Interview

Lately we haven't been able to get to work without noticing certain posters all over town. With the start of the new season at Burgtheater, quite a lot has changed; not only the program or the people working on it but also the entire look and feel. Less of a fortress, more of a theatre, more inter-, less national. Artistic director Martin Kušej is on a mission to erase the term „Burg“ for Burgtheater - a vision that needed its visual identity to go along with.   We talked to studioVIE, the agency behind the rebranding, and apparently we weren't the first ones contacting them about it. In fact, "never before in the history of studio VIE were people making the effort to look up our phone number to call us and complain about the new design." Here's why.     Forward Magazine: Did Burgtheater approach you or have you been wanting to work with them before?   studio VIE: When we founded studio VIE in 2013 we made a list of dream clients. You might see where this is going, because obviously Burgtheater was on that list. We were super psyched when they invited us to take part in their call for entries and even more when we won them as our clients.   Forward Magazine: Was the briefing very specific from the start or did you work out most of the idea together with Burgtheater?   studio VIE: In line with the new artistic positioning the design called for a bold statement. It had to be relentless on many different levels. Relentlessly pro-Europe, relentlessly unsettling, relentlessly demanding. Not pleasing in any way or pretty. Other than that there we were given total creative autonomy.   Forward Magazine: What was more important: creating something modern or something timeless?   studio VIE: The new visual identity of Burgtheater is definitely rather modern than timeless. At the same time we created something that won’t get old all too quick. Using a highly topical tool like the type generator created by font designer Elias Hanzer made the design modern. The way we utilize it for Burgtheater allows us all the flexibility it needs.     Forward Magazine: Thinking of rebranding, it must be tricky to distance oneself from the existing brand in order to create something new. How do you manage to do so?   studio VIE: While we have a lot of appreciation for the previous design by Raffinerie it was crucial not to create something too self-contained and accomplished but raw, open and rather unreliable. This goes hand in hand with Martin Kušej being on a mission to erase the term „Burg“ for Burgtheater because it’s associated with a fortress rather than a theater.   Forward Magazine: This was not the first cultural work you’ve done. What’s the difference when working for brands or for cultural institutions?   studio VIE: To us it’s such a privilege being able to work and exchange ideas with (most of the time) like-minded people. There is more affinity for risk taking and less attraction for pleasing ideas. Also, working for the cultural world we often don’t have to sacrifice aesthetic standards for user friendliness. Design is not seen as a tool to push sales as top priority. Our clients tend to have a more international perspective, which is really scarce with Austrian brands. We are here to boost Austrian design confidence and establish more awareness for sophisticated design.   Forward Magazine: What was the most challenging part of the project? Was there anything unexpected?   studio VIE: Burgtheater is a huge vessel. Many, many people are working very hard to get stuff done. Timings are often very tight and last minute. For example, the playbills go to press two days before the premiere because the photos are only taken at dress rehearsal. Or take bureaucracy, ideas don’t materialize because they have to be officially approved since it’s a state-run organization. Another obstacle is to be attractive for a younger audience while it’s the older generation who fills the seats every night. And finally, money. The budgets are shockingly tight for the number one flagship of Austria’s cultural institutions.     Forward Magazine: Stefanie Moshammer was in charge of the photography. Did you suggest to work with her on this campaign and if so, why?   studio VIE: Stefanie’s work was already familiar to the client. As we said it’s great to exchange ideas with like-minded souls. We just love Stefanie’s style, it’s edgy, immediate, Viennese, female, not adorned at any time but still so poetic.   Forward Magazine: “Deus Ex Ibiza”: Your posters do not lack boldness. Who came up with the idea? Were political statements part of the briefing?   studio VIE: We developed the concept of misheard and distorted truisms, platitudes and buzz words. The Ibiza footage instantly (and superficially) blew up our right wing government just like the plot device of Deus Ex Machina does in a movie or play. For us it was important to create a strong statement for uncertain political times. Kein Kampf sums it up quite well.     Forward Magazine: You worked with the digital agency SIRUP in Berlin, right? What was their role in the working process and how did the collaboration have an influence on the result?   studio VIE: The only thing we contributed to the website is creating a style guide, animation and defining typography hierarchies. Sirup was responsible for sitemap, UX/UI and how the website looks today. So we wouldn’t exactly call it a collaboration.   Forward Magazine: The new design is very modern after all. Were you afraid of the reactions of those fond of traditional Viennese culture?   studio VIE: So this was a whole new experience. Never before in the history of studio VIE were people making the effort to look up our phone number to call us and complain about the new design. Initially the briefing said, the best thing that could happen, is the audience talking about the design in the foyer. There is outrage and there is bewilderment. We are very aware that our design is not exactly a crowd pleaser. But we fully subscribe to the concept of panta rhei, change is so important. It’s only humane (and Viennese!) that regulars of Burgtheater feel like something old and treasured has been taken away from them, but we have very high expectations of their capabilities.   Thank you studio VIE for the interview and the images.     Article by Iris Writze

