THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER,

NEIL DONNELLY'S BIOGRAPHY
Neil Donnelly Studio works in graphic design across media with clients in art, architecture, publishing, and public service. We have a particular interest in designing flexible structures and systems that grow out of conceptual thinking and encourage deep engagement with content.We aim to surprise and delight readers, users, and visitors through careful consideration of materials, typography, and interactions. Our clients include cultural and educational institutions such as the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Petzel Gallery, Columbia University, and Harvard University, publishers such as Phaidon and Verso Books, and organizations including the NYC Department of Transportation and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. Our work has been included in the Brno Biennial of Graphic Design and AIGA 50 Books 50 Covers, and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gwangju Design Biennale, the New Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design. Neil has lectured, taught courses, and led workshops at the Yale School of Art, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Parsons, Maryland Institute College of Art, School of Visual Arts, Rutgers, the University of Illinois, Typographics, and Typography Summer School. Neil holds a BS in engineering from Carnegie Mellon and an MFA in graphic design from Yale.

GEMMA MAHONEY'S BIOGRAPHY
Gemma Mahoney is a freelance graphic designer living in Melbourne. She creates brand identities, custom typography and works across a variety of fields with local and international clients.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER'S
INTERVIEW in 2021
NEIL DONELLY
GEMMA MAHONEY
I can only answer this based on my own work and interests.I enjoy our work because it allows me to engage with, interpret, and translate ideas that are critical to what our clients do, which then become central to our design concepts. It's important to me that we approach every project on its own terms, and begin with as few preconceptions as possible. I also enjoy research (particularly into the context around a project), typography, getting to work with a wide variety of people, and working in a range of media. If you're lucky, graphic design affords you the opportunity to learn about a lot of different things.
Q1. DO YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT IS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER
AND ROLES?
A graphics designers role is to create visual language that embodies the ethos, tone and personality of a project, while communicating and reaching the audience. It is the designers role to tell a story.
A good graphic designer is perceptive, curious, asks lots of questions, and humble enough to know how much they don't know.
Q2. DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT A GOOD GRAPHIC DESIGNER IS?
WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE THAT A GRAPHIC DESIGNER MUST HAVE?
A good designer creates work that has purpose, reason and depth. There needs to be reason behind design decisions. A good designer thinks and feels to the project to
I think about my methods as comprising an approach more than a style. I never begin by thinking, "how can I apply my style to this problem?" By starting this way, you're not doing justice to either the project/content/client or to yourself. I am certainly interested in structures and organizing principles, and how they can be used not only to provide order but also to carry meaning and offer an interpretation of the content. There's always a strong emphasis on typography as both a visual and conceptual element. But it's always been my hope to build a body of work that feels coherent and unified, but not uniform.
Q3. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR GRAPHIC STYLE? OR IS YOUR DESIGN PURSUING A PARTICULAR GRAPHICAL STYLE?
I believe there is a style or tone to my work, yet find it hard to define. I think my style would be characterized by color and typography.
By not designing. This has been harder than usual during the pandemic, of course—I'm feeling a real lack of input these days. But many of the strongest ideas come when I'm doing something else. Sometimes it's while reading and immersing myself in the material we're working with. But just as often inspiration comes when I'm distracted by something totally unrelated.
Q4. HOW DO YOU GET INSPIRED FOR YOUR DESIGN? ARE THERE ANY TACTICS TO VISUALIZE IN YOUR DESIGN?
I try and always think and feel with my thoughts and see where my mind can take me. I like to start most of my projects by sitting down with a cup of tea and notepad and I'll try and think of as many ideas as possible. 
I do also love getting inspiration from images and enjoy scrolling blogs and pinterest to spark ideas.
I think I've answered this already in the question about style above, but I'd add that the process is almost never linear, and that it's important to balance logic with intuition. I tend toward the former, and often have to remind myself of the importance of the latter.
Q5. WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO STARTING A PROJECT? COULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGN PROCESS?
I always start a project by getting a brief and as much info from the client as possible. I like to quiz them on the tone, audience and dos and don'ts. I try and have a strong understanding before I begin a project.  Once I've researched and have a strong understanding of the brief I'll try an write down as many ideas as possible and when one sticks I'll start moodboarding. I alway like to present my clients a moodboard so we can create a clear design direction. I alway have a clear direction before I start designing and developing.
There is no one thing. My answers above should help to convey what's important to me.
Q6. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTATNT THING OR CONSIDERATION IN YOUR DESIGN?
Purpose, story and beauty. 
It depends on the kind and degree of difficulty! Usually it involves talking with others facing the same difficulty, as almost nothing we do is truly done alone. Sometimes I step away from the problem, since time and distance can make things seem less difficult.
Q7. WHEN YOU FACE DIFFICULTY IN DESIGN, HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT?
It is hard when projects don't feel like they're not coming together and you're feeling like nothing it sticking. And so when this happens I find I need a break and to go back to my initial ideas in my notepad. To remind myself what I'm here to do. 
I don't do self-initiated work. I have plenty of interests and concerns I like to bring to bear in my work, but it's always done in the context of a commission.
Q8. WHEN YOU START TO DO A SELF-INITIATED PROJECT, IS THERE A SPECIFIC TOPIC YOU WANT TO DISCUSS?
I'm passionate about print, there's a self-initiated project I'm currently beginning. I also love developing type so creating typefaces is another. 
For me, it's always been a matter of being honest with myself about what I'm interested in, and not trying to force a style or approach—when I've tried to do this, it's never ended well, nor has it felt right along the way. Working with clients who have an understanding, appreciation, and respect for our work has also helped in that they're coming to us because they like our approach. This makes it easier to work in a way that feels faithful to my own concerns.
Q9. HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR GRAPHIC STYLE?
COULD YOU TELL ME HOW YOU COULD LOOK FOR YOUR OWN STYLE?
I think developing a style is fluid and happens naturally with time. I think it's good to start out experimenting and pushing yourself and then you can find what you love creating. 
Be eager to learn, curious, self-critical, and willing to work hard!
Q10. FOR THE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO WORK AS A FREELANCER, COULD YOU GIVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO GIVE ADVICE?
Try and get experience in a studio and learn as much as you can. While being a student or while working build your own folio of work and instagram.  Share your work and try and put yourself out there and then naturally work may come to you.