North America — Vancouver, Canada
Page 03 — Working Format
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North America — Vancouver, Canada
Page 03 — Working Format
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Working Format Working Format is a Vancouver-based design studio founded by Abi Huynh, Grace Partridge & Ross Milne specializing in graphic design, art direction and type design for print and screen. Working Format collaborates with creative agencies and clients throughout North America and Europe, producing a diverse body of work across cultural and commercial fields. Working Format 1090 Hornby St. Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1V6, Canada workingformat.com studio@workingformat.com
By Any Other Name
+1 604 566 2648
North America — Vancouver, Canada
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Interview conducted via email with one of the founders of Working Format, Ross Milne.
What’s the story behind your studio name? When we set up on our own, we found it daunting to think that decisions we made early would be with us for 15 or 20 years. Among other things, the name Working Format was a way of avoiding this. Can you roughly describe a breakdown of your working process? Our name also suggests that everything is in flux, that the studio can and will change direction and that at the core of what we do is a process. Is there a particular influence or focus that has led you to your current work? I’ve always been interested in the distinction between Italian and French traditions in cooking. In the latter, the chef is the hero, something that has led to an array of methods and complex techniques. Italian cooking on the other hand seems to celebrate the ingredient itself. Our studio mantra — if we have one — is to use good quality ingredients, cooked as little as possible. Could you describe your studio environment and the impact that the physical space has upon your creativity? We’re very accustomed to working in a variety of environments, though good lighting is a must. Are you conscious of your geographical location shaping your design practice in any way? This is a tough one. Because we’ve been educated and have worked professionally in foreign countries (Holland and the United States), we are very sensitive of the unique visual culture from one place to the next, though find it difficult to say how Canada’s has influenced our work. We’ll rely on others for that. How would you describe Canada’s current graphic design scene to somebody who has no experience of it? Canada has an uneasy relationship to its own visual culture. It’s a very large country with few people relative to its size. It often looks to its geography for inspiration and just as the geography varies, so does the visual culture. Young studios are starting to emerge, led largely by those out of Montreal. In Vancouver, a number of strong studios are establishing themselves with an awareness of work being produced elsewhere, be it Montreal or beyond. Are you particularly influenced or inspired by the design scenes of any other countries? Having spent time in the Netherlands, it’s impossible not to be
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amazed at the way graphic design is integrated into the county’s identity. French and Japanese design carry a lightheartedness that we find admirable. Has the internet limited individuality and created a global design scene where geographical position and local culture no longer impact upon the work produced? The internet has helped small studios find each other and break from the traditions of larger, established studios. Because the internet allows you to focus so intensely on what you’re already interested in, it’s easy to neglect the range of ideas, styles and opinions that make international graphic design so diverse. It also makes trends that much more ubiquitous. Do you consider the work of your studio to have a certain ‘style’? I’m sure it does, though as Working Format is the sum of its parts, we try to let the individual voices carry through. How would you sum up the attitude and direction of Working Format? Young and beautiful. Manam / Meeting Exhibition
North America — Vancouver, Canada
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The Cheaper Show
Royal Academy Of Art Type Specimen
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Established Established was set up in 2005 by Sam O’Donahue and Becky Jones. A full service boutique agency, Established offers Architectural, Graphic and Product design under one roof that merge to create comprehensive brand identities which are fully realised over multiple applications. Established 401 Broadway Suite 800 New York City, New York 10013, USA establishednyc.com hello@establishednyc.com +1 212 633 0373
Round Hill Music Stationery
North America — New York City, USA
Laughing Man Stationery & Packaging
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Studio Lin Studio Lin’s approach is founded on a desire to explore new territory through challenging collaborations with creative visionaries in the fields of architecture, industrial design, art and fashion. Behind every Studio Lin design is a highly defined rationale but not a singular style — a common denominator is a fresh, modern sensibility. Studio Lin 11th floor, 164 west 25th Street, New York City, New York 10001, USA studiolin.org info@studiolin.org +1 646 266 1425
Fab Manifesto Posters
North America — New York City, USA
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2012 Calendar
American Design Club Gift Fair Poster
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Triboro Triboro is the husband and wife team of David Heasty and Stefanie Weigler. Triboro creates design solutions for clients in publishing, art, fashion, music, lifestyle, and for cultural institutions. The studio excels both in building inspiring brands from the ground-up and in shepherding established brands into new territories. Triboro Design Solutions 239 Nassau Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11222, USA triborodesign.com hi@triborodesign.com
Poster Of Fortune
+1 718 389 7163
North America — New York City, USA
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Interview conducted via email with the creative director of Triboro, David Heasty.
