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1 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Words: Julia Sagar Illustration: Non-Format www.non-format.com com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 44 - ART250.report.indd 44 1/22/16 1:07 PM

2 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Special Report THE 20 most influential designers We reveal the top 20 designers and illustrators of the past two decades as voted by their peers, and their tips to advance your own career T his year, Computer Arts is celebrating participants were influenced after the end of 20 years on the newsstand. To mark 1995, when the first issue of Computer Arts our milestone 250th issue, we set out rolled off the press. Thats why you wont to determine which designers and find the likes of Paul Rand, Milton Glaser, illustrators have most shaped the Neville Brody or Peter Saville in this list, industry during the two decades the magazine but you willfind veteran designers like has been in existence. Erik Spiekermann rubbing shoulders with We didnt simply want to create a young-gun polymaths like Kate Moross or textbook listofthe great and good of graphic inspiring illustrators like Malika Favre. design. Instead, with thehelp of the Computer We also asked each panel member Arts community, wewanted to name the fortheir expert advice on a range of topics. creatives who have had the greatest influence on Youll find their tips, tricks and predictions the industry during the magazines lifetime. running throughout these pages. What youll find over the following pages So who made it into the top five? By is a snapshot of the game-changers who define aclear margin, Stefan Sagmeister was voted the creative world. To create this list, we asked themost influential designer of the last 20 acarefully selected group of our favourite years. Sharing second place are Jon Forss and contributors and collaborators (including some Kjell Ekhorn of Non-Format, and in third is of the industrys leading practitioners meet KateMoross. Alex Trochut, meanwhile, took the panel on page 64) to answer the following fourthplace and HORTs Eike Knig sits in question: which individual designer or fifth. Youll find interviews with all five front- illustrator most shaped your own thinking, runners inside the feature. ambitions or career path over the last 20 years? The remaining 15 world-class creatives Creatives could benominated for an are presented unranked, with a sample of influential project, an entire body of work, or theirmost inspiringwork and one of the even an interview or conference talk: providing manynominations explaining why each was that they made a personal impact on the soinfluential to our panel. Turn the page to panellists life and work, the nomination was discover the 20 most influential designers valid. The only stipulation was that the andillustrators of the last two decades. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 45 - ART250.report.indd 45 1/22/16 1:07 PM

3 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Nominations Voted the most influential designer of the last two decades by our industry-leading panel of creatives, Stefan Sagmeister needs no introduction. His unorthodox, provocative work Jan Wilker, co-founder, Karlssonwilker has delighted and unsettled viewers for over 20 years,inspiring waves of designers and Apart from having interned illustrators to question the status quo. with Stefan back in1999, and him eventually becoming the godfather or Everyone who nominated you shared stories of advice, support or inspiration that youve matchmaker of karlssonwilker, his impact given whether via a personal relationship, through your work or a talk. Towhat extent onme has been big. I was do you feel a responsibility to leave a legacy by helping the next generation of designers? mesmerised by his work from afar before working I myself opened my studio in New York in an atmosphere of support by the previous with him, but experiencing generation of designers. When we started to design work we were halfway okay with, all his dedication and attitude towards design upclose myheroes started to call among them Paula Scher and Michael Bierut to tell us how changed a lot for me. happy they were there was someone new in town. I remember when Milton Glaser called, Back then he showed a way that a two-man studio my brother (and businessman) Martin was visiting my studio from Austria. He overheard the could produce kick-ass, conversation and just couldnt believe it: You mean to tell me that your far more successful global, relevant work, unrivalled by agencies. competitors are calling you to congratulate you on the work youre doing? Im trying my best to keep up that tradition. Gaute Tenold Aase, associate creative Youve continually pushed boundaries throughout your career. How do you stay so director, Anti Not nominating Stefan in creatively engaged? What prevents you from resting on your laurels? this poll would be like not Ive gone through periods where Ive done lots of laurel-resting and I have the stains on my nominating Michael Jackson in the greatest pop artists of shirt to show for it. Theyre not pretty. But, in general, the single best strategy that keeps me all time poll. In my mind hes engaged is the sabbatical every seven years. I wouldnt be without them. the greatest. He has a unique way of creating visuals. Whether its Whats the next creative challenge on the horizon for you? typography, art direction or even his own website, he Were starting to work on a project on beauty. Well be trying to prove that the creation of never ceases to surprise. something beautiful is neither trivial, superficial or old-fashioned, but anessential part of And youve got to love his design can make what it means to be human. you happy philosophy. He seems like a great guy whos also a great designer. Whats the best advice youve ever been given, and why? It came from my mentor Tibor Kalman: the most difficult thing when running a design Gemma OBrien, company is figure out how not to grow. Everything else is easy. Having followed his advice, artist and typographer Ihave found the advantages to be: I first saw Stefan Sagmeister speak at a conference in Australia when I was in 1. No bureaucracy we can act quickly and efficiently. There are very few of the theearly days of design school, about eight years misunderstandings and wrong briefs so prevalent at larger companies. ago. The way he treated 2. We can only do a few of the jobs we are offered, allowing us to pick and choose. typography in his work was a game-changer. For me, he 3. We enjoy small overheads and can remain financially independent from our clients. presented a way to blur the 4. Everything Ive ever seen that was any good in design was developed by a small team, line between design and artand step outside the even if it came out of a big company. If 50 people were involved, it was always crap. traditional waystype is used to communicatevisually. What does it feel like to have 3,000 delegates singing along while youre on stage atan event? Is it better than motorbiking down palm-fringed roads with no plan? During the singing itself, Im mostly busy getting people to be more engaged, so its difficult to savour the moment. And the motorbike ride through Bali is difficult tobeat. Stefan Sagmeister www.sagmeisterwalsh.com com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 46 - ART250.report.indd 46 1/22/16 1:07 PM

