Natalie Tyler

I don’t get to peer inside the minds of t-shirt designers quite as often as I’d like to so as a small step towards righting this wrong, I bring you the secret thoughts of Naf4d (aka Nathan – I hope I’m allowed to reveal that classified piece of information). He was kind enough to let me raid his photo album and subject him to questioning so we could get to know him a little better. So without further ado, let’s enjoy a quick brain milkshake with the winner of the recent Music Machines comp, scalpel lover and all round talented dude … Naf4d.

Show us a childhood photo of yourself.
Okay – you’ve got it. I’m about three years old in this photo, the year is about 1977 and I’m hiding behind a peacock feather (I’ve stopped doing this now!)

Which design are you most proud of and why?
I know it sounds a bit of a cliché, but I’m very rarely ‘proud’ of any design work that I do (on RB or in my graphic design day job). I often start a piece of work but by the time I’ve finished it I’ve completely gone off it and have often lost interest in it – I’m already thinking about how I should have done it, how it could have been better or thinking about a completely new piece already.

But to try and give you an answer specifically relating to RB, I guess I’m happy with (not so much ‘proud’ of) Voice Box (The Music Machine) – my winning entry to the Demo Stores competition. I’m happy with it because it was one of the five winning entries from a stack of fantastic designs. That was confirmation to me that someone valued or really liked it and, for me, there is no better feeling than knowing someone appreciates my work.

If there was such a thing as a stationary or art supplies hall of fame, which item would you nominate for inclusion and why?
I’ve got two items to nominate for this; the first one is the Mac Classic computer, it revolutionised the way Graphic Designers worked. My mum was ‘course leader’ for a graphic design degree course and she brought home this wonderful beige box at weekends – I was hooked!

My second item is the humble scalpel. I have fond memories of cutting the ends of my fingers with them at art college and I still have my trusty scalpel on my desk at work – it still sees a lot of action.

If you could design a t-shirt for a band which band would you choose?
Ah, that’s a hard one… I can’t just give you one band so I’ll just list a few that would be my ‘shortlist’: The Future Sound of London, The Prodigy, The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 808 State, Aphrodite, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, New Order, Kraftwerk, Lemon Jelly, Love with Arthur Lee, Nightmares on Wax, Orbital, Public Enemy, Seasick Steve, Simple Kid, The Velvet Underground and Woody Guthrie… to name a few, I could go on – I love music!

Which t-shirt by a fellow RB designer do you secretly wish you’d designed and why?
Damn, another hard one for me. Again, I can’t just give you one because there are a lot, but I’ll try and keep this list a bit shorter.
Ak47 Love & Peace (black) By Plastica Tees – because it was the first shirt I bought from RB and it ‘got me into’ the site.
Primate Scream By Rubyred – Because I also bought this shirt and when I wear it someone normally says “is that one of yours?” and it’s wearing thin having to explain that it’s not!... next time someone asks I’m going to say yes, sorry Roger. ;-)
Unplugged Angler By Nick Ford – Because it’s fucking sweet… am I allowed to swear?
Bored? ...... Board! By Nick Ford – Because that sounds like a rap, in’it blood!
There so many more from the likes of the artists and designers in my watchlist.

If you could have one RB t-shirt related wish granted, what would it be?
Bigger print area and possibly reverse printing available on all tees as well.

Finish this sentence: When I’m not making tees…
…my boss has come into the studio and I’m pretending to be doing ‘real’ client work! lol!

Thanks to Naf4d for letting me pick his brains. If you like what you’ve read then you should steal these questions (or write some different ones) and interrogate your own t-shirt designer.

Nat