Lukas Diemling on designing with the principles of a great chef

Lukas Diemling runs his design practice the way a skilled chef runs a kitchen. The Graz-based independent graphic designer, art director and photographer sees profound parallels between the two disciplines – from the importance of quality ingredients to the necessity of meticulous preparation and the understanding that convenience rarely produces excellence. While Diemling works across branding, packaging, typography and digital design for clients, he’s also built BYLD, his mockups brand, as a deliberately separate entity. Born from his photography journey – itself motivated by the need to showcase his projects exactly as he envisioned them – BYLD has become both a commercial venture and a creative outlet for days when client work demands a different kind of focus. As AI-generated visualisations become increasingly accessible, Diemling maintains that exceptional mockups, like exceptional design, require something technology cannot replicate. TBI: Hi Lukas! How are things in Graz? LD: Great. It’s just one of the most beautiful times here in Austria right now, colourful autumn never disappoints.