Photo by:  Mark Burstyn

One of the best surprises I've had recently was when I received a request from Ivan Meade to be interviewed for his In Conversation series, I was incredibly flattered and honoured to say the least.  Ivan is the founder and principal of the multi-disciplinary firm Meade Design Group based in Victoria BC. He's an Interior Designer, a Graphic Designer, has his own personal line of namesake art and accessories and in 2014 launched his first fabric collection. Not only is he one of the most multi-talented creatives I know, he's also a savvy business man who always seems to be at the forefront of the latest technology.  Within an industry that's steeped in old school ways (pencil and tissue, notebooks and sketch pads) his firm is leading the way for the interior design industry when it comes to online branding and communications - from interactive websites, e-books, e-classes, to social media platforms, Meade Design is setting the benchmark for how it should be done.

I remember when I first joined blogger in 2009, Ivan was the very first blog in my blog roll that I followed, when I later joined twitter Ivan was the first twitter account I followed,,,and the same when I joined Instagram, Facebook, and most recently Houzz,,,,, each and every social media platform I eventually joined, Ivan was already there with an established following and setting a perfect example of how to do it well.  In return, Ivan's always so supportive in being one of the firsts to follow back and always takes the time to leave a thoughtful comment, retweet, or 'like' a post.

In addition to keeping his firm's various SM sites up to date, Ivan publishes an online magazine called LifeMstyle, a newer version of his original blog.   LifeMstyle is geared at providing resources and inspriation for both the design industry and the public - a community for design lovers as Ivan puts it. Its here where he publishes his In Conversation series, a collection of interviews he has done with Designers from around the world. I've been a huge fan of this series for years and have enjoyed getting to know so many Designers that I would never have known of otherwise and its been a thrill to learn more about some of the high profile designers who I’ have admired since the beginning of my career - he’s interviewed them all!  These interviews are so good, I truly wish this was a TV series.

I have such great admiration for Ivan’s work, his passion for design and his ambition to create a sense of community among design professionals. I want to take this opportunity to thank Ivan personally for inviting me to participate in this series. I am beyond flattered that he showed interest in my work. Most of all, I think its incredibly generous of him to use his own time and his own website to showcase other Designers in such an insightful way, you can add 'a very gifted writer' to his list of talents.

E-Book, In Conversation Vol.1 is a collection of some of Ivan's favourite interviews

If you havn’t already, I high recommend you visit LifeMStyle and check out this amazing series of interviews that Ivan has written over the years, now including his very latest In Conversation interview with me (honestly reading it made me blush)!  The article has reminded me its really time for me to get a new portrait and I need to redeem myself as an avid blogger. ; )   On his website you'll also find an impressive compilation of some his favourite interviews which have recently been formatted into an E-book (see above), the quality of this book is absolutely stunning.

Thank you again Ivan, I can't wait to meet you in person one day soon!