Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXVIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXVII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXVI
• Monthly review, Vol. XXV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIV

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXVII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXVI
• Monthly review, Vol. XXV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIII

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXVI
• Monthly review, Vol. XXV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXII

The creative community loses a multi-talented inspiration.

Designer, author, and filmmaker Hillman Curtis sadly passed away on April 18th after a three year battle with cancer. At only 51, Curtis leaves behind an impressive body of work which includes numerous award-winning short films and the feature-length film Ride, Rise, Road about David Byrne and Brian Eno.

Curtis is perhaps best known for his popular Artist Series, which was ongoing from 2005 and featured designers like Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, and David Carson.

His latest project, The Happy Film, is a feature-length film loosely based on designer Stefan Sagmeister’s book Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far. It was in production at the time of his death.

Fellow designer and friend Joshua Davis reflected on the loss yesterday:

Hillman deeply loved his work, all of it—film directing, graphic design, all aspects of new media—and he especially loved his talented mentors, friends and students in these fields. His favorite topic was inspiration and he made sure to surround himself with it and find it in everything—his colleagues, his family, New York City, art, film and all of you.

—Joshua Davis posting on hillmancurtis.com

I first learned about Hillman Curtis in 2000 with his book Flash Web Design. The book went on to sell over 90,000 copies and helped change the face of design on the web. Shortly after, Curtis gave up Flash to discover new challenges.

Hillman Curtis’ work inspired me deeply. His unique and visionary approach to design and storytelling helped motivated me to pursue the career I enjoy today.

Curtis tells his story in his own words in a self-directed short film which appeared online yesterday, from Scott Santoro’s upcoming Graphic Design Textbook: “If I look at myself and say what’s my theme over the last nine years…it’s reinvention. It’s always been reinvention. As a rock musician starting up…that lead to graphic design through poster design, and that led to web design…and that led to filmmaking.”

Hillman Curtis leaves us with this final advice:

Be prepared to reinvent yourself, be prepared to go out on a limb occasionally, and be prepared to do the things that you feel strongly about that maybe other people don’t… For me what started out as a creative vacation…has become my life calling.

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXI

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXIV
• Monthly review, Vol. XXIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXI
• Monthly review, Vol. XX

Are unpaid internships evil, or is education payment enough? Thomas Wilder reflects on his past experience as an unpaid intern at a New York design firm.

Editor’s note: idsgn spans different points of view, and what follows is an opinion not neccesarily shared among our editorial team. However, we feel the debate is a valid one to explore and the topic is worthy of further discussion.

During my years in design school, I worked on countless projects with professors and never expected anything in return other than their vast knowledge. I understood it would help me in my future profession.

Following my junior year, I obtained an unpaid internship at a design firm in New York City. There, I was taught by an extremely talented creative director who mentored and educated me about the professional side of design. My professors were extremely talented and unusually nurturing, but I came to understand the knowledge gained during an internship can be invaluable, and the experience can shape the way one approaches, visualizes, conceptualizes and executes a design project.

A few months ago I came across Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel’s AIGA article “The Cost of Free Labor”, which addressed the ethical treatment of interns within the design industry. In Ms. Kradel-Weitzel’s article she discusses:

Bright and motivated young people are not going to devote their energy to an industry that does not financially value their contribution. Unpaid internships could force would-be designers to move into other, more lucrative fields.

—excerpt from “The Cost of Free Labor”

The key term from above is “would-be designer.” This term implies that an internship is anything besides an extension of a student’s education. These individuals, are not graduates.

An intern is a student, who is not qualified or regarded as a professional until acquiring a design degree. A student or intern is an apprentice. An internship is not a job, and although it does not occur in a university setting, it is still a form of education. A company has agreed to give an individual free knowledge about their prospective professional industry—an opportunity to learn practical information free of cost. Internships are like practical exams, study abroad, or any other out of class assignment.

Employers do not need to offer internships, and are taking an enormous risk hiring a soon-to-be professional. Interns are not meant to take the place of a professional candidate. An employer or firm chooses to provide internships because they are investing in the future of their industry.

