Showing posts with label 08 Design Context. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 08 Design Context. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Friday, 20 May 2011
Wallpaper - Bibliotheque
When did you start?
Bibliothèque was established in 2003 by directors Tim Beard, Jonathon Jeffrey and Mason Wells, We are a creatively-led graphic design consultancy, based in London.
Where are you based?
We have a studio of six people, based in Shoreditch.
How did working with the Design Museum on Rams’ retrospective come about?
We had known about the Rams exhibition taking place in in Tokyo through contacts at VITSŒ, so when we were informed that The Design Museum was going to host the exhibition, we approached the curators to consider us as the designers.
We were working on the Super Contemporary exhibition with the team at the Design Museum, and our credentials seemed to fit the bill. Previously we had produced the graphic design for Cold War Modern at the V&A, and we had self initiated an exhibition on the 1972 Olympic Design Programme by Otl Aicher – both projects having links to Dieter Rams, so we were confident that we were right for the job.
We had known about the Rams exhibition taking place in in Tokyo through contacts at VITSŒ, so when we were informed that The Design Museum was going to host the exhibition, we approached the curators to consider us as the designers.
We were working on the Super Contemporary exhibition with the team at the Design Museum, and our credentials seemed to fit the bill. Previously we had produced the graphic design for Cold War Modern at the V&A, and we had self initiated an exhibition on the 1972 Olympic Design Programme by Otl Aicher – both projects having links to Dieter Rams, so we were confident that we were right for the job.
Did it make your job easier or more difficult devising the graphic identity for a designer who has such a clearly delineated design ethos himself?
We didn’t devise a graphic identity for the exhibition as such, it was more about extrapolating key visual elements from a selection of the products, (speaker grilles, calculator layouts, hi-fi interfaces etc). We used these to help organise the exhibition space and illustrate stories behind the development of the products - these worked as backdrops and introductions to sections. Rams’ quite clearly delineated design ethos only made our job easier, insofar that was such a vast array of beautiful objects to choose from. The layouts on many of the Braun products are excellent examples of three-dimensional information design. This is not just from the use of controlled typography, but also in the pragmatic use of colour, geometry, positioning and alignment of dials, switches, buttons, jackplugs and even screws.
As well as the graphics we also designed the spatial aspect – here we tried to keep the gallery as open as possible to reflect the linear development of many of the products. Simple open tables, allow the objects to be viewed from all sides, where very often the back is just as well considered as the front. Also seeing the sheer number of exhibits is quite astonishing, bearing in mind that most of them pre date any involvement of computers or digital technology in the design process.
The initial concepts and layouts for the exhibition were all passed on to Dieter for his approval. We were very keen that he supported our design direction, and our close relationship with the Deyan Sudjic and Alex Newson at the Design Museum, and Mark Adams at Vitsoe I think helped this. However, on the penultimate day of installation we had the good fortune of being introduced to Dieter as the exhibition designers. Our first (very nervous) question – did the exhibition meet his expectations? ‘Of course’ he said, ‘I can see how much hard work has gone into it’. He understood our graphic interpretation of the products, and he was keen to explain his own approach to graphic design within the sphere of product design. It was an absolute honour and an inspiration to get firsthand insight from one of the elder statesman of design.
Take us through the results that you came up with?
The exhibition features 244 objects across five sections spanning six decades. Our implementation uses several graphic processes – each appropriate to specific content. The entrance – an internal façade using the 606 compression system, spans the entire 15m width of the upper gallery.
Key graphic elements are integrated using the visual language from selected products of Braun and VITSŒ in order to set the tone. The five sections – Dieter Rams solo projects, Braun team projects under Dieter’s leadership, VITSŒ, Typology and Legacy are delineated by panel/partitions that use product elements such as grilles, button layouts and interfaces relevant to each story.
