I began my design career in 1985, when the tools included drawing boards, technical pens, Rubylith and airbrushes. After working as the art director for two publishing companies and a prepress business, I established Out West Design, Inc. in 1994.
The tools have evolved—from paste-up to digital design, and now artificial intelligence. I use AI selectively to generate ideas, explore possibilities or solve production problems, but not as a substitute for judgement, experience or hands-on creativity. It is another tool—and, like any tool, its value depends largely on who is using it.
The underlying work remains much the same: understand the problem, recognize what matters and communicate it clearly.
