12 Questions with Coni Kennedy, VP Creative / Partner

Coni Kennedy, our VP Creative/Partner is celebrating 30 years with L.A. Inc. With such a milestone achievement, we pick Coni’s brain to see what keeps her design wheels turning.

1. After 30 years in the business, what has been your most proud/memorable moment?

CK: I’d say winning the Communication Arts Award in 2011 for Best Brochure (12°). And later, to be invited as a judge for their Awards publication.

2. What keeps you excited/curious about designing/creating?

CK: My kids keep me current with what’s going on today. Staying curious. Being aware of everything around me. I enjoy going to the movies, theatre, art galleries… the usual stuff. I also turn to music and magazines of all kinds to draw inspiration. I approach every project like it’s the first.

3. What advice can you give to new creatives and designers in the industry?

CK: It goes back to the second question: Always stay open to learning new things. Never stop looking at new stuff that’s out there, what’s current, what’s happening in the industry, outside the industry. And always, fight for what you believe in. Don’t give up. Hold your ground.
It goes back to this quote, I have on my wall, “Somebody else might not understand what you see. but that’s not your problem. You don’t adjust it to make it easier for them to see,” (Julian Schnabel). Stay true to your conviction.

4. Design Pet peeve?

CK: Bad typesetting. Unfortunately, nowadays one often overlooks the little details because of computers. It is very important to take care of typesetting, make sure it’s kerned right. Pay attention to spacing. There are way too many examples of bad typesetting out there. Computers have made us lazy. It’s like a lost art.

5. Favourite font?

CK: Helvetica. Even though it’s old, tried and true – it’s just a classic. You can rarely go wrong with it. But having said that, the project dictates the font. The idea inspires the font. Every project’s identity starts with the font selection.

6. What do you see as the future of design? Or the next big thing?

CK: Simplicity and reinvention of the simplest things. Virgil Abloh is the best example of that. He’s just taking everybody by storm with his simplicity. Then there’s Tyler the Creator. So awesome and creative, and not just musically. He walks around with a sketchbook. He’s into clothing and furniture design… His branding and everything else he’s involved in is just so different. He doesn’t follow any formula – he doesn’t care, just does what he wants. That’s conviction.

7. Why did you become a designer?

CK: I was always artistic as a kid. That’s the only thing I enjoyed doing. I was drawing and crafting at a young age. When I went to school, there weren’t any real graphic design courses one could take.
I kind of stumbled upon the George Brown course. It was the only thing that seemed artistic and interesting as a career. I didn’t want to end up being a starving artist (laughs). I didn’t know what graphic design really was till that point.

8. You could have worked anywhere. Why L.A. Inc?

CK: I was just getting started in the industry when I met Lawrence. He took a chance on me and we’ve been working together ever since. He’s always pushing me to think outside the box and trusts me to lead with what I think is right for a project. The people at L.A. are a huge component too. Working with good people that are fun to be around also make it enjoyable to come to work every day. At L.A., I get to push the envelope every time… very few places offer that.

9. What constitutes as good design?

CK: For me, it’s type. The choice of type, the way it’s handled is a big thing. Simplicity is big on my list too. And of course, doing something different, something not thought of before, that people take notice of.

10. What’s your design process?

CK: There’s a lot of thinking that goes behind everything I work on. Right from the name, the concept and look and feel, all are a result of strategic thinking. And it all begins with the creative brief. I like to review every aspect of a project. Whether it’s architecture or demographics, competition or market forces, my team and I delve into the smallest detail to fire our imagination. The first step of the process is coming up with the brand name. And we never pick a name out of a hat. There’s a reason and thought behind every brand name. And this becomes the backbone. The big idea that feeds the design and copy concept. Once, we’ve nailed the branding and concept, the look and feel come easy.

11. What has been the greatest piece of advice you’ve received in your career?

CK: Push yourself and don’t just settle for the first thing you think of. Keep thinking.

12. What has been your greatest learning moment?

CK: I’m constantly learning every day.