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Conversation with Steven Heller
BY
TAXI
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TAXI Thanks very much for accepting our interview, Steven. What have you been busy with since the start of 2007?
Steven Heller I’m researching the final portion of my book IRON FISTS: BRANDING THE TOTALITARIAN STATE (Phaidon Press) down at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami. Also working on MFA Designer as Author related projects at the School of Visual Arts.
TAXI I find Stylepedia such an engaging read that I would imagine that it's really hard even for non-designers not to like it. How do you come up with ideas or concepts of books that can appeal to such a wide spectrum of audience outside of design?
Steven Heller Just luck I guess. I write things that interest me, and then I hope others will be interested. You can always tell when people are interested in your stories – they don’t snore openly. I know my writing isn’t for everyone, nor are my interests, but there are a few souls for whom it works.
TAXI What do you think is the main reason for designers who become stagnant?
Steven Heller Stagnant? Not sure what you mean. Some get into ruts. We all do. Some have a limited number of interests, and if your trying to be current that could be a problem. But I think stagnation is relative. There are times I feel as though I’m plowing the same dirt, and other times I feel things growing under my feet. It’s a cycle, I guess.
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TAXI Do you think there's any relationship between success and a growing fear of losing the commercial viability that comes along?
Steven Heller Like I said, some people live to be current. Some people are current simply because they're alive. I think if you worry too much about success or commercial viability you’ll always be second guessing the mythical “them” out there.
TAXI As a well-respected, and I imagine, well-liked teacher, you must have had refined the art of thin-slicing to its highest. Have there been instances when you didn't like something at the beginning but changed your mind later? What happens then?
Steven Heller Can’t say I’m well liked or not. But I certainly have changed my mind about a number of things. Like acquiring a taste for spicy food, it sometimes takes a while to see the true value in art, design, and people. I’ve written critically about things, like experimental typography of the 90s only to find value in some of it years later. I hope I don’t stick too dogmatically to anything I profess today. I don’t want to be a wuss, but I also feel I can be wrong too.
TAXI Just curious: You mentioned that "learning must occur in an inspired environment". Could you please share with us how you go about coaching inspiration to your students?
Steven Heller You can’t coach inspiration. You can only give students – or anyone else – opportunities to be inspired. So I introduce students to as much stimulants as possible, lecturers, show-and-tellers, exhibits, etc., etc. I’m down here in Miami researching at the Wolfsonian, and everyday I’m more inspired than the next. Environment is everything.
Steven Heller Like I said, some people live to be current. Some people are current simply because they're alive. I think if you worry too much about success or commercial viability you’ll always be second guessing the mythical “them” out there.
TAXI As a well-respected, and I imagine, well-liked teacher, you must have had refined the art of thin-slicing to its highest. Have there been instances when you didn't like something at the beginning but changed your mind later? What happens then?
Steven Heller Can’t say I’m well liked or not. But I certainly have changed my mind about a number of things. Like acquiring a taste for spicy food, it sometimes takes a while to see the true value in art, design, and people. I’ve written critically about things, like experimental typography of the 90s only to find value in some of it years later. I hope I don’t stick too dogmatically to anything I profess today. I don’t want to be a wuss, but I also feel I can be wrong too.
TAXI Just curious: You mentioned that "learning must occur in an inspired environment". Could you please share with us how you go about coaching inspiration to your students?
Steven Heller You can’t coach inspiration. You can only give students – or anyone else – opportunities to be inspired. So I introduce students to as much stimulants as possible, lecturers, show-and-tellers, exhibits, etc., etc. I’m down here in Miami researching at the Wolfsonian, and everyday I’m more inspired than the next. Environment is everything.
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TAXI As someone who has quite a big influence on graphic design, could you share with us how your role has evolved from, say a decade ago?
Steven Heller Don’t know how big an influence I am. I just do what I do, and hope its not too ingrown or self-serving. My role over ten years has changed because ten years ago Lita Talarico and I started the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author program and so we work hand and glove with students.
Before that I’d lecture in a history of Illustration class for SVA’s MFA Illustration as Visual Essay dept, but that was all the student interaction I’d have.
TAXI You have so many good books out recently that it's hard to keep up with your rate of publishing. What would you say are your main sources of inspiration?
Steven Heller As I said, I’m here at the Wolfsonian. But my other inspirations are the people I work with. Lita Talarico, Mirko Ilic, Seymour Chwast, etc.
TAXI Iron Fists: Branding the Totalitarian State" is about graphic design as a propaganda tool. You also interviewed Mr Milton Glaser in Design of Dissent. What sort of environments do you think graphic dissent flourishes best in?
Steven Heller Dissent requires tension. Tension demands opposition. We live in an America where our foreign policy is killing the spirit of the nation. This is a good environment for dissent.
Steven Heller Don’t know how big an influence I am. I just do what I do, and hope its not too ingrown or self-serving. My role over ten years has changed because ten years ago Lita Talarico and I started the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author program and so we work hand and glove with students.
Before that I’d lecture in a history of Illustration class for SVA’s MFA Illustration as Visual Essay dept, but that was all the student interaction I’d have.
TAXI You have so many good books out recently that it's hard to keep up with your rate of publishing. What would you say are your main sources of inspiration?
Steven Heller As I said, I’m here at the Wolfsonian. But my other inspirations are the people I work with. Lita Talarico, Mirko Ilic, Seymour Chwast, etc.
TAXI Iron Fists: Branding the Totalitarian State" is about graphic design as a propaganda tool. You also interviewed Mr Milton Glaser in Design of Dissent. What sort of environments do you think graphic dissent flourishes best in?
Steven Heller Dissent requires tension. Tension demands opposition. We live in an America where our foreign policy is killing the spirit of the nation. This is a good environment for dissent.
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TAXI How important is it for graphic designers to continue exercising their right to intervene within social democracies?
Steven Heller Designers should do something to intervene with their cultures lest they become irrelevant. Since we live in a democracy, designers should take professional and personal roles.
TAXI What do you think is the greatest obstacle for any expression of dissent, whether in graphic design or in other areas?
Steven Heller In a word: Censorship. In two words: Government Interference. In three words: Fear of clients.
TAXI As an active proponent of the graphic design's civic conscience, what do you think should be the key motivation behind any expression of dissent?
Steven Heller Passion, anger, reason.
TAXI Could you do TAXI Design Network a favour by gazing for a moment into your crystal ball, and telling us what's going to be resurgent in graphic design for the next couple of years?
Steven Heller I’d like to oblige. But I’m not that well endowed. The future is not something I can predict. Although at times I’d like to know whether my son will be happy in the future.
TAXI Which WORD do you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Steven Heller I have no idea.
Steven Heller Designers should do something to intervene with their cultures lest they become irrelevant. Since we live in a democracy, designers should take professional and personal roles.
TAXI What do you think is the greatest obstacle for any expression of dissent, whether in graphic design or in other areas?
Steven Heller In a word: Censorship. In two words: Government Interference. In three words: Fear of clients.
TAXI As an active proponent of the graphic design's civic conscience, what do you think should be the key motivation behind any expression of dissent?
Steven Heller Passion, anger, reason.
TAXI Could you do TAXI Design Network a favour by gazing for a moment into your crystal ball, and telling us what's going to be resurgent in graphic design for the next couple of years?
Steven Heller I’d like to oblige. But I’m not that well endowed. The future is not something I can predict. Although at times I’d like to know whether my son will be happy in the future.
TAXI Which WORD do you think would reside and reverberate in the design world for the next 10 years?
Steven Heller I have no idea.