WNW Member Alexis Taieb (AKA Tyrsa) is a Paris-based Typographer who has worked with clients including Nike, Jordan, Drew League, Criterion, Timberland, and Donald Glover. In our interview, we discuss his recurring collaboration with Donald Glover, from “This Is America” to Guava Island, and also touch on how graffiti has influenced his typographic work and why he’s excited to return to the Us By Night festival this year (and the next ten.)
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Be More Mindful of the Planet & Each Other with This Dinner Date Publication
Date Paper is a new quarterly publication that curates primal dishes in service of your health and the health of the planet. “The First Date” launches today, on Earth Day, with 100% of the proceeds for this first issue donated to Farmworker Justice.
Read MoreRedesigning the Bill of Rights for A Modern Age
“Most Americans best know the Bill Of Rights by their shorthand, like Freedom of Speech or The Right to Bear Arms. But most of us haven't read them in their entirety and the shorthand can gloss over some key details,” reads his Kickstarter page. “I wanted to create a series of typographic images that call out this discrepancy.”
Read MoreThe Great New York Subway Map Introduces Young Readers to Graphic Design
What WNW Member Emiliano Ponzi and MoMA have created is not just a picture book but a reminder of the educational benefits of understanding how your surroundings work from a young age, and recognizing the humanity behind design decisions.
Read MoreMathilda Holmqvist's Work Brings People Together, Often for Food
Mathilda Holmqvist's Work Brings
People Together, Often for Food
MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR
Being a freelance illustrator and graphic designer has afforded WNW Member Mathilda Holmqvist the ability to combine her two favorite passions: visual communication and food. A lot of her work exists within London's food scene, like a recent large-scale project designing a food court next to the Thames under Hungerford Bridge. In our interview, Mathilda tells us why she elected to switch over from painting to pursue a career that employs her creativity in an everyday and communal sense.
Mathilda also offers some really useful advice on maintaining creative curiosity. "It’s more fun to be a beginner at something than a master, so don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone as you’ll approach a project with a really different energy as a beginner than if it’s something you’ve done for years."
Tell us a bit about your creative background. Who is Mathilda and how did she get here?
I started out studying painting at a private school in Sweden and then moved to London to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths. After graduating I worked full-time as studio manager for a sculptor for 3 years until I finally made the move to go freelance.
I really loved my years of studying art but a few years after graduating I realised I much preferred working directly with people, and for my creative work to be more useful in an everyday sense rather than contained to hanging on walls to be looked at. (Not that there is anything wrong with that!) So I moved on to working with illustration and graphic design, and for the last few years, I’ve worked mainly within the food scene in London, which I love! Food is my other passion besides visual communication.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links most of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
Probably something along the lines of bold, sensitive and atmospheric. I started out creating quite painterly illustrations with lots of textures and details as that was how I was used to working, but as I developed as an illustrator my images have become more minimal and scaled back. I don’t think of myself as having a signature style but rather of my work as being a progression of my development as a creative. The style is more a reflection of what inspires me at a specific time and what I’m trying to communicate.
What do you see as the turning point in your creative development and career so far?
When I had worked as a studio manager for about 2 years, I applied to an illustration competition to create a whisky label for Bunnahabhain. During those two years I hadn’t done much creative work as I felt disconnected from painting but hadn’t found a new creative platform to replace it with. At the time I was a bit worried I would end up working for the creative industry rather than as a creative. But unexpectedly I won the competition, which led me to recommit to working creatively and exploring illustration and design. It turned out I both loved the process making of illustrations and graphic designs as well as the community. A year later I moved on to freelancing.
What were some of the challenges in launching your creative career?
Having expensive Swedish student loans to pay back as soon as I graduated was definitely a challenge, as it didn’t leave much room for internships or just exploring different options. Another thing was getting a hang of how the illustration world worked, since it wasn’t an industry I was familiar with. I found pricing and contracts very confusing in the beginning – and still do sometimes!
Which of your projects are you proudest of and why?
