Paperzine - News

The agency came into being in the 1990s, when Kjell and Jon met and started talking about design, a conversation that has never ended, says Kjell.

Did you both always want to be doing what you’re doing?
Kjell: Art and mathematics were the only subjects I really enjoyed at school but since art was the one topic that also fired my dreams, I always knew I wanted to do something visual. Exactly what I’ve ended up working with is more a result of the journey rather than a predetermined plan.
Jon: I pretty much knew from a very early age that I wanted to pursue a creative career. My father trained as a sculptor and went on to design and make furniture, so he really opened my eyes to the world of the arts and always encouraged me to be creative. At school I always did well at art and as soon as I realised what the words ‘graphic design’ meant I knew that was what I wanted to do.

How do you decide which projects to develop or accept, and would you ever turn work down?
Kjell: If a project turns us on creatively we’re very likely to say ‘yes’ to it almost regardless of the budget. On the other hand, if we see no creative benefit we’re just as likely to reject it regardless of the budget. In between is a sliding scale between creative freedom and money.
Jon: We did turn down some cigarette advertising project many years ago. But that wasn’t for creative reasons.
 
Has any one project or client significantly shaped the studio’s design direction, and if so how?
Jon: We’ve been designing music packaging for Lo Recordings for many years – since before we set up Non-Format, in fact – so we’ve built up a relationship with the record label that spans more than a decade. Many of the pieces of work that we’re known for and have shaped the public perception of Non-Format are Lo Recordings projects.
 
What inspired you as students and what inspires you now?
Kjell: I’ve been inspired by Japanese design ever since I was a student. It doesn’t look like that influence is going to wane.
Jon: My tutor at college showed me the work of designers such as Studio Dumbar and 8vo (it was the late 1980s), but I was just as influenced by the work of the Cranbrook design students of the same period. I think I learned about rigour as much as I learned about expression and emotion. Nowadays I’m completely hooked on Japanese design which, I think, exemplifies both disciplines.
 
Where would you like to be in ten years’ time?
Kjell: I would love to think that we’ll be able to continue to develop and to still be seen as relevant after another ten years in this business.
Jon: I’d like to see motion graphics being a part of the work of Non-Format. Even though we still have a love affair with ink on paper.