A recap of the AGI Open

We recently had the privilege of attending the AGI Open in Auckland. It’s an international design conference that facilitates the sharing of ideas. The speakers spoke about their work, their sources of inspiration, the challenges they face, and philosophies that guide them. It’s designers talking about design. Their work ranged across print, packaging, brand, typography, and digital. These were some of the standout insights we took away from it all.

Taku Satoh

He spoke about the concept of Hodo Hodo or ‘Just enough’. The idea being that a designers job is to open up the door, then step aside, leaving space for our audience to contribute meaning to the work. It’s about creating design that is reflective rather than assertive. This knowing when to stop, to leave room for the idea to resonate is at the heart of his work.

Astrid Stavro

She said that curiosity and questions are the engine of our imagination, and how embracing the unknown leads to growth. She supported her ideas quoting David Bowie - ‘Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in.’ And Ralph Waldo Emerson - ‘Always do what your are afraid to do.’ 

Irene Pereyra

Irene wrote the rulebook on web design but spoke about why she likes to break the rules. She talked about the belief that good user experiences are familiar experiences. But humans aren’t just afraid of new things, they also love novelty. The trick then is to sell the new idea, by making it appear familiar, or conversely to make sell something familiar, make it surprising. use. 

Paul Garbett

He spoke about being present and notice the world around us. He’s driven by curiosity and optimism. Curiosity keeps him interested, to learn and to grow. And optimism keeps him looking for a better way to do things. 

Paula Scher

She spoke abut her typographic poster series for the New York Public theatre. It mirrored another talk we’ve seen her give, in which she spoke about the value of working beyond your existing skill set. And that like the Public Theatre brand, she is constantly reinventing how she expresses her creative spirit. The naivety this brings enables her to see with fresh eyes.

Stefan Sagmeister

He talked about ‘Now is better’. It developed as a response to the medias persistent narrative of doom and gloom. He saw this as a direct contrast with the facts. For example, 200 years ago, only 60% of children survived to adulthood. And 100 years ago, only 15% of the population could read and write. The book blurs the lines between art and design. 

Kris Sowersby

He talked nerdy about all the work that goes into being a font factory. His latest project explores how Māori used letterforms 100 years ago. He studied all the idiosyncrasies that make their typography unique; the diamond crossbars, the asymmetrical thickness in rounded forms, the haphazard application of triangular serifs.

Kenya Hara

He talked about his process, how he values emptiness, which is distinct from western notions of simplicity. He sees emptiness as a space for everyone to bring their own meaning. He described the value in being present and noticing the beauty of the world before you. He believes that as designers our role is not create answers, but create questions. 

Ariane Spanier

She spoke about embracing unknown unknowns. Her work is an enthralling mix of experimental typography and illustration. She talked about how uncertainty is the crack through which creativity emerges, that we ought to use that feeling to guide us. Leaving what is known behind us, seeking out a new unknown hiding before us in the dark.

Liza Enebeis

She spoke about knowing the rules, and breaking them anyway. She said that if you want to make change then you have to change how you make. It’s an attitude that emboldens them to question design rules that limit their thinking. For example, maybe less is not more, so let’s add more, lots more. 

Brian Collins

We missed him, so this is some notes from his other talks. Design is both the analytical and the fantastic. To achieve this we advocate for a different kind of research. Looking for inspiration in mythology, biology, poetry, architecture, literature, and art. This enables us to combine the familiar with the surprising in interesting ways. This act of looking back is how we design the future.