1 This book features a selection of studios that I have found influence in throughout my time at University [leeds college of art]. Each of the studios hold similarities to my own approach to graphic design processes and aesphetical style. My main issue within design is finiding a balance between functionality and aephetics, trying to make a design function corrently whilst trying and experimental, ‘edgy’ approach to the design, which I feel these studios manage to do exelently. The book also features queationares asking some of the studios how they feel about un-functional, aesphetical driven design work which we seem to be seeing more and more within contemporary graphic design. Whether they feel it works and what they do to strive for functionality. Practices featured: 2x Elliot Qubik Ok-Rm Studio DD Your Friends Kasper-Florio Aurèle Sack Laucke Siebein Ok200 Experimental Jetset Say What Bizzari-Rodriguez Two Points Hello Me Ritator AnyMade Lociento/ Hey Studio Blokdesign Milkxhake Anagram About Twenty Thirteen
Transcript
1
This book features a selection of studios that I have found influence in throughout my time at University [leeds college of art].
Each of the studios hold similarities to my own approach to graphic design processes and aesphetical style. My main issue within design is finiding a balance between functionality and aephetics, trying to make a design function corrently whilst trying and experimental, ‘edgy’ approach to the design, which I feel these studios manage to do exelently.
The book also features queationares asking some of the studios how they feel about un-functional, aesphetical driven design work which we seem to be seeing more and more within contemporary graphic design. Whether they feel it works and what they do to strive for functionality.
Say WhatBizzari-RodriguezTwo PointsHello MeRitatorAnyMadeLociento/ Hey StudioBlokdesignMilkxhakeAnagram
About
Twenty Thirteen
USA
Mexico
Canadapg. 19
pg. 51
pg. 58
3
Contents 2013
3
UK
Norway
Sweden
Swiss
China
Netherlands
France
Spain
Gemany
Czech
pg. 5
pg. 9
pg. 13pg. 21
pg. 29
pg. 33 pg. 39
pg. 43
pg. 55pg. 47
5
Contents 2013
NorwayYour Friends
SwedenRitator
NetherlandsLaucke SiebeinOk200Experimental Jetset
Canada Blok
SwissKasper-FlorioAurèle Sack
China Milkxhake
USAStudio DD
SpainLociento
MexicoAnagram
UK2x ElliotQubikOk-Rm
GermanyTwo PointsHello Me
FranceSay WhatBizzari-Rodri- guez
CzechAnyMade
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Profile
Your Friends is a graphic design studio based in Oslo, Norway. The studio was set up in 2008 by Carl Gürgens and Henrik Fjeldberg which functions as partners and graphic designers.
Your Friends collaborates with a diverse range of clients from the public, cultural and commercial sectors and develop innovative solutions for print, digital and environmental media.
Your Friends believe collabora-tive, innovative and content-led solutions give their clients the most appropriate solutions. Each projects character and goals is followed by an analytical process resulting in a bespoke solution fit to each clients specific needs.
Approach
Your Friends believe that good graphic design is based on good content, which influences func-tionality, systems and structure. We believe that strong ideas and conceptual thinking gives our collaborators and clients added value and ensures the best pos-sible solutions.
A large network of talented peo-ple makes us capable to take on large-scale projects, with bigger production needs, alongside developing great solutions for smaller projects.
Your Friends collaborates with other designers, web-develop-ers, illustrators, photographers, curators, writers, editors, etc., where appropriate or needed. No matter the scale of the project we find it fundamental to have a close working rela-tionship with our clients and appreciate long term relations which ensures the best possible outcome.
Studio: Your Friendswww.yourfriends.no
Norway
Oslo guide, 2010
“Oslo – A Poor Mans Connoisseur Guide to Happy Living in one of the Most Expensive Cities in the World” is the second book in a series of city-guides. It is a subjective guide about what´s really great about Oslo, showing other parts of the city than what the daily press and tourist boards are writing about. The guide is written and edited by
Your Friends Work:
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Sondre Sommerfelt and curated collaboratively. After the success of the first edition in 2009 we were asked to update the guide and release a second edition in conduction with Øyafestivalen in August 2010.
