Carving on stones sound like something from ancient times, but if we think about it, it still happens all the time. Richard Kindersley is a designer who specializes in typography and carving. We were lucky to have a chance to visit his studio last week.
What he does certainly has got a lot to do with craftsmanship, but at the same time he is a problem solver and a challenger, so what he does is 'design' without a doubt. He shared a lot of interesting stories with us but one thing that stuck with me is how he emphasized the importance of constantly pushing yourself to do new things. Clients come to you because they liked what you did in the past. They ask and expect things to be done in a similar way as how you have previously done. That, however, means that you are stuck with the same way of doing things. It's important for you to keep on trying something new as your personal projects, so that when client comes, you can show them not just your past but also your future.
「石に文字を掘る」なんて昔話みたいだけれど、当たり前だけれど今でもこうやって手作業で行っていて、そのような文字を石に掘るデザインを多く手がけるのがRichard Kindersley。彼率いるデザイン事務所に見学に行く機会を得れたのだけれど、これが意外とおもしろかった。割りと職人的な行為なのに、そこにあるのはれっきとしたデザイナーの姿勢で、新しいこと、おもしろいことにチャレンジし続けるかっこいいおじいちゃんデザイナーでした。
考えてみたこともない職業の話を色々聞けて、なるほどと関心しまくり。例えば、建物に掘る場合だと、例えイギリスの冬みたいな最低の気候（雨、湿気）でも、毎日現場に通って、少しずつ文字を掘らなければいけないとか。英語の文字の綴りを間違えた失敗談とか（石を彫るとなると、間違いを正すのは至難・・・）。ロンドンは空気が汚染されているから、深めに掘らないと、すぐに石が削れて文字が読みにくくなるとか。
