We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Daniel Kutcher ("DK").
Daniel Kutcher is an artist and designer who specialises in telling both fictional and true stories through the medium of film. His upbringing in various european countries as well as other journeys that have led him through different parts of the world have a direct influence in his work. He has completed two documentaries and is currently developing a third. He has also just completed a first prototype of a true life adventure novel recounting a journey he made across Australia, Asia, Canada and Scandinavia when he was 24.
Daniel Kutcher Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Daniel Kutcher.
Designer Interview of Daniel Kutcher:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
DK : I was first introduced to art and and design at school like most other children. But it wasn't until the last two years of school that I really started to make the projects I worked on my own, by modifying the presentation, subject and content and deviating from what the academic guidelines suggested.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
DK : I represent myself in the design world.
DI: What is "design" for you?
DK : Design for me, is transmitting a concept.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
DK : I enjoy designing pieces that are fictitious in nature. Pieces that are not related to the world we live in inspire me the most, for example, logos of companies that don't exist, and normally if they contain some level of irony, all the better.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
DK : I enjoy greatly architecture design. I find the mix of creativity and science used to realise buildings very intriguing.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
DK : My first job as a designer was at a television production company and my role was to design A3 leaflets that they used to pitch ideas with to the major TV stations around the country.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
DK : My favourite medium to express myself with is film (digital nowadays).
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
DK : When I'm in motion on public transport listening to music.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
DK : Simplification and coherence.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
DK : I feel free. There is no pressure to do anything a certain way and anything is possible. It is the start of a journey where you know that the end will only come when you feel satisfied with what you see in front of you.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
DK : I feel like I have reached the goal and I again have the freedom to start a brand new canvas and see in which direction the new piece goes.
DI: What makes a design successful?
DK : If it in some way has a dialogue with the viewer or audience.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
DK : How much thought has been put into it and whether the design serves its purpose.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
DK : I don't believe designers should impose their ideas on society, rather contribute and see if a dialogue can be established. Towards the environment, they should try to compensate for any possible damage inflicted on it.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
DK : One detail I have noticed over recent years is a "blanding" of design concepts, especially ones related to brands. Over recent years, the "minimalist" idea has taken over in many areas of design and has seen companies have their emblematic logo replaced by their name written in a plain simple font. I think this trend will continue over the coming years until designers and companies realise that having a unique logo that generates warmth is what really sticks and then, great designs like the IBM logo will begin to appear once again.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
DK : I have never held an exhibition before.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
DK : A large part of my inspiration comes from art. I enjoy viewing works from many periods including contemporary. Another large part of my inspiration comes from art in the physical world, nature, architecture, people, clothes, streets, etc.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
DK : I work on designs which at first I have no idea how to realise as I enjoy the journey as much as the result of the pieces.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
DK : I've been moving around my whole life. The longest time I was in one place was 7 years and that ended around 10 years ago. So from having moved around a lot, I've been lucky to have had inspiration from many different countries and cities as time goes by.
DI: How do you work with companies?
DK : I normally form part of a team and have been switching between being on the creative side and on the director's side.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
DK : I believe their presentation is key. It takes one look at a person's online portfolio to tell if they are good in their field, organised and have potential. Also, their ability to be humble, someone who is not the best but is willing to learn is always more of an asset than someone who is better but won't accept advice.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
DK : I see my process of design similar to the process of rendering a 3D object on the computer. I first have a very blurred idea of what I want and slowly I revise and revise the different parts of the design/concept and keep on ironing out the issues until I have a design that I can clearly see as satisfactory.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
DK : I really like the design of a few Patagonia jackets I own (their mission statement towards the environment influences my decision) as well as the design of a BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera that I use to shoot documentaries with.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
DK : I get up at around 7:30 and head off to work to start at 9:00. I work until 14:00 and have a two hour lunch break. I start designing again at 16:00 and finish at 19:00. Then I head home, have dinner and then work on personal projects until around 24:00 or 1:00.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
DK : Always follow your instinct (it's worked for me at least).
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
DK : A very positive aspect of being a designer is that there is very little chance of ever having to go through a boring day at work. A negative could be that every year there is more competition, so it getting increasingly more difficult to make your mark in the industry.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
DK : Always explore areas in design that you would never think of investigating, it creates an element of challenge not found if you stick to your area.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
DK : To be able to properly convey the ideas in their head to an audience.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
DK : I use the main Adobe CC programs including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for creating my works. For inspiration, I use online art galleries and the Behance network of curated galleries to see what is trending in the design world.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
DK : I know I have free time after work during the week, so I use that time to work on projects. But I also say to myself that I won't work on the weekends, so that I have time to enjoy my life around me.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
DK : I'll quote the famous words: "how long is a piece of string". Some designs take me a morning to get right, this project has taken me around 4 years.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
DK : Do I survive by working as a designer alone or do I have another job?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
DK : It was working at a box factory while I was in Australia. Between the job, the people and the timetable, it taught me a lot about life and different ways of living it.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
DK : Mainly spanish production and electronic companies.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
DK : I really enjoy packaging design as well as catalogue design. I enjoy these the most because they challenge me the most, working various sides of an object as well as a narrative throughout a catalogue I cant find in other design platforms such as posters or newsletters.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
DK : I will be moving to London in June to work on documentaries.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
DK : It depends on the project. This project has been a personal one that I have done alone. I enjoy working on other projects as part of a team, for example on documentaries.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
DK : Not at the moment.
DI: How can people contact you?
DK : They can contact me through email at danielkutcher@gmail.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
DK : Not this time.