Interview with YUKIKO
Michelle Phillips and Johannes Conrad, founders of YUKIKO, are known to present design with visual sensibility and fine execution. The duo work across multiple disciplines from art direction and graphic design to photography and video with conceptual thinking at the core.
Phillips and Conrad feature as speakers at OFFF Barcelona 2015, which launches in only a few days. To give a special insight into OFFF Barcelona 2015 we spoke to the duo, such as we did with illustrator Steven Wilson and Bruno Sellés, creative director and founder of Vasava studio.
Working from Berlin, Phillips and Conrad have intentionally choosen the vibrant German city to allow themselves the creative freedom that more established cities like London and New York may not have. The duo pride themselves on a progressive, experimental and hands-on approach, which resonates well with the Berlin mindset. While some practices may find that their work reflect the location, it seems reasonable to say that for YUKIKO the location, reflects their work.
Phillips and Conrad work on a diverse range of projects from direction in film to graphic design and typography. According to the duo this is an aspect that brings vitality to the work life, breaking the routine and maintaining the passion. “When you’ve been through two weeks of pre-production meetings and then you spend three long days on set, you can’t wait to get back to sitting at your desk. But when you’ve been staring at your computer everyday for long periods of time, you start itching to work on film and photography again. We love doing both and the combination keeps us on our toes.”
An important part of creative work is to keep a fresh approach to each project. This includes experimenting with new mediums and new languages. Importantly, Phillips and Conrad argue that the most enjoyable projects are not defined by discipline, i.e. typography, graphic design or photography, but by the clients, collaborators and content involved. These aspects alongside the opportunity to broaden their horizons and try out new things also form the criteria from which the duo chooses their projects.
Amongst the projects completed by Phillips and Conrad, they believe that the project that managed to best express their diversity and design essence was one with Flaneur Magazine. This project saw them put together a wide range of diverse contributions from suppliers across a broad range of disciplines. Moreover, the project allowed a large amount of freedom to experiment. In their own words “It is always interesting for us to push the format of a print magazine and to do something unique. So, we get to flex our creative limbs and do things many clients wouldn’t dare run with.”
Phillips and Conrad will be among the wide range of speakers, innovators, designers and creative talents taking part in OFFF Barcelona 2015. The diversity of backgrounds among speakers and participants as well as the personality and of the event drew YUKIKO to speak at OFFF on Thursday 28 May 2015 at 12.55 pm CEST.
Stay tuned to fluoro for coverage of the event as we journey to Barcelona to bring you an inside view. We are proud media partners of OFFF Barcelona 2015.
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