Typeradio Podcast

We sat down with the colorful twins Thomas and Martin Poschauko. They are working, living and creating together for almost their whole life, only art school separated them for a while. We talk about their old-style heroes and their love for the van Gogh color palette. Their strong preference for a seclusive and designer-free surrounding brought them to a small Bavarian village after graduating. They had the luck to settle their design studio in a curious old cinema. They released their first book in 2011, Nea Machina, a 400 pages creative experiment, which took them 2,5 years to complete! We ask them how this experience changed their way of approaching design. Recorded at Integrated 2011, Antwerp, Belgium. Poschauko Brothers :: Nea Machina book :: File Download (24:47 min / 28 MB)

Richard van der Laken and Pepijn Zurburg run the Dutch graphic design studio Designpolitie and organise the What Design Can Do conference in Amsterdam. They tell us how they came together in Designpolitie, about their minimalist design approach, and how a design style can also be limiting. Their roles in the studio have changed over the years, but they still do their best work together. As design disciplines nowadays merge and cross-over more and more, they felt this was missing in conferences in The Netherlands. So they decided to organize the What Design Can Do conference. We asked them if their personal (political) opinions are important in their work. And they elaborate on the next conference. And no, they don’t wear the suits to the studio everyday. Recorded at Integrated 2011, Antwerp, Belgium. Designpolitie :: What Design Can Do :: Gorilla :: File Download (31:47 min / 36 MB)

Designer/typographer/calligrapher Yomar Augusto was born in Brazil but left to travel the world. His first stop was New York, where he lived and studied. Now he lives in Holland. Part of his famly was from Lebanon, so he feels a connection with Arabic calligraphy, even though he doesn’t speak the language. How did he get from a military school in Brazil, all the way into the world of design? Learn more about Yomar, and also his opinion about education in the Netherlands and other things. Recorded at Integrated 2011, Antwerp, Belgium. Yomar Augusto :: 180 Amsterdam :: File Download (30:02 min / 34 MB)

With her first name meaning ‘artist’, Shilpa Wadhwa seemed destined to become a designer. She started studying science to become a doctor, but failed and chose to study Fashion and Communication at NIFT design college. After this she landed a job as a window-dresser and from there rolled into graphic design. We talk about the balance between modern digital techniques and traditional arts and crafts skills in college. After graduating in 2008 she started her own studio, Wishbox. She tells about her struggles as a starting freelancer, and we talk about what is typical Indian in design, and the many local differences. Recorded at DesignYatra 2011 in Goa, India. Shilpa Wadhwa :: Wishbox :: Shilpa’s blog :: File Download (19:31 min / 22 MB)

This time Typeradio is joined in the studio by Shormista Mukherjee, Bidisha Roy Pratheeb and Mahua Hazarika of Rickshaw in Mumbai, India. A conversation emerges about music, movies and food, lots of food! Try out the recipe described in the interview, but make sure to get the small river prawns instead of the bigger ones. And please turn off your smoke alarm. Now you’re all set and ready to eat, with your hands of course! Why not have a lassi made in a washing machine as desert? Recorded at DesignYatra 2011 in Goa, India. Rickshaw India :: blog :: Rickshaw Facebook :: Disco Dancer :: File Download (30:51 min / 35 MB)

Michael Johnson calls himself a guitar playing designer. In this interview he tells how he taught himself design through just four books. It turned out to be quite successful as he now runs his design company Johnson Banks. The walls of his studio are covered in magnetic steel so everyone can put ideas up. This way even the idea of an intern can get trough, so no-one feels left out. Finally he gets asked where his company will be in 15 years time and how he wants to be remembered. Listen and find out. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Johnson Banks :: Thought For The Week :: MJ at Design Is History :: MJ ComputerArts interview :: File Download (40:02 min / 46 MB)

