ADC

ADC Q&A
Posted on 2008-Mar-7 at 12:22
For this month's Q&A we catch up with the Brooklyn-based graphic, interactive, and architecture multi-disciplinary design studio, WSDIA - WeShouldDoItAll. WSDIA is Jonathan Jackson, Jared Seavers, and Sarah Nelson. Their studio's name is simply a goal, they say. They think designers and all other professionals alike should not feel constrained to singular expertise. They design, develop and mediate interactive, print, motion and architecture projects for a diverse group of clients in a wide array of professions, such as the arts, architecture, advertising, fashion and media. The three twenty-somethings are ADC Young Guns and are currently designing the ADC Young Guns 6 identity. When they are not busy playing wiffleball, basketball, or watching The Wire, these three are using their multi-disciplinary skills and approaching design with an open-eyed perspective. Interviewed by Regan Murphy, regan@adcglobal.org.

WSDIA is Jared Seavers, Sarah Nelson and Jonathan Jackson.

ADC: Tell us how did your background shape where you are now?
Sarah: I studied Graphic Design and Art History at Boston University then came to New York three years ago, met Jonathan online on MySpace. I liked his work, he liked mine, so we started working together and it took off from there.

Jared: I went to Kent State and so did Jonathan. I started studying fashion, then switched to English. I moved to New York three years ago and started working at a denim company called Earnest Sewn, and I still work for them as well as for WSDIA.

Jonathan: My degree is in architecture. I worked for two architecture firms (Archi-Tectonics & ROY) when I first arrived in New York. But I couldn't work for other people, so I had the idea of starting my own office and since Jared and I worked so well together in the past, we decided to try it once again. Then I met Sarah a year later.


ADC: Why go out on your own rather than start at an agency and work your way up?
Sarah: I intended to start out at a big advertising agency and I am glad I didn't do that. Working at a small studio means seeing every project through all steps. There's something so valuable in being hands-on with each client on a much more personal level. I don't think this would be the case at a larger company.

Jonathan: I had always thought I should've worked for a graphic design studio, but I decided to just learn on the fly. Plus I am a little hard-headed when it comes to authority so it has worked out for the better.

ADC: How do you approach your projects?
Jonathan: If an architecture project came in tomorrow I think Jared and Sarah would have just as much of a say of what goes into it because they experience architecture in a totally different way than I would, and that input is needed and valued. While one of us might lead, we definitely all have an opinion in the project. Each project does have a leader but the other two are deeply involved.


ADC: WSDIA designed a fantastic poster for a lecture series for Kent State University. Describe the process and its challenges.
Jonathan: The whole idea of photographing real life objects started with a temporary holding page for the easterndevelopments.com website which was functioning until we finished the real website (just two artists to be displayed). With that stemmed the ADC Young Guns Live poster, in which we used real miniature objects again.
With the Kent State poster we wanted to push the idea of using 'real life' objects in our work a bit further by using 'real' scale objects. The objects we've selected represent the milieu of public lecture archetypes or quite possibly archaic-types, combining the past with the present. The bulk of typography is created in a non-digital way by using bespoke 3-dimensional letters that were mounted to a huge piece of plexi-glass, which hovers over the background objects. The 3D type was produced by Via Letter, in the UK. It was a long two day shoot and the project couldn't have been completed without the help of long time collaborators, photographers Mastromatteo+Steen. I think there is a joy in using real life objects. (See photos and more info on Kent State University project here).

ADC: What are your favorite aspects about your job?
Jared: I think that it is nice to be able to pick and choose projects and have control over the creative leadership, rather than working for someone else.

Jonathan: The best part is being able to call the shots and to have the say in what the final product will be.

ADC: What are your least favorite aspects of your job?
Jared: My cliché answer would be dealing with tough clients.

Jonathan: My least favorite aspect is definitely handling the money side of the business. Making sure we get paid on time.

Sarah: That's tough. Personally the hardest aspect is balance. Making sure that we create the best possible work, while still making time for a normal life sleep, food, getting outside!

