Cognitive Content

Cognitive Content The sum or range of what has been

Definition perceived, discovered, or learned...

Matt Tucker 2013

Contents Chapters
—
Introduction A—B
Print Hoarder 01—16
Publication Collector 17—32
Exhibition Goer 33—56
Typography Advocate 57—68
End Note 69—70
Introduction /Key

Print Publication
Hoarder Collector

Exhibition Scanned
Goer Image

Primary Primary
Images Writing

Primary Secondary
Interview Interview

Secondary Secondary
Images Writing

Pause for Typography

Thought Advocate

A
Throughout the publication there are a series of symbols
indicating the origins of each image / piece of writing
or information. The key towards these references is
indicated in the bottom left of the opposite page, consisting
of my own primary photos and writing, secondary and
un-sourced. Every effort to source the information has been
made, but in some cases it just wasn’t possibly. Apologies
to any studios/ individuals work that has been used in the
book without the necessary association to origin. The
refrences towards each image and piece of writing can
be located in the inside margin at the bottom of each page.
As many of these images have been taken from a
stupidly named ‘untitled’ folder in my bookmarks there
is little indication towards their origins. The collection of
printed ephemera also consists of a few un-sourced scans
of print that was picked up somewhere along the line. If
this is the case there was at least some form of indication
towards when and where it was picked up from.

B
Chapter One
— “Nothing of me is
Print
Hoarder original. I am the
combined effort
of everyone I’ve
ever known.”
Chuck Palahniuk,
Invisible Monsters

01
In the same way Chuck Palahniuk states that none of
what we do is original, that those around us shape us as
people and individuals. In the same sense I believe it to be
true that the things that we collect also shape the way we
look at and approach different problems. This section is a
collection of the printed ephemera that has been building
up in one of my drawers since around 2008.
This collection of print spans from type specimens,
flyers, invites, tickets all the way to sweet bags. All of
these items have had some subconscious effect on the
way that I approach graphic design. Not only is it apparent
how they influence my work through their colours and use
of typography, but also the fact that even before I studied
graphic design these small and somewhat insignificant
bits of print drew me towards picking them up and keeping
them. Although this may seem normal to any design sorts’ it
is strange that a piece of paper with small (or large) amount
of ink on it would have so much prominence in my ideology
of design and what it should be.
Print is such a pivotal part of my practice and integral
to my relationship with design. Print is interactive in its
most primitive and non technological form. You can pick
it up, feel it, smell it and move it around to interpret the
information that it holds. For something so ephemeral it
still fascinates me and is something that will continue to
influence my own work. Although I have not taken direct
visual influences from any specific work is it true that all
of these pieces combined have played some role in what
I believe and wish the achieve within design.

02
PRINT SWEET SHOP BARCELONA
HOARDER HAPPYPILLS.ES 2012

03
CHAPTER ONE TATE MODERN FLYER LONDON
TATE.ORG 2008

04
PRINT COLOPHON FOUNDRY LEEDS
HOARDER COLOPHON-FOUNDRY.COM 2013

Colophon Foundry

Colophon is an independent type foundry set up by These prints are not particularly included in the
London based design studio, The Entente (Anthony spontaneous collection of printed ephemera, instead
Sheret & Edd Harrington). As well as distributing they were delivered when ordering type specimen
and acting as a platform for fonts designed by The books from Colophon Foundry. However the theme
Entente, it selects fonts designed by other designers of vibrant colours and typography made it an instant
to distribute and create products for. addition to the collection. The general messages
are light hearted in tone of voice and have obvious
Working in a similar way to that of a publishers, relevance me as a budding typographer.
some typefaces that are released by Colophon will
be in a limited edition. These fonts will be unique
in its edition, ranging from 50-500. Colophon also
offers a selection of specimen books and a range of
miscellaneous products.

05
CHAPTER ONE PRINTED FLYERS LEEDS
COLOPHON-FOUNDRY.CO.UK 2013

06
PRINT KALEB DE GROOT AMSTERDAM
HOARDER UNKNOWN.COM 2008

07
CHAPTER ONE CLOSED CERRADO LEEDS
OPEN ABIERTO 2012

08
PRINT V&A MUSEUM LONDON
HOARDER VAM.AC.UK 2012

V&A British
Design Exhibition

Although I have the publication that was part of the 31 March - 12 August 2012. The V&A’s exhibition,
exhibition, this little print almost stands out to me British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern
more. The use of the pink spot colour and simple Age, celebrated the best of British post-war art and
16 leaf catalogue has a strange appeal to me. The design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games’ to the present
V&A continue to put on amazing exhibitions, all with day. Over 300 British design objects highlighted
consistently high quality prints and publications significant moments in the history of British design
as part of the exhibitions. To see some reecent and how the country continues to nurture artistic
exhibitions at the V&A talent and be a world leader
in creativity and design.

09
CHAPTER ONE PROMOTIONAL FLYER LEEDS
KAISALASSINARO.COM 2013

10
PRINT PROCESSING FLYER LEEDS
HOARDER ARTHURCAREY.CO.UK 2011

11
CHAPTER ONE FWD THURS FLYER LONDON
GIVEUPART.COM 2009

12
PRINT STAERK DVD LONDON
HOARDER WWW.NON-FORMAT.COM 2010

Non-Format
Stærk

This is another piece of print that I managed to The perforated tearstrip has to be removed to
stumble across. It was picked up while working over gain access to the DVD. The design solution plays
summer with a photographer who works for a Danish on the title Stærk, which is Norwegian for ‘strong’.
paper. The DVD packaging and design was created
by the phenomenally talented duo Non-Format.
And the interaction design was done by the
equally talented Sennep.

13
CHAPTER ONE PROMOTIONAL EXHIBITION FLYER LONDON
KAISALASSINARO.COM 2012

14
PRINT HELL YEH! LEEDS
HOARDER PRINT-PROJECT.CO.UK 2013

15
CHAPTER ONE

Nothing something
of me is original.
I am the combined
effort of everyone
everything I’ve ever
known picked up.

