Both Schlecht and Kardinar grew up near Dresden, Germany, and were surrounded and influenced by a strong tradition of fine and contemporary arts. While Schlecht always wanted to be a designer, Kardinar’s path was slightly different. “Alexandra always thought like a painter and an author,” Schlecht says. “On the other hand, I was fascinated by classic graphic design like typography, signage, magazines, and book and poster design.” Despite their slightly different paths, both studied graphic design at the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule in Halle and honed their skills through self-education and internships.

As two people working on the same design, their style tends to be collaborative and positively reinforcing of each other’s work. “We think about similarities to musicians and artists like Lennon and McCarthy,” Schlecht says. “But, of course, without comparing ourselves to them.” This year’s winning piece was based on the theme ‘war and peace’ and allowed Schlect and Kardinar to really stretch their creative muscles and look at the theme from a variety of perspectives. “The request came from the Catholic theological-philosophical magazine 'Eulenfisch,' and the series not only illustrates the present violent conflicts but also acts as a critical reflection of violent patterns in Christian iconography, the Western tradition of fine arts, and the representation of power in general,” Schlecht says.

Staying creative under pressure is a team effort, too, with both Schlecht and Kardinar pushing the other to fight laziness and come up with unique ideas. They also reach out to other colleagues for their opinions when they feel stuck. The team dynamic pushes and helps them discover new ways of creating, pushing boundaries, and designing in fresh and engaging ways.