Tiff, Charlotte & Foster friends

Tiffany Howe is all about Dogs + Design two things central to existence! Our human first connected with Tiff over a shared interest in type and our tails were thumping with excitement to learn more about Charlotte the staffie that indelibly marked her life, Tiff’s canine fostering and work with doggo brands.

Tiffany, can you tell us a little bit about who you are, what your background is, and what led you to design? 

I am a graphic designer and doggo lover from Brisbane, Australia.  I have always had a creative streak and enjoyed making things, but pursued my studies after an art teacher suggested I look into graphic design. Honestly, at the time, I had no idea what it was but I liked the idea of creative problem solving and felt like a good fit for me. I have mainly worked as an in-house graphic designer, previously working for a natural medicine company. Now I am working for a pet food company as part of a small but dedicated marketing team.  

How do you feel like your practice has evolved since you started out? 

I feel like my practice has relaxed more as I have started to build confidence in what I do and who I am. I have really worked on developing own understanding of design thinking and ethics that I can use to navigate challenges I face both in graphic design and in life. I do still feel like a beginner at times but I don’t feel like that’s a bad thing, it keeps me open to new learning opportunities and keeps me humble. 

What’s something about a career in design that you wish you’d known before you learnt it the hard way? 

There are so many different fields of design, I wish I had known about more of them when I started studying. Like I had never heard of industrial design or UX design or type design before I started studying graphic design so without the exposure to these types of career possibilities I didn’t think or know that these could be something I could do for a living. In saying that I try to live by the thought that sometimes you just have to learn the hard way because it's the only way forward.   

You mentioned on Instagram that you are working with a dog food company, what have you learnt there? 

My previous role I was exposed to a lot of natural health and wellness education and research for humans, so I know it’s such an important part of living a healthy, happy life. However, even though I cared a lot about dogs, I realised I didn’t know much about dog health and nutrition, so I am learning a lot about that here. One thing I never knew before I started in this role is how the pet food industry in Australia is self-regulated and currently industry standards upheld through the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia are voluntary. I feel this attributes to quite a bit of ambiguity when companies are manufacturing and marketing their pet food. For me it has really solidified how much of an impact my role as a graphic designer can have on the clarity and transparency of communication to consumers. So it has been really important to me to hold myself accountable for the work I do   and the company I work for both my personal ethics as a graphic designer and as a dog lover.  

What is your advice for designers who want to assist their clients in making more environmentally responsible production decisions?  

For me it’s been a big focus on constantly educating myself on what it is to be environmentally responsible and taking that into how I approach each project I work on. The benefit, I find, working as an in-house designer is using the small, slow solutions for long term change, rather than a one fix solution.  I also recommend being able to hold yourself and others accountable for the environmental impacts of the decisions you make.  

What project or achievement are you most proud of professionally?  

I completed a permaculture design course in 2018 and although I did it without any expectation of anything then learning about gardening, it ended up having a huge influence on my design thinking and approach to my creative work. It was never intended as ‘professional development’ but has been one of the best things I did for my design career, it helped me connect in with my purpose and understand design principles in a whole life context. 

Outside of your design job, what does your personal creative practice look like? 

My creative practice outside of my design job is mostly focused around practical projects like gardening, cooking, baking and making things. I love trying out new craft projects to explore and learn different things. I don’t really have one set ‘hobby’ and it’s taken a while for me to learn to be okay with that. Often I feel like I am floating around doing nothing in particular, so I am getting used to just being okay with not having my one ‘thing’ to define me and my time. I don’t have any side hustle going on or a dedicated niche project, but I love celebrating those that do and being able to support others in their creative endeavours. 

Please tell us about Charlotte…

Charlotte’s an English Staffordshire Terrier. My family got her as a puppy when I was 13. I was in charge of naming her and at the time I was obsessed with pop punk band Good Charlotte (cringe lol) so she became our ‘good’ Charlotte. Charlotte lived with my family for most of her life, but when my brother and I moved out she spent time living with my brother before she came to live with my (now ex-) partners family and I. We eventually moved into our own place and that’s where we lived as our own little pack until she passed away at 13 years old. That was a heartbreaking for us to say goodbye to her, it was the day after boxing day so we had only just taken her with us to spend Christmas with the whole family together. 