In each instance we have removed elements by routing away the geometric shapes of the products Рthe effect is as if the product has been deconstructed and re-scaled beyond the intended proportions. A seven metre-wide mural on the back wall (painted Рas opposed to vinyl or digital runout) of the Audio 300 stereo system reinforces the rational approach to product layout. Finally technical illustrations that combine line artwork with photographic elements (allowing for subtle undulating forms, concave and convex buttons and changes in lighting) have been used in the subsequent exhibition marketing and a VITSΠside-project Рa seven colour A0 poster, featuring the famous ten principles.
What other projects are you currently working on?
We have just completed Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum and are also working on ‘Magnificent Maps’ for the British Library, collaborating again with Universal Design Studio. Also we are just finishing an identity for a German luxury fashion brand, another book for Adrian Shaughnessy, an identity for a leading childrens charity. And somewhere amongst all that, we are working on the re-design of our web site, which should be done in time for the spring.
Dieter Rams has 10 Principles of good design – what is Bibliotheque’s one principle of good design?
Do good work. For us the quality of the work coming out of our studio is THE most important thing, above all else. You are only as good as your last job. Sometimes its easy to get sidetracked by commercial requirements, but for us the number one principle is absolute commitment to work of the highest quality. We try not to stray from that.
Michel Chanaud - Wim Crouwel
Wim Crouwel is a Dutch graphic designer and typographer. He is known for his posters and exhibition design for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Crouwel has designed several font sets, of which the New Alphabet (1967) is best known. New Alphabet is a highly abstract font, based on a dot-matrix system. Crouwel intended it to be easily read and recognized by computers.
He has been and still is one of the most important designers in Dutch graphic history. In the years 1985-1993 he was director of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
He has been and still is one of the most important designers in Dutch graphic history. In the years 1985-1993 he was director of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
Aisle One Interview with Khoi Vinh
Khoi Vinh is the Design Direc tor for NYTimes.com, where he leads the in-house design team in user expe ri ence inno va tion. He is also the author of the pop u lar design weblog Subtraction.com, where he writes exten sively on design, tech nol ogy and user expe ri ence mat ters of all kinds. Pre vi ously, Khoi was the co-founder of the award-winning New York design stu dio Behav ior, LLC. He stud ied com mu ni ca tion design at Otis School of Art and Design in Los Ange les, and prac ticed brand ing and graphic design in print for sev eral years in Wash ing ton, D.C., before mov ing to New York.
You’re con sid ered one of the recent pio neers of bring ing grid sys tems to inter active design. Could you tell us how you were first intro duced to grid sys tems, how long you’ve been using them, and what was your first expe ri ence like in using grid sys tems on the web?
I’m the kind of per son who looks for order in every thing — and the grid is such a useful, func tional way of find ing or cre at ing order in many, many design prob lems that it was only a mat ter of time before I found it, or it found me. As well, I was only par tially trained in graphic design; I really stud ied to be an illus tra tor, orig i nally, and over time came to teach myself most of what I know about graphic design.
So for many years I winged it, and started intu itively using a grid in my designs, though not always con sis tently or well. Over the years, I grad u ally became aware of the idea that lin ing things up on a con sis tent frame work of ver ti cal and hor i zon tal lines — and using math to do it — was some thing other design ers had done before. Lit tle by lit tle, I did the read ing that I missed out on dur ing my art school career, and learned the finer points of work ing with the grid.
As for when I first started using them online, it’s really hard to say. In some ways, since the very begin ning, but again, a lot of that was pure impro vi sa tion. Prob a bly the first fully-fleshed instance where I was able to put a grid into prac tice was for the redesign of TheOnion.com about four years ago.
Also, I should say that I think the idea of being a “pio neer” of grid sys tems in inter active design is prob a bly over stat ing my con tri bu tion. To me, using grids is very much like alpha bet iz ing things… sooner or later, you real ize that the alpha bet is an incred ibly use ful orga niz ing prin ci ple. So there was a cer tain amount of inevitabil ity to it.
Have you noticed an improve ment in your designs, and over all com po si tion skills, since you’ve adopted the grid system?
Oh yeah, cer tainly. It’s prob a bly true that using a grid gives you an imme di ate ben e fit in terms of your designs look ing bet ter and, cru cially for inter ac tion design, impart ing a sense of order and more intu itive behavior.
