365 Habits of Successful Graphic Designers_ Insider Secrets from Top Designers on Working Smart and Staying Creative ( PDFDrive )

131 CREATE AFTER-THE-FACT FLYERS

ED FELLA To complement his typographic experimenta- ence. The Yale poster won’t make any sense to
tion, Ed Fella started experimenting with direct anyone besides people who are involved with
mail advertisements, or flyers. He began creat- the Yale graphic design program. They will be
ing what he calls “after-the-fact” announcements, the ones to get the nuances. Yet it works as a
which function as a souvenir for the event they piece, an announcement. It’s readable; it gives
advertise. “I’ll print it—a couple hundred copies, you the time and the place of the event.”
that’s it. They become a kind of idea about art
design and art practice. Those other ones that All graphic design announces something: it
advertise, they function as real flyers—they print is worthless after the event is over. Fella’s
a couple thousand of them and mail them out. philosophy drives him to create these seemingly
I would just get my ‘cut,’ fifty copies or so. The obsolete pieces. “I make all these announce-
whole idea of what I’m doing now is to just print ments for things that are already over. I pay for
the designer’s cut, not the announcement—just them myself. There are no editions; there is just
do an edition.” the archive edition. In advertising you send out
200 posters and hope that twenty people come
In the poster shown here, Fella combines to the event. When you do it after the fact, you
sports lettering from Yale with odd kinds of old- just make the twenty and give it to people who
fashioned lettering, creating a look of sports actually came to the event.” Fella’s experimen-
nostalgia mixed with thoughtful graphic design. tal graphics give him an opportunity to create
The result is an eclectic mix that has nothing to work associated with events but that do not
do with the present. Fella notes, “I guess it’s a advertise them ahead of time. They are graphic
kind of post-modernism. These pieces function souvenirs and function to promote ideas rather
autonomously. They don’t function in the design than events, thus clearly reflecting the work and
world; they occasionally make it into the art thought process of the designer.
world, into a gallery or a museum. The posters
that I do are very specific to a very small audi- Announcement Flyers, designed by Ed Fella

200 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS



132 IT’S DIFFICULT TO WORK AT THE PLAYGROUND

ERIC HINES “Rather than try to develop relationships at Here are some great business networking
industry gatherings, I’ve cultivated relationships opportunities:
with high-level creatives or marketing types I’ve
worked with along the way. These relationships • Chamber of commerce mixers
have usually led to referrals. And when some-
one has been nice enough to send a client to • Neighborhood association meetings
me, I make a point of sending them a thank-you
gift or taking them to lunch.” • Cultural events, lectures, and discussions

Industry events are a great way to get out • Charity events and fund-raisers
and about with colleagues, mingle a bit, learn
something new, and meet people. But these Powerhouse Gym posters, designed by Eric Hines, Honest Bros.
events tend to be better for socializing than
for business prospecting. That’s why it’s so
important to make the effort to make contacts
with people beyond the design world. After all,
other designers want the same thing you do:
new clients. A chamber of commerce mixer
will put you in touch with business people who
need brochures and websites; an AIGA event
will give you a chance to talk shop, let your
hair down, and enjoy a few drinks with other
creative types. So while it’s important to rub
elbows with your cohorts, be sure to also look
for opportunities to hand out business cards to
people who might actually need your services.

202 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

PROMOTING YOURSELF 203

133 GO AHEAD, BE DIRECT Make sure your mailers don’t showcase only
the work you’ve done but are also inventive,
M MAVROMATIS “The majority of my work comes from direct- arresting, interesting, and creative pieces
mail marketing. This approach has been suc- themselves. In this day of faceless, high-tech
cessful for me because it triggers face-to-face communication, a well-conceived and executed
meetings with potential clients. Once I get the piece of mail may actually stand out more
initial meeting, I treat it as much as an oppor- than you expect. Which brings us to another
tunity for me to interview the client as for them important point: Make sure your mailer goes
to interview me. It’s important for both of us to to a real person, with the right title, who is in
gauge if we’d be a good fit and have a produc- a decision-making position, and actually still
tive working relationship.” works at the organization you’re targeting. Be
sure to spell his or her name right. Make sure
A direct-mail marketing campaign can be used you know something about what the person
as a kind of portfolio review. Develop a mailing or company does when you call. If you get a
list of real people at organizations you’d like to meeting, spend most of the time asking about
work for (websites, annual reports, and basic the company’s needs, not telling them how
online searches should give you plenty of con- great and accomplished you are. Then follow-
tact information), create a schedule, and mail up with a personal note that tells them what
things out on a regular basis. Realistically, pro- you learned and how you think you might be
spective clients will need to see several pieces able to help.
from you before you’ll even register on their
radar. And don’t expect them to just pick up
the phone and call you. You have to be brave
enough to do follow-up phone calls and ask for
a face-to-face meeting.

204 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Tulia identity and stationery, designed by M. Mavromatis, MM Design Studio

Michelle/David wedding invitations and stationery, designed by Nicole Block, NicEvents

134 SUCCESSFUL BY ASSOCIATION

NICOLE BLOCK “If you have an idea that can be of use in some just look for other poster gigs. Remember that
way to clients, then target events in that client’s this band is part of a larger record label that
industry. These events are a great opportunity may need design work. There are concert pho-
for them to meet you in person and hear from tographers who may need promotional pieces
you why your work offerings can help them. and even T-shirt vendors who need to jazz up
For example, I’m doing an event this winter with their offerings. This approach applies across
a dress designer. We’re inviting all our past industries and opportunities. Advertise your ser-
clients, as well as publications and bloggers, vices at the local college where seniors will be
expecting them to spread the word about what looking for graduation announcements or at the
we do for this industry. I’ll get to hang out with local baby store where new moms will be look-
brides-to-be, show them my work, and get my ing for birth announcements.
name out there all at once.”
If you’ve built trust with a particular client or
There’s a huge world of potential clients out client sector, then think like an octopus and
there. One way to break it down is to look for spread your tentacles in different directions
opportunities that are a bit more focused on that are closely related to what you’ve already
specific industries. For example, if you’ve done proven you’re good at.
a concert poster for a recording artist, don’t

