Episode 344
Career Conversations with Stefan Bucher
Stefan G. Bucher designs and produces high-end books for corporate and private clients.
He has designed for Sting, Whitney Houston, Jason Bentley, David Hockney, Philip Glass, Judd Apatow, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is an ADC Young Gun and has won a D&AD Yellow Pencil for book design.
In addition to scores of books, he has created custom letterforms for the main titles of the films "The Fall," “Immortals” and “Mirror, Mirror” for director Tarsem. His time-lapse drawings appear on the Emmy-award winning TV show “The Electric Company.” He designed the Blue Man Theater at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and gave life to the Saks Fifth Avenue Yeti.
Bucher is a graduate of Art Center College of Design. Following stints at Wieden + Kennedy, Modernista!, and Maverick Records, he created the Daily Monster, an online drawing series and and story-telling community that spawned a book and three popular “Monster Maker” iOS apps.
He is the author of seven books, including the best-selling "344 Questions—The Creative Person’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to Insight, Survival, and Artistic Fulfillment” which was just re-released as an expanded edition.
Social media links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/344books/
Link to website
Primary Topic: Understanding Introversion
- Stefan's definition of introversion
- The challenges of being an introvert in social situations
- Favorite ways to recharge as an introvert
Primary Topic: Stefan's Work as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator
- Overview of Stefan's work
- How Stefan has crafted his workspace to balance his energy
- How Stefan has improved his career by taking a less serious approach and focusing on helping people with his work
Primary Topic: Setting Boundaries in Work and Business
- Saying no to opportunities that don't align with his work style
- How Stefan has crafted his business to accommodate his unique work schedule
- The importance of setting clear expectations for clients and colleagues
Primary Topic: Misconceptions in the Design Industry
- Discussing the misconceptions around the design industry and the role of designers in client preferences
- The shift needed in the application of energy in the design industry
Primary Topic: Stefan's Journey in the Creative Field
- Stefan's early start in the design and creative industry
- Balancing control over working hours throughout his career
Primary Topic: Balancing Personal and Professional Life
- The trade-offs Stefan has made in his career for personal fulfillment
- The importance of support from family in pursuing a non-traditional career path
Transcript
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Traveling introvert, Career Conversations. Here today, I am here to talk with Stefan. How are you today?
Stefan Bucher [:I'm doing alright. Thank you. How are you?
Janice Chaka [:I I'm not bad. It's a long day, but I think you're my 2nd to last call. So I am going to start this with a question I ask everybody. I'm sure everyone's bored this point. But what does introversion mean to you?
Stefan Bucher [:To me, introversion means that I love being around people, and I love connecting with people, But it comes at a cost. So I love it, I'm excited, And I get inspired by it. And then after, I don't know, an hour or so, I need to go hide in a quiet corner somewhere. I remember being at a friend's wedding, and loving it, and being completely overwhelmed, And then just sort of ran out to the stairwell and sat there. And people kept coming up to me, like, are you okay? Is everything alright? And I'm like, no. No. No. No.
Stefan Bucher [:Everything is fine. I'm loving it. I just, you know, I just need to plug myself into the wall for a minute and recharge.
Janice Chaka [:I like that image of you, plugging yourself into the wall. And so speaking of recharging then, what is your favorite way to recharge?
Stefan Bucher [:These days it's mostly just, retreating to my couch and practicing music, but also going on walks, or just it's mostly just being in a quiet room, honestly.
Janice Chaka [:Okay. And so there's something about the quietness or the stillness of the room that that, centers you and recharges you?
Stefan Bucher [:Yeah. I think it's I think it's the quiet and I I've been thinking about this in preparation for our conversation Of what it is. And I think I feel when I'm around people, I have this Strong sense of being seen and being observed, and through various aspects of my childhood, I think that's tied with being judged. Mhmm. And so I feel that I have to put on a performance to some degree. I don't know that I'm neurodivergent, but from what I've heard of that discourse, I think I I've heard the term masking come up a fair amount.
Janice Chaka [:Yeah.
Stefan Bucher [:And I think it may be sort of in that general sphere, And so that takes some energy. And so there's For me to not do that, I have to basically be entirely alone. And there are very small number of people where I have to Do very little of that adjustment, or I have to pay very little attention because I'm afraid that it'll have bad consequences. Mhmm. And so I think the solitude aspect is just as like, okay. I don't have to carry the cognitive load of How is this playing with however small the audience is?
Janice Chaka [:Yeah. Okay. Thank you. And so with that in mind, can you tell me a little bit about the work that you do.