Together with my boyfriend, I run a design collective called Pencil x Pixel, where we mainly design branding for London and UK-based food traders and producers. This spring we were commissioned by Southbank Centre and three separate food traders to design a food court next to the Thames under Hungerford Bridge. It was the biggest commission scale wise we had done to date. It was so much fun working on that scale and thinking about how people would physically experience and interact with the area, the colours and designs, as well as getting all of the food trades individual branding to work together cohesively. It was a challenge I really enjoyed and one of those projects that felt really rewarding and satisfying to complete.
What would be your dream project or job, or is it already on your resume?
I would love to illustrate and design a cookbook! I have always enjoyed reading cookbooks and love learning about different cultures through their food traditions and recipes. So to dive into illustrating a really thick cookbook that people would use for decades would be a dream.
How would you define the London creative scene?
Extremely talented and full of friendly but really hard working people. It is also very diverse and dynamic.
How do you see the creative landscape shifting in the UK/Europe?
I think visual design is becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives, which is great as it’s creating more work for creatives. It’s also become a bigger part of companies’ identities, no matter the industry. Even smaller companies are becoming more sophisticated in their approach to design and branding. I think this is leading to more being asked of creatives in shorter amounts of time, but maybe it’s always felt like that?
If not here, where would you most like to live?
Either in a cabin in the North of Sweden or Vancouver. Vancouver would probably be better for work… but North of Sweden would be great for inspiration!
Who are your biggest creative influences?
At the moment I’m very inspired by Aaron Draplin’s ‘Thick Lines’ posters. I’m going through a bit of a 60’s and 70’s phase and just love how those posters in a very contemporary way evoke that era for me.
What scares you most about making creativity your career?
Not much at the moment! I had lots of worries starting out but am at a pretty happy place at the moment creatively. I’m sure there will be more worries in the future but for now, I’m just enjoying working.
One book, one album, one movie, one show. Go.
Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Album: Anything by Alison Krauss
Film: It’s A Wonderful Life
TV: Parks and Rec
What is your most treasured possession?
Hmm… not sure! Maybe my Moomin mugs? Tove Jannsons’ illustrations are a daily inspiration while having my coffee.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A wallpaper designer, fashion designer, astronaut, actress, Disney animator and a painter in the south of France (I was very good at dreaming of the future).
What do you do when Not Working?
Cooking, eating, seeing friends, playing softball, baking, reading.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard or received that all creatives should hear?
It really depends on what kind of creative rut I’m in, but either ‘just do it’ or ‘work hard and be disciplined’ or ‘take time to refuel your inspiration’ usually does it for me. I also found this to be true, that it’s more fun to be a beginner at something than a master, so don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone as you’ll approach a project with a really different energy as a beginner than if it’s something you’ve done for years.
Who are some WNW members whose work you admire and why?
Lilian Darmono for her wide creative skills and talents (I don’t think there’s anything she can’t draw!) and my very talented boyfriend and collaborator Ian Sargent who teaches and challenges me creatively almost every day.
What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m working on three exciting branding projects for local food traders. I’m also hoping to take some time to work on a personal project I’m developing around food and hosting dinners this autumn.
Discover more creative talent and projects like this on Working Not Working. If you're a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share, email us.
Photo by Laura Carney
Meet the Grammy-Winning Creative Director of The Black Keys
You've undoubtedly encountered his album artwork for some of rock music's most notable acts, both classic and contemporary. We talk to Carney below about his creative journey from his background in Akron to his current design practice in Nashville. He gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his early start designing album covers, posters, t-shirts, and flyers for his brother Patrick's band The Black Keys, and how that culminated in a Grammy for his work on their 2011 album Brothers.
Read More"2016," A BOOK AND YEAR OF POSTERS BY BRÁULIO AMADO
"2016," A BOOK AND YEAR OF POSTERS BY BRÁULIO AMADO
Portugal-born, NYC-based WNW Member Bráulio Amado has a new book out called 2016. Printed on 120 pages of coated matt volume 170 grain paper, 2016 collects essentially every poster that the graphic designer and illustrator produced last year. Which is a lot. A whole lot of eclectic awesomeness. From underground DJ shows to Ty Segall concerts and everything in between, the collection captures both the chaos and ever-evolving style of Bráulio's work. Buy a copy here.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
SABINE DOWEK TALKS MOMA, DESIGN RESEARCH & CREATIVE QUESTIONING
SABINE DOWEK TALKS MOMA, DESIGN RESEARCH & CREATIVE QUESTIONING
WNW Member Sabine Dowek worked in MoMA's graphic design department for four years before going freelance. We were excited to learn how such an experience could speak to the concepts of research, conversation and celebration that drive graphic design. And Sabine delivers in our interview below. The Brazilian-born and New York-based designer tells us, "For an exhibition, the best research was often talking to the curators, engaging them in conversation, asking questions—that is where a point of view is revealed. That point of view is what drove the curator to spend years of their lives extensively researching and developing a subject matter, so it's a pretty special place to start from. Asking questions always helps." Sabine's ability to discover the creative passion behind great curators, artists and their works as a means to unleash her own is what defines her stellar contributions to MoMA.