What’s the story behind your studio name? Triboro is a common identifier in New York affixed to various businesses and locations (literally meaning 3 boroughs). We are based in a post-industrial area of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Many of the industrial businesses here are called Triboro Floor Tiling, Triboro Custom Shelving, etc. So we thought that since the neighborhood is in the process of transition — from an industrial based economy to a creative economy — it might be interesting to repurpose the term and preserve a link to the past. Can you roughly describe a breakdown of your working process? First we get briefed by the client. We like this part of the process, observing how they dress, their tastes and inspirations. Then we go back and brainstorm ideas that we think will address the problems/parameters/audience of the project but in a way that is (hopefully) unique. We do a lot of work for start-ups and we like this best because we are starting with a blank slate — helping to build a brand from the ground up is very satisfying and we really enjoy working with entrepreneurs. Usually our ideas come from a strategic place which is helpful when selling the client on the concept. We try to embrace objective reasoning not subjective tastes. When the client understands that the design we are presenting has some rational foundation they are usually confident in accepting the design outright. Is there a particular influence or focus that has led you to your current work? No, we approach each project with an open mind and try to come up with a solution that surprises us but is appropriate to the client/problem. Could you describe your studio environment and the impact that the physical space has upon your creativity? We have a combined live/work studio space and love it. There are no boundaries, and life and work are combined in a symbiotic mess of good vibes and creative chaos. Are you conscious of your geographical location shaping your design practice in any way? Absolutely, we are very inspired by the New York mentality (full speed ahead) and the New York aesthetic (an eclectic visual chaos) and being here is intensely stimulating. The energy of the people and environment is slightly addictive. We work a lot with start-ups and entrepreneurs are an enthusiastic bunch and there are a lot of new businesses starting all the time. Also New York is home to a wide variety of industries and we enjoy
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working with as many of them as possible. The opportunities that New York provides we could not replicate in another location. I think to your question, designers should acknowledge the influence location has on their work. Sometimes we don’t notice it but it is always there.
from others that our work lacks a singular visual style. If true, we are fine with this. Style is overrated. We get bored easily and look for opportunities to try new things and surprise ourselves and our clients. If clients approached us looking for a particular style this would take all the fun out of the creative process.
In a city as diverse as New York and a country as vast as the US, is it possible to notice any recent trends in graphic design? It’s hard to generalize about the the rest of the U.S. but it really feels like an “anything goes” atmosphere in New York. Maybe there are companies focusing on a particular style, but we find that clients are generally open to any approach that feels appropriate to their business.
How would you sum up the attitude and direction of Triboro? Who knows? Categorizing ourselves is not very interesting. We would rather put our work out there and let people judge for themselves.
