When it comes to the diploma project finding the right subject was already quite a trip as I began this semester having something completely different in mind than what I’m working on right now.

At the first presentations of our ideas I was heavily stopped warned by my teachers. Although I delivered the ‘presentation of my life’ (or so it seemed to me) I drove right against the wall. My ideas were too real, too utopian for the occasion and I was suggested to search a more appropriate topic for my graphic design diploma project. (‘Be a student for these last months of your studies!’)
Childishly, during and right after this first discussion with my profs I had quite a stubborn fuck you all, I will prove you right attitude. But after some reflective days of harcore brainstorming, doubting, writing, running, it became clearer and clearer to me that my teachers actually had been quite right …

After all I will be able to continue my own projects (i.e. a big shiny new magazine — which was the initial diploma plan) also when my studies are finished, there’s really no need to rush things.

To cut a long story short: the overall subject of my diploma project is creating a visual identity (and every exciting thing that comes with it) for the legendary local football club PIQTO UNITED from the Südstadt neighborhood of my hometown Cologne.
The project is fun but very challenging too as I’m trying to create a powerful balance between both traditional and innovative approaches to the football universe and the identity of a sports club that goes beyond the pitch.

I began by designing a special corporate typeface, called PU Brueder. Once the first version was finished it was then directly applicated to the new interactive web platform I built for the team. (→ www.piqto-united.com)
Then I started working on a book/magazine hybrid which will serve both as a chronological collection of the material produced by the members (match reportages, interviews, documentary photo series) as well as an exploration of new forms and visual languages within the context of the subject.

Currently I’m experimenting with the next medium in the series: posters. I was always fascinated by the (charmingly banal) skill statistics on classic sport trading cards (which will be the content and context of the objects) and — accordingly — the iconization of players with the help of graphics and a certain visual language.

What makes a club truly unique? How can one develop a really distinctive visual language within a topic that is already well-known? How can I be more extreme in designing a identity for a community?

To be continued …

The magic of all this is that it was and is a provoking trigger for action. Having in mind that for me action is the key to success, this sentence simply motivates me to do my work and stay active and stay moving.

So the plan to make a mistake is simply the spark, the kick to make ideas happen. To pack opportunities by the horns, to approach the project, to write, to talk to that person who is actually too ‘big’, ‘important‘, ‘unreachable‘. In simply doing what you are scared of, to stop the worrying and just start the action, to throw yourself into the situation and to accept the new and/or accept a possible mistake will always work out.

It always works out because even if the action was succesful or not — the simple fact that you did it and learned is already golden. This might therefore be the deepest goal and one of the important aspects of how I define my Attitude. To learn, to get better.

This is the reason why I don’t fear “possibly” too ambitious projects like the one I’m writing here. This is why I encourage the people of my generation: Let’s make more better mistakes!

When I created my own publication with a friend (Johannes Breyer) we started with the name and a manifesto to share our point of view, our position, our attitude.

The project was born out of a necessity because we were missing an output of people of our age in the creative business who would not only provide some random pictures with no substance but sharing background information with transparency and honesty.

While Antonin Artaud wrote in 1932:
There are too many manifestos and not enough works of art.
I shout out today:
There are too many works of art and not enough manifestos!

I’m sick of all the shiny and cluttered ”portfolio magazines” only exposing the style of boring designers. I think we need a fresh approach, more transparency, more process, more substance, more realness, failures and success stories …

My self-confidence is built upon my work and my joy for my constant journey and my will of progressing my mind, my body, my soul. I don’t care too much about the past but trying with all my heart to radically look forward while being fully engaged in the present moment.

1. Let’s be more radical!
2. Let’s be more punk!
3. Let’s make better mistakes!
4. Let’s change world!

I’m a romantic. I’m a perverse optimist. I’m embracing naïveté. I’m scared to death and have I fear while I’m writing this but I have the courage to act in spite of it. If I’m failing I’m trying again. Mistakes are a sign of action. And this manifesto is a momentary testament of my action towards progression.

My passion is producing and publishing. This passion is born out of necessity. I think it is a waste of energy to create and then not to expose what you have done or not to share what you have learned along the way. I shout out:

1. More interaction provoking open and honest discussion!
2. More people who are communicating new visions, ideas, work, process!
3. More energy for collaboration and progress together!
4. More feedback, critique, action!

I propagate more radicalness in a positive sense. I’m sick of people holding back their ideas, fearing opinions of others, making not use of their power and their opportunities! Let’s fail more. And let’s fail better!

1. Stop the negativity. Don’t be blocked by your worries but make use of them!
2. Stop fearing what others might think!
3. Be open to critique and see failures as a chance for true progression!
4. Always be open to new ideas; new people; new possibilities!
5. Stop hiding what you got inside you!
6. We can’t change the past so let’s look radically forward!

—
Another part of The Manifesto of Attitude. Next chapter to come: I WANT TO LEARN
which is directly linked to the text above.