But I think the true ben e fit of using a grid is that as you learn how to use a grid, you start to think sys tem i cally about the solu tions you design. You start to try and see how var i ous details can echo one another, how dif fer ent regions of the can vas can be reused or used for sim i lar things, how like ele ments can be grouped together.
So in one sense, mas ter ing grids is a very low-level, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of thing. But I think in a larger sense, it’s an impor tant part in every designer’s growth because it trains you to see and think about con text, how smaller parts fit into a larger whole. Once you begin order ing ele ments with a grid, then you inevitably apply sim i lar logic to the entirety of a doc u ment or site or what have you, and then to the process and work flow that drive your design brief, and then per haps to the orga ni za tion as a whole. Rig or ous think ing about small details can effect mean ing ful changes in the big picture.
As the Design Direc tor at The New York Times have you imple ment grid sys tems into your projects, specif i cally NYTimes.com, and do rec om mend the use of grids to your team of designers?
Yes, absolutely. To be hon est, the pages of NYTimes.com use an imper fect grid system that we inher ited, for lack of a bet ter term. It’s not a true grid, with some columns hav ing no rational/mathematical rela tion to oth ers. But the site is so com plex and there are so many con tent ele ments — and so much work flow dri ving each ele ment — that we won’t be able to change it for some time, unfor tu nately. Still, that doesn’t prevent us from fol low ing some grid-like rules of order when we design. We strive for consis tency and logic, and the range of expres sion that we need for those pages is fairly nar row any way, so main tain ing order is a pretty straight for ward affair. How ever, when it comes to cre at ing new kinds of appli ca tions or con tent areas, when we’re essentially start ing from scratch, we believe strongly in devel op ing a proper, com pre hen sive and ratio nal grid sys tem at the outset.
In your opin ion, why are grid sys tems impor tant to the struc ture and lay out of a design? What ben e fits or improve ments do they offer to a designer and a design?
Well, in addi tion to every thing I out lined above, I think a solu tion that’s founded on a well-considered grid opens the door to a higher level of design thinking.
In my view, the cen tral chal lenge of any graphic design prob lem is deter min ing the con straints. Con straints — rules, frame works, lim i ta tions — are so often the spark that ignites an inge nious solu tion. A grid sys tem is not just a set of rules to fol low then, but it’s also a set of rules to play off of — to break, even. Given the right grid — the right sys tem of con straints — very good design ers can cre ate solu tions that are both orderly and unex pected. That’s when you’ve gone from using the grid as a style and moved into using the grid as a real tool for creativity.
Could you briefly explain the process you take when devel op ing a grid sys tem for a spe cific project?
The first step, again, is always deter min ing what the con straints of the project are — usu ally the adver tis ing units that a page must accom mo date, or the par tic u lar width that the design will work within. After that, I use Pho to shop to mock up poten tial column widths and mar gins, and just see how well they play with the ad units or other com mon ele ments that I plan to use on the page. I do this quickly and with out a lot of care, as I’m try ing to see how var i ous col umn com bi na tions look. I also tend not to use the many grid cal cu la tors and auto mated grid gen er a tion tools out there; I’m sure they’re use ful for other folks, but I find that there’s some thing more sat is fy ing about devel op ing the right grid columns man u ally, intuitively.
For some one new to grids, what advice would you give them? Do you have a list of rec om mended books or arti cles that they could check out?
Every one wor ship Josef Müller-Brockmann’s “Grid Sys tems in Graphic Design,” and I think it’s a wor thy tome. To be hon est, the vast major ity of what I know about grids I learned from por ing over “Design: Vignelli,” Mas simo Vignelli’s gor geous mono graph from nearly two decades ago. It’s out of print, but there’s a smaller ver sion that contains much of the same mate r ial from a few years ago: “Vignelli from A to Z.” For those start ing out learn ing about this, I hon estly don’t think there’s any one book that can give you a com pre hen sive edu ca tion in a sin gle sit ting or a finite amount of sit tings. Learn ing how to use this tool requires an immer sion and a will ing ness to exam ine and re-examine every thing in one’s envi ron ment through a par tic u lar kind of worldview. It takes time, lots of time. And then, once you learn it, you have to remem ber that it really isn’t the point at all; the think ing and problem-solving are the point.