Garech and Declan Stone published the first edition of their book Logo R.I.P. in 2003, and this month a revised edition is being presented. They talk about the life expectancy of logos, their most common death, and logo nostalgia. What are the effects of globalization on logo design? We asked them about their personal favorite logos and the logo hit-list. The interview ends with questions from the audience. Recorded in front of a live audience at Bijzondere Collecties (Special Collections department of the University of Amsterdam). Logo R.I.P. :: Bijzondere Collecties announcement :: Logo R.I.P. - the trailer :: Logo R.I.P. Facebook :: BIS publishers :: The Stone Twins :: File Download (22:09 min / 25 MB)

Rajesh Kejriwal is a busy man, as director of the Kyoorius Group, Transasia Paper, SaffronDesign, and Kyroorius Exchange (the organizer of the Design Yatra conference). Right after its closing we talk to Rajesh about the conference and its history, and his many other endeavors. He talks about his affiliation with Dutch design in comparison with British and American design. And he tells us about his vision on the future of Graphic Design in India, and the preservation of traditional Indian crafts. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Design Yatra :: Kyoorius paper :: Kyoorius magazine :: File Download (12:21 min / 14 MB)

In this interview Ravi Deshpande explains the characteristics of Indian advertising which have drastically changed since the nineties. Design in India expanded its possibilities, but also became a lot more synthetic than it used to be. Designing on a computer is a lot faster and easier, and even though digital design has a lot of positive qualities, Ravi thinks that putting paint on a canvas is irreplacable. Does he think that it is possible to keep this craftsmanship. And apply it to this century? Listen to this interview recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Ravi at Contract :: India’s Greatest :: File Download (22:49 min / 26 MB)

Elsie Nanji is creative director at design and branding agency Red Lion in Mumbai. She has made many memorable advertisements, but really unforgettable was the one she got arrested for. It was a shoe campaign that featured two nude Indian athletes, wearing nothing but the shoes. The public took offense and brought her to court. “Everybody has a right of expression. We see Bollywood movies with people soaking wet in white sari’s which is much more vulgar than what I did,” she explains. If you are ahead of your time in your own country you have to be aware of the inhabitants’ sensibilities. She always tries to push the boundaries to the extent that she can. Recorded at DesignYatra 2011 in Goa, India. (NB. We apologize for the static noise in the recording). Red Lion :: Tuff shoes ad campaign :: Interview Campaign India :: Interview 2006 :: File Download (19:49 min / 22.8 MB)

Malaysian designer Kay Khoo starts talking about the ins and outs of organizing a conference in India and the bureaucracy involved. He explains that Indian culture is very submissive, and that the government looks a lot like that of China. Perhaps India will be even more like China in fifteen years. Khoo also designed the whole interface for Design Yatra. He finds the digital space very interesting. India is just beginning to develop its own digital design. Khoo talks about why he chose design as his profession and the future plans for Design Yatra. There are a lot of stones to be moved in India, since many designers don’t yet know how to promote themselves. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Design Yatra :: Figtree design :: Design Yatra in Creative Review :: File Download (23:54 min / 27 MB)

In this second part of the interview Irma Boom talks to us about the books she designed, her teaching job at Yale, losing her innocence, the content of books and what design she is most proud of. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Irma Boom Office :: Irma at Yale :: Total Design archive :: File Download (26:02 min / 30 MB)

Dutch designer Irma Boom started out making books and gained a lot of recognition for her design work. Now clients mostly ask her to design books since that is what she is known for. Occasionally she gets to do different kind of projects, like designing a curtain for the UN building in New York. We are wondering, does she treat these projects just like her book projects? Right now Irma Boom is working on 15 projects at a time. She is constantly busy. Listen and find out how she manages to not get lost in all of her work. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Irma Boom :: Querido Publishers :: Privedomein Publishers :: Irma Boom’s books :: File Download (23:25 min / 27 MB)

In this part 2 Rajesh Dahiya talks about how his studio Codesign started out and several projects they worked on. Employees were literally sleeping in the studio at night. Sometimes there were difficulties with projects, for example when Rajesh got challenged to design a Hindi typeface for a television channel. When a client doesn’t like the design you have to negotiate and change it. Finally the television channel agreed. The ‘trick’ is to pull it out in a language that both the client and designer understand. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Codesign :: Dutch DFA interview :: Unbox festival :: File Download (21:59 min / 25 MB)

