Christian Solorzano [00:05]

Hello, you're listening to Underscore, a podcast by the Chicago Graphic Design Club dedicated to bringing you conversations with Chicago's creative leaders. On this podcast, we'll explore the craft, theory, and practice of graphic design, plus discuss bold ideas that push the boundaries of what's possible and ways in which we can create a more thoughtful and inclusive community. To learn more about us, visit our website at www.chicagographicdesign.club or find us on social media. Special thanks to the Chicago band 80 Slang for our theme music.

Nick Haas [00:44]

Hello, today I'm speaking with Nick Haas, a Chicago-based designer, creative director, and artist.

Christian Solorzano [01:01]

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Nick has been calling Chicago his home for over 20 years. In 2002, he graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a degree in graphic design. Today, his roles are Director of Design in the Products and Technology Practice at PwC, which is a large consulting firm, and he's also the founder of Haas Style, his creative outlet where he produces artwork and photography for public companies and private collectors.

His work has been recognized by GDUSA, Communicator Awards, W3 Awards, the Chicago Suntimes, and the Chicago Tribune, amongst others. His artist statement is rooted in his love for everyday objects, the urban landscape, complexity, and function, and his appreciation for Chicago is very evident in his work. So everyone that's listening, I encourage you to check it out. So welcome, Nick. I am very happy to have you here.

And before we get started, I'm very curious to learn a little bit about what was your introduction to graphic design?

Nick Haas [02:02]

Thanks, Christian. Thank you for having me. This is going to be fun. So my introduction to graphic design, I'd have to say that if you can count comic books as an introduction to graphic design, I guess. I think as a kid, I loved to draw, I loved to paint, I loved to do a ton of different things. But really, I think I started to see the medium of graphic design as it came together within comic books, right?

The idea of mixing type and art and image and storytelling and all of those things together into one really fascinated me. And so, as I, as a kid really was into the idea of the storytelling aspect of comic books and the art aspect of comic books, it really influenced me to start trying to do some of this stuff on my own. And this is way back in the day before we had any, programs or anything to work on from a computer standpoint.

So, but that was really my first intro to that. And then over time, it just kind of grew as I got older and learned more and more about technology, more about graphic design, and kind of how it worked in practice. So that would be my first, my first introduction to graphic design.

Christian Solorzano [03:19]

And when did you actually learn about the term graphic design? And was it through a class? Was it through— like, I'm very curious to just hear about once you, once you recognize that this is graphic design, this is something you could do as a career, what was that like?

Nick Haas [03:35]

That's a great question. So I had a really good friend growing up who was doing graphic design work at the time. I didn't really know that it was graphic design, but he started to do it when he was in high school. And he introduced me to the term graphic design, and it was really the first time I thought to myself that, huh, that sounds interesting.

Maybe I could make a career out of this, or something I could look into as something that I could do with my kind of creative outlet and, what I wanted to do for a living, possibly.

And so that was really the first time that I really heard the term graphic design, and he showed me what he was doing, and it was really kind of the beginning of, the idea around the computer graphics kind of coming in right back in the day and being able to use software to start to play with the— with image and type and those types of things. So it really was like a foundational kind of structure around, hey, this is something that can be done.

Check this out, look what we can do with this new technology, it's really interesting. And so he started to show me what those possibilities were. Now, growing up in Cleveland at the time, this was like in the '90s, I'm dating myself here.

This is in the '90s. And, there really wasn't much of that type of scene within Cleveland, right? I think as a young kid, you were kind of looking for other people did similar things, or you had similar interests, right? But I would say you only found a handful, and there wasn't really much access to it. So I think for me, it was really that point where I said, you know what, I really want to— I need to leave here. And I came to Chicago.

And I think when I came to Chicago, I went to DePaul, and I enrolled in their arts program, which had a graphic design discipline in it. That's when I really started to understand that, hey, I could actually really make this a career. By being exposed to that and around all of it all the time, I saw the infrastructure that Chicago had for it here and really started to believe that this is something that I could do for a living.

Christian Solorzano [05:38]

Interesting. And if it wasn't for graphic design, was there ever any other thing that you were considering doing right when you, were looking to go to college? Or was graphic design pretty much the one thing that just felt the most right to you?

Nick Haas [05:55]

I think, well, I didn't, I didn't really have any idea what I wanted to do, when it came to coming up here. I think I knew I wanted to come to someplace that had more of an exposure to, different paths for career, a different art scene, photography, graphic design, painting, you name it, like all of those things I wanted to come to see and be a part of.

But I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I came up here, at least for my first year. I think I majored in political science my first year and it was terrible. I think I almost failed out my freshman year because it was so bad. I was like, why am I doing political science? Because it was safe. It felt safe. I don't know.

And then going into my sophomore year of college, I was encouraged by a handful of friends and family and folks who were like, dude, you should really you should do this, right? This is something that you should take a— you seem to really like it. Obviously you've done it your whole life in some sort of way. Why don't you take classes and actually formalize it?

So my sophomore year, I took my first design class and that's when I fell in love with it and said, okay, this is what I'm really gonna do. I'm gonna put all my efforts into doing this work.

Christian Solorzano [07:07]

Okay, so fast forward from 2002 when you graduated, what do you do today? 'Cause I know that you're a director of design in a products and technology group at PwC. How— what's the relationship there between, what you did, what you studied 20 years ago, and also what you're doing today? Is there any— yeah, just very interested in hearing that transition go from, what you were doing then to what you're doing now.