You’re con sid ered one of the recent pio neers of bring ing grid sys tems to inter active design. Could you tell us how you were first intro duced to grid sys tems, how long you’ve been using them, and what was your first expe ri ence like in using grid sys tems on the web?
I’m the kind of per son who looks for order in every thing — and the grid is such a useful, func tional way of find ing or cre at ing order in many, many design prob lems that it was only a mat ter of time before I found it, or it found me. As well, I was only par tially trained in graphic design; I really stud ied to be an illus tra tor, orig i nally, and over time came to teach myself most of what I know about graphic design.
So for many years I winged it, and started intu itively using a grid in my designs, though not always con sis tently or well. Over the years, I grad u ally became aware of the idea that lin ing things up on a con sis tent frame work of ver ti cal and hor i zon tal lines — and using math to do it — was some thing other design ers had done before. Lit tle by lit tle, I did the read ing that I missed out on dur ing my art school career, and learned the finer points of work ing with the grid.
As for when I first started using them online, it’s really hard to say. In some ways, since the very begin ning, but again, a lot of that was pure impro vi sa tion. Prob a bly the first fully-fleshed instance where I was able to put a grid into prac tice was for the redesign of TheOnion.com about four years ago.
Also, I should say that I think the idea of being a “pio neer” of grid sys tems in inter active design is prob a bly over stat ing my con tri bu tion. To me, using grids is very much like alpha bet iz ing things… sooner or later, you real ize that the alpha bet is an incred ibly use ful orga niz ing prin ci ple. So there was a cer tain amount of inevitabil ity to it.
Have you noticed an improve ment in your designs, and over all com po si tion skills, since you’ve adopted the grid system?
Oh yeah, cer tainly. It’s prob a bly true that using a grid gives you an imme di ate ben e fit in terms of your designs look ing bet ter and, cru cially for inter ac tion design, impart ing a sense of order and more intu itive behavior.
But I think the true ben e fit of using a grid is that as you learn how to use a grid, you start to think sys tem i cally about the solu tions you design. You start to try and see how var i ous details can echo one another, how dif fer ent regions of the can vas can be reused or used for sim i lar things, how like ele ments can be grouped together.
So in one sense, mas ter ing grids is a very low-level, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of thing. But I think in a larger sense, it’s an impor tant part in every designer’s growth because it trains you to see and think about con text, how smaller parts fit into a larger whole. Once you begin order ing ele ments with a grid, then you inevitably apply sim i lar logic to the entirety of a doc u ment or site or what have you, and then to the process and work flow that drive your design brief, and then per haps to the orga ni za tion as a whole. Rig or ous think ing about small details can effect mean ing ful changes in the big picture.
As the Design Direc tor at The New York Times have you imple ment grid sys tems into your projects, specif i cally NYTimes.com, and do rec om mend the use of grids to your team of designers?
Yes, absolutely. To be hon est, the pages of NYTimes.com use an imper fect grid system that we inher ited, for lack of a bet ter term. It’s not a true grid, with some columns hav ing no rational/mathematical rela tion to oth ers. But the site is so com plex and there are so many con tent ele ments — and so much work flow dri ving each ele ment — that we won’t be able to change it for some time, unfor tu nately. Still, that doesn’t prevent us from fol low ing some grid-like rules of order when we design. We strive for consis tency and logic, and the range of expres sion that we need for those pages is fairly nar row any way, so main tain ing order is a pretty straight for ward affair. How ever, when it comes to cre at ing new kinds of appli ca tions or con tent areas, when we’re essentially start ing from scratch, we believe strongly in devel op ing a proper, com pre hen sive and ratio nal grid sys tem at the outset.
In your opin ion, why are grid sys tems impor tant to the struc ture and lay out of a design? What ben e fits or improve ments do they offer to a designer and a design?
