Month: January 2021
PJADAD
Meanwhile In Stockholm: Death to the PDF – Getting Out of the Deck and Into the Doing.
Following on from the first part of our round table, which was mostly spent speaking with the guys at OP, our conversation turned to PJADAD. PJADAD are based in Stockholm and tend to deal with more graphical operations. But this is by no means what they are limited to! For those of you that know Petter - you’ll know that he doesn’t do things by halves.
Some people might see him as ‘simply’ an art director but his interests lie far beyond the traditional boundaries of that discipline. He is driven by ideas and this speaks for the PJADAD ethos as a whole. Ideas are what count and make the world turn. Being bold enough to propose fresh ideas takes conviction.
In the last year we have quietly added Gothenburg and Stockholm to our family of offices. With London to come in the very near future. These offices have a loose split of capabilities thanks to the already flourishing existing practices there. OP in Gothenburg are experts in space. PJADAD in Stockholm brings incredible art direction. Our London studio from which this is being written, brings editorial nous.
This addition of these capabilities is something we think is great. But even more exciting to us is the possibilities this opens for the unusual. What happens when there is cross pollination between these offices? When innovation experts look at graphic design or art directors turn their hand to physical structures. We honestly don’t know the answers to these questions but we are very excited to find out.
Part 2 of our round table lies below…
Key (in order of appearance):
DK: DK Woon
PK: Petter Kukacka of PJADAD
ME: Marcus Engman
RDJ: Robert During Janson of OP
IKEA Art Event 18
Graphic Design as Social Experiment
DK
If there’s a man that knows about rules, it is the man sat at the bottom of my screen, Petter K, in Stockholm. How did you and Marcus get acquainted then? What is your background, Petter? It feels very weird to say that in such a formal way, but-
PK
I think Marcus presents me much better than I do.
[laughter]
DK
That’s not bad, though.
ME
You could see how addicted he is to rules from his hairdo as a starter [laughs].
DK
I was actually thinking about it earlier. It looks like he could be in Dragon Ball Z right now.
[laughter]
PK
Rules. What was the question again? How did I– ? What did I– ?
DK
For a start, how did you meet Marcus, but also maybe just a bit of background on who you are, what you do.
PK
I’m so jealous of OP now because there’s four of them. I’ve come to the realisation that I’m actually a very traditional art director but in a way that is not about a specific media. I have never wanted to stick to a specific media type and this was something I decided pretty early on.
I was educated as a graphic designer in the UK 15 years ago. Early on in my education I realised that graphic design in itself is pretty boring. BUT if you put it into a context or an environment, it becomes a pretty heavy tool to direct people, and also to experiment to see how people behave, almost like an architect but as a designer instead.
«I have never wanted to stick to a specific media type and this was something I decided pretty early on.»
Sometimes PJADAD has fun
Cross Disciplinary Studio – Blind to Media. It’s The Idea That Counts
DK
It’s interesting because obviously the OP guys think very visually too. There’s such a blurring of disciplines nowadays. In a way, I think of you guys at PJADAD as dealing with portals, because it’s a lot about paper or books or screens. And those in a way are portals— they transport you to somewhere else, but it’s not necessarily a physical place. Then, I think the OP guys are dealing with predominantly physical things. Do you think that’s a fair way of describing things?
PK
It definitely could be, at least, especially when it comes to becoming a specialist in a specific area. I’d still like to see in or without SKEWED, I still like to see myself as an interdisciplinary creative in a way-
RDJ
I agree.
PK
-what the ideas are is the only important thing, to be honest. We always split our processes into two pieces. One piece is idea. That’s the thing that keeps you awake in the evening, that’s the thing that make you take drugs or drink a lot. That’s the thing that makes it really hard to work as a creative. It’s the ideas.
Then we have the production. Production for me is always just time-consuming. It’s never a headache or it’s never a real issue. The creative part, you can have a minor heart attack every single day when you’re not solving the things that you need to solve, but the production itself is a walk in the park compared to the ideas because it’s only about physical stress, not psychological trauma or whatever you say, in English.
When it comes to your way of thinking that we should see ourselves as simply physical or digital, it’s a little bit too simplified, I think.
RDJ
I totally agree. The cool thing is also when everything meets. For me, the most potent drug is when you mix all of this, and it works in ALL of the levels. I think that’s really when it becomes super strong.
I think architecture often just dies on paper because it never becomes realised– the process could be so much headache, that it never becomes real.
