Grace Martinez, Art Director at Airbnb Magazine

SPD: What year?
Grace Martinez: 2007-2009 

SPD: What were you up to?
GM: I was a designer at Condé Nast’s Portfolio magazine. 

 SPD: What magazine?
GM: Wired Magazine 

SPD: What was it that so enthralled you?
GM: I loved how conceptual, surprising, graphic, and smart the magazine was. It was really the first time I started looking at Wired (and I think it’s continued to look great!). It showed me how playful design was, in sometimes unexpected ways like the pacing of a story. In addition, the type details were always so impressive. I felt like I could tell how labored over the pages were and I was always in awe! 

SPD: Do you know now who the creatives were?
GM: Scott Dadich and Wyatt Mitchell, Carl De Torres

SPD: How does that inform your creative now?
GM: It reminds me how smart and conceptual design can be, and how gratifying and satisfying it can be when details are really thought through.