It’s important to remember that monetary value is not the only value one can gain. Higher education and internships are privileges. However, prospective design professionals who are not able to afford rising university tuition are forced into other fields, universities or faced with finding alternative ways of funding their educations.

It’s clear that employers have become teachers and are increasingly valuable assets to a student’s education. If internships are becoming required coursework or an expected credential, then perhaps universities should provide internship grants. Or consider setting aside a university funded stipend that is solely  devoted toward financing internships. Furthermore, if internships are required by the university, then why are they not included in a student’s tuition costs? Paying interns should not be an employer’s burden.

To close, if an instructor learns something new everyday from their students, then perhaps professors should make restitution to students for this exchange of knowledge. Or is an education payment enough?

Thomas Wilder is a multidisciplinary designer living and working in New York City. He currently works at the Brooklyn based design studio MGMT. design. He has worked with clients such as Kayak.com, Tiger Woods, NYEHAUS, Rizzoli and GOOD magazine, . He graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design. You can follow him at @ThomasWilder.

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXI
• Monthly review, Vol. XX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIX

Wrapping up our Fresh & Hungry series, Chris Rubino speaks with London-based Sean Freeman.

CHRIS RUBINO: I think your work is probably the most developed of the winners this year, it’s quite impressive that you are still under 30. How early on did you realize such a strong vision for your work? How did typography become the voice for that vision?

SEAN FREEMAN: Thanks! I don't think a strong vision for my work came consciously, more that over the years of experimentation it’s become tighter and I feel I know more now about where I want my work to be and at what level.

I've always been very into illustrated type and have a particular love for words so I enjoyed combining that love for words with being naturally curious.

I started playing with type when I first graduated in 2007, I used to work a day job as a designer then when I got home I’d fire up the Mac and start the night work. I'd be working into the small hours toiling away shooting things and experimenting with different ways of exploring textures—looking at how I could use these elements typographically and I've been working on my own stuff full-time now since 2009.

That’s the best way! You’ve experimented so extensively with process in your work, obviously with great success. I’d be curious to hear about some of the disasters that might have resulted from this level of play?

Often I’m working with fingers and toes crossed that its all actually going to work out. I know the “FEAR” piece which I did for Wired magazine was a bit of a nail-biter. The first thing I tried really didn't work, and there's not usually a plan B. I even started drafting the “I'm sorry, this just isn't working” email. Fortunately it worked out okay in the end, but it’s been stressy.

Actual disasters, rather boringly, not so much to be honest. It’s not to say that I’ve not done things which haven't worked out—of course I have, constantly, but usually there’s a little something in it that just about works or sparks something that does work out. Happy accidents play a big part of my work.

I did do a piece for VH1 which they wanted out of cocaine, so I remember having all these lines on my table in my flat that I was photographing, then Mum popped over to visit… not so much a disaster, but seemed worth mentioning.

I'm sure she’s very proud, ha. You obviously are very into pushing your work, I’m curious to know what’s next in line?

So many things, so many things… I have a few collaborations planned which I’m particularly excited about. Just last week I finished the cover of The New York Times Magazine, which has been a job I've been wanting to do for ages so I'm super happy about that. For the future I have a very big amount of personal work planned—lots of new type work!

Later in the year I think I’d like to explore moving image, but I know it’s a huge area and need to give it a bit more thought. My main focus is on my personal work and the couple collaborations I have lined up.

Very cool, thanks Sean, and try laying off the drugs for a bit.

To see more of Sean’s work, visit thereis.co.uk.

Explore the Fresh & Hungry series:

• Introduction
• Kyle Bean
• GrandArmy
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

Chris Rubino speaks with Brooklyn-based photographer Elizabeth Weinberg, our next Fresh & Hungry subject.

CHRIS RUBINO: Recently I'm finding it difficult to select photography I really respond to. Maybe its just being overwhelmed, I don't know, but I really like that you have such a cohesive body of work. Do you think about your voice as a photographer? What do you look for when creating an image?

