Chris Mickschl

Q: Tell us what it is you really do here.

A: I work in the interactive department, doing information architecture and wire-framing, interactive design (creating websites, banner ads, microsites, e-newsletters, etc.), flash animations and front-end development. Sound exciting? It is!

Q: What made you want to be an Interactive Designer?

A: Like so many in the industry, I didn’t set out to become an interactive designer. After two years of long labs, too much studying and inhaling far too many chemicals as a biology and chemistry major, I thought back to a visual communications class I took in high school and thought maybe I’d rather be “drawing pictures” than pipetting chemicals into graduated cylinders and test tubes.

So I entered into the visual communications world and ended up taking a beginner web design course, the only one offered at my college. The professor didn’t have any web experience and was teaching us to export psd mockups as html (cringe), but what did I know at that point?

My senior year of college I was able to get an internship at an agency in Chicago within their New Media Dept. Once I was exposed to the work being produced, I had a goal and direction to strive for.

Q: What things have you done in the past that prepared you for this job?

A: During my short career, I’ve worked at publishing, interactive and marketing agencies. I think having the experience working within a wide range of industries has helped shape the work I do and has given me exposure to different types of clients and projects.

Q: We heard you're getting married soon. Congratulations! Are you the type of groom-to-be who's involved in the planning, or are you more hands-off?

A: Wedding planning? Steph is simply going to give me the time and place—all I need to do is show up. Honestly, I’ve been involved in some of the decision making, but Steph is the one doing most of the work. My only major responsibilities were creating a wedding website and a slideshow. No problem!!

Q: Soccer. (Football?) You love it, which is very cultured and European of you! What made you come to love the sport? Do you play?

A: I started playing soccer when I was around 7, and continued playing competitively through college. Now, my joints ache too much and I keep getting knocked around in coed leagues, so I’m thinking about hanging up the boots.

I really became interested in following European soccer in the early 90’s watching Ajax, a team in Amsterdam. Long story short, many of the players on that team moved to FC Barcelona, so I began following them. Both Ajax and Barcelona have similar philosophies in playing styles and developing players through their youth teams. I now follow Barca religiously and even made a trip to Barcelona to watch a game!