TYPO Talks: What were some of the influences that lead you to your professional focus?

Agustin Garza: When I heard about the theme of the conference, “Focus” I thought “oh my”! I am anything but focused. I have a diverse range of interests and I have tried to engage in all of them with equal passion. From Paleontology and Astronomy, to Art and Design, I try to keep a balanced integration of all the fields that interest me. My mission in life is to explore, discover, and create without professional boundaries. The expected professional practice may be the mastering of a specific subject; I am not focused in that way.

TT: How have your creative interests evolved over the span of your career? Or, is there a specific discipline that has always captured your attention?

AG: I believe that the most consistent interests in my life have been Art and Exploration. Each subject has led me to wonderful experiences, some vocational and others amateur, like Astronomy, a field that I would like to master in my next life. On this life, design has been my primary professional practice.

TT: What’s your preferred environment when it’s time to focus on a project?

AG: I like to bring it all together in my studio. The environment I have created here provides the resources and atmosphere to reflect on research, strategy, design development, art making, and writing. But perhaps my most effective focusing environment is the space of conversation with clients, mentors, and colleagues.

TT: Which speakers are you most excited to see and meet at TYPO SF Focus?

AG: I look forward to learn more about Future Cities Lab in the words of Nataly Gattegno. The confluence of art and technology is one of the most exciting spaces for creativity. And of course the wonderful Louise Sandhaus and Kali Nikkitas, I’m a fan!

TT: If you had to choose a favorite place in San Francisco, where would it be? If you’re new to San Francisco, what would you most like to explore?

AG: The Presidio area offers extraordinary views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. I like to run on the SF Bay Trail.

TT: Finally, everyone’s favorite question: what’s your favorite typeface, and why?

AG: I love Adrian Frutiger’s Univers, I find it graceful and practical with a pleasant negative and positive balance. When I was a student at Art Center, our terrific typography teacher, David Hundley, had me hand-draw the Univers alphabet with pencil. I could have hated the damn thing! but instead, I fell in love with it.

Agustin Garza

Brand Strategist (Pasadena, California)

Agustin Garza is a brand strategist with 25 years of experience in the global marketplace with particular focus on US and Latin America. He is the founder and CEO of Garza Group Communications, with offices in Los Angeles and Mexico City, the company is dedicated to helping clients be understood, remembered, and preferred by their audiences. His clients include the cities of Los Angeles and Mexico City, Reichmann International, American Express, Coca Cola North America, Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cisco Brothers, Mexico Tourism Board, Luxe Hotels, and La Quinta Inn’s & Suites, among others. He has served as Destination-Brand Consultant for two presidents of Mexico and served on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Design Advisory Panel. Agustin is an AIGA Fellow and served as AIGA President of the Los Angeles Chapter. His work has been published in numerous publications and is part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. For 11 years, Agustin taught at the prestigious Art Center College of Design and was founding professor of Art Center Europe. Agustin is also an exhibiting artist whose work reflects on decay and transformation. His work intertwines organic matter and man-made waste and examines the natural processes that blend natural debris with industrial waste. Agustin serves on diverse boards dedicated to cultural and environmental preservation. As part of a lifelong interest in anthropology and the role of design as a force for change, Agustin travels extensively with a focus on areas where isolated cultures in extreme natural environments struggle to survive and preserve their heritage. Agustin was born and raised in Mexico City.

Speaker page

Register today to see Agustin Garza at TYPO San Francisco 2015 – Focus.