Interview with Michael Parson

Michael Parson ("MP") interviewed on Monday, 19 March.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

MP : I have been working as an independent designer since I left school, so 2002. Starting so young meant that attracting clients was difficult at the beginning but I have since had the pleasure of working for client like MTV Switzerland, Domino's Pizza in Switzerland, Germany and the UK, Piaget or currently for the local Ice Hockey club of Geneva.

How did you become a designer?

MP : I had always been attracted to drawing yet my younger years were spent trying to become the next motorsport star! Luckily for me, a mechanic noticed some of my drawings and explained that what I was doing was actually making logos and that this was a profession. So when the motorsport dream dried up, I already had my eyes on my next step!

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

MP : When I set up my design studio, my focus was on the traditional aspect of design, so logos and branding, typography and illustration. Following inspiration from the great Neville Brody, I chose to call my studio Parson Research since for me, this is the most important part of design, the process. Results are so often compromised by external factors but pure graphic research feels so true to the original desire I had and still hold dear.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

MP : Design is emotion, whether it be the highs of completing a challenging task or finding an original solution to a problem to the lows of a failed design or rejected job, it is sometimes hard to isolate the business from the emotions, which is vital. Design has come to be my main source of emotion, it is were I pour in hours trying to find the right ideas, so it really speaks to me. My greatest pleasure is still seeing my work in use, as that is when a design project feels the most authentic, doing the job it was designed to do! I think my main source of pleasure is a personal quest, it is an introspection within ones self to push your boundaries, to explore new ideas, to challenge what we think is correct, so the final emotion is one of satisfaction at having completed that journey, but it only last a while before the next challenge comes along!

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

MP : It is hard to define an aspect that has shaped my career, but I would have to say it is life experiences. Having the luck of growing up in a loving and respectful family, being in a small city that was still exposed to various cultures and styles. I think design is like any aspect of life, we all have a base set of skills but what strikes me as important are the everyday skills that people should have to function in our social world, being able to network, being comfortable in various situations, pushing ones self to achieve your goals and looking more at ones self than other when things go wrong, we all still have so much to improve about ourselves.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

MP : My growth plan is still growing; making it hard to define! I think I have always craved a certain amount of respect among my peers for my work, so this gives me a good drive to keep pushing myself in my work. But my future still holds many questions, I plan to focus more on Type design and try earn more revenue from this. I currently teach design at a local school and have so far, really enjoyed the experience so that is also something that I may wish to pursue in the future. I think in todays unstable world, one must have goals but also remain flexible to adapt to a changing market and audience of our work, so time will tell!

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

MP : I think my main advice, or one that often comes to mind when thinking of my students, is to remain humble. I am sometimes very surprised by the confidence, that sometimes edges on arrogance of some of my students. They expect to be treated as demi gods of design while they are still learning the craft. I think our profession requires a certain amount of self confidence but it must never blind your vision to the amazing work that has already been created or is being created, to learn, you must also accept that there are things you do not know..

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

MP : Success is such a hard thing to define, I often resort to quotes and I like Winston Churchill's take on this: Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. I think it sums it up well!

What is your day to day look like?

MP : My average day will start around 9 and work through until about 6 in the afternoon. I like to start my day by catching up on some news, to be sure I am informed, and then set about attacking various tasks I have planned out. I do try as much as possible to have open days were I can just work straight though as I sometimes find it hard to go to a client meeting and then switch back into the creative mode, but it depends on the tasks. I try always make some time to do a little physical activity as I find it helps me relax and decompress and my evening are either spent catching up on design news or then working at my personal projects I could not get done during the day!