Well, in addi tion to every thing I out lined above, I think a solu tion that’s founded on a well-considered grid opens the door to a higher level of design thinking.
In my view, the cen tral chal lenge of any graphic design prob lem is deter min ing the con straints. Con straints — rules, frame works, lim i ta tions — are so often the spark that ignites an inge nious solu tion. A grid sys tem is not just a set of rules to fol low then, but it’s also a set of rules to play off of — to break, even. Given the right grid — the right sys tem of con straints — very good design ers can cre ate solu tions that are both orderly and unex pected. That’s when you’ve gone from using the grid as a style and moved into using the grid as a real tool for creativity.
Could you briefly explain the process you take when devel op ing a grid sys tem for a spe cific project?
The first step, again, is always deter min ing what the con straints of the project are — usu ally the adver tis ing units that a page must accom mo date, or the par tic u lar width that the design will work within. After that, I use Pho to shop to mock up poten tial column widths and mar gins, and just see how well they play with the ad units or other com mon ele ments that I plan to use on the page. I do this quickly and with out a lot of care, as I’m try ing to see how var i ous col umn com bi na tions look. I also tend not to use the many grid cal cu la tors and auto mated grid gen er a tion tools out there; I’m sure they’re use ful for other folks, but I find that there’s some thing more sat is fy ing about devel op ing the right grid columns man u ally, intuitively.
For some one new to grids, what advice would you give them? Do you have a list of rec om mended books or arti cles that they could check out?
Every one wor ship Josef Müller-Brockmann’s “Grid Sys tems in Graphic Design,” and I think it’s a wor thy tome. To be hon est, the vast major ity of what I know about grids I learned from por ing over “Design: Vignelli,” Mas simo Vignelli’s gor geous mono graph from nearly two decades ago. It’s out of print, but there’s a smaller ver sion that contains much of the same mate r ial from a few years ago: “Vignelli from A to Z.” For those start ing out learn ing about this, I hon estly don’t think there’s any one book that can give you a com pre hen sive edu ca tion in a sin gle sit ting or a finite amount of sit tings. Learn ing how to use this tool requires an immer sion and a will ing ness to exam ine and re-examine every thing in one’s envi ron ment through a par tic u lar kind of worldview. It takes time, lots of time. And then, once you learn it, you have to remem ber that it really isn’t the point at all; the think ing and problem-solving are the point.
Dieter Rams
How to introduce one of the most influential designers of the 20th century--one whose clear visual language has not only defined product design for decades, but also our fundamental understanding of design's potential and function? We're guessing our "Less and More" book and this video podcast interview is a good start.
Principles of Good Design
Mark Adams, Managing Director of Vitsoe, discusses Dieter Ram's 10 principles of good design during our visit to Vitsoe headquarters in London. Mr. Adams gives us unique insight into the history of the brand and its meaning to Dieter Rams. He also demonstrates how Rams' principles relate directly to the style and success of the Vitsoe name.
Dieter Rams' Principles of Good Design from Cool Hunting on Vimeo.
Less Is More
He is perhaps the most influential living industrial designer of modern times and some call him the Godfather of Apple design: Dieter Rams. In this excerpt of an interview with the Head of Exhibitions of the Design Museum in Frankfurt, Prof. Klaus Klemp talks about the design language of Braun, the company Dieter Rams worked for for four decades.
Graphic Hug - Nancy-Skolos
Nancy Skolos is a designer and educator currently serving as full time faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design and active partner in the office of Skolos Wedell. She has a BFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and an MFA from Yale University. She is an award winning designer and warmest of warm-hearted souls. When not looking out for the many young wanderers at RISD, Nancy can be found actively working on some amazing design work with her partner, Mr. Tom Wedell. Many here at the Hug, at one point or another, have had the great fortune to take part in one of her classes. Recently, we have been very fortunate to have had the chance to talk to her for a little bit about her work, process and a little bit about life.
