Typeradio Podcast

Hans Wolbers’ can’t think of a favourite magazine or newspaper but one he misses is, Manipulator, isn’t in print anymore. He talks about his studio Lava Design, already 17 years running, and what defines it. Hans is a true generalist, another job for every day. Specialising bores him. Hans tells the story of how he could have been importing cars from India. He lives in the present too much to be a collector. His role in the studio allows him to travel a lot, for instance to Iran where he worked with designer Reza Abedini. He has no idea what Lava Design will be in 17 years from now. Nor how he would be like to be remembered.

Hans Wolbers of Lava design in Amsterdam does consider himself religious, he burns a candle every time he comes across a church. Ice skating, cycling and Belgian beer are a few of his pastimes and he admits he hates being alone. Through his school newspaper he got involved in graphic design, and editorial design still is his preference: “Where content comes closest to your profession.” Hans talks about the differences in newspaper and magazine design, the issues involved with a redesign and the current size reduction of newspapers. Reader Hans sees himself as a visual journalist more than an art director. We talked with Hans at the Default#1 conference in Vienna, January 2007.

Paulus tries to combine teaching and working very closely. He tells us about the projects he is doing with the students in London and Vienna. In his daily life the boundaries between teaching and working are blurring more and more. At the end Paulus is telling us how he would like to be remembered, and also in which design.

What is the difference between british and austrian design? To have another opinion about your environment you have to go somewhere else. For Paulus language is the most fundamental tool of communication. Language is everything.

Paulus talks about the tea & religion and how he ended up being a graphic designer. Next to design, Paulus also studied law and sociology. For him law is the invisible framework (architecture) of our society.

Tina Frank is talking about how it is to work for Meta design, what music she is listening to, and whether her daughter is knowing what she is doing. Finally at the end of this episode Tina will tell us how she would like to be remembered.

Tina Frank considers herself as a Image-maker, not connected to any specific medium. She started doing graphics with 8. Meanwhile she is running a classical design studio and working as a multimedia artist at the same time. In this first episode Tina is telling us about the chances, problems, restrictions and possibilities combining these two activities.

Katrin is a professional when it comes to design and branding. She is talking about the possibilities and changes to work for big companies, and when to say no to a client. Later on she tells us about the biggest challenges you can have when you work in the field of branding.

Mistakes are the most imortant thing in life and have a magic level. Clemens tells us why and how. At the end he is also giving us a glimpse into the most curious job ever, and if he did it or not.

What is the difference between fonts and sports car? Clemens Schedler tells us how he got involved in graphic design, and why he would like to be a joker. A vain, lazy & greedy joker.

“In my work I simply try to bake good bread, to create resonating spaces to look, see, read and feel. For me, the power lies in the dignity of the plain, the movement of the simple and in solving the obvious.” The failed interview at Default #1 Vienna, and what Peter Bilak has to to with it.

Column by Lidewijde Paris, focusing on the social aspects of typography. This columns reveals the mysterious hand movements of a fellow traveler. Why are his hands moving so seductively?

John explains how he got involved with U&lc. What he hates about typography and what not to do. What he finds important when designing a magazine. His views on Massimo Vignelli and David Carson. Why not to use Helvetica numerals. What he considers most powerful the written or spoken word.

John talks about collecting and accumulating, and how he organises his collections. If you are a collector of obscure literary magazines of the pacific north west from the late seventies and early eighties this could be your chance to increase your collection. John talks about being the editor of U&LC, and how content and design worked together perfectly.

John always starts with questions, everything he does in his life he has come to sideways, he is interested in both words and visuals and does not make a distinction between the two. What good is it to be a designer if you don’t read?