Tell us a bit about your background and how you discovered that you wanted to work with graphic design? Was it an easy path to pursue?

I was born and raised in Westchester County in New York and moved to Atlanta to complete my BFA in Communication Design. As a teenager, I had no idea what Graphic Design was but I loved drawing and combining image and text to create posters and little books. Eventually, I discovered that Graphic Design was a thing I could do and from then on I pursued a career in the field.

What were the biggest influences in your life that shaped your artistic vision?

I like to tell people that my creative pantheon includes Stanley Kubrick, Jack Kirby and Bizarro Superman. My design influences range from Bauhaus and the International Typographic Style to David Carson, Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Peter Saville, April Greiman, Vaughn Oliver and Wes Anderson. Hahaha! Too many? That’s not all of them. I also love architecture and photography. My eyeballs are constantly devouring things.

Your winning project, Nihilism for Beginners, is a unique infographic that looks like a book cover. It is meant to describe the basic principles of Nihilism. How did this idea come about?

I love looking at infographics, but I am absolutely terrible at creating them and unfortunately that was the assignment for the class, so I was desperate not to have to build a ‘traditional’ looking infographic. I’d decided that Nihilism was something that might be interesting to try to break down in 30 seconds and I happened upon some Penguin/Pelican cover images as I was researching the moodboards. Recalling Nietzsche’s quote that, “God is dead” the idea struck me that it might be like one of the Penguin mysteries. “God is dead…whodunnit?!”

What were the main challenges in the realization of this project?

Nihilism is a pretty broad concept and some might consider it a bit dark. The primary challenge was to boil all of it down to a 30 sec (or so) animation that put a humorous spin on it.

Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to the world of design?

I was born on a farm in Denmark and have, since my early childhood, combined creative intuitive skills such as drawing, making, and photography with reading philosophical books by Karen BLixen and Kirkegaard at the age of 13-14. I graduated as top student in math and physics from high school and was initially supposed to study microbiology to specialize in the ethics of cloning. But after a half year sabbatical in France learning French, I realized it would be too theoretical, and started looking for something more creative. Since I had always been interested in the craft of garment making, I found that fashion, or rather clothing design, would be a creative craft that would combine both my scientific and creative side. I therefore moved to Paris at the age of 18 to learn French and improve my sketching skills and ended up assisting Gunnar Larsen, a Danish Fashion Photographer who had his own Avant-garde Luxury Fashion magazine. I became his PA and Stylist collaborator, calling Haute Couture houses to borrow dresses for the photo-shoots we did in the streets of Paris. The contrast was amazing coming from a farm in Jutland to the heart of Paris Fashion circles and the couture houses. Gunnar was my first mentor and from him I learned that it is important to find your own style and stick with it and that you can make amazing dreams come true with a small multitasking team and little funding.

How do you think the Danish mentality shaped your life, your work, and your creative process?

Being Danish I have always been surrounded by design and functionality. Even though we lived on a farm, my parents had a Bang and Olufsen stereo and the schools I attended had Arne Jacobsen lamps and chairs in the classrooms. Nature was always present to play in and so was the local library where I nurtured my intellectual side and creative reading, combining science fiction, literature, philosophy, and books on photography, to nurture and inspire my creative thinking mind. In school we also had art and crafts classes where we would learn how to sew and I was awarded a Pfaff “driving license” faster than most of the other kids in class since I had also learned how to sew at home in the 70’s. I even made my own outfit for my High School graduation – so the idea of becoming a clothing designer was kind of a natural evolution.

You lived and worked in Paris extensively and then moved to London. How did these fashion/design capitals influence your work, what is the most valuable lesson you learned in each place?

