typ by Danielle Holley

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Women In Design Are we still facing gender inequality in graphic design?

The Loss Of Language As we evolve how is the English language changing?

design culture, typography and everything inbetween. June / July 2015

Why Do We Need Road Signs? How do we communicate through graphic design in the environment?

Print Vs Digital What time do we have left with print before digital takes over?

01 i s s u e n u m b e r one

It has always fascinated me how many topics can be related into the graphic design industry, and how it affects almost everything around us whether you notice it or not. Graphic design is a form of art that we consume every second of everyday. From the moment we begin our day till the time we end it, in this time period we are inhaling thousands upon thousands of digital media that has been produced by a graphic designer. It impacts and shapes our lives, it directs us into a form of traffic to allow consistency, it will encourage the language we use the next time we type. In the first issue of typ we are exploring four departments that are effected by graphic design: gender, environmental, language and digital. We have unravelled the inspiring, and the opinionated for each sector to discover the latest ways in which graphic design is changing and making impacts. On page 15 we take a look at the way in which gender inequality is affecting women in a male dominated industry and discuss with working professionals on their viewpoints. Closer to home, we take an insight into design and the environment and how it is used as part of architecture and way finding across our city. We also explore the history of typefaces in legendary road signs and how these make an impact to the way we communicate with one another. We also uncover a darker side to the English language, do we simply take it for granted and butcher what nouns we have left, or are we simply evolving into a more modern form of communication? Korean graphic designer Sang Mun (p65) displays a public interest for the loss of our privacy through digital language and is discusses how he created a font to deliver us back our online privacy.

To wrap things up a little more lightly we turn to a more common topic of the digital age. It was suddenly noticed an emerging trend of typography in moving picture and techno typo wiz kids Cauboyz chat to us about what it takes to create typography in music videos. It is a jam-packed issue full of design culture, typography and everything digitally interesting. We hope you enjoy your first ever issue of typ. Danielle

danielle_holley@hotmail.com

How does the environment affect graphic design? What gender issues are women facing in the design industry? How is the English language evolving as we become more dependant on technology? What time do we have left with paper before digital takes over?

Special thanks, Alice Newbury Anthony Aitman David Cun Jake Pearce Katie Scanlon Michael Swain Nick Walker Paul Tierney Robert De Neit

gender

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tabatha taylor Tabatha Taylor has been editor of the popular music magazine Guestlist for over 5 years; she talks to TYP about the ups and downs of running an independent magazine.

women in design A topic that is still in debate, women in the graphic design world are still batteling pay inequality and are still faced with decisions on a male dominated work place.

graphic design and fashion design

Every logo has a story, and the famous logos that are represented by fashion all have a story to. Who are the designers behind the iconic fashions brands that we love?

design and the environment

Some common examples of work by Environmental Graphic Design practitioners include way finding systems, architectural graphics, identity graphics, dynamic environments, mapping, and themed or branded environments. But how much do we really rely on design in the environment.

decoding your mind In modern times we are surrounded by endless amounts of data and coding, all of which is processed in your mind. Could there be new technology to decode your mind?

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environmental

language

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the loss of language

Type can be seen further than typography and graphics but rather than digital words. We are surrounded by digital words therefore language is less needed. Is type creating the loss of language?

the anti typer

Uncovering the world of anti type, the man that created ZXX False the type that cant be read by computers discuses why he made a font that even a computer from NASA cant read. But could this encourage activists and terrorists to communicate publically or does ZXX simply give us back our online privacy?

print v digital

type in motion In graphic design, typography is used to present information in a stylistic and photogenic way, after all it does have to be read by users and can be used to replace images.

Cauboyz When French graphic designer and photographer joined forces to create a duo of creative management the Nancy boys never thought they would spark lights like they have.

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digital

When it comes to our magazines, we read more, read longer and subscribe more often to print magazines than digital. While publishers talk about embracing the digital futures of their publications where does this leave print?

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gender

W & design

Women & n

Why Are We Still Facing Gender Inequality In Graphic Design?

