George Hatton
George Thomas Hatton designs.
As you might expect, we like that. Design is sort of a big thing for us here at Monster Children. We understand that most of the time, people who interact with our print publication usually stare at the pictures and gawk at the impeccable layout. ‘The lines, look at the lines,’ they say, drool spilling. We know. Thank you. That’s how we feel about the design work of Sydney’s own George Hatton. He’s a bit of a master when it comes to layout, balance, and interesting typography. We are suckers for a perfect font all strewn about a page, so George really does it for us. One of the more relevant BYT features, and we are glad he’s here.
Who are you?
George Thomas Hatton.
What do you do?
I’m a Creative Director and Graphic Designer.
How long have you been doing that?
I’ve been doing it professionally since graduating from Brighton University in 2016.
What is your favourite song right now and why?
Hard to pick one song but I’d have to go for Aphex Twin ‘Fingerbib’ because I think it’s a timeless song and one that I always go back to.
If you weren't designing, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t a designer, I think I probably would have gone down the photography or architecture route, these two were always an interest of mine and something I considered when studying graphic design. Definitely something in the creative realm.
“I knew what my style was very early on... It became really apparent to me not only what I liked, but also, and most importantly, what I didn’t like”
Some slang you catch yourself saying?
Ahhh..
What do you do outside of design and how does that thing influence or affect your craft?
I do a lot outside of design but I think the obvious one in terms of affecting my craft, would be surfing. Purely because I think this has opened up opportunities and allowed me to meet and collaborate with so many people doing inspiring and creative things.
The best/worst thing about the design industry?
The best would be meeting other creatives. I’m quite an extroverted person so whenever I meet new people doing interesting things I feel like I’m continuously being inspired, especially when working together. The worst thing is the screen time.
Something you’re most proud of?
I think it would be that I’ve relocated four times around the world, and now set up myself up in Australia and established my own independent studio here in Sydney.
Biggest lesson learned about your craft so far?
To be picky with my clients and projects—it’s important to work with likeminded people to produce a portfolio of work that reflects your style and values.
Something anyone can do today to make the world a better place?
Delete TikTok.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far in your industry?
Working with type as a dyslexic person.
What was surprisingly easy to do?
Weirdly getting clients when first setting up my independent practice—you’d be surprised how many people need graphic designers.
What advice might you give to you from five years ago? Ten years ago?
Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions, you can never learn too much.
What is your hidden talent or thing you are good at that is completely unrelated to the thing we are interviewing you about?
Photographic memory.
Who do you think is doing it the best/coolest in your industry right now?
OK-RM, Vrints-Kolsteren, Spassky Fischer, Plus Murs.
What’s on your mood board right now?
A lot of print design—monochrome colour palettes, fashion photography, Swiss type & design, colour theories & combinations and a bit of silver foiling.
How long did it take for you to find your style of design?
I think I knew what my style was very early on in my university course, studying graphic design. It became really apparent to me not only what I liked, but also, and most importantly, what I didn’t like but this doesn’t mean to say that my style was refined like I wanted. This really developed an endless amount during my time working for Studio Claus Due in Copenhagen in 2018. When I finally went out on my own, I already had such a clear idea in my head of what I wanted my work and practice to portray.
Do you think design is art?
No. I think in its simplest form, design is about finding solutions to problems and then being able to communicate them visually. Art is more of a free expression of ideas.
Have you always worked for yourself? Was it scary to go out on your own?
No—I had the privilege of working for some great design studios where I learned some really valuable skills and experience, working on large-scale projects. In particular: 2x4 Studio in New York City (2017), and Studio Claus Due in Copenhagen (2018). This taught me a lot about working professionally in the creative industry before I went out on my own. I actually wasn’t planning on going out on my own when I did, but I had a lot of projects come my way all of a sudden and it felt like a natural progression and something I’d always wanted to do, so I just went with it. It wasn’t really that scary—it was exciting and had me hyped.
