|
RVDL: For me, low budget projects make designing easier, since many design decisions are made easier or omitted entirely. Choice of paper, colors, typefaces, printing process, prepress, etc., are all restricted and therefore take less time to ponder. This leaves more time to concentrate on ideas and execution. |
| When you started using the Macintosh in 1984-85 it wasn't explored yet. In what ways did the Mac change the way you designed in the beginning? Does it still give a creative inspiration? |
| RVDL: Particularly in the very beginning of the Mac, before PostScript, when everything was low resolution, there was very little work you could draw inspiration from. You had to almost reinvent the wheel, so to speak. This was very inspiring. Of course that aspect of the computer is history, and the computer itself as an inspirational tool has become less interesting for it. |
| Until 1987 – before you started fully to concentrate on Emigre – you worked for outside clients. How was the experience? |
| RVDL: I assume it was not unlike the experience most graphic designers have. There are some terrific clients, and some that are less so. For me the most beneficial part of working for clients was that it allowed me a peek behind the scenes of how they operated their businesses. The idea of running a business was demystified. I saw how they were struggling or why some were successful. It gave me the idea that I perhaps could do it better. Instead of working on projects they published, I realized I could work on projects and publish them myself. |
  |
Why did you decline the opportunity to join Alliance Graphique International? |
| RVDL: These kind of membership clubs are simply not very important to me. Although I'm not saying the clubs are not important. |
| What influence has being an Emigre had on your way of thinking and designing? |
| RVDL: I've lived in the U.S. for almost 18 years, so that particular influence is not what it used to be when I first arrived here. Also, in San Francisco, and California in general, we are surrounded by foreigners. America is a country of immigrants (although many Americans may not readily acknowledge this). Being an ''outsider'' or foreigner in California is almost the status quo. |
| What does 'success' mean to you? |
| RVDL: When people respond to our work. |
| Are there any other disciplines outside the realm of graphic design, which help your thoughts on life and design to evolve? |
| RVDL: I love music, I read a lot, I watch television (perhaps too much), I enjoy going to an occasional basketball game, seeing movies, getting together with friends and have dinner parties. Not unlike the stuff most people do. And recently, I've been taking a lot of trips out into the California deserts to hike and take photographs. |
| When I first called Emigre I was told that you do not give lectures. Why don't you? |
| RVDL: I have done many lectures in the past. I take them very seriously, and consequently they require a lot of preparation. I've stopped doing them simply because I found myself working on lectures and talking about my work more than actually practicing graphic design. The positive thing about doing lectures is that it forces you to reflect upon your work, but this can also be a negative. This over-analyzing and navel staring can stifle your work. Right now I want to concentrate on doing graphic design. I'm sure sometime in the future I'll lecture again. |
 |
Are there any designers whose work has influenced you? |
| RVDL: There are too many to list. I am a ferocious graphic design junkie, and consequently I come across a lot of work that inspires me. |
| What are the trademarks of ''Dutch design mentality''? Could you compare American design and Dutch design in general? |
RVDL: Regarding the first question, I cannot speak for the mentality of an entire nation of designers. But my own trademark mentality, which may be Dutch, I'm not sure, is probably my stubbornness. I am a bad compromiser, which is another reason I enjoy working for myself.
Also, working in Holland as a graphic designer is a rather distant memory for me. But if there's one difference between American and Dutch graphic design that stands out, it's that the line between advertising and graphic design is more blurred in America. |
| How do you judge your early work? Does your relationship with your own work change over time? |
| RVDL: I do from time to time look at work I did in the past to see if there's any continuity or growth. There are aspects of my early work that I wish I could attain again, and there are parts that embarrass me. I always force myself to change the formal aspects of my work. I try not to repeat myself too much. Whether I'm successful at that should be answered by someone else. |
P A G E | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |  |
|
| back to top |