here is something simmering just below the surface of graphic design. It’s not quite tangible yet, but it would seem that women are looking again at the issue of gender inequality in graphic design. Why do so few women feature in the history of graphic design? Are women judged solely on the basis of their quality of work? In recent decades, female graphic designers have been successful with a longstanding identity, but even today only a small percentage of active female designers enjoy public acclaim. Although, there are many men that have made an impact in history in the world of graphic design, there have also been great female designers alongside them. There are many well-known contemporary female designers such as Paula Scher and Irma Boom who have empowered other females to join an industry, which only 20 years ago would have been strictly for men. In 2013, a new book titled ‘Women in graphic design 18902012’ written by Gerda Breuer was published, to set the question of ‘Where are the women in graphic design?’ and ‘Why is gender equality still happening? The book seems to have renewed debates of the past decades and has indeed given a presence in order to shape a more accurate description of design history. But what the book also does is indicate that the battle for gender equality is still far from being won. Most studies that show examples of gender equality suggest that women are still marginalized within a primarily male-dominated profession. It is argued that women still have the decision of choosing between family and career upon their shoulders, therefore making a natural male dominated work place. Although women have come a long way from where they were, we are still reminded that these issues occur not just in design culture but for many industries that are considered male dominated. A 2013 Guardian survey reports that 72.5% of female students now study design and graphics in higher education. What is unusual however , is that female domination in graphic design education appears to be reserved when it comes to the industry. It is a widely known fact that men are paid more in some companies, despite similar or if not the same job roles. Women are still battling against pay inequality while men’s wages grow for a longer period of time and achieve higher levels than women’s. Why? “Because men and women gravitate towards different careers” reports Payscale.com a website that carries out statistics on the average pay checks across the globe. The most popular choices for men tend to pay higher than most popular job roles for women. It is also put into consideration that women’s pay growth stops pacing men’s at around the age of 30, which is when women typically start having children. However, when men and women apply for the same position, it is still more likely for men to be paid at a higher salary. Belgian graphic designer Sara De Bondt had discussed gender in graphic design in the book, ‘How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul’, by Adrian Shaughnessy. Adrian had asked Sara:

“I meet lots of female students when I visit design schools, but it is less usual to find them in positions of influence in professional life. In the UK there are lots of female clients commissioning design. You might think this would lead to more female designers, but it doesn’t seem to….” Highlights of Sara’s reply: “…I still frequently end up as the only female designer on the bill in design conferences and on juries. A number of reasons have been invoked to explain the unequal representation of (celebrity) male vs female graphic designers: from technology (lead type cases were too heavy for women to carry); society (the pay gap in Britain has grown over the last few years); the nature of the profession (late deadlines and last-minute problem-solving does not accommodate family life); to women’s supposed nature (more shy, less competitive, less selfpromotional, more “collaborative”). For me, the only valid reason for this persistent inequality is prejudice, both at the level of individuals and governments…” It seems many impatient women can also sense the topic of women in design is still far from being the norm. What is interesting about Sara’s reply is referenced back to history on why the industry isn’t suitable for women, ‘lead typefaces too heavy to carry and does not accommodate family life’. We have moved far from the history of time, as technology has rapidly improved it would be seen as ridiculous if we saw male or female carrying lead typefaces. But does accommodating for family life still simmer as an issue for working women? According to statistics from Loveswah.com a feminism blog suggest only 5% of women are art directors in the industry, which is an extremely low number against the ratio of female graphic design students. Could this be a result of starting a family or quite simply, a male dominated work place in which the majority of men are hired? “Women will always have it harder being in the industry,” says 33-year-old Sheena who works as a graphic designer for a newspaper. “Men are seen more to make better roles in power then women. There is always added pressure for women to become directors as employees have to think strategically about whether or not the female might consider settling down one day, which could affect a company.” “The role of women in graphic design is completely in women’s hands.” Says 55-year-old Chris Boss who works with women in his job role as a web developer. “If you are looking for a place to exist in creativity and succeed as a designer, you will find it no matter what gender you are.” Where does this leave woman in design? Possibly, the topic needs to be studied further, whether or not a lifestyle choice is demanding fewer women in graphic design. It is a debate that requires different inputs, but it should also be remembered how times have changed for women in the work place, and will keep changing as technology moves forward.

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Tab

Tabatha Taylor started her exciting journey of becoming editor in 2009 when she graduated from London South Bank University where she studied Public relations and editorial. She continued to grow in the industry working alongside music journalist Adam Tiran where she worked with the PR team. She furthered her career as press officer for SJM Concerts where she made big connections in the music industry and freelances around the world for magazines as a writer reviewing festivals and concerts. She continues her party lifestyle in London where she is editor for the publication Guestlist running a team of 40 people to organize content, pictures and editorial. She talks to typ about what its like to run an independent magazine in a big team.

Firstly, tell us how you became the editor of Guestlist? I’ve always had a passion for music and once I finished my degree at university I decided I wanted to pursue this and applied for a couple of intern positions at a few music companies. Guestlist got back to me and offered me a week’s trial, I did the week and absolutely loved it and from there I continued to work my way up. After three months I was assigned to assistant editor and then gained the editor position shortly after.