We skyped with one of our oddest, most favorite and fun Forward speakers: Jim Stoten - and a few seagulls. The illustrator is based in a seaside town on the south coast of England and has worked for Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Home Festival Venice, Land Rover Magazine, and many more. In this interview, Jim tells us why he is not sharing any commissioned work anymore. He also shares insights from his education at Brighton University, learnings from exploring his work ethics after his studies, how he dealt with depression and setbacks, and what happiness truly means for him. Btw: He also has a band called Fruits! Meet him at Forward Festival Vienna in 2020 and secure your ticket.     Forward Magazine: How did you find your path as an artist? What’s your story? Jim Stoten: My story is still ongoing. I haven't figured it out at all. I studied at Brighton University on the illustration course for three years. I made quite a lot of animations there and then came out of university and spent a year just panicking (laughing) and then I had to make money. So I started off doing work I thought people would want to see, so I could get jobs. I did that for about eight to ten years.   Forward Magazine: As a freelancer? Jim Stoten: Yes, as a freelancer. I didn't get a job at all, I just freelanced the whole time.   Forward Magazine: So right after your studies? Jim Stoten: A lot of people that I studied with went into studio jobs so they had salaries which sounded really great to me but they weren't being very creative. They were following instructions pretty much.  

"It seemed like the more money made, the less creative you could be."

"When in doubt zoom out."

"I was trying to do something which was just way too big."

"Happiness is a balance, unfortunately."

We met folding artist Jule Waibel for an interview. The young German designer and passionate yogi has her own label and has already worked for large brands like Swarovski, Adidas, Chanel, and many more. In her two studios - in Berlin and Bali - she creates playful objects and dreams of geometric shapes dancing around the moon. In this interview, she gives insights about her education at the Royal College of Art in London, about her unique selling point, how she learned that not everything requires a function and introduces us to a world where everything is folded.   How did your education in industrial design at the Royal College of Art shape you? You spend seven days a week in this place, in this tower, next to Hyde Park in London and in your bubble - your colourful design boot camp - surrounded by exciting characters, from extroverts to silent inventors and everyone knows: This is where great things come alive. While the others are influencing you with their dedication, the atmosphere is extremely productive and you want to commit to the maximum. At the same time you have a lot of freedom in your education: In the second year of our studies, we only met with our tutors once a week. The rest of the time you are either focusing on yourself and your own projects or try to stimulate your ideas through discussions with the community around you. Looking back, studying with tutors like Tord Bontje, Ron Arad and many more was an enormous privilege for me and it was one of the most intense and beautiful times of my life.   Before you went to London, you studied product design at the College of Design in Schwäbisch-Gmünd. That was very traditional. We learned things like: form follows function and that everything has to make sense. Basic knowledge of geometry, space and three-dimensionality were really hammered into us. I remember how we had to paint the correct distances of drawing pins three semesters long - until we were able to draw them without even thinking about it. We were also allowed to use colours only very late in our studies: A good design must also work in black and white, they said, colours would only trick us.     How was the transition from studying in Germany to education in England? The classes in Germany were important for my personal development because without them I would have drifted off too far into the artistic world. But in my first year in London, I was never really satisfied with my designs, because I tried to carry through the industrial design idea that I learned in Schwäbisch-Gmünd.   What other approach did your lecturers in London give you? They realized that my skills are more about aesthetics than about function. In the beginning I always tried to add something practical to my folding. The professors then said to me, "Jule, it's okay if your folding figures are just beautiful." I could finally let go. The fact that I was suddenly allowed to do something that was purely beautiful changed my whole thinking and was also a great liberation for me.     How did you find your USP? There are countless folding techniques you can find on the Internet. I always use the two same folding patterns, the flexible, three-dimensional and the straight, static folding. With that I can create my whole design world, that's basically all I need. What I do in my work is changing the proportion and dimension, the size and arrangement of the folding patterns. This is how I have created uniqueness.   Another unique selling point is the materials you fold. I take something like jeans or metal, for example, and wonder if you can fold it and if so, how to apply the folds. Do I have to steam it in heat, do I have to bend it, notch it or pour it into a mould? Then I look at the result and consider in which world it could find life and space. Is it suitable as a vase or rather as a piece of clothing? My approach, they told me in college, is learning through making.   Your mission statement on Instagram, is: "She wants to unfold the universe". It's about infinity to me. There are so many materials that have never been folded, that have a whole new function, look, and aesthetics. Before all of this started here, I worked with my tutor at London University to create a scenario where the whole world is folded: the table, the cutlery, the glasses, the clothes, everything is folded. Today I know that this is possible.                 Do you want to find out more about Jule Waibel? Check out the latest article at Jungbleiben.com Illustration by Daniel Triendl. Photos provided by Jule Waibel.  Interview by Felix Diewald. Article written by Daphne Seiwald.