16
Chapter Two Includes
— —
Publication Graphic Thought Facility
Collector Spin/Unit Editions
Main Studio
Heydays
Qubik

17
In the same way that the collection of print a someone
owns, a book collection also says a lot about a persons
personality and background. A book collection is personal,
ever morphing organism of character and personality.
Particularly the book collection of a designer, with
the variation in formats, sizes and colours our design
bookshelves are clear indicators of who we are as
designers, and what we aspire to create.
Since starting the course I have amassed a large
collection of books, mainly surrounding typography and
design writing. This section explores some of designs
most prolific publication designers. As a collective these
designers push the standards and boundaries of book
design. Ranging from the UK, Europe and further abroad
this wide spectrum of studios and individuals are pinnacle
in my own progression and that of publication design.

18
BOOK GRAPHIC THOUGHT FACILITY LONDON
COLLECTOR GRAPHICTHOUGHTFACILITY.COM UK

Graphic Thought Facility

Graphic Thought Facility is a London-based design

consultancy with an international reputation for
appropriate, effective and original solutions. Recent
commissions include store environments for M&S,
exhibition design for the Science Museum, books
for the Gagosian Gallery, wayfinding for Vitra, and
campaigns for Kvadrat and the Frieze Art Fair.
We believe that a successful project is rooted in
a deep understanding of its objectives and we take
great care to listen to our clients, often forging long
term relationships. Although our approach has been
cited as original and unconventional, our underlying
principles are clarity, simplicity and a belief that
functional need and emotional response demand
equal consideration.
We enjoy exploring the physical possibilities of
design, which has naturally extended our work into
product, exhibition and environmental design. We
often use non-standard materials and production
methods, exploiting our knowledge of niche
manufacturers and forgotten techniques, as
well as new technologies.
Established in 1990, GTF is jointly owned and This catalogue and
led by three directors – Huw Morgan, Paul Neale
and Andrew Stevens all of whom remain very much
poster for a group
hands-on. We have chosen to keep the studio exhibition took its title
relatively small and are currently a team of nine
designers supported by our studio manager. We from the famous novel by
JG Ballard. Pockets on the
often collaborate with other creative specialists
such as architects, writers and digital media experts,
and are equally happy either to join or build a team foam-padded plastic cover
for a particular project.
GTF has been invited to exhibit and talk around showed photographs
Ballard took of his Ford
the world and our work is held in public collections
in Europe and America. In 2008, ‘Graphic Thought
Facility Resourceful Design’ became the Art Institute Zephyr following a car
of Chicago’s first ever show dedicated to the output
of a single graphic design studio. accident in 1973.

19
CHAPTER TWO GAGOSIAN GALLERY – CRASH: USA
HOMAGE TO JG BALLARD 2010

20
BOOK MAIN STUDIO AMSTERDAM
COLLECTOR MAINSTUDIO.COM NETHERLANDS

Main Studio

Edwin van Gelder is an independent graphic

designer based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
After graduating from from Utrecht School of the
Arts in 2004, van Gelder founded Mainstudio and
has worked under the name ever since.
Mainstudio’s projects include editorial design,
books and visual identities for clients within
architecture, art and fashion. Clients include Frame
Publishers, Wiel Arets Architects, and the Dutch
Fashion Biennial. Van Gelder has won various
international awards (Art Directors Club New York,
Best Dutch Book Design) and has been part of
different international design juries, such as Art
Directors Club New York, Selected A - Graphic
Design from Europe, and the Art Directors Club
the Netherlands. His work, as well as interviews,
has been published in various books and magazines,
including +81 Magazine, Slanted, and Process
Journal of Design.
Van Gelder loves typography, magazines,
identities and books. His design approach is
creating a clear concept, while always playing
with the context of the information and looking
for something unique in every assignment.
Stills exhibition shows the development
of the oeuvre of Wiel Arets, shows the
projects, expands upon the theoretical
background and offers insight into the
sources of inspiration and fascination
of Wiel Arets himself. From his very
early beginnings to his striking and
unique personal vision on the future
of urban development.

21
CHAPTER TWO STILLS PUBLICATION NETHERLANDS
ARCHITECTURE 2010

22
BOOK HEYDAYS OSLO
COLLECTOR HEYDAYS.COM NORWAY

Heydays Interview–Mathias Haddal Hovet

Heydays is an Oslo-based design studio that When looking at your website it is apparent that colour and geometry play a
creates strong visual concepts that trigger curiosity, large role in the communication of ideas and concepts. What principles and
create excitement and show ambition. approaches do you apply when using these aspects within your design?
Hey­days is a dynamic and effec­tive design We work a lot with limitations. We truly believe that working with a set of
studio founded in 2008. They are large enough to limitations creates strong identity and help you a lot along the way. Limitations are
take on a lead design role, but small enough to fol­low
not meant to be straitjacket, but a way to avoid unnecessary objects, colours and
projects from start til end. In their cen­tral Oslo studio
sizes in your design.
they produce visual iden­ti­ties, dig­i­tal designs and
exceptional print work for a wide range of clients,
both com­mer­cial, cul­tural and organizations. It is also apparent that typography plays a large role in your practice. How
They work across a variety of media and important do you feel the use of typography is and what approaches do you
fields, ranging from identity design to art directing take when working with it?
photographies. We offer both design and design Good typography makes people frown less. Its the tone and voice of a word
consultancy, and may be hired for complete and the letters its made from. Typography creates personality and identity.
deliveries or as part of a external team. It’s functional and emotional at the same time.
Through cre­ative insight and con­cep­tual
think­ing, anchored by a tai­lored approach they are Often individuals work is defined by their interests outside of design.
ded­i­cated on cre­at­ing more value for our clients. Our
What are your influences outside of design and how do feel they shape
design­ers direct con­tact with the clients throughout
your practice?
the projects is impor­tant to us. Together with we
Like anyone else we’re influenced by the age we live in and cultural surroundings.
start by pick­ing the problems apart, then to mold
new and effec­tive design solutions that delivers our We’re also influenced by history, architecture and music. Inspiration can come
clients mes­sage in a unique way. With our designers from anywhere and everywhere. We think its important to have a life outside
dif­fer­ent skill sets we select the team best suited work, which gives you healthy mental refill.
to solve the given challenge. If needed we also
build col­labora­tions and include resources from There has been some really interesting work coming out of Oslo in recent
our growing creative net­work. By work­ing like this years. How do you feel design in Norway differs from the UK?
we can deliver the high­est qual­ity in all parts of the Hard to tell. The UK have a longer tradition for graphic design and like Holland,
project and achieve a suc­cess­ful out­come on behalf stronger roots for printed matter. In norway and the rest of scandinavia we have
of our clients.
a stronger tradition in furniture design and architecture. I think we base more our
work on material selection, and tend to deliver very clean restricted work. I think
the lack of strong traditions, as seen in Holland, makes us a bit more free and
open to how the work should come out.