Was this something you thought you had planned to do as a career? Not really, I studied Marketing and HRM at university and to be honest throughout uni I was never certain on a specific career path. However as soon as I began working at Guestlist, it was clear that this was something I enjoyed and an industry I could see myself working within. What makes the magazine different from others on the market? Guestlist is all about positivity and spreading positive messages, also the publication is different to others on the market as it covers all genres of music from hip hop to indie and rock. What’s your day like as an editor? Very busy! My day would vary from being out on press days interviewing artists and bands, liaising with PR companies, record labels and press to organising content for the printed publication, website and social media channels. Holding meeting with the editorial team to run through targets for the paper and delegating roles. I would also work alongside our head designer taking creative control over the layout and appearance of the final copy of the publication. Ensuring that all content, artwork, design and advertising were included and signed off. I would often attend festivals, gigs and music events to review so my day could

also be out in the sun aboard!

their mark on the music industry.

Do you think there are becoming more females within the editorial team? I think the music industry is very male dominated, but I do feel that female roles are becoming more dominant. Whilst working at Guestlist we had a few key editorial roles that we held by women.

What have you learnt from running a magazine? A great deal! I’ve learnt invaluable skills from time management, working under stress, managing a team, proofreading, working in a professional manner whilst liaising with artist management and press.

What are your thoughts on the issue of gender inequality in graphic design? I’m not sure on this, as from my experience we have always had gender equality at work and in graphic design.

What advice would you give to aspiring editors? Don’t give up. It can be such a high stress job and is really hard work but is amazing when you can see your work published and the end result. Also to enjoy it and ensure you have fun along the way!

Do you think women should be paid the same as men in graphic design? Absolutely! If you’re doing the same workload gender shouldn’t be an issue and you should get an equal wage. Do you have any female inspirations in the industry? I have great respect for a female DJ called MaryAnne Hobbs, she has always pushed barriers and has introduced new music. She was the driving force behind the dubstep movement bringing this to commercial radio. There is also a DJ/ promoter called Emily Rawson, she is one of the UK’s most in demand female DJs and founder of RockThe-Belles, a project that brings together the hottest female bands, designers and creatives to celebrate women who are making

What do you think the future holds for women working in editorial teams / graphics? I think its bright, I think the society that we live in now is more accepting to women within this industry. What does the future hold for you? More amazing journeys, meeting new people and continuing to work in an industry that I love.

The Graphic Design Behind The Fashion Design

R G G D

A R APHI R N GG SIG E D DFA N A ON& I H S ESIG raphic design and fashion have always had a strong relationship together in the studio; together they must represent core values of brand while pushing boundaries. Fashion is a visual art industry that emanates from visual message and that must demand creativity. Graphic designers have been involved with different aspects of the fashion industry since the early 20th century. Together they develop advertising, catalogues and other forms of artwork that have made their way into the catwalk. Illustrators in particular work closely with fashion designers and directors to create artistic and sophisticated images to represent a clothing line. A fashion illustrator is considered to be part of graphic design and their main roles within the job are working with print, ads, online and sketch. From shoes to fashion accessories it is important for the illustrator to communicate how the designer wants their brand to be perceived. There are many iconic names in the category, ‘fashion graphic designers’ René Gruau and Antonio Lopez were both big inspirations from the 1960s to 1990s. Today their work is still used to demonstrate how fashion illustration has evolved. However, it is not just the illustrators that work closely with the designers. Logos play a big role for companies; they represent the values and ethos of brands. If a logo misrepresents the company’s brand in any way, this could prove damaging, as the logo could communicate an altered impression to consumers than what was originally intended. In fashion, a design house relies on their logo to represent the clothing as a brand. It is argued that consumers buy only because of the logos/brand name rather than the clothing itself, because a logo or brand name can hold one of the biggest influences of identity. Coco Chanel is an exemplary example of one of the world’s highest luxury brands who has an excellent eye for style and design. This was not only shown in her style but in her creation of the design house logo, which has become a luxury identity for

the clothing brand and is recognised around the world. It was Coco Chanel who had designed the logo of the opposing letters C, where she had taken inspiration from stained glass windows from a church in Aubazine. Compared to other fashion houses, Burberry stood out by its imagery in their logo. The logo shows a suited man riding a horse holding a flag with the word ‘PRORSUM’. The horse is to represent old school nobility, class and honor. Thomas Burberry trademarked the logo in 1904 and referenced the Latin word ‘Prorsum’ alongside his logo to represent the meaning of goals in the company. In 1920 Burberry also copyrighted their trademarked checkered design. Together, the logo and the check design have become definitive of the Burberry brand and their identity. Another stylish logo to add to the big fashion labels is Versace, which is stylised in classic mythology imagery. The brand’s reasoning for having such a particular mythological figure as their logo is due to the legendary beauty, which is to represent the brand. Like most iconic logos the typeface was designed with the brand specifically in mind by typographers. Gianni Versace has always been interested by Greek mythology and took inspiration from mythical characters, which he had used as inspiration when designing the logo. It is understandable why logos have such a responsibility to represent a respectable reputation of a brand. One would agree that the logo is a part of the buying experience for consumers. The real lesson behind these leaders of the fashion industry is how you can turn a logo into something that people do not consider as advertising, but rather the value of the logo being worthy of purchase. This establishes the impact design has on a billion dollar industry, and how graphic design will always play a big role within it. We wonder what the future holds for famous logos; could they ever be replaced or forgotten about? Or how will graphic design evolve in the fashion industry?