ELIZABETH WEINBERG: I don't really put too much thought into it, honestly. It's just what I do. I've found that if I start over-thinking photography I get really burnt out on it and lose the pure love for it that I always want to have. I let my instinct guide me and if I want to take a picture, I take it. Simple as that, and I don't think it has to be any more complicated.

It really doesn't, you can feel that spontaneity in your work. Makes sense that musicians and music seem to be pretty influential in your work, can you discuss this a bit, is it a way for you to participate in the world of music?

I started out wanting to shoot musicians, mostly because music was a huge part of my life when I was a teenager. I went to shows all the time, front row, stuff like that. I was—and am—also a documentary photographer, so I wanted to combine the two and do behind-the-scenes-type work. I was able to do that right out of college on Ben Kweller's national tour in 2004, because I had worked for his manager as a part-time job in college.

Looking back, I had no idea what to do with any of those images once I shot them. I didn't know how the business side of anything worked, or about pitching things to magazines, etc., but I didn't really mind; I was able to go out there and just shoot for the experience, and some of those photos are still some of my favorites to this day.

I used to shoot a lot of live music but the market became very saturated once digital SLRs were easily accessible, so everyone was getting the same boring picture. I decided a few years ago that I wouldn't do anything like that again unless I had a vantage point that was unlike any other photographer's, like if I was backstage or something. That's why I love a lot of the Bonnaroo documentary work I've done. I had all-access which gave me some great photographic opportunities. I think it's quite common for photographers of my ilk to start out shooting musicians because we generally have friends who are in bands and it's natural that they'd become subject matter.

Nowadays I don't want to be known as just a music photographer, and I think I have been successful in branching out.

I agree, I really enjoy that balance in your work. You appear to be doing very well and progressing very quickly, where would you like to head next with your work as a photographer?

2011 was really good to me in terms of commercial and editorial work, so I want to continue on that trend and just do more and more. I've been lucky enough to work with clients who understand my vision and let me have a lot of creative control. I've also been able to work outside of my comfort zone for commercial work a lot in the past year, and I think it's great to do be able to do that for a client and come out with work that everyone is proud of.

I'm currently focusing on getting my work seen by as many people as possible and trying to get my hands into all sorts of creative projects. I work best when I've got a million things going on.

Calmness in chaos, same here. Thank you Elizabeth, I look forward to seeing your work in 2012.

To see more of Elizabeth’s work, visit elizabethweinberg.com.

Explore the Fresh & Hungry series:

• Introduction
• Kyle Bean
• GrandArmy
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

In this Fresh & Hungry, Chris Rubino talks with Dana Tanamachi, a graphic designer and custom chalk letterer living in Brooklyn.

CHRIS RUBINO: Your work is so striking, I love that you’ve chosen such a unique and tangible medium. I’m sure you’ve been asked this a lot but how did the chalkboard drawings begin? That decision has truly created a voice that you can call your own.

DANA TANAMACHI: Thank you! I never tire of telling this story because it's an occasion to boast about my incredible community of friends here in Brooklyn. A couple years back, there was a Great Gatsby-themed housewarming party in Boerum Hill—and of course everyone came all gussied up. My friends' new place had a huge chalk wall in their living room, and a much smaller one to the side. She suggested that I pick up a piece of chalk and doodle something ("You're artsy, aren't you?"). So I did. My other friend and I wrote the word Brooklyn on the wall—it was relatively small; not amazing. But people started coming over to it and commenting how great it was. Soon it became the "photo wall" for the party and all the photos were uploaded to Facebook after that night. I guess we were on to something.

For the next several parties that year, I'd come over beforehand and let my imagination run wild on the wall—it was such a great outlet for me at the time, as I spent all my days in front of the computer. After seeing my work on Facebook, a few friends-of-friends hired me for my first couple of commissions in NYC. Around the same time, a few popular blogs began picking up my work which led to more commissions. And the rest is history.