Stefan Bucher [:Sure. I'm a graphic designer and an illustrator, which The way I do it is pretty solitary work. So I write and design books for, a lot of artistic clients, some corporate clients. I've also done movie titles. I've done plush animals. And I have a an online drawing series called the daily monster. And it's basically everything I can do while sitting at my desk in my living room.
Janice Chaka [:And with that, how have you created your workspace to help you be creative and yet, balance your energy.
Stefan Bucher [:I have The most marvelous location. So where I sit where I'm sitting right now, I'm looking out at a wonderful California landscape. I'm looking out at just tons of plants and hummingbirds and blue sky, and My space is full of books and plants and instruments. So everywhere I look, I find something that's beautiful and that calms me and centers me.
Janice Chaka [:That sounds wonderful. Thank you for that, an explanation, but also the way you painted the picture was really nice. Can you tell me something that you do regularly that has improved your career or business as the years have gone by?
Stefan Bucher [:Yes. And there's there's different ways of taking that question, obviously. I mean, what's improved it for me, Personally doing it has been to take it less seriously And to as far as my own ego goes and to focus more on how I'm helping people with what I do, in terms of generating business in in the sort of more outward facing way of what has improved my business, like, how have I gotten more of it? That sort of thing. I think the first part the first answer is part of that, But I just do things that are interesting to me, and then I try to do a decent job of publicizing that work. Part of maybe the introversion is that I suck at cold outreach. I suck at reaching out to people and just going, oh, hey. You know, like, you're interesting. I'm interesting.
Stefan Bucher [:Let's be interesting together. I it's just never really worked for me. What has worked for me is to just, as I said, to do, You know, quirky little things that interest me and then just tell people about them, repeatedly at that length.
Janice Chaka [:And so that's something that you sort of reach out and say yes to, and things that you do. Can you tell me something that you say no to?
Stefan Bucher [:Yes. I have come to notice over the years How much of my career is based on not having not being forced to interact with people and not having to get up early. So over the years, I've had really wonderful, brilliant, and inspired people Offer me opportunities to come on staff and work with them, you know, every day of the week. And I've tried it, and it's just it just destroys my capacity To do the things that I do that I know are useful to people. If I have to show up every day, and if I have to get up early every day, I do not function. If I have to show up in a building every day, I do not function. And not in the way that I just shut down and go, oh, God. I hate everybody.
Stefan Bucher [:In fact, the opposite. I early on in my career, I had 2 staff jobs, 1 at An advertising agency and one at a record label. And I would just talk to everybody all day long. So I was like, oh, you're interested. Oh, you're interested. And then I'd be kind of exhausted, and then everybody else would go home to their families and to their lives. And I'd be like, okay, well, now it's quiet. Now let me do the work.
Stefan Bucher [:And that's not a sustainable model. So I say no to that sort of thing. And then, of course, you know, the obvious things like, you know, cigarettes or weapons. But those are easy. Those are I mean, those are the easy things. It's like when it's easy, knows are not Complicated. I was like, yeah. Yeah.
Stefan Bucher [:This is obviously the wrong choice. The stuff that'll kill you is the stuff where it looks like it might conceivably work if you change just a little.
Janice Chaka [:Right. If you just adjust, if I just do this instead. Yeah. And so as you mentioned going into work and getting up early are noes for you. How have you crafted your business to accommodate that?
Stefan Bucher [:I just don't respond before noon, And, I I'm sure that I've left endless amounts of money on the table, Because if I put myself in closer alignment with The way of Western commerce. I'm sure there would have been all sorts of things that I could have done with people, But it's just not the life I'd like to lead. This way, the people that work with me know, And I let them know in advance. And they're like, I'll you know, here's when I'll be responding to you. You know, here's when you can reach me. Here's what you can expect. And I think as long as people know what they're in for and as long as they Have something that's predictable, then I think it's fine. And some people get a little get a little cranky about it.
Stefan Bucher [:And I'm like, okay. Well, you know, You have to know that going in. And if they're if they're cool with it, if they opt into it, then, you know, everything is above board. I think it's only a problem if you pretend like you're gonna be there at 7 AM for their questions, and then you don't respond till noon. If you say right from the beginning, well, it's gonna be from noon on, then there you go.
Janice Chaka [:Yeah. That's that's what they signed up for, and that's what they, Yeah. Setting expectations. Let's put it that way.
Stefan Bucher [:Yes.
Janice Chaka [:So speaking of setting expectations in business, are there can you tell me some maybe misconceptions in your job or industry that you would like to dispel?
