INTERVIEW WITH JON SUEDA
for Opt/Out Magazine Issue 01,
February 2005
By River Jukes Hudson

Jon Sueda was born in Honolulu, HI. Jon recieved his BFA from the University of California Davis; then, after working for two years at Appetite Engineers in San Francisco, went to earn his MFA from CalArts. He spent 4 months working at Studio Dumbar in the Hague, The Netherlands, before coming to teach graphic design at Art Center. Jon and his partner Gail Swanlund run STRIPE in Eagle Rock,CA. He also currently teaches type at CalArts. We share a deep affection for Zankoo chicken shwarma.

River: What did you miss most about the U.S. when you were in Holland?
Jon: As far as work goes, I missed a level of control. I spoke no Dutch, so I felt like I lost the power of language to a certain extent. Reading the text and knowing the content is such a integral part of my process. I felt a little handicapped and dependent on others to tell me what the content was. In retrospect, I think that was the best thing for me. In my career there’s been times where–you put yourself in these really uncomfortable positions and that’s when the most stuff happens, growth happens. When I first went to grad school I felt very perplexed for a year or so, like I couldn’t make anything interesting! Then I started figuring things out and I was better for having gone through the process. Gaining some confidence in graduate school then quickly putting myself in another context where I needed to adjust to a new culture was difficult, but also a great learning experience. I started to reevaluate some of my ideas that I brought with me from the U.S.. Including ideas that I really believed in at CalArts. When you go to some place like Holland where things are done in a really different way, you are forced to question what your own values are. Each country has it’s own interests, needs, and values. Interesting design in America doesn’t mean it’s going to equally interesting in another country. Each place has its own cultural context that produces design that is representative of the way they think or the way communication works there. So, I had to learn to navigate as a designer in a new place, working on projects in a different way with different communication strategies. It was really inspiring and a lot of fun. For the last 2 years I’ve been grappling with how to integrate my experiences as a designer in Holland to my practice here in the U.S..

Well one of the amazing things about Holland is that they can make these unusual projects work commercially and that is such a battle here.
The main thing that makes this possible is the government funding they get. Many interesting projects are supported by the cultural sector of The Dutch government. Motivated artists, architects, musicians, and designers are able to get grants to initiate personal projects and actually produce them. That’s why the work there seems a bit more daring and experimental at times. My theory is that, these unusual cultural projects affect the commercial sector of design as well. The saturation of interesting work out on the streets sets a precedent that influences what commercial clients desire as well. In the U.S., most do experimental work for little pay in a academic context, or on the weekends for the pure love of design. A very select few have the opportunity to take big risks in the commercial arena.
R: Would you consider moving to another country?
J: I do visit my friends in the Hague and keep in touch with them. I ‘ve gone back a few times, and I’m always inspired by how they work and live.

The goal now is, instead of seeking it out elsewhere, to try to make it happen here in L.A. I sort of use the small Dutch studios as inspiration for my own practice. If you look around, there aren’t a lot of models for small studios supporting themselves with interesting work. The last on in L.A. to really make a big explosion was REVERB studio of the 90’s. I’d like to have fun, collaborate with others, and make work on my own terms.
R: And you feel like that’s possible to do here?
J: Yes, I think it’s possible but we are still learning how to balance making work we love and the practicality of keeping a studio afloat financially. It’s not easy.
R: What do you think about young students getting right out of school and starting their own studios?
J: I’m all for it if the people involved have the skills and maturity to do it. Unfortunately, design is more than just making great work. Outside of a academic setting there are clients and vendors that you need to know how to deal with. I think that is what you learn when you first get out of school…how to function in “real world” situations.

In the U.S. the possibility of young people starting something right out of school is more complicated because of the money. Most students are in huge financial debt and need to pay off loans. However, in Holland, schools are much cheaper and there is the possibility to get financial help to start a studio. A group of talented graduates with a business proposal and a great portfolio can apply for this cultural grant worth around 19,000 euro per person to start up. So a group of three could instantly have 57,000 euro to start their business. This is pretty fantastic! Some use the money to set up a space and buy computers. Others use all the money to make 3 amazing personal projects to promote themselves and get clients for the following year.

Did you travel elsewhere when you were living abroad?
Yes. I went to Germany, Switzerland, and France. In all three countries I connected with other graphic designers who I knew previously, and some who I just emailed because I wanted to meet them.

And were they open to talking to you?
Yeah, most were very cool. Some were too busy. Zurich had a pretty amazing design community as well. There were a lot of young design studios doing really interesting work, self publishing, starting type foundries, crossing over into illustration and fashion…
If you’re thinking of moving, you should try to get an internship in Europe. For the most part, they’re very pragmatic about it. Most of the good studios search really hard for their interns and are looking for someone who can contribute right away. They put you to work on real projects as a collaborator. You’re not just fetching coffee and lunch. This is what I did my during my first internship in the U.S…. Spraymount as fast as you can and get our coffee! It was boring and I didn’t learn all that much. I’ve been told a lot of internships in America are like that. In Europe, they believe if they give you a good experience, and in exchange, you’ll work really hard for them. I would look into that. Research studios that you like, contact them and ask about internships. The hard part is finding a place to live if you get one. If they’re cool they might help you.

In the middle of my first year of grad school, I was already sending stuff out a year and a half ahead of time.

I’m realizing now how important that is.
Good studios have people lined up for years ahead of time. I had to wait a year and a half before I could go to Dumbar. But there are so many good opportunities and the experience is invaluable.

How do you find out about smaller studios? What are good resources?
Look at a lot of books, magazines...keep current with contemporary work that interests you.

What’s your favorite design magazine?
Eye and Émigré have consistently been the best over the years when it comes to pure content. There’s that new English one, Grafik that’s pretty nice. Most of the American magazines focus on super commercial topics which I don’t relate to so much. But I’m always looking at a lot of books. Actually, the Art Center Library has a whole collection of a Japanese publication called Idea. It often features interesting work from all over the globe. You can look through those, find a name and look up the website, try to contact them. You just have to be really proactive about it.

Well, alrighty. Thanks. Time to eat your Zankoo.--