Let me know what you think, every kind of feedback is appreciated!

The topic of this mémoire is born out of necessity. My observations had to lead to action. A new state of mind, a new Attitude for this new decade is what is needed and this is my journey to discover it.

What do I mean with Attitude? What is mine? Where does it come from? Why is it important today?
These are some of the key questions that I kept asking me the last years. Questions and scenarios that kept growing my head fueled by books I read and everyday life situations I experienced.

As I am myself on the constant search for defining my Attitude I want to take this mémoire as a chance to develop a clearer structure and a verbalised version of my standpoints in order to communicate properly and truthfully my visions and actions with a lasting impact.

I’m not yet an expert nor do I want to sound or act like one. All I have is the strong will to make things better and the feeling that improvement is needed. This mémoire is constructed as a manifesto and these are my goals that I aim to communicate within this medium directly and honestly out of my personal experiences:

1. I want to discover the aspects and the importance of Attitude.
2. I want to explore and define my own Attitude.
3. I want to make new propositions and inspire and motivate others.
4. I want to polarize and provoke discussion.

What I observed over the years is that there is a lack of Attitude in today’s world, or: misleading, unproductive, deconstructive Attitudes.

One of the problems that result from this fact is that most of the people don’t know what it is that is truly important to them. They are living the dreams of others. They are wasting too much of their precious time by living false Attitudes that are too heavily influenced by mass-media messages and invented crap of ‘others‘.

What comes to the mind is the internet. But it’s too easy to blame only this medium. It’s the general overwhelming disponibility of material and information in our times that are blocking more often than they spark productivity. Due to constant distraction it’s harder than ever for us to concentrate and focus on the things that really matter for us.

In this time where everything exists, where every opinion exists, where everything has already been there, where everything is available, where we are constantly bombarded with all kinds of information; we need to create a new inner strength, a new confidence, new stable and constant values, new manifestos; a new courage to use our own understanding.

Everything is disposable, but people are bored! Because the don’t know what they really want. Getting constantly distracted and we lose the time/ability for real reflection. We are becoming slaves of consumerism, slaves of the screen, slaves of the Attitudes of the mainstream. We need less. We need simplicity. We need clarity in what we want.

To profit from the chances of our time and to find true and pure happiness we have to change our habits and our Attitude. Towards work, towards ourself, towards others; a new Attitude towards life!

1. Let’s make clear what is important for us and what we want from life!
2. Let’s embrace and share our visions!
3. Let’s reconsider the chances and possibilities we have today!
4. Let’s re-estimate the power of critique and mistakes for true progress!

If Attitude is not defined one is more likely in danger of lacking motivation and enthusiasm. You should always know why you do what you are doing and be motivated and excited about your work and the process behind.

But however great your intentions might be, how rich your visions, how strong your will — it’s your actions that count. You have to put yourself in motion. You have to start. It’s the moment you are sitting down and start to work and focus on your task were you begin to change things for the better. How you approach your work is a question of Attitude. (see Work and Dispcipline)

If there is one thing that I have learned in the past years than it is one simple truth:
Action makes the difference.

Even if it turns out different than expected or even worse, doing it is better than not doing it. The feeling having done something — even if it went different or even worse than expected — is better than to regret having missed an opportunity. A missed chance will make you unhappier than a action went wrong.

Let’s stop fearing to be ourself and start to show what we got. We need to have the courage to let your light shine. And we have to stop fearing mistakes that might wait along the journey. Mistakes are a sign of action. And action is the key to true progression.

To be continued …

This is Better Mjstakes Volume III. Whether you are familiar with the first issue of the magazine or not — this one will be different. Not only has the design, the format, and the overall aesthetics changed but the whole approach to the content. 
This issue is devoted to magazines — a magazine about magazines — so to say, or how the makers of Liner Notes the book about books say about their project: a self-reflexion in the medium.

The idea for this new issue was born when we got the assignments for the fifth semester at ECAL (École cantonale 
d’art et design Lausanne) where I am currently studying visual communication. The briefing: to find a savoir-faire, a
 specialisation, something that we are passionate about, 
a competence that we wanted to develop further.

I chose the designing and art direction of interviews and magazines. Talking of the latter I wanted to take it to another level in combining and publishing the project direct
ly as a new issue of my own magazine, which is the one you are holding in your hands right now.

In this issue of Better Mjstakes I write about, show and share my discovery. The magazines I’m presenting are mainly from the culture sector of fashion, design, architecture, movies, music — and the people behind.

For a more technical part this issue provides an analysis with both objectiv and subjectiv view on the construction, conception and design of interviews and conversations 
in the editorial context.

The main reason in doing so is to reach a wider audience in order to share what I have discovered and learned on my journey.

If you are still on board and want to dig deeper sit back now and let me throw to you some very personal thoughts and background info on the whole project with a bunch of delicious “W” questions — here we go:

First and foremost — as I have to admit — to nurse passion. I was always fascinated by magazines and I wanted to know more. Much more. I wanted to go deeper, into the “underground”, discovering the subjects of interest with a na
ive look on the making of my favourite titles.