In collaboration with by:Larm and Sondre Sommerfelt, the editor, we updated the design and content to make it more functional and give room for bigger photos. The guide builds on the separation between east and west in Oslo, which is a strong historical aspect of how the city have been developed, and how Akerselva – a river running
La Finta Giardiniera
A collaboration project between The National Opera in Oslo, Oslo National Academy of the Arts and Norwegian Academy of Music. The opera written by Amadeus Mozart in 1775, were performed by three graduates from the Academy of Opera and students from the Norwe-gian Academy of Music.The operas story is about a complex drama with love and jealousy, where most of the story has a relationship with a mansion garden.
Your Friends Work:
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We created a direct message in the material, where the title directly refers to the design. The title translates to The Pretend Garden-Girl, which was made the basic idea showing the gardens gate from the outside; a teaser into the actual drama in the operas story.
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Profile
Swedish design and advertising agency founded 2007.Ritator deploy unique concepts to create attention and interest for our clients in business, govern-ment and the public sector.
Our name
Corporate name genres fascinates us and growing up in the 1980s and 90s made us notice company names with -tor endings. In Swedish, Rita is a verb meaning draw or design.
Studio: Ritatorwww.ritator.com
Sweden
Under
Peter Johansson
‘Under’ is a book commissioned by artist Peter Johansson. In 1989 Johansson cast twenty concrete sculptures. Each sculpture has a dif-ferent material combined with the concrete, such as metal, sausage, soap, plaster or cheese.
Ritator Work:
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They were buried in Falu Koppargruva, a very large, old mine in cen-tral Sweden. Johansson then documented the erosion over a period of years. The book describes the artist’s process as well as bringing together imagery, texts and local stories.
Royal Institute of Art
Degree Show CatalogueRoyal Institute of Art
Degree Show at Royal Institute of Art, an institution for higher educa-tion with a long artistic tradition dating all the way back to the 18th century.
Silkscreen printed exhibition short guide covers. Art direction and graphic design by Ritator.
Ritator Work:
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About
Studio Laucke Siebein is a design studio based in Amsterdam and Berlin. We focus on creative strat-egies, dynamic identities, graphic, book and web design within the scope of cultural and commercial projects.Studio Laucke Siebein has been awarded, amongst others, the Art Directors Club Award NY, The European Design Award, The Best Dutch Books, The Dutch Design Award and the Dutch Corporate Identity Award. Its work has been presented in magazines such as Grafik, ID-pure, Form, Novum, Etapes, Graphic and in a large number of books.
In addition to daily design prac-tice, Dirk Laucke and Johanna Siebein are visiting tutors at the ‘Hochschule für Künste Bremen’/Germany and give lectures and workshops internationally.
Studio: Laucke Siebeinstudio-laucke-siebein.com
Netherlands
Dirk Laucke (1965) was born and brought up in Berlin, where he graduated in 1994 from the University of the Arts (UdK). Since 1995 he lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 2000 he founded Studio Laucke.
Johanna Siebein (1982) stud-ied at the University of Fine Arts (HBKsaar) in Saarbrücken, Germany, and at the Academy of Art and Design (AKI ArtEZ) in Enschede, The Netherlands. She graduated in 2008 at HBKsaar. Since 2010 Johanna heads the Berlin office, Studio Laucke Siebein.