4 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Stefan Sagmeisters 1999 AIGA Detroit poster, for which his assistant slashed the details onto his torso, is a graphic icon of the 90s com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 47 - ART250.report.indd 47 1/22/16 1:07 PM

5 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Ti p s f or n ew D es ig ne rs and I l l us t r ators We asked our panel: if you could give one tip to a designer or illustrator just starting out, what would it be? Know R e fi ne Lose the you r niche yo ur s k i l l s at t i t ude Mads Jakob Poulsen, creative director Matt Howarth, ilovedust Steve Simmonds, weareseventeen Think about what you can contribute to the Hone your skill set. Whether digitally or My tip for a new, young designer starting world of design. Whats your niche? Whats by hand, work hard on your craft every day their career is to lose any sense of your special secret weapon? Dont be like and in time you will find a style thatyou are entitlement you may have. Just because everyone else do what you think is fun. comfortable with and, most importantly, youve studied for three or five years doesnt enjoy doing. mean you can come into the industry and expect it to be easy. This sounds harsh, but Have a Iget young designers all the time telling me what they are and arent willing to do from singula r visio n F o c us day to day. You must remember that its Tony Brook, Spin notjust graduates fighting for their place If you make things the way you think they on ideas inthis industry; seasoned pros and entire ought to be, theyre more likely to be what Jon Waring, 3Sixty Design companies are fighting too and good attitudes youll be asked to make going forward. It took Work on your craft, but also on your ideas. make all the difference. Be keen and me a long time to fully understand this. High-quality words and ideas for brands enthusiastic: it goes a long way. Bread and make you eminently more valuable. butter work is a staple in any studio, so expect to be heavily involved in a lot of this atfirst. Dont expect to be working on all Stay true thebigger studio projects. This will happen t o yo ur pa ss io n Follow intime; just approach the bread and butter stuffwith bags of enthusiasm and make those Rob Gonzalez, Sawdust yo ur h e a r t projects shine unexpectedly. Do this and Stay true to what youre passionate about. Dawn Hancock, Firebelly your rise through the ranks will be swift. It will give you longevity, which is what you None of us really know what the hell were need to gain peoples trust and respect. doing, but if you think with your heart and go with your gut, it will all work out in the end. Stay t h e c o u rs e Good Wives and Warriors B e vers atile Our general tip for people is to just try and Sebastian Padilla, Anagrama STAY i ns p i r e d stick with it! A creative career is going to A designer needs to be versatile, like a Swiss Tommy Taylor, Alphabetical bepeppered with rejection and potentially Army knife. You need to be comfortable with Look for inspiration everywhere you go and confusing times. Without sounding too trite, working in broad fields such as typography, from everyone you meet. its important to try and believe in the value composition and copywriting. of your work and keep pushing through the times when you feel like quitting! com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 48 - ART250.report.indd 48 1/22/16 1:07 PM

6 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Ideas are C on s ta n t ly B e pro a ctive va l ua b l e C olla b or at e Gavin Lucas, Outline Artists Jamie Ellul, Supple Studio Sebastian Padilla, Anagrama Create work because you want to do it Your slick typesetting or mad skills in Team up with different people and avoid notbecause you need it. Got a mate who Photoshop wont make you stand out to an becoming redundant. runs aclub night? Offer to make them a employer or client. Only your thinking will. logo,create a flyer or make up some button Have ideas and execute them brilliantly. badges. Show them you can design a website Andbe nice its a small world. too, while youre at it. Any designer who says D on t f ollow they cant do a website or cant make button badges isnt a designer. You can do anything. t r e n ds You can make anything. You can learn Pomme Chan, illustrator anything. If you really want to do this, prove Stay true to who you are. Never change your it.The most successful people in the world Ta k e r i s k s design to follow a trend. didnt wait for jobs to land in their laps; Ady Bibby, True North theycreated opportunities by working with Stand for something. Take risks. Dont be people, collaborating, working for nothing happy to merge into the mediocrity of (when appropriate) and creating work they creativity out there. O n ly w or k w i t h could be proud of. Are you doing all of this? Congratulations, you might just make it as a pe ople you lik e designer or an illustrator. Fred Deakin, designer and teacher Get on Biggest lesson: only work with people you likeon projects you care about. If you take with it your time to make great work then eventually Jim Bull, Moving Brands themoney willcome. The act of doing is always better than Wo rk ha rd thinking get on with it and youll be Ollie Munden, ilovedust successful. Start stuff! My biggest tip is to work harder than everyone else around you. Be c ur i o us Juan Molinet, illustrator Avo id Go o gle Curiosity is your best friend. Embrace it you Kay Khoo, Kyoorius never know where youll find inspiration. My one tip for new designers and illustrators?Stay away from Google. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 49 - ART250.report.indd 49 1/22/16 1:07 PM

