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[ February 2, 2004 ]
As David Wozniak can tell you, the true test of a designer is producing an Annual Report. It's a challenge from start to finish," he says. "The key is to tell the company's story in a compelling way through design, writing, photography, illustration, and printing without sacrificing the integrity of your vision."
Altpick recently spoke to Wozniak from his studio in Chicago.
I prefer to work in a collaborative environment. I think it always makes the work stronger when you can share ideas with other people and get input from other talented people. There are many people involved in an annual report and it becomes collaborative by necessity. You have to work together to make it all happen. Once in a while I like to work on some personal work on my own. What was it like being a judge for the 16th Annual AR 100 Show, having had your work selected so many times? It was very interesting to be involved in the judging process. It was my first time. It's always nice to have your work recognized. It was a treat being a judge because I got to look at annual reports from all over the country. It was inspiring to see all the strong work. It gave me a great perspective on other people's work and how they approach the annual report. Did you think about what you would have done when you were looking at entries? Yes, I'm always forming an opinion on the work. Sometimes I say to myself, I wish I would've done this. There were some great books and also some average books. What you don't see in the judging process is what the firm went through with the client and how much control they had. It always helps when you are working with a client that supports good design and allows the design firm to stay true to the idea and produce a great product. Unfortunately, annual reports are full of compromises. Sometimes you win the battles, sometimes you don't. When you're judging an annual report, you don't know about all the struggles behind the finished product.
As a kid I was always very artistic and my first desire was to be a Walt Disney. But I was never able to draw free hand that well. It took me a while to figure out that I was more of a graphic type. In high school I took a graphic design class. One of the projects was to create your own silk screen by cutting out some type of graphic shape in these films and make a silk screen and print it. For some reason this sparked something in me. I would cut out logos from companies and reproduce them. It intrigued me so much that I started my own little T-shirt business. I started drawing a lot of graphics and then got into advertising and created a portfolio and started thinking about art school. But I didn't know if I would fit in because I wasn't your traditional artist. I was this graphics guy and didn't really know what that meant at the time. What changed your mind? The day I went to a portfolio day at my college to check out the school. I was so scared and intimidated that I almost didn't go. I didn't really think my work would be appreciated there. One teacher saw something in my work and me and encouraged me to attend. If I hadn't gone to art school, I would have ended up in a major university and probably would not have found my passion.
I think that whenever you are in an urban setting you are influenced. Different things bombard you, whether it is advertising or just a certain culture that you are exposed to. It definitely has an effect. Especially being in a city like Chicago where the design community is really strong. There are a lot of designers that are really doing well here and they do good work. I'll see their work and be inspired. There's also the A.I.G.A. They have a pretty strong local branch here and host a lot of local events that I go to. So you really get to become aware of what everyone else is doing in the city. I think it has influenced me. I don't know in what way specifically but I think it has definitely made an impact on me as a designer. How do you see the role of design changing? I see that companies really value design a lot more so than in the past. I think that companies see other companies like Apple Computer that have really embraced the idea that if you have a great looking product as well as a great functioning product people are going to gravitate towards it. I think the whole idea of branding is overused but people are recognizing that branding your company and designing a look and feel that carries through the whole company is so important. I mean even the way someone answers the phone is part of the brand. It is an extension of how everything connects. I think more and more companies are recognizing that and becoming a bit more sophisticated about it.
You have to pick your battles. Art and business sometimes don't go together very well. Running your own business is a lot different from just being a designer at a firm your working for. At the end of the day you have to survive somehow. You have to get the work done and you have to make enough money to live. Within that, it's hoped you can find some projects that you are really proud of, that give you goose bumps when you come up with the perfect idea. That 'ah ha!' moment is pretty fun. There is nothing better than the creative stage of a project. Most designers are pretty bad business people. I'm still learning and trying to make art and business work together. - Contributed by Mary-Beth Holland >> See more work from Woz Design >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
