[…] Last year, we created a new role to lead our design and business operations. That has freed up a lot of my time to work with designers on proposals. Most of my time is spent on developing ideas with the team, writing proposals, working with clients to develop briefs and generally keeping a hand on the wheel. […]

[…] Doubt is essential to creativity. It’s what keeps you up at night, but also what drives you to question and improve your ideas. If you’re absolutely certain of something, it means you haven’t thought deeply enough. Doubt isn’t the antithesis of confidence. […]

[…] I was more attracted to the process and way of thinking in contemporary art than the finished works of architecture and interior design, and usually found myself leaning toward conceptual direction. While attending school I did solo exhibitions of art and, even after graduating, I worked on design while studying under critics of contemporary art and architecture. […]

[…] I believe that God (or nature, per Shintoism) dwells in the details, so no matter how big the project, I need time and collaboration to think about the details. It doesn’t really matter how big or small the project is, as long as you can think about the details. […]

[…] One of our characteristics is the strength of being able to provide comprehensive designs to companies (…) We help the company by conducting comprehensive creation including branding and art direction to convey the quality of the product. Instead of doing a lot of work with many companies, my company is good at working on and putting effort into one project. […]

[…] Since the nationalities and regions are diverse, there is no bias in ideas and policies, and it is a wonderful team that can make proposals from an international perspective. […]

[…] I will put together a big idea, decide the policy, and always discuss with the art director, the project manager, and the interior designer to make a concrete plan. They share the idea with the studio, so they are as creative as the consensus of the office. […]

[…] Design needs to understand the land and create the culture it needs. However, design is not possible unless the designer has a relationship with the place. […]

[…] With a client who’s got years of experience, we like to go through their archives to get a sense of what has been done from their inception until now, why they want a new identity, why they want to communicate differently, why they want a campaign… You need to know the entire history of their projects. By exploring the archives, by diving deep — that’s where you find the nuggets; then you get creative and come up with a true expression of who they are. […]

[…] The more people trust you, the more a project is successful. […]

[…] When people trust you and you bust your tail, it’s no longer work. When the clients don’t listen to what you say and want to do something different and you’re constantly forced to fight them without ever getting to do what you want to do, then it’s work! […]

[…] I know I’m good at certain things and suck at others. When you start out at school you get the impression that you’re going to have to know everything. But it’s not true: you don’t do everything well. There was also the idea that once you get out of school you’re a graphic designer, you can create models, etc. The profession has evolved a whole lot, and so have we. Now we do more art direction than graphic design. I like to do art direction and hire a good team of designers. […]

[…] I love going to the library and finding old references (…) You access things directly. I scan everything…I bring my own scanner ! […]

[…] I prefer working with people over several years, because during the first year you try to understand how they work, the second year you’ve got it down, things are moving forward, and then the third year the confidence level is high and everything is clicking. […]

[…] In every city, I do have a team I know who are like my family. Then I really like to try new people as well. If I have a project, I will try to put my family on the project, but then if I understand that it is a project where I could really try to work with this set designer, that it would be up his alley, I would definitely give it to them. […]

[…] in work situations, I write things down, as in strategy lists that are really detailed and broken down, and as in what I plan in a shooting. Every picture is literally explained as: this is the makeup we’re doing, this is the styling we’re doing, this is the set design that we’re doing, this is probably the range of poses that we’re going to do… Which doesn’t mean that you can’t change it, but it’s helpful for you to stay efficient. Also, when I have a target or a bigger task, I just break it down into little parts, then I just scratch them off my list, as I go along with it. It’s important to understand that nothing is impossible, as long as you create a range of things that are possible. Writing is a very honest way of communicating with yourself, and it’s a sign of commitment. It’s also a symbol of it becoming a reality. […]

[…] The effort that goes into having a brainstorming meeting is hardcore and never works. Because that’s not how creativity works. In truth, we set about thinking and solutions come rather quickly. One of us develops an idea, another bounces off of it and so on and so forth. Then we weigh the pros and cons. […]

[…] Travel, be curious, and don’t worry if things are good or bad, or right or wrong. Just make it and see what happens. Don’t worry about making mistakes, it’s really easy for designers to get
tensed and caught up, especially early, and think about whether it’s going to be wrong.
Mistakes, that’s how you learn and how you get better. […]

[…] We are very open, we think it’s important to share all the sketches we are working on. Clients from abroad can be surprised as they sometimes expect the final products without seeing the sketches. […]

[…] Whatever works best for the project. I’m more there as a creative director to guide, to help designers to push their ideas further. I always say I know where we have to go, but I don’t know the road to get there. We need to leave it open to get to an answer, then you will be surprised. If you give strict design directions, you also limit the results.
It’s more coaching, guiding, and directing – not in a dictator’s way … Unless we get to five minutes before the deadline! (laugh) […]

[…] In terms of process, typically, there is some point when there is a presentation and they want to see a concept. However, before that, in our sketching process, we stop halfway and we invite the clients to see our sketches. (…) We will make a selection but there could be tens of things that we will share.
With the client we then have a discussion on what works, what doesn’t work, what they feel is right. It can be very confrontational because they see a lot and not everybody knows how to deal with image. (…) From their reaction, we get a better understanding of where we have to go. (…) That initial process, we call it “the kitchen review”. […]

[…] We don’t randomly sketch and hopefully it’s a hit or miss. The process always starts with strategy.
First, the strategy is developed and when there is a clear strategy or a positioning, then we start sketching. We always refer back to a strategy. First strategy, then sketching, and then strategy and the whole concept: the visual result comes together. […]

[…] We share finances together, all the systems are shared. That makes it really easy to work with different people and to work across countries. […]

[…] Doing a more strategic pitch and getting to know each other in mentality and way of working is really good. But I don’t believe in creative pitches. We believe in really working together with a client, having access, really learning to understand them. You cannot develop the best answer in splendid isolation. […]

[…] (LA) All this has to grow organically, as a process of concepts and examples that can make the clients believe in your vision, but still, you have to try it because you can think of a good idea that sounds great on paper but if it’s visually not translated, you have to change around and be flexible. […]

[…] (MS) We know, especially when you work with clients, that people have to present internally before – but sometimes it’s a bit of a pity when an art director comes up with images from other artists for example, or some materials and show them to the client. Especially if they are not creatives, it can be very hard for them to let it go. Even for us; if they show us a picture which may be a very good one that really explains the project, it’s very hard to get rid of it. […]

[…] (MS) in a way our work looks very organised and precise, but I think there’s also – although you wouldn’t say it directly – a lot of room for mistakes that we actually want to use.
(LA) They are presents. Mistakes become presents. […]

[…] (MS) For every project we ask ourselves: “Does the client fits us, or do we fit the client?” and “Can we add something to what they have in mind?”
When we’re not sure, we make a concept, send it over, and see the feedback. If it says: “Maybe we can stick to the other one”, we know we should not work together, because it means we cannot help each other. It’s not a way of being arrogant but it’s more that you want to make something… […]

[…] The weekly review. I know this might not be a big fan favourite but up until now I think the team has appreciated communicating and having supplemental interaction on the work we’re doing. It’s crucial in terms of coordination. […]

[…] The only strategic thing that we do is that we start by doing research, then we throw all the research out and look at it, then narrow it down to ‘yeah we think that’s the vernacular’. Then we present that, there is a discussion between us and the client, there is an edit and then there is a design. […]