Coming from a small town Rajesh Dahiya didn’t know there was any profession affiliated with design. He wasn’t good at following the structure of most Indian schools where you are considered a good child when you have ambitions to study to be a doctor or engineer. Rajesh wasn’t very good at math either. Finally he discovered design and chose to go to the prestigious art institute in New Delhi. He felt like being dropped into an ocean, a friendly ocean. People were very well read and the atmosphere was open minded. Rajesh also tells us about his life after his studies and why he went to Italy. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Codesign :: Interaction Design Institute Ivrea :: File Download (28:42 min / 33 MB)

Kurnal Rawat finished his design studies in 1997 at one of the oldest art schools in India. At that time there was a shift taking place between handmade design and computer generated design. He started design studio Grandmother India after working at his friend’s grandmother’s apartment during his last year of college. In this episode Rawat talks about the design scene in India, the unique challenges that they face, and what sets Grandmother apart from all other design studios in India. He also provides insight into the complexity of Indian culture and politics and talks about other Indian designers who have inspired him. Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Grandmother India :: Kurnal in Creative Review :: Typocity project :: File Download (40:36 min / 47 MB)

In this second part of the interview Adrian Shaughnessy talks about cover art, musicians, designers, branding and record labels. He tells us the influence internet had on the music industry. And talks about finances, from his own experiences with his studios. ‘When setting up your own studio, include a business person because you do need that!’ And finally he talks about the future and role of the designer. What does he think the new role of the designer is? And how would Shaughnessy like to be remembered? Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Ghost Box records :: Graphic Design On The Radio :: United Editions publishing :: File Download (17:35 min / 20 MB)

Typeradio talked to British writer Simon Garfield at Bijzondere Collecties, Amsterdam in front of a live audience (a first time for us). The occasion was the presentation of the Dutch edition of his book ‘Just My Type’ (in Dutch ‘Precies Mijn Type’). We asked Simon about his first typographic memories, and his ‘type awareness’ due to writing such a book. Just My Type made it to the NY Times best seller list and received both praise and criticism. Simon explains how he dealt with that. Recorded at Bijzondere Collecties (Special Collections department of the University of Amsterdam). Just My Type :: Bijzondere Collecties announcement :: Precies Mijn Type (dutch) :: Simon Garfield interview :: Simon Garfield video The Guardian :: Paul Shaw review of Just My Type :: File Download (25:04 min / 29 MB)

Adrian Shaughnessy treats himself as a internet addicted humanist. He is a self educated designer, learning design by seeing. In this episode Adrian is telling us that his mother is the better graphic designer and how it actually happened that he became a graphic designer in the first place. And who is on his top 10 list of favourite designers today? And how to be a graphic designer without losing your soul? Recorded at Design Yatra 2011 in Goa, India. Decca Records :: #ajwshaughnessy :: Unit Editions (publishing house by Tony Brook & Adrian Shaughnessy) :: How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul - book review :: File Download (30:35 min / 35 MB)

Mika Mischler and Nik Thoenen both attended the Schule für Gestaltung in Biel, where they studied Graphic Design. In 2007, they founded the independent font platform Binnenland.ch. Mika currently lives and works as an independent designer in Bern, Switzerland and Nik in Vienna, Austria. Mika and Nik tell us how they met and started Binnenland. We also hear why they’ve chosen this name for the foundry. Next to that they give us an insight on how they work together on their projects. Since they work so well together, we wonder if they could imagine to design without each other. We also talk about plans for the future and hear the story behind the Korpus font. We end the interview by asking if they sometimes have totally different views on the design and wonder what happens when they really don’t agree on something… Recorded at the 20plusX 2011 Symposium in München, Germany. Binnenland :: Mika’s fonts at Gestalten :: Nik’s fonts at Gestalten ::