Do you draw inspiration from any certain traditions or aspects of culture or design that is distinctly American? We are inspired by all sorts of things, but probably not anything specifically related to American design history. Certain local vernacular aesthetics we find fascinating, for example the midcentury hand-painted signage that adorns many of the industrial buildings in our neighborhood, or local supermarket posters. But usually we look more to creative output done outside graphic design. Movies from Kubrick or collections from Alexander McQueen offer much more sustenance in our opinion. Are you particularly influenced or inspired by the design scenes of any other countries? Not influenced, but we really respect some of the work that comes out of Tokyo. But really there seems to be interesting work coming from everywhere these days. Has the internet limited individuality and created a global design scene where geographical position and local culture no longer impact upon the work produced? It seems more that everyone is feeding off everyone. We are not so attuned to the trends of the moment but sometimes you see a type treatment done by designers in Berlin or somewhere and then the next week you receive a student portfolio that looks exactly the same. The dissemination of stylistic conceits seems to be somthing that has been around awhile. When we were students we saw it with Carson’s work or Designer’s Republic, now it just happens much faster with the blog/internet culture. Do you consider the work of your studio to have a certain ‘style’? We have a conceptual approach, a way of coming to ideas that seems to create a consistency in our work but we usually hear
North America — New York City
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BLK Denim Identity 1Colour New York Subway Map
Theurel & Thomas Interior
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Anagrama Founded in 2008, Anagrama is described as a brand intelligence group that aims to deliver highly a personalised service. Their set up includes professionals from a variety of creative backgrounds that combine to produce work that is incredibly well considered from every viewpoint. Francisco Naranjo 224, Colonia San Pedro, San Pedro Garza García, Nueva León 66230, México. anagrama.com Theurel & Thomas Branding
hello@anagrama.com +52 (81) 8336 6666
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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Interview extracted from Computer Arts Projects magazine issue 152 (Print Design) pages 46 – 53, Written by Garrick Webster.
Cast aside your preconceptions about Mexican style. The lucha libra costumes, imagery of Dia de los Muertos and tattoo art of Latino street culture have a certain visual flair. But they’ve quickly become clichés and if you look inside México itself you’ll uncover a far more sophisticated design culture evolving. Here, you’ll find Anagrama is a great example — an emerging studio that oozes class and consistency in everything it does. “We do not see design as being reggionally defined. Design must firstly be functional and it must communicate no matter what language you speak,” says designer Miguel ‘Mike’ Herrera. “When we see projects by Stockholm Design Lab or BVD, we think everything should be done that way. We love how history gave Switzerland, Germany, England and France a chance to be innovators in the fields of information design and typography.” Herrera’s comment is a great clue as to what inspires the studio and it always shows throuh in the effusion of wonderful typography that comes out of their work. The other co-founders of Anagrama are Gustavo Muñoz who runs the business and project management side of things and Sebástian Padilla who, like Herrera, is a self-confessed design perfectionist. The trio’s long list of international influences covers everything from Mies van de Rohe to Metallica, Haruki Murakami and Joseph Muller Brockman, with a little Daft Punk, Call of Duty and old calligraphy thrown in for good measure. The studio was founded in 2008 after Muñoz and Padilla had collaborated on a few projects together. They brought in Herrera and set up in a spare bedroom at Muñoz’s house.Three years on and the studio has moved into a new twostorey house in the downtown area of San Pedro Garza Garcia, in the Nuevo León region near Monterrey. During that time they’ve been joined by three more graphic designers, two web developers and an extended team that includes an architect and two industrial designers. Anagrama’s business is small but, as the saying goes, perfectly formed. It enables the team to get right inside projects and offer a service that bigger studios cannot: “Small is not a representation of expertise or success. For us, in part, it is a way of letting our client know that we are comitted to delivering ultra-high-quality work and giving them personalised attention” explains Muñoz. “When evaluating projects, we make sure that we have a connection with our client and that the project will be executed with great results.” The main focus is on brand development and this has three elements — consistency, attention to detail and process. quite new in the Mexican market, but there are still plenty of opportunities in the country for studios that can
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achieve high quality brand design. As an agency that recognises this, Anagrama positions itself as part of an emerging cultureshift in Mexican design. However, because Mexico is still a developing country, there are plenty of challenges. Anagrama are involved in exciting new commissions that will see their profile grow within México and internationally. “We hope to become a reference point for Latin American and international design,” says Muñoz. “We’d love to expand into other countries, establishing offices and to keep expanding our multi-disciplinary team, whilst being extremely careful to maintain the quality of our work. We’d love to get involved in airlines, hotels and the Olympics.”
