He started with die cuts and packaging catalogues at a print agency. He co-authored typography books with Slanted. He moved to Istanbul on a creative whim. And now he's the lead designer at Kittl — one of Europe's fastest-growing AI-powered design platforms. The through-line? A deep belief that no tool matters if you don't have the fundamentals first.

Philipp Louven on the journey from print to AI-first, what's actually changing in the design industry, and why the shift from execution to direction might be the most important move a designer can make right now.

What we cover:

• Starting in print — die cuts, packaging, catalogues, and editorial books with Slanted
• Moving to Istanbul just out of curiosity — and what it taught him about pace and creativity
• The hard switch to AI-first design at Kittl and how he worked through it
• Why fundamentals in composition, layout and typography matter more with AI, not less
• Typography trends in 2026 — human, imperfect, bold and loud
• Whether AI can ever be more creative than a human
• What Kittl does that no other design tool does
• Advice for young designers entering a shifting industry

Connect with Philipp Louven:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-louven-8a1251192/

Kittl: https://kittl.com

Listen and subscribe:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5

More from Captn OffScript:

Website: https://captnoffscript.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript

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Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter

If you liked this episode, listen to: Sergio del Puerto (S02/E23) — on AI, creative reinvention, and finding a new way of working after decades in the industry.