittling and whittling and getting it sharp and perfect. Then you’ve got something.

An excerpt from an interview Victore did with Debbie Millman for her book How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer.

Above poster by James Victore

Tags:designIllustrationJames Victorephilosophytruth