Lise Mogensen
Junior Graphic Designer
Politiken
What is your current job title, and how long have you been in that role?
I work as a Junior Graphic Designer, which at Politiken means that I’m still enrolled as a student. I have worked here full time as an apprentice for about three years, finishing my final exams in December 2017.
Where do you seek inspiration as a print designer?
My biggest inspiration right now mainly comes from the brilliant graphic designers, photographers and other creatives that surround me every day at Politiken. They have taught me the importance of hard work, pushing boundaries for what it means to work with news design, and doing it all with a sense of humor.
Seeking inspiration from print design around the world is just as important for me. When I travel I have a habit of buying magazines about things I know absolutely nothing about – sailing, hunting, poultry farming, just to name a few – just because of a great cover. I love things that are complex, but simple, bold and funny. Anything that makes me smile or even laugh I automatically love. Even – and sometimes especially – when the funny part is not intentional.
What do you love about designing for print?
I love the long tradition of news design for print and challenging the concept of how to visually tell our readers a story. And being a student of graphic design at Politiken I get the best of both worlds. I work with people who have been doing this for 20-30 years. Learning about techniques, the history of print design and typography from them is a true joy. Working with web design is fun, adventurous and the possibilities are endless. Even so… there is something special about holding something that you designed and created between your hands. And especially as a student, that never gets old.
What is the most important step in your design process?
Finding that one simple, but still bold idea is always the key. Figuring out how to tell a often very complex story in the simplest manner possible, but still capturing our readers attention is the most important, most challenging but also the most exciting part of my job.
What does it take to do great print design? Former SND Competition Coordinator Andrea Zagata set out to find tips and tricks from the winners. Check SND.org every week for interviews with the best of the best!