Your Product is Your Best Advertising- an interview with Donald Burlock, Creative Director at Skully
Sometimes, the best advertising you can do is to just make a damn good product. Donald Burlock (@MrBurlock) is the visionary creative director melding technology with design in some pretty amazing ways at Skully, the world’s first augmented reality motorcycle helmet. His background is an wonderful example of practical know-how meeting emotional intelligence, having worked both as an industrial designer as well as at the advertising firm Ideo.
We asked him a few questions for our Instagram series “Creative Direction” to see how he ended up where he is today and what he did to get there.
Creative Direction: “What was the most important influence or idea that put you on the path you’re on now, and why was it important?”
Donald Burlock: “My background is in mechanical engineering — when I started out I was working for a large automotive supplier in the midwest. During one of my meetings with our biggest OEM, General Motors, I had an opportunity to visit the design studio. It was an incredible experience and changed my entire perspective on what steps to take in my career. I had always been interested in drawing and painting, but I had never made the personal connection to how these creative skills could translate to the technical world.”
“After that day, I decided that exploring a path in design would be worthwhile. I started working on a portfolio — full of mechanical engineering patents, tech projects, photography, and art. I submitted it to a few design programs and ultimately landed at Georgia Tech in their industrial design program. The professors I met in the program were really instrumental in helping me shape my career path.”
C.D: “What advice would you give to someone just graduating who wants to follow a similar path as you in design and creativity?”
D.B: “Don’t be discouraged by the multiple failures it takes to get a career in creative moving. Sometimes it takes a lot of misses before something hits. Whether starting out as a freelancer or a low-paid design employee — it takes time to get going. I would also tell them that their portfolio is their best calling card — it helps them document work, document their process, and ultimately display their interests and personality.”
“Don’t be discouraged by the multiple failures it takes to get a career in creative moving. Sometimes it takes a lot of misses before something hits.”
C.D: What’s the most useful technique/product/process you’ve began applying to you work in the past couple of years?
D.B: “Sketching has hands down been the most useful technique/process that I have been able to apply to work over the past couple of years.”
Check out Donald’s Instagram feed here, and don’t forget to “like” his appearance in “Creative Direction”!
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