Hugo Puttaert Podcast
Hugo Puttaert is a Belgian designer and teacher. He never was formally educated in graphic design and therefore helps to expose a more broad view of design and its purpose.
The most prominent idea that I took from his interview is this idea of “combining things” and merging disciplines. Many time throughout the interview Hugo discussed the importance of being open minded. When he was going through his education, he chose not to study graphic design because he felt the teachers were very narrow-minded. He wanted more freedom within his work.
When planning the conference that he recently put on, he again discussed the need to jump in and out of other disciplines. He talked about how he asked opinions of many people from all sorts of disciplines when deciding who to have speak at the conference. This is a very valuable tool to always remember.
Oftentimes, as designers, we get so caught up in our own work that we forget to collaborate with the so-called “non-designers.” But these exact people may be the ones that are most influential and the most likely to help bring us a new perspective. Through Hugo’s example, we should remember how valuable this source of knowledge can be. Collaboration is the most effective tool we have; and, it can become even more effective if we learn to use it to interact with other disciplines.
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If you quit, however, it lasts forever.
—Lance Armstrong
Winning means you are willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.
—Vince Lombardi
Heather Shaw
Heather Shaw is a design teacher at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She said that she had always wanted to be a teacher, that she worked in the industry for seven years and got burned out. She then went into teaching.
One of the aspects of design that Heather Shaw talked about was interactivity. She talked about the complexity involved in working with interactive media and even more in regards to teaching it to her students. She explains that she and other teachers need to rethink the way they teach students about new-world design.
I think Heather Shaw is very intuitive and intelligent about her approach to teaching design students. She encourages them to follow their passion. She herself seems very passionate about what she does, and I can see how it this passion would transfer to her students as well.
Shaw states that “you learn something, you modify it, and you try it again.” She also states that “Success is achieved much faster through failure than it is through playing it safe.” I loved this statement by Shaw. It’s very inspiring to me because it encourages the designer to not hold back and to not design scared. I think that very often we, especially as students, hold back and become scared to produce an idea or product that may fail. Yet, by using Heather Shaw’s thinking, NOT holding back is exactly the way to avoid this ultimate failure that we dread.
David Crow
In this interview, David Crow discusses his background in the design industry, as well as his career involving teaching and managing. Crow is able to bring a very well-rounded perspective to the questions asked because of his wide range of jobs and industries he has participated in.
One of the first things that Crow touches on was his early design career. He discussed his work in the music industry and how he struggled with the politics. He stated that he became a part of “the consumption machine.” I think this is an interested point to remember because as a designer, one must not lose focus on what is most important. Although the focus of others in the industry may not be centered around the same principles are you, it is a designer’s job to make this focus seen and to show others its importance and also the positive impact it can have on the industry as a whole.
Later in the interview, Crow talked about his later career as a teacher and then manager in an art school. He explained how his perspective did change and also how he was able to bring credibility to his students, which is hard to gain in any other way besides through experience.
One of the most important thing that Crow mentioned in the interview began by him telling us that he was inspired by the student work that was constantly around him. He stated that is was “like a toy shop” and that it makes him wish he could go back and be a student again. As this semester comes to a close, Crow’s words are important to keep in mind. If Crow wishes he could go back to school, we as students currently in the school should recognize the power and opportunity that we have being here and take full advantage while we have the time.
Veronica Burian Podcast
Veronica Burian is a type designer born in Prague, Czech Republic. She originally began her career as a product designer but moved quickly away from it.
She moved to type design because she felt that it was creative but not crazy in an artsy kind of way. She liked that it was rational and claims it was like falling in love. When hearing Veronica Burian talk about type, you can sense her passion and this “love.” This is so important in anything that we do as designers or just in life. If you aren’t passionate about what you do, you aren’t going to enjoy it and you aren’t going to put your heart into the work. Veronica displays how important this is in her type design.
She also talks about the similarities between product design and type design in the interview. I think this is interesting because it shows that all areas of design are interrelated. She states that they both are about designing for a purpose and about communication of a message. They are both rational and systematic.
One of the most important messages that Veronica mentioned was the value of stopping work on a specific project and coming back later to work on it. She discussed how this happened to her with type design and how when she comes back to project, she can see things she didn’t before and have a refreshed view of the work. I think this is important to keep in mind when designing, although it is not always possible to take extended periods away from projects.
It is kind of fun to do the impossible.
—Walt Disney
Kathryn Cho Podcast
In this interview, Kathryn Chow discusses her passion for Swiss design and what she has learned throughout her research. Kathryn has been working on a documentary film revolving around Swiss design.
She discusses how her perceptions of Swiss design were very different from what it turned out to be. I think this is a very important thing for young designers to remember. Kathryn states that many history books about design are inaccurate. The only way for us to reveal and understand this inaccuracy is to actually go and experience the design.
Kathryn is a very critical thinker who finds misconceptions within design and attempts to explain them. Listening to the interview helps to make one more aware of the importance of knowing the history of design and what it has to offer.
One of the most important things that was mentioned in the interview by Kathryn was about personal style. As we are beginning to create our own personal identities, this plays an important role. She said that after studying with Wolfgang Weingart, she was really able to see his personal style and see this reminiscent in all his work. She could see his work coming to life.
I think this should be the goal of all our work as designers. When asked about her favorite designer, she named another design because of the same reasoning. She said that the personality came out in the designer’s work. This creates a much more valuable and meaningful experience for the viewer.
Trying to look good limits my life.
—Stefan Sagmeister
