RICK BARRACK

Rick Barrack is the lead creative force at CBX and one of its founding partners. He is responsible for inspiring, directing and motivating the creative teams to develop powerful design solutions. Among his colleagues, he has a reputation for striving for excellence and imagination. Barrack has close to 20 years of experience in corporate identity and consumer brand identity design and has led major initiatives for companies such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Petro-Canada, Exxon Mobil, Johnson & Johnson, and Del Monte Foods. Prior to creating CBX, he was a Senior Design Director at FutureBrand and Design Director at LPK. Barrack is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, where he received a BFA in graphic design.

Where were you born, where do you live, did this effect your design style or sensibilities? I was born in Charleston WV, grew up in Louisville KY and now live in Short Hills NJ. After growing up in the South and taking an interest in drama and design, I soon realized that a move to the New York area was necessary to fulfill my dreams. A more fruitful life than drinking bourbon, eating chicken potpies and designing horse saddles for living.

If you were not a designer, what would you be? A NASCAR driver. Everybody from the South wants to be a NASCAR driver. Really!

What is your design process, do you sketch first, go to the computer, take days off to get inspired? Process? Totally old school: a sketcher and a professional paper folder. Designers can benefit from knowing how to sketch for sure, but paper folding is a lost art. The ability to tear, tape and splice ideas together can be magical. To many, it may seem like "Frankensteining," but to me it's a combination of random calculation and planned spontaneity, an exercise to find the optimal direction. Don't call it a process. Call it a journey.

Days off to get inspired? Forget it. Being inspired is a way of life. Designers are in the business of inspiration. For me, I do the typical magazine tours, art exhibits, cinema, tv viewing, and web immersion. But the real inspiration comes from billboards on the streets, the latest condominium complex being built on the corner, the latest window display, the newest retail concept, the meal I had the night before or the last conversation I had with my daughters.

What is one thing you have done to help weather the economic downturn? Believe it or not ... we've hired people and stimulated the economy. We've invested in top tier talent in all of our disciplines and we've used this time to ensure that our company will be prepared for future years. Our company has been very fortunate over the past year and we do not take that for granted.

What is your greatest strength and weakness as a designer? Strength? The ability to capture an audience and to take them on a journey by telling a story with the designs we create. I think that is key. Without the story, it's pretty pictures. You need to tell a tale and captivate your audience with that adventure. My greatest weakness? I talk too much.