7 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Your work has inspired so many designers. Whos had the most impact on you? JF and KE: M/M (Paris). For the past 20 years Nominations Secretive, technically brilliant, dazzlingly the two Ms have demonstrated time and time creative: Jon Forss and Kjell Ekhorn of again that notions of beauty and legibility are Rob Gonzalez, Sawdust The most influential Non-Format picked up graphic design and subjective almost to the point of irrelevance. designers in the last 20 shook it wildly until everyones head was They seem to understand more than any of years for me would have tobe Jon Forss and Kjell spinning with excitement, according to one theircontemporaries that there are few things Ekhorn of Non-Format. The panel member, Sawdusts Rob Gonzalez (you as hollow as instant gratification, and that duo completely changed the game when it came to can read his nomination on the left). thereis nothing more sterile, ineffectual or innovative, expressive Its little surprise that the cross-Atlantic futilethan trying to appeal to everybody. typography and image- making. Their work for The design duo have taken second place in our poll Thewords demographic or focus group Wire magazine alone is of the top 20 most influential designers of the haveprobably never once crossed their minds. untouchable. Its like they picked graphic design up last two decades. Forss and Ekhorn have built Longmay this continue. and shook it wildly until a reputation for uncompromising innovation. everyones head was spinning with excitement. Theyve led the way in expressive typography JF: I wouldnt be surprised if I mention Brian Ihonestly dont think Ive and deconstructed graphic design since Eno every single day. Apart from his obvious seen any other studio be as uncompromising as they are launching their partnership in 2000, and have contributions to some of the best albums when it comes to the quality been inspiring creatives and clients alike with evermade, it was his 1996 diary, A Year with of the work: theyre simply unrivalled. Design heroes. their boundary-pushing branding, packaging, Swollen Appendices, that really made an impact and editorial design. on me.That book is the only perfectly legal Pomme Chan, illustrator, The pair, who recently merged with mind-altering drug that I know of. No one looks Non-Format have had so topScandinavian studio ANTI, designed our at the world quite like he does. Eno hasnt just much influence on my life as an artist. I collaborated with stunning die-cut cover this issue (you can read influenced my work: hes changed the way I look them for the first time after more about the cover design on page 3) and at absolutely everything. I graduated. They gave me the chance to design a the illustrated numbers youll see throughout CD cover for Anoice. this feature. Theyre two of the worlds finest KE: The late Japanese art director Nagi Nodas Their designs are always ahead of their time and I can designers and their peers think so too. work embodied a flamboyant, quirky and stylish always learn a thing or two visual universe, where everything was seemingly from their artwork not to mention how lovely they are What does teaming up with ANTI enable possible. She drew from an irresistible mix in person too. Non-Format to do that you couldnt or offashion, art, pop and Japanese culture to werent doing otherwise? create fantastical and otherworldly concepts Jon Forss and Kjell Ekhorn: Non-Format forher commercial clients. It was as though remained a two-man team for a full 15 years, but shewas looking at the world from a different it was starting to annoy us that we had to turn angle and many a time, when Jon and I have down some really interesting projects because struggled to find strong visual solutions for our we didnt have a big enough team to back us up. projects, weve asked ourselves: What would Teaming up with ANTI gives us all of that and Nagi Noda have done? somuch more. We can really concentrate on what we do best, and we now stand shoulder to What can we expect from you this year, shoulder with world-class talent in the fields of now youve teamed up with ANTI? design, advertising, TV and branding. We cant JF and KE: Weve certainly been busy over the wait to share what weve been working on. last three and a half months since we hooked upwith ANTI. Everythings under wraps at the NON-FORMAT moment but we do have a typographic short film that will debut at BeautyCooper Hewitt Design Triennial in New York. It was a real jumping-in-the-deep-end experience for us, but we think its worth watching if only for the really great Skillbard soundtrack. www.non-format.com com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 50 - ART250.report.indd 50 1/22/16 1:07 PM

8 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Left: David Bowie 1976-1984. The print is now part of the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Below: Love Song, Non-Formats 2007 monograph compiling the first seven years of the studios work. The first edition sold out within months. Bottom: Endless Endless, a 2008 story for Cent magazine com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 51 - ART250.report.indd 51 1/22/16 1:07 PM

9 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Tips to take your career to the next level We asked our panel: whats the biggest lesson youve learned over the course of your career so far? Making the client K no w l e d ge i s Fre e l a n c e hap p y isnt e no ugh the real power i s fr e e dom Sagi Haviv, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv Jason Little, For the People Sarah Mazzetti, illustrator The biggest lesson Ive learned so far is that Design is often subjective, but when coupled My biggest lesson? I wouldnt change the making the client happy isnt enough. At the with smarts, it gives you the ability to reach relative freedom of being a freelancer for end of the day, you, the designer, must be better ideas and back these up with the right anything in the world. proud of the result, and the way to achieve conversations and enthusiasm. that is to show the client only those options that you believe in wholeheartedly. Wo r k i n g Wo r k W e ll fo r fr e e n e v e r w i t h ot h e rs pays o ff Never sto p Louise Sloper, head of art Jonas Bergstrand, Problem Bob The most important thing Ive learned is to l ea rning Clients who think design should be dirt cheap listen to and work with a wide range of talents Kirsty Carter and Emma Thomas, APFEL have no true understanding of what it can from all backgrounds and age groups, learn Were learning all the time. Its not that bring, and are subsequently impossible to from them and be humble but ultimately theres one big lesson in particular; being work with. The fee reflects the trust that is to believe in yourself and what you want to inquisitive, listening and talking means that placed in the designer. achieve in life. Push yourself to explore new you are constantly learning something new. challenges and have fun. As creatives, we are incredibly lucky to make a career from doing L e a r ni ng the thing we love. Its more than a job. new skills stops Keep wo rk s ta gn at i o n and life se pa r ate Matt W. Moore, MWM Graphics D o n t li s t e n James Wignall, Mutanthands Learning new disciplines is a great way to For the sake of sanity, its important to keep keep growing and open new doors. too much work and life separate. Its easier said than Paul Stafford, DesignStudio done when youre a creative because you Listening to people, and dissecting and cant always tune out totally, but try to leave distilling what they say, is how we learn and work at work. Working long hours is rarely a Stay build meaningful brands. However, theres necessity; you always seem to get thework alimit. When DesignStudio started, we finished one way or another. Working h um b l e listened to everyone we met, but Ive learned smarter, not harder allows you to recharge Michael C. Place, Build along the way that you need to make your your creative batteries, which makes for a Get your head down and work hard, own decisions, or youll just end up building much better end result. and everything will be okay. something thats already been built before. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 52 - ART250.report.indd 52 1/22/16 1:07 PM