Very cool, I love hearing about the varied paths we as designers travel during our careers. I enjoyed watching the videos of your process. It appears that you keep it pretty simple (chalk and a damp towel). Have you customized any tools for yourself to help with these pieces? Also have those short films inspired any desire for animation using chalk?

I always keep a sewing tape measure around my neck which I've come to use for multiple tricks. And nope, I have no desire to do any sort of animation using chalk—those things are too intense! Erasing and redrawing for every frame? Nope! I would be up for using my work in a more digital, moving format—just not animation!

Got it, So what's next? Bigger chalk pieces? Or are you feeling ready for the next thing?

I am extremely thankful to have ended last year and begun this year with some high-profile projects that I'm really proud of. Now, I'm interested in just continuing to make the kind of work that I love, but perhaps on a smaller scale. As long as I can live a quiet life and work with my hands, I'm good. I've recently started lecturing on my work at different Universities, and my favorite part is connecting with the students and encouraging them to pursue whatever is life-giving for them. Everyone needs someone to say, "Hey, I see something in you. Let's bring that out."

So to answer your question, in order to push my work (and myself), I'd like to step back from it a little bit. Using some of my time to incorporate other relational aspects into my work really excites me.

Well its been working very well so far, I'm sure you're going to have an incredible future, thanks Dana!

To see more of Dana’s work, visit danatanamachi.com.

Explore the Fresh & Hungry series:

• Introduction
• Kyle Bean
• GrandArmy
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

Continuing our Fresh & Hungry series, Chris Rubino chats with Brooklyn design trio GrandArmy—Larry Pipitone, Joey Ellis, and Eric Collins.

CHRIS RUBINO: I'm very interested in the group dynamic GrandArmy has. I think it really brings an eclectic quality to your work. How important is this collaborative process to your work? And how did this become the way each of you decided to work?

GRANDARMY: The collective nature of GrandArmy has been indispensable in creating our body of work. Before working together we had all developed similar tastes as creative people, and this was one of the reasons we initially decided to join forces. Looking back over the GrandArmy portfolio in its entirety, it is hard to find a single piece that wasn't at some point impacted by each member's distinct fingerprint.

This is also important in considering what some refer to as our "style." In the beginning this was something we stressed about quite a lot. 'What would our voice be?' We would have long conversations trying to lock down what it is we are, or what we were trying to become. In the end we realized, as no doubt countless have before us, that this is all completely frivolous. Your voice is something that can only be developed naturally over time. Eventually we came to understand that our governing principle was something much more abstract: a unifying sensibility, more so then any sort of aesthetic style.

I think that philosophy really comes through in your work. I see that you've done a great majority of your work in the field of advertising, while maintaining a strong design voice (which is quite rare). Is advertising specifically interesting to you as young designers looking for an audience?

It's funny—we really never had any intention to work in advertising specifically. We all have really nebulous design/fine art backgrounds. This is probably pretty common—but it just sort of happened.

Being able to reach such a large audience is something we appreciate, and it's nice to see your vision realized by way of budgets that are generally larger than in the design world. We've been lucky that throughout our careers in advertising, either agency side or freelance, we've always been given very non-traditional opportunities. It definitely keeps us sharp, working in advertising. There's rarely a dull moment.

Cool, I'd say that's to your credit. Now, for the expected question for a Young Gun, where are you guys headed? What are you currently focusing on and where do you hope to push your work in the future?

We've been interested for a while in moving beyond print and film. Currently we're in the early stages of prototyping a line of hand crafted furniture. We're also very interested in interior design, product design, and apparel. If we had it our way we'd be a design, advertising, letterpress, streetwear, furniture, film and animation studio. The hard part for us is always forcing ourselves to narrow our ambitions. So who knows! We never let ourselves get bored, that part is for sure.

Just keep building and breathing, I'm sure you guys have many things in store for us! Thanks a lot for your time (love that stormtrooper).

To see more of GrandArmy’s work, visit grand-army.com.

Explore the Fresh & Hungry series:

• Introduction
• Kyle Bean
• GrandArmy
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

Kicking off our Fresh & Hungry series, Chris Rubino speaks with ADC Young Gun recipient Kyle Bean.

