Non-Format is one of the most acclaimed design collectives working today. A duo made up of Kjell Ekhorn and Jon Forss, since Non-Format began in 2000 they’ve won all number of awards in their field, from AIGA’s Certificate of Excellence to Communication Arts Design’s Annual Awards of Excellence, D&AD’s Yellow Pencil, the New York Art Director’s Club’s Gold Award, and nominations for design of the year from London’s Design Museum. As well, their clients range from the coolest to the biggest, from Coca-Cola to uber-hip record labels like Domino, Mute, and !K7 to publications like The New York Times and Wire. It’s no surprise Non-Format draws such accolades—their work always proves witty, graphically surprising, and hip, with unexpected compositions artfully colliding with edgy typography.

Non-Format’s contribution (above) ‘We Killed Canvas, Sorry’ to K-Swiss’ You Gotta Know Your Classics campaign, for example, uses oversize type to crushingly illustrate the theme with subtle absurdist humor and a nod to Constructivism.

KSPACE spoke with Non-Format to get a peek into Ekhorn and Forss’ innovative visual alchemy.

KSPACE: Where are you located? How does your home base influence your sensibility?
Jon: We met and established Non-Format in London. We worked together in our London studio until I moved to the U.S. in 2007. Last year Kjell moved to Oslo, Norway. Neither of us is terribly convinced that our locations have much bearing on our design sensibilities, but it’s difficult to prove that.

KSPACE: How did you start designing? What inspired you? What have been your greatest achievements?
Kjell: I studied design in school, then worked for a while for an advertising agency in Norway before moving to London to study graphic design at Central Saint Martins. I’m inspired by anything and everything that sparks my imagination. Any attempts to narrow it down to specifics would be a fool’s errand.
Jon: I completed one year of foundation studies at Cheltenham School of Art and went on to study graphic design at what is now De Montfort University in Leicester. Our greatest achievement is being able to sustain a working relationship for over ten years and with more than 4,000 miles between us for the last three of them. How do we do it?

Cover/packaging for Jean-Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert 'Mini Moog' cd

KSPACE: What do you think you bring to the design process? If you had to explain your aesthetic to your grandmother (or mine), how would you do it?
Jon: I think P. Scott Makela summed it up best with his business name: Words & Pictures for Business & Culture. That’s pretty much what we do.

Art direction & complete redesign of Wire '01-'05

KSPACE: What are your “classic” influences? What makes a design classic and truly timeless?
Kjell: Nothing is really timeless. Even nature is constantly in a state of flux.
Jon: But even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.

KSPACE: How did you get involved with this K-Swiss initiative ? What were you trying to say about the Classic’s history with your contribution?
Kjell: We were invited to contribute a poster design. We were simply trying to convey the message we were given with as much impact and clarity as possible.
Jon: We also wanted to give the K-Swiss Classic a voice. Apparently it’s very polite.

Poster catalogue/program for theatre section of 37th Venice Biennale

KSPACE: Lastly, if you could be the all-mighty design guru for humanity, what would you change and instigate globally to make the world a better place?
Kjell: This sort of question is too difficult to answer. It would be nice to think one simple piece of design could end world hunger and poverty, but everything, no matter how seemingly inconsequential has unexpected side-effects.
Jon: Be careful what you wish for…

Get yourself a copy of the Non-Format design (or any of the 8 original designs) here