obsessions & anything inbetween
I think, 2009—2010 did not see any significant designer monographs. Probably one interesting one would be Seymour: The Obsessive Images of Seymour Chwast published mid of last year.
But anyway, here is one I’m currently reading; and like many others, I’m a fan.
More info on the book here.
The truth is, I think many designers don’t get away well enough by being designers. If anyone who wants to be a designer, either fake it well or make sure you have sufficient skills/brains/eye for detail/interest/indulgance/ into the world of graphic design. Part of your personality as a graphic designer will show in the things you carry and wear, even drive. Some things don’t come cheap unfortunately, but it might just help sell your services a little bit better…
One way to get away with it is to have cool notebook covers:
The book on the right is where I use the very traditional way of writing down quotations given by suppliers/printers:
A classic Charles Mossant advertising poster on the cover of a notebook will surely add some level of sophistication…
Dedicated to an ex-lecturer. Thank you for being an inspiration.
Typeface: Trade Gothic, what else? 
This art piece currently sits comfortably in our clients meeting room, facing one of the directors I think.
“In the movie Helvetica, Massimo Vignelli said that Helvetica was a Modernist typeface – No! No! Helvetica is anything but Modernist, Clearly it has its roots in Akzidenz Grotesk and that was designed in 1899, which is Victorian as far as I am concerned. Akzidenz is a fantastic font but it’s not Modernist, it’s got a really antique feel about it.”
—Bruno Maag on Helvetica.
Take from Creative Review blog, titled The Helvetica Killer (absolutely brutal title I think). It also shows interesting views on Helvetica vs Univers and their new nemesis, Aktiv Grotesk. This is how I look like on-screen in Aktiv Grotesk:
I don’t use Helvetica anymore but the thing is how should I categorize this now? At least in my profession (as a graphic designer) Modernism is Helvetica. Blogs preach about it, designers argue about it and even lecturers teach about it. Also taking into consideration that Victorian stuff is usually decorative and ornamental (and also that floral thingie…), which is the exact opposite of the general understanding of Modernist Principles that Helvetica impresses us with.
Helvetica is Victorian; honestly, I have never seen it that way before. Respect.
Before meeting Stefan Sagmeister, I’ve always imagined him being somebody totally out of reach, would expect him to answer questions very rigidly and probably not very easy to start a conversation with him and keep it going. He was totally the opposite. And I sure am glad that I had the rare opportunity to spend an evening with him.
After a talk which he was giving in Kuala Lumpur sometime ago, my colleagues and I were asked to accompany Stefan for a little tour to somewhere which he might be interested to visit around Kuala Lumpur city. Before boarding our transport, we had in minds to take him to Central Market, where the art scene is probably most happening around the city. But while discussing with him where he wants to visit, he gave an answer which surprised me; Batu Caves.
I admit I have not yet been up the caves before that. And while being asked by him whether I have been up there or not, I could not help but feel a little bit embarrassed and answer with an honest ‘no’. Same goes with the rest of the gang. We were also accompanied by Stefan’s friend, Alexander, who was then an artist in Bangkok. He told me that they both meet when Stefan hitch-hiked from his hometown back in Vienna. And I asked him if he had that funny long extreme left-parting hairstyle back then, he said yes with a huge laugh.
Like Neville Brody, he was also interested in the cultural heritage which Malaysia has. He spoke of his wish to visit the Islamic Arts Museum and also other spots which have deep roots in forming the Malaysia we know of today.
Batu Caves was almost an hours ride from the talk venue so we had lots of time to chat. We talked on his new projects back then like the famous digitally woven spider web which gets ripped everytime a viewer’s reflection passes it and reconstructs itself time and time again. Also we talked about the capabilities of new media and upcoming technological gizmos which seems really fascinating to talk about especially with him. He seems so interested in the advantages these things can offer. We also talked about Neville Brody; on being politically correct in design conferences (I’ll keep this open to your imagination). And also photoshop drop shadow effects.
We arrived and climb the stairs up to the caves. Up there, we were analyzing shapes of rocks which look almost like hanging alligators. And also stood silently observing the monks doing their prayer routines. We had a some drinks after that and then talked a little a project where he was commissioned to design a packaging for a cigarette company which did not manage to hit the market.