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‘‘ Maybe there is a misunderstanding about beauty and ugliness. Ac-cording to me, there are no beautiful things or forms, shapes, col-ours… which means that there are no ugly things too. Things can become beautiful because of it’s meaning, reason or sense. Example: the colour red can be nice on a woman’s lips, but very ugly as an inte-rior of a car. More abstract. The modernism is driven by the idea of making a better world by bring sober, in mass-production reproduced helpfull articles to the people. This makes the forms of the modernism beautyfull. But beside this, there is no reason to think that a kubus is more beautyfull as a ornamented something from an African tribe. Ist’s all about meaning. To recover the meaning of this ‘new uglyness’ in graphic-design, you have to think more like a anthropologist. What can be the meaning of this highly controlled amateurism? Which tendencys in society make this meaningfull. Official-Unofficial, Institution-Indivi-dum, Expensive-Cheap, Artificial-Real, Prefect-Playfull….
Right at the moment, it is almost impossible for graphic-designers, to play an important roll in economically relevant processes. This roll is taken over by the marketing departments of companies. This new ‘ugli-ness’ have a fuck-you, we don’t need you attitude, maybe as a reaction of this departments, which claiming the values of the modernism for unreal purposes like making big profits with trash. If modernism and the values and skilled crafts of our discipline is taken over by these multi-nationals and bored marketeers, it is senseless to let a flyer for a musician look like a flyer from them. In this sense there is a deep beauty in this ugly stuff. “
Recently graphic design seems to be slowly shifting to be more focussed around aesthetics rather than functionality.
What do you think of this new style of design? Do you like it? Do you think it is fit for it's purpose? Follows any kind function or is designed purely around aesthetics rather than functionality?
Questionnaire
Scheibler Mitte
Corporate Identity for Scheibler Mitte, BerlinSeries of invitations, website.
Laucke Siebein Work:
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Visions
Exhibition catalogue for Monica de Cardenas Gallery, Milan.
Laucke Siebein Work:
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About
OK200 is an Amsterdam based graphic design studio founded by Mattijs de Wit and Koen Knevel in 2010. They studied together at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. After graduation they decided that working as a team would realise their dream of hav-ing their own design studio.
The name OK200 is based upon a server response code which means: ‘your request has suc-ceeded’. OK200 is a personal, headstrong, fast, authentic graphic design studio. They make no distinction between working for a big corporate company or a cultural institution. OK200 has experience in working on various projects, from website, to magazine, identity, to whatever you request.
Studio: Ok200www.ok200.nl/
Netherlands
OK200 is always willing to give advice, to help clients straighten their ideas and to make their brand stronger.
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“ My opinion towards this new style of design is that it quite liberating to have the possibility to create 'anti design' or anti-aesthetic design and still get away with it. This style adds a lot of tools and possibilities to your design-toolbox. Ten years ago it was 'not done' to skew and stretch typography or any other content where as at this moment it has become common ground and almost mainstream to resort to such measures. I like it, if it's done in a tasteful way. I think it's good to still show your qualities and finesse as a well thought designer so that it won't look like it has been done by an amateur. There's a fine line between 'ugly-design' of professional and just any ugly design. So that can be tricky.To answer if it fits it's purpose I have to say it depends. One of the original purposes of this type of design was to rebel against the overly neutral design which followed all rules of how typesetting and designing should be done and what typefaces shouldn't be used.
The style itself is created as anti aesthetic style so for sure it's based around aesthetics but this doesn't mean it nessasary loses all functional-ity.I think that this anti-style as I call it often can have a function of getting attention in the midst of a lot of modernistic swiss style based design so in that sense it has a functionality.Now that it has become, or is becom-ing, more and more mainstream it will lose this functionality and one has to look if it will fit the purpose. In the end I don't think this style would do any good in the signage of a big airport or for medical packaging but then again it could do great in the signage of a gallery or museum.I think that a part graphic design has been moving into this direction for years and that right now it is becoming mainstream, so yes. That being said; It's only a part of the current design style amongst a lot of other styles and it might be the time right now to see the counter reaction to this style. “
Recently graphic design seems to be slowly shifting to be more focussed around aesthetics rather than functionality.
What do you think of this new style of design? Do you like it? Do you think it is fit for it's purpose? Follows any kind function or is designed purely around aesthetics rather than functionality?
