Mervil Paylor is the Owner and Principal Designer at Mervil Paylor Design. She has been a member of AIGA since 1987.
What is your favorite word?
I like runtogetherwords like nevertheless, inasmuch, notwithstanding and woebegone. Oh, and I like palindromes (both verbal and visual) — perhaps because my father’s name was Bob.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
It is a toss-up between designing the piece that won the “2002 Sappi Paper Company International Best Printed Piece In the Universe” award (I can’t remember the exact award title but I like my version better anyway so let’s just go with it) or, scoring 99.3 percent accuracy on Typewar.com. Typewar is an addictive typeface-identification site and app. Out of 26,209 questions I averaged 99.3% right. Only one person has bested me in the percentage ranking — electricboogaloo, with 99.6%. Be warned EB, right now I am busy working, but next recession I am coming after you.
What’s one goal (professional or personal) you have for the future?
I am writing a book about my longtime best friend, Becky Johnston, an artist and designer who died several years ago. I promised her I would finish it and so I shall. It is a mix of writing and visuals. Becky saw early drafts and was convinced I was creating a new genre — “the book as brochure.” You can check out a rough draft of the first chapter on my website at: http://www.mervilpaylordesign.com/opine/project_2b.php
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Do everything you want to and only do what you don’t want to when you have to.”
— Advice from my grandmother, Mervil Norman Hobson, at 86.
What is the best purchase you’ve ever made?
A Mac SE, circa 1987-1988.
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