ME
I would say that really strong ideas are totally blind to media. They could be carried through whatever. I think that’s something that– One of the parts which I really appreciate with all of you is, I think that we understand each other’s idea process and that we are a little bit different. That’s why we like to work together also.
Me and Petter have worked together for so long now. He’s my closest partner in crime, I would say. I think that, in some strange way, we understand that we don’t understand each other, and that makes it good.
[laughter]
PK
Now that we’re slowly starting to understand each other, I must say, I am a little scared.
ME
I’m a little bit afraid of that, actually. I love the surprise factor there in the relationship.
«We always split our processes into two pieces. One piece is idea. That's the thing that keeps you awake in the evening, that's the thing that make you take drugs or drink a lot.»
Useful Naïveté and The Power of Doing Things – More Useful Than PowerPoint
PK
I think my mental age is going down again! I was gradually growing in maturity, but then a few years ago, maybe two, I think it was around when you quit IKEA Marcus, I slowly starting to get younger again.
It doesn’t have to do anything with you, Marcus, to be honest. It’s more about myself. I feel that the more knowledge and competence I get, and the more contempt for money I have, the better a creative I become.
It sounds a bit ridiculous, but it’s not, because maturing together with you [Marcus] has been a really important part of my life development. If I really try to behave — I can definitely behave mature, even if it’s a big problem for me sometimes — but I think if I really try, I can be mature.
To have a– how do you say it– I want to really explain this because it’s very important. It’s almost like I have become more nihilistic today than I was two years ago because I do understand what the power of creativity could be, basically.
ME
Be prepared to talk about naïveté in different ways!
PK
It’s not like I think just anything is good with this mindset. Definitely not.
I think everyone here in this room has more than enough intellect to analyse if an idea is good or bad. Maybe we need to try it out sometimes to understand if it’s good or bad. The whole thing is to work both commercially but also in an artistic manner. For me that means really trying out stuff because the whole world right now is just doing PowerPoint.
I want to be the ones taking the fast lane and stepping into another gear and actually producing something instead of doing the PowerPoint. Stuff that actually gets produced by competent people is much more interesting than having it in a PowerPoint that never will fly. I think that’s how I see a little bit.
Work for IKEA collection FREKVENS with Teenage Engineering
Naïvité and Gumption – Invest in Strange
DK
Marcus, I see you nodding your head there.
ME
I’m very much into that also, and I guess you all know that I like to try things out for real.
I think and that’s something that we share. We’re willing to chip in ourselves. Maybe there is no investor for this, but I paid for it myself. I’m going to show that it works. That’s part of the business model as well. If you earn some money invest it in strange stuff just to see if it works because you get learning. That’s something that I would like us all to be.
It’s super important to reinvest in the future. That is not just taking care of clients and what they need. It’s actually what we believe that the world needs.
Petter, doing crazy endeavours with things that hardly anyone sees. You take those learnings into whatever you do afterwards. I think that’s the same thing for us. Also, we’ve done things that put the shitload of money and stuff that really doesn’t resonate on paper but–
[laughter]
ME
It makes sense in the end.
«I would say that really strong ideas are totally blind to media. They could be carried through whatever.»
A Life Lesson From a Mentor
PK
I had a mentor for a pretty long time, who some of us know. He said a lot of bad things to me but he said two things that I have taken with me for many years now. The first thing is most people try to make a big career when they’re 29 or 32 or whatever and scream really loud. He said try to focus on doing stuff really, really slowly in life. Do a lot of stuff but do it because you want to be the best of you when you’re 65.
I have really taken that into consideration. There’s some people pretty close to me with an agency who did exactly the opposite. They screamed like they were superstars, like they had changed the whole world when they were 27. Now they are getting closer to 40 and feel that they don’t have anything else to give anymore. I feel the opposite. I feel that I have not done anything. I have everything in front of me. I think that’s a very good way of pushing energy and power to the creative process. I’m trying to be the best when I’m as old as Marcus, which is like 65.
[laughter]
RDJ
I must say one more thing there because I totally agree on that. I could also declare death to the fucking PDF. I hate it. I think killing it would save us so many headaches. I just realised also during this COVID thing, sitting by the computer is not what I imagined myself doing at this age.
Work for IKEA collection SYMFONISK with Sonos
Office of Possibilities
Depth and breadth? Office of Possibilities and the art of choosing your creative discipline
During the Christmas period we conducted a round table discussion to articulate what SKEWED is about. We will be releasing this discussion in three parts over the coming week. 2021 is shaping up to be a big year for us and we wanted to give you all an idea of what lies in store.