ADC: What did the ADC Young Guns competition mean to you?
Sarah: It was an awesome experience to be part of a group of emerging talents. To have earned that recognition when we are so young and such a small company is an honor.

Jonathan: To add to that, the ADC Young Guns award gave us a sense of arrival. We started this studio in 2004, out of the blue and with no help, and to be positively judged by our peers and others is very nice.

ADC: The ADC Young Guns 6 Call for Entries is approaching - what advice can you give to future competitors?
Jonathan: Hhhmmm....That is a tough question to answer, but I'd say submit only your best work, and have a very critical eye when judging your own work.

Jared: And it never hurts to have your friends or people you trust take a look.

ADC: The website that WSDIA did is for Diesel's Denim Gallery seems to be a great pairing with the SoHo concept store, which is positioned between a retail space and an art gallery. What was your inspiration?
Jonathan: Our inspiration for the site was the front entrance porcelain tile wall at the store on Greene Street. When we saw it, we quickly thought to break this wall up into a huge black 'never-ending' field of space and tile. The design expresses both the higher end products that only the Denim Gallery provides but also acts as a clean, luxurious showcase shell for displaying the artwork of shows and events that take place there.

ADC: What are your plans for WSDIA - and do you have an intern or two working for you?
Jonathan: We hope to keep it in the family; there are no intentions to have it grow into a very large company.

Sarah: Working collaboratively with other small (usually friends') companies is something we hope to continue doing. And yes, an intern would be helpful, but for now this is Jonathan's role. Haha.

ADC: What is next for you?
Jonathan: Our next few projects include an exhibition design at the AIA Center for Architecture, called 'New Practices New York 2008.' It's an exhibition similar to Young Guns, highlighting 4-6 young architectural design studios. Other upcoming projects include two books for the Institute for Urban Design, a website for a musician and more work for the ADC Young Guns. We are in the running for a couple of projects as well, re-branding and a new website for a photography agency, and a couple of environmental graphic projects for a new Brooklyn park and a new building designed by a prominent architecture studio.

Sarah: We recently completed a new logo and site design for friends of ours, a photography studio called Kate and Camilla. The project was about creating a super sterile atmosphere and treating the imagery like little gems. The entire process was really smooth. Two versions were created, one version has the simple straightforward navigation and the other is a bit more playful in its approach.

ADC: And are these friends you met on MySpace?
(Laughter) Jonathan: Nope.

ADC: Who has most influenced your career and how?
Jonathan: A big influence is any other studio trying to perform multiple types of design and doing each very well.

Sarah: Small companies that stay true to creating stellar work, and remain humble in the process.

Jared: I'd say Jonathan...he's the reason I'm in NY to begin with...

And finally, your favorites...
Places you've been
Jared: Japan, Phonecia (NY), Massillon (OH)
Jonathan: Germany, Italy, The Seattle Public Library (best contemporary building I have ever been in)
Sarah: Drews Lake (Maine), Tulum (Mexico), Venice (Italy)

Places you want to go
Jared: Europe, South America, Nigeria
Jonathan: back to Italy, The Netherlands, Los Angeles (never been)
Sarah: Iceland, Japan, and Copenhagen

Websites
Jared: The Style Press, The Sartorialist, weather.com
Jonathan: flickr.com, dezeen.com, archinect.com
Sarah: hopingforhappyaccidents.blogspot.com, epicurious.com, ffffound.com

TV Shows
Jared: Martin, Chappelle Show, The Wire
Jonathan: The Wire, The Wire, The Wire
Sarah: Weeds, The Wire, 30 Rock

Books
Jared: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, White Teeth, Nine Stories
Jonathan: To Kill a Mocking Bird - I mostly read mags
Sarah: The Hottest State, No one belongs here more than you, The Giving Tree

Concerts you have attended
Jared: Femi Kuti, The Roots, Slum Village
Jonathan: Feist, Common, Mos Def
Sarah: Battles, Erykah Badu, Sia