GraphicHug: From what we can decipher, there is a very formal element in your process. Can you speak to this? There is a strong sense and appreciation of form. Does form drive the project? Is it the end all? Or does it come later on in the process? What I mean is that you guys often come up with a theme for a poster and I wonder if it begins with visualization first? Than later, other things?
Nancy Skolos: Form is definitely one of our primary interests and many times we begin our process by looking through collages and sketchbooks we have kept to see if there are any arresting forms that might fit with the subject at hand. We also brainstorm from the concept side, making lists, and thought maps to develop the projects from both ends of the form/meaning spectrum simultaneously. I do think form is the end all and I know this isn’t a popular view at this moment in design history. Because form took center stage in the late 80s and for much of the 90s, designers are looking for new ways to define their role. Many people associate form with a lack of intellectual rigor.
GH: Much of your work can safely be dubbed extremely complex. One can get pleasantly lost in them for quite some time. Is this an intentional design maneuver? Can you speak to complexity in your work?
NS: We enjoy the process of making the work so maybe it is just self indulgence on our part. We don’t want the project to end so we just keep working on it — much like a composer doing a theme and variations or a fugue.
GH: Do you feel that the existing set of tools we use as a designer facilitates this complexity? Or takes away from it? Had you your choice, would you wish any other way to design?
NS: Speaking for Tom and me, I think that our work would look the way it does regardless of the tools available because we have never let the limitations of tools stand in our way. I would like to explore more time-based design and also try to learn some programming just to see where that might lead. I’m actually very good at math and I love logic and arranging things in a proportional way. Tom, being a photographer first, works more in “real time” so is very comfortable with letting things unfold as they are arranged in the photo studio. The tension between our two ways of working makes the work even more complex.
GH: It seems there is a heavy roll of photography in your work. In some ways, this adds to the complexity. Can you describe how photography fits into your process? Do you begin with a photo? Do you plan a photo? Do you plan everything simultaneously?
NS: I think the photographic aspect of our collaboration is what I am the most proud of. First because it shows how much we trust each other. And second because it is amazing to employ photography as a way of associating “reality” with symbolism.
GH: There seems to be an interesting dynamic between you and Tom. From what I know, Tom is the photographer and you are the designer. Does this make things easier? Can you lend us some incite into your process? And what it means to design as the two of you? Or do you tend to design as one? Let us know more about what you guys are planning ahead in the future.
NS: When we first started collaborating (many years ago) we defined our roles more specifically. I was the graphic designer, and he was the photographer. We avoided arguments because I had ultimate veto power on typographic and design issues and he had veto power on the image. This evolved though many stages. In the beginning, Tom would make the photo, and I would fit the type into whatever space was leftover. Gradually we learned to leave room for the type. Finally we realized that the photo couldn’t be finished but only half finished so there could be something left for the type to do and we could plan the type into the photo to some degree. Now it is pretty seamless with planning from the beginning–almost too easy. Not as many unexpected things happen.
GH: It seems your work takes on another dimension when not using photography. I’m particularly fond of your work in the few instances when it is flat, totally two-dimensional and absent of any photography. I realize, this perhaps is due to financial restraints on a project but I am curious as to how your process differs when limiting yourself to a stricter definition of two dimensions.
NS: In the late 90s we had a show in Tokyo. I remember one of my favorite designers, Koichi Sato said, “Your work is so American?” This really surprised me because usually people think our work looks European. So I asked him what did he mean “American.” He said, “Hollywood, you know, Hitchcock.” Then I understood that he was referring to the cinematic quality of the work. He said that in Japan they don’t like to render things so realistically in three-dimensions because that is considered to be “fact,” and with flatter work, there is more room for fiction. Maybe that’s why you like the flat work too. I find it more difficult to make something simple. I should force myself to do it more often.
GH: You seem to balance the roles of active practitioner and active educator quite well. Can you speak to this a little bit? Do these two modes of design, influence or affect each other? What roles do you prefer, and if you had your choice, and had to pick one, which one would it be?