CHRIS RUBINO: I’m going to assume you have the most exciting studio of any of this year’s Young Guns. I’m very impressed with your appropriation of materials and impeccable craftsmanship. Can you talk a bit about your various approaches to each individual project and how materials are chosen? Do you have a pile of materials on reserve for the future?

KYLE BEAN: It may come as a surprise but my studio is actually pretty small, and as such I have to try and keep it fairly clutter free! I have a cutting desk, a plan chest to store all of my sheet material, a book case and a few storage boxes full of other materials. I go through phases of hoarding materials, and I have often kept things for years thinking that one day they might be useful, but eventually I have to let them go!  I like using everyday materials the most, as they are obviously easily accessible but also have an immediacy or familiarity to them - So that when people look at the images/objects that I create I hope that they can understand what the material is that I have used to create them. I get a lot of pleasure from constructing objects and images from humdrum things. There is something very satisfying about reforming a cardboard box, or even pencil shavings (as in my Pencil Shaving Portraits for Wallpaper* magazine) into something new and unexpected.

Definitely, I think that is what gives your work such a unique voice. Saying that, your work is quite removed from anything constituting traditional design work. I’m curious if you even think of yourself specifically as a designer and how you realized there was a place to express yourself in that field?

I recognize that my work doesn't always fit easily into a category of design, but I think that is one reason to keep pushing it further. I enjoy being in that ‘grey area.’

Throughout my education I had always been torn between pursuing product design or a communication-based design course such as illustration. I decided to study Illustration at Brighton as I was inspired by the concept-driven approach of the course and the diversity of the work that I saw on an open day. I spent much of the course developing my drawing skills, but I felt much more at home making physical models and generally communicating my ideas in a more tactile way, using everyday materials and objects to construct images. Its interesting looking back because I realize now that those interests I had in product design are still very much a part of my work now, despite the fact that the majority of my current work tends to be commissioned in an illustration or set design context.

Yes, Its exciting to see how our unconscious plays into our works that way. It will be interesting to see how your current work influences your future. Speaking of, What are you currently focusing on and where do you hope to push your work in the next few years?

I am actually working on a stop-frame TV commercial at the moment. My role on the job is 'Designer and Art Director. It feels like a huge step up from my previous attempts at stop-frame animation, and I am thrilled to have been given the responsibility to work on it. I am working with a director and experienced animators who have worked on Tim Burton feature films and so I am learning so much at the moment. Working on this job has certainly given me a taste to work more on moving image pieces. I have also recently been working more with Wallpaper* Magazine and now I regularly am asked to make my work 'move' so that they can include a short animation piece on their IPad magazine. Its a lovely challenge and one that Is becoming much more of a regular occurrence in this industry. I have a long term goal now to actually develop some of my projects into sellable products. I often get asked if certain pieces, such as my 'Mobile Evolution' Russian Doll are available to buy in shops. It seems like a massive challenge though, but one that I am keen to pursue. I think it would be a good idea to team up with someone who has more experience in this field.

I'd also love exhibit my work soon, either as solo exhibition or a joint exhibition. I would use this as an opportunity to make some more personal work and show a mixture of physical 3D pieces and prints.

Very Exciting, I look forward to seeing all of that. Thank you Kyle!

To see more of Kyle’s work, visit kylebean.co.uk.

Explore the Fresh & Hungry series:

• Introduction
• Kyle Bean
• Grand Army
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

The world of design is expanding so quickly. I truly believe in the past 10 years it has grown in size and talent like never in the past.

The ADC Young Guns continue to be on the forefront of this evolution. Just take a look at the latest winners, such a diverse collection of talent. Designers using traditional skills in new ways, designers with very unique voices, many working at levels well beyond their years.  As always it is difficult to select just a few from this very talented class but I’ve chosen 5 of my favorites to find out a bit more about where they are coming from and where they are going.

