Besides editing and designing at Communication Arts, Patrick Coyne also writes feature stories and the editor's column. Before contributing his creative juices to Communication Arts, Patrick worked for Michael Mabry Design and SBG Partners and established the multi-discipline, San Francisco-based design firm of Patrick Coyne Stephanie Steyer Design Office.

Patrick has also been involved guest lecturing at creative clubs and universities.

And with his creative contributions through his design and art directions, he has been recognized with many awards, including a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators and the 2004 Design Leadership Award from American Institute of Graphic Arts. Today, TAXI is privileged to have a chat with Patrick.





TAXI >>Hello Patrick. What do you feel is the greatest achievement of Communication Arts now that the publication is entering its 50th anniversary, and what do you hope to see for the next 50 years?

Patrick Coyne>>I think CA’s greatest achievement has been proving that creative excellence is not limited by location or client base, but by talent and determination. In the next 50 years I hope we can continue to inspire visual communicators to create not only better work but to assume a greater role in society.


TAXI >>Communication Arts was one of the first publications to engage in digital media to reach out to its audiences better. How do you feel digital technology in the last decade has changed the way people react to and absorb information in general?

Patrick Coyne>>It has democratized the dissemination of ideas. Anybody with an opinion and the desire to express it can readily find an audience. It’s also empowered the general public to evolve from consumers to creators of content.


TAXI >>With the lowering of barriers making it possible for anyone to become a designer in these times, how does one stay relevant in today's fragmented global community?

Patrick Coyne>>By honing the skills necessary to create messages that resonate with an intended audience. That means discovering the creative possibilities of new media, staying up-to-date with communication technology and being aware of what’s happening in culture and society.


TAXI >>Communication Arts was carried through many periods of financial stress by the sheer determination of its founders. How do you feel the current global economic crisis would affect the media industry, and what changes do you think might arise out of this?

Patrick Coyne>>Unfortunately, media has almost always relied on advertising to subsidize its operations rather than expect financial support from its audiences. This has created an unrealistic expectation that content should be cheap or free. We’ll see many mid-size media firms fail because advertising will continue to migrate to fewer major media sources. Continued consolidation will fuel the rise of independent journalism, mostly on the Web.


TAXI >>With the web now surpassing print circulation to become the most widely-read medium in the world, what do you feel are some of the most common mistakes new publications make when they enter the industry?

Patrick Coyne>>Undercapitalization. It takes a long time to develop a substantial audience and advertiser base. Most new publishers don’t have the capital to last until their readership reaches critical mass.


TAXI >>Being the editor of the largest international trade journal of visual communications, how do you maintain your position at the top?

Patrick Coyne>>By appealing to a broad audience and spending more on producing a superior product that people are willing to support.


TAXI >>You've been known to say that Communication Arts is a museum of visual communications - where your job is to present the work and get out of the way. Do you anticipate this tradition changing in the near future?

Patrick Coyne>>No.


TAXI >>Having 35 jurors from around the country each year provide feedback for your competitions and industry trends, are there any difficulties in trying to obtain a consolidated viewpoint, and how do you deal with this?

Patrick Coyne>>Broad consensus is rare. That independence of thought is what makes this field so fascinating. Consensus in our competitions happens on about 2–3% of our entries. That’s what we publish.


TAXI >>What is the WORD, which you think would reside and reverberate in the creative world for the next 10 years?

Patrick Coyne>>Strategy.



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