Finally, what is your favourite aspects of design process and why?

In my opinion, solving the problem based on input or brief from client. The answer
is always in the brief, so finding it can be looked at as a treasure hunt. There are no
set answers, but tons of possibilities. Concepts are my favourite part.

23
CHAPTER TWO STILLS PUBLICATION NETHERLANDS
ARCHITECTURE 2010

24
BOOK HEYDAYS OSLO
COLLECTOR HEYDAYS.COM NORWAY

“It’s the tone and voice of

a word and the letters its
made from. Typography
creates personality and
identity. It’s functional
and emotional at
the same time”

25
CHAPTER TWO STILLS PUBLICATION NETHERLANDS
ARCHITECTURE 2010

26
BOOK JOE GILMORE LEEDS
COLLECTOR QUBIK.COM UK

Qubik

During the past year I had the pleasure of working

with Joe on a small project during a placement. His
work is experimental yet organised and considered.
He follows the basic principles of typography and
through intuition and interesting techniques he
creates well rounded, interesting projects. Working
for a selection of culture orientated clients Joe
thrives of the creation of publications, and is a
great aspiration in the design sector. He rarely
compromises his work or concepts around the
client, and given this as a starting point clients know
what to expect and put a lot of trust in him.

Qubik is a graphic design studio founded in 2000 by

Joe Gilmore. Specialising in typographic-led design
for branding, print and digital media, the studio
works with a variety of clients in the commercial
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 independent curatorial
and publishing projects which focus on typography Glitch: Perfect Imperfection is a
and graphic design.
collaboration between Iman Moradi,
We are very passionate about graphic design.
Through developing collaborative relationships with Ant Scot, Christopher Murphy and
Joe Gilmore and features work by a
our clients and partners we aim to create original,
functional and distinctive work that engages users,
satisfies the objectives of the client and meets the
high standards and creative innovation that are
host of internationally renowned
central to our studio practice. artists and designers

27
CHAPTER TWO GLITCH: UK
PERFECT IMPERFECTION 2010

28
BOOK SPIN/UNIT EDITIONS LEEDS
COLLECTOR SPIN.CO.UK UK
UNITEDITIONS.COM

Spin Unit/Editions

Spin and unit editions embody many of my own

principles as a designer. The quality and refinement
Herb Lubalin admirers have waited
of ideas is panicle in their practice, this along a long time for a reassessment of his
with a drive to create privately published books
at accessible prices makes them an ideal studio/ achievement and it’s been clear for a
publishers to include in this publication. Unit editions
have also played a large role in the diminishing funds decade or more that typographic taste
in my bank account.
Unit Editions is a progressive publishing venture has re-embraced once unfashionable
Lubalinesque styles. Detailed research
producing high-quality, affordable books on graphic
design and visual culture. We combine impeccable
design and production standards with insightful texts
and informative commentaries on a wide range of
leads Adrian Shaughnessy to conclude,
subjects. Unit Editions is a collaboration between in a long, adroitly paced biographical
Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy and brings
the notion of the book as a highly designed artefact essay, that Lubalin was a far more
with rich visual and textual content to an international
audience of design professionals, design students noteworthy and less commercially
and followers of visual culture.
This publication is a monograph of the legendary driven figure than he imagined when
he threw out his old copies of U&lc.
Herb Lubalin, one of the foremost graphic designers
of the 20th century. Along with Saul Bass and Paul
Rand, Herb Lubalin forms a trio of American graphic
design greatness.
This meticulously researched book offers a
complete career overview of Herb Lubalin, beginning
with his early days as one of the original Mad Men
in the New York advertising world of the 50s and
60s, and continuing into the years of his greatest
achievements as one of the world’s most influential
typographers and graphic designers.
Herb Lubalin’s work is enjoying an unprecedented
revival of interest amongst young graphic designers.
The Lubalin cult is global, with strong pockets of
interest in Korea, Japan and, of course, the USA & UK.

29
CHAPTER TWO 01. JURRIAAN SCHROFER UK
02. HERB LUBALIN 2010
03. TD 63-73

01

02

03

30
BOOK 01. HERB LUBALIN LONDON
COLLECTOR 02. JURRIAAN SCHROFER UK

01

02

03

31
CHAPTER TWO 03. WIM CROUWEL UK
A GRAPHIC ODYSSEY CATALOGUE 2010
04. JURRIAAN SCHROFER

03

04

32
Chapter Three Includes
— —
Exhibition Studio Myerscough
Goer Bibliotèque
Oscar & Ewan
Spin
OK-RM
Faudet Harrison
Studio Firth UK
APFEL
Anish Kapoor

33
The sensation of going to an exhibition is like no other aspect
of graphic design. This is a true design experience, and with
current practice moving into new and uncharted territory,
graphic designers are moving towards the interior deign sector,
designing spaces as well as all of the content to go in them.
The practice towards graphic designers creating exhibitions
has changed from them designing perfect captions towards a
scope of how the entire process and event tie together. A graphic
designer understands how the identity gets pushed into the
spaces where the exhibitions are held and across a wider scope
than an interior designer.
This section explores some of the most prolific graphic
designers/ studios in this area of current practice and analyses
how this scope could stretch across more than a promotional
flyer, but how the exterior, interior, promotion and identity all
tie together to create a unique experience for the visitors of
each event.
Many of the exhibitions listed in this section of the book are
those that I have attended either while in Uni or home in London.
The key acts as a refrence to which images are my own, and those
that are out-sourced.

