In the
course of the many projects you have done over the years, what are the biggest
questions you have had, the biggest discoveries you have made, and the
challenges you are currently facing?
DRThe biggest question
that I feel we constantly face is: are we doing the right thing here? Should we just have
followed the beaten path of getting a job in a design agency and working our
way up? We might be better off financially for doing that,
but many of our peers who have done this 8-10 years down the line are jaded,
and most leave to set up their
own practice. We just did it a lot sooner and I think are better
off for doing so, but it is a constant battle especially in those periods of
the year when you can sometimes wonder where the next job is
going to come from. But in saying that,
the biggest challenge we now face is learning to say no. We
like to be busy, but it’s creeping towards a phase now where we physically can’t manage the deadlines and size of projects with
just the two of us, which is why we are now opening up the studio a bit more
and almost becoming creative directors as well as graphic designers, working
with artists who have expertise.
MEI think it’s the realisation that we can
choose our own path.
It’s still something that I need to
remind myself of occasionally.
What
has been the most inspiring piece of someone’s work that you’ve seen or heard recently?
DRMy three
year old son has just discovered the
ten hour loop of “Peanut
Butter Jelly Time”, and constantly asks to play it in the car and
watch the video of the dancing banana that goes along with it. I
think this piece of work best encompasses why I do anything:
it’s for the pure joy
people feel when they see some of our work, whether that’s nostalgia, a smirk or because
it’s funny.
It’s that feeling my son feels each
time he hears the opening line “IT’S PEANUT BUTTER
JELLY TIME” that I aim for with the work I make.
MEI discovered the work of Dom Sylvestre
Houdeard, a Benedictine monk from the 60s, who made concrete poetry. The work is incredibly
playful and opened me up to the world of concrete poetry— who doesn’t like the sound of typographic monk?!
Finally, what is your vision for the future?
DREmbrace new technologies
that are literally around the corner now. Instead
of being scared, work out how we can use them as tools in the same
way we use software we already use, or a pen, or a scalpel, the possibilities are
pretty exciting to be
honest. On a personal level,
get back to writing unachievable goals and try and achieve them year by year together.
MEContinue to build this
wonderful career with one of my best friends, keep collaborating with good
souls, make work we’re
proud of, and come to Japan to create something!