Interview with Marty Neumeier: A babe falls in the woods

Graphis, Mar/Apr 2002 by Barnett, Chris

Graphis: Was Critique a success or a failure?

Neumeier: My wife and I were talking about that. We both feel it was a total success and a total failure. In life, you pursue something because you have a vision of what you will get out of it and you often end up getting something completely different. That's me. I feel totally happy with the experience. I'm unhappy that I have to start over to rebuild our nest egg, but I am sure I will be able to do it rather quickly because of what I learned publishing Critique.

Graphis: So Neumeier Design Team has been reborn?

Neumeier. We've dropped the word "Team." We're a technology business branding and design firm using the collaborative model. This time, we're going to work, when it's needed, with other groups who specialize in a related discipline. Our specialty is branding, brand icons, brand messaging, naming and packaging for technology companies. Our expertise is, in a very real way, 'storytelling' through words and pictures. I believe storytelling is the best way to get business and branding information across to diverse, intelligent and busy audiences. Again, this time Neumeier Design is part of a community of specialists who work at the very top level and does technology design, communications and branding.

Graphis: What makes the new Neumeier Design all that different in the marketplace?

Neumeier: I'd say it's the collaborative model as opposed to the one-stop design, supermarket model that claims to do it all for you. It's also our deep domain experience in design and branding for the technology industry. We've been here since 1984 and we're still here. We're also drawing on the editorial and mentoring skills developed at the magazine and we're doing more to teach our clients and our collaborators. For example, next week we're conducting a packaging seminar for Kodak. Business, especially today, is looking for the best breed of branding. That's our differentiator.

Graphis: You seem very energized after all this. What's your personal game plan?

Neumeier: I am trying to build a bigger firm than we had before but this time I can't be involved in all the creative decisions. I have a wonderful group of talented, skilled, creative people-designers, writers, editors-who've worked and stuck with me through all this. Clients will get me, my strategic thinking, my differentiating messaging and my critique of what we're doing. But I'm not going to be writing copy for software packages. That doesn't satisfy me any more.

Graphis: You won't be on a beach in Rarotonga, even with a Mac Powerbook and a wireless modem?

Neumeier: When Critique went down, we left a lot of debts. We owed a lot of people. We had a lot of creditors and they have been wonderful. We didn't file for bankruptcy.

Graphis: How much do you owe?

Neumeier: Oh, debts? Including the IRS probably half a million. But half of that has been paid already. We're paying every single person back every last dime.

Credits & Comments

Pg.96 Rebellion cover, Autumn 1996. Concept: Kelly Bambach, Creative Director Christopher Chu, Art Director: Nancy Bernard, Photography: Jeanne Carley.