You know when you meet someone and it feels like you’ve known them forever? Joel Speasmaker is like that. Comfortable, intelligent, down to earth… an old soul. Joel is an amazing designer and a sort of jack of all trades. From publishing to making art to designing, he blows me away with everything he does. This is why we tap Joel for a majority of Poketo’s special projects. The poketo colors and identity you see on this website, Joel helped create. The Poketo for Target website, Joel designed. Now, Joel has lent his visual design to our newest Colorparty wrist watch we launched just a couple weeks back. Here we go, lets chat with Joel Speasmaker.

You do so much work from art shows to commercial work to zines. How would you describe yourself — artist, designer, publisher? Anything you absolutely love over another?

I think that I keep each of those things — artist, designer, publisher, whatever — separate in my thinking. But this isn’t intentional. They are obviously all related, and I try to keep a consistent philosophy throughout, but I’m less confident with some, and more confident with others. There are positives and negatives in this.

We first met when you created and published The Drama quarterly arts magazine. I believe at the Alternative Press Expo back in 2005. How has making that magazine shaped your current work and personal life.

It shaped everything, really. On top of learning so much throughout that period of time, I inadvertently set up this huge network of insanely talented and kind people that I’ve been able to eventually work for, collaborate with, live with, or simply be a friend of. It’s pretty amazing, actually, and I don’t think I realized the significance of it at the time while it was happening. But I appreciate it so much now. If only I could find the time for one last related project I’ve been planning…

Tell us about your design firm, Forest. What is the philosophy, what type of projects do you enjoy working on?

The easiest way to explain my method behind working is this: you have to create your space. Something can’t exist without a framework. Create the space for the something to exist. Empty your mind and allow it to move through you. Don’t look at the internet. Don’t obsess over what your peers are doing. Be thoughtful and honest. Forget about design. Learn other things.

Give us a glimpse of your Brooklyn studio. You are also surrounded by other great artists and designers in the building. What is a typical day like?

I love my studio. Super tall ceiling, tons of light coming through, a train going right by the window. Brooklyn is crazy and frustrating and loud, and my studio is a nice escape from that. Lately a typical day starts a little later, tea in my thermos, working a bit in between watching soccer.

Your aesthetic is clearly seen in all of the commercial work you do. Do you feel like there is a distinction between your personal work and the work you do for clients? How do you work both harmoniously?

I actually struggle much more with personal work, as opposed to client work. The method and form seem to present themselves to you as you go through the motions with a client. I’ve learned to separate myself from this work, while still taking it just as seriously as my own. I have a hard time with design awards and accolades, because there was so much more going on than just me on any given project. Shouldn’t the client be just as recognized for something that is successful? Whatever I’ve created wouldn’t exist without their problem needing to be solved. And in the end it is simply that, a solution created within the restraints of my aesthetic combined with the process of reacting to a clients desires.

On the other hand, personal work is so intensely personal for me that it is difficult to share it. I love the process of it, I spend more time thinking and doing research than actually creating something. But when finished, there is of course that human need for some sort of recognition or validation. Some people thrive on this and create their whole career around it. But I try to fight that instinct.

As most people know, you created our Poketo visual identity we see today. Give us your thoughts on designing the Poketo identity and how that translates to your latest project with us, The Colorparty Watch.

We went through a large amount of variations and ideas, before eventually coming to what you see today. I think it portrays (at least how I feel about) Poketo in such a simple and strong way: a modern sense of fun and collaboration. It’s been rewarding to then apply the identity to new and unique projects, namely the line for Target, and now the Poketo watch with Furni. We were limited in a sense to what we could customize on the watch, so I’m glad we went with a simple application of the Poketo colors. Each of these projects seem to inform the next one, I wonder what’s on the horizon?

Three words that describe The Colorparty watch:

Subtle color statement.

More from Joel at thisisforest.com.
Check out the Colorparty watch here.

We took a few moments to chat with our friend Olivia “Via” San Mateo, the brilliant artist behind design and letterpress studio, Olive-Route. It was Olivia who took our logo to new heights with perfectly registered and wonderfully tactile letterpressed business cards–let’s learn a little bit about what she does.

How did you come up with the name Olive-Route? 

It’s the meaning of my name: Olivia, means olive and via (my nickname) means route.

Why letterpress? 

I’ve always loved working with my hands. I originally went to architecture school, where we made 3D balsa wood models. When I got into graphic design, I got into color, composition, and type, but missed the tactility you get from architecture. Letterpress satisfies all the aspects I enjoy about design. It’s also ridiculously satisfying to see and feel something you’ve designed in print.  

How did you get into it?  

By chance. While studying graphic design, my instructor introduced me to David Goines of St. Hieronymous Press, a local poster designer and printer in Berkeley. I walked into his shop and asked for an apprenticeship. One whiff of the inks and solvents, and the sight of the vintage presses, pretty much had me at hello.

Tell us a little about your studio’s long history in printmaking. 

