Matthias Mentasti Knows Awesome Designers

Creative Chair talks to Matthias Mentasti, the creative trailblazer behind 365 Awesome Designers

If you type the words ‘awesome’ and ‘design’ into Google, one of the first results you’ll get is 365 Awesome Designers, a 2012 project by creative designer Matthias Mentasti in which he showcased a top designer every day for a whole year.

The site received a lot of attention so we caught up with Matthias Mentasti to find out a little more about the man behind the project.

See more from Matthias Mentasti on his website.

Hi Matthias Mentasti, At what age did you begin designing?

Actually, I’m not sure if you could call it “designing” but I first got in touch with web design or design in general when I was 18 years old. It was more like “cool, so that’s how I can make an animated gif of a burning font … awesome!” than designing.

Is 365awesomedeingers.com a one-off or are you going to do it every year?

When I started 365awesomedesigners, I thought I’m going to quit doing it after two months because nobody will give a shit. But the site got a lot of attention and so I made it through the 365 designers – on one side I’m really happy that it’s over, on the other I’m kind of sad, because I met a lot of awesome people because of the site.

I think the first year was special because no one did something like that before, but a second year would be like the second part of final destination, nothing special. So it was a one-off.

What inspired you to start the project 365awesomedeingers?

Two days before New Year’s Eve in 2011 I got bored and started browsing through tons of “one photo a day, for one year”-sites, and thought, why not start my own one. And as I’m probably the worst photographer in the history of mankind, I thought posting a designer each day couldn’t be that difficult.

Where do you search for creative inspiration?

It may sound very cliché, but I’m not really “looking for” inspiration. Inspiration is everywhere to me. Just browse through the www, go outside, go for a run and inspiration will hit you.

It’s not often that you find a great graphic designer who is also a great web designer. Which of the two disciplines would you say that you’re more passionate about and how do you find a balance between the two?

I would say that it’s very balanced. I love both disciplines, and if I have tons of web design client work I find myself a little graphic design side-project or just try new things.

Everything is alright as long as you love doing what you do.

You’re clearly passionate about using new web technologies in your own designs but where do you think the web is going regarding how we use it and inter-device compatibility?

I think that the web is going to be more interactive. There will be a lot more possibilities for the user to interact with a website. I guess that I don’t have to tell you that mobile is the future, and every site needs to work on smartphones.

People want to use their services whenever and wherever they are. Mobile and tons of other devices will keep us designers and developers very busy.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

I’m not the kind of person who plans this far ahead. The only thing I know is that if I look back on the past five years, I want to be proud of what I’ve done. No matter if I’m a millionaire or just able to pay the rent. And I still want to love what I do!

And finally, if you died and were reincarnated as a song, what would that song be?

Haha, a very difficult question. I would have chosen one of my favourite songs, but that would be boring.
A very great person told me once that I would be a dark, quiet and thoughtful song, so I’d choose “I Believe In Your Victory” by the band This Will Destroy You.