Sabine also tells us about other go-to venues for inspiration in the form of New York museums, galleries and jazz clubs. Sabine adds, "The word 'working' can be limiting, in the sense that when you are not, you are still aware and observing things happening around you. These observations later manifest themselves during the creative process in several different ways." Take the time to fully appreciate Sabine's work, and you may be lucky enough to see it later manifest itself during your own creative process.
Tell us about your creative background. Who is Sabine and how did she get here?
I am a designer originally from Rio de Janeiro. I’ve lived in New York since 2006 (except for a short stay in São Paulo last year).
Before even knowing what graphic design really was, I was passionate about drawing. My father owns an extensive collection of Bandes Dessinée (Franco-Belgian comic books). He taught himself how to draw by redrawing scenes from his favorites books. I used to do the same, attempting a child-like version of Spirou (a popular character beloved in France/Belgium). I was never great at it, but continued to draw and paint until going to college. During my last year in college, I realized my education had been quite insubstantial and felt unprepared to practice the profession. I transferred to SVA in New York. I recall having a similar feeling then upon graduation, perhaps to a lesser degree and despite the fantastic education I received. I realize now this feeling has stayed with me until today, and I suspect it always will.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
I think there is definitely a shared sensibility across my work and that continues to evolve over time, but I wouldn’t call it style. As an illustrator, having a style is helpful, but as a designer, the visual expression should be informed by the specific and singular needs of the client or project.
Jazz Interlude
What drew you to this subject?
The Jazz interlude is a bi-annual fundraiser to benefit the Friends of Education at MoMA and to raise funds to acquire African American art. Jazz music is fascinating. I would often go to the Village Vanguard and be mesmerized by the musician’s improvisation skills. And they always seem to have so much fun playing.
What inspirations helped inform this project?
Apart from being a jazz fan, the vernacular of vintage jazz albums are great. They really incorporate the rhythm and soul of Jazz. I did a lot of research on jazz albums and the kinds of graphic elements typically associated with it.
Hardest part?
The hardest part for me was the deadline. It came to us late and we had a week to figure out the design, while in the midst of many other projects. Oh, and being 9 months pregnant didn’t help either.
Inventing Abstraction
What drew you to this subject?
This was a unique exhibition. The curators, Leah Dickerman and Masha Chlenova, had the thesis that abstraction wasn’t the result of a single genius, but rather born out of the relationships between artists of that time. The curatorial team spent many years researching who knew who, and together with Columbia University created a basic skeleton of those connections which we then worked from. Being a part of such a unique concept and process was great.
What inspirations helped inform this project?
Alfred Barr, MoMA’s first director, had created a chart in 1936 mapping the development of modern art. It felt like an obvious decision to use that as inspiration for the artist network chart we were designing for the same museum 76 years later.
Hardest part?
The network chart was particularly hard to tackle. There were over 80 connections, so it's very dense and was labor intensive.
What was it like to work as an art director and designer for such an institution like MoMA? How does your approach to museum and exhibit identities differ from your approach to book cover design?
Working for MoMA was an incredible experience. To be exposed to fascinating art, work with knowledgeable people, and be behind the scenes of formidable exhibitions displaying the work of absolute masters—I feel very fortunate and grateful. Walking through the galleries before the museum opened to the public, alone with a Picasso—there was something special about it.
