WRC-Dropbox-October-01-2

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CREATE Creativity with Michael Bierut I’m sitting on a park bench on an unseasonably warm fall afternoon, with a book and an iced coffee. The park? Central, around 68th on the upper west side. The book? How to use graphic design to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry and (every one in a while) change the world... by Michael Bierut. The coffee? Hazelnut, from Sensuous Bean on 70th. ~~~~~~ in design The symmetry of reading a Michael Bierut book in New York City was not lost on me. Well beyond their physical address, Michael, and Pentagram, the design studio he’s called home for close to 30 years, are part of the city’s esthetic, flow and story. From guiding pedestrians via the expansive wayfinding system, signage and graphics for the New York Times headquarters, Saks Fifth Avenue bags, the Penn Station Concourse graphics, the New York Botanical Gardens logo, working with the New York Jets and more – a walk in the city is, in many ways, a walk with an iconic studio and a graphic design legend. We didn’t have a chance to go for a walk, but we did connect with Michael to talk design. 14 FLOW OCTOBER 2<strong>01</strong>8 ~
Q: Michael, what's the collaborative process for you and your team when you start working on a new project? Michael: Every partner at Pentagram manages their own small team, and I’ve noticed that every team approaches collaboration a little differently. When I get a new assignment, I usually bring in one of my designers to work with me on it. That designer will take the lead on the project management and ultimately has the responsibility to see that it’s going to be done right. Sometimes a project is complex and will require a bigger team. For instance, if a project combines identity and environmental graphics, I might bring in two designers, one for each area. Other times one designer takes a lead and others are pulled in, often to provide specialized assistance for a specific part of the job. Because we all work together in a big open plan office, people are making connections informally on a continuous basis. Q: To follow up on that, can you provide an example of an ideal collaborative experience with a client? Michael: Having a client participate in the creative process is a way to increase the chances that they’ll understand, and fully commit to, the final recommendation. Because so much work depends on the quality of its ongoing implementation - work that is often done in house, or by other agencies - we invest a lot of time in making sure the client sees the solution as something they can take full possession of. That said, our clients seldom expect to be “co-designing” with us: they come to Pentagram because they respect our expertise and look to us for leadership. In my experience the key is to avoid “presentation mode” - those sessions when salesmanship overtakes empathy - and keep actively listening through the whole process. Q: How has your creative process evolved over the years when working on identity design projects? Michael: Although the technological context of brand identity has changed radically in every possible way since I began in 1980, I honestly can’t say my creative process has changed that much. I think as I’ve gotten more mature, I’ve come to realize that clever solutions sometimes work beautifully at the moment of launch but don't stand up to the test of time. Simple ideas tend to endure, and it takes restraint and even humility to stay simple. Q: From what I can remember, 20 years ago, when an established company changed their logo, it barely registered outside the design community. Not so today. What's changed? Is it a function of social media? Michael: It may not be only social media, but it is technology. Logos are no longer just things that people encounter (and usually pay no attention to) on the sides of trucks or the ends of commercials. Instead, they’re icons FLOW OCTOBER 2<strong>01</strong>8 ~ 15
Page 1 and 2: OCTOBER 2018 SPONSORED BY DROPBOX G
Page 3 and 4: 14 MICHAEL BIERUT 10 GOING HIGHER W
Page 5 and 6: in case you missed it ... WALKING T
Page 7 and 8: DAY-TO-DAY WHEN Q: About 30 pages i
Page 9 and 10: Previously, I used to be a very aut
Page 11 and 12: Q: Sasha, what does collaboration l
Page 13: a reality if you had the idea. For
Page 17 and 18: CREATE Creativity with UNIIQU3 in t
Page 19: I like not knowing what to expect w

WRC-Dropbox-October-01-2

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?