For the love of print: “We greatly appreciate how digital gives us infinate graphical possibilities, but in the end we feel print involves much more creativity,” reflects Miguel Herrera. “Many other variables and parameters must be considered, such as textures, dimensions, cuts and finishes. These add depth to the experience and communication potential of the designed pieces.” MTLL Architects Branding
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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La Fabrica Del Taco Menus
Nemesis Identity
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Face Founded in 2006, Face is an intelligence-driven supermodernist design studio based in Monterrey, Mexico whose work range includes, design solutions, advertising, editorial projects and custom publishing, corporate identity, web design and brand development. Face Creative SA de CV Vasconcelos 204B, Second Floor, Bosques del Valle 1er Sector, San Pedro Garza García, Nueva León México designbyface.com rik@designbyface.com Face, 5 Year Anniversary
+ 52 (81) 8356 1001
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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Interview conducted via email with the creative director of Face, Rik Bracho.
What’s the story behind your studio name? Face was the last option we came up with actually, but as soon as we had it, we knew it was the perfect name for us. The story is very basic, we wanted a universal name that wasn’t really obvious about design, but that had something in it that could say something about aesthetics. Face is the most important feature to remember a person, it says a lot of things and it’s the main feature that makes us fall in love with someone. In a metaphorical way, we create those faces for our clients. Can you roughly describe a breakdown of your working process? We have a method and a formula based in tools, but we’re humans, and the client doesn’t always know what he wants or needs. Is there a particular influence or focus that has led you to your current work? Yes and no, we are all influenced by everything that the world has to offer, from competitors to teachers to inspiration of all kinds and shapes, we like to admire the basic rules and work that the geniuses did and left for us. Could you describe your studio environment and the impact that the physical space has upon your creativity? Our studio is inside an old brick building, which is something not that common in Monterrey. We redesigned some of the spaces and designed the desks, added some color and a few more things to make it look and feel comfortable. The environment is very relaxed, we try to have music all day, to chat about projects, things around us, etc. We have whiteboards and blackboards to write stuff and discuss our projects, and we try to have some beers once every week, to unplug for a few minutes or hours and talk about more than design. Are you conscious of your geographical location shaping your design practice in any way? Yes, but actually I think so far it has been good. Monterrey is an average city, not so bad, not so good, but the people (specifically the designers) are very aspirational, and we like to investigate and asbsorb what the world has to offer. The bad thing is that sometimes it’s hard to have better challenges and projects to design for. How would you describe Mexico’s current graphic design scene to somebody who has no experience of it? It’s divided into: Monterrey, Mexico City and the rest of the republic. Monterrey has the upper hand here, and it’s not only because we’re there. There at least five or ten amazing and
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internationally acclaimed studios in this city, and we are kicking Mexico’s ass in a good way. Do you draw inspiration from any certain traditions or aspects of Mexico’s design history? Not really, I mean, it depends. If the project needs something, we’ll look for the right resources to be inspired. Mexico has a lot of history, tradition and folklore to work with. Are you particularly influenced or inspired by the design scenes of any other countries? Well, we love Swiss design, but nowadays Swiss design is very international. We love the Bauhaus, Modernism (European and American) and we love Japanese design too. Has the internet limited individuality and created a global design scene where geographical position and local culture no longer impact upon the work produced? Internet is great. Globalization is amazing these days, you can be anybody anywhere in the world doing amazing things and the world can see your work and you can be reached. But even with this flexibility, where you are is always a very important factor to the things you create and inspire your work. Do you consider the work of your studio to have a certain ‘style’? We call it supermodernism. But it’s actually based in modernism with a human touch, it’s based in honesty and aesthetics. How would you sum up the attitude of Face? We are in love with what we do, and we want to do it better everyday.
