In this episode of Kudos AM/PM, John Kudos interviews Jan Wilker, co-founder of Karlssonwilker, about the journey of building a design studio that has thrived for over two decades.

Wilker offers an honest perspective on sustaining curiosity, evolving a creative practice, and balancing design with business, covering topics from the studio’s unplanned start to the embrace of inefficiency in the creative process.

The discussion explores early career choices, the creative workflow, client relationships, and how unconventional experiences, like opening an ice cream window, can fundamentally alter one’s view of people, design, and impact. Ultimately, this conversation frames design not merely as a profession, but as a holistic approach to engaging with the world.

• 0:00
  Intro
• 1:20
  Discovering Sagmeister & Starting the Studio
• 4:43
  From Architecture to Graphic Design
• 9:35
  Staying Small & Building a Creative Practice
• 13:53
  Designing the Unexpected
• 20:16
  Technology, Tools & Creative Accidents
• 27:08
  The Storefront Studio & Woodgrain Jackets
• 32:21
  The Ice Cream Window Story
• 37:16
  Design Thinking Beyond Graphic Design
• 42:50
  Outro