SKEWED is purposely an amorphous organisation. We don’t want to conform to the old rules of the industry that try to push you to fit into neat little boxes. Instead we want to carry the spirit of the amateur in an age when everything is hyper polished. We have always said that we are a collective rather than an agency. And we don’t say this to reinvent the wheel. Businesses like Pentagram have found ways to flourish with unusual structures.
In the last year we have quietly added Gothenburg and Stockholm to our family of offices. With London to come in the very near future. These offices have a loose split of capabilities thanks to the already flourishing existing practices there. OP in Gothenburg are experts in space. PJADAD in Stockholm brings incredible art direction. Our London studio from which this is being written, brings editorial nous.
This addition of these capabilities is something we think is great. But even more exciting to us is the possibilities this opens for the unusual. What happens when there is cross pollination between these offices? When innovation experts look at graphic design or art directors turn their hand to physical structures. We honestly don’t know the answers to these questions but we are very excited to find out.
Part 1 of our round table lies below…
Key (in order of appearance):
DK: DK Woon
PK: Petter Kukacka of PJADAD
RDJ: Robert During Janson of OP
ME: Marcus Engman
PH: Petter Hillinge of OP
AN: Axel Norlander of OP
CA: Caspar Andrén of OP
Standing from left: Robert During Janson, Dan Börjesson, Axel Norlander
Sittning from left: Petter Hillinge, Jacob Kouthoofd Mårtensson, Caspar Andrén
An Acronym in Search of a Name
DK
Why don’t we start off with the four of you then – the Office of Possibilities guys. What do you guys do and how?
PK
Is that what OP stands for?
RDJ
Yes, that’s what it stands for but we had so many variations in the beginning, thinking, “It could be called this, it could be called that.”
We came up with the initials first. It’s a backronym.
We sat down – I think at your place, [gestures to Petter H] one evening and we started drinking. Well, I think we drank something called OP that night because you had a bottle in your freezer. We were like, “It’s so fucking hard to get a name right.”
And it was at that point, we just looked at the bottle and someone said they thought OP works well. And of course we all though, “Oh it’s really too bad that it’s taken… We could use that.” But we decided to use it anyway.
Then we had to find out what OP should stand for. We made that bit up afterwards.
Marcus Engman joins
DK
We have a new joiner.
ME
Where are we at in our discussion?
DK
The OP guys were explaining where OP comes from and how they were they were drinking one night, and that’s about where we’ve gotten to.
[Laughter]
ME
That’s what we do, we drink.
RDJ
We drink a lot and then we come up with ideas…
We then sat down and we thought what could OP be? Then when someone first said Office of Possibilities. We thought, “Yes that sounds perfect!”
«Why do you have to decide? That's always been my question.»
OP.™ office in Gothenburg.
The Name is Perfect because Possibilities are Endless
RDJ
We used that [OP] because it also actually symbolises well what we actually do and how we work. Everything we do – you start in one very specific creative field, in my case, architecture. Then you always brush shoulders with creative heads in other disciplines. It’s basically also why all of us are here, I guess.
That [architecture] is Petter H and Axel’s background too. Caspar’s background is within engineering, but basically mainly in innovation.
We are multidisciplinary though. I myself have always been interested in graphic design and how storytelling works. As soon as you work within one field, you have to or more or less always get to start thinking in the big picture.
ME
Why do you have to decide? That’s always been my question.
RDJ
Exactly. I could never decide either. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a graphic designer or a photographer or whatever. Then I started studying architecture.
The big problem with architecture is that it could take forever sometimes. It could be process on process, endless lobbying and everything. When you then can switch to another creative profession, it is so refreshing because the timespans are much quicker.
«As soon as you work within one field, you have to or more or less always get to start thinking in the big picture.»
How OP Met
DK
I’d like to go into maybe how you guys met. How did that all happen?
PH
I think it started out with myself and Axel – but we all studied in Lund. Axel and I actually studied industrial design. Both of us went to Copenhagen to study together for some time. And it was during that time that we also met Robert. For a period, myself and Robert were working at the same places in Copenhagen – at BIG and Kilo.
Basically during this time we started talking more and more. We started talking about why people set up businesses the way they do and why people are act the way they do and so on.
Then fast forward to a couple of years later, when all of us had worked in our roles for a while. I was a freelancing product designer and Axel, you were quite tired of your job, you could say, right?
AN
Yes.
PH
We had some good new projects coming in and decided that you would jump ship. At the same time, we started talking to Robert who also wanted to change direction in life. At the same time, Caspar, was also thinking of jumping ship and taking things in another direction.
