I'm Chris Spooner, a designer who runs two fairly popular design blogs: Blog.SpoonGraphics and Line25. I enjoy creating all kinds of design work, from cartoon illustrations all the way up to full website builds.

In what ways do you get/consume your inspiration?

I find inspiration in all kinds of places both online and offline. One recent idea I found while browsing book covers at a local store. This idea then ended up being developed into a design tutorial on my blog.

Please list 3 of your favourite sites.

I enjoy reading the tutorials on DesignInstruct, WeGraphics and finding new tutorial website through the links shared on Tutorial9.

What do you regard as being your biggest achievement so far?

My biggest achievement is definitely the ongoing growth of my Blog.SpoonGraphics website It has brought in some amazing opportunities.

What online tools couldn't you live without? (i.e basecamp, freckle, firebug, etc.)

Twitter, Firebug and WordPress are amongst my most used and more relied on resources.

What software (besides adobe) couldn’t you live without?

Hmm excluding Adobe apps? I'd have to say Coda, TweetDeck and any of the quality browsers of today – Firefox, Safari and Chrome.

What interesting project are you working on these days?

Nowadays I'm just concentrating on creating cool stuff for my blogs, so usually it's some kind of design for a tutorial. I don't currently have any long term projects on the go.

What effect on traffic & conversion do your new designs have?

Seeing as most of my new designs are then transformed into tutorials on my blog, the effect on traffic is very high. Each new post helps my blog grow in new ways.

Who are your top 3 designers?

I enjoy browsing the work of James White, Nik Ainley and Nick La.

What is the thing that most interests & inspires you these days in the world of design?

Simply browsing my RSS feeds and checking out the work of other designers is enough to make me want to keep practicing and experimenting to improve myself and create cool designs of my own.

Have you written any books/publications?

I haven't written of my own books, but a couple of years ago I helped out with the development of the Smashing Book.

What is your opinion about flash? Do you think its here to stay?

To be honest I haven't even used Flash myself for years. I don't think it's here to stay in terms of web design as the new features of HTML5 will soon overtake what's possible in Flash.

Where do you think the web is headed in the future?

I think websites will start to become more likened to actual applications. Soon we'll probably not differentiate websites from the applications we use on our desktops.

What are your best tips for newbie designers in the digital world?

I always advise for people to simply keep experimenting and sharing their new found techniques with others. This is what seems to have helped me out so far.

What is your opinion on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media network and how do they help you with your business?

They're very important resources to make use of, both for business purposes and leisurely personal purposes. I've made many great friends and connections on Twitter, some of which have resulted in exciting project work.

Any shoutouts or pearls of wisdom?

Overall just have fun in the world of design. Make sure you continue creating personal work just to fulfill your creative passion. This will keep your inner flame alight and help you stay motivated to improve yourself.

Thanks a lot Chris