Matt Pfahlert spent his early years engrossed by the inner workings of his dad’s ad agency, and being the envy of his classmates. In 2003, with more than twenty years of experience in the business, Pfahlert unveiled his very own, independent Get a Clue Design Studio.

Offering design and illustration, the Get a Clue Design Studio often finds itself working on projects for the music industry and its artists. Over the years, clients have included Live Nation, Wilco, Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Against Me!, Gogol Bordello, and many others. Pfahlert recently took some time to talk about the good ol’ x-acto knife days in his dad’s agency, maintaining a business in today’s economy, dream clients (as well as overly demanding ones), and to put the word out to The Tragically Hip to please collect their posters.

Q: You were introduced to the design world by working with your dad from a young age – how would you say those years shaped the way you work/design today?

A: I think that coming from a time when graphic design was still being done, essentially, by hand – wow, do I sound old – that hands-on process affects how I approach design projects today. Even though there’s no kerning type by hand with an x-acto knife, there’s no applying just the right amount of rubber cement on a mechanical you just hand inked with a rapidiograph pen, there’s no shooting the perfect photostat – all those little things that added to the “craft” of design – all those techniques I remember and, at least in some way, I think all that translates today into how I try to take a bit more time to develop a design. Which is tough because we’re in the quick-natured computer age of design. There’s that perception that all you do for a living is draw all day and hit a few buttons and viola;“Design happens!” Continue reading →