About Beardy Guy
View from the home office.
Beardy Guy Creative operates out of a "tiny house" in Madison County Missouri, just 5 miles north of Fredericktown.
Not Just Design: Humanity
I spent much of my time in the 1990s working with a variety of community organizations in Memphis, TN and it was in this context that I began doing design work. I had no degree in design or art and very little experience but there was a need and no one able or willing to learn the software, process or skills. I took on many of these tasks as an opportunity to learn and contribute something at the same time. I made it my mission to learn everything I could and to put that knowledge to use in my community. It wasn't long before I was the guy people called when they needed a website or newsletter or help with a computer.
Where the magic happens.
What I learned during this on-the-job, in-the-community training, is that design work is intimately connected to relationships. Our lives are designed on a variety of levels and if we pay attention to the relationships that exist we become much better designers. It's not just about the relationship of the elements on a web page or on a print design, but the relationships we form in working with one another. Oddly enough this was illustrated for me in 2001 while working for the Memphis Literacy Council (Now Literacy Mid-South) when I started working with FileMaker Pro. I had been playing with it for fun but the organization needed a serious database to track hundreds of students and tutors, classes, credit hours and more. I jumped in and two months later had a system set-up that is still in use to this day! Using FileMaker Pro was a huge step for me as it required that I combine traditional elements of layout and design with information architecture which would reflect complex real world relationships and complex data relationships. The end product had to allow for staff to view and understand the many relationships between students and volunteers but needed to do so in such a way as to not overwhelm the user. In other words, the system needed a thoughtfully designed interface which allowed for the display of complexity in a logical, easy to use way.
Our local farmers' market.
To this day I continue the same work setting up websites, developing databases, providing tech support, creating brochures and presentations. It is work that I truly enjoy and if the need arises I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm (obsession) with you! Most of my work these days is centered in Madison County, Missouri. In late 2008 I moved to Fredericktown which is the County Seat of Madison County. It is a beautiful area with many amazing small towns such as Marquand and Ironton nestled into the countryside. I spent many of my summer vacations visiting my grandparents in this area and when I had a chance to move here I took it. When I'm not creating brochures or designing websites I'm likely walking in the woods in search of the next photograph. All of the banner images at the top of BGC were taken by me, likely a landscape scene somewhere in Madison County.