34
EXHIBITION GOOGLE LAB LONDON
GOER BIBLIOTHEQUEDESIGN.COM UK
SCIENCEMUSEUM.ORG.UK

Google Lab
Bibliotéque

During the typo talks last year Bibliotheque

mentioned a project they were working on, hosted
at the science museum in collaboration with Google.
I made the most of my visit home over the weekend
and visited a few galleries and events to get some
extra research in.
The room consists of a number of interactive
experiments allowing visitors to engage and
experiment with each one. The experience as a
whole was amazing and the design of the space
worked perfectly with the experimental nature of
the event.
I have recorded my experience of the event
to document how it engages and interacts with
The signage and branding of the
online and offline percipients. I have taken a lot exhibition reflected the theme and
of inspiration from this and really starting to think
about the end of year show... how can this year notion of the event — interaction
be different! A lot is changing in graphic design,
and I think the show has the potential to push the
and experimentation.
boundaries using the shapes as signage to create
an experience that engages its visitors making it
stay in their minds.
The signage all the way through the event was
based on this idea of experimentation and uses
industrial style signage. I truly can’t fault the design
for the exhibition and instantly felt a great deal of
inspiration towards how to approach the D&AD
stools and how it could interact with the yearbook.
When you enter you are given a card that records
all of the experiments that you explore while at the
exhibition. Straight away engaging you on a more
personal level, treating everyone as an individual
and allowing them to shape their own experience or
venture!
As you walk in you notice a rather strange created live! Similarly to the music you can record
series of sounds, then soon realise that they are the making of your face onto your Google lab card!
coming from the experiments around the room, At the end you scan your card on the webcam
being used by both online visitors and those there and it shows you all the experiments you engaged
in the flesh. The different experiments allow you to with. I have only listed a few of the processes I
engage with each series of strange instruments as explored but further documentation of the event
you walk around the room. Each gives the option can be seen in the Scribd document, I would
of recording and saving the music you make onto honestly advise anyone interested in designing
your card, showing which experiments you engaged experiences or events to visit the exhibition!
with! Again a very personal touch to an event with so Finally the signage across the floor was based
many visitors both on and off-line. on warehouse flooring, again this idea of a giant
Some of the experiments were more visual, this industrial experiment is communicated through
experiment takes an image of your face and saturises the colours and tone of voice the typeface delivers.
it in a simple process, then an etching type machine Considering how the floor of the end of year show
marks it out on to the sand. Again both on and offline or D&AD could be changed or worked with is
visitors can engage with the experiments all being another aspect to consider for the yearbook brief.

35
CHAPTER THREE BIBLIOTÉQUE UK
BIBLIOTHEQUEDESIGN.COM 2010
SCIENCEMUSEUM.ORG.UK

36
EXHIBITION GOOGLE LAB LONDON
GOER BIBLIOTHEQUEDESIGN.COM UK
SCIENCEMUSEUM.ORG.UK

The signage embodies the idea of experimenting, The signage was created on a metal styles sheets as
in turn encouraging people to get involved with the if it was a large scale industrial experiment. Again this
embodied the experimental nature of the exhibition
experiments in the exhibition.
and showcases the quality of Biblioteques work.

37
CHAPTER THREE BIBLIOTÉQUE UK
BIBLIOTHEQUEDESIGN.COM 2010
SCIENCEMUSEUM.ORG.UK

Enter Web Lab, a series of interactive Chrome Join online visitors to create music together,
Experiments made by Google that bring the watch your portrait being drawn by a robot and
discover much more at this first-of-its-kind web-
extraordinary workings of the internet to life.
based exhibition.

38
EXHIBITION DESIGN OF THE YEAR LONDON
GOER FAUDET-HARRISON.COM UK
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

Design of The Year

Faudet Harrison

I took a visit to the design Museum after Easter to

see the design of the year exhibition. Some fantastic
The Designs of the Year awards, ‘The
work and amazing design of the actual exhibition set Oscars of the design world’ showcase
up. Again it was the interaction with certain products
and projects that made them stand out to me. It was
the most innovative and imaginative
also great seeing a spectrum of designs — Product designs from around the world, over
Design, Graphic Design, Fashion & Architecture — all
subjects that I feel graphic designers can take a lot
the past year, spanning seven
from in relation to their concepts and also potential categories: Architecture, Digital,
client audiences.
Fashion, Furniture, Graphics,
Transport and Product.

39
CHAPTER THREE BIBLIOTÉQUE UK
BIBLIOTHEQUEDESIGN.COM 2010
SCIENCEMUSEUM.ORG.UK

40
 EXHIBITION DESIGN OF THE YEAR LONDON
GOER NOMINATIONS UK
GRAPHIC DESIGN

01. OK-RM 02. Studio Firth UK

Strelka Institure Indetity Kapow!

Amazing adaptable identity that works in two This publication was created working with the
languages across all the deliverables. The identity authors of the book. Its de-constructed layout
for the art institute has some great contextual reflects that of the character in the story, running
references and the simple colour pallet makes it a on strange tangents similar to his mental state. A
piece of work that inspires my own practice through beautifully simple idea really well executed.
simplicity and function.

01.

02.

41
CHAPTER THREE DESIGN OF THE YEAR UK
NOMINATIONS 2010
GRAPHIC DESIGN

03. APFEL 04. Anish Kapoor

Bauhaus Exhibition Zumbotel Annual Report

This is another design that was discussed during The dull pieces of information were laid out in
the Typo Talks and features a colour pallet taken interesting methods and cobined with bold gradients
from non traditional Bauhaus methods of thinking. of colour the publication offeres a bolder and more
The simple shapes are a clear visual reminder of the interesting format to an annual report. Again its
principles of the Institute, combined with typefaces alternative ways of thinking that made it a choice for
used at the time it was a wonderful piece of design. design of the year and put it up there with some of
the larger products.

03.

04.