Nick Haas [07:33]

From what I was doing back then, I think, it was so basic for me back then. I think, at the time, I look back then and I think at the time it was super complex, right? It was really trying to learn so much. And understand the, not only the technology that was being pushed out, but also the fundamentals of graphic design and understanding, how to approach design in a, in a smart way based on design principles and foundational principles of design and things of that nature.

Really learning the craft, but also learning the emerging technology that was coming around at that time. And this was like you said, 2002-ish.

And then I think over time, it changed in the fact that as you're working like in the industry, you're in the business, if you will, going from— I've been at, different agencies my whole career, going from agency to agency, you start to— you obviously continue to learn the craft and you continue to learn the technology and you're kind of always adapting to what is out there and what's coming.

And kind of having a bit of like your finger on the pulse of what you need to be ahead of in a way to adapt correctly, I think, is your skill sets and the way you approach your work, etc. But I think you've obviously matured, right? So as you've, as you've worked longer, you start to get more business— I would say business savvy and more savvy around management and things of that nature. At least it did for me.

And so I would say that the bigger difference now than, from there was the technologies obviously are different. Things are much easier. I think the barrier of entry is much better and seems a little bit less than it was for when I was coming out of school. I think the exposure to so much more happens earlier, which is awesome. And then I think the other thing is just the human factor, right?

I think when I was younger, I was really focusing on the craft and really focusing on the ideas that I can bring forward to the work that I was doing. And I think as I've gotten older, I really understood the human factor that comes into play all the time when you're doing work, whether it's for clients, whether it's working internally with folks, whether you're managing a team, whether you're pitching an idea, like that whole aspect of things comes into play so much.

And I think that's what I really learned over the course of, 20 years of doing this is that idea that there's so much more to it than just the work that you're doing. You have to really kind of take a step back and look around and see who you're doing it for and why, and really try to understand what you're trying to communicate with the work you're doing in the environment that you're in now, and understanding the context of the past to some degree.

So I think that's the difference. It's more of a maturation and a bit more of a of an understanding of the world you're living in is different than when you came out. Does that make sense?

Christian Solorzano [10:33]

Yeah, that makes sense. 'Cause I've seen you work, I've worked with you, and I think one of the things that I've always really appreciated about you and respect is that you've almost like mastered the craft of communicating the value of design to non-designers.

And I think typically when someone, for instance, when I graduated, it took me at least a couple of years to actually get comfortable with discussing the rationale behind design decisions and also just providing stakeholders and other people that are non-designers an understanding of why design matters. So I think that's, I mean, when I hear you talk, I think that's also another thing that you're also saying.

And then also something else that I've seen you do really well is that you sort of, you're able to see the big picture of how design fits within business. And I think that's another thing that I see in myself slowly learn over time is just the big question of how does design fit within this big, large spectrum of all these other things that are going on within a client, within an organization, industry, sector, whatever. So yeah, it's nice hearing you say this because I totally agree.

And then, and then I will also add to that is that you do, as director of design, my understanding is that you also help empower people to do their job really well. So you're not more— you're not really on the ground anymore, like actually executing the work, but you're more so overseeing other people do that. Is that correct?

Nick Haas [12:07]

Yeah, that's correct. 100%. I think, yeah, and I think it's and I think I love it. I think it's a kind of— we talk about that change process over time. I think, for me, that's like something I really enjoy is being able to— I really think about it as like knocking down walls and really being kind of that, I don't know, that a bit of that stopgap for the team so the team can really do the best work they came in to do, right?

And really focus on doing that work and then allowing, themselves to be free within that space, and then I can then, be the kind of person who's able to buffer that. So I can kind of help knock down those walls so they're free to do that work, and then work with them and with the client and/or whomever else to ensure that things are being communicated the way that we feel is necessary.

And then kind of what you said, kind of communicating design to non-designers, like really thinking about the right approach for communicating that work to them. So the intent of what we are trying to create really comes out in the conversation that we're having with the client. So the empowerment factor is really important to me. And I think I've had some really great mentors who've done that for me. So they taught me that.

And so it was something that I've leveraged and used and said, hey, I feel that's really fundamental to managing a team and allowing people to kind of do their best work they could possibly do.

As a leader, you have to kind of step in there and somewhat take those bullets a little bit for them and kind of push the client in certain ways and also kind of allow them not to get in the headspace where they start to question the decisions they're making from a design perspective. Allow them to be free and work as they need to work and push things out of the way for them.

Christian Solorzano [13:56]

Okay, so you're doing this is your 9 to 5, this is what you do for a living. But in addition to that, you also have your own company, Hostile, and that's where you sort of— that's your creative outlet where you sort of explore photography artwork.

So is there— I'm interested in just hearing a little bit about what the relationship is like between working in a corporate setting and then also having this other practice that's a little bit more experimental, a little bit more loose, and maybe a little bit more just I don't know, like spontaneous. Do they— are those 2 practices, do you see them in conversation with one another? Do they influence each other, or is there just like a hard gap between the 2 of them, or what's that like?

Nick Haas [14:44]

So I think there are moments where they complement each other, and then there's moments where they're completely different, right? I think where they're common is in the idea around you're making work for, yourself to some degree, but you're making work oftentimes when you are hired by a client, right, to make that work and run a business and think about how you, approach a project that you would be working on, etc. Those things are kind of work together in conjunction, right?

Because there's things that you take from one and the other that kind of help each other out as you're approaching it. But I think the way that I would execute the work and do the work is completely different. The artwork, my business side from the artwork, is really for me to be much more freeform, right? I started it simply as a sort of a reaction to way back in the day to the kind of the corporate work that I was doing when I started out.