Paula Scher is one of the most influential graphic designers in the world and a Pentagram Partner. You might have seen her in the Netflix documentary “Abstract: The Art of Design” where she gives a glimpse into her daily work routine and challenging projects. She developed the graphic identities of Tiffany & Co and Citibank and worked for a broad range of clients like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, The Museum Of Modern Art,  among many more. We talked to the inspiring graphic designer about the biggest work challenges for women, the importance of atmosphere in a room and global design trends.     As the first female principal at Pentagram, do you think you had different challenges to overcome compared to your male colleagues? I think this is probably true…   Do you have a particular example? I remember instances where it was difficult to get recognized in a meeting – either in a meeting with clients or with my partners. If there was another man or a male partner present, or if the client didn’t know who I was, I would be overlooked. But time changed things a bit – especially in my case and I just continued working on the things I like.   What are you working on right now? I work a lot on a variety of identities and some environmental projects. I also continue working on some projects I have been doing now for some time. The work comes and goes. It’s been like this for quite some time and I like most of it as they are pretty nice projects.   How do you choose the projects you work on? Well, they choose me… You know, I’m incredible disorganized – I receive a call and I meet with somebody, they explain the project and then it is just details like the subject matter, the time involved and how much they want to pay. The other main thing, of course, is that a good ad is essentially different from everything you’ve seen before. Maybe it is also a combination of both and of course, originality is important as well. But advertising itself is full of stereotypes. Everything is quite stuck. It needs people trying to do it in a different way to make something exciting happen.   Are there any criteria you have? Sure. There are things I want to do. Before I even get the phone call and meet up with the person, there are a couple of projects I want to do and I have them in mind already. Like the Library of Congress – when I got this phone call I just thought, “isn’t this wonderful?”. Because I really wanted to redesign this, and it is a lot of fun. I think I have a balance between really fun projects like the library which doesn’t pay as much as other projects which are more money-focused. You need this balance because without it you couldn’t survive in this business. All designers do.     What project are you proud of? I have a lot of interesting projects right now and I like how they develop. Like the library, I mentioned earlier. It is very strong and very shocking. This is also a way of how I judge things and something that makes me proud. Because government institutions usually don’t look like this. That makes it exciting for me.   Where do you get your inspiration from? There are things in life that you absorb, all the things you see, every movie scene you've ever watched, all the Art Museums you've been to, every book you've looked at. And on the other hand, there is the input from a specific project and you are focusing on a set of needs and opportunities that each problem presents. You are lining up your general knowledge for these things and your restored visual inspiration comes out while working on the project.   How important is the atmosphere in a room for you while you work? We just moved to a new space and everything is much bigger. We all thought, that we would miss the old space – but in fact, this is so much better! There is so much more room and space. You have more moments to collect your thoughts. Because of this, my days feel a lot less hectic and difficult.   What is the most interesting part of your work for you? The possibility of thinking about a project without a deadline looming. The possibility of working on something craft-related for a long time at the edge of my capabilities.   What would you say is the hottest design trend right now? How important would you say is it to share thoughts on design with others? I do everything very spontaneously. As I work with a team everything is completely shared, because we have to understand each other’s thoughts and opinions on different topics. We are constantly sharing information, developing new concepts, looking up possibilities and trying new things. I call this the experimental trial and error of design.   Where do you get your inspiration from? Taking train trips. The forward motion together with a view out the window and enough space for a sketchbook; this works very well for me.   When you think of an experimental trial: How do new techniques and technology affect your work? We use tools as they relate to ideas. Within the team, we always work with the best tools and programs we can get. If there is something to animate, we use the best tool on the market for this job. We also use the best 3-D animation we can get our hands-on. And I really love the work of my team.     Do you have any favorite tools right now? I am personally the person with a pencil and a piece of paper. This never gets out of style.   Which would you consider your biggest design mistake and what did you learn from it? Oh god, there is one a day. I think that sometimes I don’t acknowledge – and this is a very personal issue – how far we need to take it. So I’m always surprised that a project takes longer than I think it would, or it gets more complex than I imagined. I think that I tend to simplify things.   Is this a constant challenge for you? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on how good the system is. I wouldn’t call it mistakes, but when I do identity systems, they need to last for a certain time, let’s say up to five to six years, then you have to start tweaking them because things change. And you need to pay attention to his and update the identity system.   What do you think about the current generation of young designers? I worry about them in terms of their relationship to software. Because I think that the next generation is always faster and more adaptable to the most current software. So it seems that each generation is somehow stuck in software. What they need to do is not to rely on that and to start thinking critically and in a problem-solving mindset.   How would you say American aesthetics differs from European aesthetics? I would say right now, that the European graphic design is much stronger than the American one. It’s that way for a couple of reasons. I think it is because the communities have gotten cut up in the United States and mostly went into UX and making things understandable, but they don’t know anything about identity systems or things that are promotional. In Europe, I see that the designers marry booth forms of expertise in a much more effective way. They are also broader. I think that is really bad for US design. I know that European designers, on the other hand, especially from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have big problems with American commercialism. They do their work, especially for movies, very commercial and don’t work that artful anymore.   Is it a global trend in terms of graphic design? I would say that there are influences. They pop up, are persuasive and go away.     This interview got published and printed in Forward Magazine 2018.  