42
EXHIBITION STUDIO MYERSCOUGH LONDON
GOER STUDIO MYERSCOUGH.COM UK
SECONDARY INTERVIEW

Studio Myerscough

Designer Morag Myerscough started the award- practise his instrument, and then he, and that would
winning Studio Myerscough in 1993. Best known be it. But my mum had this drawing. And I think I
for their work in the integration of graphics within always liked the idea of making and having things at
architectural settings, acclaimed projects include the end of it.
Westminster Academy, the Kentish Town Health
Centre and the Barbican Arts
Centre. Myerscough believes
that letter forms are amazing,
My favourite thing is to be in the
expressive and beautiful. studio and to do work and not to
be out at meetings.
Over the years Morag has
concentrated on working way
beyond the restrictions of 2D
and creates and curates many different types of work The path to becoming a graphic designer
including a train as a café, exhibitions, interpreting I went to Foundation at St Martin’s and they tended
buildings and running her own gallery and shop. to sort of slightly, if you had, I had designed this
The studio’s Power of Ten project for the London school badge or something. You know, if you
College of Communication was nominated for the had shown some sort of slight form of a design
2010 Brit Insurance Designs of the Year. In 2012 discipline, then they slightly moved you in that
Myerscough completed the new Zynga headquarters direction.
building in San Francisco.
Myerscough believes that wayfinding is not And then when I was at the Royal College, I
purely about a series of signs but as much about went to see the David Hockney exhibition, Paints
bringing out the narrative in the built environment, a Stage, at the Hayward and I just really wanted to
enhancing the physical experience, “It is very do stage sets. And it was that thing about, I didn’t
important how people feel when they move want to design the programme cover; I wanted to
through a space, if they can move easily, almost understand the subjects that I work on, and also
unconsciously, and if you can make them smile and interpret them.
feel happy that is one of the best outcomes.
Working
Interview with Stuio Myerscough My favourite thing is to be in the studio and to do
work and not to be out at meetings. I don’t mind
The designer as interpreter meetings but I don’t really, I’m not a great meeting
I would never classify really myself as an artist as person. I really just like working.
such, you know. I definitely like solving things. I Workspaces
am much, I am very, inside me is a designer. I love This room is about making. It doesn’t have any
information and I love interpreting that information. computers in it or presenting. So usually it’s very
Family influences blank in here at the moment. But these walls, if we
Family Influences do a presentation we often leave them up – that is
My mother is an embroideress and my father was a a remnant of an image over there that we did a big
musician, and I came, I was brought up in Holloway, presentation to... for the 30 year anniversary for co-
actually, in a family where we always were making, existence. But usually we’ll have the walls full. But I
and even though my dad was, the one thing I think it’s also important to take it down and be fresh
knew I didn’t want to be was a classical musician and then have another go.
because I just, I just thought that life was just not
what I wanted. And when I used to see my mum So this is the studio, this is Avni. And in here it’s
draw, she would draw a plant in the evening or much more we’re on the computer, you know, it’s
draw something, I used to think, or my mum much more working from the computer and just
would have something physical at the end of it. cutting things out.
I know this is terribly naïve. And my dad would

43
CHAPTER THREE STUDIO MYERSCOUGH UK
STUDIO MYERSCOUGH.COM 2010
SECONDARY INTERVIEW

Involvement in every stage of the project The exhibition as a journey

I do the art work. And that’s why sometimes people I quite like narratives. You know, I quite like a journey.
work for me and they think they’re too good to do I like people to go on a journey in an exhibition and I
art work or do certain things. I always find that quite quite like people to be able to make connections.
difficult because I think that taking a project from
right to the beginning and doing, you know, if we do I did the Royal College of Art Great Exhibition with
the exhibitions, I will often art work the captions as this, sort of, type going in and out, wooden type on
well. And maybe that isn’t the best use of my time the front, a year or so ago. And Icon approached me
but I think if you want to do a job properly, you’ve that they wanted me to do a cover and they wanted
got to know, understand every aspect of that project me to think about something that was not the same
so that every bit comes out. but in the same thought process.
The Barbican and collaboration
Alan Aldridge
AHMM were approached to go for pitch for the As the big crazy exhibition I just did before
Barbican and it was, it was an architectural way Christmas, the Alan Aldridge. And he’s an illustrator
finding project. And I was brought in very early on and I didn’t know his work that well, I mean, it’s quite
in that project and worked with them from the very, psychedelic, quite crazy. And again we were given
very beginning. So I would understand all their all his stuff and that’s when with Avni [?] and there
architectural changes that they were thinking about was Charlotte in the studio. And we sat down and we
making, and we would discuss them. Collaboration printed every single thing out, and we just looked at
doesn’t remove individuality. every single thing. And then we just thought, well,
The image of the graphic designer how would you feel when, what do you want to get
when you go through this space.
There still is a thing with graphic designers that
people think, oh you are the person who does the Work/life balance
captions. And you’ve got to stay in that little place I work most weekends. But I do sleep quite a lot in
over there, because if you start suggesting over here, the weekend as well. [laugh]. And then I get up and
and then I just think, you know, I don’t want to do do a bit of work and then I sleep.
that. I’m too old. I don’t want to spend nine months
doing some captions. That doesn’t interest me. But it’s so great because I don’t lose time travelling
But I think when people do captions well, they, it’s because I can get dressed and be at work in five
worth them spending nine months doing it. But I just minutes, you know. And I don’t ever come down...
love getting really involved in a project and people somebody asked me I ever come down in my
allowing me to, you know. And then you get the best dressing gown? No, no, it’s very formal, I’m always
out of me. dressed fully.

Recent projects [Pointing to a dummy] She was meant to be picked

Sometimes we have a lot of exhibitions to do and up but she’s still here, it’s a bit strange - and we do
sometimes we do signage. And sometimes print. another one up there – so she’s my friend. Well,
Less print these days. So if I use this year for an I know, that’s a bit scary. No, she’s not my friend
example, I’m working on a big gallery in India . We [laughing]. I’m digging a grave now.
did a branding scheme for a development in Ghana
. We’re working on an exhibition in Birmingham –
Matthew Boulton.

So this is our working model for the Matthew Boulton

exhibition and we build the whole thing to scale. And
it’s really to actually explain to myself and also then
to all the people involved, how you move through the
space. And I always feel this is the easiest way to get
it across.

