A Strategist, Designer and Creative Director, Gensler is also the co-founder and acting President of the KDU (Keystone Design Union), a global design collective of over 500 members from a wide variety of art, design and business backgrounds. Gensler also serves as Creative Director of Designer Fashion label SVSV (Serum Versus Venom) and serves as Editor in Chief of the Royal Magazine – a print and online magazine that “focuses on the collision between art, science, design and businessâ€. It’s been a while since we last spoke to him. We thought we’d knock him up:
David, you’ve always been involved in a variety of businesses and projects within the fraternity called the KDU – what’s your main passion right now? What’s coming next?
There are always new things in the pipeline, but right now we are very focused on our new consulting division. We opened about 6 months ago and have been quite busy. We are mostly working with larger agencies providing strategy and design services.We are offering a full range of creative services that gives agencies more options. Most design shops offer a highly focused and limited array of services, we rely on the entire KDU global network, so clients get solutions from designers all over the world. We offer everything from strategy and ideation to product development and fashion design. We are spending most of the time developing campaigns and solutions targeting youth consumers.
You seem to be part of this generation of creative entrepreneurs who seem to feel try their hand at anything. Do you feel that like you’re part of a movement? What’s driving this – from both a cultural and a technical point of view?
I wish the movement was bigger. I still find that most of the people we interact with are quite happy existing inside of whatever system they are placed. I think we (creatives) should challenge things more and disrupt things, if only to usher in what’s next.
I think that if you are a true designer than you can not exist inside of one particular field or discipline – there is a natural urge to touch other areas and simply create. Technology is making it easy, this is a trend that has touched almost every market segment. The age of the “consumer designer†is upon us.
In terms of your peers, who’s really making things happen with their creative work? Why?
It depends on what category you are speaking about, in fashion I like a footwear brand called The Generic Man and also Young Meagher from Amsterdam. I like Otabo bespoke footwear and Chris Bevans suits. Design work, I am fans of Non-Format and Surface to Air. I respect the work they produce. in terms of agency work, you cant beat Crispin Porter, even from a business practice model, great stuff. I am always inspired by the work of Theme Magazine. I like Canadian based Inquiring Mind and what they are doing with online media. I have become more and more involved and active in social activities and have been increasingly inspired by the charity work Bill Clinton is doing. I think that if we dedicated 10% of our time and energy to solving social problems we could collectively make a significant impact on the world.