Design Heroes

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My two design heroes are Stefan Sagmeister and Marian Bantjes.

I saw Marian Bantjes’ TED talk last summer. I had never have of TED before and only found it by happenstance. I was hooked on watching the talks for some time. There was one that really stood out and that was Marian Banjes. She is a designer, typographer, writer, illustrator, and a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale. She began working as a book typesetter in 1984 and opened her own design firm in 1994. But in 2003 she took on a new kind of work. She began to do work based on what she enjoyed doing, not just for money. She wanted to do work that was more personal. She puts her heart into her work and still is able to please her clients. In her TED talk called “Intricate beauty by design” she says this:

“So where my work as a graphic designer was to follow strategy, my work now follows my heart and my interests with the guidance of my ego to create work that is mutually beneficial to myself and a client. Now, this is heresy in the design world. The ego is not supposed to be involved in graphic design. But I find that for myself, without exception, the more I deal with the work as something of my own, as something that is personal, the more successful it is as something that's compelling, interesting and sustaining.”

I found her typography work to be especially intriguing and inspiring. She wrote a book called “I Wonder”. It is not a monograph, instead it is “graphic art with the written word”. I haven’t read it, but I’ve been wanting to since I first watched her TED talk last summer. I think I’ll buy it for myself as an end of my sophomore year present/celebration.

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Stefan Sagmeister is a graphic designer and typographer. He has his own design firm called Sagmeister & Walsh. He won the 2013 AIGA medal, which is given to individuals to recognize their achievements, services, or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication.

His work is conceptual and personal. He has given three TED talks but the one I found to be the most inspiring is “The power of time off.” Every seven years he closes his design firm for one year to go on sabbatical. During this time he creates several unique and creative projects which are influenced heavily culture of the place he goes to. He uses this time to rejuvenate his work.

I found the identity he developed for Casa da Musica to be so simple and perfect for the needs of the client. I don’t think I can describe it here well enough to do it justice, if you’re curious you should watch his TED talk called “The power of time off.”

Both of these designers are passionate about their work. They have developed their own creative processes to help them create new and fulfilling work. I find their work and the way they think about working as a designer to be inspiring. They are both a bit unconventional by being so personal in their work but it think its important. I find when I really care about a project it becomes better. By becoming personally involved in the project I want it to succeed even more so. It becomes a sort of expression for me. Maybe that isn’t so good, but I don’t know. Things have gone well for Marian Bantjes and Stefan Stagmeister. I believe that if one wholeheartedly pursues something they are passionate about they will succeed and lead a fulfilling life.

 

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http://www.ted.com/talks/marian_bantjes_intricate_beauty_by_design.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_time_off.html

http://www.bantjes.com/

http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/

 

About

I'm a sophomore at Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI pursuing a degree in Visual Communication. This blog is dedicated to my research, activities, and findings related to my VC classes.