44
EXHIBITION STUDIO MYERSCOUGH LONDON
GOER STUDIO MYERSCOUGH.COM UK
SELECTED WORKS

45
CHAPTER THREE STUDIO MYERSCOUGH UK
STUDIO MYERSCOUGH.COM 2010
SELECTED WORKS

46
EXHIBITION WIM CROUWEL LONDON
GOER SPIN.CO.UK UK
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

Wim Couwel
A Graphic Odyssey

The Design Museum celebrated the prolific

career of the Dutch graphic designer Wim Crouwel
in his first UK retrospective. Regarded as one of the
leading designers of the twentieth century, Crouwel
embraced a new modernity to produce typographic
designs that captured the essence of the emerging
computer and space age of the early 1960s.
Spanning over 60 years, the exhibition
covered Crouwel’s rigorous design approach and
key moments in his career including his work for
design practice Total Design, the identity for the
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, as well as his iconic
poster, print, typography and lesser known exhibition
design. The exhibition explored Crouwel’s innovative
use of grid-based layouts and typographic systems
to produce consistently striking asymmetric visuals.
Regarded as one of the leading designers of
the twentieth century, Crouwel embraced a new
modernity to produce typographic designs that
captured the essence of the emerging computer
and space age of the early 1960s. Spanning over 60
years, the exhibition features key moments in his
career, demonstrating Crouwel’s rigorous design
approach and exploring his innovative use of grid-
based layouts and typographic systems to produce
consistently striking asymmetric visuals.
The exhibition will display some of his most
well-known posters and typographic work, as well
as some of his trademarks from the design practice
Total Design. It will also offer an insight into some
of his lesser known exhibition design work. The
exhibition has been specially edited and produced
for tour to The Lighthouse by The Design Museum.
First opened in London is 2011, the exhibition
celebrates the prolific career of the Dutch graphic
designer in this, his first UK retrospective.

47
CHAPTER THREE STUDIO MYERSCOUGH UK
STUDIO MYERSCOUGH.COM 2010
SECONDARY INTERVIEW

48
EXHIBITION BCN:MCR MANCHESTER
GOER BARCELONA & UK
MANCHESTER BASED
STUDIOS

BCN:MCR
Manchester

After seeing plenty of hype around the event

on twitter I felt it was worth taking a day to go
for a visit. The space exhibited work from some
of the top studios in Barcelona and Manchester,
two cities that may seem very different but are both
the second cities to the capitals. They both seem to
take very different approaches to their sometimes
overpowering Capitals and produce some stunning
work! Hey, Much and Los Siento are all studios that
I have been keen on for a long time and it was great
to experience their work in the flesh.
The visit was relevant to both the yearbook
when considering the signage and experience that
was created for the event. It is also relevant to my
context publication looking at how the exhibition
space altered the perceptions and experience of
looking at the work.
The main flaw I felt from the exhibition was the
lack of writing, I was really interested in spending
a fair amount of time going round and reading
about the projects in a bit more detail. This has
a big impact on the experience of the event as Really like these book designs but it would have
with little writing people are less likely to stay for been nice to be able to pick them up and interact
as long and experience the work to its full potential. with them. This is something that I want to mention
The additional signage that was stuck onto the when thinking about the end of year show. The
walls was also relatively neutral using the typefaces main experience of print is being able to pick it up
the studios use for their branding / logo and created and look through it, something I think is key in the
using vinyl stickers. success of showcasing students work at the end
Beautiful and colourful booklet covers, didn’t of the year.
realise the designs on the bottom were created The signage would have been relatively cheap
using material, a nice touch and works on a low to produce and has a wonderful effect. Also because
budget because of its relatively neutral colour pallet produced by the
wood it doesn’t compromise the colourful work of
the studios.
This is something I will consider when creating
the signage for the end of year show. I have been
considering using wood and a laser cutter for a
while but might be a nice to use an alternative
material, also layering different materials has a
nice tactile effect and allows people to engage
with the signs a bit more.

49
CHAPTER THREE BCN:MCR UK
BARCELONA & 2013
MANCHSTER BASED
STUDIOS

50
EXHIBITION EXTRAORDINARY STORIES LONDON
GOER ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS UK
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

Extraord!nary Stor!es
About Ord!nary Th!ngs

Discover key designs that have shaped the work of skilful hands. It manifests an important truth
modern world and be inspired by this fascinating about design, which is that an individual object is, on
exhibition of memorable objects from the Design its own, only fairly interesting. What matters as much
Museum Collection. is the life and energy that went into the making of
Six design stories offer a diverse look at design something, and that surrounds it when it’s in use.
tracing the history and processes of contemporary Castiglioni’s studio would make a good
design. The show includes furniture, product, inspiration for the Design Museum in London
fashion, transport and architecture alongside a as it strives to reinvent itself. In 2015 it is due to
selection of prototypes, models and specially move into new, enlarged premises in the former
commissioned films. Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, and it has to
The exhibition will be on permanent display fill its new space with something compelling enough
until 2015, with some elements being changed every to justify the investment. Its challenges include
year. Preview selected objects in the collection by building a collection at a time when fundraising is
downloading the Design Museum Collection App for tough, and establishing what a design museum is
iPad, free from iTunes. that the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has done
One of the greatest design museums in the world a good line in contemporary design exhibitions,
is not a museum, but the studio of the late industrial is not. To reveal the full richness of conceiving
designer Achille Castiglioni, which can be visited and using designed products would not be a bad
by appointment in Milan. It includes not only the ambition.
lights and seats that the great man designed, but the Last week the museum opened an exhibition,
objects that inspired him, haberdashery and pieces Extraordinary Stories About Ordinary Things,
of kitsch, his drafting tools and filing boxes and selected from the collection that it has already
pinned-up letters and faxes from his eminent mates amassed in its 24-year life. It also shows off recent
in the world of design. acquisitions: an early table, partly made of bicycle
There is a model he was obliged to produce, handlebars, by a youthful Jasper Morrison, and more
when an architecture student in the 1940s, of a than 400 items from the wardrobe of Jill Ritblat, who
proposed fascist headquarters building, which he is an arts patron, Design Museum trustee and wife of
made, as an act of subversion, out of parmesan. It is a leading property developer.
a tour of a wondrous brain, while also witnessing the

51
CHAPTER THREE EXTRAORDINARY STORIES UK
ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS 2013
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

