Chad Michael

A man of few Google Search results, Chad Makerson Michael the man, has been a mystery to the digital world as we know it, but his work speaks volumes to who he is and his capabilities. Under the design studio of Chad Michael Studio he has developed brands for a vast array of spirits companies such as Jack Daniels, St. Laurent, Gold Bar Bottle Co. and nearly 75 more. His work has a way of pulling you in and giving your eyes the chance to journey through all the nooks and crannies of his intricately designed work.  

We had the opportunity to sit down with Michael and dig a little deeper, get to know the man behind the design. From childhood cologne preferences, to his middle name, to his thoughts on pumpkin flavor trends, we asked enough dumb questions so the internet will never have to wonder about Chad Michael again.

Q: You’re going on a road trip- Who is in the front seat, back seat, trunk: Chad Michael Murray, Michael Scott, Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers?

Okay, uh, Michael Scott in the front seat. I’m gonna say Chad Smith from RHCP in the back, I think it’s a nice balance between the two. Chad Michael Murray in the trunk. I don’t think we’d have a lot to talk about even though he’s probably a great guy.

Q: What’s the last music station you listened to?

Actually this morning at the gym I was listening to hard R&B hits from the 90s. It was called Throwback Workout (on Spotify), so it’s got a little bit of Lil Wayne, Kayne, old Eminiem and Rick Ross. It really gets the blood pumpin’ while also hitting the nostalgic button.

Q: Shoes, tie them every time or slip into them?

My day-to-day shoes are pre-tied. I skip it and force the shoe on and most often bend the backs of my shoes. However, my boots are always treated with love. Unlaced then double knotted.

Q: Have you ever cheated on anything?

In high school I cheated on a few tests here and there but after high school, never. I’m a huge believer in karma, I do think that anything you put out there really does come back to you in some way so I make a point to not cheat or lie.

Q: If you could have one blowout party during any decade, which decade would it be?

Oh man, I’m hugely inspired by both the 1920s and 1860s eras. It would be a lot more dangerous than having a party now (laughs) but I would do something big, you know? Barrels of booze, secret speakeasies, but check your irons at the door kind of thing.

Q: What cologne did you wear when you were younger?

I went through an Old Spice phase when I was very young, like when you’re just now seeing the opposite sex in a different way. At the time, the thinking was that more Old Spice means “more ladies” but looking back I’m certain it didn’t help any.

Q: Favorite fast-casual chain?

There’s a place here, a childhood favorite, that they probably started shutting down for health code reasons over the years but it was called Pancho’s Mexican Buffet. It’s one of those buffets that only serves Mexican food. Food is delicious but soft, the enchiladas just kinda fall apart. No chewing needed. Sounds gross, maybe it is, but it was a Sunday staple when I was a kid and ate at it religiously during my college years.

Q: Last designer or illustrator that made you go “whoa”?

There’s a woman named Madeline von Foerster who does beautiful acrylic and oil paintings. She’s inspired by reliquaries and some pieces feel as though they were drawn directly from the window of an old apothecary. Another painter, Lee Craigmile, paints still lifes of liquor bottles. There is something about the moody aesthetic of his work that really resonates with me on a deep level.

Q: Have you ever climbed on a roof?

Oh yeah. I haven’t thought about any of that in a long time, but yes. I know when I was younger I would sneak out, we had a two-story house so a roof exit was the only way to break out in the wee hours of the morning.

Q: With two first names, we’re curious, what’s your middle name?

I don’t have two first names but I do go by what was my original first and middle. Chad Michael. It’s what my family called me growing up. My original full birth name was “Chad Michael Smith”. Recently I’ve legally changed my name to “Chad Makerson Michael”, dropping my last name and giving myself my own middle name. I’ve always felt a disconnect with my legal last name of “Smith” and also my first name “Chad”. Albeit I could not bring myself to change the first. Smith is one of the most common last names in the world and that has always bothered me. So given my love of the antiquated, I went in the direction of how last names were originally created, based on your trade or profession. I make things, I always have, whether that be physical bottles, sculptures, custom engraved furniture, etc. Makerson felt right. Felt more “me”. It’s a name I’m going to pass on to my children and maybe they can pass it on to theirs.

Q: You join the Adobe team, what’s the first request you make?

I don’t know a lot about the ins and outs of Adobe, but if I were to join the team, I would suggest – and they may already offer this – to develop a masterclass type program. Reaching out to designers, covering all the costs for putting the actual video together. Adobe would then split the profit with the designer. It would then enable a window of opportunity for myself and others to teach people without going through the hoops to set it up and do it yourself.

Q: Emboss, Deboss, or The Boss?

(Laughs) I don’t know a lot about Bruce Springsteen to be honest. I’ve been a more avid fan of Stevie Nicks and other artists from that era – but Bruce Springsteen is not one of them. I would say if I had to choose between emboss and deboss, it would definitely be emboss. Deboss has the tendency to not be as prominent.

Q: It’s Friday at 9pm, what’s your drink of choice?

Old Fashioned. That’s always my go-to. I’m also a huge tequila fan so sometimes I switch it out for a chilled shot of Jalisco’s finest. I don’t enjoy excessive additives or sugars in my libations so it’s typically one of the two.

Q: Favorite Pumpkin flavored item?

Mhmmm. I mean, I love pie and cake, so I’m just gonna go straight for pumpkin pie.

But wait, there's more....
Chad Makerson Michael
The Complete Series of Interviews

Marty Neumeier

Tarentino or Scorcese?
Chad Makerson Michael

Chad Michael

What cologne did you wear when you were younger?

Chalk & Brush

How do you feel about cargo pants?

Reyna Noriega

Q: Would you travel to Mars?