206 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

135 WELCOME BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL

SETH CHEEKS “Many clients like to see that the creative peo- Most design magazines have annual awards
ple they’re working with have received recogni- editions; look for them and submit to them.
tion by other entities. Credibility comes from Here are some publication and other awards
having other recognizable clients, but it also opportunities:
comes in the form of awards. It’s a good idea
to enter design competitions. Many clients view • The ADDYs—An annual local and national
these awards as a kind of honor roll that proves competition put on by American Advertising
you know what you’re doing. With this kind of Federation
recognition, you will be able to begin building a
great network and attracting more clients.” • The WEBBYs—Web and interactive design
competition put on by American Advertising
It’s just like high school—once the “cool” kids Federation
give you their stamp of approval, everyone else
decides they can like you, too. How many times • AIGA Design Awards—Your local chapter’s
has the simple kiss of a pretty girl turned a frog annual competition feeds the national
into a prince? Winning some awards is like get- competition
ting that coveted smooch. The other story line
in this fairy tale is that everyone likes to feel • Publications with design competitions—
that they’ve discovered the next hip thing. And Communication Arts, Dynamic Graphics,
that may be you. A client who thinks he or she How, Print, and Step Inside Design
has been smart enough to find you before you
were recognized will be happy to brag about Mixtape Monster logo, designed by Seth Cheeks, CheekyDSN
you (and by association, themselves) once
you’ve gotten some awards. Once they tell their
friends, these folks might become your clients.

PROMOTING YOURSELF 207

136 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS AN ONGOING PROJECT

JENI HERBERGER Jeni Herberger has been working with freelanc- as staffing agencies. Otherwise, when today’s
ers for years. “Those that keep me informed project is done, there won’t be another one
about their availability get the first phone call ready for tomorrow. It’s important to set aside
when a new project or job comes up. time each week or even a few times a week
to make calls, do some prospecting, and ping
“You have to remember that even when you your clients so you stay top of mind with them.”
have plenty of work, you still have to keep in
touch with potential and existing clients, as well

137 KEEP IN TOUCH Establish a quarterly email newsletter. Send
out the occasional update about new work.
CHRISTINE GODLEWSKI “Most people stay with companies for just a Pop someone a note with a link to an article
couple of years, so keep in touch with friends you read that has relevance to their business
and clients you have worked with in the past. or follow-up a conversation you had with them.
Check in to let them know what you are up to. It’s not just about spreading the good word
Even if they don’t have a need for you pres- about your work; it’s about helping them be
ently, they might in six months or a year.” successful in their business enterprise, too.

We all know we shouldn’t burn bridges, but Sometimes, after months or years of this kind
we often forget to maintain them as well. We of intermittent nudging, you may wonder if it’s
have to keep our bridges solid, not only so we been worth all the effort. But then you get a
can cross them again but so other people can call from someone who’s kept your business
come over and find us. card, noticed your notes, and finally has a bud-
get and a project in mind. Sure, most of your
It’s not enough to make connections with contacts will ignore you, but once you get one,
people and hand out business cards. You need or two, or three projects—which lead to other
to collect business cards, too. And then send projects—you’ll see the multiplier effect of
something to them on a regular basis. (Just building and maintaining all those bridges.
not so regularly that you become annoying!)

208 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission annual report, designed by Christine Godlewski, Genius Creative
PROMOTING YOURSELF 209

138 YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOUR DESIGN FIRM WAS A
PERSONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM, TOO?

STEVE GORDON, JR “Sure you want your clients talking about • Take note of who is writing articles you like
you, but you should also talk about yourself in industry publications. Most are free-
and your services to create positive word of lancers themselves who are always looking
mouth. While you need to be your own best for new ideas to pitch to editors and undis-
fan, self-promotion of this sort does not mean covered designers to profile or quote. Send
you should be arrogant. There are professional them samples of your work or even suggest
ways to get your work noticed. An ongoing angles for articles. And if a writer does
public relations effort should be part of your contact you, be responsive. They’re usually
regular business activities. working on tight deadlines for little money
and they don’t have time to chase you—or
Many designers new to the freelance game your work—down.
think the only way to get their name out there
is by entering design competitions and hoping • Design competitions are a great way to
for that one-in-a-thousand shot at glory. But the make media contacts. Don’t enter all
competition can be stiff, fees can add up, and the competitions, though. Pick the ones that
there are plenty of free and effective ways to are right for your work. Writers and editors
get noticed.” often look for new talent in design annuals.

Here are some ideas: • Offer to be a speaker at community events
and business functions. Groups are always
• Send email updates and work samples to looking for someone to stand up before a
editors at publications you admire. Editors monthly meeting to talk about their work
are always looking for content. Maybe you’ll and how it can impact the community at
get a small mention in a regular column large, as well as business by business.
or even better, you’ll get included in a You’re supposedly an expert on visual com-
feature piece. munications, right? Offer to share your
insights and expertise.
• Send holiday cards and direct-mail promo
items to staffing firms, larger firms who
might hire freelancers, and publications. It’s
just another way to say hello.

210 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

139 PROMOTIONAL PREPARATION IS PARAMOUNT

TERRY LEE STONE There is a very good reason why the same • Always archive images of your work
designers get published over and over again. promptly and completely.
Certainly, the excellence of their work is part of
it, and some employ PR firms and other promo- • Get final project images together for every
tional vehicles to broadcast their achievements. thing you do as soon as the project
Having lots of money and an army of publicists is done.
is not required to get your work noticed,
though. Most of all you should be media- • Prepare one to three views/spreads/frames
ready—in other words, when the presses are of each piece.
ready to roll, not only do you have the goods
to flaunt but also the know-how to package and • Save images in two versions: high-res for
deliver your message to the public. Don’t be print, 300 dpi at 8 × 10 inches (20.3 × 25.4
afraid to toot your own horn either. Having just cm), or as large as possible low-res for Web,
recently filed several large feature articles on 72 dpi at 3 × 5 inches (7.6 × 12.7 cm).
designers who were novices at dealing with the
press, I am compelled to offer some sugges- • When you have a three-dimensional piece,
tions to get all designers ready for their close- photograph it. Save photos for both Web
ups. Follow this advice and you’ll be prepared and print.
when the opportunity arises—and happy with
the coverage you get.” • Writer/editor/blogger Alissa Walker (www.
gelatobaby.com) offers the following insight:
“As a blogger, I need that low-res image
and a link, either to the project on your
website or a page that has images and
more info—a place where people can buy it
or see the piece in action. Your website
alone is not good enough. I want to send
my readers somewhere very specific to
learn more and experience it.”

