Inside The Business Of Graphic Design: 60 Leaders Share Their Secrets Of Success

INSIDE the BUSINESS of GRAPHIC DESIGN 60 Leaders Share Their Secrets of Success CATHARINE FISHEL © 2003 Catharine Fishel All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. 08 07 06 05 04 03 5 4 3 2 1 Published by Allworth Press An imprint of Allworth Communications 10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010 Cover and interior page design by Leah Lococo Ltd. Page composition/typography by Integra Software Services Pvt Ltd, Pondicherry, India ISBN: 1-58115-257-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fishel, Catharine M. Inside the business of graphic design : 60 leaders share their secrets of success / by Catharine Fishel. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58115-257-4 1. Graphic arts--Vocational guidance. 2. Commercial art—Vocational guidance. I. Title. NC1001 .F56 2003 741.6'023'73--dc21 2002152007 Printed in Canada CONTENTS Dedication vii Introduction ix PA RT O N E : P L A N N I N G 1 Section 1: Setting Goals Is Easy—Finding Them Later Is the Hard Part Knowing Where You Are Going 2 Miriello Grafico: Managing Employee Expectations 3 SamataMason: Emulating Client Successes 7 Liska + Associates: Keeping the Big Picture in Sight 11 Rigsby Design: A Constant State of Becoming 15 Section 2: Reputation—Boost or Burden? Can You Hang Yourself on the Hook You’ve Created for Clients to Grab Onto? 19 Cahan & Associates: Putting Your Reputation to Work 20 Landor Associates: How to Defeat Complacency 24 Bull Rodger: Reputation as a Control Factor 28 Michael Schwab Studio: Sticking with a Good Thing 31 PA RT T W O : M A N A G I N G 35 Section 3: Running a Business That Doesn’t Eat Your Creativity for Lunch Staying Sharp Creatively and Administratively 36 Gee + Chung Design: Listening to One’s Heart 37 Mirko Ilic´ Corp: Uncompromising Creative Ideals 42 Sagmeister, Inc.: Find Balance Between Work and Life 46 Terry Marks Design: Seven Postulates for Good Business 50 Section 4: You Can’t Paddle If You’re at the Helm Building on the Star Quality of Your Good Name 54 Kiku Obata & Company: Taking Turns at the Plate 55 Trickett & Webb: Lots of Small Pyramids 59 Chase Design Group: Delegation, Finally 63 Ted Wright Illustration: Let the Work Do the Talking 67 Section 5: How Not to Art Direct Your Staff to Death Being a Good Manager and Inspirer at the Same Time 71 Watts Design: Everyone’s an Art Director 72 Fossil, Inc.: Directing Art and Hearts 76 Vrontikis Design Office: The Gentle Leader 80 Willoughby Design Group: Respect, Perspective, and Stepping Away 83 PA RT T H R E E : C O O P E R AT I N G 87 Section 6: Together, Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar When You Know How Your Business Partner Looks in Pajamas 88 Richardson or Richardson: Dissolving an Office 89 Parham Santana: Together, Day In and Day Out 93 Number 17: How to Stay Best Friends 97 Sayles Graphic Design: Keeping the Business Alive 101 Section 7: Design or Get Out of the Way How Not to Knock Heads with People Who Are Nearly as Smart as You Are 106 BBK: A Laissez-Faire Partnership 107 AdamsMorioka: Divide and Conquer 112 Pressley Jacobs: a design partnership: Reshaping Management 116 Pentagram: To Each His or Her Own Specialty 120 PA RT F O U R : G R O W I N G 125 Section 8: Post–Sliced Bread How to Behave Whe