10 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Gr a p h i c N ot h i n g Follo w Antho ny d e s i gn i s a b eat s ta lk i n g B urr ills a d vice s e r i o us t o o l i n pe rs on Ed Robin, Mytton Williams Ben Bos, graphic designer Glenn Garriock, designer Anthony Burrill nailed it with the phrase, The biggest lesson Ive learned is that graphic Technology has enabled me to work with Work hard and be nice to people. It seems design isnt another kind of fine art, but a clients around the globe, but emails and so obvious, but its so true. And working with serious and valuable tool to convey clear callscant beat sitting around a table to clients, colleagues and collaborators that do messages beside tsunamis of rubbish. discuss an idea. the same makes all the difference. Treat every new Stay project like it will Sta nd up fo r h ungr y be your best yo ur wo rk Martyn Hayes, Elmwood David Airey, graphic designer Gaute Tenold Aase, ANTI The biggest lesson Ive learned in my career One of the most important lessons Ive If we come up with a concept and style we is never to stop being hungry for the new. learned? To treat every new project as if believe in, we fight for it, even if clients are itwill be the best of my career. It doesnt sceptical at first. And were usually right. matter who the client is, or what industry Otherwise, they wouldnt have hired us. Imdesigning for. Im the one responsible It all starts forjust how good, how interesting and how successful the result will be. with a good idea Th e business Stuart Youngs, Purpose My biggest lesson is that a good idea spawns co mes firs t a thousand more. Be Rod Hunt, illustrator Creativity is the thing thats most important or ig i n a l to me, but to create a successful and Hamish Makgill, StudioMakgill sustainable career you have to always put the R e i nv e nt t o Good design can only ever come from business first. That comes down to educating originalthinking. yourself on all aspects of your business, s tay r e l e va nt including pricing, copyright, contracts and Richard Wilde, School of Visual Arts marketing. The business side is equally as The only constant is constant change. Ive important as creating the work. always reinvented myself to stay relevant. Theres risk-taking involved with this charge, but its always made my life more meaningful. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 53 - ART250.report.indd 53 1/22/16 1:07 PM

11 S p e c i al R e p o Rt march 2016 Shes the youngest of our top 20, but multidisciplinary creative machine Kate Moross has crammed a phenomenal amount ofwork into How do you persuade your clients to take risks? nominationS her three decades on this planet. Her position in Has that become easier or harder as the clients gavin lucaS, our poll as the third most influential designer of have become bigger? outline aRtiStS the last two decades reflects her extraordinary Trust is the most important factor when developing I first met Kate Moross backin 2007. She was drive, talent and dexterity and is all the more a relationship with a client. The safer and more stillanundergraduate at impressive given that she was only nine years old confident they feel with you, the more they are Camberwell College of Arts but had already produced when Computer Arts launched in late 1995. likely to take risks or even sometimes push work for clients such as Best known for her hand-drawn typography youinto taking them yourself. Its important to Sony and Cadbury, provided illustrations for magazines and geometric pop aesthetic, theprolific graphic recognise that any project is a collaboration, including Vice, Dazed designer, art director, illustrator, animator and itsnot a single-sided endeavour. Some of my &Confused, SuperSuper and FACT, and produced studio founder started young, designing profile bestwork was my clients idea, and I never hide innumerable flyers pages for bands on MySpace as a teenager in the away from that. forLondon club nights. Shedalso art directed a early days of the internet and social media. By the I think its this mutual respect that develops such book for an architecture time she graduated from university shed already great relationships. Im not a designer with an firm, started a record label and was about to launch a racked up an impressive portfolio of commercial agenda, other than wanting to make the best work I range of clothing at Topshop. projects including a nationwide billboard can with my team. At the studio our goal is to find Now she and her studio have created visuals for campaign for Cadbury and a signature clothing new creative ways to express our clients ideas. touring music acts, directed range of clothing for Topshop and started her What client wouldnt want to do that? music videos, and art directed album sleeves and own record label. related campaigns. ForKate, Moross has helped define several illustrative Can you tell us a bit about your process how the word cant simply doesnt exist. If theres styles, and has created pioneering work across a doyou approach the start of a new project? something she wants to do, vast range of platforms and fields. Last year, her Im a very reactionary designer/illustrator I she works out what she needs to do, how to do it studios vibrant graphics reached hundreds of tendto start making things straight away and and then just gets on with it. thousands of eyeballs around the world when she dontthinkabout it too much. I dont tend to Shes always enthused, learning, doing and adding added the biggest boy band inthe world, One over-work designs, which is why they have lots new strings to her creative Direction, to her already impressive client list ofimperfections. bow I will always wish I was a bit more (Vogue, The Guardian, Sony,Adidas, Sam Smith Kate Moross. the list goes on). Herferocious appetite for Whats the plan for the rest of this year? creativity and refusal to conform to stereotypes Im putting my all into making 2016 an enjoyable has shown a new generation exactly whats and less stressful year where I can develop the possible with vision and hard work. work in the studio and not overwork myself. kate mOrOSS www.studiomoross.com com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 54 - ART250.report.indd 54 1/22/16 1:07 PM