After collaborating with Gunnar Larsen for 2 years, I was introduced to the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale and was accepted directly in the 2nd year. I studied the craft of Haute Couture with Mr Marco, a ‘modeliste’ or pattern cutter who had worked for Christobal Balenciage and Pierre Balmain. He taught me the artisan craftsmanship of Haute Couture draping and how to construct and tailor garments. I later also joined the Institut Francais de la Mode and took a Masters in Fashion Management, teaching me how to build a brand and market a collection. After several years of working in Paris I was, at the age of 29, Head of Collections for a huge German luxury brand but didn’t like the ‘old world’ brand ethos and copy-cat creative processes. I knew that to sustain longevity in my future career I had to explore my creativity further with an MA at Central Saint Martins, where course Director Louise Wilson helped me grow personally through very tough and critical mentorship. Studying under her was a bit like the Navy Seals, and particularly hard as a mature student since I had to ‘unlearn’ what I already knew. She was very critical and expected the highest creative and professional standards. Becoming a creative kid again at the age of 29 at Central Saint Martins MA and working with Louise helped me deconstruct what I knew to reconstruct a newfound designer identity that subsequently helped launch my brand in London Fashion Week at the age of 30. I then went on to be part of London Fashion week for 6 years winning multiple London design awards like New Generation and Fashion Forward whilst also being the first London based Designer to win the French ANDAM AWARD with financial support form LVMH Group allowing me to showcase my collection at the Muse de la Mode at the Louvre. I think since then the realm of my professional career has always been an oscillation between London and Paris.

It is very important for everybody, especially in creative fields, to find their own voice, their own unique style and philosophy. When did you find yours, and how would you describe it?

Gunnar Larsen told me it was important to be part of the avant-garde, to become one of the forward thinking visionary creators. So I knew I needed to define a new identity when studying under Louise Wilson at Central Saint Martins. I therefore started to research what would be in fashion ‘after deconstruction’ and found my inspiration not only in the Fashion legacy of Rei Kawabuko and Martin Margiela but also in architecture, where I became fascinated with the ideas of hybridization of Dutch architect duo Ben van Berkel and Caroline Boos from UNSTUDIO. The pivotal turning point was when I almost left the course out of desperation and started to work on a YSL smoking jacket I had found in a Paris flea market. This was at first a bit embarrassing, but then I finally started to get positive feedback from tutors since they felt I had re-found the tailoring craftsmanship that made me different from other students. During the beginning of my second year, the crash of 9/11 inspired me to see a vision that this event would mark the end of 20th century modernism as we knew it and mark the beginning of the paradigm shift to the 21st century. I saw this ‘Ground Zero’ as the place where you would start, like kids, to pick up the Lego blocks again to build something new, different from the old. During these experiences and creative processes I defined a personal design philosophy named Hybrid Reconstruction that was about combining fragments of different garments into new creative hybrids. This design philosophy became, and still is, the core ethos of my design practice and has also been able to influence a new generation of young design thinkers through my teaching both in Paris and London.

Your fashion house is known for “honing a new vocabulary of fashion” with a new perception of the 21st century woman. What does that really mean according to you?

When I talk about the 21st century I often describe it as “metamodern”, as defined by Dutch theorist Thimotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker. Where Modernism made us live in the white box disregarding the past, Metamodernism allows us to reconcile a certain nostalgia of the past – something that has always been part of my research, like me loving to find vintage garments in the flea markets – informed by a utopian desire for the future. I try to put that feeling into the garments that are not generic but more subtle hybrids, taking a small element from a 19th century men’s tuxedo shirt and putting it onto a casual sweatshirt hoodie thus making it into a shirt/sweatshirt. I think 21st century youth are very open to new ideas of change and also more interested in garment design than fashion that is more about surface communication. The people I like to dress have many facets, mixed ethnics, cultures and origins; they can be young, old, intellectual, working, or more artsy. They are interconnected, borderless and not defined by gender or cultural belonging and prefer to be regarded as humans mixing various elements, garments and styles in a democratic, metamodern manner.

You were born and raised in Italy. How do you think the Italian mentality shaped your life, your work and your creative process?

I was born in a little town in the south of Italy where I spent the first 20 years of my life, before moving to Rome where my career as a designer started. As you might already know, Italians are well known for their creativity and their tendency to not respect the given rules. I can define myself Italian in that sense. I’m not a rebel but I always question rules and limits to obtain the best product possible. Plus, I pay great attention to detail.

How did you discover that you wanted to work in the design / product planning field?

I was always a curious kid. I liked to disassemble toys and appliances, and I spent lots of time helping my dad repair things. Growing up I was really into music and therefore hi-fi systems. I couldn’t buy the latest models, so I used to fix the broken ones. Same with personal computers, I quickly learnt how to assemble my own PC. At that time, my desk was full of hardware and I spent my time modelling objects, as far as was possible at that time. My first choice for university was to study engineering, but I soon realized that something was missing so I swapped to product design and I simply knew it was the right choice for me.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from, how do you decide if you want to take on a certain project?