PROMOTING YOURSELF 211

140 GOOD WORK LEADS TO MORE WORK

ERIC HINES “The best way to win new clients is by doing It’s also important to remember that your best
great work for your current clients. We’ve client is your current client. It takes an awful
always found that if you wow them with the lot of time—and time is money—to get up
work you do, they’ll tell their business associ- to speed with a new client. Make the people
ates about you and recommend your services. you’re working with today happy, and they’ll
Then you get in the position of taking on the keep sending you work. And more work from
projects that you want, instead of taking on any the same client means you can spend more
project just because you need to.” time designing and billing and less time pros-
pecting and pounding the pavement.
The best endorsement you can ask for is
from a current client. But the only way to get Dan Sidor Photography logo and business cards, designed by
this recommendation is to make sure all your Eric Hines, Honest Bros.
clients are delighted with your work. Even if a
client turns out to be difficult or challenging,
focus on making sure the end product is the
highest quality you can produce and that you
offer service with a smile. You can always turn
down future work from this client. Just remem-
ber that every client talks to other potential
clients, some of whom will be nicer and may
have more interesting work and perhaps even
bigger budgets for you.

212 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

PROMOTING YOURSELF 213

Chapter Seven:

STAYING CREATIVE

AIGA conference announcement poster, designed by Stefan Sagmeister

141 AVOID DESIGN CONFERENCES

STEFAN SAGMEISTER Stefan Sagmeister jokes, “I think the last There are exceptions. Sagmeister notes
class I took was yoga. My last design-related that he has often attended the Technology,
class was when my former intern gave me Entertainment, Design (TED) conference, which
Photoshop lessons.” is about design, but he comments, “[It is] much
more about science.” The cross-disciplinary
Sagmeister admits that he usually goes to con- atmosphere of such a meeting of people has
ferences if he is asked to speak at them and the effect of stimulating the imagination in meth-
then takes the opportunity to visit other panels. ods and practices (not to mention images) far
But in general, he does not attend design con- outside the purview of design. In January 2003,
ferences. “There are few conferences where I Sagmeister went to St. Mortiz to a conference
really have the feeling I have learned. It is more where graphic designers were in the complete
like a sense of education than a true education.” minority. “It was mostly product designers and
educators, and I find that much more interest-
ing. When there are people who do different
things than I do, I learn from them.”

215

142 SUPPORT YOUNG DESIGNERS

WORKSIGHT Scott Santoro of Worksight was involved with like a natural outgrowth of Santoro’s work with
the New York AIGA chapter, which kept him the New York City chapter and his interest in
busy. “I served for two years as vice president, teaching.
and I was really active. Since then, I started
an AIGA student group at Pratt, which includes The students attend talks by figures such as
about fifty graduate and undergraduate stu- Jean Widmer and Stefan Sagmeister and dis-
dents. We are able to attract good speakers, cuss what they’ve seen and heard. Involvement
who also have a high-profile draw.” in the group can be a good foundation for
the résumé for a student just out of school—
The students with whom Santoro works are being involved with a professional organization
interested in the wider industry of design, and demonstrates interest in the field as a whole.
this group gives them an opportunity to keep In addition, involvement in the group gives
abreast of the variety of design-related events students an opportunity to make contacts with
that happen all over New York City. Because people in the industry while they are still in
the New York AIGA chapter is the largest in the school. “It was easy for me to start because I
country and Pratt has the largest number of had so many contacts already,” says Santoro.
graphic design students of any school in the “I think it is a good thing to provide students
country, providing a group for students seemed with this opportunity.”

14 3 WHEN YOU RETIRE, DEAL WITH THE POSSIBILITIES,
NOT THE NECESSITIES

ED FELLA Ed Fella describes himself as an “exit-level” have so much knowledge anymore about the
designer. He has co-taught a general professional business and all the digital stuff. I
graduate-level graphic design seminar with first- enjoy my graduate seminar because there are
and second-year students at California Institute other faculty involved with it. I can be kind of a
of Arts (Cal Arts) in Valencia, California. grand old man of technical problems . . . I did
teach full-time for about thirteen years after my
“The reason I do this is I’m retired. I’m not in career in professional work.”
the business anymore . . . I don’t use a com-
puter. I just make my own handmade pieces.” Staying engaged with the creativity of his older
Fella is also profoundly disinterested in busi- students and colleagues and maintaining his
ness knowledge. He doesn’t see the world of own studio on the Cal Arts campus keep Fella
business today as any different than it was involved with a somewhat rarified corner of the
in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, when he design world, but that is OK with him. “In the
was actively working. In addition, he doesn’t grad program at Cal Arts, we deal in the pos-
know how to use a computer to do design— sibilities, not the necessities. In undergraduate
an essential element in the nuts-and-bolts education you have to teach people how to
education for design undergraduates today. “I be graphic designers. Graduate education is
don’t really want to think about that anymore. more experimental. By the time you come to
It’s part of the student’s obligation to have to graduate education you already are a graphic
deal with professional practice, obviously. I designer. In graduate education you deal with
have plenty of wisdom to impart, but I don’t possibilities and experimental stuff.”

216 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Announcement Flyers, designed by Ed Fella

144 GO BACK TO SCHOOL, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE

ED FELLA Ed Fella worked in Detroit at a large design “I finally went back to graduate school. I was
studio for the first half of his career. He had 48 and said, ‘Well, now I can become a full-
received what he calls a “Bauhaus” model of time teacher and end the professional design
high school education—a rigorous trade educa- career.’ It was that Detroit idea of thirty and up,
tion larded liberally with humanities topics— that Walter Ruther thought up—that you would
and when he got out of high school he went work for thirty years and then you’d retire.
right to work. “In Detroit in those days you did You wouldn’t be burnt out, and another person
work in large studios. It wasn’t like now when would take your place. I also could retire from
designers are in small shops or individuals. professional design to teach, and I’d have time
We had studios with sixty people in them—that to do my personal work, which I’ve done since
was how the profession was in those days. I then. I’m famous now for my personal work,
did that work for a long time. I did it honestly which is ironic—no one gives a shit about the
and wasn’t cynical about it. My father was an thirty years of design work, the automotive
autoworker. I didn’t have any problem helping industry, the heath care industry. These things
to sell the cars.” are collectors’ items now.”