NS: I was a practicing roughly 100 hours a week for many years. In 1989, I was asked to come to RISD to teach an elective in Poster Design. Teaching didn’t come easily to me because I work intuitively. It has taken me years to understand the importance of slowing down to clearly articulate ideas. This has been invaluable to my own creative process. Rather than slow my intuition, it has fueled my brain and my own curiosity. Now that I am on the full-time faculty, the hours devoted to teaching take a big chunk out of the time I can give to my practice, but I can concentrate on projects with extended timeframes that don’t require daily client hand-holding.
GH: Wow, you’re a living testament to the 10,000 hour rule! As an educator, what is one thing you wish all your students take away from an interaction/class with you? Do you have a leitmotif that structures your educational philosophy?
NS: My philosophy is that teaching is a partnership between the student(s) and the teacher. Both have to be beyond passionate about the subject and all of its intricacies. If that is there, everything else falls into place. My goal is to support the students’ level of interest and inspire them to refuel it themselves as they go on in life. To keep their design practice as much like school as possible.
GH: You have a pretty interesting mixture of experiences all bound in one. Cranbrook, Yale, RISD. Can you speak to all three places and if and how they have formed the current incarnation of the Nancy that we know today?
NS: Before Cranbrook, I studied Industrial Design at University of Cincinnati for two years. We spent a lot of time in the wood shop sanding and lacquering and were graded mostly on craftsmanship. So that got me started with a strong work ethic and attention to detail. At Cranbrook, were encouraged to find our own way, to experiment, to read and to be inventive and think about what the future potential of design was — not just stylistically, but how it could solve problems. I went to Yale because I felt I needed some hard core traditional graphic design education which I got in spades. In some ways it felt like running into a brick wall. I could go on for pages but it was a very disconnected series of experiences. RISD is my favorite school of course — because it has such a coherent train of thought — an almost poetic curriculum, and so many dedicated faculty. I have learned more teaching one class at RISD than in all six years of my former education. Of course, that is partly because I’m a better student now myself.
GH: We, at Graphic Hug, have an unhealthy fascination for the future. We are curious what it holds in a number of capacities. Having seen graphic design through the lens of education and professional practice over the years, what do you see in the coming future for graphic design? Is there something for us to look forward to?
NS: There is so much to look forward to. What could be better for Graphic Design than an era that depends on information, networks, and communication? The possibilities are endless. You can invent what graphic design is anyway you want to. You are no longer just the person who picks the typeface, margins, and paper stock. You figure out what the content is, who you want to share it with and how you want to parse it out. Even the poster is making a comeback as an online downloadable medium.
GH: What does the future hold for Skolos-Wedell? Is the present what you had planned? Or has it been a finding process?
NS: I have to admit that I never had a plan. I let my career take me where it wanted to go. I don’t think that’s the best way to operate but it was just what happened to me. The present is nothing like what I had planned since I never planned anything. I was always too busy to plan. We are having our 30th wedding anniversary this year and I figure that we have at least 30 more years to create work. It will be stronger work because we know what we are doing more than we did 30 years ago. I hope the best is yet to come.
GH: You have what is quite possibly the most huggable demeanor of demeanors. We actually are huge fans of this very calming presence and wonder if that comes into or influences your work at all. Or how that affects your interactions with clients and students? Can you speak to this for a little bit?
NS: I wish that my demeanor was more reflected in my work but the work is more a reaction to the zeitgeist and the design problems. I do think that my calm personality helped me convince clients that my crazy work was less threatening. As far as teaching goes, I suspect it is more of a liability than an asset. For the most part students want to be kicked in the butt. I keep forgetting to do that.
GH: If you could hug anything now, what would it be?
NS: Graphic Hug!
GH: Oh my! Blush. Far too kind, far too kind! Okay, thank you very much Nancy. You have been, as always, very fabulous. We appreciate your time and your thoughtful answers. Say hi to Tom and the cats and we hope to see you again in the not too distant!
Design Is Blank Interview Graphic House
What is your design background?