Tyler Spangler

Beavis or Butthead?
Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman

If you were in a font family, what style would you be?

Kevin Cantrell

Boomerang: The app or the tool?

Ariel Wilson

Q. Who’s Your Favorite Dad Bod?

Lauren Peters-Collaer

Q. What gives you goosebumps?

Luke Tonge

How are your nunchuck skills?

Mari Andrew

What noise does your spirit animal make?

Matt Curtis

If you were in a heist movie, who would be your assembled team?

Robert Fisher

What can you see from your window right now?

Beat Baudenbacher

What’s the last thing you apologized for?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Paul Woods

Paul Woods

What is the best board game to flip over in anger?
Designer and Illustrator James Olstein

James Olstein

Would you rather drown in coffee grounds or cat hair?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Victor Melendez

Victor Melendez

Where’s the strangest place you’ve peed?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Courtney Macca

Courtney Macca

What’s your uncle’s name?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Anna Laytham

Anna Laytham

How do you feel about sandwiches made with the ends of loaves of bread?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Johnnie Cluney

Johnnie Cluney

Have you ever eaten something in a bathroom?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Julieta Felix

Julieta Felix

How many bugs do you think you’ve killed in your life, whether by accident or on purpose?

Brian Van Gogh

What’s the last thing you licked?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Randy J Hunt

Randy J. Hunt

If you started a cult, what would you make people wear?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Jennifer Heuer

Jennifer Heuer

Do you think a world with adorable puppies on every corner would get annoying after a while?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Syd Weiler

Syd Weiler

If animals could talk, which do you think would be the rudest?

Kendrick Kidd

What kind of toilet paper do you use?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Lola Landekic

Lola Landekic

How many tabs do you have open on your desktop right now and what are they?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Shogo Ota

Shogo Ota

What is one thing Idaho and Japan have in common?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Jordan Scott

Jordan Scott

Would you allow Jeff Goldblum to tattoo you?
Andy J Miller of Creative Pep Talk answers Dumb Questions for Smart Designers

Andy J. Miller

When was the last time you kissed someone on the hand?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers with Josh Higgins

Josh Higgins

Q. Do you have any pet names for Mark Zuckerberg?

Amy Nicole Schwartz

If you were two kids in a trenchcoat, would you want to be the head or the body?
Stefan Sagmeister

Stefan Sagmeister

Would you rather ride in Air Force One with Trump or in a tank with Putin?

Christopher Ayres

How good are you at giving driving directions in California?

Chris Costello

Do you ever hold your pee too long while drawing?
Dumb Questions with Joshuan Taylor

Joshua Taylor

What Disney princess would you want to be?
Dumb Questions for Smart Designers - Jared Erondu

Jared Erondu

Someone you just met has food stuck in their teeth, do you tell them?

Zac Petit

At what age did you get to second base? And where did it occur?
Nicole Jacek Dumb Questions for Smart Designers

Nicole Jacek

Whose hair would win in a fight, yours or Donald Trump’s?
Dan Cassaro Dumb Questions for Smart Designers

Dan Cassaro

What was your mom’s last Tweet?

Cap Watkins

Man grooming, yes or no?
DanielleEvansHeadshot

Danielle Evans

If you had to make a slogan with raw oysters, what would it say?
Darren Booth Designer

Darren Booth

Who would you rather have escort your wife to a party, Ryan Adams or Ryan Reynolds?
Lauren Hom

Lauren Hom

What is your favorite flea market find?

Mikey Burton

What would it take for you to move back in with your parents now?

Gavin Strange

What was more painful, taking a bad skate slam or designing your website?

Becky Simpson

Do you own any domain names you don’t use?

Craig Frazier

Would you rather wake up for a day as Daniel Craig or Frasier Crane?

Mackey Saturday

What is the strangest rewards program you are a member of?

Sara Blake

Are you of the old school mindset, do you hand sketch everything first?

Jess Boonstra

Harry Potter or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or The Da Vinci Code?

Jeff Rogers

Tell us a personal story about glow sticks or hot sauce.

Chip Kidd

Who would run the country better, Donald Trump or The Joker?

The Heads of State

What do you think of the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot? Be honest.

Scott Allen Hill

What was the most inopportune time you broke, lost or forgot your glasses?

Timothy Goodman

If Donald Trump asked you to draw something on his Mexico border wall, what would you draw?

James Victore

Can you invent a clever bumper sticker slogan? We may or may not steal it.

Veerle Pieters

Since you never have had a boss before, would you rather have David Brent (The Office) or Gordon Ramsey (Chef) as your boss?

Gui Borchert

What do they write on your cup at Starbucks when you tell them your name is Gui?

Don Clark

What is your favorite show to watch with your kids on a Saturday morning?

Harvey Shepard

Would you rather shovel snow or go to a Nickelback concert?

Tad Carpenter

What’s your favorite children’s book?

James Flames

Who would you love to have design the poster for your 40th birthday party?

Jessica Hische

Can you give us an example of one thing you wouldn’t want your Momager to handle?

Steven Heller

You’ve interviewed a ton of people. Is there one person in particular that you haven’t that you’d want to interview?

Sara Blakely

What would your first thoughts be if you were asked to write Grease 3?

Josh Brewer

Elton John or Phil Collins?

Ashleigh Axios

If you’re going on a road trip with President Obama, what kind of car would you drive?

Matthew Manos

How do you feel about the term Millennials? Be honest.

Jean Jullien

If you had to get trapped for a month in one city’s subway system which would you prefer, NYC or London?

Bradford Shellhammer

Since your name sounds like that of a superhero, what would be the name of your arch nemesis?

Jon Contino

Would you rather be the brand manager or general manager for the Yankees?