Obus interview with Megan McKean

I had a big chat recently with Obus about creativity, life and what brings joy to my days! The interview is on the Obus blog now as part of their #ForTheLadies series, but I thought I’d share some of the questions here too! Read on for some of my thoughts around creativity and design work, and pop over to the Obus blog for the full interview!

How do you describe your illustration style?
Colourful, detailed, layered, and fun! 

What inspired you to move into illustration, writing and manufacturing over more traditional forms of graphic design? Did you know this was what you wanted to do, or has it been a gradual transition?
I studied Visual Communication at university, and always had an interest in the more tangible outputs rather than strict graphic design; I loved getting to make a project come to life and turn into something I could hold — whether that was a book, product packaging, or an assortment… I made a lot of weird stuff at uni! I had started making my own pieces, mostly jewellery, while I was studying and selling at markets, and eventually this turned into other wearable pieces that incorporated my illustration. Getting to combine my training with my passions is really a dream come true, and I feel really lucky to have developed a wide tool-kit for making just about anything! 

Tell us more about McKean Studio?
McKean Studio is a travel and lifestyle brand, and for the last 5 years we’ve focussed on crafting souvenirs and keepsakes from our travels around the world. About a year ago I made the decision to stop the physical output to focus on some new ideas that were more sustainable, and to partner with other brands that were more specialised in their manufacturing. Over the last year we’ve focussed more on travel and writing and I’ve been exploring more illustration avenues. Joshua took a step back from McKean Studio a couple of years ago to focus on his career, and I started working more on the parts of the business that are more in line with my skill set — like illustration!

With distinctive colour palettes being common in your work, how do you choose the colours for each illustration/product?
Choosing a colour palette is always my favourite part of a new project. The specifics are largely guided by the project and what the finished outcome will be, and where it will go. I spend a lot of time laying out physical colour swatches (often paint chips that I’ve hoarded from Bunnings) and mixing and matching to find the perfect combination. Most of my projects are city or location based, so I try to choose colours that are iconic and recognisable to that place and build out harmonious palettes from there.

 We love your book, Hello, Melbourne! How did your Hello…! Series of Books come about, and how has that process evolved?
Hello, Melbourne! is the second in my Hello…! Series of books, I like to think of it as the buddy book for Hello, Sydney! which was released the year before. I was originally approached by a publishing house to work on something together, and we developed the initial concept for Sydney. We thought it would just be the one book, but it was received really well, and I’ve now written 5 books in the series! The project evolved into countries (adding Australia and then New Zealand) as well as expanding into international cities, with Hello, London! being the latest addition, published just this February!

What kind of projects have you worked on recently? What was the most rewarding?
Lately I’ve been working on some big (secret) projects that have been largely self directed before pitched to someone who can make my idea come true — I always find these projects really rewarding because you can look back at what starts as just a kernel of an idea, and see it grow into something really big and exciting that someone else believes in too. I’ve spent a lot of the last year working on a line of homewares coming out next month (!!!) which is one of my biggest projects to date, and it’s been amazing getting to see it all come together through the extensive samples and mockups and packaging layouts. It’s a combination of everything I love to work on - turning my illustration into something tangible that will eventually be a part of peoples lives. 

What is your dream project?
Too many to list! I love all facets of design, so anything that is all encompassing is always a dream. I’d love to design a road-side motel — furnishings, the building, right down to the packaging for the toiletries! It would also be a thrill to design for an airline… from the side of the plane, printed PJs, and to bring back old-school travel posters!

How has Covid-19 impacted your outlook and/or business this year, and how have you adapted to these challenges?
This year has changed a lot of things… we’d been gearing up for some really big personal changes that have all had to go on hold for now, as well as having shifted our business focus. I had already given notice on the studio space in March, so have moved back to our tiny apartment, along with my husband who works outside of McKean Studio. It’s been COZY in our 1 bedroom apartment that’s for sure. In some ways, it’s been a blessing for the business, having stepped away from production, but so much of what I’d planned for the year (like more travel, and hence, more travel writing) just evaporated overnight. I’ve tried my best to pivot, and have used the time to focus on new projects that will hopefully come to fruition in 2021. 

When travelling, do you tend to create on the go, be present in the moment, or a combination of the two?
I think I’m a combination — I enjoy every second when we’re travelling, and love snapping away on the phone camera all day. I’ll usually edit photos at the end of each day, and if I’m planning a post about something specific, I’ll do a little bit of writing into my Notes app to come back to later on. Illustration projects I really only do when I’m back home, and I try to treat the travel time like building a ‘mental Rolodex’ to come back to when I’m needing a hit of inspiration in my work. It’s all important research!

 What lights you up and brings you joy - big or small?
I love keeping an eye out for little joys throughout my day. Funny coincidences that make me smile on my daily walks — like two cars of the same model parked next to each other, or people in outfits that coordinate with their house colour. I try to bring an element of joy into every day - cause what’s it all about if you’re not getting a little ray of sunshine somewhere in your day? I love a bunch of supermarket flowers, or pinching some blooms from my neighbours trees to bring inside. Bigger joys are getting to snuggle my friends babies, and making someone laugh.