I felt like I needed a little bit more, so I just decided to say to myself, it was just something that I was like, I just wanna experiment. And play a bit more freely without kind of the rules and constrictions of a brief or, a kind of client assignment, but being able to just kind of say like, I'm gonna do whatever I wanna do in my own way and just have fun with it.

And it gave me a satisfaction of like just being able to create and just kind of art therapy, if you will, right? Like being able just to do something and kind of nurtured that other side of me that I feel needed to be fulfilled. So I think those are the two. I think those are— that's kind of the split.

But in the middle where they connect is that kind of business side of things where you have to engage with folks and those you can learn from both for not only like your— the work you're doing during the day at a 9 to 5, if you will, but also on the side too.

Christian Solorzano [16:37]

Yeah, because you're still engaging with clients through your—

Nick Haas [16:40]

Correct.

Christian Solorzano [16:40]

Your artwork practice. Okay. So tell me a little bit about just the inspiration behind your artwork, because I've I see it, and I've actually gone out to take photographs with you, and I would say that you and I sort of have the similar eye for the type of subject matter that we both like. So I'm very just— I want to hear you talk about just the inspiration. You do a lot of Chicago urban landscapes. You particularly focus on industrial Areas.

You focus on things that are often overlooked. So where did that inspiration come from and what drives that type of work to be created?

Nick Haas [17:24]

So that inspiration comes from where I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. I think, Cleveland, where I— when I grew up, was, pretty post-industrial. City in a way. In the '80s and '90s, a lot of the industry had left from the '70s, the steel industry, as well as manufacturing industries, and the city actually went bankrupt in the '70s. So it was falling on pretty hard times.

And I think if you think a lot of the Midwest Rust Belt cities, if you will, they hit that wall at some point, and then they had to fight their way out of it and reinvent themselves to some degree. So I think when I grew up, Cleveland was in that mode of kind of rediscovering itself.

And so for me, being around that environment all the time was always really fascinating to me because I think you always heard stories of a city before your time that was growing and had a lot of promise. And then when the economy tanked and the city went bankrupt, so many things left and so many lives were affected by that. So for me, it was really part of just being exposed to those types of things in my environment all of the time.

And so I think one of the reasons why I really started to pick up this appreciation for the urban environment and kind of the way that things were to where they're going, kind of capturing those moments of evolution. I think really came from that mindset of what was and capturing that, and then trying to showcase that in a way that is beautiful, if you will, right?

I mean, everybody, I think about this a lot, you go over bridges or you go through, you go into buildings where you work, or you are on roads that you drive, but somebody had to design those roads. Somebody made probably a rendering of those roads or bridges or buildings. People worked in those places. Places, and some of them are incredibly beautiful, but oftentimes they, really go unnoticed because you're just using them every day.

And so I think for me, growing up in Cleveland, I saw a lot of that, and it just really captured me so much to try to understand it and kind of show its beauty in some way. And so that's kind of what led me to the inspiration of doing the work. And then it really wasn't until I got to Chicago when I started to really explore that. Right?

Chicago is amazing and it has so much of that type of transition and neighborhoods that are old, neighborhoods that are new, kind of desolate industrial areas, like things that you can just go out and find textures and architecture that you are so impressed with in a way that is just in an alley that nobody else sees. It's just pretty fascinating stuff.

And so I think it's a lot of that celebration for me just to see those things, take those pictures of those things and try to put them in a light where people would look at them in a different way and be like, huh, I never thought about that particular structure that way, but now I do, and it's a totally different dimension that gets added to it and celebrates, the life that particular city object had, if you will, and maybe it still has, it kind of takes it out and puts it in a different light, if that makes sense.

Christian Solorzano [20:48]

Oh yeah, that makes sense, and I, and I've, and I definitely agree because the one time that you and I went shooting together there are moments in the city that it's almost like they're— they essentially, they're magical places. And especially when there's no one around and you're just standing there and there's just like this shopping cart in the middle of an alley and nothing else. It's quiet. It just— I don't know, it's so interesting. And I think people need to experience it for themselves.

And I think, I think you do a great job at just like communicating that through the photography. But I also think like there's just a magic to being in those environments and spaces. So I really like that. So what parts of Chicago, for anyone that's listening, like that is from Chicago, what are your favorite locations to shoot at in Chicago?

Nick Haas [21:38]

There's a handful, I think. Yeah, I really like shooting on the, on the west side. I would say west of Damen and like Fulton Market area. So that's still pretty industrial and you can continue to go past Western Over there, and you can kind of walk around, and there's all kinds of different things that you can find there that are just really fascinating.

And to your point, it's usually really empty, and you can walk around, and it's still, it's still, has a lot of what we were just talking about there. There's also some places over on a little bit south, like the south side of the city. If you think about like Cermak Road and like 18th Street, and those areas over there are really fascinating. There's a ton of stuff over there that you can capture that's really cool.

And it's— and I think part of those neighborhoods are fun because you can explore and nobody's really bothering you. You can, you can kind of walk around and maybe climb a fence or kind of work your way through something. And, you're not really going to get, really going to get in too much trouble for it, I guess. But I think it's that exploration too that's really fun. You can kind of walk around and really explore and find things. And I think that discovery is really important.

And I also think that the time of day you go is really important, especially in a city like Chicago, which can be very busy.