The world-famous designer and artist has collected virtually every design award. As a product and graphic designer, Bregenz-born Stefan Sagmeister has worked his way up to the very top by mashing up typography and picture language in a fresh, unique and sometimes even provoking manner.   Since 2012, Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh are running their New York-based agency Sagmeister & Walsh. Besides working for interesting clients all around the globe, he designed album covers for numerous bands like The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, and Aerosmith. He won the Grammy award twice, wrote several books and curated art shows from Zurich to Philadelphia. Stefan talks in this interview about the learnings of his last sabbatical, the importance of atmosphere in a room and also a piece of good advice for you.     How did you get where you are now? I started to write for a small magazine called Alphorn when I was 15 years old and quickly discovered that I loved doing the layout more than the writing.   How did you develop your own design style? I am not sure if we have a readily identifiable design style. We do have some methods. Somebody smarter than myself described style as the outside of a concept, and the concept as the inside of style. We used to have a sign in the studio saying style=fart, but I am not so sure about this notion anymore. I think that attention to style can make the delivery of good content easier. So why not pay attention to it? Also, I found out, by changing our own style on every project, we stayed much on the surface stylistically and were in danger of ripping off styles developed by other people.   What are you proud of? During my second sabbatical, I was looking for something meaningful to design and “The Happy Film” seemed to fit the bill. It forced me into doing a whole lot of research and experiments within this field. I also figured that whatever we do might have a chance to be of service to other people. I had never done a film before. Thus, the project allowed me to work with a new and challenging medium. The fact that we finished it through all the massive trouble, that’s what I’m most proud of.   There is a huge competition in the field of visual communication; the Internet is full of portfolios. How did you manage to lift your work from others? We are interested in creating an emotional connection to an audience. This sometimes works.   With creative work, work and free time often blend. Technology allows us to work from anywhere, anytime. How do you deal with that? I am mostly a beneficiary of these new possibilities, as I do travel on an almost constant basis and actually work very well on planes and in the hotel. I am answering these questions on a plane.   How many jobs can you handle at once? We usually have about a dozen jobs on the burner in the studio, all at various stages.   Does your work make you happy? Is it full-filling for you? Yes. I do feel that design has been a very important ingredient in my overall well-being. Relationships to family and friends have been the other one.   How important is the atmosphere in a room for you while you work? This is so very important. When I was on sabbatical in Mexico, I rented a house with a home office in the basement. After working there for a number of days, I moved the office upstairs into the high-ceiling living room. I was suddenly MUCH more productive.   What is the most interesting part of your work for you? The possibility of thinking about a project without a deadline looming. The possibility of working on something craft-related for a long time at the edge of my capabilities.   What do you do when you’re not at work? My mentor Tibor used to say: When you do what you love, you don't need a hobby. Nevertheless, I am passionate about science museums, reading, all kinds of concerts and traveling constantly.   Where do you get your inspiration from? Taking train trips. The forward motion together with a view out the window and enough space for a sketchbook; this works very well for me.   What motivates you to keep working? The possibility that we might design something that helps or delights somebody.     What is your new exhibition „BEAUTY“ about? Most design-centric professions, be it architecture, product or digital design don’t take beauty very seriously, with many practitioners seeing it as superfluous while concentrating on function. I very strongly believe that the sole pursuit of functionality often leads to work that does not function at all. The public housing projects of the 50ies and 60ies being a prime example: The goal was to house as many people as effectively as possibly resulting in projects that were not fit for human habitation. They needed to be torn down again 20 years later. My old friend and mentor Tibor Kalman used to say: "I have nothing against beauty, I just don’t find it all that interesting." I used to agree but changed my mind: I think beauty can be a fantastic means of communication. Also, it can help a piece to become very emotional and touching.   What did you learn from your last sabbatical? Why did you choose three completely different countries for this? Was there an idea behind it? I have NO desire to switch off from work during the sabbaticals. Actually, they are there to work and I normally work more hours in them than in a regular year. We just don't do any client work, but instead, pursue little experiments that might yield results for clients in the future. I wanted to conduct the third sabbatical in 3 places (Mexico City, Tokyo, Schwarzenberg in Austria) simply because I had never done it before. I do not want to repeat the same experiences. It’s a lot of fun! I am not in a position to determine what other people should do, but I can say this: I have now talked to dozens and dozens of people who took a sabbatical, rich and poor, singles and families. EVERY single one thought it was among the best things they had ever done in their lives.   What is your best advice? Stop concentrating on your own happiness and start looking out for the happiness of others.   Read also our most recent interview Stefan Sagmeister's secret for good ideas or our first one Stefan Sagmeister's pursuit of bliss.   This interview got published and printed in Forward Magazine 2018.  

