Dirk Barnett is the creative director of Maxim magazine. Previously, he was the creative director for Blender, Key (the New York Times’ real estate magazine), Play (the New York Times’ sports magazine), Premiere and Popular Science (which won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2004). Barnett’s work has been recognized by The American Institute of Graphic Arts, The American Society of Magazine Editors, The Art Director’s Club, The Type Director’s Club, British Design & Art Direction, The Society of Publication Designers, Print and Communication Arts. He has taught at the School of Visual Arts, has chaired and juried various design and illustration competitions and is currently the vice president of the Society of Publication Designers. He lives in New York with his wife and son.
08.24.10
It's All About The Process
If you have a degree in what field is it? I have a bachelor’s degree in magazine writing from the University of Oregon School of Journalism, with minors in English and history—and no academic design training.
Which designer (or design studio), other than yours, do you most admire? Vince Frost continuously produces beautiful, smart design, from identity to books to magazines. The strength is in his style; it’s always obvious when something’s a Frost piece. That is something I strive for.
What’s the strangest request you’ve received from a client? Tila Tequila asking me on set, “Can I stay topless?”
If you weren't working as a designer what would you be doing? If I had the time to do it all over again? Directing movies. That’s the ultimate creative project.
What well-known identity is most desperately in need of a redesign? Hollywood. It would be the ultimate redesign job: A resistant client with an ego the size of the planet, but the possibilities would be endless.
From where do your best ideas originate? The street, books, people, film credits, even the gutter. I love going to bookstores and looking at book covers. I can do that for hours. But the best ideas originate from collaborating with my design team and the process of talking things through, and just doing it, getting on the computer and playing with type until a direction is born. I can work on a piece for hours that way, and sometimes the very first execution is the best one. You can look at a million design books, but the only way to get the best ideas is to just start doing it. It’s all about the process.
How do you overcome a creative block? Whiskey. If that doesn’t work, I will work through it, shift to another project or pass it on to another designer and bounce ideas back and forth.
What’s your dream project (not client, but project)? To direct a movie.
Do you have creative outlets other than graphic design? Traveling and family.
What’s your approach to balancing work and life? I love what I do, but there is more to life than work. Three years ago, my wife and I quit our jobs and traveled around the world for a year, spending months in India, Southeast Asia, Australia... it was the best thing we’ve ever done, next to our new son Bodhi, of course. It cleared out minds and recharged the design batteries, so to speak. But on a daily schedule, the agreement is no work—no email, no design, no computer time—on the weekends, it’s all about family. Work is reserved for Monday–Friday. Sometimes it’s not easy, but it really makes a difference.
What product/gadget can you not live without? My beloved iPhone. But I recently got the Flip, which is rather genius, so that may soon rival it.
What’s your favorite quote? “Don’t let the competition guide your creativity.” I’m not sure who said it, but it’s an important lesson.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Two things: 1) Patience. Ninety percent of the time when a client tells you that the five designs you just presented aren’t even close, it will only lead to a better solution. Don’t be married to your design solutions, it only creates problems. It’s difficult when you are deep in it, and that beautiful type solution seems like the one and only most amazing direction, but there are a million ways to solve a design problem. 2) Passion. If you don’t have a deep passion for this business, then you’re wasting your time. When starting out, be prepared to work eighteen-hour days and weekends and to do everything from getting coffee to spray-mounting presentations. And, on top of all that, training yourself on the best designers in the world by constant research, self-education and designing on-the-side. There are a million components to running an art department, and the sooner you start getting your hands in everything, the better prepared you will be to run the show somewhere down the line. Remember, there is no task too small or too big for you, no matter what stage of career you are in. Push yourself and test yourself, but remember that, without passion, you won’t go anywhere.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? Be polite and cordial in your professional life. The design community is small, and it's better to have a reputation as a talent who is easy to work with, than a talent with attitude. Attitude doesn’t get you jobs.