Ten Questions – 017 Michael Johnson

June 9th, 2011 by Mat Dolphin

Seeing the logo you designed emblazoned down the side of a 747? The commemorative stamps you designed becoming collectors items? Garnering every award going whilst picking up a host of new clients along the way? These are the kind of things most designers would eat their own MacBook to have acheived. Johnson Banks are an agency that has ticked the above, and much more, off their to-do list. Virgin Atlantic, The Royal Mail, The BFI, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Yell.com, More Th>n and countless other companies, government organisations, universities and charities have been queueing up for re-brands and design work from them. At the helm of the operation is Michael Johnson. Amazing designer, guitar obsessive, brilliant writer, regular contributor to Creative Review & Design Week and very down to earth, nice guy.

His excellent Thought For The Week Blog is also a must read for anyone with a passing interest in what happens behind the scenes in one of the UKs most respected agencies. Michael kindly agreed to take time out answer our Ten Questions.

1. How do you describe what you do?
My stock answer to cabbies is that I ‘design logos, posters and stamps’. Anything more than that and life gets very complicated. Before I give that level of detail though, I admit that ‘I’m a designer’ and they always ask ‘What, fashion?’ Still not sure if that’s a good thing or not…

2. What made you want to do what you do?
From about 13 or 14 I was always drawing type and numbers, designing the school newspaper (very badly) and all those dreadful band posters. Crumbling Letraset and cranky photocopiers, usual stuff. It actually took me well into my twenties before I became anything like a proper designer, if I’m honest.


3. How would you describe your workplace?
It’s open plan, on two floors, has an ace stereo and a boardroom table that converts for table tennis. It usually contains about 6 guitars, one double bass and two amps, 4,000 CDs and we work flexi hours. We stuff it with the fastest macs we can afford and I’m forever calling it ‘home’, by mistake.

4. What is your favourite colour?
To wear? I’m down the ‘very dark’ end of the spectrum. To design with, I’m always a sucker for orange and bright green. Oh, and magenta and cyan. And don’t forget black, white and red.

5. Who is your favourite artist or writer?
Writer? Currently David Mitchell (he of Cloud Atlas and …Autumns of Jacob de Zoet fame). Artist? So many. I find that practically impossible to choose just one. If you’d said ‘photographer’ I would have said Robert Frank. If you’d asked ‘designer’ I would probably have gone for Tibor Kalman. If you’d said ‘guitarist’ I’d have suggested Scofield or Scott Henderson.

6. What was your previous job?
My last actual job was about 20 years ago for Smith and Milton. Before that, a long and sometimes tortuous journey through many places, jobs and countries that began at Wolff Olins back in an age when brush-stroked designs were actually viable.

7. Do you work within a team? If so, how many people do you work with?
We’re smaller than people think – rarely more than 7 or 8 people full time. With part-time accounts and interns there’s usually about 10 of us.

8. Do you listen to music whilst working? If so, what do you listen to?
It’s hugely eclectic mix. Left entirely to my own devices it would be a heady brew of grinding post-rock and early 70s Miles Davis. When I have to concentrate there’s a lot of instrumental guitars, or some hypnotic modern classical. But I’ll come back from meetings and the studio will have lapsed into Guilty Pleasures, Fleetwood Mac and the Mamas and the Papas.



9. Who inspires you to do what you’re doing?

I can pin an early interest in design to a woodwork teacher who lent me books on Danish design and the subsequent teenage trips to the old Design Council building on Haymarket. I think the seed of ‘design’ was planted then. What inspires me now? I get the most from books and reading very widely, I think, great films work for me and oddly great music helps me a huge deal. As for who? Well I love working with engaging and interesting clients, I think I get really into the idea of doing something unique and great for them in the traditional ‘artist and patron’ way.



10. Which advice has helped you the most?

There are a few adages which I fall back on. That Bob Gill quote that ‘boring words need interesting graphics, interesting words needs boring graphics’ has helped me a lot. I always loved Tibor Kalman’s rule that you should never do one type of job more than three times or you’ll get stale and miss the obvious stuff. I got a lot from the projects he tried to make intentionally ugly too.

‘Fast, good or cheap, pick any two’ has proved to be fantastically useful, as has a very early piece of advice to never include work in your portfolio that could be better, that you make excuses for. Redo it, the way it should be, or take it out and let it go.

For a look at more Johnson Banks work check their site and for Michaels ever-insightful writing, keep an eye on his Thought For The Week (although it might be worth avoiding if you’ve got a busy day planned…) and you also can follow the Johnson Banks team on Twitter.

Huge thanks to Michael for taking the time and agreeing to be involved and thanks to you for reading. And lastly, If you enjoyed this post you might also want to check out who else has taken part in our Ten Questions series.

Until next time…

Mat


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