Sébastien Théraulaz traveled halfway around the world to make a creative stamp on Montreal with his studio, Sub Communication, where he concentrates on graphic design, film and video, Web design, etc. Then he opened his type foundry, Subtitude, where he concentrates on typography, graphic design, film and video, Web design, etc.

Lately, Sébastien’s attracted a lot of attention with the latter business - yes, with the one that doesn’t make a whole lot of money, but that provides him with the creative environment that he craves. With Valérie Desrochers’ help, Sébastien would like to spread his creativity like some off-the-wall butter all over the business world bread…

Sébastien, I don’t know where to start, since your work is so multifaceted…I guess the first question would be about how you became involved with design in the first place. Did you attend a college, or did you apprentice? When and where did your education take place?

I did an Art School in my own town Lausanne (Switzerland) to prepare a portfolio to submit to Art Center School of Design (European Campus). I submitted to the Communication program, started there, and then moved to Pasadena (EU) to complete the second half of my studies.

You are the founder of Sub Communication Inc. When did you open this business, why did you chose Montreal, and how many people did you bring on board in the beginning?

I am half Swiss/half Canadian, so after 2 years in L.A., I decided not to go back to Switzerland but rather to try Montreal. I worked a year as a freelancer and created Sub Communications alone, I wanted to be my own Art director, to be able to discuss projects directly with the client and not work for or through other agencies. But the freelance projects were sometimes limited, I had an art director or somebody in charge of the project, so it wasn’t stimulating enough.

How many people work at Sub Communication now? Are they all multidiscipline designers, or do most of them concentrate on one specific area, like traditional graphic design or new media?

Now we are only two on a full-time basis (Sébastien and Valérie Desrochers), but I always have a third person helping out 3 to 6 months a year. We also work with some freelancers who do photography, translations, advanced Web coding…I always hire people who are open-minded and want to explore all kind of visual communication aspects, if they are curious and willing to work…happiness!

It seems that Sub Communication takes on a wide variety of projects, including print, all aspects of film and video, the Web, and signage. What’s your favorite past project (before 2006), and why?

A videoclip for an electrojazz band in Montreal called Plaster. It was challenging. I directed and produced it and Valérie helped me a lot on storyboard, research and development of the idea. It is not a paying job but we had a lot of fun and it was completely free creative process. I guess I like to try and experiment across a wide visual spectrum, having new problems to solve and finding a way to communicate it in a subtle way.

Subtitude, the type foundry that you spun from Sub Communications, came online in January this year. Why did you feel it was necessary to create Subtitude as a separate entity?

First I thought to show our commercial projects and more experimental projects together, but people didn’t understand the mix. Our «corporate» clients said that I was too bizarre, they couldn’t understand and the «design community» said that they weren’t looking for commercial work. So finally I tought it was the best was to do both things separately and to let people see it as two separate identities.

HOW magazine highlighted Subtitude in a recent Product Pick. They stated, “Sèbastien Thèraulaz believes designers must balance client work with daring, no-boundaries creative endeavors.” While Subtitude seems to be the venue for this “no-boundaries” activity, is it also a means to market Sub Communication’s capabilities?

Yea and no. Subtitude wasn’t created to make money at first, it is just the place for us to have fun, to search and develop things. If some people think that it is good for an agency to do so, yes it can help Subcommunication; but most of the time they don’t really care if it is not directly related to their activities. Subtitude is more something that can create a dialogue with other designers and help us to experiment without any boundaries, just for the pleasure of designing and pushing it a little further. Maybe it is the artistic part of graphic design.

You use the “sub” preface for your business names and for your typefaces (like Subinter, Subix, Subalde). Can you tell us why you use the “sub” in these names?

It is open to interpretation, we do things in a subtle way, it is not a something out loud, it goes into the subconsciousness, another level of communication.

Why do you offer your fonts as free downloads, especially since each face requires so much creative thought, time, and work?

I always thought that communication is a thing that needs a least two entities, I thought design is about sharing things also. It takes us time and a lot of work but if it can be helpful for other designers, why not share? We try to get in touch with them, so a free font is a good way to say: «we needed this and did it, if you need it too…just download it! - and let’s stay in touch.»
The sad thing is that only a few people got in touch with us, but a lot of them downloaded our fonts….sad….but it won’t keep us from doing more!

