Get to Know Baker: Steve Wahlin

What is your job at BAKER?

Design Director

How long have you been doing your thang?

I’ve been at Baker 9 1/2 years. I’ve been doing this design thang for about 16.

What career path led you to begin working at BAKER?

I bounced between majors in college. One thing I studied was music–jazz mostly, and specifically trumpet–but I started getting more and more interested in visual arts. I ended up putting down the trumpet and focusing on graphic design to make a career out of it. Most of my early professional life involved a lot of keylining and production work, so I had a foundation for the complexities of packaging work. That and I really like vintage cereal box packaging, and Baker was doing a lot of cereal back in 2001 when I started.

Do you still play the trumpet?

Actually, yes. I started again after a 14-year hiatus. But it’s not like riding a bicycle; it’s basically like having a chunk of metal crammed against your face for hours on end, and it’s been a lot of hard work to get back my “chops.” Right now I’m playing in an amateur group called the Maple Grove Jazz Ensemble. The director is an interesting guy who arranges all of his own charts, many of them originals.

As some of us know.… you tend to gravitate toward retro design. Could you share with us some of the influences of your work and perhaps some of your favorite/commonly used typefaces?

I love the album cover art of Jim Flora; it has a real timeless quality to it and a lot of the earmarks of the stuff that people call “retro” without being pedestrian or hackneyed. Really, I’m drawn to any classic design that is illustration-heavy: Saul Steinberg, Seymour Chwast, Milt Glaser.

I also have soft spot for typefaces that have some character to them, particularly swashes and ligatures. I’m glad a lot of that stuff has made its way back into the design scene in the last few years, it gives me some cover to do my thing. I don’t know if I have a favorite typeface, but the one I enjoy using the most is Bookman Swash. It’s the “Farrah Fawcett hair” of typefaces–it’s either really hip or horrifically outdated looking, depending on the context.

Usually when we’re in a critique at work and someone makes the comment “That type looks dated,” my response is “Exactly.”

Where do you find inspiration?

I like old science fiction movies and Star Trek; they used to do an amazing job with crazy colors and lighting that you just don’t see anymore. I’m also fascinated by garbage and old abandoned buildings, and like to photograph any weird old stuff I can find. I love the whole concept of “faded glory;” I always enjoy finding tired old places that somehow retain something, however small, that links them to their past.

What do you love about your job?

I think we have an amazing client roster right now, probably the best ever. They’ve been open to some very adventurous work and new ideas; and this place is packed with talented young designers who really are up to that challenge. The whole approach to package design, as an industry, is at a really interesting crossroads right now; the old ways aren’t going to cut it anymore. So it’s a perfect storm of opportunity, and a great time to be in this business.

When you’re not designing, where can we find you?

One place I never get sick of is the Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It is probably the greatest (and only) surviving mid-century tiki temple left in the world. The place is an absolute wonder and still looks as good as it did the day it opened in 1956. It houses eight huge dining rooms, an amazing sunken-ship themed bar (complete with rainstorms, gardens, waterfalls, and nightly Polynesian shows). The food is great and the cocktails are fantastic. There’s an amazing history there, and even the way it smells is inspiring.

Do you collect anything?

Yikes. Maybe too many things… I accumulate anything “tiki” that I can get my hands on, so I’ve got dozens of mugs, artifacts, and a bunch of shell lamps in my basement. I’m annoyed by the impermanence of today’s digital technologies, so I’m drawn to anything analog. I love old vinyl, especially “stereo show-off” albums of the 50s and 60s; I’ve probably got about 1500 records but that is my limit; anything new replaces the same number of old.

Where do you find your treasures?

Estate sales, antique stores, junk shops… sometimes people will just find things and give them to me. My uncle gave me a vintage tiki mug printed with a “Wisconsin State University — Eau Claire” seal (the old name of my alma mater). It’s one of my favorites.

Tell us about your wife.

Tammy is an amazingly talented (and patient) teacher and musician. We met in college, and have been married almost 14 years. The great thing is, we share so many interests—it’s pretty easy to plan our free time and talk her into my goofball schemes.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, a cat and a dog. Millie, our pug, is 7. Her motivation is to do whatever she can do to get a laugh. Varla, our cat, is also 7 and is motivated to do whatever she can to annoy us. Actually she’s very sweet. But I think I’m more of a dog person. Maybe cat people are just dog people that have never had a dog (don’t tell her I said that.)

You recently helped with the Fillies Race for Hope drink. Can you tell us how you came up with your concoction and what the drink was made for?

Fillies Race for Hope is a horse racing event at Canterbury Park dedicated to raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer. Baker had done design identity work for the event, and somewhere along the way I was approached to invent a signature drink that could be served at Canterbury Park. For inspiration and for the name of the drink I turned to the Minnesota state flower, the Ladyslipper. Raspberries are native to Minnesota, and give the drink its signature pink color. The mint is a nod to the mint julep tradition in horse racing, and the gin and St.-Germain give the drink a hint of a floral flavor.

Here’s the recipe, in case you want to try it at home:

Ladyslipper Smash

• 1 oz. gin
• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 tsp. St.-Germain liqueur
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
• 5–6 mint leaves
• 5–6 fresh raspberries
• splash soda

Muddle sugar, lime, mint and berries. Add liquor and ice and shake. Strain into pub glass and fill with ice cubes. Top off with a splash of soda water