Co.Design has partnered with the Brooklyn design studio Hyperakt to bring you Lunch Talks, a video series of conversations with smart, creative people.—Eds.
In 2010, designers Brian Buirge and Jason Bacher launched Good Fucking Design Advice, a website that provided expletive-laced aphorisms like "Trust your fucking process" and "Work all fucking night." It was meant as a gag, but within three days, the site had gone viral.
Today, Good Fucking Design Advice is a merchandising empire, selling posters, T-shirts, stickers, and more, all dedicated to inspiring designers—or, at least, get them to stop dicking around. Good Fucking Design Advice has become such a merchandising powerhouse, even Apple's Jony Ive has one of their posters hanging on his wall.
In this video, Buirge and Bacher reveal how they turned their profane little website into a brand in its own right. They walk through the initial missteps they made, like putting nonexistent products they didn't actually know how make up for sale, as well as share some key advice for designers who want to pursue their careers without ever getting too complacent or comfortable.