We have just welcomed our very first own art director and designer onboard. Welcome, Åsa Kax Ideberg, who joins with a background both from the archival and design consultancy world. She will from now on be ultimately responsible for the look-n-feel of everything we publish, together with our freelance designers.
Hi Åsa, what’s it like to be in place now?
The Mac is finally in place, so all is now well in this otherwise pc-dominated workspace. But all joking aside, I’m both eager and nervous. I have run my own business for the past 19 years and am ready to be part of a team properly now. When I saw the ad, it had my name written all over it. I applied directly, it was the only job I sought. As a person, I love history and when I ran my own company I almost developed the niche “archive designer”. I’ve worked with both small and large businesses and look forward to doing that here too.
So what will you be doing?
My role at the company is quite open. But, as a person, I am more of a developer than a trustee. So it feels very exciting that the company is so expansive and that the business is so wide. I will look at all the graphic material that is made and be responsible for the design in all we produce. For some of them, I will handle all the design, but in others I will be the sounding board for the customer’s inhouse designer or for the designer we hire for the job. The Center for Business History is alredy working with some excellent design talent. Keeping a close relationship with our partners, such as the printing houses, will also be an important part of the job.
Where do you start?
Since there has been no in-house designer previously, I think it is important to find an overall umbrella. Within the company’s graphic profile, it is about creating a whole. And that also applies to our external assignments. There you will find a form that suits the story and the customer. But it would be great if readers immeddialy can recognize one of our books as being a book from the Centre for Business History.