12 march 2016 Th e 20 m osT i nflue nT i a l de si g ne r s Top: Kate morosss opening film for one Directions 2015 tour, on the road again. Above: a 2012 cover for the Guardians Guide magazine. Right: cover art for Hackmans 2010 single more than ever com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 55 - ART250.report.indd 55 1/22/16 1:07 PM

13 S p e c i al R e p o Rt march 2016 RevolutionaRy tHingS tHat Have cHanged tHe deSign induStRy (or Will) 3D PRINTERS/ SMARTPHONES FABRICATORS Dan Greene, Wolff Olins Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher The smartphone has I think the future of everything changed my approach physical will be governed by to design. Not only does affordable, quick, individualised a mobile-first mindset 3D printing from houses and force designers to think of impossible gold jewellery to the user first, it strips food, human organs, packaging away anything and so much more. superfluous in the design. PEN AND PAPER GOOGLE IMAGES Mads Jakob EMAIL Good Wives and Warriors Poulsen, Fredrik st, Snask Google Images and picture-sharing creative director Email is a huge part of our platforms like Pinterest are the The pen never daily communication with greatest addition to working as a goes out of each other, our clients and commercial illustrator, enabling quick fashion. Ideas other work-related contacts. research of visual content. are what count. THE INTERNET THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY GROWTH Fred Deakin, designer Tony Brook, Spin Sunita Yeomans, SSHY Creative WHatS tHe BiggeSt The internet led to an When I started, I was The recent Design Economy cHange youve Seen increase in speed, distraction, painting type on Report from the Design Council in tHe induStRy oveR competition and innovation. acetate with gouache. was a delight to read, especially And dont think weve Each change took an finding out that design is now tHe laSt 20 yeaRS? arrived the changes are age. Its much better creating jobs at three times only just beginning. now, of course! the national average. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 56 - ART250.report.indd 56 1/22/16 1:07 PM

14 march 2016 Th e 20 m osT i nflue nT i a l de si g ne r s DESIGN BLOGS Ed Robin, Mytton Williams We see more work than ever on design blogs and social media, but it would be great to see more support among the design community. Its so easy to criticise design. NOTES APPS Tommy Taylor, Alphabetical SLACK COLLABORATION TOOL ADOBE I used to carry a notebook, Jason Little, For The People ILLUSTRATOR but there were frequent Slack single-handedly supports our Jonas Bergstrand occasions when I found crippling caffeine addiction, keeps us The speed, precision myself without it. Now I have in the loop, organises jobs and facilitates and endless scope for trial and error hundreds of notes on my idea-sharing all while making us laugh. It helps offered by modern software fits my phone at any one time. us avoid the need for client managers. frame of mind perfectly. SOCIAL MEDIA Liza Enebeis, Studio Dumbar Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have accentuated our designer traits of being collectors, gatherers and exhibitionists. WACOM TABLETS Ollie Munden, ilovedust Wacoms Cintiq tablets have revolutionised the way Im working. I hope Apple updates the iPad Pro to run a full version of Photoshop, or Wacom releases Code a companion tablet that runs OS X as standard. CODE Jon Waring, 3Sixty Design As code becomes more DIGITAL PRINTING PRESSES accessible to creatives with ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Greig Anderson, Freytag Anderson tools like PageCloud, and Dean Johnson, Brandwidth Developments like the Indigo and browsers offer more scope for Ive used Photoshop for over 25 Arizona presses have made quality animation, video, voice and years, right from its black-and- print finishing a viable option for a gesture, well be able to control white inception. I actually think in terms of variety of clients both large and small. the digital experience. Photoshop when looking at an environment or object CREATIVE AGENCIES APPLE AND ADOBE INFORMATION CONSUMPTION Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher Simon Spilsbury, illustrator Kate Franklin, FranklinTill The biggest change is the generation of In the same way the iPhone has spawned a zillion The speed at which we consume information, creative agencies at all sizes, everywhere, photographers, Apple and Adobe have tricked especially in a visual sense, has greatly and in different forms. Also the reluctant everyone into believing theyre an artist. This has increased. How we seek out information and enforced march of traditional advertising created a bombardment of mediocre visual language inspiration is hugely different to how it was into the design space, which is one of the that seems to have permeated like a virus through 20 years ago, when research was something great acts of stealth in denial. the whole gamut of published media. more physical and experiential. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 57 - ART250.report.indd 57 1/22/16 1:07 PM

15 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Alex Trochut www.alextrochut.com Nominations Dubbed a genius typographer and illustrator by ourpanel,Barcelona-born, Brooklyn-based artist, graphic MATT HOWARTH, ILOVEDUST Around 2008, Alex designer, illustrator and typographer Alex Trochut ranked Trochut came on the fourth in our poll. Hes won a devoted fanbase thanks to his scene and changed the game. Technically and unique brand of illustrated typography and geometric flair: conceptually, his work was I first stumbled across Alexs work seven or eight years a breath of fresh air within the illustration world, ago, recalls designer and typographer Steven Bonner, single-handedly taking andwas blown away by the flow, rhythm and how it vector illustration to a placeit had never been pushed against so much of what was happening at the before. Bold, vibrant and time.It took what was traditionally seen as vector graphic technically mind-bending in its creation, his work work and upped the game for everyone with its beauty gave us all a huge shot of andtechnical prowess. inspiration. Watching Alex continually push himself to To me, the best project should be the one you still develop new styles and havent done, reflects Trochut. I think the moment you set techniques year on year has been fascinating from something as your favourite youre accommodating to it, a design and illustration and establishing a virtual limit to your creativity. I prefer to point of view. leave that door open and think that the best is yet to come. As far as the future goes, I am clueless but optimistic. Eike Knig www.hort.org.uk Nominations In fifth place is Eike Knig, who in 1994 set up HORT, a graphic design playground in Berlin where creatives could Sarah Mazzetti Illustrator collaborate onclient briefs alongside experimental, He uses design and self-initiated ideas. Widely acclaimed for his fresh design typography in an extremely clever, ironic thinking and free-spirited approach, Knig believes in and provocative way. relationships and credits the success of his studio to the When I saw his posters Iwas blown away, people he works with. HORT isnt me; HORT is the people and a feeling, heexplains. Everything you see now is the Mads Jakob Poulsen, Creative Director result of a team. The people are [the most important thing] Eike Knigs work is and I am just one of them. refreshingly different and confident: strong type with Knig wrote down a sentence when he started HORT: glitches and flaws makes I like to invest in relationships rather than successand for memorable designs. His work for Nike stands money. The studios collaboration with Nike (especially out in particular. with the people there like Michael Spoljaric and Jos Cabao) is a case in point. It started back in 2005 or 2006, says Knig, and it still runs really well. We have worked together on so many great and challenging projects. The results are brave, bold and strong, and Im sure that its because of our relationship. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 58 - ART250.report.indd 58 1/22/16 1:08 PM

