Squatch Creative’s art director, Marcus Price, is sick of ‘visual pollution’

Marcus Price is likely the most versatile artist and creative designer in the Wilmington area.
He does a little bit of everything at Squatch Creative, from hand-crafted drawings and web design, to photos and video. He’s also an experienced traveler, picking up inspiration for creative projects in Los Angeles, Brooklyn and Delaware. Price and Squatch Account Director Mike Gracie grew up in nearby Kennett Square, Pa.
The two friends developed and named their creative design agency in 2013, alongside founders Evan Lober and Randy Neil, who cover cinematography and development. Before Squatch, Marcus worked as a senior designer for the San Diego nonprofit Invisible Children and was also briefly the art director for the San Diego creative firm 5ifty & 5ifty.

There's lots of visual pollution out there. People make sites sometimes solely for a paycheck. That hurts me.

Since then, Price has accrued an impressive résumé of design projects.
Currently, he does branding and web design work for three Delaware restaurants: The Stone Balloon, Cocina Lolo and 8th & Union Kitchen. Price has done projects for Gatorade and Ford, too. He just recently completed a tour photographing comedian Aziz Ansari.
Price has ample experience behind the camera (though the team’s video expert, Evan Lober — who was part of Squatch’s first feature on Technical.ly Delaware last summer — does a majority of the cinematography work). He has filmed numerous videos of comedian Hannibal Buress and has shot tour photos for him since early 2014.
All name dropping aside, Price’s work has earned him both local and national attention. He’s up for three Philly Ad Club awards this year.
His secret? Keep it basic.
“We weren’t meant to sit in front of computers as much as we do,” Price said. “We can get stuck that way. My ideas can really evolve on paper.”
Here’s how Marcus Price designs a more colorful workscape.

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What is your background with Squatch Creative?
Mike [Gracie] and I have known each other nearly our entire lives. We played Little League together. I moved to California later on and we stayed in touch. I contracted design work out there and eventually we decided to just work together.
What is your educational background?
It’s mainly just been a pursuit of inspiration for me. Learning how to be an interesting guy, learning from other friends who are designers. I’m a musician, a photographer. I’ve had damn near every job. I truly want to know everything there is to know.
How would you describe what you do at Squatch?
My title is Creative Director. I basically get inspired and create things that inspire other people. I create my own work or work for clients. I think of it this way: if you trust us to take your brand and make us the face on it, then I take that very seriously. I’ve done work for Gatorade and Ford in the past. I just do a bit of everything. I’m equally inspired in Delaware as in Brooklyn and in LA, where I’ve lived and worked before.
You’ve also done some video projects. What are your recent projects and who have you worked with?
I do minimal video because we have Evan [Lober] who mostly does that. We do invest in good equipment. Right now I do some video for the comedian Hannibal Buress. I also worked on a movie with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg (“Daddy’s Home”) that Hannibal is in. We do his website and produce his social media. I also travel with him. If I hadn’t lived in Cali or New York, I wouldn’t have met him.
How often do you check your email?
My never-ending search for inspiration makes me kind of a mess sometimes. I could be two hours late somewhere because I’m wandering in Wilmington looking at painted signs on the streets. Without Mike, things might be a bit messy. His organization allows me to be my crazy creative self. So, to answer your question, I guess I check it three times a day? I can’t sit with my inbox open anymore. My work would suffer otherwise.
What is the most gratifying part of your job?
Getting to work with interesting clients. It’s a big honor to put a face on someone’s brand. There’s lots of visual pollution out there. People make sites sometimes solely for a paycheck. That hurts me.

I love working with my clients and creating something they maybe couldn't imagine on their own.

America is made beautiful by design. Old signs. Intention. The point is to design something that has longevity, which honors the legacy of business starting in America. I love having the opportunity to work with big and small players with massive brands or just a mom and pop. I love working with my clients and creating something they maybe couldn’t imagine on their own.
Recently, we just did a branding package for the Stone Balloon in Newark. I found out that Bruce Springsteen played there once in 1974! When I found out they were reopening and we got to do the branding work I just spent that week getting inspired. No pen to paper. That kind of time and intensity is what they deserved.
What’s your design and computer gear (program preferences/ones you use the most, Mac or PC)?
I use a MacBook Pro and tablet and write on it and then use some hard drives. I try to use real things like scissors and paper for the most part. Real things over technology. The design idea coming out of my head goes onto paper. We weren’t meant to sit in front of computers as much as we do. We can get stuck that way. My ideas can really evolve on paper.
What’s one way in which you believe your day-to-day work is better now than it has been in the past? Is there something you do now (or don’t do) that has made a big difference?
I don’t have a great organization system. My brain is like a tornado in my parents’ basement going through all my old comic books. That’s how it works for me. The difference is now I can focus fully on that creativity with our staff. Together, it’s a beautiful piece of synergy.