You can go early, you can go early in the mornings on like a Sunday. Those places are usually dead and you can get all kinds of stuff because there's nobody around, there's no cars around, there's no trucks around. There's, like you said, it's very silent. You can just kind of enjoy kind of walking around and taking photos and really kind of immerse yourself into the experience of doing that. And it's really fun.

Christian Solorzano [23:23]

Yeah, I like that you said it because it is a process of discovery. And I almost feel like as you're walking through it, through those locations, it's almost like you're opening— like you have your map with you and it's almost like you're discovering new territories and like you're discovering— like it's, it feels like you're an explorer essentially and you're looking at things for the first time. So I like that.

And then what— so one thing that I always like to ask our guest is, what does creativity mean to you? Because I know it means something slightly different to everyone. What does it mean to you? One of the reasons why I ask this is because often designers and creatives are almost positioned on a pedestal. And for instance, within a company, organization, industry, designers tend to be like their own specialty. Like it's a separate discipline.

And one of the things that I always— one of the things that I believe is that everyone is creative and everyone has like the opportunity to like create and make things. So that's something I try to recognize. So how do you see— or maybe a better question is like, how have you seen the term of a creative shift over time. And yeah, just, is there anything there? Any thoughts on that?

Nick Haas [24:49]

Yeah, I mean, I think first of all, I tend to share your philosophical view on that, right? That creativity does exist in most everybody. And, you can— depends how much you can pull it out, or, it depends on what it is. But creativity exists in a variety of ways. I don't think it's just specific to a creative, right, person or a creative, kind of pursuit, if you will.

I think there's a lot of different ways that you can categorize that and see it come to life across, so many different things. I think to your question around the industry and, the word creative, I mean, when I came out, 20-some years ago, I think the idea of creative was pretty— I mean, it was broad, but then you had specific disciplines underneath it.

So it was either like you were in— and somewhat to this day similarly— but you were either in like heavy in brand, or you were like doing like web design work, or you were, focusing in on like exhibit stuff, or you were doing really experimental stuff.

And I think some of that still exists, but I think as it's changed over time is that With the access to so much more around technology and the understanding of being able to get more information faster and exposed to things around social media and the idea of, being 11, 12 years old and looking at art that, from hundreds of people that are making it or understanding how to do a tutorial on coding, like it's the access to information is so much greater that I think the role has become much more blended than when I was, when I was coming out.

I think you have your specialties, right? But I also think too that you can find people who do a lot of different things, and it's almost like somewhat expected to some degree.

But it's not like looked at as like different or a problem at all. It's more of a, obviously everybody's embracing that. I think that is something that for me has changed when you think about like a creative individual. Creative was almost back in the day structured and had some specific specialties to it. And I think there's still specialties, but I think everybody mostly that I know and work with does so much more than what they do every day.

And then there's so much more beyond that that's out there that they can bring to the table or anybody can bring to the table and we're exposed to that influences everything that we do these days.

Christian Solorzano [27:24]

Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. 'Cause that's— 'cause I've definitely— I, yeah, it's very obvious that access to things like online courses, YouTube tutorials, like even I've seen some people do design how-tos on TikTok. So it's— everything is just much more accessible now.

And I know that there's some criticism around that of just like the fact that, I mean, this is not my opinion, but I've heard people say that just this access to like more technology and just making design tools more accessible is sort of like diluting our practice because today like almost anyone could call themselves a designer. So as someone like yourself that's, leading teams and someone that is working, in the space of business, how does— is any of that like visible or like evidence?

Have you noticed any shift in the quality of design or just the way that designers are, communicating like their skills and tools and all that, or—

Nick Haas [28:27]

Yeah, definitely. I mean, yeah, definitely. I think, I think what's pretty cool is that now I think people have a variety of avenues that they can kind of Discover design and try to make a career out of it, and it's more accessible. I think about, the UX schools that folks go to now, right? When I was coming out, it was like you went to, a college or a, some sort of extended school to learn the practice and whatnot.

Now you have, UX schools where you can do boot camps and things and learn user experience work and, start to get your kind of taste in the industry that way, and then, kind of continue to work towards the craft of becoming a good UXer or a good designer or whatnot, right? So I think the— what's cool is the access to it, right? I think it's great that people can have more exposure and be able to see a possibility if this is a career for them.

Now, I think the flip side of that is because it's more accessible, it does mean that you get a lot more stuff from people that I don't— I think from a quality perspective, I think there's some out there that's amazing quality, and then there's some that may not be, but I think that's always gonna be that way, right? And I think it's just how the environment changes and folks kind of have an inclination for doing what they're doing or not.

I think it's definitely something that is, if I'm leading a team and I'm looking at the work that's coming through, I think you find some work that's great and you find some work that maybe isn't that great. However, I think part of it is the system with which we're working in.

So while it's great that all the people have that exposure, at the same time, to your point, if they're not really getting the right teaching or the right fundamentals, or they're not really being pushed in the right way, Sometimes it's really hard, but I think it also depends on like the practice they're going into, because like something like user experience can be a little very different than like going into like branding, right, or whatever.

And a lot of times people have, kind of transferable skills to some degree, but also some people are very specific to those types of work. And so what you're looking for in a UXer, you're going to be looking for possibly differently in a branding, or, somebody who's doing Traditional, more traditional graphic design work, right? So I don't know, I think, I think it's good.

I think it's awesome that people are exposed to it, but I also think too that just like beforehand, or just like any time that we've been doing this, it's going to be good, it's going to be bad, it's going to be in the middle. And I think part of it is, how do you find the right balance of people to bring in to coach? To build up and then also to allow them to have that space to create work, et cetera.

