U.S. Creative Today, Jan. 2000
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The following is an interview with Chris Jepsen, conducted by Barbara Hendricks, Senior Editor of U.S. Creative Today on-line magazine. 

Welcome to the debut of Hot Spots On the Web. Our mission is to spotlight the unsung heroes of the net. Each week we will choose one or two creatives and highlight their trade talents. This week's Hot Spots spotlights Web creator, designer and self proclaimed Googie-holic, Chris Jepsen as he takes us down memory lane with Googie Architecture On-line.

Googie...When I first heard the word, I thought it was some Gucci knock-off or maybe some kind of squishy gross candy or toy my eight year old would love. But never, not ever, did I connect the name with a style of architecture...

...Googie structures have dotted the American landscape in the guise of coffee shops, strip mall shopping centers and other roadside locations. Chris Jepsen has taken this little slice of Americana and created a fascinating Web site full of Googie factoids and history. So take a step back in time as we revisit the land of Googie.

U.S. Creative: Chris, you have a very interesting site. I never realized the visual impact of Googie on our modern landscape. Those Holiday Inn signs struck a chord of nostalgia for me.

Chris Jepsen: I'm glad to hear that. Many visitors to the site say it brings back childhood memories. Often, they're surprised there's even a name for this style of architecture.

You're right -- Googie has a significant impact on today's design vocabulary. Ironically, the original structures are disappearing at an alarming rate, even as developers rush to build new Googie-inspired shopping centers.

Googie stands at an awkward moment in history - Too new to be considered historical by most, yet too old to be valued as up-to-date commercial buildings.

USC: How did you get interested in this subject and what sparked you to create a Web site based on this architectural style?

CJ: About two years ago I started teaching myself the basics of web design. My problem was deciding on the subject matter. Most of the subjects I'm enthusiastic about were already well documented on-line.

At the time, I had just read Alan Hess' book, Googie: Coffee Shop Architecture and it made a big impression on me. I saw there were no websites about Googie and I felt the subject would allow me to incorporate my writing and photography. Since then, of course, it's taken on a life of its own. I'm now a full-blown Googie-holic.

Growing up in the 1970s and '80s in Orange County, I associated the Googie style with the area around Disneyland. By the time I was aware of it, most of those buildings had been neglected for at least a decade and were looking pretty run-down. Still, the old motels, bowling alleys and coffee shops had a distinct character to them that was exciting. It was as if Adventureland and Tomorrowland were spilling outside the gates of Disneyland to appropriate all of Anaheim.

So, Hess' book gave historical context to the eye-candy of my childhood and inspired my website. The site is intended to expand on his book rather than being redundant. Anyone who enjoys my site should really find a copy of the book as well.

USC: What were some the components you felt important when creating this site?

CJ: Content had to come first. Why build a site unless it provides information that's otherwise unavailable online?

Striking a balance between text and images is also important because people process information in different ways.

Writing for the site is something like writing feature articles. In a way, it's even less rigidly journalistic because I'm free to throw in my own opinions. Like Googie architecture itself, I wanted the writing style to be fun, colorful and informal.

The same is true for the graphic element of the page. I don't know if the turquoise Formica background ever appeared in an actual googie building, but it captures the spirit of the space age.

The fonts used on headers throughout the site were chosen to echo googie roadside signage. I started with a font called Cheap Motel, but it was lacking. Luckily, Steve Mehallo, a designer from Northern California, who enjoyed the site and suggested I use his new "Martini at Joe's" font, contacted me. Steve researched googie signs while designing the font, so it's a perfect match for the page. Most of the body type is black Arial on a white background, to make it as legible and universal as possible.

In a few places, I've supplemented with other fonts evocative of the 1950s and '60s, including Gilligan (for my Tiki Page) and AdLib.

Most of the photography on the site is mine, although I'll be adding more reader submissions soon. The photography keeps me motivated. It's great fun to explore the forgotten corners of the urban landscape with a few friends and a camera.

USC: I found your site quite easy to navigate and follow, was this a major factor in the design of this site?

CJ: Originally, no. But as the site expanded, I had to develop a system. I try to give visitors the choice between going immediately to what they want - like a photo of a favorite bowling alley - or to spend time wandering around and exploring. In a way, I'm shooting for the same experience I have while driving around hunting for Googie.

USC: What is your background?

CJ: Professionally, my background is mostly in public relations and political campaign work. However, I've also got a lot of practical and academic experience with art.

Most of my computer knowledge comes from hanging out with friends who do programming and from simple trial and error.

USC: Obviously you are a creative individual, what inspires the creative process for you?

CJ: First, it helps to be around other creative people. This can be difficult with the fine arts, but the web, by contrast, is a wonderfully accessible creative community. Although I try not to lift ideas directly from others, surfing good websites fuels my subconscious and helps me generate my own ideas.

There's also something to be said for simply letting your enthusiasm run wild. If you love your subject matter, it will show. Conversely, the more you learn about your subject matter, the more enthusiastic you'll be about it.

USC: Do you draw on any outside influences?

CJ: Reading. I read books, magazines, newspapers, websites and whatever catches my eye. If you don't read, you can't write. More specifically, if you don't read good stuff, you can't write good stuff. (Not that there isn't room for trash too. The occasional junk novel or comic book helps make you a well-rounded person.)

Favorite writers include P.J. O'Rourke, Ray Bradbury, James Lileks, Mark Twain and Robert Heinlein.

USC: I assume you wrote the text for the site as well as designed it, have you ever written for or designed any other sites?

CJ: Googie Architecture On-line is the only significant site that's all mine. I provided a lot of content for the Ray Bradbury Page, but the site is organized, programmed and maintained by Richard Johnston of the Brookings Book Company.

I recently began maintaining an existing website for the Orange County Bar Association. So far, I've only been doing minor tweaks, like calendar updates. However, I plan to do a major re-design in early summer 2000.  

USC: In your opinion what makes a site work?

CJ: Interesting and unique subject matter, ease of navigation, reasonable download times and good exposure via search engines and cross-links with other sites.

USC: What do you envision for your site in the next six months?

CJ: First, I'll be adding a giant index to warehouse additional images. Sadly, this may have to be on a free server that slaps banners on each page. I've used all the space allotted by my ISP. So far, Googie Architecture On-line has been advertising-free, but I may have to make an exception for this new section. In any case, the photo index will be fun for visitors who want to rummage through googie images for hours.

Secondly, I plan to add a section for googie personality profiles. This will include photos and brief biographies of architects, designers and other personalities connected to the rise, fall and preservation of Googie architecture. I may also add a section on what I've dubbed "Neo-Googie" - Recent architecture that borrows liberally from the Googie style.

I may also launch another site devoted entirely to tiki or Polynesian Pop architecture. This started as a small sub-section of my current site, but my collection of tiki information and images has expanded dramatically in the past few months.

USC: Where would you like to be a year from now?

CJ: I'm very happy with my current job and plan to remain in Southern California for the foreseeable future. In a perfect world, I'd be the next Dave Barry, but with fewer exploding cow jokes.