I always try to be curious about everything that surrounds me. Despite my busy work schedule, I always leave time for traveling. I visit fairs related to different industries, from interior design to products and technology. There is also a constant exchange with other professionals in my network. I frequently take time to have a chat with them and keep my knowledge of their specific industry up to date.

Tell us a bit about your workflow. What are the most important factors you take into account when bringing a project to success? What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Intuition and flair are essential for a product to work. No product will ever stand out from the crowd if it just answers a series of market requests. Design answers a question nobody asked. It is the design and the vision that you put into it that makes the difference. Ultimately, an obsessive attention to detail makes the difference.

Your winning project, Lullaby, is a ceiling hood that combines architecture and light. What do you think is the role of lighting in interior design and architecture. Why is it so important?

Light is the hardest material to define and work with, but it is the most important medium for comfort and well being when designing architecture, interiors or even products. Light can make the same space cosy and comfortable or uninviting and cold. Unlike most other materials, light has the ability to change and reshape space rather quickly. Lullaby is the perfect union of design and lighting, between innovation and technology in all its splendour.

How did you get into architecture and design?

I was born and raised in Barcelona. Since I can remember, I always dreamed of being an architect. Today I don´t feel so much like an architect, but more of a designer, since at our company, MESURA, we work in many (and with many) different disciplines linked to design.

In a description of you, I found that you are moved by passion and you try to combine architecture/cinema/music to create your project. How does that usually work for you, and how did it appear in your winning project, Can Llimona?

Creating something that wasn’t there before (thus contributing something to the world) is what makes me get up everyday. As an architect and interior designer, I search for ways to better the lives of people in their spaces, and with cinema I try to impact unfair situations in society such as gender violence. Music is just for my own enjoyment.

What was MESURA’s main motivation to take on this project, Can Llimona, and what were the biggest challenges?

Our main motivation was to understand and respect the architecture that we found in the amazing palace: The project observes and studies the existing house from deep respect, understanding its three great formal singularities: the cottage house (with its large swastika walls); the modernist house (with its high ceilings and its large transverse spaces); and the intervention carried out in 1992 (which opens more common spaces, and links them with a base of 2.20m).

You worked with 4 other partners on this project, Carlos, Jordi, Marcos and Jaime. How did you cooperate on this project and what do you think is the key for efficient teamwork when it comes to such a delicate assignment?

We have always worked with the value of “dialogue”. Each partner has its own responsibility in the office, but all the projects are done together. Every week we hold meetings with the partners and the entire team to share all the projects that are done.

Before turning to your winning project, The Bunjil Place, let’s talk a little bit about you. You were born and raised in Australia I assume. How and when did you find out that you have a passion for architecture and design?

My passion for architecture is a combination of chance, the choice to study architecture which at the time was somewhat random, and the result of study and experience, from which a great commitment developed.

What are your main sources of inspiration and motivation in your work?

Primary inspirations comes from the site, the rich physical, landscape and social complexity of a place, and equally the purpose, vision and aspiration behind the endeavour and sometimes silent in any brief.

What do you think is the secret for a successful architecture project, and what is the main philosophy behind your company, fjmt? How do you stand out from the crowd?

Our studio is dedicated to design excellence and the enhancement of public domain. No matter who commissions us, our ultimate ‘client’ is the community, in this sense every project is a public project. Our studio attracts like-minded designers aligned to our values and the direction of our work. The studio is a place of mutual high expectations and commitment but also a very open, collaborative, supportive and enjoyable workplace.

The Bunjil Place is a versatile community place in the City of Casey near Melbourne that serves many roles and incorporates a lot of different ideas. How would you describe this project in a few words and what were the main challenges involved?