I feel like I'm running on here. I'm like is this making sense?

Christian Solorzano [31:31]

No, that makes sense. So what are some of the things that you look for? Let's say when you're hiring or when you're looking to build a team, are there any specific qualities that you look for in a person? Let's say someone that is fresh outta college or maybe someone that has some years of experience. And how has that shifted over time? Have the requirements changed? Are you more looking for like specifics or more broad?

Nick Haas [31:56]

So for me, it's definitely— there's definitely a few things. I think one is really like— so in my role, the work we do is all product design. So we're looking for folks who have a background in product design. Who understand how to design for, let's say, different mediums within a product design space.

But fundamentally, we look at folks who have strong layout capabilities, understand the relationship between, typography, color, space, and understand how to communicate that not only As a collective on a screen, but also as a person talking about their work. I think those are like 2 things that are really important to us is, really trying to make sure that person can not only do the work, but also— and do it well— but also they can talk about it, they can communicate their intent behind the work.

Because if you have both of those, for at least for our purposes at PwC, I think if you have both of those, what really happens is, you can be in a position where you can really have a great impact on the work that's being done, and it allows for that collaboration across the teams in a really good way because, people are open, people are talking, you're able to deliver good work. I think those things are what we really look for in a lot of ways.

But at the same time, I think there's also specialty areas, right? If somebody is really good At, user experience work, usability testing, understanding how to do user research, really digging deep on the capabilities and like the market of the product that we're doing the work for and bringing that information back and then being able to understand it and then design for it. Like those types of things are also really critical.

So I think it depends on the role, but I think those are some of the things we'll look for. When we're bringing people into the team is, that fundamental strong design layout, understanding of those components and how they work together. Being able to really articulate the reason behind their work and communicate why they're doing what they're doing to, people.

And then lastly, really trying to understand, the user environment that they're going to be working in, what problem they're trying to solve, and the influence that goes into that. So the problem they're solving is the right problem, and all those other things kind of fall into place after that.

Christian Solorzano [34:35]

Yeah, I remember you used the metaphor once with me, and I believe it was something along the lines of when you're presenting your work, it's almost think about it as if you're showing someone a house and you don't want to say, this is a door and these are the windows, but you want to explain like why the door is there and like why the windows are there. Do you remember that? I Yeah, I remember.

Nick Haas [34:59]

It's like, it's like the— yeah, it's the it's like, I think I read that somewhere, probably at some point, but it was like, don't give them the, don't give them the house, the real estate house tour.

Of your, of your work. Don't just go in and go, hey, look, here's the, here's the header, here's the image, here's the layout. People can see that it's a door, it's a header, it's an image, it's a layout, but explain the intent of why that's there and the structure and why it's painted the way it's painted and why the walls are the way they are.

Why the flow of the house makes the most sense and get excited about it versus, yeah, I can see that it's a wall, so what? You know what I mean?

Christian Solorzano [35:31]

Yeah. I still come back to that all the time, and I've actually— I use it when I'm also like mentoring or like working with someone junior to me. So thank you for that. So what are, what are some of the things that you're really excited about right now just happening within design? I know I know there's a lot of people are talking about like things like the metaverse like new technologies. Is there anything specific that really excites you today and that you're looking forward to?

Nick Haas [36:00]

I think—

Christian Solorzano [36:04]

Or maybe something, or maybe something that you're not looking forward to and you just can't stand. That might be an easier question.

Nick Haas [36:13]

Might be an easier question. No, I think, I mean, I'm looking forward to All the possibilities within things like the metaverse and under really NFTs and Web 3.0 and all the things that are kind of all occurring right now. I think it's really interesting. Everybody's trying to get into the space, really trying to understand the space. How do you work within the space? How do you monetize the space? All of those things are really fascinating to me.

And I think it's pretty cool to see that come to life. I think what's really interesting is me being— obviously been in the industry for a long time and seeing this come around and seeing a handful of other things happen.

This is going to be a fundamental shift for the way that everybody works, but I think it's really going to be something that not necessarily— obviously my generation's going to have to embrace, but at the same time, I have 2 kids and they have been in the metaverse doing things for I don't know how many years now on their iPads and the games that they play and things of that nature. So it's almost second nature to them to be in this space doing these things.

So I think we don't really know 100% what it's going to look like right now. In a couple years, I think it's going to be very different, but I think it's fascinating to be a part of and it's a fascinating time to understand it. Now, I also think On the flip side of it, I think it can also be a bit, I don't know, how do I say it?

You can get a little, like some exhaustion from constantly reading about it, talking about it, hearing about it. And like every new thing that comes out all the time is like the best thing and you gotta go after it and all this stuff.

You can be able to look a lot. So I think part of it too is finding the right balance between like, the, yeah, it's cool, it's interesting, and it's gonna be fascinating, it's gonna change the landscape. But at the same time, how are, it's okay to take a little bit of a pace into it to understand it and see its value versus like just feeling overwhelmed by the fact that so much is happening and how do I get into it? What do I do?

It's like the, good work and good intent and all that stuff will always kind of rise, if you will, but. We all just are kind of playing in the space, which we don't really know much about yet. And it's really— it'll be really interesting to see where it goes.

Christian Solorzano [38:35]

Yeah, I know. I know, just from my opinion, I'm not really— I'm not looking forward to any of that. But we have to embrace it. And I think I really appreciate the fact that you're actually like— you're— the artwork that you're creating, you're going out into the world and you're creating it in a 3D space. And you're using a camera and you're printing these things and like you could touch them and stuff.