At the design studio at MoMA, the designers do a large variety of work—from exhibition design to printed matter to video content. You get exposed to a lot and it never got boring. Formally, the design is almost always typographically driven. While book covers can certainly be that, the concept doesn't necessarily need to exist in the typography—it can be expressed in an illustration or photograph. That opens a lot more possibilities and can be hard to get right. On the other hand, book covers have a set canvas to work from, while an exhibition may not—you can explore the natural architecture of the space, use it to engage or disrupt the design, as well as exploring different materials and animated title walls, if fitting of course.
On more extensive projects, what kind of research and preliminary explorations typically inform decisions throughout your creative process?
That really depends from project to project. For an exhibition, the best research was often talking to the curators, engaging them in conversation, asking questions—that is where a point of view is revealed. That point of view is what drove the curator to spend years of their lives extensively researching and developing a subject matter, so it's a pretty special place to start from. Asking questions always helps. What does the design and language need to do? How will people interact with the design? What are the stories that we should/need to be telling? It is often easy to lose track of this once you start designing and are in the thick of it. But I find myself always going back to these questions, making sure whatever I'm designing still makes sense, and at its best, engages with the viewer in some deeper form.
What moment or project in your career so far has made you the proudest?
Matisse is probably it. First because of the artist himself—having the opportunity to design the identity for such an incredible artist, and particularly for the cut-outs, which is such a distinct moment in his career. Second, I was thrilled we created an identity that didn’t look like the cut-outs, but instead was inspired by a key element that drove the exhibition: Matisse was constantly changing and shifting his compositions. He pinned the pieces of cut paper on the wall of his studio and as he lived with it, he would unpin and repin, modifying the composition in the process. This worked out well as we needed to develop a flexible identity that worked on many different platforms, from the environmental space to a bandage box.
Biggest career failure?
My first job out of college. That one is flashing in big, bright red lights. By the time I left that job, I was questioning whether I should be a designer at all. There were a lot of expectations on me and I put a lot of pressure on myself. I was so concerned with my boss’s opinion of me and was eager for validation, that the quality of my work deteriorated. It’s fascinating how our own psyche can sabotage us. It may seem cliché, but being afraid of failure is ultimately what made me fail. However, it's part of the process and when you do succeed, it feels really good.
What are you working on now?
I am currently freelancing at IBM. They have a new Brand design and experience team. I am working on the World of Watson event, which will take place in October. I also just finished doing a series of illustrations for Buzzfeed News.
How do New York and Brazil influence your work?
If I am to be honest, I feel New York has had a much deeper impact and influence on me as a designer. The years I have spent here, the people I’ve worked with, the stunning amount of things I was exposed to have been crucial to my formation as a designer.
What cultural and creative venues do you frequent in New York?
New York is a hot podge of cultural venues. The main museums are always great to visit, as are the smaller institutions, such as the Neue Gallery, the Frick Collection, and The Jewish Museum. Open Studios in Bushwick has some great art as well. Joe’s Pub, Village Vanguard, and Ear Inn has really great music.
Do you thrive off of being part of a creative community or are you more in your element as a lone wolf?
A little bit of both, probably.
Who are some of your biggest creative idols and influences?
While there are tons of people/studios that I admire, I can’t say they are idols. I can’t call an idol someone I never met (they might be very talented, but not great human beings). People I can call role models and influences are inevitably some of the people I have worked with. Paul Sahre, Julia Hoffmann, Ingrid Chou, Sam Potts, Sam Sherman, Mike Abbink—these are all amazing designers and most importantly, great people.
If you weren’t a Designer, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
Something with food. I always loved cooking (and eating).
What do you do when Not Working?
Now that I am a parent, I spend most of my free time with my son and husband. Doing things that nourish the brain and spirit, going to museums, art galleries, reading—lately a lot of Green Eggs and Ham—traveling, cooking…The word “working” can be limiting, in the sense that when you are not, you are still aware and observing things happening around you. These observations later manifest themselves during the creative process in several different ways.
What are some things you would tell your high school or early twenties self?
Not to worry all the time. I would say the same thing to myself now.
Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?
Oof, there are so many talented ones. Kevin Brainard, Scott Reinhard, Wael Morcos, Jessica Svendsen, there are lots of talented people here.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for the interview. And thank you for creating such a an important tool in connecting employers to creatives. I am new to WNW and am excited to be a part of it.