Stanley Coloma
www.hyperionblu.com

Location: Philippines

Tell us a little about your background.
My name is Stanley, an ordinary guy with an extraordinary passion for technology. I grew up in the rugged road of Dasmarinas, the province of Cavite, Philippines. I never really dreamed to venture into Multimedia or the Web because I always wanted to be a doctor. But I believe God works in mysterious ways so I found my calling in Digital Art and the Web. I grew up in the province of Cavite with my two brothers and sisters. Then I resettled in Makati for work. I never really had a formal education on Digital Design as a Marketing graduate. Everything was self-taught through months of excruciating self-training on the Web. Although with limited resources and access to the Internet, I managed to pull up my first website back in 1999. I called it taninteractive.com (tan is my nickname). Then the rest is history. I've been in the industry for five years, but I cannot say I'm already an expert. There is still so much to learn, and even now, I'm learning new stuff.

Design Education:
I do not have any formal education in Digital Design, but I'm always inclined to participate in design symposiums, seminars and contests.

How did you start out as an artist/designer?
I managed to pull up a personal project back in '99. I was finding my way in graphic design then, but I didn't stop there. Every time I saw a good design, it became a challenge and an inspiration for me. Then, motion graphics started to impress me. My jaw dropped in astonishment when I first saw a site done in Flash (http://www.derbauer.de/). I told myself that I should learn how to do that. With limited resources and finance, I started to find my way through tutorials on the Internet.

I spent sleepless nights just to figure out how web designers do their thing, until gradually I started to develop my own style and began to unfold my creative self. Now, I consider myself knowledgeable in the field, but not an expert: Because I always believe that everyone should have room for improvement. Hyperionblu went through many revisions before it achieved it's present state (current version is 7: Hydronetic Edition).

After several revisions of the site, I began to receive recognitions from different institutions and art groups, for which I am very thankful. Most notable of which came from international design portals like Coolhompages.com, American Design Awards, Wow Factor and Designer's depot' just to name a few. I owe everything to God and the people around me, where I draw my creative strength. These would include my Family and friends.

What inspires you?
I usually get my inspirations in my dreams, nature, movies and the people around me.

Describe your style of design:
I like streamlined, enigmatic and sensual designs. I like the fusion of nature and the beauty of the human body integrated into my designs. I love to play with light and shadows, giving my design a sort of a paranormal touch.

What are your thoughts on Macromedia Flash?
Flash is a tool I cannot live without. I do 90% of my design jobs in Flash. It is a medium sometimes misused by many digital artists. Our proficiency in Flash is not a measure of how good we can design; sometimes it spells the difference between multimedia and trash media.

What would you add to your workstation to increase productivity?
Well, I'd like to add more books on design, and perhaps an XBOX to trigger my creative juices ;)

What do you do besides design?
I'm into swimming, bodybuilding, martial arts and the usual stuff.

In two years where do you see yourself in the Design Industry?
I see myself creating more designs with bigger clients globally. I also want to focus more on video editing and 3D.

If you had to choose one, what is more important for a designer: artistic qualities or design education?
I believe artistic quality is an innate character of a designer and not acquired through education. I found myself inclined in design when I was five, but I didn't pursue a degree in design. Aside from the fact that it's an expensive degree here, I have limited resources to pursue it. But I managed to learn from different sources online and offline. It's quite an excruciating experience. It pays off in the long run. I believe people can easily feel if they are more adept in utilizing their right side of the brain, the seat of creativity and arts, whenever they work on a piece of design. It may be as simple as designing a birthday card for a love one or as complex as replicating a Da Vinci masterpiece on canvas.

I see that you applied a sort of a cool, futuristic-alien look to your HYPERIONBLU site. How did you go about choosing the design scheme?
I've always wanted a touch of fiction and mystery in my designs, so I thought making alien characters without lips, with elfin ears and futuristic armor would achieve the effect. I wanted the design simple yet complex in some ways with a user-friendly navigation and information architecture. I guess the design scheme was influenced by sci-fi films and my vivid imagination.

Underneath the main heading of the HB site, it says "March of the Archons". What is an Archon?
An archon by definition "is a chief magistrate in ancient Athens. But in my own terms, an Archon is a soldier fighting for the future of Digital Art and Interactive Design.

PDC: Very cool.

What differentiates your style of design than that of today's New Media Designers?
I guess I was able to develop my own style in combining a touch [of] mystery, surrealism and futurism.

What are your some of your bad design habits?
I tend to skip meals once I start on a good idea. I will work for hours and forget about lunch and dinner. ;)

How would you like to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who was able to make a significant contribution to the design scene in the Philippines, if not, in the international design community: Someone who was able to inspire aspiring designers in their field

Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I've just finished an Interactive CD ROM project for Toyota Motors Philippines and I'm quite happy with the feedback that I got. I'm working now on another interactive CD and I'm also working on the new version of my art site, hyperionblu.com, which is due this April.

In your opinion, what defines a good portfolio?
A good portfolio would be something that can successfully communicate your message to your target audience. I mean, beyond the glitz and colors of your portfolio, the audience should be able to absorb the essence and significance of your work and why they should hire your services. Browsing your portfolio should give your audience a unique experience that would leave a good impression wherever they go.

You say that dream is what fuels your ideas for design. What kinds of dreams trigger your creative juices?
Good dreams, dreams that evoke tranquility and peace. Dreams of vitality and unity with the spirit. Dreams that connect your spirit with the soul. Dreams of love and happiness.

Do you feel that your work(s) is closely aligned with the overall collective design effort/movement in the Philippines?
Yes. The Design scene in the Philippines is quite active, and I do see [that] my work has been contributing to the design effort in the local scene in some ways.

There are generally four types of personalities: analyzer, controller, supporter, and promoter. If you had to choose one, which characteristic would best represent you?
I guess I would be the controller type, because I always want to be in control of the situation. I guess I'm a natural leader as they say, always wanting to innovate or challenge the conventional.

PDC: Thanks Stanley!

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