G DESIGN

WOGD (Women Of Graphic Design)

Tori Hinn began the journey of creator of Women of Graphic Design in 2013 for a school project where she studied at Rhode Island School of Design. The project received such support that Tori had decided to continue WOGD as a successful blog to educate and explore issues of gender inequality provided by design institutions and exhibiting the contributions of women. Tori wanted to create the blog in order to spark discussion and create awareness of a topic that is still a growing matter. The blog is now a growing business with constant contributors, which is made up of many voices. Tori hopes to see WOGD grow bigger to a platform for anyone in graphic design to turn to for discussion. Tori spoke to typ about what it’s like running your own business and her personal views on gender inequality. Firstly, tell us how you came about starting up the blog? I was in my final year at the Rhode Island School of Design, getting a BFA in Graphic Design. As part of the program, all GD BFA

candidates complete a Degree Project. The blog (and the whole project in general) came out of my Degree Project. I was exploring issues of gender equality, feminist theory, and how issues of gender played into our experience as designers. At my school, all students in the graphic design program are required to take a class about the history of graphic design. Though I had taken that class in the beginning of my time at college, I looked back at the syllabus and sadly found that only about 6% of all the designers covered were women. I figured it was an unconscious oversight (I still believe that— I don’t think it’s purposeful)— but I knew there were so many women who had paved the way for design today who were being eclipsed. We were just skipping over their contributions completely. I initially created the blog as a source of learning and exposure, so that maybe other students (like myself at the time) could fill in the gaps left by their education. Did you feel there was

a blog / website missing like this? There are a some fantastic blogs out there, ones that existed before WOGD did. But I really wanted to see a breadth of work — design, articles, research, etc. I think part of what’s great about the blog aspect in Women of Graphic Design is that it’s a small reflection of just how much work is out there. Exceptional work being done, and it all happens to be created by women. Part of why the name “Women of Graphic Design” is so basic is because we’re not trying to work any angles. It is what it is. Here’s some really great work by a selfidentifying woman, that may or may not be getting fair exposure out there in the design world. We’ve also created a resource list that points to some of the sister efforts that preceded WOGD, or that take a slightly different angle but that have a similar goal of profiling the work of women in graphic design or addressing themes related to feminism and design. What makes your blog different from feminist blogs? Perhaps one difference

is that feminism has been implicit in the Women of Graphic Design project rather than explicit. But the project—which we talk about now as more of a platform than a blog—definitely has a feminist impulse at its core. Our focus on graphic design, however, carves out a specific niche and audience. But we’re also joining other voices and websites who are advocating for equity for women—in design, in other creative fields, in the world at large. I think the important thing to emphasize is how we complement other feminist blogs, and that we’re part of a network advocating for better exposure for women designers. Do you get a lot of positive feedback from men and women? We do — and we’re so thankful that people have supported us. The response has been kind of mind-blowing. People— both men and women—are really eager to talk about these issues and jump into a discussion about how we can change things. We love it when people tell us that WOGD has

inspired them to be more active in their school, or that they’re using our blog as a learning source for their students… or just that they are into what we’re doing and are along with us for the ride! Even more recently, we’ve learned of several projects that looked at WOGD as a model or springboard for a related project, and that kind of ripple effect is exactly the kind of impact we hope WOGD will continue to have. What is your day like running the blog? Women of Graphic Design is truly a group effort. Everyone involved—there are currently two curators and two contributors— have full-time jobs. The daily requirements have to be pretty flexible to accommodate times when we all get busy with other responsibilities. Right now Kathleen handles the day-to-day curation of the website and oversees submissions. We use a queuing system which automatically pushes out two posts a day, though sometimes we’ll add in real-time posts. Tori manages the Twitter feed and the Facebook account, and we all communicate frequently with each other through Twitter messages. What have you learnt from running the blog? Keep a spreadsheet. Or multiple. Spreadsheets are your best friends. What are your personal thoughts on gender inequality in graphic design?