Bunjil Place is an example of a new form of community and civic building. It is not a single use, or single facility that tends to divide and separate a community by interest, education or culture, but an inclusive hybrid form of public building, reflecting and embracing our diversity. It is a library, a performance theatre, a public gathering space, a place of exhibition, gallery and display, a flexible and experimental space for events, lectures, debate and celebration, it is a help point, a service centre and a place of work and collaboration. Above all perhaps, it is a place where all of this overlaps and interconnects and at the centre is the interconnecting fluid form of the foyer gathering space, a nonhierarchical space that unifies the complex. Bunjil Place is an outstanding example of complex timber structures, incorporating a number of challenging architectural and structural issues. The building provides a multipurpose integrated facility with each function owning particular design requirements that needed to be addressed by the engineering team. The outcome is a range of innovative bespoke solutions that address the constraints and deliver an exciting new facility that is a benchmark for future developments. The roof shape in particular created challenging issues in the analysis, design and construction stages, with detailed modelling in RHINO to create the shape, wind tunnel testing to optimise the wind loads, and many of the connections for the steelwork having to be specifically modelled using finite element programs to assess potential plasticity within the joints. Each separate area of the roof required detailed consideration of wind, thermal and earthquake effects.

The word Bunjil comes from the Australian aboriginal mythology, referring to a creator deity, a wedge-tailed eagle that served as the engine for the whole concept of the Bunjil Place. How can an architectural project successfully embrace such a philosophy? How did you make use of this traditional notion in a modern building?

We looked at the land, history and nature. A central theme was the interpretation of the land in the culture of Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people, the traditional owners and inhabitants of this land. Two stories inspired us: the “The Meeting of Many Paths” and “Bunjil” the Eagle. We began to conceive this project as an extended public ground plane and a broad sheltering roof, below which we could gather the hybrid uses of library, theatre, exhibition and also gathering itself. 

How did you first discover your passion for Design?

From my childhood till today, I have experienced various fields of art such as painting and photography. I have always welcomed various experiences. Design has a lot of diversity and success requires avariety of experiences. Varied experiences made me more interestedin design. Design means create. I love creating. So I love design.

Being born and raised in Iran, how do you think the Iranian mentality influences your work?

People of every country can influence the work of the designer through factors such as culture, economy, historical background, social relationships, tastes, collective wisdom, and so on. But the main thing is what the designer wants from his work. The main question is what is the designer’s purpose? If the designer wants to design for the economy, one should be aware of the country’s economic situation. If one wants to design in a culture, one must obey the culture of the country. So in this way, the priorities are the designer’s path. Personally, I try to design for an equal world, a world without borders and without differences, with culture and languageand unit identity, for humanity. So in my design, I have no Iranian mentality and in fact I have no national mentality. I think without borders and I design without any cultural constraints. For example, in designing this BlackHole hood, you see that the boundary of designhas exceeded the culture and mentality of a nation. This hood is inspired by space factors, not a specific national culture or mentality.

Your winning project, BlackHole Hood, was inspired by cosmic phenomena like the black hole and the wormhole. Can you explain this?

Regardless of the functionality of the product, which, due to its long cylindrical shape, facilitates suction in the island’s kitchens, it sconcept is inspired by the black hole and wormhole. I always wanted to convey the concept and sense of power and suction to the user. The black hole is the best way to induce this feeling. The concept of a black hole means the suction and absorption of everything around itself, even light (which is why it is black because the light can’t escape) and the concept of a wormhole, that is, the transfer of these absorptions from here to another place. Actually this is the same concept that matches my range hood. It absorbs the smoke and smell from the kitchen and takes it out of the house.

What do you think are the main strengths of the product, and why do you think it deserved to win?

Here are some points that have been given special attention in this design:

1. This product is inspired by the concept of black hole and wormhole and is designed in accordance with its function.
2. Beautiful, emotional and modern form. Fits modern kitchens by simplifying the form of the black hole concept.
3. Form difference with similar examples.
4. Use of high technology in design, such as touch buttons, filters and suction engines.
5. Fits the product for island kitchens.

You were born and raised in a small town in the Southern part of Russia. Tell us what that was like.

It was the dashing time of the 90s, but my childhood was calm, thoughtful, contemplative and a little isolated from anything amazing. I spent a lot of the time being alone playing on my own since there were no kids of my age on our street. I was close to nature; our house had a garden where I spent much time among warm summer fruits and berries, plants and bees. My small town didn’t have anything spectacular or visually stimulating. Maybe because of that, when I got a chance to see any man-made beauty it affected me deeply.