In order to do so I made a lot of interviews. I love interviews. The first one who reponded to my demand was Kai von Rabenau publisher of mono.kultur, the wonderful 
little magazine from Berlin. I always liked the simplicity and radicalness of the concept. One issue — one interview. It’s honest and direct. So with this one as a opener to my project I found myself directly on the edge of the art:

“I think interviews are an amazing way to portray a person. It adheres again to our sense of modesty: of course, interviews are edited and thus in a way manipulated, but still they give you the sense of having direct contact with a person’s mind. If I want to find out about a specific person, then I’d much rather hear it from him/her directly than filtered through a jour-
nalist’s words. A good interview will give me exactly that: a glimpse into someone’s life, their experiences, their thoughts and ideas” (Kai von Rabenau)

But main reason for going “public” with a project like this and to realize my two projects for real distribution stems from a deep lust for sharing. The driving force is necessity. Somehow my heros barely or never got interviewed which was no less than a scandal for me!

So I collected the information with the aim to give in return and share my thoughts with every interested soul. This 
issue is a research fueled with personal, subjective, objective, polarizing, hopefully inspiring opinions and thoughts.

This is a cliché answer but I think I always loved the sensation, the haptic, the smell of printed matter — be it a magazine, a catalogue, a book, a LP inlay — diving into a special universe. Of course, what also comes into my mind 
are my internships at Bureau Mirko Borsche or Mike Meiré or my work experience at 032c. But this would be too easy as 
an answer. My passion lies deeper.

I think I have the talent/ability/problem/tick (?) to get seduced very easily. When something — say a magazine — 
is well made, visually, conceptually, soul-touching, … or when I’m absorbing a well-written article 
and/or interview I’m feeling not less than über-motivated afterwards. I love to get motivated just by reading a text, 
or looking at a series of photos — motivated to the 
point that I shut the magazine with the absolute will to better start creating something amazing myself.

The whole diving into a universe story is also related to 
a fascination with branding. I remember that I always had 
a fascination with brands. But in a rather and posi
tive way. I loved sub-brands and merchandising. With branding in a magazine I mean the idea of unity not in a “bad” capitalist way but brands as universes: 
magazines = brands. OK?

An early example would be the Mickey Mouse magazine I read in the 90s wholeheartedly. It had its own identity, its own language, its own world. And it did not stop with the magazine: there were many so many sub-brands, merchandising etc. that created the whole experience.

Also, it’s all about personal, subjective experiences. The feeling 
of the light pages of Der Spiegel that I read on the couch every 
monday afternoon after the lunch, or — earlier — the smell of a fresh new square format LEGO catalogue highlighting 
the favourite sets with a big marker, carefully putting out the many posters of BRAVO Sport, or getting lost in my 
mother’s fashion and design magazines …

Magazines were always very present in every stage of 
my life so far. Countless subscriptions, huge amounts of spent money I did not really have … When I started stu-
dying graphic design “professionally” my focus changed with the stages of my unconcious research. I became open-minded to a whole new range of magazines, mainly cultural titles, fashion, architecture, art. A long-time favourite was 032c the magazine for “contemporary culture” based in Berlin (see pages 54-71). I once even grabbed the chance to interview the founder, editor-in-chief and creative di
rector Jörg Koch and afterwards got a job to design the magazine’s 
first real website after ten years. (But that’s another 
story already told …)

Anyway: Besides all these external influences the biggest adventure was and is the creation of my own magazine whoms second issue you are holding in your hands right now … comm’on keep on reading my friend!

Graphic design is my vehicle, my tool to show the world what I got; what moves me, what intrigues me, what fascinates me. It helps me to translate and present my 
thoughts and my ideas to my environnement.

In recent times I got involved with the term Art Director. Meaning for me to be someone who is very open-minded, curious about everything that happens in the world. 
And who is able to communicate his/her visions in an appropriate way. Besides that for me it also simply means connecting and knowing a lot of interesting people from all over the globe with different backgrounds and professions.

The making of this project was quite a journey as I found myself being the jack-of-all-trades. In an early interview with 032c Jop van Bennekom, art director of Fantastic Man and The Gentlewoman (see pages 90-107) explains this “beautiful dilemma“ more clearly:

I try to incorporate that difficulty into the magazine. 
I used to be a designer, now a designer/editor/pub-
lisher/art director/manager. It’s always a circumstance 
of how to bring these things together. I feel a bit schizophrenic; I never know exactly where I am. It’s an arbitrary way of working, almost an artist’s position, 
to make things that are not solved yet.

That being said I hope you enjoy my journey into all 
these magazines and their “schizophrenic“ but so greatly inspiring creators of today’s most exciting magazines. 
On the following pages you will find the answers to 63 questions and a lot more …