STAYING CREATIVE 217

Emigre magazine cover: issue 4, designed by Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko, Emigre

145 START A MAGAZINE being at the right place at the right time and
applying her knowledge of font design to the
RUDY VANDERLANS Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko created new technology, Licko used the early bitmap
ZUZANA LICKO Emigre magazine, published between 1984 and design tools on the Macintosh to create some
2005, because they were unhappy with their of the first digital fonts. Emperor, Oakland, and
regular jobs. VanderLans describes the founda- Emigre were designed for low-resolution print-
tion of Emigre as “a tediously slow process ing and by the third issue became available for
that would make for some very boring reading purchase. The sale of fonts created enough
when retold in detail. Let’s just say we were economic flexibility that the magazine was then
very naive, and we worked very long days.” published quarterly.
In addition to working on the magazine, which
in its first years was published sporadically, It takes a sustained effort as well as a per-
Licko edited fonts for Adobe and VanderLans sistent and keen business acumen to run a
did design work for other magazines. Their magazine. In terms of creative return, however,
company was called Emigre Graphics, and their for VanderLans, the magazine format offered
magazine was a forge for their emerging styles. everything a designer could wish for: a chance
to mix texts of all kinds, images, and headlines
VanderLans and Licko were quick to adopt the and deal with sequencing of pages. “And every
Macintosh computer as a design tool when it time you’re done with one issue, you start
was first introduced, a move that ultimately afresh with the next one.”
propelled the magazine to a higher level. By

218 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Matteo Fine Linen identity and packaging, designed by Margo Chase, Chase Design Group

146 MAKE A LOW-BUDGET PROJECT LOOK EXPENSIVE

CHASE DESIGN When Matteo’s president, Matt Lenoci, first Chase Design Group also developed a series
GROUP approached the Chase Design Group, Matteo of postcard-sized info cards for each product
had a logo and packaging scheme, but it was that fit into a small custom binder of oversized
clearly in need of an update. The new logo is fabric swatches, which allows the recipients
based on a classical roman serif font updated to appreciate the full beauty of the fabrics.
for a more modern feeling. Chase Design Expanding the concept of modern luxury
Group’s solution for the packaging resolved across all of the company’s materials estab-
two problems. The first problem was how to lished a cohesive brand that held up next to
give the company a luxurious look without the competition and increased the integrity
breaking its modest budget. The second was and appeal of the line for the consumer. As a
how to package the variety of sizes of product result, selling Matteo to the end user became
without requiring different-sized labels for each easier for the retailer.
item. Chase Design Group created a single
card-label printed on heavy rag stock, which is
foil-stamped and embossed. These techniques
would normally be prohibitively expensive,
but Chase Design Group figured out a way to
attach the same label to a variety of vinyl bag
sizes using a grommet to hold the label to the
center of the bag. This approach created a
unique, high-end look for the products.

STAYING CREATIVE 219

Emigre magazine covers: issue 48, issue 37, issue 47, issue 46, designed by Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko, Emigre

147 READ IT ALL, FORGET IT ALL, AND DO YOUR OWN THING

RUDY VANDERLANS Because of their unique position as design- work is the purest entrepreneurial model you
ZUZANA LICKO ers who made a magazine, advice from Rudy can find—they create their own products and
VanderLans and Zuzana Licko can be hard to do their own sales and distribution. This style
categorize. “If you want to know how to set up of business flies in the face of a conventional
a graphic design studio, you should probably shop that depends on client work for its
talk to people like Milton Glaser or Pentagram,” revenue and the direction of its work. Emigre
Vanderlans demurs. Citing their longevity, he essentially eschew dependence upon the client
supposes they must be doing something right. and the web of commercial acceptance. By
having developed a catalog of fonts and having
Although Emigre does not follow the con- concentrated on the magazine, VanderLans and
ventional model of a client-based studio, the Licko kept themselves busy with the kind of
insights VanderLans and Licko offered were work that challenges and satisfies them. They
nonetheless useful, particularly for people located a niche within the magazine market and
just getting started. In some sense, Emigre’s filled it with what they wanted to see.

220 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

STAYING CREATIVE 221

Psychedelic Language poster, designed by Scott Santoro/Worksight

14 8 ACTIVELY PURSUE INTELLECTUAL SUBJECTS THAT
RESONATE WITH YOU

WORKSIGHT “I’m constantly getting involved with subjects included her posters in the lecture. I spoke with
that interest me, working months at a time, people who were graphic designers during
reading everything I can about it,” says Scott that time period. I also located a psychedelic
Santoro of Worksight. This kind of intellectual typography catalog that was floating around
curiosity drives him to research everything New York, so I included that in the lecture. My
from psychedelia to Wittgenstein. friend asked me to do it from a graphic design-
er’s point of view. The result was that a textile
For a lecture about the art of the psychedelic client of mine asked me if I had any lectures I
poster, Santoro worked with a friend from would like to present for the Color Council in
Dartmouth College. “He wanted me to give a New York. It is so great to have someone ask
talk for a show about psychedelic poster art you to give a talk like this because it forces
for which he was designing the graphics. I you to learn and establish your own opinions
read everything I could find about the subject. and theories about a subject.”
I called every designer I knew who might know
something about it. I talked to Kathy McCoy, Santoro views this interest as ongoing; he
who, it turned out, designed psychedelic has put the latest draft of his essay on the
posters when she was a college student, and company website (www.worksight.com) to gen-
erate discussion and to spread the materials
more widely.

222 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Brooklyn Business Library brochure, designed by Scott Santoro/Worksight

149 LEARN THE VERNACULAR OF A NEW FIELD

WORKSIGHT “I had just finished a piece for Gilbert paper, In the environment of the library, where the
which was about the subculture of sturgeon subculture revolves around access to and
spearing, and I brought it along to my meeting mastery of information, Santoro went in with a
at the Brooklyn Business Library. The direc- similar, sociologically focused view. “I knew the
tor there really liked it, and I knew I had the people who ran the library were a very proud
project just by her exuberance about it,” Scott bunch. I spent three days with a copywriter
Santoro recalls when discussing an award- and photographer doing interviews and find-
winning brochure he created for this small, ing vignettes of people who use the library.”
specialized library. Libraries are often, ironically, lackluster about
graphic design, especially considering the fact
The sturgeon-spearing piece was based on the that books and the communication of informa-
subculture of people around Lake Winnebago tion is the central task of such institutions.
who create small houses to drag out on to The brochure he created ended up winning
the ice each winter. Santoro hired a guide to numerous awards within the library system,
bring him around the lake and spent some time so its effectiveness as a tool to speak to
watching the preparations, as well as the fish- experts in the field was clear. In addition, it
ing itself. By learning about the traditions of is a beautiful and intricate piece that works
this chilly pastime, he was able to accurately very hard despite its diminutive size. It also
reflect the obsessions of the activity and speak achieves the goal of introducing and orienting
its visual vernacular in the final piece. newcomers to the library in a hands-on man-
ner. “I think it shows how much I like the library
too,” says Santoro. By incorporating language
that was specific to the library and to library
patrons, Santoro learned more about how busi-
ness organizes information and how to better
access that information in a visual manner.

