Chris GREGOIRE

What was your very first job? 

Housekeeper at a hospital. Ask me why if you see me.

Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails. 

All things digital for Timberland. I manage a team of designers, developers and video producers that produce experiences online and off for fans of the brand to interact with.

How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today? 

I’ve always been creative. When I was young my mother tried her best to get me to take art lessons, sculpting, painting, etc. and while I did some of them I always fought it. I enjoyed art but I only wanted to do it for me. I thought that if I pursued art as a career I wouldn’t enjoy it. I went to school for Criminal Justice and eventually had a class on web design and enjoyed it so much that I decided to change directions. I’ve enjoyed and have been successful at a career in Interactive Design ever since. Duh.

In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant? 

I’m inspired by everything. Everything. Music, art, architecture, TV, Movies, video games, packaging, Times Square, LA, or a small town in Maine but rarely do I look at other websites or similar types of work to what I do.

If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be? 

An in-store Design Your Own Boot experience. We had to overcome a small budget and intense security scrutiny while coordinating with marketing and in-store teams while leveraging an existing web based interface that was customized for in store and integrated into a full physical display. The team designed and developed the experience, sourced the software and hardware and created install documentation.