Eric Mueller Q&A
On the art of taking amazing photographs with your phone.
David Schwen partners with brands and agencies around the world to create design that resonates. He’s worked with such companies as Volkswagen, Starbucks, and McDonald’s on highly distinctive, social media-friendly branding and strategy, bringing idiosyncratic visual style to everything he touches.
I keep scrap paper on my desk for sketching and I try to stay open to the world around me. I’m also a big fan of coffee.
I try to shut down my brain. I take walks.
That’s the unknowable question, which can drive you crazy but is also the fun of it. Sometimes you share a piece of work on social that you’re sure people will love and they don’t, and other times you post something you’re not sure of and they go crazy. You can never be sure.
I like the quote, “A restless mind hungers for stimulation.” I believe that. We seek it out.
Certainly. Often it’s when my mind is turned off. A good idea will as likely come when I’m sitting on a bus or going for a drive than when I’m at work. Ideas are like that.
Absolutely. It’s good to get away from your phone. Let yourself be bored. That’s an essential ingredient of creativity.
I think everyone does. But you get to a point where it’s not about success or failure but just finding something you like. That’s the best you can do.
Every now and then, and I’m always delighted when it does. I had it happen recently with a project where I made with heart-shaped items that I shared on Instagram. Instagram contacted me and wanted me to do a whole series for Valentine’s Day. So I did and it was really fun.
People really liked the rechargeable banana. People enjoy things that aren’t branded, and aren’t an ad. It was just a simple video project but people enjoyed it. I like to view Instagram as a playground. It’s just a place where you can share stuff.
Remember to live your life. Let yourself breathe and take the stress out of your life. Be open to the signs of creativity. They don’t always present themselves in a brainstorm.
On the art of taking amazing photographs with your phone.
In an industry of ideas, make sure you protect yours