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150 CONTINUE YOUR OWN EDUCATION BY TEACHING

CHASE DESIGN In addition to teaching Type 4 at Cal Arts, Los Chase provided large pieces of white paper and
GROUP Angeles, designer Margo Chase also gave pots of India ink. She asked the participants to
workshops from time to time. “I find it very search the grounds around the hotel and collect
satisfying,” she notes. “It gives me a different objects. They then had to use these objects
perspective on the practice of design.” to create letters and words. They could write
by dipping the objects in ink, using them as
Dirty Words was a project that Chase did at stamps, or simply gluing them down. The par-
a design conference in Nebraska called “Art ticipants raided trash cans, pulled weeds, and
Farm.” About 40 local designers participated in made ink stains on the carpet, all in the name of
workshops presented by several prominent visit- creative expression.
ing designers. The point was to escape the rou-
tine of the standard workday and get inspired.

224 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Dirty Words workshop, designed by Margo Chase, Chase Design Group
STAYING CREATIVE 225

15 1 DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN AN ART PRACTICE
THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE

ED FELLA Ed Fella occupies a unique position as a retired In 2000, Fella published Letters from America,
designer, functioning somewhere on the edges a collection of his Polaroid photographs of
of the design world but not fully in it. “I’ve lettering and surfaces. In addition to this, he
carved out this odd position where I’m still a has a backlog of work that he hopes to even-
graphic designer using graphic design but as tually get out into the public world. “I have a
an art practice. Graphic design has to have bunch of books sitting here, but I haven’t really
a subject, a deadline—all of that. With these gotten around to them. I have one all on faces
pieces, I’m the subject—it’s the opposite of and landscapes. They are signs or windows
graphic design, where the artist is never the or posters with faces and landscapes painted
subject. The designer is never the subject.” on them—Polaroid format. I have thousands
of those. My wife has put them together and
edited them, but we haven’t gone to any
publishers. I have about 80 sketchbooks with
100 drawings in each one. They are shown
here and there, but they haven’t been pub-
lished. I like to make stuff; I don’t really like
to put it together. It is always such a pain
in the ass just to send stuff to shows. I get
plenty of calls, so I haven’t gone out there and
pushed.” Although he supported himself doing
conventional graphic design for many years,
Ed Fella’s personal work has been his most
enjoyable, as well as his most successful and
critically regarded.

Announcement Flyers, designed by Ed Fella

226 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

152 NEVER STOP LEARNING, DON’T START TEACHING

MILES MURRAY The Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL team has never focused on a specific product or personality.
SORRELL FUEL been drawn to teaching at art schools. Instead, We used the sculpture of our studio contents
they feel that they provide a good insight into from our book (FUEL 3000, pp. 20 and 21) as
their graphic sensibility as designers through a starting point. In the local community sports
their books. They continue to learn by producing hall, we constructed a similar sculpture using
work in ways that push the boundaries of their the sporting equipment we found on the prem-
knowledge and keep their interest keen. ises and added various adidas products.”

“We set up and photographed the adidas ad one By relating a commercial project to a more
morning in a local community sports hall. This personal, noncommercial project, FUEL moves
ad was part of a European adidas campaign in what might otherwise be a conventional shoe
which artists and designers were asked to come advertisement into a new realm, appropriating
up with an image based around the line ‘Forever the products as elements in their own art,
Sport.’ This campaign gave us the opportunity rather than allowing the product to dictate
to generate an image for adidas that was not the content.

adidas “Forever Sport” print advertising, designed by
Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL

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153 ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE ART

JOHN C JAY John C Jay rarely participates in design confer- if it is a cool technique. Don’t worry about
ences in Japan; rather, he concentrates his whether it is something that your teacher or
professional development on speaking with employer said you couldn’t do. Don’t worry if it
small groups or doing internal presentations is a thing that doesn’t sell. Just forget all that
for clients. In addition, he works with Illustration and express the most powerful emotion in your
magazine to develop and encourage young tal- body right now.’”
ent. “I’m very involved with them in encouraging
young artists . . . They did a call for entries for For the special competition, “expressing your
young artists in Japan. I wrote a brief, and the emotions,” the magazine received more than
first thing they said to me was, ‘Your client is 500 entries. Jay spent hours looking through
Nike—why don’t you do something like design- and judging them; he then made a presenta-
ing a new sneaker, a new Nike shoe?’ I’m not tion of the 15 that he chose, and they were
here to train them for a career; I’m here to featured in the magazine. Hiroyuki Yoda, whose
motivate them to think about the world in a way work is featured here, was chosen by Jay as
that perhaps they haven’t before. One of the the first place winner. This contribution to the
outlets is self-expression—to answer the ques- creative lives of the young artists of Japan
tion, why be an artist? And so I said in my brief, is essential to the work Jay performs as a
‘God—whichever one you believe in—has given creative director. Through this project, he net-
us the ability to have emotions and to express works with a publication and lends his talents
those emotions. You have been blessed with to their creative direction. He also stays in
another ability, which is a physical ability of touch with Japan’s nascent emerging talent.
some kind of artistic skill with which to express
ideas. Express to me the most powerful emo- Yoda illustrations, designed by John C Jay, Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo
tion that you are feeling at the moment. Don’t
make it about trendiness and style. Don’t worry

228 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

STAYING CREATIVE 229

154 TRAVEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

MARK RANDALL The Worldstudio Foundation inspires co- Randall prefers the spontaneity of travel as an
founders Mark Randall and David Sterling by educational experience to the comparatively
providing links to the outside world that are staid environment of the design conference.
constructive and engaged, which help them to Although such conferences are useful for meet-
keep their perspectives fresh. Another thing ing people, he remarks that in truth the last
they like to do is travel, and this interest con- thing he wants to do is go to a conference
nects with the interests of the Worldstudio about graphic design. He’d much rather go
Foundation, which, in part, concerns itself with to a conference of physicists, or some other
cross-cultural understanding and the introduc- topic about which he knows little. He’s been
tion of perspective into the work of designers doing graphic design for over twenty-six years.
and design students. When Randall travels “It’s not that I know it all,” he says. “I just want
around the world, he gets to see all kinds of a little bit more diversity in my life—not to
voices that aren’t seen in white, Euro-centric denigrate conferences, either. I went to the
design offices. Part of the reason Worldstudio last AIGA conference because they invited me
Foundation offers scholarships is to help art to speak, and I thought it was great. I thought
and design students who come from minority they did a great job, and I saw a lot of really
backgrounds get a leg up in their work and in interesting speakers. It wasn’t bad, but it is just
the industry. These voices make a big differ- not a personal interest of mine to go to confer-
ence when they are heard. ences.” Travel allows one to step into a com-
pletely unique environment and be bombarded
with fresh ideas, sights, and sounds, which is
invaluable in any discipline.