Page. The Magazine
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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Hardpop Club Identity Page. The Magazine
MF Self-Promotion
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Manifiesto Futura The goal of Manifiesto Futura is to make the best of Mexican design, to change the shapes, strategies, the narrative… through clear messages and smart incentives. Yet to keep the mexican character, wit, and the charisma intact. Manifiesto Futura Col. Obispado Monterrey, Nueva León. México mfutura.mx hola@mfutura.mx +52 (81) 8881 7097
Studio Typography Project
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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Joy Motion Graphics Branding
Manifiesto Futura Identity
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Menosunoceruono Founded in 2006, Face is an intelligence-driven supermodernist design studio based in Monterrey, Mexico whose work range includes, design solutions, advertising, editorial projects and custom publishing, Kinky Music Identity
corporate identity, web design and brand development. Menosunocerouno Pablo, Moncayo 135, Colinas de San Jer贸nimo 11O. Monterrey, Nuevo Le贸n, M茅xico menosunocerouno.com hello@menosunocerouno.com + 52 (81) 8478 0513
Just In Case. End of the World Branding
Latin America — Monterrey, México
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Chinolationo Identity
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Founded in 2006, Face is an intelligence-driven supermodernist design studio based in Monterrey, Mexico whose work range includes, design solutions, advertising, editorial projects and custom publishing, corporate identity, web design and brand development.
Campo R/ Minas Gerais, 364 sala 4 Higien贸polis SP Rio de Janeiro 01244-010, Brazil nocampo.com.br contacto@nocampo.com.br + 55 (11) 2478 1772
Grupo Vegas Business Cards
Latin America — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Campo Experimental Poster Series
Vermelho Gallery Identity
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Founded in 2006, Face is an intelligence-driven supermodernist design studio based in Monterrey, Mexico whose work range includes, design solutions, advertising, editorial projects and custom publishing, corporate identity, web design and brand development.
Quadradão Rua Frei Caneca, 667, casa 6
Brazillian Museum Poster Competition
Consolação São Paulo, SP Brazil .quadradao.com.br quadradao@quadradao.com + (55) 11 2501 3180
Latin America — São Paulo, Brazil
Page 03 — Quadradão
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UFMG Urban Planning Invitations
Latin America — São Paulo, Brazil
Page 03 — Quadradão
Latin American Contemporary Music Meeting
Poster Module Series
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No Days Off No Days Off is a design consultancy based in London. We deliver creative solutions and intelligent ideas to clients big and small: arts organizations, fashion brands, record labels, advertising agencies, royal palaces and interesting individuals. No Days Off Unit B107, Lighthouse Studios 89a Shacklewell Lane London E8 2EB UK nodaysoff.com info@nodaysoff.com
Coggles Press Book
+44 20 7275 8962
UK — London, England
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Interview conducted via email with founding partner of No Days Off, Patrick Duffy.