And to me, that's what I'm afraid that's gonna get lost at a certain point because I've already seen there's things like virtual galleries, for instance. And I mean, there's NFTs and I recognize the value of NFTs and I think they're a great thing, but I also think that we can't necessarily just shift all our attention to the virtual or to the digital when there's so much of the physical that we've yet to like figure out and explore and like really understand.

So I don't know, like every time someone asks me like how I feel about the metaverse, my response is always like, I'll get to the metaverse once I figure out like the real universe, like the physical world.

Nick Haas [39:48]

The real verse.

Christian Solorzano [39:49]

Yeah, like I just, I don't know, like I just mentally I don't have the bandwidth to even consider engaging in those spaces, at least, at least right now.

Nick Haas [39:59]

I think that makes— I mean, totally understandable. I think, I often— I feel that way too, to some degree, right? I think— I mean, listen, man, I think part of it is like anything, the extremes get a lot of noise, right? So you got the extreme on one side, it's like everybody's got to do it, this is this. And then the other side, people like, this is crazy, I don't want to be a part of it. Usually falls somewhere in the middle.

And I think, our industry specifically and the technology industries and stuff obviously are super jacked by this, but I don't know, I think people in the, waste management industry probably don't even care. I mean, maybe they do, but, there's a— I think sometimes you gotta look outside ourselves a bit and look around and kind of say like, hey, to your point, there's a lot of other people in the world doing a lot of other things with, a lot bigger problems than this.

And so how do we solve for those things? Or how do we, yeah. How do we engage in a community that way to be able to make those problems better versus, trying to, solve problems in this virtual space? But maybe you can use this virtual space to solve some of those problems. I think that's where the interesting line for me connects is how does, how does this space itself create opportunity for the physical in some way?

How do you, does it, how does it allow access to more, for folks to have more access to the internet in neighborhoods where they don't really have access to internet and be able to do things with it?

Or does it allow for immersion in a way differently across countries, especially with Bitcoin and things of that nature, crypto and things where it's like you can use that now to purchase goods where money in certain countries is like the— their money system is not really stable, but through crypto it can become more stable.

So I think there's really there's really good possibilities there, but I think to that point, I think like stepping outside of the middle of it and looking around and seeing the real-world problems and then trying to figure out how to make those things happen within this space, I think that to me is very cool from a potential standpoint in that way. But I agree with you, I love the physical objects, man.

Like when I print my stuff, I mean, I think it's because of where I grew up with like Polaroids. Yeah.

All of that stuff was just like fascinating to me. So I love printing my work, I love making my work, and then I print it on like aluminums and woods and different stuff. And yeah, I get to see how the different ink reacts with the substrate and like how the effects are. And I don't know, there's something about that tangibility of it and like seeing it in a room with different lighting and like the scale of it.

So you like walk in and you're kind of immersing yourself into this piece that's really large. Like those kind of things I've always found just really rewarding. And if it's not me making it, it's just being in a space with that stuff. I'm just wow, this is really, this is great.

So I don't know, I still have that affinity for that stuff and I don't think it'll ever go away, but I think that it'll be interesting to see how it evolves with the inclusion of all of this, so much technology change.

Christian Solorzano [42:56]

Yeah, 'cause I have one of your artworks in my office and I would, I would say in person it looks much more different than what it looks like virtually, like on a screen. And I think that's one of the things that like I just really appreciate about the physical world is that things look different under the conditions of like an ambient space that has, sunlight, daylight, cloudy days, etc. So yeah, but yeah, it's like the first—

Nick Haas [43:24]

It's like the first time we met, Christian. I remember I Saw a photo of you and I was like, I'm mesmerized by you. But then I met you in person and I couldn't, I was just so mesmerized. It was even more, man. So yes, I agree.

Christian Solorzano [43:37]

I blinded you. Do you have to wear— and you have to wear sunglasses now?

Nick Haas [43:42]

I do, I do, I do. It's amazing. Yeah.

Christian Solorzano [43:45]

So you, so you've been in Chicago for some time and as the Chicago Graphic Design Club, something that we're always thinking about, something that's always on our mind is what are some of the gaps? What are some of the ways that we could support our community?

And because since for like almost, yeah, for 10 years now, I've been involved in various capacities in other organizations in Chicago like STA, like AIGA, and then in the pandemic, like in 2020, that's when I started— I founded the Chicago Graphic Design Club.

And our goal is really to create a space where people feel like they belong, a space that offers people the opportunity to engage in a variety of different topics, whether it's talking about design and social justice, talking about the craft of typography, Talking about things like technology and trends, doing studio tours, going on field trips, things like that. So my brain is just always thinking about like, what could we do to support people?

So from your point of view, because I know that you've been involved with AIGA Chicago as a mentor, you've also been involved with the Society of Typographic Arts, what are some of the things that you see today? That you feel like are needed in our community?

Nick Haas [45:13]

I mean, I think, how do you, how do you bring the, the— how do I say this? It's like the opportunity or the understanding or the, I don't know, the practice of design to places where, in Chicago specifically, where there may not be a lot of access to it, right?

How do you bring, how do you bring this thing that, we all love so much, but how do you, I don't know, how do you, how do you bring it to neighborhoods that don't have a ton of exposure to it? How do you bring it to places where, there's real, there's real issues in Chicago?

And how do you expose people to possibility of doing this type of work and having a voice in this, in this work and then in the industry that we're in, and being able to bring their perspective to it as opposed to, I, sometimes I feel like it can be, a lot of us, can, sometimes forget that, we live in a, in a city that has so much to offer, but it also has— I don't know, can also be really hard for people.

