<<interview with David Linderman (Fork)>>

motivation | introduction | back | fork website

What direction where you going in college?
>> art student. graphics were more available and better form of expression.

Did you ever think you were going to found a design firm in Germany?
>> no clue.

Why Germany?
>> why not? this place is funky in a twisted way. adventure.

On your website, you state that Fork specializes in new media and modern brand placement. Do you think there will be a time when the new media of today will be the only media, when print will be no more?
>> uh no. good design has always been about authorship as well as organization. i dont define myself in terms of the surface i work on.

Do you ever get frustrated by the vast amount of bad sites out there?
>> no. too many good ones.

Fork designs are often innovative or at least avoid the conservative approach. Do (or did) you ever have to convince clients to go 'the Fork way'? What are your tactics?
>> we do it our way. but we^re pretty upfront and intelligent about it. >> we are very very stubborn about details. = )

Humour is a very important aspect of Fork. Are you trying to be universal by being funny?
>> we are having fun.. or fucking with stuff we think needs to be challenged.

What can interface design learn from print design? What is the most underestimated achievement of print design?
>> interface and most print design are like totally different fields of study. associates only through graphic design, the use of type, image and visualized motion. if designers from school are trying to categorize themselves as °print or °interactive, i think they are fairly short-sighted as to the whole spectrum of designed surfaces like tv, film, comics, sound, games, magazine, newspaper and identity work. i dont think i named them all.

Is graphic design art?
>> i think that in the same way an artist acquires a personality or propogates an idea through their work, so do designers. -important for both is that it is done passionately or eloquently. it its just a job then it is not art. i think that most people dont understand what art is in the first place. art creates an itch. or expresses something that we can consume. art necessarily implies consumption and is therefore related to commerce.

What are your 'great examples' in (design) history?
>> wwII

Is interface design graphic design or product design?
>> god. who cares?

Would you like to design the interface for, say, a VCR or a toaster? Why (not)?
>> hell no. if i did it would be art. = )

Have you ever read 'The Design of Everyday Things' by Donald A. Norman?
>> i think so. it must have been very boring. i don°t really care about shaver design or toasters.

How much has digital interface design have to do with product design?
>> how much do you think it has to do with it?

What guidelines do you use when designing an interface?
>> none. check parameters, identify source. design flow.

Is there a set procedure, or is it different every time?
>> obviously.

What is the most valuable book on interface design you have ever read?
>> the diamond age -a victorian primer for girls- by neil stephensen

Do you think the text interface is heading for a comeback?
>> did it ever go out of style?

Have you got an alternative for the desktop metaphor in current GUIs?
>> of course.

Are 3D metaphors useful in interface design, or are they just a useless waste of resources?
>> you can do whatever you want to. do you think amy franchisi from future farmers is a useless waste of resources?

Are all those different languages in Europe unnecessary barriers or a unique breeding ground for creativity?
>> language is beautiful. its even better when you understand it.

Do you think computer games like Quake, Tomb Raider, Dune 2(000), etc. are culturally valuable, or are they just the digital equivalent of blockbuster movies?
>> i think blockbuster movies is culturally valuable for about 14 billion people around the world.

How about on-line gaming?
>> great.

Does television have a future?
>> of course. on the net.