Stayed tuned throughout the week for brief interviews with:

• Kyle Bean
• GrandArmy
• Dana Tanamachi
• Elizabeth Weinberg
• Sean Freeman

Chris Rubino is a New York City-based artist/designer whose work has been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He likes to spend his vacations in the desert and has been in a number of motorcycle accidents. He is currently a board member of AIGA/NY. Visit his work at www.chrisrubino.com.

Also see:

• Fresh & hungry (2010)
• Hungry & humble (2009)

Thanks for reading idsgn, here’s to another great year in 2012!

Also see:

• The year in design, 2010
• The year in design, 2009

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXII
• Monthly review, Vol. XXI
• Monthly review, Vol. XX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIX
• Monthly review, Vol. XVIII

Contest: Win this stuff!

In the spirit of the season, we are giving away a selection of our favorite holiday picks to one lucky reader!

To enter, use the comments below to share one item on your wish list this year. We’ll randomly pick one winner and announce it here.

Cheers and happy holidays from idsgn!

UPDATE: We have a three winners! Congratulations to Andrew Chernauskas of Erie, PA who has won:

And because our prize sponsors were so generous, congratulations to James Jack of Lewes, UK and Rasmus Kalms of Copenhagen, Denmark who have also won:

• Gift box from Tattly
• Furni X RBW digital watch by Furni

Huge thanks to our prize sponsors!

Also see:

• The twelve days of design: 2010 holiday gift guide
• The twelve days of design: 2009 holiday gift guide

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XXI
• Monthly review, Vol. XX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XVII

Also see:

• Monthly review, Vol. XX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIX
• Monthly review, Vol. XIII
• Monthly review, Vol. XVII
• Monthly review, Vol. XVI

Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits is the latest book from Debbie Millman. In this ‘Design discussions,’ we speak with the author about the book, her time as president of the AIGA, and her thoughts on the most important aspects of creating a brand.

The name Debbie Millman should be familiar to most idsgn readers. Former president of the AIGA, Millman hosts a weekly online talk show called Design Matters and is the author of several design books, including How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer. She is also a contributing editor at Print Magazine, chair of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and president of the design division at Sterling Brands. And I could go on and on.

In her 16 years at Sterling, Millman has worked on the redesign of over 200 global brands—an impressive list which includes the likes of Pepsi, Nestlé, and Campbell’s. A brand expert in her own right, Brand Thinking rounds up 22 of the most knowledgeable and diverse people in the industry, from marketing guru Seth Godin, cultural critic Malcolm Gladwell, designer Karim Rashid, and branding legend Wally Olins for a series of interviews on the subject of branding.

The notion of the ‘brand,’ like any concept that dominates markets and public consciousness, is a challenge to define. Is it a simple differentiator of the cereals in our cupboards, a manipulative brainwashing tool forced on us by corporations, or a creative triumph as capable as any art form of stimulating our emotions and intellect?

—Excerpt from the Brand Thinking book jacket

We are delighted to bring you this interview with Debbie Millman, someone who is usually in the opposite seat.

IDSGN: From Wally Olins to Malcolm Gladwell, the subjects in Brand Thinking are an intriguing group of people. What makes a brand thinker?

DEBBIE MILLMAN: I think that being a brand thinker is someone who is interested in why, as humans, we seem to be universally compelled to make, mark, organize and acquire things. Humans have been using emblems of all sorts—whether they be religious icons, flags, shields, clothing, make-up, hairstyles, etc—to telegraph who we are as a species and where we stand as individuals for almost as long as we have been on this planet. I believe that “brand thinking” helps to reveal and make sense of the cultural, economic and spiritual implications of this behavior.

This is a question you ask several times in your book, so it only seems fair that I ask you the same thing. What is your definition of a “brand”?

I think humans use brands to project who we want to be in the world, how we want people to perceive us, and how we want to communicate what we feel about ourselves and our place in society.

How did you get started in branding?