Questionnaire
Pop Up Show
We’ve designed and silkscreen printed the posters and flyers for an exhibition with artists from Amsterdam and New York. We’ve cre-ated 16 unique flyers by using one of the background layer out of the poster and printing the flyer information on top.
Ok200 Work:
27
The Sun Rises in the East
Promotional poster set for community center “Op de Valreep” in East Amsterdam.
Ok200 Work:
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About
Experimental Jetset is a small, independent, Amsterdam-based graphic design studio, founded in 1997 by (and still consisting of) Marieke Stolk, Erwin Brinkers and Danny van den Dungen. Focusing on printed matter and site-spe-cific installations, and describing their methodology as “turning lan-guage into objects”, Experimental Jetset have worked on projects for a wide variety of institutes. Their work has been featured in group exhibitions such as ‘Graphic Design: Now in Production’ (Walk-er Art Center, 2011) and ‘Ecstatic Alphabets / Heaps of Language’ (MoMA, 2012). Solo exhibitions include ‘Kelly 1:1’ (Casco Projects, Utrecht, 2002) and ‘Two or Three Things I Know About Provo’ (W139, Amsterdam, 2011).
Studio: Experimental Jetsetexperimentaljetset.nl
Netherlands
In 2007, a large selection of work by Experimental Jetset was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, for in-clusion in the MoMA’s permanent collection.Between 2000 and 2009, members of Experimental Jetset have been teaching at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy
Vanessa Beecroft VB62
Experimental Jetset Work:
VB62 was a performance/sculpture by artist Vanessa Beecroft, accompanied by a three-month exhibition. The performance took place on July 12, 2008, at the Maria dello Spasimo, a Gothic church in Palermo (Italy), while the exhibition took place at at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo, from July 17 to October 26, 2008.
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Vanessa asked us to design the invitation. As we did with the invita-tion we designed for an earlier VB performance, VB60, our idea was to base our design on the choreography of the event. VB's perfor-mances often consist of large groups of models, situated in specific compositions. In the case of VB62, we took the composition she
described in her plans, and turned it into an abstract, geometric invi-tation; which is very similar to what we did with VB60.Vanessa's performances are quite theatrical. When you look at all the work we did for VB for the last two years (VB60, VB61, VBSS, VBRS, VBDP) you can see that our intention has always been to create ab-stract.
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About
Blok is a design studio specializing in brand identities and experi-ences, packaging, exhibit design, installations and editorial design.
Now here’s what we really do: steep ourselves in the world around us, seek out the normal, the abnormal, the mundane, the exciting, the current, the obsolete, the inspiring, the dishearten-ing and then use what we see to create surprising, compelling ways to move people. And we do it by collaborating with highly talented thinkers from around the world, taking on initiatives that blend cultural awareness, a love of art and humanity to advance society and business alike.
Studio: Blokwww.blokdesign.com
Canada
Because we believe in the power of ideas, we also develop our own projects, including designing and publishing books and producing products.
Etxe is a small
Blok Work:
Etxe is a small, innovative industrial design studio based in Mexico City. Their philosophy is to design to the very essence of a product. There is no room for extraneous elements; they believe that the beauty and artfulness of a product lies in its purest functionality. The identity itself is thus a distillation of their unique approach.
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México kitsch is a celebration of that singular aesthetic that in Mexico has found its truest calling. The book is a riot of colour, shape and texture, interspersed with quotes from some of the coun-try’s most respected artist, writers and thinkers. We needed to hon-our the intent of our subject without falling into the trap of becoming kitsch ourselves. To that end, we re-purposed its vocabulary in a more contemporary manner, thus ensuring that the design wouldn’t compete with the content.
México kitsch
Blok Work:
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About
Two Times Elliott is a design consultancy based in Notting Hill, London. Two Times Elliott produce a diverse range of work across multiple disciplines including print design, identity and web. We help our clients communicate their message clearly and intelligently.
