On 31 May 2025, the Now25 conference will take place in Paris. Join us, to listen a mix of inspiring speakers evoking topics as broad as graphic design, web design, motion design, publishing, visual identity, communication and type design. If not already done, register now to take advantage of the best rates.
It seemed interesting to us to make you discover the profiles of our guests. Discover Anni Seligmann, Studio Mut.
Biography Anni Seligmann, Studio Mut — directed by Thomas Kronbichler, Martin Kerschbaumer and Anni Seligmann — is considered one of the most influential graphic design studios in Italy. They are known for their exuberant style, both in person and in their work, and for creating grand and colourful works with an air of both playfulness and seriousness. She joined Studio Mut in 2019 and has since been essential in shaping projects for Museion, Inn Situ, Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare, and Louis Vuitton.
Interview
Describe your day?
Anni Seligmann Mornings and I are in a complicated situationship. I constantly aim to be a morning person — trying all sorts of strange strategies to turn them into something enjoyable and useful — but honestly continuously fail (unless I am traveling and jet lag works in my favour). So knowing that I am realistically bad at mornings, I prepare for this and start my day the evening before. So the last thing I do before leaving my desk is mapping out the next day, triaging tasks, what’s urgent but not important, what’s important but not urgent, and what’s both. And when I come into the studio still tired and always a little bit late, I already have a row of sticky-notes of my past self telling me what to do.
“For my work, it’s immensely helpful to absorb ideas in an abstract way, without immediate visual references.”
– Anni Seligmann
What do you do to evade yourself from work?
Anni Seligmann To really switch off, I have to push myself outside my comfort zone. Long distance hiking, uphill biking or what works really well is climbing — be it indoors to test my limits, or outdoors to fully immerse myself in nature. It’s just my hands, my feet, the rock, the wind, the sun, and a partner I fully trust. In sport for me there is no room for overthinking, just movement. But I also have a habit to dive into new obsessions. Lately, it’s wine — its history, geography, agriculture, craftsmanship, and culinary culture. Or I escape into books, museums, a great talk — anything that lets me step into another mind for a while.
Do you listen news?
Anni Seligmann Since I was a child I had a soft spot for radio documentaries. I’d sit in my room for hours, painting while listening to audio feuilletons. Now, podcasts have taken their place — I love the depth of coverage and the fact that they’re non-visual. For my work, it’s immensely helpful to absorb ideas in an abstract way, without immediate visual references. It lets me explore concepts, influences, and stories freely, letting them take shape through the project or through me rather than being dictated by what I see.
Do you ever feel “too comfortable” in your work?
Anni Seligmann In these moments I question every decision made along the way. While the best solution rarely comes from a complete overhaul, allowing myself to explore radically different approaches and solutions — some deliberately unaesthetic — helps me get unstuck. I also benefit greatly from having worked alongside so many amazing designers. One trick I use a lot is almost like method acting: What would this designer try next? That thought experiment can lead me down new paths I wouldn’t instinctively choose.
“The only decision we’ve consciously made is to never be ironic and always trust our guts.”
– Anni Seligmann
Is it fair to describe your work as as both playful and serious?
Anni Seligmann The balance between playful and serious isn’t something we consciously aim for — it’s not a goal, neither a style, nor or a deliberate decision. Honestly, I don’t even always see this in our projects, even though others often describe our work using this dichotomy. My most honest answer is that it has to be a direct reflection of the people in our studio. Our personalities, the way we think about the world, approach our work, and live our lives inevitably finds its way into the final result. The only decision we’ve consciously made is to never be ironic and always trust our guts.
When do you decided to pursue your career in design?
Anni Seligmann I will touch on this in my talk, but here’s the short version: I originally studied medicine. Now that is a good cliffhanger :)
Thank you very much Anni!
– Interview by Lia Porquet
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