Quiet winter time! Ahh, time to enjoy how laid-back Tokyo can be in this coming New Year’s week. As every year, people flock home, cheerfully go for snowboarding in Hokkaido or recover at a nice onsen in the countryside - and leave this sprawl deserted, at least for a couple of days. (Peaceful time, though everything is shut down!) Here, at the PingMag headquarters, we are still fondly reminiscing last year’s famous Enochichi illustration special. This year, our Holiday Special is reserved for three projects/folks/collectives from all sorts of genres we always wanted to show you - but somehow couldn’t make it during the year.
The first would be San Francisco-based Stan Zienka, design director of branding and design agency Attik. And no, we are not showing their commercial works now - especially for PingMag, Stan let his mind run wild and made some fine experimental graphics:
Written by Verena
Now, tell us a bit about your work process, please.
It all depends on the project. For instance, if it is an identity job, the amount of research and strategy development is quite extensive. In contrast, if it is a more “artistic” type of project, such as a music package, it’s more individual, intuitive and abstract. You try and create a piece of communication that relays the mood of the music to the eye. Of course, what someone “sees” while listening to music is completely subjective, so you might get it wrong… but that’s half the fun now, isn’t it?
What would be your inspiration…? Please name something that you found remarkable, either recently or in general…
Everyone should have a different response to this, don’t you think? I think it’s actually more important to find out “when” and “where” you find yourself most inspired - because if you force yourself to go there more often you might increase your personal inspiration. I find inspiration late at night commuting on empty trains and buses while listening to my headphones. But if I had to list a few “inspirational” things it would be these (in no particular order): vacant streets at night, Autechre’s “Amber” and the words of Hunter S. Thompson.
What would be the motto for your job every day?
Oh, please don’t let me draw a blank today… and please, let there be coffee.
What’s your vision as Design Director for 2008: How would or could advertisement develop or change?
I would like to see more mixing of creative solutions - and I think its starting to happen now. We are seeing a massive convergence of so many different types of creative people that it should yield some interesting results. The way that the mediums are blurring together and disciplines are joining forces, it would be a waste if innovative solutions and ideas didn’t come from it. Of course the client has to be prepared to take a leap of faith too. Thankfully I have been able to work with a few clients like that; not all, but some.
Tell us about your exciting projects for 2008, please!
For 2008, we will be doing more Scion and NoiseFive will be coming out (thank God!!).
We’re eagerly awaiting NoiseFive then! Thank you, Stan of Attik! Merry Christmas (afterwards) and a blissful New Year!
6 Comments
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As of December 31, 2008, PingMag and sister site PingMag MAKE are both on extended hiatus, and will not be updated for the foreseeable future. We are eternally grateful for your fantastic support over the years.
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Happy 2008 PingMag!
Posted by: Cyberpukish on January 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
inspiring! and happy 08~
Posted by: may on January 1st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
[...] Stan Zienka of Attik The first would be San Francisco-based Stan Zienka, design director of branding and design agency Attik. And no, we are not showing their commercial works now - especially for PingMag, Stan let his mind run wild and made some fine experimental graphics [...]
Posted by: Nerdcore » Links vom 1. 1. 2008: 20%-Sales Drop, Tim Burtons Hänsel und Gretel, 2020 und das Rätsel des Universums on January 1st, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Thank you for this great piece, Verena.
Cheers! — Roger D.
Posted by: Roger Darnell on January 4th, 2008 at 2:44 am
[...] January 7, 2008 in friends My former roommate, good friend and general partner in crime Stan Zienka is a Design Director at Attik here in the City. During the holidays, he got interviewed by Japan’s PingMag. [...]
Posted by: stan in ping mag « Second Verse on January 8th, 2008 at 8:08 am
If we have enough time and chance,we should do more holiday,ourselves and our family.
Enjoy the world and our time.
Replica Designer Handbags
Posted by: simy on June 11th, 2009 at 6:47 pm