interview :: jessica walsh

This month I’m sharing my favourite posts from 2014, and this is one my favourite interviews of all time, with the incredibly talented Jessica Walsh…

Sagmeister & Walsh are a top New York graphic design agency run by Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. Quite aside from having some serious studio envy (#creativespaces!), I’m a big fan of their work, so I was delighted when Jessica agreed to do an interview for the blog.

What’s the most important thing to know about you?
I’ll quote Charles Eames: I take my pleasure seriously.

Where do ideas come from?
Nothing is entirely original. Creativity and ideas come from making interesting and unexpected connections and showing things we’ve all seen before in a fresh or unusual way. Inspiration for these ideas comes from everything experienced and learned in life. I am most inspired by psychology, fashion, furniture, music, films, space, and everything that makes us human.

How did your partnership with Stefan Sagmeister come about?
I met Stefan almost five years ago. I loved and admired his work, and wanted to meet him. He hired me and I worked at his studio Sagmeister Inc. for several years. After a couple years, I was ready to start my own studio. We had a series of conversations about how we could continue to collaborate in a way that was mutually beneficial for the both of us and our clients. The partnership was the answer.

How do you work together?
We work organically, based on the projects we have going on, our strengths, interests and availability. We work with a team of four talented designers and two interns. Most of the time on larger branding projects we all work together to come up with ideas and formal solutions. On smaller projects, often one of us will lead on the project.

Describe your design process from initial idea to final product.
It varies greatly depending on what we are designing. On a branding project, for example, we start with a period of research and brand immersion. We want to understand who our clients are, what their goals are, and discover the personality of their brand or product. The ideas and inspiration for the visual solution always come from the content, so this phase is key. Afterwards, we start design explorations. We give ourselves plenty of time for this phase, usually three months. Sometimes ideas come right away, but other times it takes experimentation and trial and error. Once we have a direction we feel is the best solution for the project, we put all our energy into creating a great presentation around the idea that shows the client its application across many mediums.

What’s your favourite part of the process?
Coming up with the concepts. I think idea generation for me is inherently the most playful part of the process.

Tell me about a really good day in the life of Sagmeister & Walsh and a really bad day.
Good day: Lots of creative thinking, creating something beautiful and having great conversations.
Bad day: Lots of meetings, writing checks and paying bills and long unnecessary phone calls.

What are you most proud of?
At our studio we like to create work that touches people somehow: whether it makes them think, brings them joy, shocks them, or makes them laugh. I am proud when we accomplish this.

What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?
Follow your heart and do the kind of work that excites you. Don’t worry about getting a high paying job right out of school, first try to work with designers or studios you admire and learn as much as you can. Work your ass off, stay persistent, and continue to challenge yourself.

And finally, what’s your favourite colour?
Black.

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• interview :: vera & kyte
• interview :: the future perfect
• interview :: timorous beasties
• interview :: resurface designs