A Creative Life: Satees

My intern, Tammy, has an interest in baby/kid products and when I asked her what some of her favorite products are, Satees was top on her list. Naturally, she set out to ask them if they would be willing to share their creative life with us. Read on to find out how this pulchritudinous (how's that for a SAT word?) idea started and click here to purchase their tees!


Tell us a little bit about your background

I'm a graphic designer working in print for various clients from publishing and nonprofits to more corporate graphics. Scott is a copywriter/writer whose background is in direct mail but also writes for numerous sites/blogs on food and popular culture in New York City.

How did SATees begin?

I was working on tshirt and onesie designs as an idea for a side business and Scott suggested the idea of putting SAT words on shirts. I thought the idea of putting them on onesies and little kids' tees was a humorous juxtaposition. Scott came up with the very clever name SATees: Big Words for Little Kids and between the two of us we searched words that we thought would make funny (yet fitting) adjectives for kids and infants. We debated whether to put the definitions on the shirts, but decided that the quizzical looks they would evoke would make it more fun. We kept the font simple and clean (helvetica) like a flash card, but added the bright primary colors and the complimentary color dots over the 'i's and 'j's to make them more kidlike or "puerile."


What's the inspiration behind your work?

Possibly the fact that all four of our teenaged daughters (Scott has two and I have two) have taken, or are about to take, the SATs!

Who are your favorite designers and artists?

Oh, there are so many! I'm a big fan of designers who play with type. Paula Scher from Pentagram, Gail Anderson, Carin Goldberg, Michael Beirut... As far as artists, Tara Donovan comes to mind. James Turrell and his fascinating play with light. Scott is also a fan of many of those that I've mentioned, but also follows a lot of the street artists such as Banksy and Peru Ana Ana Peru, among many others.


What's a typical day-in-your-life at the studio?
For me, it's spent mostly in front of the computer either totally inspired and in the flow, or stuck, inspirationless with a lot of trips to make cups of tea until something hits. Scott travels around the city (NYC) trying different restaurants, photographing food and locations and then back to the computer where he transposes the notes from his moleskin into captivating prose.