Meet The Designers - Robbie Porter

This time out we’re meeting designer Robbie Porter, who’s brand new card range has just been released by Scribbler. The main focus of his artwork, is to create playful, yet thought-provoking designs.

Hi Robbie, thanks for taking part in our Q and A. One thing I’d love to know is how you became involved with Scribbler?

I met the team at a trade show I was exhibiting at in London, I’d always thought my cards would be a good fit with Scribbler so I’m over the moon to be working with them.

Your range is really clean and crisp, how did you come up this style of card?

Thanks, I’ve always been very neat and tidy - I drive my partner up the wall by arranging everything in our house in an overly precise manner… from food in the fridge to books on a shelf, everything has to have its place. I even tidy up stuff in shops sometimes, it’s a terrible compulsion.

I wish I was the same, maybe you can come and help me out at my house?! I always like to ask what are your main inspirations, be it people or the everyday?

My biggest inspiration is the comic Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson. It’s about a six-year-old boy called Calvin and his imaginary friend Hobbes, who happens to be a tiger. It’s incredibly imaginative and beautifully drawn, but what I find most compelling is how it takes quite complex and often philosophical ideas and communicates them with humour and wit.

I can definitely see that reflected in your designs. You must have some inspiring surroundings as well. Whereabouts are you based and are there any creative scenes in your area?

I live in London so I’m spoilt for choice really. One of my favourite places to visit is Novelty Automation in Holborn, it’s an arcade where all the games have been hand-made by an artist called Tim Hunkin, they range from the utterly absurd to completely pointless but all of them are fantastic.

Oh, that sounds awesome! Do you think you’ve always had a passion to create?

I was always encouraged to make things by my parents. We had a room in the house where we were allowed to get messy which we called The Playroom, my mum would save all our cardboard (this was before recycling) and we’d build robots and monsters out of a seemingly infinite supply of the cardboard tubes from toilet paper.

Brilliant, I remember playing with boxes for hours on end, I guess that’s where the inspiration for your ‘Cardboard Box’ design came from. Speaking of having a passion to create, do you have a mantra the you live by?

I like what Craig Frazier says - “Good design goes from the eye, to the mind, then the heart.”

There’s a lot of people out there hoping to one day become a professional designer. What words of wisdom/encouragement would you give to aspiring artists hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Just make as much work as possible, it’s the only way to improve. Oh, and prepare to be poor but happy!

We’ve got a few quick-fire questions lined up:

What is your favourite animal/tv show/ film?

Koala - they sleep 22 hours a day, that’s the dream, literally.

At the moment it’s Fleabag.

Harvey.

What’s your favourite creative medium?

I think I’m still happiest with pencil on paper, but I do spend a lot of time on photoshop and enjoy being able to make mistakes then fix them.

Favourite type of music?

Oof that’s tough - it really depends on what mood I’m in… currently I’m listening to a lot of piano music by Peter Broderick.

What’s your favourite card from your Scribbler range?

Probably ‘Cardboard Box’ - I think everyone can remember having more fun playing with the box a toy came in than the toy itself.

Thanks Robbie. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you!

You can take a look at Robbie Porter’s cards right here.