Mikon van Gastel is a Holland native and international talent who brings to the design process an expertise in film, new media and architecture and an openness to embrace new forms of collaboration and emerging technologies. He is also the creative director and director at A Very Small Office, which he co-founded with producer Saffron Case in 2005. As creative director, van Gastel has designed title sequences for feature films and theatrical trailers. As a director he has directed commercial campaigns for Target, Nike, Reebok, Olympus, Acura, GMC, L'Oreal, Dove, Heineken, Absolut and Smirnoff. And his explorations in architecture and motion have resulted in the electronic signage design for the new Museum of Modern Art in New York (where his work is also part of the permanent collection) and, with United Architects, was one of six finalists for the redevelopment of the former World Trade Center site.
08.10.10
Wandering through Downtown New York
If you have a degree in what field is it? An MFA in 2-D design from the Cranbrook Academy of Arts.
If you could choose one person to work with (outside your own agency), who would it be? Zaha Hadid—an unbelievable architect, a revolutionary designer and a true force of a personality.
Who was the client for your first advertising project? A stop-motion animation piece for Gatorade. It brought a chalkboard to life through black-and-white image sequences of athletic movement composited with a hybrid form of typography that combined math equations and chalkboard handwriting.
If you were to change professions, what would you choose to do? Clients and agencies are beginning to think less about requiring different people with different skills for each form of media and are instead investing in more in-depth collaboration with creative thinkers who can produce cross-disciplinary work.
What do you consider to be the greatest headline of all time? “Think different.”
From where do your best ideas originate? I used to go to the library and search about a subject matter that interested me. By looking at the books surrounding it, ideas always grew and morphed into something new. This form of associative searching now happens everyday on Google. When I’m trying to further an idea or concept I’m always really keen on looking at “matches” that aren’t exactly what I intended. It’s a fast way to come across the unexpected and deepen your thoughts. I don’t know what I would do without it.
How do you overcome a creative block? I leave the office and wander through downtown New York to revitalize my brain. Or I talk to my wife, Susie. She’s a designer, knows how to ask tough questions, throws out ideas and, in general, helps me talk through ideas and clarify them.
If you could choose any product to create an ad for, what would it be? Formula 1 Racing.
Do you have creative outlets other than advertising? I love architecture. Right now we’re redoing a small beach house on the ocean in Montauk. Being there and working on it are both incredibly relaxing.
What’s your approach to balancing work and life? I’m not that interested in balance; being in a state of controlled imbalance motivates you and forces you to move forward.
What product/gadget can you not live without? My laptop.
What’s your favorite quote? “It’s very easy to be different, but very difficult to be better.” —Jonathan Ive, VP of industrial design, Apple
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Try to not get pigeonholed. Having a “skill” can be paralyzing for your career growth. Push yourself out of your comfort-zone.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? Get credit for your work.