We have a diverse and slightly unconventional background in terms of design. Between us we have two Degrees in Graphic Design, one in Interior Design, one in Architecture and one in Photography. Historically we have a mix of employment experience too. The three founding partners all met whilst working at Graven Images, a Graphic and Interior Design Consultancy based in Glasgow. Daniel and Colin moved on ISO Design and Third Eye Design (now Marque Creative), respectively, for a while before the formation of Graphical House. Whilst Graeme remained at Graven Images. Aside from the variety of our qualifications these initial years provided a wide range of experiences in working with all kinds of media and all kinds of clients, this has definitely been invaluable in the development of Graphical House. Gabriel joined us straight from Cumbria Institute of the Arts after spending some time on placement. After completing his Architecture qualifications Tony spent a short time working for the Scottish Arts Council before founding Skratch Design, which he grew and developed for ten years prior to the merger with Graphical House in 2010.
How did Graphical House start?
The initial idea to start a company was borne out of a desire to have more control over the kind of work we were producing and the kind of clients we were working with. We also had the sense that we had topped out in terms of our positions within the companies we were working for, there didn’t really feel like there was much scope to move forward. Our motivations for running our own company have always been very clear and really quite simple. To produce high quality, effective work for clients who appreciate and value it. And to enjoy the process.
We started the company in stages to ease the pressure of finding clients and earning cash. Daniel began working under the Graphical House name and was joined six months later by Graeme then Colin another six months after that. So really we formed over the course of a year and a half. Slow and steady is definitely our approach. Our aim is to expand slowly and retain direct contact with the work we produce as a company. Gabriel joined us in 2006 and was a obvious choice. Since then we’ve had a couple of people who’ve come and gone but retained a working relationship with us.
Then in late 2009 we approached Tony (Skratch Design) to see if he would be interested in joining forces. We’d known him for some time and admired his work and felt like a merger would make a lot of sense for us both. Thankfully he felt the same so the new Graphical House was formed in January 2010, and so far all is going very well indeed.
Do you remember how you landed your first client?
Our first Client was The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City. We had an existing relationship with them from previous projects completed at other companies. They approached us to pitch for a signage project in the building. Studio Mariscal in Barcelona had designed the original signage solution for the space but it wasn’t working terribly well. However the board felt it was important to retain within the building as part of it’s ‘original features’. The problem was to design a system which would allow optimal understanding of the difficult space without clashing with the existing signage, which was essentially just decorative.
The pitch was against 4 other companies and thankfully we won it. This lead to a long and very worthwhile relationship with The Lighthouse which went on right until the building sadly closed in late 2009. As a client directly involved with the design industry and with a deep understanding of the value of design The Lighthouse enabled us to produce some of our best work which then attracted many other new clients with similar values.
Do you have a specific approach to projects? Or does it depend?
Again this is tough to answer. Essentially we do and we don’t. We specifically treat each new project on its own terms but our overall design ethos tends to inform how we go about producing an effective response to the project. This is driven by a desire to arrive at the best possible outcome for all concerned. Exactly how that happens is often dictated as much by the client as by ourselves. This is where the relationship with the client becomes so important. These conversations are essential to the design development
What do you feel is right/wrong with the design industry?
The main problems with the design industry seems to be to do with it’s perception rather than the industry itself. Of course though, the industry is entirely responsible for how it’s perceived. In the UK we have one of the most innovative and creative design industries in the world, however we are maybe, ironically, not that good at communicating that fact. Designers tend to be secretive and protective, almost defensive of their work, (it’s easy to see why sometimes though). As an industry we need to represent ourselves better and take a more united approach.
From a very early age in the UK we are not presented with Design as a specialist, stand-alone subject. It is often bunched together with others, Art & Design, Craft Design & Technology. Design is an absolutely fundamental part of everybody’s day-to-day life and yet it often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. The rare occasions that the subject does enter the public awareness are in situations of controversy, Olympic and Commonwealth logos for example. And in those situations the lack of understanding and education amongst those commenting is staggering and very saddening.
If design was a more deliberate part of our lives from an earlier age then as a nation we would understand it better, appreciate it more, use it more effectively and be even more successful at it.
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