What’s the story behind your studio name? No Days Off is a lyric from the song Twenty Four Hour Party People by Happy Mondays. I got these three words tattooed onto my arm in 2003. When I was struggling to think of a name for my new company in 2006, my friend suggested using No Days Off. At the time, I liked the fact that the original meaning of the words - staying up all night, every night — would now be read as relating to being diligent and working hard. Can you roughly describe a breakdown of your working process? My personal working process is usually based more around words than images. I scribble a lot of ideas into my notebook, along with some very basic thumb-nails. It usually ends up as a dialogue with myself as I work the idea through, looking at it from different perspectives. When I’m satisfied that the idea works, then I start putting it into practice, in whatever medium is appropriate. I tend to find more inspiration in books and songs than I do in still images or films, and my working process reflects this obsession with words. Luckily, Teo, my partner at No Days Off, is very much a visual thinker, so it all balances out nicely. Are you conscious of your geographical location shaping your design practice in any way? I’m not conscious of it, but it’s a good question. We work for clients in Europe and the US as well as in the UK, so I don’t think we have a purely English outlook. But there is definitely an English sense of wit (I hope) in some of our work — we like to be a bit cheeky when we can. How would you describe the UK’s current graphic design scene to somebody who has no experience of it? I wouldn’t bother describing it, there are magazines and blogs out there for that. Do you draw inspiration from any certain traditions or aspects of culture or design that is distinctly British? We don’t really draw much inspiration from design, to be honest. Our inspiration tends to come from other aspects of culture — literature, music, art — and from our own personal lives. Are you particularly influenced or inspired by the design scenes of any other countries? I’m not interested in any design ‘scene’. Has the internet limited individuality and created a global design scene where geographical position and local
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culture no longer impact upon the work produced? The internet will only limit your individuality if you allow it to be limited. It’s definitely much much easier now to make something look ‘designed’ there are millions of images available online to copy. That’s why I think it’s better not to be involved too much in any design ‘scene’. Much better to sit in your room on your own and figure stuff out for yourself — you’ve got more chance of getting it wrong if you do it yourself, and once you’ve got it wrong, you can figure out your own way to make it right. Do you consider the work of your studio to have a certain ‘style’? No. Having style is important; having a style is not. How would you sum up the attitude and direction of No Days Off? Bad; sideways.
Jean Machine SS ‘12 Collection
UK — London, England
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Nonpareil Exhibition Catalogue
Jean Machine Packaging
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Interview conducted via email with the creative director of Foreign Policy, Yah-Leng Yu.
What’s the story behind your studio name? What better foreign policy to connect with the world than design. ;-) The name came about from our experience in New York - having worked with the different people of different culture and school of thoughts, we want to continue to be able to learn, exchange and inspire ideas from the various ways of lives and system of thinking. This is also a constant reminder for us not to be stuck with inward thinking. Can you roughly describe a breakdown of your working process? I am always trying to understand as much as possible about the project or the client in what we called a Discovery session. For lack of a better term, I would like to say we “co-create” with our clients, they are very much part of the process. Their input are very important as points of reference or source of inspiration to help put together thought process and creative vision for that project, usually a collection of words or images to start with. Idea incubation then ensues to generate stories/ concepts that the project would be based on. Then I start building some kind of a visual language and move onwards to the design development. My approach is possibly very research-focused compared to most graphic designers, but I find it valuable and important to have a strong base of communication to support the visual. In that way, the design would be more endearing and enduring. Of course, sometimes, the idea just hits and I’ll be stuck to the chair working till the design is matured. And yes, I still use my pencil and I sketch a lot. Is there a particular influence or focus that has led you to your current work? The Japanese immaculate detail to attention is something that I respect a lot. Over the years, I have been conscientiously working in this manner. Could you describe your studio environment and the impact that the physical space has upon your creativity? We have an open space at the studio where all the designers work from one big desk. This promotes a lot of interaction and exchanges of ideas. The studio is kept fairly friendly and chill, without looking intimidating by over designing it with super sleek furnitures or furnishing. Very much true to our gut we are always intrigued and inspired by raw materials - the studio has some “rawness” in certain areas. Thus, the space allows us to speak our own voice; there’s nothing contrived about it or predictable about it.
