We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Michael Wiehart ("MW").
Michael Wiehart is a Swiss transplant living and working in New York City. He moved to New York to open up a branch for the Swiss production company Frame Eleven. He then rose to the ranks of major American companies such as Click 3X and Superfad, where he was the creative lead and served national and international clients and brands. Since 2006 Michael is working independently as a director and creative director creating content and design for live action and motion design projects.
Michael Wiehart Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Michael Wiehart.
Designer Interview of Michael Wiehart:
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?
MW : I studied and graduated from the HSLU, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Graphic Design and Visual Communication, where I learned the in and outs of Swiss Type and Graphic Design from such greats as Adrian Frutiger and Hans-Rudolf Lutz.After graduation, I joined the digital revolution that just then started to happen in video production, and became a designer and animator. I worked for various companies in Switzerland were I designed and animated commercials for major brands, such as UBS, BMW, Lufthansa, ABB, Coca-Cola and many more. I was the lead designer on show opens and major network re-designs such as SF DRS, RTL, DSF, SAT 1, PRO 7 and others.I came to the US as a partner of one of the leading Swiss production companies to open up a branch in New York. I since then moved on to work for some of the top production houses in New York. I help launch the New York office of Superfad, were I was executive creative director and leading over 30 creatives and animators, overseeing productions for clients such as, The New Museum in New York, IBM, Lenovo AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner, New York Times, Sony, American Express, Best Buy, MTV, Discovery and many more. I since then moved on to serve clients directly through my own production company Visual Comforts.I do bring a wholesome and collaborative approach to every job, where I am focusing on everything from developing the concept, exploring the design direction to execution and production.I love to get "my hands dirty' and sit on the box myself whenever possible because to me the creative process does not stop at the drawing board.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MW : Visual Comforts is an integrated creative and strategic resource bringing a wholesome and collaborative approach to every job.We are a brand-driven design and live action production company. Our mission is to collaborate with our clients to help them develop their own unique voice and tell their brand’s stories in the most clever and engaging way.Michael Wiehart works with clients, agencies and other production houses to provide the most effective solution to any given project. He believes that small flexible teams of highly specialized people are key to any successful production.
DI: What is "design" for you?
MW : To me, design is a visual language to communicate a story or convey a message.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
MW : Anything that gets me into unchartered waters and out of my comfort zone.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
MW : My favorite design is always the one I am currently working on. Some designs age better than others, but I try to put as much effort and "heart blood" into it each project as possible, so I can learn and grow with it.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
MW : As an intern, I did labor hard to determine the stroke weight under the Lindt & Sprüngli logo.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
MW : I use many different kinds of tools anything that feels right for the job and I try not to fall into the trap of just doing what I know.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
MW : Under pressure, that is when my neurons fire the most.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
MW : I got a classical design education, to me the who, what and why are still the most important questions a design has to answer.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
MW : I go through all kind of emotions, struggles, desperation, elation, and ecstasy but mostly I feel privileged to spend my time paying around and getting paid for it.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
MW : Separation anxiety.
DI: What makes a design successful?
MW : Peoples positive reactions make it successful, but if there is a blueprint on how to achieve it, please share it with me.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
MW : I appreciate design the most if it speaks to me on a gut level, but still challenges my intellect.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
MW : That is a question everyone has to answer her/ himself, I definitely have drawn some strong lines into the sand that I will not cross.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
MW : In my industry advertising and broadcast, everything is constantly in flux, delivery platforms are evolving, but what stays consistent is that clients will always need beautiful work that catches the viewers eyes.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
MW : Swiping through the internet, a concert a gallery visit or a run in the park hard to say, but it is always accidental.
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?
MW : My design style is eclectic to me, to others it is distinct. I always explore in many different directions but mostly stick with my first explore.
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?
MW : I am a Swiss expat living in New York for that past 20 years. My heritage is definitely still a part of me but so is the culture I am part of now.
DI: How do you work with companies?
MW : I do bring a wholesome and collaborative approach to every job, where I am focusing on everything from developing the concept, exploring the design direction to execution and production.I love to get "my hands dirty' and sit on the box myself whenever possible because to me the creative process does not stop at the drawing board.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
MW : Remember why you hired the designer in the process, have a good brief to start with, stay flexible throughout the project and trust the process.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
MW : To start I usually come up with very broad ideas, hitting way past the target, then starting to strip away and home in on the essentials. It is also important to me to have enough time at the back end to test and polish.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
MW : REX Sparschäler (REX peeler). It is a 70-year-old design, that uses very little resources to produce and still works better than its contemporary peers. Did I mention I love cooking?
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
MW : I get up early to run, eat a big breakfast, work and drink a lot of espressos. I then cook for my wife or hang out with my friends - repeat.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
MW : Experiment, explore a lot and don't be afraid of failing. I know that its cliche but applying a lot of elbow grease still gets you far.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
MW : Having the liberty and time to develop your own skills is great, but sometimes the clients take that self-centered approach as unfocused and treat designers like a commodity.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
MW : That there are no golden rules.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
MW : Being able to listen and read between the lines, Often what is said is not what is meant. Asking the right questions is the biggest skill to have.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
MW : Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, Arnold, cameras, lights and whatever else is needed to get a specific job done.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
MW : I block out time for every aspect of the design and production process. Then stick to it and as mentioned drink a lot of espressos.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
MW : My projects can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
MW : It used to be "can you make the logo bigger?" now it mostly how much time will it take to add "X" to the deliverables in the last minute.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
MW : Fucking up my first bigger job out of school badly by not asking enough questions.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
MW : They are mostly advertising agencies, but occasionally I work directly with brands.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
MW : anything that moves.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
MW : Exploring more VR application and as always expanding my client base.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
MW : Depending on the project it might be a one-man-show, but if needed I will bring in skilled talents to develop a project.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
MW : I hopefully will be able to share a music video soon, that I filmed and animated awhile ago.
DI: How can people contact you?
MW : Through my website visualcomforts.com