Niklaus Thoenen
Bern
Switzerland
what do designers do?
I reflect and structure content and give it the best fitting form. I develop typefaces and self-initiated publications in art-related content and other smaller products.
additional thoughts
Mika was 18, Nik was 24 when we started attending the design school in Biel, but we actually didn’t consider to get designers. It was just all this creativity which interested us. And even during the period of education at the design school we thought we would work as artists or illustrators later, but definitively not as type designers. But, you know, things just come out differently than expected when following the process.
working at night per month
Never.
how do designers spend their time
on average workday?
on average workday?
-
08.00
19.00
-
designing
1 1
-
research
1 j
writing concepts
-
writing emails
1 1 1
-
handling calls
1 1
-
managing
j
-
other
1 1
how do designers develop ideas?
We develop our ideas together. We are two people with different opinions and points of view – this is an important aspect in developing our ideas.
main influences
I get the main inspiration from art or the exchange with artists, or from theoretical discourses. The contextual and theoretical background and the discussion in our work are more and more becoming an important aspect, not only concerning type theory, but also social and phenomenological studies.
what does a designers’
workplace look like?
workplace look like?
Surrounded by books.
what is an ideal designer like?
Perceptive, precision, vision, structured, creative.
what is a dream client like?
Open, characterful, trust, liquidity, reliably.
relationship with client
It is like a partnership in which both try to get the best possible result.
getting along with salary
I cope well. Swiss people don’t talk about money.
what do you like or dislike
about the others’ behaviour?
about the others’ behaviour?
If the chemistry (attitude) between the parties doesn’t fit, it is often difficult and not conducive for the work.