Our team is made up of passion-ate and experienced designers all of whom are experts in a variety of disciplines. We are also passionate about giving new young design tal-ent studio experience where they can work with the team to boost the vigour of our projects and generally augment the creative process.
Studio: 2x Elliotwww.2xelliott.co.uk
UK
We like to work with all our clients as creative partners and to this end we think it is important to involve them in the design process as much as possible. We also work hard to manage our design work alongside a clients budget. We de-liver bespoke design solutions and advice to a wide range of clients, from individuals to large organi-sations, in a variety of different sectors.
Identity work for London-based interior design practice Daniel Hop-wood. The project included logo generation, (with custom logotype and pictorial mark), stationery set and responsive website design and build
Daniel Hopwood
Ok200 Work:
43
Outlook Festival is Europe’s leading sound system and bass music cul-ture festival, held every year in the Croatian town of Pula. Collateral designed included printed and online advertising, billboards, posters, flyers and branding of Outlook’s social media networks.
Outlook Festival Branding
Ok200 Work:
45
About
Qubik is a graphic design studio founded in 2000 by Joe Gilmore. Specialising in typographic-led design for branding, print and digi-tal media, the studio works with a variety of clients in the com-mercial and cultural sector. Our work includes design for branding, content managed websites, books, catalogues, brochures, posters, leaflets, signage and packaging. In addition to client-based work, the studio initiates and produces inde-pendent curatorial and publishing projects which focus on typogra-phy and graphic design.
Studio: Qubikwww.qubik.com
UK
We are very passionate about graphic design. Through devel-oping collaborative relationships with our clients and partners we aim to create original, func-tional and distinctive work that engages users, satisfies the ob-jectives of the client and meets the high standards and creative innovation that are central to our studio practice.
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“ I do like this new style of design I have to say, there’s generally a lot of playfulness and freedom going on in this type of work. Like any practice, design exists as part of a general tradition and also within a wider cultural sphere. There will always be trends in graphic design and it’s exciting when new ones appear. The relationship between aesthet-ics and functionality is complex, some of this work is more successful than others in achieving the right balance. I think it’s important that a studio be flexible enough in its approach that not all its work adhere to one current fashionable style. The best graphic design achieves a kind of timelessness and doesn’t go out of date. A lot of design from the 90s feels very dated now because it was so indicative of the style which was then current. It is important that design communicates clearly and design which is intelligent will always stand out over design which is just form over content.
Not entirely. There is a lot of design which is being produced outside these trends. Things will change. Soon there will be something else which captures the zeitgeist, the popular imagination, something which defines who we are in the current moment. This is essentially what it’s about for me, we define ourselves and we seek to be new and different, even if that means recycling the past in some new way.
It is probably a reaction to the rules of modernism which were quite prevalent prior to this. Most strong trends are a reaction I think to what exists before it. There seems to be an oscillation between extremes. So on the one hand you have a strict adherence to grids and formalised layouts and then the reaction to this is to abandon grids and to be more free. “
Recently graphic design seems to be slowly shifting to be more focussed around aesthetics rather than functionality.
What do you think of this new style of design? Do you like it? Do you think it is fit for it's purpose? Follows any kind function or is designed purely around aesthetics rather than functionality?
Questionnaire
John Wood and Paul Harrison: Things That Happen
Catalogue to accompany John Wood and Paul Harrison’s solo exhibi-tion ‘Things That Happen’ at Carroll / Fletcher. The studio collabo-rated closely with the artists to produce a set of four books, each showcasing different aspects of their work.
