Rob Wittig: Most models of creativity focus on the blank-page-to-finished-project part of the process, but there is also the creative act of "noticing." Your work demonstrates a huge range of noticing . . . wonderful, obscure visual moments you've flagged somehow and tucked away for later use. How do things call out to you and jump out from the visual background?

Paul Sahre: I have never thought about it in quite that way, but I guess I would agree that graphic designers need to be good noticers (i think we just made a word). While I do have a decent sized morgue (of pictures, typography, printed material, not dead people) and a pretty healthy library of seemingly useless books (like: Building With Balsa Wood, Principles of Guided Missles and Nuclear Weapons, Geology of the Great Lakes etc...) I don't think about things I use for reference as being that important to my point of view. A designer's history and environment are more important. Although I don't have a particularly interesting history, I do live and work and a one of the most interesting places on earth and I do think that gets into the work one way or another. If you don't notice things walking across 14th street, something is wrong with you.

RW: What exercises and assignments do you give your students (or team members) that nourish the "noticing" part of design?

Paul Sahre: No team here, since I have a tiny office, just me and an intern (that is usually only around for 3 months). I do teach at School of Visual Arts though so I will answer your question in terms of teaching. One constant in the way I teach is to concentrate on always of trying to give assignments that are new to the student AND new to me. That way, I stay engaged because I might not know what will happen with a given assignment. This probably does get back to your question about noticing. Finding new places to explore gives back to the giver (the instructor) while it gives to the receiver (the student). Seeing my students struggle, succeed and fail is incredibly inspiring and energizing. My students are a huge influence on me.

I do look at what I do as problem solving. In an classroom environment, its tough to hold students to perameters and because of this, I think most design students can get through four years in a design program and still not really know the core of the thing that they actually do when they design:  responding to a series of situations (including deadline, budget, content, etc.) and trying to allow each unique situation to allow for a unique solution. That said, I try to avoid giving the students imaginary clients. This never works out for me because I am not good at—and have no interest in —assuming the role of the hypothetical client. If for instance I assign a logo design project for ABC Bank, what happens is the students end up doing work that seems like it is appropriate for a bank, instead of solving a specific problem.

RW: And while we're at it . . . is noticing something that can be taught or trained, do you think? or is it a kind of basic predisposition?

Paul Sahre: Not sure. I do know that being a good observer is something you can be consious of and work at. Whether one actually gets better at it or not I can't say. Honestly, I think I sometimes am not the best noticer because I take on too much at once and am often preocupied. But maybe I have just worked at it and gotten better at it and now don't have to be concious of my noticing? Come to think of it, curiousity has to be a big part of it. If you are not a curious person, can you train yourself to be? I have no idea.

RW: And another thing! *laughs* Much of the delight in your work comes from its standing in high contrast to the visual norms of the moment. How do you stay in touch with the norms? Is "norm-finding" a part of noticing, as well, perhaps?

Paul Sahre: I think the composer Ned Rorem said that "all art is just cleaver theft." Thats a pretty pessimistic comment, but there is definitely something there. I do try to pay attention to what is going on at any given moment, but I also want to cover my tracks, or at least filter it thru me. I always feel like the work I do should feel like it came from the time in which it was produced, but I hope it also solves the problem.  

I feel like we are in a kind of amazing moment where ideas are disseminated on line so quickly that there has been an explosion in truly amazing work. but this can also be a problem as too many people looking at and playing with the same ideas. I would also say that younger designers seem to care less about covering their tracks.

I'm just remebering how much I stole from Rick Valicenti in college and I don't think you could see a link. Also, I think that after you have been doing something for a while, your work can take on a trajectory all its own. Maybe thats where I am now.

RW: On the practical side: what is your your basic, personal design toolkit at the moment.? What equipment is at your workspace (pictures of your workspace/worktools would be GREAT!) and what equipment travels with you?

Paul Sahre: The studio is pretty bare bones. We have 2 work stations here at the office, plus one work station for a designer named Peter Ahlberg who is renting space here at the studio. Peter has his own clients as well as freelancing for me occasionally. We also do silkscreen here at the office, but when we are not printing something the print area is covered with paperwork etc. I travel with an old crappy iMac which I love and which I will use until it dies. I don't get big fancy laptops. I am just going to drop it anyway. Software? CS 2. To hell with CS3 and don't even get me started about CS4.

RW: I'd love to hear any observations you have on the greater, political graphic design landscape of this presidential election year so far. What are you seeing?

Paul Sahre: I personally feel a strong responsibility to comment on what is going on in the world, even though I think in the end graphic designers attempts have, for the most part been futile. That still doesn't seem to change my opinion that it is my responsibility to give my testimony. I have been very quiet during this election however, mainly because I felt that the election in 2004 was the important one. We spent quite a bit of energy on the last election only to see Bush elected again! I honestly felt that win or lose we would be in a better situation than we have been in the last 8 years. That said, someone recently e-mailed saying that I would be subject-less for a while. Man, I hope so. I am absolutely shocked that the America that voted Bush twice just voted in Obama. In a weird way, I feel like I have a country again. The world seems new.

RW: Could you talk a bit about the map project you did for Sappi? Origins, process, discoveries?

Paul Sahre: It was a terrific project, definitely a case where the solution stemmed form personal interests as well as stuff I have lying around the office. My dad has me hooked on old radio shows, in particular a 50's show called X-Minus One --- all cockamamy near future visions of what the world would look like in THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, ECHO, ECHO. We swiped a bunch of stuff in the map from that.  We also referenced a number of books I have in the reference library here at the studio as mentioned previously. Also, one of the main problems with an assignment like that is you are trying to end up somewhere that none of the other contributors ended up. I think we all did a good job in that regard.

RW: What advice would you give a student who is specifically interested in editorial illustration (I actually have one)?

Paul Sahre: I came to doing illustration in a very haphazard way so I am am not sure how to answer this. What ever you call it, I think we should all try to (as much as possible) keep doing the things that don't feel like work and that make us happy (as long as it isn't something bad like watching too much television of something).

RW: What kinds of things make the students you're working/playing with today different from the students of 5 or 10 years ago? What can design educators do to develop and/or supplement these characteristics?

Paul Sahre: As mentioned before, I really think that as a teacher I have to be into it. I have found that as long as I keep setting up situations for the students that are also new to me, it is a reciprocal relationship. If the teacher gets as much as he/she gives it will assure that he/she brings the energy, and commitment to it that it demands. I suppose the students have changed since I started to teach (shit, 20 years ago) but a constant has been that its is an association between myself with students that love— or are learning to love—the same thing. Graphic design. Give love, get love. Work hard, push and try to take the discipline places it hasn't been.