Minimalism from Chaos

Nicolai Bye - Manifesto

Personal Manifesto Manifesto 106

I believe that a graphic designer’s job is to communicate information in an engaging way. For me the engagement comes from the design being simple, clear and with some surprises. Being a visual activist, I often find myself lost in my own thoughts. Thinking about a new design, a beautiful scenery, a recent movie or what I want for dinner, all of which is clear as sight in my mind. This gives me a competitive edge in the industry for being able to visualize ideas on the fly and having the activist part to go full out with trial and error. It’s out from this I develop my own idea of Minimalism from Chaos. For my mind and activist learning style might lead to what others could only see as chaos, I see as inspiration and a fantastic way to create quick visualized work that can be evaluated not just by me but also my peers.

When you think about Graphic Design it isn’t something quiet or boring, it can be if needed, but the general idea of design is something I see as fun. For that reason, when I work, I always play music. I can’t imagine something more boring or tedious then working in silence only hearing tapping keyboards. I am also quite peculiar in the music that I choose. While most probably would choose something soothing or maybe a bit of pop, I go full out with energy filled music, commonly referred to as party music. Music that makes you want to shake your head and hips and have a good time. These are the exact feelings of joy I want to have and express as I create my designs. Of course, I don’t always have that opportunity in a proper workplace, but at those times an engaging and debating group of people will more than enough fulfil the same purpose. Creating that extra dimension of fun, engagement and loudness that I think design should have.

When it comes to the topic of what influences me, I almost have to say everything. Being a visual activist everything interests me. Every single little quirky detail of anything will fascinate me at some level. Be it the pattern in cut wood, the roof of a building or the texture of dried oil paint. Getting close and seeing everything at a different scale then most do is a truly amazing experience.

Being form Norway and studying in England, I have already pursued one of my most desirable inspiration sources. To travel around the world and be influenced by all the different cultures and communities. How they differently communicate to the public and how their life is like compared to my own. Since I have always been a very independent person, I’ve never had a problem with moving around and get to grips with new places. This gives me a load of different experiences and memorise that will influence me for the future and give me a larger world view. One of my all-time favourite places is a place I have yet to visit. Japan, and Japanese culture is a world so different form our own that it is hard to imagine. From buildings to commercial, the way they communicate to their audience is so radically different from the west that it becomes so fascinating to investigate.