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Introducing unfun

16/08/2016

unfun are a razor-sharp design studio based in Nurnberg Germany, founded by Michael Seibert, Simon Niedermeier and Wolfgang Schöffel in 2011.

unfun originally caught our eye with their poster work for Super Klub (pictured below) but after looking through the rest of their portfolio, which includes editorial, spatial, exhibition, typeface, web and 3D design, we realised that the posters were the tip of the iceberg. Despite their varied use and experimentation with medium and process, unfun have a clearly defined and recognisable aesthetic. It’s fiercely contemporary and almost futuristic.

They marry “classic design principles with the power of new technologies” and it’s this fusion which gets us so excited about their work.

Allow us to introduce…

Studio name:
unfun

Date founded:
2011

Team:
Simon Niedermeier, Wolfgang Schöffel, Michael Seibert ++

Country & City based:
Nuremberg, Germany

The story behind setting up:
We had known each other long before we even thought about working together. We all come from different backgrounds (tagging vs. hacking) and at that time we also had a really disturbing blog running via the in Russia very popular host livejournal.com. It was not even about design at all – somewhere between politics, friendship, literature and a hard-edged digital moodboard. There was certainly some 4chan humor in it. I guess I felt a bit like a gangmember. We then somehow blundered into starting our own design studio without really having any clients or business plan.

The biggest achievement of:
accelerate the awkward

The biggest failure of:
necessary

A lucky moment:
birth

An unlucky moment:
death

Best project yet:
birth

Worst project yet:
death

Studios creative idol:
All the Internet is the idol I guess… It connects us to everything at anytime. It’s just a matter of screening the infinity of influences. I don’t mind where it comes from, I just continue being picky on who or what is allowed to exert influence on me. Being aware of that, steering your own influences matters – not only as a designer.

If you didn’t become a designer, what would you have done?
I did not really grow up creatively, so I think I was not really supposed to be a designer. All the Unfun crew is coming rather from a working class background. That’s something we really appreciate. No way to impress my mother with design, but with being kind. I guess I would just work regularly somewhere 9 – 5.

Are there any studio rituals?
This is really boring: maximum coffee rituals

Studio theme tune?
Meat Loaf – I’d do anything for love

Is there a book you think people should see/read?
Robinson Crusoe and Homo Faber

Is there a website/blog(s) that you check regularly?
All the free download stuff: http://www.1001freefonts.com/http://www.freesound.org/ +++

Your thoughts on attending GDFS2016:
Never been to Scotland. But only good people I met so far from Scotland. I want to go there! Thank you!

Michael for unfun.

Make sure you submit to our 2016 International Poster Competition before 20th August!

superklub_recondite superklub_alejandromosso superklub_poster_002_b superklub_germanbrigante superklub_levonvincent

SUPERKLUB — Die Rakete is one of the top-venues for electronic dance music in Germany. We created the promotional material.

 

Plakat_Geschmacksverstaerker_15_2
STAY LOCAL — Geschmacks­verstärker represents the finest in food, wine and music.
kv_exhibitions006
EXHIBITION COMMUNICATION — We design the postersinvitations and publications for Kunstverein Nürnberg — Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft.
summersession_vvk
SUMMER SESSION 2014 — Die Rakete is one of the top-venues for electronic dance music in Germany.
Abrakadabra_2_b
ABRAKADABRA — Die Rakete is one of the top-venues for electronic dance music in Germany.

Our Identity, Your Identity

08/10/2016

Our 2016 identity explored process, collaboration and the dialogue which unfolds as ideas are developed and visualised. As an extension of the collaboration between Warriors Studio and Freytag Anderson, who developed this year’s identity, the source files for the poster were made public and designers around the world were invited to download and rework the poster […]

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Introducing Lamm & Kirch

10/08/2016

After receiving Lamm & Kirch’s submissions to our International Poster Competition and seeing the consistently high quality work they produce for clients like Spector Books, Institut für Buchkunst (Leipzig), Goethe Institute (Abu Dahbi) and Archithese (Zürich) we approached them with an invitation to sit on the jury for our 2016 International Poster Competition. We’re now proud to […]

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