My parents gave me all the warmth of genuine love. Maybe it was them who passed on to me the ability to be fascinated–the most important quality of artist, I believe. At the same time, they provided me with the safe environment where I got my strong self-confidence. I didn’t know when that seed first emerged but always seemed to always know that I would be an artist. I didn’t learn the word “designer” till much later, 10th grade. Yes, it was that exotic time of lack of progressive information.

You are now based in Vancouver, Canada. When did you move there and have there been any challenges in adjusting to your new home?

I have quite a nomadic life. It was a series of moves, first to one of the biggest Russian cities, then to USA, then to Canada and now I’m back to the US again. Moving and adaptation is my constant state.

I’d say that wasn’t cultural shock but rather cultural fascination. I like noticing all the differences, people, manners, norms, different ways to live

The biggest difference between Russia and America to me is predictability. Russia, from the very little things to major concepts, is unpredictable, it functions every time in a different way, everything is full of manner mystique and second meaning. Both in a good and in a bad way. In America everyhting is determined as in a well working clock. Every thing, feeling or situation has it’s stable name and algorithm of interaction.

How do you think Russian culture and mentality shaped your personal and professional vision?

I love to be “two brained” and having these two very different perspectives, having both my national and international mentality. It’s like being able to embrace, to cover, a larger part of multifaceted reality. But it has its price. I acknowledge I’ll probably never be fully accepted by hte Western world, never get those deep local secrets of the places which I pass through.

What were the main challenges for you in creating your professional path in a different country?

I don’t identify my professional path in design by my location. It’s united and its challenges are the same no matter where I am. I’d only say it’s more interesting to act and create in a new environment.

The challenges I currently face regarding geography is how to merge the very highest goal in art with commercial activity, how to the most subjective free artist and at the same time be successful in this industry

Your slogan is “save soul and protect body”. Can you please elaborate on the philosophy behind it?

Two things come to mind. First, I don’t like when people die, and second, I don’t like when the soul is neglected. So I try to contradict these two concepts by designing things that could either protect the fragility of human beings or nourish the soul. I love the idea that a human being should live at least a hundred beautiful happy years, both long and emotionally stimulating.

To me, everything starts from a healthy soul, and art that has a miraculous ability to liven up souls and touch hearts. To me it is saving the soul. Through my art and design I do what I feel from the inside. My process itself is a catharsis for me. I turn humanistic ideas into visual metaphors that I implement in my products.

My Sweater for People with Flaming Hearts is an example. Its knitting pattern depicts a body temperature chart with the hottest area at the chest, so that a flaming heart becomes visible. I launched the sweaters production by pre-orders and saw how sacred it was for people who bought it: one put it on when they composed music, another one has it on her artistic group profile picture, and another posed in it for a conceptual family portrait.

People call you a design hero. Why do you think you earned this title?

Winning the IDA Awards is a great honor for a native Chinese designer, and I’d like to attribute this honor to my unwavering devotion to design for all these years, and also to the wise and impartial IDA committee. The winning project leverages the material qualities of wood, draws on traditional architectural structures and forms, and resets dimensions, thereby fashioning an “avant-garde” work that represents the rise and development of modern Chinese wood architecture.

How did you discover that you wanted to work with design and architecture, and how do you feel this field has developed in China over the years?

In recent decades, China has become the largest “stage for design” and “manufacturing factory” across the globe, and that has propelled its native creativity forward at an overwhelmingly high speed. Architectural design has to consider multiple factors such as functionality, scientific rigor, economic concerns, authenticity and social nature. Bound by a myriad of fetters and chains, designers may find it a supreme test and huge challenge to finally produce an outstanding work. For me, years of exploration and practice have occasioned more possibilities for my architectural pursuits, through which I hope to lead people into the depth of civilization and culture behind architecture, illuminating its underlying worldviews and values, and making a marked contribution to the prosperity and development of cities.

You were born and raised in China, graduating from Nanchang University. Was it easy to pursue your chosen path in design and explore your inner creativity?

As I said earlier, design is a path full of twists and turns. At school, we receive an education on the basics. After graduation, we need time to learn more and must also engage in deep thinking. Architecture is a body in which culture lives as the soul. Despite the drastic changes happening every day, modern architecture securely hangs on to regional cultures by trying to understand and represent them. It is an abstract conclusion extracted from all the natural and cultural elements of a region, such as its climate, resources and customs, and it is a world of images that conveys profound meaning.