16 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Michael Bierut Irma Boom Tony brook www.pentagram.com www.irmaboom.nl www.spin.co.uk One of two Pentagram partners in our top 20, Tony Brooks pioneering multi-disciplinary studio Michael Bierut is a graphic design luminary who Many of the most beautiful books of the last Spin is one of the industrys leading graphic has created award-wining work for clients twodecades are the handiwork of Dutch-born design voices. Known for its clean, reductive including The New York Times, Saks Fifth Irma Boom the youngest person ever to approach across multiple platforms, the studio Avenue and the New York Jets. His recent work receive the Gutenberg Prize for abody of work. has an international reputation for its innovative includes 2014s identity and environmental Her most ambitious project to date (it took five work in print, television and cinema graphics, graphics for MIT Media Lab (above). This years) is a book celebrating thecentenary of the new media, poster design andtypography. project reinforced for me the indispensable role Dutch conglomerate SHV,published in 1996. Frustrated with mainstream publishers, Brook that only a truly smart client can play, says Since then Boom has continued to inspire and teamed up with art director-writer and regular Bierut. Our panel praised Bieruts wide-ranging delight with a prolific output of titles that push Computer Arts contributor Adrian Shaughnessy intelligence. If theres a designer with a broader the very boundaries of print design, including in 2009 to found independent publishing knowledge of the subject then please let me 2013s all-white, 300-page book for Chanel, venture Unit Editions, the studios publishing know, says designer David Airey. which relies on embossing rather than ink. arm, to widespread acclaim. Anthony Burrill Tobias Frere-Jones Malika Favre www.anthonyburrill.com www.frerejones.com www.malikafavre.com Tobias Frere-Jones designed some of the most She studied quantum physics at university popular typefaces of the last two decades. One before switching to graphic design and Anthony Burrill nailed it with Work hard and be half of the worlds most renowned type foundry, advertising, but French illustrator Malika Favre nice to people, says Mytton Williams Ed Robin. Hoefler & Frere-Jones (until the partnership isbest known for her sensual style and vibrant It seems so obvious, but its so true. One of dissolved dramatically in 2014), his Gotham use of colour, demonstrated in the signature themost distinctive voices in contemporary typeface has been used everywhere from GQ piece above. The Kama Sutra project, a design, the graphic artist, print-maker and to Barack Obamas presidential campaign. Penguin book cover commission turned designer is known for his persuasive, upbeat Describing Mallory, his most recent design, personal project, is a key piece that helped style of communication. His work is held in the he says: Being able to pair typefaces is an establish me as an illustrator, she says. Erotic permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert important but difficult job, so I built Mallory to work still fascinates me. A lot of contemporary Museum in London and the Cooper-Hewitt, combine easily with other families. I took this erotic work is male-produced as well as Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and opportunity to make special MicroPlus versions male-focused. I feel the need to bring something has been exhibited in galleries around the world. for tiny sizes in print and text on screen. softer and more feminine to the table. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 59 - ART250.report.indd 59 1/22/16 1:08 PM

17 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Biggest challenges in design today We asked our panel: what are the challenges facing graphic design and the creative industries over thenext 20 years? Working within Stayi ng K e e p i ng de s ig n fast turna ro und s r e l e va nt t h e o r y a live Kirsty Carter and Emma Thomas, APFEL Dan Moore, Studio Output Dawn Hancock, Firebelly Communication is constantly speeding The near future is about defining what we do. Technology makes it easy to learn how to up,and we are becoming more and more We need to be at the forefront of digital and use the current tools without learning the connected with one another. One of the understand how marketers are currently fundamentals and theory behind design. [consequences] is that we come to expect using [the technology], so we can work out more immediate answers, and likewise design how and if we want to fit into [this new world]. solutions. We need to find new ways to work within accelerated turnarounds. Creativity M a k i ng and innovation allow us to save time on Adapting to gr e at w or k certain things, and this can buy us more t e c h n o l o gi c a l timeto slow down on others for example, James Wignall, Mutanthands for research, reflection and investigation. c h a n ge The main challenges havent changed too Challenges create friction and this often Liza Enebeis, Studio Dumbar much over the last couple of decades, so I provokes creativity, so the biggest challenge We need to anticipate technological change, suspect over the course of the next 20 theyll could actually [elicit] even better work from adapt to it, master it, excel and then be open remain pretty similar. The technology evolves the design and creative industries. to new influences, all in a very short time. and software changes, but the challenge will always be to make great work, stay relevant and stand out. B ala ncing thinking Dealing with with d o ing A ut o m at i o n R e ta i nin g Heather Stern, Lippincott Glenn Garriock, designer The pervasiveness of design thinking There will always be a need for professional q ua l i t y attheC-suite level is as exciting as it is custom design, but I think automated design Sagi Haviv, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv challenging. Its wonderful that the world systems will further diminish the value of The most important challenge facing graphic nowunderstands design in a bigger context, good design work. This isnt necessarily a bad design today is the relentless pace and the but its important that wedont lose the thing; it will just make things more interesting. pressure to turn around more work. unique facets of design beneath it. The challenge is balancing the emphasis now placed on the thinking with the actual doing. M a i nta i ni ng M a i n ta in in g o r i gi n a l i t y yo ur c a r e e r Andreas Friberg Lundgren, Pomme Chan, illustrator Lundgren+Lindqvist Its easy for young people to become artists The biggest challenge will lie in maintaining these days. The challenge is how to maintain originality in an age of shared influences. a career to keep rising and not to fall. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 60 - ART250.report.indd 60 1/22/16 1:08 PM