It’s a problem much larger than graphic design, but we definitely feel it, too. Women make up over half of the professional graphic design industry in the US, but don’t get talked about or valued in the same way as male designers. Why? We’ve tried to figure that out; it really seems like its an assortment of systematic issues that repeat until most of the super-visible designers are men. Why do you think so few women feature in the history of graphic design? I think it is a system that we let perpetuate. We overlook. We don’t research. Or when research is done, it’s not shared widely or doesn’t become embedded in the generally accepted historical narrative. A good example of this is Margaret Calvert, a designer who defined the British network of roadways with her type design in the 1960s. She never received wide recognition for this, and attempting to research the work/topic yields articles about her partner, Jock Kinneir. After her partner’s passing, Margaret begun receiving more recognition for her work. In my mind, I was thinking, “Did her partner literally have to leave this earth for her to receive acknowledgement?” That’s just one example of the oversight that a lot of designers experience. Do you think it is improving? We think it’s a gradual change, but yes. It gives

us tremendous hope that people, both men and women, are eager to talk about the inequality and lend their voice to the bigger conversation. And building awareness about the issue sets the stage to develop a host of strategies to address inequity. We’re encouraged to see more books, articles, and research project about women’s contributions to design and that various national design bodies around the world are making real efforts to address the issue of gender inequity and finding ways to honor and highlight female designers. Keeping that flame alight and supporting those efforts is a role we’re happy to take on. Who are your female inspirations? I have a lot of designers I admire, but I’m most inspired by the strong women whom I’ve encountered in my own life (design-wise or not). Lucy Hitchcock was my Degree Project advisor at RISD, and she was essential in the creation of WOGD. She encouraged me to not put limitations on myself, and not to be afraid to ruffle a few feathers. I have also been incredibly inspired by Teal Triggs and Siân Cook from the Women’s Design + Research Unit in the UK. I got to work on a 48-hour twitter project with them for International Women’s Day 2014 and they are rockstars. They just celebrated the 21st anniversary of WD+RU!

How do you feel about this statement from Sara de Bondt? “A number of reasons have been invoked to explain the unequal representation of male vs female graphic designers: …The nature of the profession (late deadlines and lastminute problem-solving does not accommodate family life); to women’s supposed nature (more shy, less competitive, less self-promotional, more “collaborative”).” Adrian had told Sara of how he meets lots of female design students, but sees very few women in positions of influence in professional life. Sara went on to say that she believed the only valid reason for this persistent inequality is “prejudice, both at the level of individuals and governments.” I think we’re on a similar page with Sara (if not the same one): people like to make generalizations that can sometimes end up being sexist and limiting. What advice would you give to women in the industry? Listen a lot, but don’t be afraid to speak up. Learn how to highlight your skills and creative contributions. What do you think the future holds for women in graphic design? Big things!

Photographer, Jake Pearce

Art Director, Danielle Holley,

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Art Director, Danielle Holley, Photographer, Jake Pearce, Make Up Artist, Katie Warman, Stylist, Alice Newbury, Model, Harriet Estenssoro, Assitant, Marium Ul-Haq

-Paula scher

“It’s through mestakes thatyou actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get g0od.”

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mental

humans in the environment

Photography, Ellie Haris Location, London

How Is Graphic Design Used In The Environment?

f you have ever visited a museum or retail store the chances are you would have come across environmental graphic design. Contrary to the name, environmental graphic design does not always involve using Mother Nature. However, it is a design profession that merges architecture and interior into graphic design. Using environmental graphic design can consist of constructed environments and communication to display a message to a viewer, for example, traffic patterns and visual information guides a user in communicating messages, which is done through colour and branding. Environmental design is not always related to road signs and mapping, but can also be applied to a multitude of surroundings from museums, corporate spaces, retail stores and hospitals. The most common example used to represent graphic design in the environment is way finding and signage. An easy way to determine whether the design could fit under this category is to think if its initial purpose is directing through the use of signage and whereabouts. It is most frequently used in hospitals, city centres and London’s very own tube map. The tube map is the most common example to use for environmental design as it is recognised across the world despite the fact its initial purpose is specifically for London. Harry Beck, who produced the detailed and practical map in 1933 emphasized on distance and geographical accuracy, stripping the tube networks down to a neat diagram of colours and crossed lines. The tub map also consists on information design, which is also a common area with environmental graphic design. Complex and detailed information is set out to present information easier to understand and follow, which can be achieved by, flip books, panels, interactive touch screens to say the least. When designing for museums, information design is the most important element to communicate information to viewers. The Welcome Collection museum in Euston Square, London has great examples of information design. Not only is the museum’s architecture design impressively striking, but its interactive components of huge touchscreens and 3D visual moving art add to the experience of the museum. Likewise within the retail industry, graphic design is used to