Works of 20th-century British public design

feature prominently – red telephone boxes, road
signs and traffic lights, the last two being things
that many people may not think of as “designed” at
all. Modernism in Britain in the 1930s and 50s also
figures prominently – radios by Wells Coates, and
items designed by Marcel Breuer for the apartment The museum says interesting things about its
of Dorothea Ventris (whose son Michael would later ambitions. It declares that everything that is made
decipher the ancient Greek script Linear B). There has been designed, which opens up the field
is a display on the invention and evolution of the to life, the universe and almost everything. The
Anglepoise light. museum’s director, Deyan Sudjic, says he’s excited
These works give the show the flavour of postwar about showing the moulds and prototypes that
campaigns to revitalise British design, through things are part of the creative processes, and that they
such as the Festival of Britain and the V&A’s Britain are in discussions about acquiring the workspace
Can Make It exhibition of 1946, a period that shaped of the designer Robin Day, which might have
Terence Conran, who later shaped the Design something of the magic of Castiglioni’s studio. He
Museum. It’s seasoned with scatterings of Italian also talks about the “death of the object” and the
design from the 1960s and 70s. Postmodernism issues surrounding such things as the exhibiting of
is less favoured, though the kitschy TV sets and website design.
toothbrushes of Philippe Starck get a nod. These words begin to describe a place that
What the show reveals is that the Design would reveal the vitality of design, and the
Museum has some nice and interesting things, ways in which it is enmeshed in our lives, which
and some beautiful, but that it has a way to go would also live up to the museum’s claims to be
before it becomes a rounded collection. Until other contemporary. It could show things digital, from
benefactors follow Ritblat’s kindness, it is lopsided, multiple cultures, and made by unknown people.
going from the road signs and traffic lights to her It could bring to life making and use. Something
profusion of Ungaro and McQueen, with great the Design Museum could do, better than the V&A,
swaths of what might be considered significant would be to enter the studios and factories where
design hardly there at all. There is a strong Anglo- extraordinary things are being created right now
Milanese bent, with large places such as Asia and and carry away not only the finished objects but
Africa barely represented. The museum makes a lot the material that surrounds their creation.
of play of its Jasper Morrison table, which is well
and good, but it will need to acquire a lot more new Somewhere in the idea of the Design Museum
pieces than this. there is such a place struggling to get out. But
The gaps are mostly not the museum’s fault, the evidence of the current exhibition is that it is
being a reflection of the great difficulty of funding still straitjacketed by a too-limited world view and
and assembling such a collection; indeed, the by excessive reverence for particular names and
museum’s attempt to conquer these difficulties is styles. And something, please, has to be done
valiant. What the museum can do something about about the omnipresence of the ghost of Britain
is the spirit with which material is gathered and Can Make It, which presides over the museum like
presented. What is presented, for now, is still largely an ancestral portrait over a dinner table. The spirit
an array of singular specimens created by celebrated of those times was admirable and important, and
men in a limited geographical area. It is not helped has its place, but it was a long time ago and there
by a somewhat rigid and funereal display, in which is much more to be shown and explored from the
exhibits are placed on boxy plywood shelves. decades since then.

52
EXHIBITION EXTRAORDINARY STORIES LONDON
GOER ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS UK
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

53
CHAPTER THREE EXTRAORDINARY STORIES UK
ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS 2013
DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG

54
EXHIBITION POWER OF MAKING LONDON
GOER THE V&A MUSEUM UK
OSCARANDEWAN.SE

Power of Making
Oscar & Ewan

Making is the most powerful way that we solve

problems, express ideas and shape our world.
What and how we make defines who we are, and
communicates who we want to be.
For many people, making is critical for survival.
For others, it is a chosen vocation: a way of thinking,
inventing and innovating. And for some it is simply a
delight to be able to shape a material and say ‘I made
that’. The power of making is that it fulfills each of
these human needs and desires.
Those whose craft and ingenuity reach the very
highest levels can create amazing things. But making
is something everyone can do. The knowledge of
how to make – both everyday objects and highly-
skilled creations – is one of humanity’s most precious
resources.
Exhibition Signage
Makers use numerous different skills and
techniques to shape their materials. All these
techniques may be considered as falling into one of
just three types.
Adding techniques connect, layer or combine states may be temporary or permanent. Irreversible
materials. They include welding, soldering, transformations occur in processes like vacuum
veneering, weaving, embroidery and painting. forming, stereo-lithography and casting.
Subtracting techniques remove materials. They Every object in this exhibition has been made by
include cutting, carving, engraving, drilling and adding, subtracting or transforming material, or by
grinding. combining these processes.
Transforming techniques alter materials Learning a skill
themselves. They include throwing clay, blowing Too many people never get a chance to
glass, forging metal, and baking. The transformed experience the highest levels of making. Most can
make something, at least at an amateur level, and
many reach a professional standard. But there are
many layers of expertise beyond that. It may take
years to attain complete mastery.
At every stage in the learning process, a
maker’s relationship to materials and tools changes
dramatically. What may at first have been frustrating
becomes pleasurable. Makers start to think through
their materials and skills, almost unconsciously. Once
they learn how to use and care for a tool, makers
might start modifying it, or even invent a new tool to
replace it. In all these ways, learning a skill is a way of
opening up future possibilities and challenges.
In the zone
Advanced skills may take a long time to learn, but
the feeling of being ‘in the zone’ can be experienced
by anyone – from a four-year-old to a master artisan.
When you are absorbed in making, things happen
that you didn’t plan. The experience is intuitive, like
sport, and it can be meditative, like music.

55
CHAPTER THREE POWER OF MAKING UK
THE V&A MUSEUM 2013
OSCARANDEWAN.SE

This sensation of effortless flow is a reward

in its own right, but it is also a situation of intense
learning. Makers who are immersed in what they are
doing build on existing skills and discover new ones.
Innovations in making happen, more often than not,
when they are least expected.

All knowledge about making was once new.

Someone, sometime, had to formulate it. But there
is a big difference between established, ‘traditional’
forms of making and those which are innovative.
Both are crucially important, and both can be
expressive, but they serve different purposes.
Traditional ways of making have accumulated
over generations. They are passed down from
person to person, often through apprenticeships,
and learned through repetition. Innovative making
is less rehearsed, and may be less reliable. But it
is more exploratory, with the potential to open up
dramatic new directions. This can involve redirecting
existing skills, or creating new ones from scratch.