CA
Yes, exactly. I was working at a consultancy firm previous to OP.
DK
You’d originally taken a really different direction from these guys then!
CA
Yes, exactly. We mainly worked with the innovation in business-to-business companies. I’ve always dreamt of starting my own business. Me and Petter are in this running club on Tuesdays and our girlfriends have known each other since way back.
Anyway, we started talking about what was to become OP. You said that you were talking to Axel and Robert about this and starting up a business. I think we actually had a lunch near to Gothenburg. We sat down for lunch and stayed until the restaurant said, “You have to leave now”. I think from that point we talked at least every day.
«I realised that Caspar loves cars as much as I love cars. Then it was perfect. I knew from that point that Caspar was a good guy!»
DK
Was it quite a while spent talking before jumping? Or was it all about taking a big jump?
CA
It went really fast actually. To probably the point where I joined the discussion, I think it took maybe one to two months. Then we were off.
PH
Yes.
RDJ
Yes. I don’t think it was in that first lunch because I can remember meeting Caspar for the first time and talking about cars.
CA
Exactly because we met and talked about cars.
RDJ
Yes. We met each other at Petter’s place for a quick coffee or something. Then I was just- I was always skeptical because Caspar was coming from quite a different background- It is, of course, a creative background but in more of sales kinda way. Also pitching ideas and all of that, which is so essential to how this works and why it works good. Coming from my background that’s the strange work. You’re sitting in Excel looking at the charts or something! Then we started talking and I realised that Caspar loves cars as much as I love cars. Then it was perfect. I knew from that point that Caspar was a good guy!
DK
How long have you guys been going as OP for?
CA
Three years.
PH
New year it’s going to be three years.
Ongoing work with SKEWED Productions
The Scale of Skewed
DK
You guys are coming into SKEWED. What do you think is really going to change for you with being part of SKEWED?
CA
I think things will actually continue along the diverse path we are already treading if anything. We know there are a lot of different talents within the SKEWED group that can work together in bigger projects.
Then, of course being able to tackle bigger problems together. As a new business we always strive to work with the– What should I say?
RDJ
Right people.
CA
Yes, right people and working on projects that actually change things.
ME
Higher up in the food chain.
PH
We really see the possibility of reaching bigger clients together with Skewed. We don’t want to be working with the middle bosses that never have the possibility to change anything.
CA
Also creating bigger change. The H22 project, [eds note: more to come on this in the near future] it’s like you can really do something, change the city and so on. That’s what we always aim for!
PH
We’ve always been striving to make change from the beginning with all the projects that we do. Not making just another product that already exists, we want to make something that is better or that changes the world into a somewhat a better place to be. I think this really opens up the chance of doing that even more.
The exhibition TITTA MUSIK! / LOOK MUSIC! designed by OP.™ at IKEA museum! 20.02.2020 – 03.05.2020 team: IKEA Museum & PJADAD
The Importance of Integrity – and Being a Collective!
DK
So If I could twist this a little… Marcus, how did you first hear about OP and what was the first time working with Robert, I guess?
ME
He was handpicked by me for IKEA once upon a time [laughs], for a really ugly project that he did, but he still believes in it. The Golden Eggs of Recycling.
RDJ
I like the idea, but I hate how they look-
ME
That was his contribution to city planning of the future. Let’s put in golden eggs into the cities. I was more thinking about people, and he was thinking about golden eggs!
«I was more thinking about people, and he was thinking about golden eggs!»
DK
And you knew right and straight away that this is the next Corbusier who is going to revolutionise the city and-
RDJ
From those golden eggs.
ME
No, but what I liked from that, is that Robert has always been a fighter. He still is. There is always something that we can fight for and change. That’s what I appreciate with you [Robert], but also with the other guys on OP.
It’s not just to do what you’re asked to do, but actually you try to make a change, and to take on the fight to make that change. I think that’s important, actually, to have that integrity. That’s what I look for in everyone that we work together with, especially the one who’s going to be part of our Skewed universe. Integrity is important.
Also, maybe that’s why we have this setup. Instead of buying everything and everything should be exactly the same, I think it would benefit our organisation if we have some kind of integrity, and also our own business goals and so on, each and every one of us, and still be part of something which is bigger but is not setting up too many rules for us. I think that’s what I’m aiming for. That’s why we talk about it in terms of more like, what do we say? A-
RDJ
Collective.
ME
Yes, a creative collective rather than some kind of business setup.