give a consumer a positive experience. One of the main goals for retail is to leave a customer with a memorable impression; this is achieved through branding, colours, fixtures, music and imagery, which are all commonly used to add to a customer’s experience. Whilst graphic design can create the branding it will also need information design to help make a customers experience easily manageable. The history of environmental design roots back to architecture, where all 3 categories of way finding, information and retail all contribute to the handling of design. Each category can tell a story through unique use of building forms and communication. Walter Disney is a good example of story telling through project building. Disney began to hire world-class architects to design buildings that were not amusement parks, but still reflected the company’s creative and animated image. Having done so, meant forming environmental architecture design together with retail all in the name of customer experience. “The entertainment and retail industries, form theme parks to video games and the internet bombard the public with sophisticated visual imagery.” Quotes John Mason architectural designer for AIA, “ This increasingly complex sensory stimulation is required in public spaces for consumers to experience.” It may not seem obvious at first, but graphic design in the environment is always around us, from a simple road sign to largescale billboards or city maps. “In the last three decades the fields of environmental graphic design have emerged as the integration of the communications and architecture professions.” Continues John Mason. “Practitioners are creating not only a visual language but a full sensory experience that orients users to a space and may reflect a distinct image or theme.” There is a huge future gap for environmental design, museums, hospitals and the retail industry, which will always continue to build and will include all the added extras from posters to maps. It is an extremely large topic, which has many angles of all things environmental, and it should be considered that it really is all around us, in more ways than one might realise.

Dean Harding Dean Harding started his graphic design journey in 2003 where he studied foundation graphic design and continued to excel at the university of Teesside in Bachelor of Arts Graphic design in 2006. He began his career in 2008 after moving to Leeds from North East England. In that time he had gained experience in branding, advertising, print and digital. With work featured in Creative Review he has also worked alongside Di Franco’s wine, Pinky’s Sausages, Derry LTD and Ico Energy. Continuing his career as a successful art director for publications and digital platforms such as Delete and ALLGOOD. Today, he is still an active graphic designer who believes the key to successful creative solutions is to engage and inspire positive reaction and is currently under going his own personal project of designing his newspaper style wedding invitations, which include places to stay and eat around the location of the ceremony. He chats to typ about his interests and educational background of being a graphic designer and art director.

When you were growing up did you always want to become a graphic designer? I’ve always had an artistic nature, but I didn’t settle on Graphic Design as a career path until after school. In fact, I had been accepted on to a Fashion Design course but I had a last minute change of heart and studied Graphic Design. I haven’t looked back since.

What is your educational background, did you study graphics and would you encourage young designers to also study? I studied Graphic Design for 5 years in total, at Diploma, Foundation Degree and Bachelors Degree level. Graphic Design has such an impact on peoples’ everyday lives, and it feels important to have had a hand in that. So yes, I would encourage it.

What was it that first made you want to become a designer? Art was my strong subject at school but after realising studying fine art wouldn’t be a good step for me, I looked into design instead. Suddenly, I became obsessed with every book and magazine laying around the house!

How do you avoid having a formulaic approach? Constantly try to be inspired by different things. Music, Novels, Films. This way you won’t become repetitive. Also, work closely with a client during the briefing stage. The tighter the brief is, the more successful the outcome will be.

How do you keep yourself fresh? Keep an eye on trends. In all creative fields - writing, photography, fashion, film. Not only is this inspiring, it also forces me to question my work and think ‘How can I go against the trend - make it stand out?’ What are your thoughts on the graphic design industry today and its current output? It’s thriving - and I feel it’s getting more recognition than ever by people outside of the industry. This can only be good for creative output. Even more focus must now be given to function, rather than just form. What are you currently fascinated by and how is it filtering into your work?

Arts and Crafts, and how it is applied to Graphic Design projects - particularly, the work of Sagmeister and Walsh. With more experimentation and playing, this influence should be apparent in my future work. How have you evolved as a designer over the years and are you still very much hands on as a designer? I’ve become more rounded as a designer, having dabbled in most disciplines. From advertising and marketing, to digital design and branding. Being part of a small agency has allowed me to be an integral part of every project, from start to finish. Which recent projects have given you the most satisfaction?

We’ve recently branded a new restaurant in Leeds, called Humpit. A hummus and pita place. The popularity of it is going through the roof. They’re currently No.1 restaurant in Leeds on Trip Advisor. Seeing the success of a client is extremely satisfying. Which part of the design process do you enjoy the most? The part straight after the briefing, when we’re bursting with ideas and getting them all out on to paper - no matter how crazy they are! How did you get into becoming an art director? I’ve always felt comfortable generating ideas and visualising them in my head. And at smaller agencies, you

can make sure that what is in your head comes out in the project. What is your biggest role as an art director? Creating the overall style for a new brand. The first visual impression a target market has of a brand is extremely important, and a lot of the time we’re responsible for what they see! It’s got to be right. Who or what has been the biggest single influence on your work? Traditional masters of graphic design - Fletcher, Forbes and Gill. And others who share their values, like Michael Beirut and Paula Scher. (Basically, anybody associated with Pentagram!). What are your 5 favorite typefaces?