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

MP : I do try to keep informed on design trends, both for myself but also for my students. One recent example is the expansion of the 'Anti-design' movement that has captured the imagination of some of my students but for which, I am not really a fan. So keeping up on news just allows me to be aware of what is happening in the design scene. I do not think it really affects my own work as I often have a precise view of the direction I wish to take but undoubtedly, being exposed to more various work must also affect my own output.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

MP : This has been a major question for me recently! I will focus on what I know, graphic design. I think, especially with regards to my students, that I must try define some criteria that are objective and that they can understand, even with a small design background. So I have currently been working on trying to define some sets of criteria, but obviously, design is also an emotional and subjective question so it may not answer all points. I guess for the moment I try to break down a design, why was it made, under what conditions, does the medium impose any constraints? And then design wise, is the work balanced, what dynamic does it use, what is the type choice, what is the colour palette. are there any technical faults, etc. I have found that through this approach, I can appreciate a design even if it is not really my cup of tea or favoured style.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

MP : I have 2 situations for this question. When working with a client, the answer is quite easy, when the deadline strikes! For my own projects, it can be a more laborious process, sometimes, my new typeface ideas will set on my hard drive for months and years since something does not feel complete, it is hard to define. Often, it is down to the difference between my original intention and the result, sometimes this difference is good but sometimes you finish a design and something does not feel right, here time is a great luxury as often with a type back, you can then see your work more clearly and find mistakes or changes that you did not see before.

What is your biggest design work?

MP : I have different projects that qualify but I think I would mention the Sale typeface that won the A design award. Before even starting the project, I knew I was embarking on a very complex and detailed job and I was not even sure if the whole project would work! So just being able to invest the time, to explore the solutions and finally hit on a workable and functional design was a great reward. And despite the typeface not being a commercial success, it has won me a few awards and recognition that is sometimes nicer than a check in the mail!

Who is your favourite designer?

MP : There are so many! As a younger designer, I was completely fascinated by the deconstructionist mouvement taking hold in the 1990, so designers like Neville Brody, David Carson, Emigre magazine, T26, what these people did seemed so original and fresh to me, especially being in Switzerland surrounded by modernist or Swiss Style design, it was a real breath of fresh air! As I have grown older, and with my focus on type design, I would say that I have come to admire a host to typeface designers, from Matthew Carter, Erik Spiekermann, Tobias Frere-Jones or Jean François Porchez, I think they create incredibly functional design that always have a little something that makes them unique! Maybe this is something I have left over from sport but I am quite a groupie when it comes to design heroes!

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

MP : I am not a big traveller, maybe that is something I need to do more of but I think culture is complex. In Switzerland, there is a strong divide between what is considered cultural and what is consider low class, or cheap, I think this is a pity. Yes, there are some real 'arts' that define culture but I take a page from Andy Warhol in the way that culture is all around us, it is difficult to define a good or bad culture. So I like to be curious about as many things as possible, from a classical novel to reality TV, all of this is culture and can bring us different messages and methods, so I try stay open to all types of things that are around me. I think design has helped me keep curious. As a designer, I cannot dismiss a new meme or trend simply because I do not like it. Whether these things appeal to me or not, they are touching millions of people and that is something I find fascinating!

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

MP : I think I have 2 faces, on the one hand, as a teacher, I try stay approachable and easy going but as my own boss, I think I can be a real dictator! I think my main drive has been finding people who are passionate about their work, and not just for a summer. People who are prepare to invest their energy and time, long term, into becoming a better person and designer, so a highly self critical approach, and this is hard to find!

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

MP : I think that as designers, we are sometimes put in an unfair position that everyone expects us to give our work or time but I have never had the same offer from a dentist, doctor or lawyer.. So yes, I think design can and should help our community but we must also make sure that there is a value to that aid. Giving back does seem important to me, firstly, through my teaching, I am trying to bring design to students and offer them some of the advice and feedback I wished I could have received. I have also worked with a few associations and causes to try help them communicate better, as yes, this is a skill we can add. But recently, I have preferred donating some money to charities that I believe in and that are doing work I am not prepared to do, like the Red Cross in Syria or Doctors without borders in disaster regions, these people are really making the difference.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

MP : I think that design awards are always nice for the ego, I is great to think that someone else understand and values your design, this means a lot for me. It was also great to be able to share this event with my family who I feel sometimes got a bit confused as to what I was actually doing with my time! So for me, it was great to be able to share my success with those that are close to me. I think design competitions are a great way to challenge your personal vision against a larger audience. Just like keeping up with design trends, design awards allows you to see a whole range of professionals excelling in their crafts, and that is both inspiring and motivating!

Michael Parson Profile