And so how do we— how do we be a bit more— I don't know, how do we be a bit more empathetic to that and really try to understand how we can change, how we can maybe change, I don't know, the way somebody sees something. And yeah, I think, I think about like a creative person that doesn't have the tools or doesn't have the money or doesn't have the exposure or doesn't have any of that stuff. And, there's what opportunity exists for them?

How can we bring that out more to those folks and being able to allow them to participate in a way in this, and not make that barrier of entry. Really low. Yeah, that makes sense.

Christian Solorzano [47:25]

What I'm hearing you say is like, how do we— how could we position design within the context of like the actual city of Chicago rather than just, look at it as like this singular thing that exists in some abstract space? But how do we bring that awareness of we're practitioners in Chicago?

And how could we— because actually when we, when we did our first event, which was in May of 2020, we had a book discussion and what I try to do is, I mean, there are so many different book clubs in the city and I wanted to try out something a little bit differently, which was how could we make the practices that this book is talking about applicable to the issues that we're facing in the city?

Nick Haas [48:13]

Wow.

Christian Solorzano [48:13]

So I think it's almost like you're putting on your design glasses and looking at the world as like, what are the opportunities? Where could design fit in to like solve problems? And I think that's something that we're currently trying to do, but it's not easy.

Nick Haas [48:29]

No, it's not at all, no.

Christian Solorzano [48:32]

And I think, yeah, and I think if it was easy, then we wouldn't be, talking about this specific thing.

Nick Haas [48:40]

But how do you, but how do you like, I think, when we did the mentor program for AIGA, which was cool, it's like, I felt like that was more, I was more proactive of them going out and saying, hey, we're doing this and we want people to participate. And let's go out and be proactive. Not, don't just come to us. We're gonna go actually make this something.

And I think that's like, I think that's part of it is like, it's like a proactivity of really being able to be specific of like, we're gonna do this mentoring, we're gonna try to go out and create a space that's safe for folks. We're gonna try to expose people to this stuff and other people within the industry to help them along their journey.

I don't know, I feel like a lot of it is proactivity and being able to really take action and go out there and do it. Yeah, it's not easy, right? But it's something that is, I think, really important because I think for me, I think about me growing up and I think about, and maybe this is self-reflective, right? It's like I didn't have a lot of exposure to that stuff.

I didn't have the means to get those things. I didn't, All that stuff. And so for me, it's like if I had exposure to those things or met those people or knew of a place that I could feel like at home, which I feel like the Chicago Graphic Design Club is that way, it feels very low barrier of entry and it feels very connected, and I can reach out to anybody there and not feel like odd about it.

I think it's one of those things that you guys have a really good energy about that. I think a lot of that has to do with the way that you bring your perspective to this and kind of that feel of what this is. So I think, to me, I think that's really important. How do you— I don't know, how do you bring that out further out to folks and like get more people involved and go to other neighborhoods within Chicago and bring things to other places?

So I don't know. So you can have exposure to it and you can see the other sides of the city and things that people experience and how that may influence the things that we do too?

Christian Solorzano [50:36]

Yeah, no, I agree with you. And I think that's— that now that the city is— it almost— I mean, it almost feels like it's post-COVID, even though currently we're in June and I know cases are still— People are getting it and stuff. But that's something that we're definitely looking forward to do is like, how do we actually get people like in a room together and actually talk about like these very things that we're just— we're discussing right now.

Nick Haas [51:04]

So yeah, right.

Christian Solorzano [51:05]

So yeah, we're excited about that. So I guess before we wrap up what are you up to today? What are— what are some of the things that you've been doing lately? And if someone wants to get in touch with you, if someone wants to reach out, it's like, how do people find you? What are you doing today? What's the latest?

Nick Haas [51:27]

So you mean work-wise or just like in general?

Christian Solorzano [51:33]

Just in general, just in life in general. Any cool projects going on? Any new things you've been doing?

Nick Haas [51:42]

Yeah, I think man, so I'm currently working on a project for a company called Lakeshore Recycling. They're here in Chicago and they're one of the largest recycling companies in the Midwest. I'm doing all of their art and photography for their new corporate office in Rosemont. So that's been keeping me pretty busy, but it's been really cool working with them. They've been awesome and it's been a really interesting experience, but it's definitely been my nights and weekends. You know what I mean?

It's been the past many months of just nights and weekends working. To get that stuff done, but I love it. And then I think just in general within life, I think part of it is I'm really trying to, I don't know, I think with a lot of things that have happened in the world in the past few years, of course, have really been pretty eye-opening. And I think at least for me, it's been really self-reflective.

And I think for a lot of people, and I think a lot of it is really trying to like slow down a bit.

Really try to, live in the moment a bit more and not worry about— try not to worry about so much in some ways, things that I can't control of that nature. So I'm really trying to practice like mindfulness and, really being present in a lot of ways. I have 2 kids and, I'm always trying to be there with them and do the things that I think— I work from home now, which is amazing. Fully made that transition and it's been, it's been awesome.

So I feel like, really just trying to like do artwork when I can, work at, work being a, design director and really enjoying that and the team and growing that team, being a part of that group has been fantastic. And then just really trying to be a good dad and like a husband, like just being a good person.

So I think trying to like, those are the kind of things that are going on, but like not to put too much pressure on myself to like master any of that stuff, but just like really just enjoy being alive and present with people that I like to be around? I don't know. That's kind of what's happening right now. It's kind of the mental state I'm in.

