The design buffs among you probably already know our latest interview partners. Their work is featured on design blogs all over the globe, they have a huge crowd of followers on facebook and behance and they come from my home town, Innsbruck: Mike Rabensteiner and Isabella Meischberger of Bureau Rabensteiner took the time and answered some of our questions about their work, the distinct style of the Bureau, the importance of business cards, internet fame and their plans for the future.
Can you introduce yourself and Bureau Rabensteiner?
Every studio has it’s own philosophy and so have we. While working several years for agencies I realized that the only way to be 100% satisfied with my job is running an own studio. That’s how Bureau Rabensteiner came to my mind, which I started in 2011. I always wanted to achieve that goal before turning 30.
Isabella Meischberger and me (Mike Rabensteiner) were studying Graphic Design at the FH MulitMediaArt in Salzburg. That is where we first met. After both working on our careers for some years our ways crossed again in Innsbruck when Isabella joined the freshly established Bureau Rabensteiner.
Our Bureau has a wide range of clients from boutiques, cultural centers to financial services, photographers and also craftsmen.
Mike Rabensteiner and Isabella Meischberger, the two creative minds behind Bureau Rabensteiner
How would you describe the style of Bureau Rabensteiner?
I would say we have a basic and straight forward approach to design. Appropriately sleek, with a minimalist feel and often a monochrome color palette. Talking about branding we always try to figure out one particular aspect of a brand that sets it apart from the rest. We are into detail and we like to put on a good show.
Branding and graphic design for Meier Seefeld
Many of your projects have to do with paper. What do you like about paper? And what do you think is its special power?
With our passion for materials and paper we’d be lying to say that we don’t see a big value in analog applications and fine printed pieces. In a world where everything happens faster and cheaper and within an increasing reach printed paper works still have a special quality.
Whenever a project gets printed on paper we have the good feeling the job is done. For us touching a well produced stationery or catalogue feels more real and grounded than launching a website. Of course both parts have the same importance.
Branding and graphic design for Trofana Alpin
You design many business cards. Why do you think people still like to print them and what is important when designing them?
In personal contact a business card still does what it always did, it states the first impression and is often the step forward to a good business relationship. A business card always tells a little story about its owner.
Designing and producing a good card is always challenging. As simple as this object seems – it is astonishing how many things you have to consider to get a good result.
Business cards for Meier Seefeld and rep and photo producer N. Daniels in Vienna – the latter are thermo sensitive
For which brand would you love to work and why? The best clients are the ones you don’t know about yet.
You have over 4.000 fans on facebook, 25.029 followers on behance, design blogs all over the world love your work and this April you were featured in NOVUM magazine. How important is this international recognition and contact for you?
Building up the studio and creating our own brand is what we enjoy most. Of course this process goes hand in hand with our commissioned projects. For us it is important to not just show our portfolio. We like the people to see what is going on in the studio. It shows that the Bureau has a special spirit and a studio culture.
Mike Rabensteiner and Isabella Meischberger inside Bureau Rabensteiner
We are very thankful for living in this digital society that bares so many opportunities. Otherwise we would never be able to spread our projects around the world and to get close to the most interesting people and potential clients.
Plans, hopes and dreams for the future?
Just right now we are moving to our brand new studio space, which is amazing and will bring much more possibilities for our kind of work.
Travelling seems to play an important role in your life. I love your online travel photo guides about Barcelona, Verona, Milan and London on issuu.
Travelling is essential for us. It is like doing an exciting research for our unknown future projects. We try to go on trips as often as possible. If we can connect a design conference with a city trip, we do so. For us this is the best way to stay motivated and inspired.
PS. We already thought of doing a little guide about our hometown Innsbruck. More about this… next year. (I can’t wait!)
Thank you very much for the great interview, we wish you all the best for your new studio and are already curious what you will be up to next!
Photo courtesy of Bureau Rabensteiner