My love affair with brands began when I was in the 7th grade. I looked around and everyone in school was wearing pants with a little red tag on the back pocket and polo shirts decorated with little crocodiles: Levi’s and Lacoste. But my mother didn’t understand why we had to pay more money for the tag and the crocodile when clothing without them was the same quality, only cheaper. Furthermore, my mother was a seamstress, so she was very proud of the fact that she could hand make me the very same clothes and simply stitch a red tag into the back pocket of the pants or glue a crocodile patch from the Lee Wards craft store onto one of the polo shirt’s I already owned. While that plan didn’t quite suit my aspirations of being a seventh-grade trendsetter, I eagerly pored through the racks of Lee Wards in search of a crocodile patch to stick onto the front of my favorite pink polo shirt. Alas, there was nothing. The best I came up with was a cute rendition of Tony the Tiger, but that really wasn’t the brand look I was going for. She finally relented and surprised me with a pair of Levi’s she bought on sale at the Walt Whitman mall. I had a minor issue with the fact that they were a pair of lime green corduroy bell-bottoms, but I quickly brushed it aside. After all, they were Levi’s! I was cool. My reign of logo worship had begun.

Later, when I got a little bit older, I realized I loved brand design when I created the “visual identity system” for the over-the-counter products in my father’s pharmacy in upstate New York. Thirty years ago, I handmade the signage using oak tag and magic markers. Given that they are still there (faded, ever so slightly crinkled, yellow-taped and all), I think they were rather successful.

Humans use brands to project who we want to be in the world, how we want people to perceive us, and how we want to communicate what we feel about ourselves and our place in society.

You mention “branding is a history in flux,” and you hope this book will provide a time capsule of the current decade’s brand ideas. In your professional career (which spans over 25 years), have you seen branding evolve firsthand?

We are now living in sensory overload. Our mass consumption of brands, technology and information has changed the way we relate, perceive and live. Brands are no longer static, internally managed “objects.” They are constantly in motion, and managed and by consumers (er, people) despite what a company’s P&L or annual report might otherwise state. Brands have become a reflection of the culture in which it participates. This evokes a unique composition of sensory perceptions, and the extension of any one of these impacts the way we think and act. When these perceptions change, people change; culture changes and brands change yet again. It is cyclical, just like most everything else.

Stanley Hainsworth says storytelling is the most important aspect of creating a brand. Do you agree with this?

I think genuine storytelling is important. However, it worries me that everyone from Snooki to the Kardashians to Rick Perry, along with 85 brand consultancies, the MTA, and my neighborhood veterinary hospital are now looking to define their brand via storytelling. I would hate for storytelling to become just another eye-roll inducing tactic to get more people to buy more stuff. And it is coming perilously close…

I think the most important aspects of creating a brand are as follows:

1. Single-minded confidence in the brands mission.
2. Deep understanding of human behavior.
3. The ability of the brand to make a difference in someone’s life.

Creating brands isn’t about “branding.” There is no more “mass market” in which to target a product. There is no one demographic picture of the planet. I saw cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken speak wherein he proclaimed that while lifestyle typologies have expanded to first 3, then 6, then 9 and then 12 typologies—there is now too much variation and we have reached categorical exhaustion. As a result, I have come to believe that the term branding is a catchword for the perfect, meticulously crafted balance of cultural anthropology, behavioral psychology, economics and design. It is about cultural anthropology because what we do in our culture—whether it is an obsession with reality television or weapons of mass destruction, this has a major impact on the brands around us. It is about psychology because if we don’t fundamentally understand the brain circuitry of our audience and really know what they are thinking—and why they are thinking it—we will not be able to solicit their imagination. It is about economics because understanding the marketplace and the return on the consumer’s investment impacts and influences perception. And it is about design because if we don’t create a compelling visual language, then people won’t be able to connect with whatever you are trying to sell them.

Creating brands isn’t about ‘branding.’ There is no more ‘mass market’ in which to target a product. There is no one demographic picture of the planet.

Speaking of Snooki, this concept of “people as brands” comes up a few times in Brand Thinking. Tell me about the Debbie Millman brand.

I am not a brand. I may use some of the tenets of branding to communicate my values in the work that I do, but I am just a person who is utterly fascinated by culture, choices, behavior, symbolism, semiotics, products, innovation and so forth. The list goes on and on.