Thinfs That Happen
Qubik Work:
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About
OK-RM is a London based design studio with a distinctive perspec-tive on design and art direction within the fields of art, culture and commerce.Founded in 2008 by Oliver Knight & Rory McGrath, the studio engages in projects of varying scales and scopes both locally and internationally. Recent projects include the visual identity of the Strelka Institute in Moscow, the art direction of contemporary maga-zine Kaleidoscope and the creative direction of the comprehensive archive for Lord Snowdon.The studio was specifically estab-lished as a collaborative practice and has remained intentionally small, expanding and contracting to accommodate a broader circle
Studio: Ok-Rmwww.ok-rm.co.uk
UK
of specialists to suit the require-ments of projects. Equally we play an essential role in external collaborations and partnerships with artists, curators, editors, architects and institutions.
Strelka Institute is a pioneering architecture, media and design insti-tute based in the heart of Moscow. At the centre of the visual identity is a grid which acts as a metaphor for public space. It promotes a democratic relationship between the institute, events and people that shape it. Dual language is employed throughout to portray a Rus-sian institute with an international outlook whilst the varied mantra communicates an institute that is continually redefining itself. In ap-plication the grid is recognisable, efficient and flexible for the display of multiple levels of content across various formats — from printed materials and digital media to architectural scale signage and publi-cations.
The Strelka
Ok-Rm Work:
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About
TwoPoints.Net was founded in 2007 with the aim to do excep-tional design work. Work that is tailored to the client’s needs, work that excites the client’s custom-ers, work that hasn’t been done before, work that does more than work. The market immediately responded to such an offer. In only a few years TwoPoints.Net have been able to compile a set of very diverse, high quality projects.
TwoPoints.Net is a small company that thinks big. Not just in terms of international clientele, but with their network as well. This network includes musicians, photogra-phers, software developers and writers, among many others.
Studio: Two Pointstwopoints.net
Germany
The core of TwoPoints.Net’s network is directed by Lupi Asensio and Martin Lorenz, two graphic designers with German, Dutch and Spanish education and experience.
Set of Posters designed between 2011 and 2012 for the Quaderns Sessions.
Quaderns Sessions
Two Points Work:
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About
HelloMe is a Berlin based design studio focusing on arc direction, graphic design & typography.
Wit a systematic design approach the studio creates and implements innovative communication strate-gies and distinctive dynamic visal systems for cultural, social and buisiness clients. The studios men-tality is ideas led, project specific and grounded on analutic thinking.
We believe design to be ex-perimental, dynamic and useful. Therefore we approach each comission individually from a cross media perspective, and empha-size the intrinsic characteristics of each project to create innova-
Studio: Hello Metillwiedeck.com
Germany
tive, well crafter design solutions andself initiated projects with a passion for detail and typography.
The art exhibition “Making Public” showcases the work of fifteen M.A. graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts Umeå, Sweden. The exhibi-tion is curated by Adnan Yıldız and Florian Zeyfang and features paint-ings, drawings, media arts, sculptures and spacial installations.
In collaboration with Petri Henriksson of BlankBlank, HelloMe de-signed the visual identity of the exhibition, a two sided poster which is folded to form the invitation to the opening and the exhibition catalogue.
University Umea, Sweden
Hello Me Work:
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Areas of expertise:
Art Direction Edition Visual Identity Web Design
About
Say What is a graphic design studio based in Paris and directed by Be-noit Berger and Nathalie Kapagian-nidi, graduates ECV Paris.
Studio: Say Whatsaywhat-studio.com
France
One Day Project is published in collaboration with photographers. The goal of each issue is to present a city through photographs taken within 24 hours, keeping a non-mastered in a given time mind. This first installment is worked with the Spanish photographer Carla Cascales Alimbau that through his work exposes the city of Lisbon, Portugal.
One Day Project
Say What Work:
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The second issue (January-March 2012) brings together those taken during a trip to Berlin, as well as photographs of everyday life in Paris.
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Studio: Bizzari-Rodriguezbizzarri-rodriguez.com
France
About
We are two Paris-based graphic
designers. Our work is mainly focused
on cultural projects and contemporary
art. It includes each type of printed
support, mostly editorial design, like
catalogues, books, magazines, visual
identities and type design, but also
posters and websites. Don’t hesitate to
contact us for more informations.