18 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Stay i n g h u n g r y Find ing Be i ng fo r ot h e r de s ig n Ti me m ult i -s k i l l e d d i s c iplin e s David Hitner, Studio Small Richard Wilde, School of Visual Arts Dean Johnson, Brandwidth The nature of digital is that it makes things Students entering the creative industry Creatives need to ensure they stay hungry more immediate and speeds up the world. not only need expertise in design and for other design disciplines. Even if their [The challenge is] having time to fully typography, conceptual thinking and finalproduct is purely digital, they need investigate an idea or concept, and to give execution skills today they also need tocultivate a sense of wonder about [many it the quality it warrants. expertise in a variety ofdisciplines, including things], from sculptural, natural and man- motion graphics andinteraction design, made forms to product design, interiors and supported by the latest technology, and exteriors, audioscapes and lighting effects. Staying true coupled with strong presentational skills. Design experiences ofthe future will touch to d esign many of these in a connected world (some already do) but a digital product shouldnt fund a me nta ls C ult i vat i ng mean a shortcut toashallow solution. Louise Sloper, head of art h um a n In an ever-evolving commercial and social landscape, designers must remain true to e xp e r i e nc e M a i n ta i n in g thecore conceptual ideas while keeping up Gemma OBrien, illustrator and typographer P ers on a l with technology and customer engagement. I think that increasingly the lines will be They must be brave enough to try different blurred between technology, human i n t e r a c t i on s approaches, flexible enough to adapt swiftly, experience and creativity. As technology Rod Hunt, illustrator but always appreciate the importance of advances, certain skills will no longer be One of the downsides of the internet doing the job well. The recent success of needed as computers and automation make revolution is that it has nurtured a generation many smaller start-ups that keep these values aspects of designing accessible to all. that doesnt get on the phone or meet a client as their core philosophy shows that there The creative industries need to cultivate in person to discuss a brief or creative issues. always will be a need for these fundamentals. the human by finding new ways to embed [Young designers and illustrators] rely almost experiences, memories, stories and culture entirely on email and social media to into creative output. communicate, which can be very one- Having dimensional and open to interpretation. a ho listic Personal communication is the foundation of E nc o ur a gi n g ne w creativity and good business an idea can pe rs pe ctive ta l e nt t o a s p i r e often be discussed better verbally, which Alex Haldemann, MetaDesign inevitably leads to better solutions. Today, the creative industry favours t o gr e at n e ss specialisation and an isolated view is often Simon Spilsbury, illustrator the result. I believe there is room for The marketplace no longer provides a F i n di n g generalists with a holistic perspective. substantial enough platform for graphic t h e r ig h t We need them to make true advancements. artists to flourish. There is still an overwhelming amount of talent out there, c lie n t s butfinding a non web-based portal for its Michael C. Place, Build exhibition is a real challenge. Dwindling The biggest challenge designers face is the budgets need to be re-aligned to allow for problem of finding good clients who actually showcasing the best talent and to encourage value good design for itself clients who Being uniq ue new talent to aspire to greatness. dont perceive design as just another Kate Franklin, FranklinTill expense, but a worthwhile investment. If everyone can access the same inspiration as everyone else, and styles and trends canbe replicated in an instance, how can designers stand out from the crowd? Brand values, integrity, honesty and originality will become more important than ever. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 61 - ART250.report.indd 61 1/22/16 1:08 PM