Your winning project, the Yuanlu Community Center in Chongqing, is a wonderful work of art. What would you say are its main strengths?

This project mainly reflects the links between architectural space and philosophical thinking. We are careful to make our architecture authentic, and we think that the enjoyment of beauty is not directly felt by the senses, but rather is something dependent on and influenced by thinking. That is what we call a philosophical perspective on the relationship between architectural rationality and architectural aesthetics. The traditional traits of the wood structure make diversified designs possible. Based on the links between architecture and its natural and cultural surroundings, this project, by leveraging the material qualities and cultural connotations of wood, manages to achieve an orderly logic and authenticity in the wooden frame, and thus harmoniously combines architecture, nature and culture.

What was most important for you when planning the community center, and what were the biggest challenges you faced in this project?

The project neighbors the ancient town of Longxing in Chongqing. It borders the Yulin River and mirrors the distant rolling hills. Its eastern side commands the best view. As a response to the topography around the Yulin River, the project is divided between three box-like buildings of different sizes, which are arranged side by side along the slope and perpendicular to the road along the Yulin River, so as to gain a perfect view of the riverside landscapes and the distant hills. The interstices don’t run horizontally. Instead, they are distributed vertically, fitting into the topography of the slope and neatly formulating sequential interstitial courtyards and patios. It seems as if the various-sized interstices, while claiming a territory inside the architecture, are also opening it to nature, and thus connecting the inside and the outside in an open spirit. The entire project is in pursuit of a “philosophy of authenticity,” which is also its biggest challenge.

Space is inseparable from materials and structure, and is composed of building components. In this project we used glulam to create large spaces that extend over 10 meters high and 16 meters wide. Within the orderliness and rhythm there is also spatial tension. The exterior of the architecture, adapting to its structural form, unites the warping surfaces into a whole. When designing aluminum plates for the skin, we made sure the angles of each plate were well adjusted, so as to allow even the minutest changes of light to be captured by the “plates” and thus reflecting the changes of nature. In that manner the structure of the architecture, its surface and its surroundings manage to achieve an authentic, harmonious co-existence.

You have both lived and worked in the New York area for along time now. How is the city treating you?

Neither of us was born in NY; I am from northern NJ so not too far, and Ned is originally from the Washington, DC area. However, we have both been in NYC for over 20 years, so it is where we consider home. New York is a fascinating and fun place to live, and in terms of our profession, neither of us could imagine living anywhere else. The creative access, inspiration, and energy of the city are what drew us both here and the reason we both choose to stay. We love our city.

You and Ned work together at BRED graphic design studio. How and when did you start working together?

Ned and I have a long history of collaboration. We discovered early on in our creative relationship that we were very compatible in our work ethics and just different enough in our approaches that it worked well for us to work together. There was a shared respect and trust that we both believe is essential to a healthy and a fruitful partnership. In 2006 we formally launched our studio BRED. It was really about timing and choosing to prioritize our creative relationship. The goal was always to build a studio dedicated to the things we were most energized by. For us, that was self-initiated design research and the translation of our research and exploring its value to design education.

BRED is a graphic design studio with special focus on research and design education–a lot of different activities. What are the responsibilities? Who does what in the studio, and how do you distribute responsibilities?

Your question is excellent, and one that is always difficult to answer. Our work process is so fluid at this point that it is difficult to define specific roles and who is responsible for what. Because we are partners in both business and life, our design process is immersed in our daily lives and involves a constant dialogue. Our projects primarily evolve from casual conversation and observation. Most recently, inspired by our young son. Raising our son has opened us up to a whole new avenue of creative exploration. He is trying to understand the world around him. Like most children, he questions everything, and this forces us to challenge the status quo as well. It is through these conversations and questions that we often find great inspiration. It reminds us daily of the importance of vigilant curiosity.

When we begin a project, there is often a period in which we will work independently sketching and writing about what we are exploring. From this phase, we share our files and respond to each other’s observations, thoughts, and visuals. Through this process of visual and conceptual critique, we begin to define our direction. Given that we primarily work via letterpress, and the presses themselves have physical limitations, there is usually a set of defined parameters that help us clarify ourdesign direction, which means what we can and cannot do on the press. Working in the process of letterpress also demands a seamless collaboration. We mainly utilize two Vandercook Universal III presses in the production of our work. So we are printing in tandem and maintain a constant conversation throughout the process. It is the only way we can successfully achieve our shared expected outcome.