The first book written by Aurélien Lemant is an essay on the famous american writer Philip K. Dick.
First book released by Le Feu Sacré. This first archive volume from french film director and poet F.J. Ossang, brings together the texts he wrote between 1977 and 1979 in the revue Cée.
Aurélien Lemant
Bizzari-Rodriguez Work:
69
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Studio: Anymadewww.anymadestudio.com
Czech
About
Founded by Petr Cabalka, Filip Nerad an d Jan Sramek, they met at school and were once active on the gallery and club scene. They actively participated in exhibi-tions as a way of gaining exposure for their personal work. They are mostly approached by small inde-pendent galleries or contemporary art institutions.
Anymade Studio was founded in 2007 in the Czech Republic. Dur-ing past years the studio evolved into a multifunctional platform whose activities combine various genres and fields, such as graphic design, photography, typography, illustration, video, motion design and sound. Anymade Studio mem-bers are Petr Cabalka, Filip Nerad and Jan Šrámek aka VJ Kolouch.
Workshop project fornew media and 3D technology.
A1 Poster & Folded Flyer
3D
AnyMade Work:
73
75
Studio: Kasper-Florikasper-florio.ch
Switzerland
About
Kasper-Florio is the collaborative experience of Larissa Kasper and Rosario Florio. Our working meth-od follows a quality-conscious and conceptual position.
We’re aiming for project specific solutions with a strong approach to elaborated and solid typogra-phy.
Aspiring a mindfully executed design, we work on various com-missions in the cultural field, art, fashion and music. We’re happy to share our studio with Dominic Rechsteiner, Bureau Collective and Bänziger Hug in St.Gallen, Switzerland.
‘Heimspiel’ is a triennial regional art exhibition, presenting and pro-moting artists from eastern Switzerland, the Principality of Liechten-stein and Vorarlberg in three different institutions in St.Gallen. The visual identity is based on the three venue spaces or white cubes, displaying the prospectively opening doors for all the winning artists. At the same time it is opening the doors for visitors to discover and experience the creative potential of the region and offering a space for exchange and discourse.
Heimspiel
Kasper-Florio Work:
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Flyer announcing the 6th edition of ‘Eau de vie’, a party offering a selection of fine brandies and house music. Printed with black and white spot ink on grey paper
About
Aurèle Sack is a globetrotter graphic designer specialized in type design and editorial design. He focuses mainly on projects within the cultural field.
After graduating from ECAL (Uni-versity of Art and design Lausanne) in 2004 Aurèle Sack worked in Zürich and New York. In 2006 and 2010, he was awarded the Swiss Federal Design Grants.
Currently living and working in Lausanne, Switzerland, he is also teaching typeface design and edi-torial design at ECAL since 2009.
Studio: Aurele Sackwww.a--s.ch
Switzerland
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I think it has been around for a while now. But yes you do see it more and more. I would see it more as a kind of formal irony.
I do agree that it is a more formal way of designing, for me it is a style more than something functional or conceptual.
I think all good design must irritate or have a rough edge, I think you always are looking for contrast and a formal tone of voice within the choices you make as a designer.
One designer whom I consider a pioneer of this way of designing is Bart de Baets. But for me it fits within the whole approach of his practice. Bart writes and is a very ironic person. He makes fanzines and uses this way of designing in a way that works for his own projects.
I think it depends on the designer and the project if it works or not. It is some-thing very personal so I can not say if I like it or not. I am not interested by it or bothered by it. I myself am not so interested in these kinds of aesthetics. It is not something I aspire to.
I think graphic design is moving in many different directions and standing still at the same time. Especially here in Holland we are dealing with a new political real-ity which is impacting the cultural sector. The clients and the market is changing, and I think we have to learn how to adapt.
Recently graphic design seems to be slowly shifting to be more focussed around aesthetics rather than functionality.