Telling you a bit about the history of my studio means paying respect to my printing mentors next door (David Goines, Richard Seibert & Roger Plumb). Olive-Route is 2 doors down from St. Hieronymous, which has been around for over 40 years! I often say that my shop is an annex of their shop, because I still use a lot of their equipment and expertise. After 5 years in business, I’m starting to find my own ground. The apron strings will probably never be completely cut off, though!

Do you have a lot of help or do you do everything yourself?  

I do everything myself, for the most part. But help comes in many forms–I have the guys next door if i have a technical question, or need another set of eyes. I’ve had interns help me with unglamorous shop tasks, like trimming paper, cleaning presses, assembly, and packaging. I also have good relationships with collaborators who become part of my design and production process: freelancers, paper artists, calligraphers, book binders. Almost every aspect of what I produce is handmade, and if I can’t do it myself, I end up collaborating to get the job done. It’s a great way for solo business owners like me to gain a network and not feel so isolated. 

Tell us about the machines that you use, and what makes them special. 

My first one, a Chandler and Price 10×15 platen press, was acquired 5 years ago for $500! That’s pretty much unheard of now, I think they’ve tripled in price since. It’s special because it was my first one and it’s my workhorse. My shop wouldn’t exist without that press! My second one is a Vandercook 4 proof press, great for art prints and small runs. I printed most of the Poketo letterpress prints on that machine. It’s a great press to experiment on, and it’s the one I use to teach my interns. 

You letterpressed our business cards with the new Poketo logo (designed by Joel Speasmaker), and it must have been a challenge–especially with the color overlays. Needless to say, the cards are perfect, and the impression on the paper is just delicious. What was it like working with this design? 

I love the whole “building block” idea with the Poketo logo, each stroke a primary color. It’s a simple idea, but not as simple to print! This was a tight register, so I had to feed each color perfectly into place in order for it to work. Can’t go wrong with the 2-ply cotton stock paper, takes a super good impression–delicious is right!

What kind of work do you do? What is your favorite? 

My work is almost all referral-based, so I work on whatever seems interesting, and will keep the momentum going. I design and print my own stuff, and also work with artists & designers who bring their work to be letterpressed. I’ve done small business collateral, poetry broadsides, posters, art prints, and social and personal stationery, which includes anything from wedding invites to baby announcements. I don’t produce cards for wholesale, since I’m mainly a custom shop, but I do have an Etsy site where I throw small-run paper goods from time to time. I love collaborating, so my favorite is when i get together with an artist or designer that I like to make prints. 

You have worked with a lot of Poketo’s artists, including Kate Bingaman-Burt, Leah Chun, Anne Cibola, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and more. Tell us about that. 

The 2 months it took to make all the Poketo prints was a super fun experience. I remember Leah Chun and Peskimo’s art prints having tight registrations, so I chose to print those on my platen press as opposed to the Vandercook. I had just acquired the Vandy during that time, and wasn’t as confident using it. It took a lot of ink and multiple hits on my press to get the black areas as saturated as they are. Tim Gough’s had good use of overprinting colors. It was a 3 color job, but the blue and yellow mixing gave it a 4th green color– bonus!

What is the ultimate project? What haven’t you done? 

A book. Haven’t done yet but would love to publish a small run one day. 

When you are not in the studio, what are you doing? 

I recently bought a ukulele so i’m trying to teach myself how to play, preferably outdoors on a warm sunny day .

If you were not a letterpress printer, what would you be doing? 

I love food and wine, and would really love to be good at making both! Living in California, I’ve met many chefs and wine-makers who think like printers–fine attention to detail, a love for working with their hands, and always finding ways to refine their craft. It would be an easy transition, except for the fact that I can’t cook a damn thing!

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Thanks to Olivia for granting us a view into her awesome work! Check out the lovely prints she has lovingly letterpressed for our Poketo artists here.

More on Via and Olive-Route letterpress here.

What’s great about Summer is we have folks stopping by all the time…. Joel Speasmaker of Forest Design and artist Caroline Hwang dropped by to do some secret Poketo projects (secret for now, you’ll see soon) and also to let the doggies hang out.

Joel is an artist and designer, the former publisher of one of the raddest art magazines, The Drama, served as art director for Anthem Magazine, and the designer for our recently launched Poketo visual identity and website. Joel is holding a very special letterpress version of our logo here that he designed. Printed by our good friend and amazing art printer, among other things, Via San Mateo.

Our friend Via owns and operates an incredible letterpress studio in Berkeley. I’ll be featuring her studio, Olive-Route in a future blog post, more on that later.

Our studio is buzzing right now with Summer interns too. Without these incredible folks, I don’t know how we would survive. Hard working, dedicated, amazingly creative… I am extremely grateful that they are here working with us in the studio.

And of course, our Poketo peeps that hold down the fort, that make Poketo run smooth, our left and right hand… what else can I say, I am honored.