Tobias van Schneider is a German multi-disciplinary maker of useful, curious and beautiful things. Born in Germany and raised in Austria, he now lives and works in New York City. After dropping out of school and teaching himself design at the age of 16, he worked as hard as he could to become who he is today: designer, founder, speaker, mentor and maker.

By day, Gavin Strange is a senior designer for the interactive arm of Aardman Animations, producing internationally beloved characters such as Wallace & Gromit or Shaun the Sheep. Via his night alias JamFactory, he works on his passion projects as designer and director. Forward met him after his talk at Forward Festival Vienna to hit him with some questions, with answers worth listening to.

DXTR the Weird is a Berlin-based artist and freelance illustrator. Starting out as a graffiti artist, he now works for multiple brands and is one of the founders of the art collective THE WEIRD. Translating his style between wall and print, DXTR is a well known entity in the Forward universe. We met him after his talk at Forward Festival Vienna 2018 and asked him some questions.

Ferry Gouw is a an illustrator, graphic designer, and art director based in London. He was the art director of Major Lazer and is going to speak at the Forward Festival 2019 in Munich. We interviewed him this year after his inspiring talk at the Forward Festival Vienna 2018 and spoke about drawing, his career and his favorite comic books.

The Scottish design director Ruth Wassermann runs one of the most intriguing platforms for budding designers in the moment. She is the head of design of MADE's new crowdsourcing and crowdfunding platform TalentLab, where young designers can submit projects that they would like to see realized. We had the chance to sit down with Ruth and talk with her about the idea behind TalentLab, the first collection and her vision for the future of living.

Patrick Marc Sommer and Rüdiger Quass von Deyen are the brains behind the Future of Reading congress (FURE). On 24th of November a handpicked selection of speakers will come together in the German town Münster to discuss the importance of print in the era of digitization.

„Das eigene Geschäftsmodell neu denken“: Unter diesem Fokus hat die Wirtschaftsagentur Wien mit dem Creators Lab während des Forward Festivals 2017 in Wien Gründerinnen, Jungunternehmer, Start-ups und erfahrene Unternehmen unterschiedlicher Kreativbranchen an einen Tisch gebracht.

„Das eigene Geschäftsmodell neu denken“: Unter diesem Fokus hat die Wirtschaftsagentur Wien mit dem Creators Lab während des Forward Festivals 2017 in Wien GründerInnen, JungunternehmerInnen, Start-ups und erfahrene Unternehmen unterschiedlicher Kreativbranchen an einen Tisch gebracht.