i “met” (not face to face yet but soon) aymie spitzer via linocult, where i posted about her letter march project. she’s quite talented, and is currently designing at hyperakt here in brooklyn.

lfb:what does your workspace look like?/what’s you desktop wallpaper right now?

aymie:An illustration by Mary Blair

lfb: what prompted you to pursue graphic design?
aymie: Since I can remember, I’ve had a strange attraction to typography, colors, shapes, and the way they work together. As a young child, I even thought individual letters and numbers had personalities! (9′s were kind of posh snobs!) My mom was in the sales and art side of advertising so as a young girl, I spent hours at the local newspaper waiting for her to get off work. I’d tuck away into the layout studio, digging deep into the clip art books, slicing and waxing my own posters. I still miss the smell of that hot wax. A few years after high school, I finally realized that I needed to get into graphic design and it changed my life. 

lfb: what kind of things do you do to ensure that you continue to grow as a graphic designer and improve/expand your skill set?
aymie: I’ve learned that it’s a balance of many things. I think seeking out learning opportunities in any way is so crucial to continue growing as a designer and as a person. Attending professional events, conferences, and continuing my education after my undergrad all play a part in this. It’s also obvious to say that submerging in culture and history is super important in observing and understanding trends. Finally, I am a strong advocate for collaboration with others on any level. 

lfb: what’s one lesson that you’ve had to learn the hard way as a designer? how would you do it differently the next time? 
aymie: So many, where should I start! The biggest challenge I’ve battled since the very beginning, is confidence. Having confidence in your work and in your reasonings. Confidence gets the better of me every single day so it’s a constant struggle but it’s a critical part of being a designer and I wish I would have started actively working on it sooner. 

lfb: when you’re not designing, what are you doing?
aymie: I do freelance here and there, but mostly I’m concentrating on little side projects like Letter March. I need side projects to keep me balanced. Other than that, I’m exploring this magical city on foot or spending time with friends and family, or getting lost in Netflix. 

lfb: being creative and creating; what steps do you take to make sure that you are actually producing instead of just thinking up pie-in-sky ideas all day?
aymie: It’s a combination of things. I had this idea to do monthly projects but have only completed 3 so far and I’d like to get back on that track. Sometimes I like to make giant lists of short term goals because there’s nothing like a huge poster staring at you everyday reminding you to get shit done. What’s even more pressure than a poster on your wall, is making your project or idea public because then the internet holds you accountable. It’s also great because it pushes you to make things that hopefully aren’t too ugly. If so, the internet tells you immediately and it pushes you to make it more awesome. 

lfb: who are your top three design heroes and why?
aymie: I admire many designers for different reasons but the following are my current heroes.
Stefan Sagmeister. On top of his creative genius, his personality and thoughts process intrigues me. I’m patiently awaiting the completion of The Happy Film!
Paula Scher. I think she’s the woman I’ve always wanted to be. She speaks boldly yet sincerely candid, designs with massive large scale typography, and designed at record covers in the 1970′s. She’s totally badass.
Ed Benguiat. He’s cultivated a lifetime of gold in the typography world, to say the least. Also, he is absolutely hilarious and witty in person. “What the hell is this!”

lfb: what is your greatest fear (pertaining to design)? what haunts your dreams?
aymie: My dreams are filled with murderers chasing me, but what’s even more haunting is settling for mediocrity in this life. I want my work to stimulate and if the day comes where that doesn’t happen, it’s time to reevaluate my intentions and make a career change.

lfb: what, in your opinion, is the highest possible function that design can have?
aymie: This is going to sound slightly cheesy but I believe it with all my heart. Design catalyzes change in societies and the entire world. It challenges peoples’ thought processes to view the world from other perspectives and that blows my mind.