You examine how education influences the creative industry. What are the most important aspects of this relation?

I think one of the core beliefs both Ned and I share is the importance of making, perhaps most importantly in the sense of a process of exploration and discovery. We found in our work, as well as working with students, the physical act of making influences the experience and results of a project. When there is a physical engagement within the process, it forces the process to slow down. In turn, the physical process also requires a vigilant eye as there is no quick method, such as “command z” to correct an error. You are forced to think through each step systematically and strategically. Once you instill these qualities in a designer, you cannot turn them off. Working in an immersive physical manner such as letterpress, we believe, makes us stronger designers. It engages so many ways of thinking. (lateral, linear, spatial, conceptual, formal and strategic) It truly is boot camp for the creative mind, and these attributes translate when working within the digital environment as well.

What do you see as the strengths of your winning project and what does this award mean to you personally?

The G502 film for Logitech G is stunning and everything we hoped it would be. We wanted to create something that would leap out of gamers feeds, that was iconic, instantly watchable and would keep surprising viewers til the end and that also had real emotional tenor to it. Collaborating with our insanely talented motion design partners Man Vs Machine, and with incredible sound design from Zelig Sound, we achieved that and more.

What was most important for you when planning the project and what were the biggest challenges you faced?

The G502 is a cult object in gaming. And fans had been calling for a wireless version for some time. The launch of G502 LIGHTSPEED wireless was going to be a big moment for fans and the brand, so we needed to live up to everyone’s big expectations. This was also our third in an ongoing series of cutting-edge films we’ve created for logitech G with ManVsMachine. These films, where we push to create exceptional motion graphic celebrations of our coolest gear, have become a cornerstone for the brand. So we wanted to keep that momentum going.

What is your guiding design principle?

There were a few key themes that needed to be central to the expression of the film. Speed being foremost among them. We wanted to give viewers an exhilarating ride and a visceral first-person sense of how fast this mouse performs. Secondly, we wanted to celebrate the menacing beauty of G502s industrial design, to show off its iconic form and playful but lethal spirit. Finally, we wanted to push the limits of visual expression, so every shot and sequence is a super-graphic feast for the eyes, something you’ve not seen before that leaves you wanting more.

Where do you get motivation and inspiration from for your work?

We’re inspired by looking at a lot of other great work out there in culture, in CG and beyond. From movies, music videos and ads, to insta feeds of artists experimenting and pushing the limits of what’s possible. But when we do work like this with ManVsMachine, the process itself is what inspires the extraordinary. Through rounds of R&D we play and explore, and through that process we discover new expressions that build on our core conceptual themes but bring us to really incredible, unexpected places. And from there we piece together a narrative. It’s a really creative process and a ton of fun.

How do you feel graphic design has evolved over the past years and how do you see it evolving in the future?

Related to this project, we see the clear rise of 3D as an incredible force in design, motion graphics and more broadly in image creation. The versatility and range of expression is really cool and we’re using it more and more each year. We love how it can create these radically different aesthetics that are so fresh.

What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in your industry now?

The sheer volume of content we’re exposed to from brands and every corner of culture is a tough reality to compete in. There’s a lot of great, inspiring work out there. But there’s also a lot of noise. And we all have shorter attention spans. That means it’s hard to create work that breaks through. And we have to be conscious of putting work out there that contributes real value to the cultural discourse, that’s authentic, well crafted, and doesn’t just pollute the culture with more stuff.

How do you decide to take on certain projects?

MvsM: We weigh up a number of factors when deciding which briefs to take on. It is a shifting calculus that can include anything from the nature of the brand and product, how well we feel the creative brief is suited to our team, and of course timings and budgets. We also try to ensure that we keep a lot of variety across both studios, so sometimes we’re looking for visual identity and brand design briefs for a team on one continent and a live action direction and VFX job for a team on the other. It all comes down to timing, really.

Zelig: We like things that have strong concepts so we can play with the expectations and norms within the brand’s world to achieve something interesting and/or challenging. We like working with people who allow us the freedom to iterate and test things which usually leads us to places we wouldn’t have got to otherwise. Our work is split across sonic branding and motion/film content so always a good balance of those. Then of course, budgets and timelines.