Plazm

Founded in 1991 by artists as a creative resource, Plazm publishes an eclectic design and culture magazine with worldwide distribution and operates an innovative type foundry. Plazm is also a design firm that builds identities, advertising, interactive and retail experiences using custom typography.

When you retire, deal with the possibilities, not the necessities: Continuing Education and Professional Development

Ed Fella describes himself as an "exit-level" designer.

Topics: Handmade, Professional Development, Profiles

Develop and sustain an art practice throughout your life: Continuing Education and Professional Development

Ed Fella occupies a unique position as a retired designer, functioning somewhere on the edges of the design world but not fully in it.

Topics: Professional Development, Profiles, Self-Promotion

Actively pursue intellectual subjects that resonate with you: Continuing Education and Professional Development

"I'm constantly getting involved with subjects that interest me, working months at a time, reading everything I can about it," says Scott Santoro of Worksight.

Topics: Color, Professional Development, Self-Promotion

Read it all, forget it all, and do your own thing: Continuing Education and Professional Development

Because of their unique position as designers who make a magazine, advice from Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko can be hard to categorize.

Topic: Studio Secrets

Create Self-promotional Materials that are Deceptively Simple: Self-Promotion

Worksight developed a series of postcards to illustrate the concept of "everyday design," which permeates their design philosophy.

Topics: Self-Promotion, Studio Secrets

Help save electricity: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

Although somewhat obvious, Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL insists that one of its mantras of work is to always be open to new ideas.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Cultivate a workplace with a specific look and sound: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

In Margo Chase's office, she cultivates an air of excited calm.

Topic: Studio Secrets

Start a magazine: Continuing Education and Professional Development

Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko created Emigre magazine because they were unhappy with their regular jobs.

Topic: Studio Secrets

Create after-the-fact flyers: Self-Promotion

To complement his typographic experimentation, Ed Fella started experimenting with direct mail advertisements, or flyers.

Topics: Layouts, Self-Promotion

Always keep the valve in the open position: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

These words and images are taken from one of a series of animated identities that Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL produced for the Sci-Fi Channel.

Topic: Branding Identity

Everything you do promotes yourself: Self-Promotion

Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL began by publishing experimental magazines.

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Let the work speak for itself: Self-Promotion

Stefan Sagmeister has never bothered to do any self-promotion, save a change-of-address-style postcard when he opened his new shop in New York.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Creative directors need to stay creative: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

John C Jay does an amazing job of balancing the mangagement of his award-winning creative team at Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo, and running his own freelance studio, Studio J.

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Accessible can be smart; smart can be funny: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

Why Not Associates place a premium on sense of humor when approaching design problems.

Topic:

Encourage young people to make art: Continuing Education and Professional Development

John C Jay rarely participates in design conferences in Japan; rather, he concentrates his professional development on speaking with small groups or doing internal presentations for clients.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Distribute your work through respected channels to gain client confidence: Self-Promotion

Hideki Nakajima has published two books that feature most of his work.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Do an extra-good job on tiny projects: Self-Promotion

To solicit new business, Scott Santoro of Worksight does the conventional work of making calls and networking through existing channels.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Walk around a book fair and hand out your book designs to publishers: Self-Promotion

The combination of a lagging economy and some do-it-yourself pluck provided the circumstances for a novel business development tool: hitting the pavement.

Topic: Layouts

Demand respect, creative license, and fair pay: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

Art Chantry observes, "Graphic design is a weird art form; it is half business, half art.

Topic: Branding Identity

Win and keep clients with a multi-pronged approach to self-promotion: Self-Promotion

The Chase Design Group enters shows, such as those held by Communication Arts, How, and Print, and submits work to books as a way of self-promotion.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Find an emotional connection with your audience: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

Whereas some agencies spend a lot of time and money testing their advertising—addressing it with a scientific model of effectiveness—Waterbury stresses the importance of finding the emotional connection and inspiration in the audiences he speaks to.

Topic: Branding Identity

Let someone publish your work: Self-Promotion

Some designers, especially those who have been working for a number of years, have the opportunity to publish their collected work in a monograph.

Topics: Layouts, Self-Promotion

Use cultural relevance to create ongoing momentum: Self-Promotion

In developing the multilayered audio and video pieces to advertise the first products in a Nike shoe line called "Presto," John C Jay, creative director and partner at Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo, wanted to create a momentum beyond what their work is able to do for the current product launch.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Create promotions that reflect the goals of your company: Self-Promotion

Worldstudio, Inc.

Topic: Self-Promotion

Hire interesting, creative people and listen to them: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

One of the most important parts of John C Jay's creative direction is establishing a vision for the office.

Topic: Branding Identity

Keep decision making simple and nonhierarchical: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

Why Not Associates formed in part because the skills of three came in handier than the skills of one.

Topic: Branding Identity

Develop a social agenda: Community Involvement

The unique integration of Worldstudio, Inc.

Topic: Random

Develop long-term relationships with nonprofit organizations: Community Involvement

Sagmeister aims to do about a third of its work for socially relevant causes.

Topics: Self-Promotion, Studio Secrets

Use the Robin Hood theory: Community Involvement

Ed Fella worked throughout the '70s for arts organizations in and around Detroit.

Topics: Random, Self-Promotion

Keep in touch with your clients, past and present: Self-Promotion

Why Not's success has created the enviable situation in which they have never had to seek out work.

Topic: Self-Promotion

If you are a designer, design; if you are a manager, manage: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

The flow of work through Sagmeister Studio is not complex.

Topics: Branding Identity, Self-Promotion

Look far and wide for your sources in the creative process: Workflow and In-House Dynamics

When developing the logo for pop star Madonna's "Drowned World" tour in 2001, Chase Design Group approached the work by gathering as much source information as possible.

Topic: Branding Identity

Support young designers: Continuing Education and Professional Development

Scott Santoro of Worksight was involved with the New York AIGA chapter, which kept him busy.

Topic: Random

Make a low-budget project look expensive: Continuing Education and Professional Development

When Matteo's president, Matt Lenoci, first approached the Chase Design Group, Matteo had a logo and packaging scheme, but it was clearly in need of an update.

Topic: Packaging

Continue your own education by teaching: Continuing Education and Professional Development

In addition to teaching Type 4 at Cal Arts, Los Angeles, designer Margo Chase also gives workshops from time to time.

Topics: Handmade, Type

Never stop learning; don't start teaching: Continuing Education and Professional Development

The Miles Murray Sorrell FUEL team has never been drawn to teaching at art schools.

Topic: Branding Identity