19 S p e c i al R e p o rT March 2016 Vince FROST Michael Johnson KarlssonWilker www.vincefrost.com www.johnsonbanks.co.uk w w w . k a r l s s o n w i l k e r. c o m Famously Pentagrams youngest associate director in the early nineties, Vince Frost set up Designers Jan Wilker and Hjalti Karlsson met Frost* Design (now Frost*collective) in 1994. British designer and brand consultant Michael while working for Stefan Sagmeister. They I studied graphic design from 1999 to 2004, Johnson launched internationally renowned quickly made a name for themselves with work and during that period Vinces work wasa huge design company johnson banks in 1992, is the for big-name clients like Puma, The New York inspiration to me, says panel member Greig author of best-selling Phaidon book Problem Times and more, while their 2003 book Anderson, co-founder of Freytag Anderson. Solved, and has won most of the design worlds tellmewhy a brutally honest documentation of Vinces Zembla magazine work contained most prestigious awards including eight D&AD their first 24 months as a design studio has amazing typographic spreads, large impactful Pencils. The image pictured above is part of inspired countless young studios. They are characters and letterpress-style typography, avast scheme designed for Londons Science pioneers, says Fredrik st, founder and and played with content is a structured way I Museum in 2010. The logo is as likely to appear creative director of Swedish studio Snask. hadnt seen before. It changed the way I thought on a lollipop, twisting inside out in an animation, Their book was more important to us starting about design and its power to communicate or as here, reinvented as a Space Invaders our business than all the design theory literature with an audience. T-shirt, says Johnson. that we ever read. M/M (Paris) Matt Pyke Paula Scher www.mmparis.com www.universaleverything.com www.pentagram.com The founder of one of the UKs most innovative studios, Universal Everything, Matt Pyke is a Paula Scher was the first female principal at pioneer of interactive design. Matt has created multi-disciplinary design firm Pentagram, from some of the most admired and imitated where she has continued to create forward- Design partners Michael Amzalag and Mathias projects of the past 20 years in design, thinking branding, editorial, exhibition and Augustyniak also known as M/M (Paris) advertising and digital art, says UNIT9s Anrick environmental design. Her 1996 poster Bring in havebeen a constant force in the creative Bregman. A talk he gave in Manchester had a Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk was widely imitated industry throughout our two decades on the huge influence on me quitting my job and and is emblematic of New York City. As a newsstand. Known for their long-standing moving to Germany, says designer Glenn student, I looked up to Paula as an example and collaborative relationship with Icelandic singer Garriock. He showed us this incredible work a beacon of design excellence, says Chermayeff Bjrk (amongst many other musicians) their and then told us he was doing most of it from a & Geismar & Haviv partner Sagi Haviv. As a ground-breaking work in music, fashion and art garden shed in Sheffield. An alumnus of professional and a peer, I stilllook to Paula as an puts them amongst the most influential The Designers Republic, Pyke appears in our example of a fearless designer who maintains designers of the 21st century. feature on the pioneering studio on page 84. the highest standards. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 62 - ART250.report.indd 62 1/22/16 1:08 PM

20 March 2016 Th e 20 m ost i nflue nt i a l de si g ne r s Erik Spiekermann Ash Thorp Richard Turley www.spiekermann.com www.ashthorp.com r i c h a r d t u r l e y . t u m b l r. c o m A very influential person for me over the pastyears is illustrator, graphic designer and In 2007, Erik Spiekermanns family of typefaces creative director Ash Thorp. His body of work for German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, istruly remarkable, and his generosity and created in partnership with American type community consciousness have helped and designer Christian Schwartz, received the Gold inspired many people, says motion graphics Four years after masterminding a radical Design Award of the German Federal Republic. designer Esteban Dicono. His podcasts, books redesign that transformed Wall Street weekly At the forefront of design thinking throughout and industry tips and tricks are proof that you Bloomberg Businessweek into one of Americas his career, Spiekermann has designed dozens of can be talented, successful and still kind enough most talked-about magazines, British-born custom and commercial typefaces (FF Meta, to share knowledge. The image above comes Turley who cut his teeth working for respected FF Info, Berliner Grotesk the list goes on), from Thorps title sequence for FITC Tokyo. designer Mark Porter joined MTV in 2014 as is the co-founder of design firms MetaDesign, This was a project built by a group of friends its first senior vice president of visual storytelling United Designers Network and who simply love design and motion graphics, he and deputy editorial director. His work is a Edenspiekermann, and launched the first says. It reminds me that anything is possible great combination of art, design and conceptual mail-order distributor for digital fonts, FontShop. with the right team and vision. thinking, says panellist Mads Jakob Poulsen. Seven iconic designers of all time A selection of pioneering designers who inspired and influenced our panel with work created before Computer Arts was born Tibor Kalman John Hegarty [in high regard]. We have definitely used him Tibor Kalman is my all-time design hero a man His symbol of a black sheep for BBH is so concise, as a direct reference to aid us in developing full of brilliant ideas that were portrayed in the yet speaks volumes about their approach. Every icons for our brands. simplest form. Sometimes all it took was a single time I see his work, I think, I wish Id done that! Sebastian Padilla, Anagrama image or word to convey his message. He had Jon Waring, 3Sixty Design theunique ability of using humour to put across Massimo Vignelli poignant messages. I met him in person in 1995. Neville Brody One of the last old-school legends of design. I met But I couldnt say anything I just stared and Like most graphic design students of the time, him in one of his last public appearances and he smiled continuously. I was such an idiot! Neville Brody was my design hero. I had his was as charming and funny as he was talented a Liza Enebeis, Studio Dumbar bookand poster on my wall. Donkeys years later, true designer who also designed his entire life and, Iattended a talk about design education at the poetically, his own funeral. Truly one of the greats. Milton Glaser Design Museum. He was there, as controversial Mads Jakob Poulsen, creative director Milton Glasers rich and varied body of work made asever. He made me want to teach, which Im now me realise that creativity isnt tied to a particular doing at London College of Communication. Malcolm Swatridge genre of work that a creative can be an Sunita Yeomans, SSHY Creative Swatters, a brilliant, witty designer, was co-founder illustrator, designer and art director. Hes now of The Partners and one of my tutors at college. much like the creative communitys own Lance Wyman He taught me a lot about humility, humour and philosopher. His insightful musings keep him both Lance Wyman is a master of visual synthesis hard graft, and Big Ideas too what theyre all a delightful commentator and a valued mentor. andhas made a huge impact on Mexico Citys about, how to recognise them and create them. Paul Willoughby, Human After All inhabitants. Since we were students, we held him Spencer Buck, Taxi Studio com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 63 - ART250.report.indd 63 1/22/16 1:08 PM

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