All knowledge, even the most traditional, can

be new for any individual. But some knowledge is
new in the world. This exhibition celebrates both
these types of discovery. Many people think that
craft is a matter of executing a preconceived form
or idea, something that already exists in the mind
or on paper. Yet making is also an active way of
thinking, something which can be carried out
with no particular goal in mind. In fact, this is a
situation where innovation is very likely to occur.
Even when making is experimental and open-
ended, it observes rules. Craft always involves
parameters, imposed by materials, tools, scale
and the physical body of the maker. Sometimes
in making, things go wrong. An unskilled maker,
hitting the limits of their ability, might just stop.
An expert, though, will find a way through the
problem, constantly unfolding new possibilities
within the process.

56
Chapter Four Includes
— —
Typography Shin Dohku KR
Advocate Studio Laucke Siebein NL
Drawswords NL
Kasper Florio SW
Hort DR
SawdustUK
Marcel Haeusler DR

57
As much as I enjoy adhering to the rules of typography, an
experimental and less formal approach is always an interesting
and more unique way of expressing ideas. As this is the case
within a lot of the work that I aspire to create, this section
explores this side of typography. Usually stemming from
across the channel typography within Europe takes a very
different approach. Particularly in places such as Amsterdam
in the Netherlands that takes the modernist Swiss approach
and spices it up with interesting colour schemes and layouts.
This combination of traditional and contemporary practice is
something that plays a
large part in influencing my own work.
The following section explores some of the most interesting
work to come out of contemporary practice, it acts as a visual
essay and running narrative of new practices within graphic
design. Many of the images are un-sourced, so a sincere apology
goes out to any work without the necessary information. As this
is the case a website will be set up to accompany this publication
and act as an ongoing visual diary of typographic experiments.

58
TYPOGRAPHY 01—03: SHIN DOKHO KOREA
ADVOCATE SHINDOKHO.KR

01
Shin Dohku is a freelance
typographer working on a
niche selection of client
and personal briefs. His
website features some of
beautifully intricate and
interesting work all
experimenting with
typography and layout.

02

03

59
CHAPTER FOUR 04—6: STUDIO LAUCKE SIEBEIN AMSTERDAM/
STUDIO-LAUCKE-SIEBEIN.COM BERLIN

04

Studio Laucke Siebein

is a design studio based
in Amsterdam and Berlin.

05

06

60
TYPOGRAPHY 07—09: DRAWSWORDS AMSTERDAM
ADVOCATE DRAWSWORDS.COM NETHERLANDS

07
Amsterdam-based design studio
Drawswords was founded in 2008
by graphic designer Rob van den
Nieuwenhuizen (NL). The studio’s
work is characterized by visually
strong, clear and refreshing
content-based type solutions..

08

09

61
CHAPTER FOUR 10—12: KASPER FLORIO SWITZERLAND
KASPER-FLORIO.CH

10
Kasper-Florio is the collaborative
experience of Larissa Kasper
and Rosario Florio. Their working
method follows a quality-conscious
and conceptual position. They aim
for project specific solutions with a
strong approach to elaborated
and solid typography. Aspiring
a mindfully executed design,
they work on various commissions
in the cultural field, art, fashion
and music.

11

12

62
TYPOGRAPHY 13—15: HORT BERLIN
ADVOCATE HORT.ORG.UK

13
HORT began its inhabitance back
in 1994, under the previous stage
name of EIKES GRAFISCHER HORT.
Who the hell is Eike? Eike is the
creator of HORT. HORT - a direct
translation of the studio’s mission.
A creative playground. A place
where ‘work and play’ can be
said in the same sentence.
An unconventional working
environment. Once a household
name in the music industry. Now,
a multi-disciplinary creative hub.
Not just a studio space, but an
institution devoted to making
ideas come to life. A place to learn,
a place to grow, and a place that is
still growing. Not a client execution
tool. HORT has been known to
draw inspiration from things
other than design.

14

15

63
CHAPTER FOUR 16—17: UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

16

17

64
TYPOGRAPHY 18: SHIN DOHKU UNKNOWN
ADVOCATE 19—20: UNKNOWN

18
Shin Dohku is a freelance
typographer working on a
niche selection of client
and personal briefs. His
website features some of
beautifully intricate and
interesting work all
experimenting with
typography and layout.

19

20

65
CHAPTER FOUR 16—17: MARCEL HAEUSLER UNKNOWN
MARCELHAEUSLER.DE

21

Marchel studied Communication

Design at the Fachhochschule
Mainz since 2008 with a special
focus on typography. In 2010 he
had an internship at MAGMA Brand
Design and SLANTED in Karlsruhe,
for which I still write and blog
articles. He is currently working
as Junior Designer at the design
agency EIGA in Hamburg. He is also
practising freelance work during
his free time.

22

23

66
TYPOGRAPHY UNKNOWN SOURCES UNKNOWN
ADVOCATE

67
CHAPTER FOUR UNKNOWN SOURCES UNKNOWN

68
End Note

69
Despite my interest in this approach to typography, I feel its more
of a reference point for making typography that adheres slightly
more to the rules and using these examples as influences towards
colour and shape to create something unique within my own
work. These pieces do not necessarily reflect my own principles
but provide a basis for further experimentation and idea building.
The main aspect of the previous pieces of typography that
draws me into them is their individuality and separation from
the tradition. Typography has always had to adapt to meet new
needs, whether this be functional or aesthetic the new principles
of prioritising ideas over aesthetic will continue to influence my
research and practice.
Throughout this publication there are many suggestions
towards what I wish to achieve and develop within graphic
design, and although they don’t all necessarily directly
correlate this publication is a guide how I currently aim
to progress from study.
Ideas, Typography, exhibitions & books.

70
Features Anish Kapoor
APFEL
Bibliotèque
Drawswords
Faudet Harrison
Graphic Thought Facility
Heydays
Hort
Kasper Florio
Main Studio
Marcel Haeusler
OK-RM
Oscar & Ewan
Qubik
Shin Dohku
Spin /Unit Editions
Studio Firth UK
Studio Laucke Siebein
Studio Myerscough

MATT TUCKER 2013