Ole Utikal, a graduate of the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany, has taught at Macromedia University of Applied Sciences and Miami Advertising School, and has worked on design for Audi Magazine, Deutsche Telekom, FC St. Pauli, GEO Magazine, Lufthansa Magazine and others. He is involved in several international art and design projects along with his ongoing personal art projects.
Q: Hi Ole. We know that you have been working on personal art projects, can you tell us about a recent project?
Ole: I have an animation project with German media coming up at the end of the year, and I'm responsible for the animated image design part of it. The animation project is about how to become a good architect in Germany and highlights the identity of German culture mainly through humorous animation, which is why we created this animation. We expect it to convey the German architectural culture to the audience and to be recognized by the audience.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a good idea? What is the visual language that captures the hearts and minds of people?
Ole: A good idea is an idea that is simple and resonates with consumers. A pure story may be able to make consumers relate to the work, but if it's only relevant but not rewarding, it's not a good idea. A visual language that can capture people's hearts is mainly reflected in three key points: resonance, openness and fun, among which resonance accounts for a large proportion. If the design viewpoint is compared to language, then how to accurately communicate this language to the audience is the problem that designers need to think deeply. In the end, the work is not independent, but for the public to enjoy, so resonance is especially important.
Q: You often take a camera to photograph clothing patterns on people, why do you have such a special preference?
Ole: When I was in Germany, I had seen a lot of information about Chinese students' clothing patterns and I was very impressed. When I came to China, I found that pattern designs on students' clothes were very common and it seemed that everyone's different personalities were hidden in them. As a result, I also had the idea of wanting to record the patterns on my students' clothes, and I think these recordings will inspire my future creations. I also highly encourage students to record what interests them with their cameras, which will be very helpful in creating resonant works.
Q: What advice do you have for students studying design?
Ole: It's great that many students have their own unique ideas about design. I hope the students will stay motivated to learn and broaden their horizons as much as possible to understand the local cultures of other countries, which is very helpful to enhance the depth and breadth of design for everyone. I encourage students to try new things, even if someone has already created something similar before, but that doesn't stop us from making it better.
Photo: Ole Utikal's design work
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