1998 Sphere magazine, designed by Mark Randall,
Worldstudio Foundation

230 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS



Image from Worksight promotional card, designed by Scott Santoro/ Worksight

155 LOOK AT THE EVERYDAY WORLD FOR INSPIRATION

WORKSIGHT The idea of staying grounded and connected to of graphic design and knew exactly what he was
the world of the everyday continually infuses the getting at. Outside, in a neighbor’s backyard,
work of Scott Santoro and Worksight. Through sat a poetic example of ‘the everyday.’ It effort-
the use of the plumbing metaphor, Santoro lessly blended life and art, and was as deep as
infuses his work with a practicality and simplicity anyone wanted it to be.
of language that belies some of the pretentious
conceit that the profession of design sometimes “It’s a bit of an oxymoron to bring up the phi-
exhibits. “My father directs the flow of water. I losopher, G. W. F. Hegel, when writing about
direct the flow of information. There’s a basic ‘the everyday.’ His philosophy’s better combined
similarity between what we both do for a living.” with rocket science. Yet Hegel’s maxim should
have been flashing above the window, ‘The
After taking a creative writing course, Santoro familiar is not necessarily the known.’ Of course
developed his observations into a short story it would have ruined the refreshing unexpected-
about a backyard clothesline viewed from one ness of the moment. The clothesline seemed
of the irregularly shaped windows at the Whitney innocent of any intention other than reeling out
Museum of Art, part of which is excerpted here a week’s worth of freshly washed clothing. But,
and can be read in its entirely on the Worksight underneath that layer of utility, it begged the
website. “. . . I spoke his dialect from the land viewer for meaning to be assigned. As Z said,
‘It wasn’t trying to be anything.’ It was nice that
way; like a blank canvas—ready, waiting, and
full of possibility.

232 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

“It’s as if the clothesline was metaphorically
available for anyone and everyone to pin mean-
ing to it, each viewer as a potential author in a
democratic kind of art. The location made sense
in the back of the Whitney which touts itself as
a museum of American art—clotheslines feel as
American as apple pie.”

Santoro’s observations reflect his intense, daily
engagement with the world of the everyday,
and the fact that looking carefully at your sur-
roundings can have a significant effect on your
art. Letting in the seemingly unimportant and
ephemeral can lead to inspiring observations
and creative insights into the work of design.

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Apocalypse poster “Swimmers”, designed by Why Not Associates

156 WATCH VIDEOS OF COMEDIANS

WHY NOT To gain a sense of perspective and to Spike Milligan is another comedian that Altmann
ASSOCIATES get inspiration, Andy Altmann of Why Not considers to be not only a pioneering comedian
Associates watches old English comedy vid- but also very surreal in his approach. “The
eos. “Morecambe and Wise are probably my surrealist painters so often use humor to make
favorite. They were a comedy double-act, who their work effective. It makes sense that sur-
modeled themselves originally on Abbott and realism is such an important inspiration to me.
Costello. They were very British, actually, in Just juxtaposing a word and an image can have
the end and became some of the most popular such immense power, especially when you least
figures of their generation.” expect it.”

Part of his love for British comedy is bound to
its surreal nature, which links it to art, such
as Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which
makes the regular world look peculiar and the
strange seem normal. Typographical experi-
ments, as well as experiments with language
and form, created new venues for early
twentieth-century artists. “Some of these
comedians can be quite surreal,” Altmann
notes. “They make you really look twice at
things. This perspective is, in effect, what you
want good design to do—make you think
about normal things in a strange new way.”

234 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Announcement Flyers, designed by Ed Fella

157 PRACTICE AND PREACH, DON’T THEORIZE AND TEACH

ED FELLA The work of a commercial graphic designer His inimitable style clearly cannot be taught as
and the work of a graphic design teacher such, but it can be “preached”—rather than
have very different demands. Nonetheless, displaying a series of rules to follow, Fella’s
these activities share certain elements, and work and teaching style emphasize courageous
Ed Fella, who has experienced both, has many creativity. Deeply schooled in the theory of
insights on the subject. After working for over design, he eschews theorization per se in favor
30 years in Detroit in a large design shop, of a strong practice and also believes teachers
Fella returned to school at age 48, when he teach best by doing rather than theorizing.
went to Cranbrook to get his master’s degree.
After graduating, he made his way to Southern
California where he taught full-time at Cal Arts
for thirteen years. He is now retired.

His aphorisms, such as “Rules are taught to
be broken only exceptionally” and “Practice
and preach, don’t theorize and teach,” serve
as words to the wise as well as pithy summa-
tions of his sometimes eccentric approach to
design. The precise work of a font designer,
for example, is often disrupted in Fella’s mostly
hand-done lettering experiments.

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Posters for Trocadero club, AIGA, designed by Art Chantry

158 CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

ART CHANTRY Although Art Chantry is from the Northwest, “I moved away from Seattle because I couldn’t
he moved to St. Louis in 2000. The change of make a living there anymore,” Chantry notes.
scene provided a drastic change of perspec- The economic boom that gripped Seattle in the
tive for Chantry. Often credited as the founder ‘90s brought with it both an inflated housing and
of the graphics style of some major Seattle studio market and a falsely healthy economy
music movements of the ‘80s and ‘90s, such demanding design services. Chantry had previ-
as work for The Rocket newspaper, Sub Pop ously been able to support himself by teaching
records, and Estrus records, Chantry had a and doing design work; in addition, he had a sub-
history and identity in Seattle based primarily sidized housing arrangement that he knew would
around subcultural movements. Consequently, not last. When the bottom fell out in the ‘90s,
when he moved to St. Louis and tried to get things had to change—he needed a change of
jobs outside of the world that he had formed scene, and he needed to be in an environment
(and that had formed him), it was tricky. that provided more economic stability.

