We’ve got a Lot to Learn From These Minimalist Grand Prix Track Posters By day, Chungkong is one of Amsterdam’s creative industry art directors set upon reimagining logos, ads, flyers and more for private clients. But by night, he throws off corporate influences and works under this independent design alias to work on his expanding portfolio of minimalist designs. His most recent offering, this stripped-back collection of 20 Formula 1 Grand Prix track graphics, shows him to be a guy living the minimalist life in the fast lane. Chungkong has a nose for aesthetic philosophy as sharp and pithy as his breakneck designs, describing the conclusion he’s come to so far in his stylistic trajectory: “less is only more if it’s done right,” he quips. And, let’s be honest, he’s right. Chungkong’s magnum opus is his growing collection of minimalist film posters, available on his website, but his branching out into track designs demonstrates his across-the-board skill for homing in on any graphic’s key features. THE PLUS: What inspired you to focus on Formula One maps? Chungkong: As a “minimalistic designer” those brutal black tarmac track layouts are strangely inspiring. They are, in a way, 3D graphic-designed themselves. Combined with those bright coloured race cars with iconic designs, I wanted to challenge myself to see what I could do with it as a designer. TP: You work as a designer by day – what made you want to design in your free time too? C: Frustration. And the realization that good design is not a democratic process. Sir Alec Issigonis said it best: “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”. Everybody who has ever worked in the creative industry with clients or account-directors knows exactly what this means. TP: You’ve worked on hundreds of minimalist posters like these – how do you choose which key elements to include in a design? C: Every piece starts with the same question: “Who or What is the real star?”. It’s like Tolkien’s ring, the one that rules all others. Find it, and you’ve got all the power. Same goes for minimal design. TP: So what attracts you to this minimalist aesthetic? C: The simplicity of it. The fact that the essence is beautiful enough. In everything. When I started out designing, I strongly believed that “Less is a bore”. It was a lot of “F**K those Swiss-school designers from the 70s” back then. Ironically, these days the majority of my work is about minimalism. TP: So what happened to your old ‘less is a bore’ mindset? C: It gave me a little devil on my shoulder, telling me again and again: “Less is a bore”, “Less is a bore”. It keeps me sharp, stops me getting lazy, and helps me find the right balance. Less is only more if it’s done right. TP: Your motivation is “ Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow”. What do you think is the best mistake you’ve made? C: My best “better” mistake? Well, out of many (and there have been sooo many), it must be the “less is a bore” phase in my earlier years as a designer. Best mistake ever.
