Wenzel

Q%How did you come to study design? 

A%I started studying design in Cologne six years ago. At that time, my brother, who also studied design, started teaching in this field. That influenced me and I kind of slipped into the course. I’ve always been interested in designing and creating things. I was particularly fascinated by the fact that you can combine different disciplines in design. When I started, I was in a bad place personally, and studying gave me a certain structure that I needed. 

Q%Does your university serve all of your interests, or do you also live out areas outside of your studies? 

A%There are an incredible number of workshops and areas at the university that I could use, and there are actually so many that I can’t do everything. However, there are projects and interests that I prefer to live outside of the university. I find ways to combine some of my work with the resources of the university, such as taking advantage of workshops or asking professors for advice. Still, the university is not the perfect place for some projects, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Q%Are there specific areas that you prefer to create outside of the university? 

A%Yes, for example, painting. Art is not a direct part of the study, which is logical since it is a design course. But painting is part of it for me, and I tend to do it outside. For example, I use the silkscreen workshop to print an edition for my art project, but that’s not a central part of the course.

Q%Let’s continue with your activities outside of university: do you work, or can you concentrate full-time on your studies?

A%I’m lucky to be financially supported by my parents, which gives me a lot of freedom to study. I can also earn money from nice jobs without overworking myself. So I’m relatively flexible, although like everyone else I have to work to cover my rent and living expenses. so do you feel financially secure? secure in the traditional sense—yes. But it often feels insecure because I don’t have a steady job that pays me regularly. I work on a project basis and that brings a certain amount of uncertainty. Still, I’m grateful for the opportunities I have, even if the situation for many students remains generally uncertain.

Q%Are your part-time jobs already in the field you want to do later, or more of a tool to get a job done?

A%It’s a mixture. On the one hand, I paint pictures and sell them, which generates income for me and is also part of my passion. On the other hand, I take on applied design projects, such as creating booklets, websites or posters. These are classic communication design jobs that I enjoy and are getting increasingly better at. I also work as an assistant for people with disabilities, often in an artistic context, such as workshops or magazine projects. This is an area that interests me in the long term, even though it is not directly related to my studies. 

Q%How did you get into this field?

A%During my first degree, an internship was part of the program. I worked for six months on a magazine project where all the staff members had Down syndrome. It was a great start and gave me contacts for later jobs. I later worked as a work assistant for a person with Down syndrome. Jobs like that often develop through conversations, new contacts and opportunities—a lot of things happen quite organically. You have different areas, then a project that is not directly related to that area—and suddenly you pick up new skills. It’s never the case that you learn something from the beginning to the end and then feel “trained” or professional. Instead, you gradually become more professional through this natural learning process. But it’s hard to feel that way because it doesn’t fit that classic “now I’ve learned this” image. I think you don’t really feel trained or competent until you’re working or have worked. For example, I felt much more competent after my internship than I did after twice as long at the university. That’s not to say that studying doesn’t help—I wouldn’t have felt as competent without it. But the feeling of really being able to do something comes from practical experience. Anyway, that’s my experience: the longer I work on something practically, the more competent I feel.

Q%Are there any projects or works that you are particularly proud of? 

A%Yes, definitely. For me there are two categories. On the one hand, there are projects that I find emotionally rewarding. On the one hand, there are projects that are emotionally close to me—because I have learned a lot in the process, because they touch on personal issues or have to do with people from my life. That makes me proud. On the other hand, there are big projects where I feel like I’ve taken an important step. For example, I worked with a colleague with Down’s syndrome for a long time. We wrote texts about her life. At some point, we turned it into a book, found a publisher and published it. Suddenly it was a real book that you could buy. We were even invited to appear on a TV show. The work was just as meaningful and fulfilling before, but it feels different when it gets a social “nod”. There is something about making a book that society recognizes—and that influences me, of course. It’s nice to be able to hold this book in my hands now as a result of my work.

Q%Do you feel that this acknowledgement from society as a whole is something negative?

A%You live in this society. But yes, sometimes I realize that it bothers me to be proud of something because many people see it and recognize it—even though it was just as valuable before. At the same time, I think that the social environment also plays a big role. You often do your work for friends and family first. I always thought that you do something for “the world” to see. But in my case, it’s usually close friends or family who buy a poster or want a picture of me. And that’s nice because their feedback is much more personal and maybe it’s made for them. Of course, sometimes you want recognition from strangers or a larger crowd. But I’m realizing more and more how important and nice the feedback from my social environment is.

Q%What valuable insights did you gain during your studies? And would you do anything differently with the knowledge you have now?

A%Difficult question. I think it helped me to try out as much as possible—even things that didn’t fit directly into my main direction. Everything is somehow connected and you always learn something new. Looking back, I would say that I might have taken advantage of more of the university’s offerings that went in other directions. I was often afraid of taking too broad an interest because I thought I had to focus on one goal. But it’s actually good to be broad and try new things, even if you’re bad at them. If I were to do something differently, it would perhaps be to think less about fixed goals and more about what interests me at the moment. For me, it’s ultimately about finding something that excites me—and less about achieving a specific goal. People often have the idea that there is a university or school that teaches you everything and then you “know how to do it”. That’s true to a certain extent—there are technical things you have to learn. But in design studies, as in life, it’s just as much about finding out what interests you. It’s about discovering and reflecting on your own way of working: How do I do things? How do I want to do them? And what makes me different from others? Of course, you also learn how others do things and pick up new perspectives. But it’s easy to forget that it’s just as important to develop your own approach and appreciate it. For me, this was often not clear—especially at the beginning of my studies. I was often looking for my direction, for what really interested me.

Q%I find that exciting. A lot of what becomes formative later on—whether in art, design or other areas—also has to do with identity.

A%They are people who do something because that’s exactly how they lived at that time, in that place, with those circumstances. You look at their work today because they have brought their everyday life, their impressions and influences into their projects—not because they have learned something perfectly. Exactly, it’s like Keith Haring. We recently went to an exhibition of his and everyone talks about “Keith Haring” as this big name. But he just did it because it suited the moment and the environment. It’s rare that something is really groundbreaking or “ingenious”. It’s often just about doing something that makes sense—and that’s completely okay. For me, that’s reassuring because you don’t have to constantly create something “new” or “special”. And it’s also difficult because you often don’t know exactly what you want.

Q%How do you imagine your professional life after graduation?

A%Well, I have no idea. Somehow I imagine that not much will change. I’m lucky enough to already be doing projects that are related to my studies. But I also think that you have to work more and earn more money. I’m a bit afraid of that—that you’ll have to work really hard at some point in order to be independent. I definitely want to be able to work freely—in projects that interest me. But I also don’t exclude the possibility of being employed at some point in order to have a stable income. It’s especially important for me to work with people I like. I’ve realized that even the worst work becomes bearable if you have a great team. And vice versa: if you’re alone or working with the wrong people, even an exciting task can become a torture. You need a supportive environment, whether that’s friends, family or project partners. Without this network, it becomes pretty tough.

Q%Perhaps a hybrid model? Working part-time somewhere and pursuing your own projects on the side?

A%That could be a good fit.

Q%Thank you for taking the time.

A%Thank you for your interest. i really enjoyed thinking about all this.