His partner, Jamie Sheehan, also a graphic
designer, moved to St. Louis for work, so
Chantry turned his back on his entire life and

236 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

moved from the West to the “Gateway to the their freelance work. As a result of his work
West.” St. Louis could not be more different in Seattle, Chantry feels he is (for better or
from Seattle in terms of culture, economic cli- worse) pigeonholed into doing work for coun-
mate, and social makeup. Designers were paid tercultural products and events such as film
what Chantry calls “New York rates,” and many festivals, skate parks, and record companies—
large corporations were based in St. Louis. All ironically, none of it originating in St. Louis.
the designers he met worked for large agen-
cies. He found the environment to be very con- Chantry changed his surroundings and as a
servative, and there was no alternative culture result gained a new perspective from the dif-
scene to speak of. ferent sights and environments to which he
gained access. Although his client base did not
When the market bottomed out in St. Louis, change radically, his change of scene helped
it was like Seattle all over again for Chantry. him get a fresh outlook toward his work.
There was one crucial difference: The weak
real estate market in St. Louis had allowed
him to purchase a house, which now serves
as the home base from which he and Jamie do

STAYING CREATIVE 237

159 HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH GREAT TALENTS

HIDEKI NAKAJIMA Hideki Nakajima derives his primary inspiration graphic design. In an interview from 1999, he
from conversations with what he calls “great notes, “Through meeting various people such
talents”—people both inside and outside the as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Andres Serrano, and Kyoji
world of design, particularly musicians, fash- Takahashi, I realized that the world extends
ion designers, and other artists. According to beyond my knowledge and that the outside
Nakajima, “The reason I do not go to the book- world is full of extremely talented people. To
store is I know that there is not ‘new’ creative- compete with these people, I had to return to
ness in the strict meaning. It takes at least two my field, graphic design.”
or three months to publish a book from the
beginning . . . It is nonsense to find ‘new’ cre- Sometimes, however, great talents can be found
ativeness in the bookstore. Real ‘new’ creative- at home. For Nakajima, his children are another
ness exists in the brains of great talents.” source of inspiration. He cites “the birth and
growth of my babies” as the singular most influ-
Nakajima took some photographs for an ongo- ential nondesign element that has affected his
ing series of compositions for Cut magazine work. “Sometimes cute expressions I’ve never
before he began designing the images utilizing done before appear in my design. I used to pre-
surface, color, and typography. Realizing that fer colorless and strict designs, but I tend to use
he was not a photographer, he turned back to colorful and soft ones today,” he notes.

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sampled Life, designed by Hideki Nakajima

238 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

STAYING CREATIVE 239

16 0 KEEP CREATIVITY ALIVE
BY ANY MEANS

MILES MURRAY The books Pure Fuel and Fuel 3000 inspired
SORRELL FUEL advertising agency creatives at Bartle Bogle
Hegarty to commission Miles Murray Sorrell
FUEL to create a print campaign for the
European launch of Microsoft’s new game con-
sole Xbox. Damon Murray notes, “We wanted
a raw, spontaneous feel to the campaign. The
images needed to look as real and natural as
possible, and the snapshot quality of the pic-
tures helped this. We took all the photographs
for the campaign, art-directing ourselves. The
design has a strong typographic element,
similar to the FUEL books. The Xbox campaign
responded to a brief, while at the same time,
retained a feeling of our personal work.”

Xbox print advertising, designed by Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL

240 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

161 READ A GOOD BOOK “Chip Kidd’s book has more obvious bearing
because it’s a witty book about design school.
MARGO CHASE Margo Chase derives a lot of creative inspira- This Is Modern Art is a wonderfully sardonic
tion from reading. “I really love to read, and and insightful overview of what’s happening in
I spend lots of free time doing it. I read both modern art these days. Collings’s comments
fiction and nonfiction, as well as that special and observations keep coming to mind in both
category of reading that I call ‘reading the pic- positive and negative ways. I’ve quoted him to
tures.’ I do most of my reading in bed at night my design students more than once.
before I go to sleep. Really great writing can
cause me to lose sleep and large chunks of my “As designers we are asked to solve all kinds of
weekend until I’ve finished. My list of favorite different problems, yet our own experiences are
books constantly changes based on what I’ve often too limited to provide us with the insights
read most recently. or understanding to do this well. I think the part
of my brain that intuitively ‘gets it’ is the part
“I have rather catholic tastes when it comes to that has unconsciously absorbed the ideas and
books, and as you might guess, they don’t all concepts put forth in books.
have direct bearing on my work. A lot of my
reading is just decompression and escape. “Reading is an extremely important part of my
A. S. Byatt’s richly romantic writing falls life, and I can’t imagine what it’s like for those
into this category. So does Umberto Eco’s who don’t enjoy it. At the very least, it broadens
Baudolino, which I’m currently reading. my horizons and makes for interesting conver-
Germs, Guns, and Steel by Jared Diamond sation at the dinner table!”
has had some effect on my thinking because
it deals with the reasons why some societies
are more successful than others. The author
suggests that success is based on access to
resources rather than on some innate superior-
ity or intelligence. I think he would shudder if
he thought I was applying his ideas to success
in the design business, but some analogies
seem inescapable.

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16 2 SET UP SHOP IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY
DURING A RECESSION

JOHN C JAY When Wieden+Kennedy first decided to open Wieden+Kennedy opened with only one client,
their shop, Japan was in the middle of a but fortunately it was an enormous one: the
decade-long recession, and the Japanese Japanese arm of the company that grew up
economy was in shambles. Advertising expen- with the Portland office, Nike. Jay comments,
ditures around the world were down, and many “My goal was not to be a typical agency. Even
observers considered opening a new Japanese within the Wieden world, we wanted to do
office as a great risk. Jay notes, “From a busi- something different. We wanted to come in
ness standpoint, if you read the Wall Street and become firmly entrenched in the cultural
Journal or the business pages of the New York landscape of Japan. We did not want to be an
Times, one would think it would be economic office that depended on Western clients for
suicide to come over here and open a new their leftovers, their small adaptation projects.
business, but we felt that anytime there is a We wanted to work with the best and the
long economic recession, cultural changes are brightest of the leaders here in Japan, people
bound to occur.” who were looking for innovation, who were
looking for change, and who were looking for
At times like this, unique business opportuni- the highest levels of strategic and creative
ties arise. Jay explains, “That was what we execution. Getting our message across—you
focused on; that’s what we held as our faith. can only prove that point by doing work.”
And of course, we were aiming to reach the
youth culture that we knew was very powerful. Taking the risk to open a new shop in Japan
But it isn’t until the moment you truly get inside was based on Jay’s confidence that he could
it yourself, really immerse yourself culturally, find a staff that could partner with him and
that you begin to understand how influential grow the company into a dynamic entity and
Japanese youth culture is to the rest of us in into one of the leading ad firms in Japan. In
the creative world.” addition, he saw the economic and cultural
climate in Japan as ripe for change and for
dramatic challenge to the status quo.

