Designers on AXIS cover 3 Erik Spiekermann
09.07.13
Photo by Yoshiaki Tsutsui
AXIS magazine has been featuring designers, architects and creators in the cover and cover interview since vol. 70 (December 1997). We will introduce those designers’ portraits one by one under the title “Designers on AXIS cover.”
In AXIS vol. 72 (1998 April) we featured typographer Erik Spiekermann.
He designed many well-known type-faces, and at his design office MetaDesign, he created intensive communication systems for the world-wide clients including Audi and Volkswagen.
Photo by Yoshiaki Tsutsui
He left MetaDesign in 2001, but now he is still very active with the Erik Spiekermann Partners. Please visit his homepage. It is interesting!
Here, we pick up some impressive comments from our interview with Mr. Spiekermann.
“Communication is sense, and we design it.”
“Consumers are much cleverer than designers think.”
“Individuals retain their individuality whether they clothed or naked. It’s necessary for a company to create that situation. However, one must be mindful about the fact individuality grows and changes.”
Erik Spiekermann was born In Hannover, Germany in 1947. After graduating from Berlin’s Free University, he started work as typgrapher. Creating many type-faces, such as “FF Meta” and “ITC Officina” he has established himself as the world leader in typography. MetaDesign, founded in 1979, has grown to become the largest design office in Germany, and it engaged no only typography but a broad design work including corporate design, sign systems, and multi-media related design. In 2001 he left MetaDesign, and founded United Designers Network (Erik Spiekermann Partners).
