Joel Templin - Gaby Brink

Templin Brink Design (T.B.D.) is the imaginative collaboration of Joel Templin and Gaby Brink. Templin, who began his design career at Gardner Design and CSA Design, both in Minneapolis, is the focused Midwesterner whose design work has been selected for the permanent collection of American Design at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Brink, who began her design career at San Francisco’s Pentagram Design and Vanderbyl Design, is the Swiss-born former photographer whose sophisticated style helped launch a wardrobe full of Levi’s and Dockers brands. They met in the 1990s as colleagues in the hyperproductive San Francisco office of Foote, Cone and Belding. Together they formed an advertising, brand and design team that has created memorable promotional campaigns for top global marketers like Levi’s, Target Stores, Robert Mondavi Wines, Janus Capital Group, Oracle, Cisco and many others. The principals’ vision for T.B.D. centers on intimacy: an intimate process, where clients are more closely involved in the creation of work than in traditional agencies; and intimate accountability, where Templin and Brink are personally involved in the creative enterprise.
Do you have a design hero? We have lots of design heroes, many from a time when design was a higher art than it is today. They include Paul Rand, Josef Müller-Brockman, Charles and Ray Eames, Robin and Lucienne Day, Max Bill, Ladislav Sutnar, Bradbury Thompson, Erik Nitsche and Saul Bass, to name a few.
What would be your dream project? Our dream project would be to create the brand identity for an airline. Gaby’s father was a Swissair pilot, so she practically grew up in the cockpit. With Gaby's knowledge of the industry and our firm’s track record, we could take an airline to new heights.
How and where do you find inspiration? We have an archive of "stuff" that inspires us. It contains anything from old hardware catalogs to tickets and scrap from flea markets and antique shops. Industrial materials like that are great sources for classic typography. We also make an effort to track down old design annuals and books in antique bookstores around the world - we have a pretty extensive library. We only review contemporary annuals to see who is doing what, but never for inspiration.
What do you do in your time away from work? What time? Just kidding. We live in an incredible state, so a lot of my time away from work is spent exploring California and playing tennis. Gaby has a family, loves the outdoors and travels a lot. This summer she trekked across Tanzania for a month and summitted Mt. Meru, a 15,000 ft mountain (having a partnership gives us the freedom to embark on adventures like that).
What are you currently listening to, watching or reading? I’m probably listening to some ’80s rock. Gaby is shaking her head, hoping that the power will go out.

Andrew Kibble

Andrew Kibble brings to G2 Worldwide 15 years of experience in building creative branding campaigns for some of the world’s most prestigious global brands. His strong creative vision is built on broad expertise in all the design disciplines which support the brand, including graphic design, corporate identity, collateral, web design, packaging, point-of-purchase, 3D product design and environmental design. Kibble’s creative campaigns have been implemented in more than 100 countries, and he has worked on programs for clients such as Microsoft (Encarta), Eli Lilly (Innocentive), Trip.com, Intevo, Network Associates (McAfee), Compaq, Standard Chartered and British Airways. As senior partner and director of creative services at G2, he has led the development of the agency’s "Design Language" methodology, which extends traditional brand guidelines to the brand’s physical elements (form, shape, color, light, materials, finish, graphic styles) and seeks to deliver a clearly defined "brand DNA." Kibble has a BA in Graphic Design, and has worked in London, Brussels and New York.
Do you have a design hero? I don’t believe in design heroes. The best design and ideas are created in an environment of teamwork and collaboration. A culture of "celebrity designers" does not ultimately produce the best design, however, I do have brand heroes that go against their category and create a new design aesthetic. Apple, Virgin Atlantic and the MINI are great examples.
How and where do you find inspiration? Everywhere and anywhere. Walking down the street. Watching people. Observing how people interact with products in a retail environment. I am obsessed with traveling and seeing different cultures, cities and landscapes. I always go to supermarkets and shopping centers to see how local brands are being promoted.
What do you do in your time away from work? Photography is my passion. Photography is when I focus on creating my own art and follow my own aesthetics: clean and uncluttered, simple composition and strong use of color. When I interview job candidates, I like to hear them talk about their outside interests. This provides me with a greater insight into what they are going to be like to work with. People’s passions show the real depth of their creativity.
Is there one product, tool or gadget that you cannot live without? Mobile phone. I get a real kick from the combination of today's high-end product design and sophisticated functionality. Last month I was traveling in Arizona and came across some of G2's work in a retail store; within 60 seconds I had snapped a few images and was on the phone talking to New York about how we could make the work stand out more instore.
Are you hopeful about 2004? Yes. The entire industry is evolving and facing a more challenging model. In the fragmenting marketplace, non-traditional brand communications are thriving, and it is critical to be able to deliver a consistent brand message across all channels - an area G2 has been focused on since its inception. For the past three years, G2 has been laying the foundation to respond and adapt to this constantly challenging market, so we are well ahead of the curve, having just completed our best year yet.

Jonathan Alger

Jonathan Alger's belief in exhibition design as a form of life-long learning has resulted in permanent displays for many of America's most prestigious cultural institutions. He has created interpretive designs for an aviary at the Bronx Zoo, hands-on exhibits for the New York Hall of Science, a multimedia history experience in Singapore and an exhibit about race and culture in Mississippi, among many others. Currently, he is planning new visitor experiences at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, and creating a permanent home for the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the national anthem. Raised on a farm in northern Maine, Alger began as an intern at the legendary Chermayeff & Geismar, eventually becoming the youngest principal in 25 years. With offices overlooking Madison Square Park, the firm today has six principals and a staff of 30, including graphic designers, architects and industrial designers.
Do you have a design hero? My partners. I'm in my 13th year here at the office, but they've been at it far longer. In fact, the two founding partners, Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar, have been here for 45 years, and they're still here every day. That's pretty heroic. I haven't even been breathing for 45 years.
What would be your dream project? Well, it may sound unimaginative, but two of the projects that I'm working on right now are probably as good as it gets. My team and I are redesigning all the exhibits at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, which is a spectacular, wonderful building with a phenomenal view of downtown. I've always loved astronomy, so the subject matter couldn't be more interesting. The second project is one I'm doing with my partner, Tom, which is the design of a new space at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, for the display of the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that Francis Scott Key was looking at when he wrote the national anthem. The assignment to reinterpret such a powerful patriotic symbol at this time in history is very engaging, to say the least.
How and where do you find inspiration? My father-in-law once told me, "Don't work too much or you'll never get any work done." Part of what he meant is that the best solutions and the clearest vision about work can't be found at work. Whenever I have an answer that just won't come, I know I'm not helping matters by staring at the wall. All the best work happens when you don't think you're working. The toughest problems get solved while running errands. The most innovative new ideas arrive in the shower. The best business models appear during long drives. The most effective visual solutions emerge in the reflections in subway windows.
What do you do in your time away from work? Change diapers.
What are you currently listening to, watching or reading? Graphic Design usa, of course. 401(k) law. Harry Potter. The New Yorker. Labels on baby medicine. Mac OS X online help. New Brand World, by Scott Bedbury. Radiohead. Underconsideration.com. The Economist. Ed Tufte. More Radiohead. Our new book, designing: (sorry).
Do you believe the economic recovery is finally here? Yes. Now please inform the clients.