What do you think of this new style of design? Do you like it? Do you think it is fit for it's purpose? Follows any kind function or is designed purely around aesthetics rather than functionality?
Questionnaire
Including LL Brown Thin, thin italic, thin reclining; LL brown light, Light italic, light reclining: ll brown regular, regular italic, regular reclining:.
Awarded in the swiss Federal Design Grant 2010. It is indeed a damn sexy mother fucker!!
LL Brown
Aurele Sack Work:
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Possibly my favourite typeface going at the minute, shame it’s a good £150 for the full family and I am not a millionaire.
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Studio: Lo Sientohwww.losiento.net
Switzerland
About
Lo Siento is a small studio that specially enjoys taking over the whole concept of the identity projects.Its main feature is an organic and physical approach to the solutions, resulting in a field where graphic and industrial design dialogue, always searching an alliance with the artisan processes.
Special lettering design for the features cover of WIRED Magazine UK.Lettering made of inserting liquid into the plastic bubble wrapping paper.
Wired Magazine Lettering
Lo Ceiento Work:
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Absolutely genious concept, like a lot of this studios work they are completely focussed on the concept and processes behind design rather than aesphetics; which i feel works really well for them.
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Studio: Studio DDstudio-d-d.com
USA
About
Studio DD is the visual art & design studio by Minjae Huh based in New York.
How do the intersections between art and science create new visions of society and of our environment? The pictorial turn in the sciences has gone far beyond a means of documentation, but has developed new visualisation strategies such as simulations, models, and visual representations that allow artifacts to be given a life-like appearance – how does this affect popular imagination? This discussion through exploring the merging fields of art, deScience fiction writers created visualizations of ideas for alternate worlds and realities – forcing us to look at our own anew.
Red Tape
Studio DD Work:
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Studio: Milkxhakemilkxhake.org
China
About
Milkxhake is an independent graphic design studio located in Hong Kong since 2006. Founded by Chinese graphic designer Javin Mo, Milkxhake advocates the power of visual communication from visual branding, identity, print and website.
By bringing up creative ideas and unique visual languages, Milkxhake focuses on the creative process while delivering our messages to our collaborators as well as public community. Starting from a very small-scale practice in the past few years, Milkxhake has been successfully pushed up the com-munity attention and attracted a number of leading local and international clients particularly from arts, cultural and institutional sectors.
Highly acclaimed for quality with unique design approach, the studio has won numerous inter-national design awards and their works have been widely published in design magazines and journals internationally.
To ensure the optimal result, we research the company’s environ-ment as well as our client’s and his objectives. We collect the adequate information so that we can define those values and dif-ferentiation elements that must be communicated. To complement this process, our team defines along with our client, the most important company conceptual principles, its personality, values, association systems and concep-tual structure.
Riviera Maya Film Festival is a new, inclusive film festival aimed at inspiring the participation and integration of people into the events, locations and films on display. With locations all across the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, the festival is one of a kind in its active mission to promote not only film and arts, but also ecotourism in the region.
Since the festival is an advocate for many things, including its location and it’s pre-hispanic heritage, the environment, and the international film industry and community, our inspiration for the logo was drawn from all those properties and more, giving it a deep and well-rounded symbology.
Riviera Maya Film Festival
Anagrama Work:
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The logo is a comprehensive visualization of a wreath, of two inter-twined snakes, of a mayan necklace and of the shape of the sun and its irradiating heat. Staying true to the festival’s mission, we designed the stationery and distinct design pieces with eco-friendly and recy-clable materials in mind.
Acknowledgments:
Typefaces:
Thank you.
I would like to thank the few studios that helped piece this book together by responding to the questionaire
Also all the studios featurd within the book.
Studio Ok200Studio Laucke SiebeinStudio QubikAurelle Sack
Headers: Twentieth century boldBody Text: ApercuQuestionares: Garamond + Garamond bold