You talk with Alex Bogusky, who recently left his successful advertising firm to start the FearLess Cottage, about his thoughts on “the new consumer revolution.” You also reference a conversation with Milton Glaser told you people in branding must figure out how to get people to stop buying things. What are your thoughts on consumer revolution? How might it change the ways companies are branded?

Better living through consumption doesn’t stop when you’ve consumed everything you covet. Unfortunately, brands are elusive and they don’t keep you happy for very long. As Dan Pink aptly points out in the book, “The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that human beings metabolize these things (brands) very quickly. I’m specifically using the word metabolize because we are talking about hunger and thirst. If a big-screen TV is your symbol of stature and significance, it’s a fool’s game. These kinds of external objects do not provide enduring satisfaction.”

He goes on to talk about what psychologists call the “hedonistic treadmill.” In other words, if you’re always looking to validate yourself by buying things, then you are never going to be satisfied. He states, “You are on an endless, addictive treadmill. The brand’s only purpose is to get you on that hedonistic treadmill. It may be good for the business in the short run, but in the long run, you’re doomed.”

Dan has articulated this behavior better than anyone else, in my opinion.

I couldn’t help but notice the introduction to your last subject, Malcolm Gladwell. A mere two sentences, which distill to “He is a genius,” contrasts with the one to two page introductions for other subjects. Is there a story behind this?

No, unfortunately there is no juicy back-story. The truth is this: I struggled with what to say about Malcolm—most of what I know “personally” about Malcolm is his kindness and generosity to me. I felt that any detail about that would be sappy and uninteresting, and since much about who he is professionally has already been written, I figured I would keep it short and sweet and get right to the point.

Would you say Brand Thinking is a book just for those of us in the branding or design world? Who should be reading this, and what do you hope they get out of it?

This isn’t a book about selling ideas or processes or ideologies. This book is a dialogue about why we do the things that we do with brands—whether it is creating, consulting, acquiring, trashing or coveting. Brand Thinking isn’t a book about how to brand; it is many different perspectives from people who have been thinking about brands for most of their lives. This book is for anyone who is curious about why we make and mark things and why we buy and brand them.

Switching gears for a minute, you recently stepped down as president of the AIGA where you served for two years. Coming from a background in brand design, one of your original goals as president was to "break down the barriers separating our specialties and work together to design the change the world needs." Did you accomplish this? And what change does the world need?

I think I was moderately successful during my term as AIGA President. First, I am just thankful that I had the chance to serve the organization, and I am proud that someone in “brand design” was given the opportunity in the first place. It was only 8 short years ago that I was unceremoniously rejected as a “she-devil.” In any case, there are several things I feel most proud of, and they are (in no particular order) as follows:

1. I worked to strengthen our commitment to communicate via social media. @AIGAdesign now has close to 275,000 followers on Twitter. When I started my term, there were about 60,000.
2. I made it my business to visit 55 out of 66 local chapters and student groups, no matter how big or small. And I am still continuing the effort: I will talk to anyone who will listen about the power of design.
3. I helped to create the annual AIGA Milton Glaser scholarship with the School of Visual Arts. This $25,000 annual scholarship is now helping young students every year.
4. I helped to create a position on the National Board of Directors specifically targeted to help and support new designers entering the marketplace.
5. Helped to further our efforts and involvement with the AIGA/F&W Media partnership, ICOGRADA, the FUSE Conference, and others.

But mostly, I hope that I helped further a message that is central to what I am trying to communicate in Brand Thinking: More than any other discipline, designers have the ability to impact our culture in significant and profound ways. Designers are creators and innovators; we find solutions where none previously existed, we imagine ideas and opportunities and we realize those ideas and opportunities.

Debbie Millman’s Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits is available in bookstores today, published by Allworth Press.

Also see:

• Design discussions: AIGA Fellow Lanny Sommese
• Design discussions: Paul Shaw and the NYC Subway
• Design discussions: April Greiman on technology (Part 1) & trans-media (Part 2)