Inside the bussiness of graphic design

INSIDE
BUSINESS of
the

GRAPHIC

DESIGN
60 Leaders Share Their Secrets of Success

CATHARINE

FISHEL

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 witha 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 Section4: 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 Time71
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 Section 8: Post–Sliced Bread

125

How to Behave When You’re the Latest, Greatest Thing 126
Concrete: Blind Optimism and Success 127 VSA Partners: Leveraging Growth through Notoriety 131 Jennifer Sterling Design: Ignoring Fame Altogether 135 Alexander Isley Inc.: Broadening One’s Base 138

ivINSIDE THE BUSINESS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

Section 9: This Land Is My Land; This Land Is My Land

Opening an Office in Another City or Country 142
Turner Duckworth: A Trans-Atlantic Friendship 143 Desgrippes Gobé Group: Logical Worldwide Expansion 147 Johnson & Wolverton: Getting Started Overseas 151 Selbert Perkins Design: An Office on Both Coasts 156

Section 10: Quick-Start Start-UpHow to Get Out of the Blocks Quickly 160
WINK: Becoming Vested in Yourself 161 Archrival: How to Cause a Stir 166 no.parking: Fueled by Naïveté and Hope 171 Dotzero Design: When Is the Right Time to Start? 174

PA RT F I V E : R E T H I N K I N G

179

Section 11: Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Client

The External Big Hit 180
Lippa Pearce Design: How to Be Irreplaceable 181Colby & Partners: Deal with It and Move On 185 KMS Team: On Being Prepared 189 Kendra Power Design & Communication, Inc.: Learning from Loss 194

Section 12: Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Creative

The Internal Big Hit 197
EM2 Design: Making Staff Feel Completely at Home 199 The Richards Group: When to Hold on and When to Let Go 203 Waters Design: The Unthinkable and Its...