I don’t have any favourite typefaces. But Helvetica is the daddy (especially bold and tightly kerned!). What would you say is your strongest skill? Keeping calm and measured whilst creating consistent and creative work. Do you have any superstitious beliefs or rules that you live by? None to speak of. What does the future hold for you? Create work that is important. Work that benefits humanity. (You’ve got to think big!). What advice would you give to aspiring designers? Think big. Be pro-active. And question fucking everything.

raditional Signwriting, or Sign Painting, as it is known in America, is the craft of creating vernacular lettering for the purpose of advertising or identification using enamel based paints and animal hair brushes treated with mineral oils to create durable and masterfully crafted typographic signs on a variety of hard wearing surfaces such as glass, wood, canvas and metal. A craft that has survived for centuries, through wars and time, signwriting is one of the most adaptable and durable forms of typographic design for use in the environment. No job is too big or too small for the experienced signwriter. Enjoying a largely unchallenged reign as the king of all environmental typography for centuries, signwriting was suddenly and unfortunately thrown from its throne by the invention of a commercial vinyl plotter called the SignMaker 3 in 1986. It took only two years for the vinyl sign industry to swell to such a size that the signwriting industry was decimated, almost completely destroying the craft entirely. The vinyl war machine has since swept through the

Sign Writing In The Environment markets and high streets of the first world, embedding itself into the sign making business as the quick and easy method that has now become a standard for environmental typography. While the origins of signwriting are generally impossible to pinpoint, there are plenty of historical reference points to be taken into consideration when defining the crafts nature. Examples of painted lettering can be found as early as the third century, B.C. in Europe, with the earliest British examples being dated a in early first century A.D. brought over by the Roman Empire, of which their lettering has a whole style of typography named after them. Over a period of 1400 years, handwritten lettering evolved countless times, providing a rich and deep history of examples for typographers and letterers to take from, informing the construction of thousands of typographic designs since the rise in literacy in Britain in the 15th century. Signwriting did not become known by this name until more recently in its history. Up until the late 17th century, the craftsmen were banded under the title of painters and decorators, of which could be too broad a

classification. The first mention of the term signwriter gave birth to a whole new way of designing and painting. With a focus on lettering making the craft a specialisation, signwriters became sought after professionals who would later work to give the streets of London and other English towns their typographic heritage. The majority of examples of signwriting that one would be most familiar with, especially in England, would be found on the windows of a public house. Before the closure of the majority of the United Kingdoms pubs, the windows of the establishments would be adorned with advertisements for brands of beers and snacks, painted with an expert hand or gilded in 24-carat gold leaf, with the pubs name on a hanging sign some way above the door. This close-knit relationship between the signwriter and the public house dates back to 1393, when King Richard II passed a law that called for compulsory signs to be hung on taverns and pubs for the passing tax collector to easily identify the establishment. Some pubs still maintain their gilded window pieces and acid etched designs today, making them stand out even more than they did just a decade ago. David

Smith, a traditional ornamental glass artist based in Torquay, Devon creates beautiful windows and various gilded glass pieces for clients around the world, some of whom are his local pubs, while notable clients such as Jameson Irish Whiskey and the musician John Mayer have employed him to design a beautiful glass ornaments and gilded artwork. Smithsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work is a fine example of the way signwriting survives and affects the world decades after its great depression. Adrian Smith isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only person fighting to keep the craft alive and well in modern society. The Brilliant Sign Company, which closed in 1976, was one of, if not the largest sign making business in the world, with patrons from all over the world clamouring to have one of these worldrenowned signs. In 1999, over two decades after the initial closing, the company name was reclaimed by Ashley Bishop, who revived the business, albeit on a smaller scale and with a more craft outlook. While the world may not be as knowledgeable about the craft of signwriting as it was a few decades ago, it is apparent to those who see a well-crafted sign that there is much beauty in the work.