On the way to the seafood restaurant, we spoke of the newly reunited David Lee Roth and Van Halen gig. And he spoke of him being a band which he played flute in. Also touched a little or two about religion and beliefs. Over dinner we had more conversations about our lifestyles. Things that we do in our weekends and off times.
It won’t be until a few weeks later when we would meet in Goa for a design conference. It felt really warm talking to him and do a little catch up on things. The airline company actually misplaced his bags into another flight on that trip! But he sure does seem like he is having a great time during the conference.
After all that being said, I learned two important things from him:
And also, being as honest as possible in life.
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Stefan Sagmeister is probably what every young designer in my era look up to for inspiration and want to be like. He has designed album covers for the Rolling Stones, the Talking Heads, Live, etc. He is very tall.
Kancil Awards 2009 results: This is my first year at the Kancil Awards dinner presentation after so long. I really enjoyed the ambiance; it was really energetic. My guess is that if it were a design show awards, probably bored like soft-rock-metal (most designers are cold-blooded introverts).
Here’s two of my personal favourite entries for this years Kancils:
Before I start, just want to say that I do sincerely want to share with you the unforgettable experiences I had.
I think I am considerately lucky. I meet a lot of my design heroes in my first four years working professionally as a graphic designer. It was a thrill to meet and hear these heroes speak and observing them live in person. I do believe that what we hear and read from blogs and other media might not reflect the personality or energy these individuals carry. Even by observing their works closely, its still hard to accurately identify with the characteristics the person has as an individual to the people he/she is around.
My first encounter of an absolutely famous designer would be Neville Brody of Research Studios. It was back in 2006 when Mr. Brody first visited India to speak in a design conference. He seemed really happy and excited to be there. All I could do to get an excuse to start a conversation is to ask for his autograph. Upon approaching him, he declined and mentioned that he needed to rush off to get something from his room. Probably his computer for his presentation which was coming up pretty soon.
It won’t be until the conference was over, and while I was having lunch with a colleague when he approached us and I asked for his autograph again. He gave me this:
Well, I must say I was happy to even get this from him. He looked pretty bored while signing it; probably because he had signed a thousand autographs before that.
Yearly, we would be in the same design conference but well, he being speaker and me delegate, I never could find a good reason to go approach him for a talk. Until last year when I had to pick him up from the airport for him to speak in a design conference the company was organizing. I was late. He was waiting. I had one of his framed up posters as a hoarding for him to know who to follow to bring him to the designated hotel. We got a cab, hopped in. In not more than 5 mins in the cab, he pointed out to me a Maggi Noodles Truck, with FF Blur on it. It was indeed ironic to be greeted in such a way. ‘Hey, that looks like one of my typeface…’.
We talked about the long stretch of empty apartments and houses we spotted along the way to the hotel; why were they empty and non-vacant. Conversation then moved on to him asking whether there was a sort of ancient writing for the Malaysian language and also I gave him a brief history of Malaysia. He seems to be interested in that point: On how the Indians from India immigrated over, the Chinese from China, Malays for Indonesia, etc. And of course, we talked a little about what his studio does and what Figtree does.
Few days later we would go watch football, thanks to Andy Altmann of Why Not Associates love for Manchester United (dragged along the guys from DixonBaxi as well). But before that, we had some Penang food, of which he taught the jelly in the Ais Kacang tasted medical. It was here that we had our goodbyes. I thought he would be around of this years Designyatra conference in India but was not present.
I only had 5 golden minutes with Erik Spiekermann. I brought along with me to India this time, a fontshop tribute issue to him containing wishes from various designers and students to him. It would be ashame not to enhance the booklet with his signature on it of course! He seemed suprised to see that book and asked how did I get it; it was a very personal thing to him he mentioned. He also seemed suprised when I mentioned to him that I do have some other fontshop publications and the really old druk publications, maked even more suprised. He was the one who told me that that particular issue was designed by some of his students for him and printed at the Hague in a very limited run. He was really chatty, took him quite a lot of words with me to get the date and location correct on this one:
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Both Neville Brody and Erik Spiekermann are design legends and very influential typographers.