Can you explain the licensing agreements that come with your typefaces so that readers understand what the shareware agreement means and why you choose to use it?

I will say that almost everything is said in the license. If they use it for themselves fine…but if they charge a client to do a project like a flyer, logo, poster or….who knows, they have to pay a little fee for these commercial projects. Free to share, not to sell or make money out of it!

How can you keep track of anyone who might violate this licensing agreement?

A lot of people don’t respect the license, I saw many sites who used our fonts without regard to the license. When they download one they give us an email address so we can keep track. But if people don’t give a shit about it, they can always do something illegal. It’s a problem in any kind of digital files, it’s just disrespectful. Not for the money but more for the fact that they don’t respect our work….they see it like it’s nothing…..but if this is the case, then why do they need our fonts?

While typefaces seem to be a focus for you right now, I also noticed that you have a penchant for directing music videos. Can you tell us why you like this work?

Through Sub I did a lot of motion graphics for TV commercials, long features & documentary film. After a while I directed
some shooting for a TV show opening, and that brought me to be a «director»…and then, I directed some videoclips. I like that kind of work because I decided that it will never pay (at least in Montreal), the budgets are really limited…so I took some projects that I was personally interested in and I try to keep as much freedom in the production as possible (that’s the first condition so that I direct a videoclip). That way, I love it because it becomes perfect team work and it always turns out as a good human experience.

You won a HOW Interactive Design Award in 2005 for the http://www.plasterband.com/ Website, and you just completed a video clip for Plaster as well. How did you become involved with this band, and what do plans do you have for the future with these musicians?

It’s a funny story - we designed a website for a young fashion designer in Montreal, and she was the girlfriend of one of the band members. He asked us to create a website, but they had no money. We did the website with the minimum budget to get the photo shoot done and pay a little bit to all the people who helped. The only thing I asked them is: «when you do a record or a videoclip come see us first». They came back a year later with a record, we designed it too…..then we proposed a concept for the videoclip. The relationship with them is good, so we continue like that…I don’t know if they will come back in the future, I hope they will!

Do potential clients come to you, or do you go out and sell your business to potential clients?

Either way, I try to spend one day a week to meet new people and explain what we do.

You’ve won some notice recently with awards – and usually when a company seeks awards, they’re usually seeking new business. Does this mean that you plan to expand Sub Communications and Subtitude? What’s in the future? For instance, where do you want to be in five years with these businesses?

Awards are for the ego, it says: «you work well and we notice that, continue!». I never had any client coming because of an ward, ’cause design awards are for designers. Otherwise, nobody really cares, it is fine with me. If we get more business, I hope we can develop more fonts, that takes a lot of time (and time is money!).

In five years we will still be here and I have no idea how big the company will be - the idea is not to become bigger and bigger….it is more to have new interesting projects. But, if that means more people why not!

If you could expand your business into another country, where would you go and why?

I may create something in Switzerland so I get closer to my old friends and family. Or London (UK), maybe I’d have some opportunities there….but again it is more about the design achievements that I may create.

What do you feel has been your worst business failure, and how did you handle it?

An identity project for a photographer…we developed stuff for him for 3 months. The result was pretty interesting and the guy decided to trash everything and do a «logo» by himself. He played in photoshop and did something. I didn’t get it….maybe we weren’t able to communicate. It was a total failure (even if we got paid), he didn’t learn anything, and we have a nice identity that will never be used.

Who do you admire most, and how has that person influenced you personally or with your work?

There are many people that I admire for different things, I guess I am influenced by anything. You must be curious about things if you want to do that job. I can’t give you names (the list will be to long), but let’s say the Dada where pretty inspiring!

Finally, if you had to choose another occupation – in other words, if you couldn’t do what you do now – what would you be and why?

That last question - funny. As a matter of fact I touch at everything that is related to visual communication….so if I’ll do something different, it will be completely different. I like India, I like elephants, so why not? I would be an elephant trainer in Udaipur (India).

Subaccuz, typeface developed by Sébastien Théraulaz and Valérie Desrochers.