Sampler: Backstage Talks

By Design Conf sees speakers like Michael Wolff and Christoph Niemann gather in Slovakia to share their thoughts on design every year. But when the organisers realised that a lot of the best conversations happen backstage, they launched Backstage Talks as a magazine that captures these exchanges so they reach a wider audience.

We’re thrilled to be offering issue two — it revisits 2016’s annual event, and talks to illustrators, photographers and designers offstage. Discussing the life of a designer rather focusing on design itself, it explores issues like stubbornness, deliberate imperfections, and what happens when you’re bored of your own work. Sampler gives you 10% off the cover price and free shipping, but we have a limited number of copies available so make sure you don’t miss out!

In this issue:

— Photographer Oliviero Toscani talks openly about stubbornness, cynicism and revolutions instead of mediocrity
— Designer Tobias van Schneider shares his thoughts on how designers could benefit from being better businesspeople
— Illustrator Malika Favre explains benefits of being the first to become bored with your own work, and how the lack of courage kills chances to create something exciting
— Curator Erik Kessels explains when to use irony, how hating something can make you do it better, and how deliberate imperfections can make things a lot more interesting
— Writer and educator Debbie Millman on how branding shapes culture and the obligations designers have to our society
— And Pentagram’s Natasha Jen talks about the importance of partnerships and exposure to diverse industries on growing your ambition

As always, buying through Sampler gives you 10% off and free shipping to the US, UK and Europe. But there are limited copies available, so secure your copy now!