If it doesn't make you too sad to share, what is your favourite memory of Charlotte? 

Charlotte was a big part of the reason why I wanted to buy a house, she was already 12 by then and I wanted to take care of her and give her the best in her senior years. One of my fondest memories is when I would go downstairs to hang out the washing on the line. She wouldn’t want to bother walking down the stairs so she would bark at me from the top step. We would have a little chat and she’d settle as long as I was in her sight line and be content with looking out over the yard. It’s such a small moment in the grand scheme of things but it had been such a ritual for us. It’s those moments I really noticed I missed most when she passed. She was always a little shadow following me around the house and it really had a huge impact on me when she had gone. It’s an emptiness and grief that sat with me a lot longer than anything I had experienced. This connection felt, for me, a lot different from what I have with other humans. Although that loss hasn't left me, it’s at least gotten easier over the years, which I think, that’s partly from realising so many other people who have lost a beloved pet can relate to this feeling - of loosing their bond with their best mate, and knowing that that’s okay to feel that way. 

And so recently you have been fostering Staffies? 

For the past year or so I had been fostering staffies through Staffies United Rescue. It gave me an outlet to care for dogs without committing to having another dog after Charlotte passed. It was a very challenging but rewarding experience. I have helped rehome 7 dogs. It was also a great opportunity to help look after staffies as I love the breed and their personality quirks reminded me of Charlotte. However each foster had their own personality and it was great to get to know what made each of them special. 

How have your dogs informed or inspired your creative practice?   

Fostering helped give me purpose in why I do what I do. They have also taught me to enjoy the playfulness in the imperfection and to not get so caught up in owning material things – they’ve destroyed their fair share of my shoes & furniture among other things! 

What life lesson have you learnt from your dogs? 

Selflessness and Resilience.  

Seeing the dogs leave for their forever home is always so bittersweet. One thing I heard all too often when fostering is “i couldn’t do what you do, I would want to keep them all” or “I don’t know how you do it, giving up these beautiful dogs”  

For me it has been about taking myself and my bias out of the equation. I loved them all and of course I would want to keep all of the dogs. It absolutely breaks my heart to give them up after I have spent so much time and effort caring for them. I see them settle into my home and feel safe and comfortable after gawd knows what life they led before. But if you take away my heartache and it wasn’t part of the process then it would be a no-brainer to help these dogs get the best shot at a new and better life. It’s not about me, it’s about them.  It’s heartbreak I am willing to take, knowing that these dogs are getting a better life than what they had, they will now be with families that care and love them. I have to trust in these humans too, that they will look out for these dogs just as much as I would. 

What do you love most about dogs? 

Their happiness in the simple pleasures of life, like getting a pat or chasing a ball. They always are stoked to be with you, no matter what you are doing or what mood you are in, they have no judgements (unless you don’t share your treats). I also love how comfortable they are to snuggle up and snore away on your lap, there’s a lot of trust in that.  

What does your dream creative project look like? 

I always love the tactile nature of making things, and collaborating with like-minded people, so it would be something like that. 

2020 has thrown us some curveballs! what do you hope for the future of design?

Heck yes it has! I think during challenging times like these, creative solutions really come alive, so I am keen to see some silver linings on this year and enjoy cheering on others as they grow and thrive in their creative endeavours. 

 Is there another creative canine combo you'd like to see profiled?

I am always fangirling over @jesszoet, she’s an illustrator and fellow mad dog lover plus I’m lucky to be able to call her a friend too. She did this portrait of me. 

Also currently instagram lusting over @eyepicturedthis paper cut dog portraits. And loving @ryanjonesphoto photography particularly of his superstar pup @cali.lab (I love a good dogstagram) All my favouriter ‘social media influencers’ are dogs.  

And your favourite animal welfare charity? 

Staffies United Rescue unfortunately disbanded in early 2020 due to a number of personal reasons within the volunteer group. But I am always watching animal welfare league and precious paws rescue, who do amazing work at rescuing and rehoming animals. https://www.awlqld.com.au/
https://ppar.com.au/ 

Finally where can we see more of your work? 

Check again in 2021. Haha.