Stefan Bucher [:It's such a good question. And There there is a what is it? The the David Foster Wallace talk, the the the asking the fish, how is the water? And the fish go, What's water? I am so deeply snow blind To what makes my industry my industry. I think we we're as designers, we're Pretty fairly painted as being somewhat fussy about aesthetics and making Type and color choices and stuff, these life or death decisions. And I think that's not a misconception. I think it's possibly on our end a misapplication of our energy, Where I think if your design comes down to a particular typeface, or a particular shade of a particular color, Maybe the idea needs to be a little bit stronger to support those changes. Oh, here's one. I have because of everything that I've just said, I've had clients that are very anxious to state their preference, Because they know or they've had experiences in the past where they've said something like, well, this is not a color I like, and then Designers have jumped up and down on them. They're going like, but the concept and, you know, the deeper meaning.
Stefan Bucher [:I look at myself as a tailor. If somebody comes to me, I can say, well, this is a wonderful fabric. And I think if we drape it This where if we, you know, if we sew it just this way, it'll make you look the best. And if somebody says, yeah, but you know what? I just don't like gabardine. That's totally fair. And I remember talking with clients and I would sort of coax it out of them. They'd be like, you know, like, I just don't like green. No.
Stefan Bucher [:But that's fine. We'll make it a different color. And you could just see the relief Where they go, oh, is that is that okay? Because I just feel so stupid to not like color. And I'm like, this is it needs to work for you. You need to be happy with the thing that we're making together. And if you don't like green, even if you don't know why, that's totally okay. You know, everybody is entitled to their preferences And it's my job to work around that.
Janice Chaka [:Oh, that is a really good story because a lot of the time when people sometimes when people are thinking about designs, or art, or whatever it might be, And well, this color means this, and this color means that, and therefore my if I'm in food then my logo should be red because fast food is red and yellow. But if you don't like red or yellow, you're kind of like, oh maybe I don't fit in. So thank you for that, that was a great explanation. Have you always been in the creative field?
Stefan Bucher [:Yes. I started making design for print when I was 12, Worked with a very small independent magazine in Germany, pretty much all through high school, And then got into advertising, record covers, and everything. Yeah. So I've always done this.
Janice Chaka [:Oh, wow. And so did you always have as much control as you do now over your working hours. And if not, how did you balance that?
Stefan Bucher [:The only times that I didn't have control were during college, even though I worked in registration, so I could pick all my Classes first dibs and was able to shift both things to the afternoon. And then the 1st 2 years out of college The 1st 3 years when I worked at the ad agency at the record label. And how did I balance it? Very very poorly. I slept at the office a lot, which was really not a good choice, and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I've just yeah. I've really prioritized it because I just there's a certain kind of life that I like to lead. As I get older, I noticed the difficulties that sometimes presents In my personal life, because sometimes I'm in the company of people that have day jobs, where they don't have the luxury that I have To control that. And so then it's like, okay, well, this the way to Tell if I love you dearly is if I get up early for you.
Stefan Bucher [:That is, to me, probably the greatest proof of love. It's like that and the picking up The airport,
Janice Chaka [:but, you know
Stefan Bucher [:Yep. And I've made trade offs. So as I said, you know, there's I could have had a more traditionally expansive career In terms of exposure and finance, but to what end? And that I think is is a gift that I got Through, the support that I received early on from my folks with college and all that, And just how I came up that I didn't have the anxiety of, oh, crap, I have to I have to hustle for money. I came from a solidly middle class background, and I never Had that fear. That, oh, crap, where is it gonna come from? I've had lots of really, really lean years, But I never had that sort of inherent panic. And so based on that and having had some Decent success early on in my career. I had the freedom to say, you know what? It's more important to me that I'm Kind of happy working the way I work rather than prioritizing particular outcomes.
Janice Chaka [:Thank you for that answer. Sometimes it can be a really tough line to follow saying no to things. Because sometimes the thing you say yes to conspired into many other things that that tips your life all the way upside down.
Stefan Bucher [:Oh yes. And so Oh yeah.
Janice Chaka [:And so one final question for you, and thank you so much for sharing everything you've shared so far. And my question is, in your opinion, is a hot dog a sandwich?
Stefan Bucher [:In the way that a zebra is a horse. Yes.
Janice Chaka [:That is a great answer. Wonderful. Thank you so very much. I really, really appreciate it. Stefan, can you tell my listeners where they can find out more about you and the work that you do?
Stefan Bucher [:They can find me at 344 Loves You. So that's the numbers 344lovesyou.com. That's my incredibly sprawling archive of work with stories behind everything I've done. They can find me on YouTube. They can find me on LinkedIn, which I'm desperately trying to turn into my own personal Facebook these days. But 3 44 loves you.com is probably the best way.
Janice Chaka [:Wonderful. Thank you so very much. I really appreciate you today. This is Janice at the career introvert, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.