Asia — Singapore City, Singapore
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Foreign Policy Foreign Policy are a small team of idea makers and story tellers who help craft, realize and evolve brands with creative and strategic deployment of ideas narrated by various appropriate media. Foreign Policy Design Group 78 Yong Siak Street, #01-04 Singapore 163078 foreignpolicydesign.com +65 6222 0878
Wanderlust Branding
affairs@foreignpolicydesign.com
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Are you conscious of your geographical location shaping your design practice in any way? Yes, very good question. Singapore being a very tiny market, does have its challenges and influence in our evolution. We are made constantly thinking on our feet about how to innovate or do it differently. When we were working in NYC, we were a pure digital agency what only served fashion clients. This is really impossible in Singapore - we expanded our services to beyond digital and included a wider roster of clientele. How would you describe Singapore’s current graphic design scene to somebody who has no experience of it? I would describe Singapore as a toddler in terms of design maturity, when compared to Europe or America. The last two/three years had been an interesting one where we have started to feel and see a bubbling vibrant scene happening. There’s an interesting entrepreneurship trend - people opening up interesting cafes/restaurants, book stores, design-centric accessories stores etc. These new entrepreneurs understand and value design, so in a big way, they have been the patrons of design and we see interesting branding work coming out
Wanderlust Collateral
from design studios. The government from its economic point of view, also has an interest to push the design education and industry. All in all, I think for someone visiting Singapore, it’d be refreshing and probably rejuvenating. For us, this is encouraging and positive. Do you draw inspiration from any certain traditions or aspects of local culture or design? Yes. Depending on the brief and context of the project, we study and consider that particular aspect very thoroughly so that we would know how to apply design with it. Are you particularly influenced or inspired by the design scenes of any other countries? Tokyo and Copenhagen are two of my favorite cities in the world. Whenever I am there, I feel I live in design. So very much, these are the two places that inspires me. Just by hitting the streets in these two cities, it is design all around. As for design scenes - the New York design scene definitely has a much greater influence and inspiration on me since I was based for a very long time.
Asia — Singapore City, Singapore
Page 03 — Foreign Policy
Table No.1 Branding
Has the internet limited individuality and created a global design scene where geographical position and local culture no longer impact upon the work produced? Good question. I think the internet has such powerful impact on design - no longer we need to travel from our armchair to notice what are the new designs across the continent. Inspirations and knowledge come fast at a click. However, the over-reliant on this sort of, what i called “armchair travel” has made some designers lazy to go out there to get involved in the tactile world. Design is telling a story; it is really just communication. I feel it is prohibiting and challenging to fully communicate about a certain object if I cannot understand how it feels like or how it actually works in front of me. Do you consider the work of your studio to have a certain ‘style’? I think our consistent style is that all of our work has a story to tell and that we tend to use very basic typography on some kind of interesting material to convey the context of the story. How would you sum up the attitude and direction of Foreign Policy? We are idea makers and story tellers.
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Interview conducted via email with the renowned design publication — IdN Magazine.
How did IdN magazine get started and what are its main aims? It started in 1992 as a desktop publishing magazine informing readers of things such as color separations for the graphic art industries. What do you think is the most important attribute of IdN Magazine? It’s content. Good publication design accentuates the work of artists and creators. What do you look for when sourcing content for the magazine? Someone who is genuinely good at what they do, whatever that may be. IdN is well known for combining multiple stocks and finishes into its production which are generally considered too expensive by other magazines – How do you achieve this? Staying independent is one reason why we can keep doing this. We care more about the product than the profits we make. You often include features on the design scenes of specific cities or countries – why is this of particular interest? “Creative City” is a column where we look beyond art & design, but people and cultures, where local influences impact upon their work. From sourcing and curating content for those features, do you notice geographic location influencing any particular aspects of work that is produced? Yes. Has the internet limited individuality through creating a global design scene where geographic location and local culture no longer impact upon the work produced? The internet is one of the reasons that geographic locations are slowing diminishing in today’s day and age. But it hasn’t limited individuality, it has in fact embraced individuality. What are your future aspirations for the magazine? IdN digital version perhaps.
V18 No.4 Monographics Issue: Colour Toning
Asia — Hong Kong, China
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IdN Magazine IdN is an international publication for creative people on a mission to amplify and unify the design community. It is devoted to bringing designers from around the globe together to communicate with, learn from and inspire one another. It has truly become what the initials of its title proclaim it to be — an international designers’ network. Systems Design Ltd) 4th Floor, Jonsim Place 228 Queen’s Road East Wanchai, Hong Kong idnworld.com info@idnworld.com +852 2528 5744
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