"Design Is Attitude."

Where and how do you keep up with trends?
I read various blogs from a wide range of disciplines. Design, architecture, technology... a real mix. Almost everything is exciting in some way.

Which of your projects has been the greatest challenge for you so far?
Our own business stationery! It's always a puzzle why designing for yourself is the hardest thing. You have all the freedom, nobody interferes. Everything is allowed. Everything is possible. And yet you fail quickly, above all because of your own expectations. It's often not good enough, not creative enough or too arbitrary. In the end we still managed it, and now we are all happy.

How do you approach new projects?
An extensive, trusting conversation with the client is the basis for everything. This is followed by an analysis of the circumstances, so that high-quality design can then follow from it. Good design rarely benefits from its outward appearance, but rather from a well-thought-out conceptual foundation. To achieve this, I look for concise solutions and clear statements together with our team. The design for the project then almost comes by itself.

What qualities must a successful communication designer have?
First and foremost, they should have a broad general knowledge, or at least the interest in continually educating themselves and a thirst for knowledge. After all, there are hardly any industries in which you can deal with so many different clients and tasks. It can't hurt to have heard something about one story or another. The ability to think outside the box should be there. Hence my advice: stay curious.

What do you understand by good communication design?
Good design is when content is communicated through an appealing form of presentation and triggers a reaction in the viewer.

Which dream project would you like to realise one day?
Developing a complete corporate identity for a dream island in the South Seas. Now that would be something. Of course, only with extensive on-site research. Alternatively, I would be open to helping to realise an international design archive on the internet.

Is there a particular time of day when you are especially creative?
The best ideas still come at night over a beer with friends. For that I need either an urban environment with plenty of hustle and bustle or a few quiet minutes on the couch. Depending on the situation.

What does the future of communication design look like?
Through the close interlinking of the analogue and digital worlds, life is becoming more complex. The task of the communication designer will be to analyse things very precisely and to help people to grasp them.