How to Plant Ideas
An Interview With Fresh Tilled Soil’s Richard Banfield
Richard Banfield has been planting “seeds” for many years now. Unfortunately, these seeds are actually ideas that have outgrown him. It doesn’t matter to him though, what matters is that he keeps nurturing the kind of ‘soil’ where new “plants” can grow again. In this interview, he shares with us insights about life, work and social media.
Who has the best website design today (government, company, non-profit, person)?
Great websites are everywhere. 37Signals have several great web product designs. Obama’s campaign website was a huge leap forward for political websites. Apple has a great site too. They are all based on the idea that simplicity is really hard to achieve because you have to kill the urge to keep adding more.
How did YOU come up with the name Fresh Tilled Soil?
I grew up in Africa where there is a distinct advantage to nurturing the soil verses the slash-and-burn approach. Fresh Tilled Soil captures that metaphor for us and reminds that our existing clients are far more valuable than the mystery perfect client that’s always just around the corner.
Tell us more about what kind of soil is a fresh tilled soil.
Our soil is our clients. We nurture them and they reward us with their loyalty. We are careful to engage with smart and exciting clients and avoid the angry types.
How come YOU never met a whiteboard YOU didn’t like?
If you think of designing web applications you don’t think of whiteboards. In our studio we often sketch on paper or draw on a whiteboard before we start designing on the computer. I love the old-school feeling of a pen or a pencil in my hand when we’re working on something as ethereal and virtual as a website.
How has being an officer in the South African Defense Force and a dive master on the remote Islamic Republic of the Comoros helped YOU build a great career?
Instructing scuba diving and being an army officer are really the same thing. It teaches you to be hyper aware of the world around you and of the people you are leading. Those experiences taught me empathy and patience. You don’t get those skills at school, you get them in the real world.
Where did YOUR team get the inspiration in developing the User Interface Prototyping?
We got really good getting the ideas in peoples heads onto paper and then into the interface designs we were building. Our process started to look like the methods used by car designers and engineers.
We realized that product prototyping was something that could be applied to the web too.
Who are YOUR personal heroes? Why?
My heroes are people who start something when everyone says they can’t do it. It takes huge amounts of strength and courage to create a new path and ignore the critics. Aimee Mullens, the amputee athlete is one of those people.
What are YOU hungry for?
I’m hungry for my wife’s cooking. Seriously, I’m always hungry for the opportunity to meet and chat with entrepreneurs. Especially the ones that manage to pull off one success after another. They are a fascinating breed.
If YOU were to design the HungryPeople blog official logo, what would it look like?
I hate to disappoint you but I don’t design logos anymore. However, I’d suggest something simple and text based. I love the Apple logo. It’s so simple and clean. That would have been a good one for you, pity it’s taken.
Where can designers learn more about website design?
There are so many places on the web but the best way to learn is by doing. You can’t learn good design from a website or a book. It’s an experience. If you are a student of design then you should be designing something every day. I sometimes sit down and give myself 20 minutes to redesign a famous brands website. It’s a great way to learn.
About Richard Banfield
Richard Banfield is a serial entrepreneur with two decades of experience who thinks he still has a lot to learn. He is currently CEO of Fresh Tilled Soil and a full partner in Web-o-Matic.
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