Christian Solorzano [53:47]

I like that. And I, and I, and I, and I think it's very visible as like an outsider looking in is that you don't like, for instance, like on your Instagram, like you're not the kind of person that's posting all the time. I think you have— you do a good job at like setting those boundaries of like I don't know, I respect that about you.

And I think it's something that I always like every time I see someone, for instance, like on social media or like an artist or someone that's like just doing it like literally from morning to nighttime, like just doing it nonstop. I don't know, I don't know how sustainable that is. And I think what I appreciate about you is that like every now and then, you come out with like a new collection.

And you'll like text me pictures of like things that you're working on, but it's— but I feel like it's coming from a place of, I don't know, like well-being, because I know that you're— because we've had this conversation before and I know you really— you like mental health.

Nick Haas [54:47]

Work-life balance.

Christian Solorzano [54:49]

Like those things are really important to you. So it almost makes me like appreciate your work even more because I know that they're coming from a space of like, hopefully, Nick is doing well and this work that he's creating comes from a place of wellness, if that makes—

Nick Haas [55:07]

That makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like, for me, it's like, Christian, it's like, it's like art therapy, right?

Christian Solorzano [55:11]

Exactly. Yeah.

Nick Haas [55:12]

And yeah, and you're totally right. And I send that stuff to you because I'm generally like interested in what you have to say about it? And I want to hear and have a conversation with you about it to like understand, I don't, I don't, I don't know, like the— I see what you're saying about social media. It can be very exhausting. Yeah. And it's almost like it just kind of, kind of wears you down.

In a lot of ways. And that reality is not that really— that it's not really a reality in a lot of ways, right? But yeah, man, I mean, I mean, there's days where, I mean, like you said, mental health and, creating boundaries and, kind of being mindful of things like that's huge for me. And I think that's part of, I don't— I mean, there's days that I'm like, Sucks.

I gotta like, this day sucks and I gotta like pull my ass out of whatever hole I'm in, to like focus, right? And then there's other days where I'm feeling great? But I think it's really, I think that's really been a battle for me for so many years. Like I think really trying to find that balance and really trying to keep that balance mentally has been really a journey for me for sure, as it has for many people, right?

And so I think to your point, For me now, it's not about creating for likes or creating for any of the other stuff. It's really about creating to, I don't know, to make me feel good and to express something and to really, I don't know, man, to really like work with others and feed off other people's energy to make cool stuff.

Christian Solorzano [56:44]

So one last question. Well, 2 last questions. The first one is not design related. What is your favorite place in Chicago? Where do you like to spend your time? What do you— what's— yeah, just curious about that. Something that we ask all our guests is that question. What's your favorite place in Chicago?

Nick Haas [57:01]

I would say for me right now, I live in the Portage Park neighborhood and Portage Park is a beautiful park and I love going there and just taking walks and taking phone calls and just watching a baseball game. I mean, there's so much that goes on there. It's really cool. And so for me, it's just like a great place just to relax. And, there's like nature in the middle of the city in a lot of ways. Right.

And so that to me, like helps me just kind of decompress. So I really like Bortage Park a lot. And it's one of those places that, I've fallen in love with over these past few years.

Christian Solorzano [57:35]

Okay. And then final question is, if you could say anything, any words of inspiration, affirmation, anything to Younger Nick what would those words be?

Nick Haas [57:50]

Oh man.

Christian Solorzano [57:52]

And we could go back to when you graduated from college. So yeah, 20 years ago. What would you— what would Nick today say to Nick then?

Nick Haas [58:03]

That's a hard question for me, man, because like I think part of it is like I don't, I don't really like look— I don't look back that way sometimes. I don't I know, it's like I was just kind of like, I'm like, it was what it was and I kind of moved forward. I know I'm not playing the game.

Like I should play the game. But I think maybe it's more of like, looking back on that, it's more of like, don't take things so seriously in some ways. You know what I mean? Like there's things you cannot, I think a big part of age is like, there's things that I know I cannot control, but I think I always tried to control them. So maybe that drove me freaking insane. So I think part of it is like, just it's okay.

Like sometimes you can just don't take it so seriously. Sometimes take a step back and, focus on what you can control. I know people say that a lot, but if you can really do that, I think it really teaches you a lot about how to balance your life and balance the things that are in it and focus on those things. And so I would probably give that advice, to my younger self, if you will. Just chill out, dude. It'll all work out.

Don't worry, it'll all work out. In some way, in some way, in some way, shape, or form. I'm a very— like, I think you and I are similar this way, Christian. We're very like kind of like I don't know, like Taoist in some way.

Yeah, it's like, some, there's certain energy begets other energy and pushes other energy, and it's kind of like this flow of things that happen in your life and like, you gotta, you kind of gotta, you gotta move to make things happen, but also realize that there's that balance of, take it easy too, because otherwise you're gonna burn yourself out.

Christian Solorzano [59:43]

Yeah, I agree. Well, thank you so much, Nick. Thanks everyone for listening. I will include links to Nick's profile, website, Instagram, all that good stuff in the description of this episode. But yeah, thank you so much, Nick. This was great, and I'm so glad that we finally got to do this. I know this is something that I think I talked to you about doing.

I think it was— I don't know if you remember this, but I think I was talking to you about this interview maybe 3 years ago. So I remember we were having lunch, and it finally happened. So—

Nick Haas [60:18]

Hey, it finally happened. It's not like we don't hang out a lot, but hey, and we finally did it. No, this has been great, Christian. Thank you a lot. I appreciate it, man. So thanks. Awesome.