242 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Nike Swim print advertising, designed by John C Jay, Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo
STAYING CREATIVE 243

163 WORK WITH VISUAL ARTISTS

TODD WATERBURY For a number of years, Todd Waterbury of The process of collaboration was somewhat
Wieden+Kennedy collaborated with visual artist informal. Wegner had developed a body of work
Peter Wegner, whose work deals with the rela- over a number of years. During that time, he
tionships between social conventions and formal would ask a few friends, including Waterbury,
artistic elements such as color. into his studio to discuss the work. This experi-
ence gave Waterbury insight into the process of
The artist, who usually shows his work in galler- the paintings, both how they were done and how
ies, wanted to work with Waterbury to express the thinking behind them had developed.
his ideas in a book. The artist’s work tends to
be very large pieces of plywood–8 feet x 10 The work that Waterbury does with Wegner is
feet (2.4 m x 3 m) at their largest. Rather than different from his work at Wieden+Kennedy
create a record of a particular show, Wegner because the collaborative nature of the project
wanted to explore and collaborate with another eliminates the idea of “creative” and “client.”
artist to see his vision in a different medium. Because the relationship is not commercial in
Together, Waterbury and Wegner worked with nature, Waterbury can try work that proceeds
the form of the book to translate the art into at a very different pace, with different aims. The
something more intimate. Although Waterbury ideas and sometimes complex execution provide
had not designed a book before, he and an outlet for Waterbury to conceptualize the
Wegner share a similar aesthetic, as well as work of design outside of the commercial realm.
a love of ephemera. Their collaboration pushes
the limits of the book form to create an Peter Wegner, American Types, designed by Todd Waterbury,
experience that they hoped would be more Wieden+Kennedy, New York
memorable for the reader.

244 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

STAYING CREATIVE 245

16 4 DEVELOP PERSONAL GROWTH AND PERSONAL TASTE;
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

MILES MURRAY Phaidon asked FUEL to design a 448-page The double cover folds over with a magnetic
SORRELL FUEL art book after seeing Fuel 3000 and the work fastening. The opportunity to work with art
they had done for White Cube. The books rep- from some of the world’s most renowned
resents a major collection of work from 100 artists in the design of this book gave FUEL
contemporary artists from around the world. It access to a steady diet of their peers: both
was a challenge for the firm to design a tem- nourishing and challenging.
plate for such an extensive collection of work
that retained variety and interest while keeping Cream 3 cover and spreads, designed by Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL
a necessary order and consistency. It is the
first book of this kind that FUEL has designed.

246 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

165 TAKE RISKS WITH YOUR CAREER

JOHN C JAY John C Jay spent most of his career in New that they are not looking at the big picture.
York City. He started in editorial design, gain- What happens is that creative people them-
ing both experience in and reverence for both selves become a victim of this, become too
making magazines and collecting news. He immersed in their tiny little businesses and
worked with a variety of editors and writers, all lose sight of the bigger picture. Creative
the while learning how to tell important stories people tend to lose the ability to take risks.”
through visuals and words.
In 1993, Jay left New York, not for his for-
Then Jay moved into the field of fashion where, mer haunts of Paris, Milan, or Berlin, but for
he observes, “many times words are not evi- Portland, Oregon. His move to Portland to
dent or necessary.” He served as long-time work for ad giant Wieden+Kennedy was a risky
creative director and then marketing director one. He explains, “That was my first radical
for Bloomingdale’s in New York, back in the step in finding a way to not become too com-
day when stores like that were important icons fortable with myself, my career, and what I
in the cultural (and not simply the retail) world. wanted to do creatively.”
He cites his training in what he calls “cultural
authenticity” to be the most important aspect Looking for some way to shake up “my own
of the editorial work that he brought into the status quo,” in 1998, Jay moved across the
fashion field. “Then, after 13 years, it seems Pacific Ocean to open the Tokyo office of
to be in our nature to challenge our clients, Wieden+Kennedy. Tokyo offered Jay a unique
to tell them they are not taking enough risks, opportunity to take the culture and values of
Wieden+Kennedy to one of the most exciting
cities in the world, a city that contains the
most influential youth and pop culture. “I want-
ed to apply some of our thinking, be a sponge,
soak it up, and see if we couldn’t spread some
of that learning through our network around
the world.”

Jay’s approach to challenging himself perme-
ates his work as well. The Presto 3 campaign
was consciously created to avoid commercial
conventions and to inspire physical movement
viscerally through the movement of sound and
visuals, without the image of an athlete or tra-
ditonal sport. Three types of “movement” were
featured: the music of electronica, hip hop
orchestra, and human beat box. The goal was
to illustrate that the Presto concept had grown
to another level.

Presto 3: “Instant Go,” designed by John C Jay,
Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo

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Presto 3: “Instant Go,” designed by John C Jay, Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo
248 365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

166 DO IT FOR FUN “On this project, I wanted to print program
covers, invites, thank-you cards, RSVP cards,
DONOVAN N BEERY “Do projects that sound fun, whether you and two small inserts to put with the program
think you have time to do them or not. Some on the same print run, all two-over-two with full
projects I had the most fun doing were pro bleeds (total sheet size was 12" × 18" [30 ×
bono. I did them at times where I was busy 46 cm]). The printer even allowed me to send
enough that I probably should have said no, the project with no crop marks (which allowed
but didn’t. me to design the pieces ¼-inch [6 mm] larger),
along with a PDF document showing where the
“One of those fun projects was designing cuts would be made afterwards.”
Halloween invites for a party a friend was
throwing at a bar. This project gave me the
opportunity to draw again, as well as the
challenge of seeing if I could make 800
invites on a $100 (£61) printing budget.

It also doesn’t hurt being able to say that the
bar was supposed to go out of business three
weeks after the party but did so well that night
that they were still in business the next year.

STAYING CREATIVE 249