Examples of older signs, painted between 30 and 130 years ago, faded over years of brutal punishment from typical English weather are known as ghost signs, synonymously so due to their translucent appearance, are testament to the durability of the craft and representative of the status signwriting once held in environmental typographic design. These signs can be found in sleepy villages and towns, high above the reaches of the enemy of the signwriter, the vinyl sign. In America, such signs exist painted on the sides of barns near country highways and on shops in towns and cities, preserving an era in time when the idea of capitalism was fresh and new and skilled painters were employed to create the advertising for companies such as Coca-Cola, which would now be taken by computer-based designers, with no intent for a human touch. With the handcrafted,

human aesthetic at the forefront of a new design renaissance, the revival of Signwriting is slowly reclaiming its lost territory, painting a new face across the digital landscape that has formed over the past three decades. While vinyl still has a stable foothold in environmental design, the re-emergence of signwriting is prompting shops and businesses with character to employ the signwriters of today to best portray that character in a way that vinyl could not possibly match. While the days of having entire companies employ signwriters to paint all of their signs and shops may be gone, the few shops that choose the human over the computer reap the benefits that only beautifully and masterfully handcrafted typography can produce. With styles ranging from Italian script, round hand and calligraphy to block letters and serif typefaces and even, in some rare circumstances,

Helvetica, the signwriter can do it all. And while the vinyl plotter can imitate and mechanically reproduce, the signwriter creates, breathing life into each brush stroke, making every letter look and feel just as alive as the craftsman that birthed the typography into the environment, for all to take in with awe and wonder at the processes, methods and techniques that are seldom seen in this digital era that we have become so accustomed to. While the craft of signwriting continues to reclaim lost ground in the environment, computer plotted type still maintains a strong grip on the streets of the world. Vinyl signage dominates the high streets, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s semi-permanence often mistaken for sturdiness. But what can be seen for the future of signwriting in the environment? Will the craft stay as a craft, a thing of beauty that is created for decoration, or

will it become what it once was and flourish into an industry worthy of its heritage? Will signwriting remain as durable as ever and find itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way back into the heart of the high street? As the speculation on the future of signwriting and its place in environmental typographic design is still cloudy, it is up to the people of the world to decide whether they would rather choose a beautiful, painstakingly crafted piece of typography created by a professional, or a simple, machine cut piece of sticky back plastic. Take a look at the ghost signs of the past and think of what could be possible with the extensive knowledge and library of contemporary typography. Imagine a world where signwriting took back its place. It would truly be a beautiful sight.

-Charles Eames

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The details are not the details. They make the design.â&#x20AC;?

Why Do We Need Road Signs?

ypography in road signs dates back to 1956, on a trip down route 66. Until way making of roads and destinations had been invented, numerous of signs produced by the local council were used in a variety of shapes, colour, sizes and typeface to produce cluttered confusing road signage. It was not long until the council had commissioned graphic designer Jock Kinneir, who designed the sleek new signs to control the motorways of stylish yet recognisable road signage. Kinneir’s signs were fitted on the motorway in 1958 by Preston bypass, however rival graphic designer David Kindersley criticised them by explaining that the typeface was impractical and proved that using only capital letters would take up much less space for dimensions on signs, because of the plethora letters (such as l, k, p, b, g, y) that stretch either up or down in lower case. Kindersley produced his own version of the road signs using more concise dimensions. It seemed that travelling at speed, the shape of upper case lettering was found to be difficult to read from distance compared to mixed case lettering, for example ‘Lincolnshire’ was more clearly processed than ‘LINCOLNSHIRE’. This was a deciding factor against Kindersley’s work; the work of both graphic designers was put into place, which to this date is still used across Europe. Kinneir and Kindersley took their new found design across the entire road networks, motorway signs featured a mixture of upper and lower case lettering in clear Sans Serif font named ‘Aksidenz’, which was based on the 20th century German typeface. It had the effect of calm and cool and

instantly makes the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roads more modern. Till this day British road signs continue to use the same typeface. Pictograms were not considered until 1988 when the council decided they wanted to communicate message that would be quicker than words. Red and white was the iconic colour scheme that public transport had agreed on, and likewise with typefaces it has been embedded in our society. Like a summers day, motorway signs were blue with white lettering, which before long was the default colour for the interpretation of motorways. Our main roads are shown as white on green, with yellow road markings. All other pictogram colours consist of red and white or black and white. As British roads have evolved into more complicated pathways to destinations, the signs have adapted to the testament of the power of graphic design. In half of the century that typography has existed within road signs, only one small change has been added to the addition, white on brown signs would represent tourist information. Typography in road systems is undoubtedly helpful for road safety and is understandable as to why it is needed. There are 12 million more vehicles on the road than there was in 1980, therefore designing and producing signage is highly regarded as important factor to road safety. It is all too easy to take for granted simple structures like a road sign. These are things more often forgotten about in our everyday lives, quietly doing their job and only ever noticed if they fail to do so properly. As Jock Kinneir once said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their greatest ambition is to be ignored, for then they are working well. Our road signs definitely fall into a rather rare and lovely category.â&#x20AC;?

disregarded typeface

Photography, Anthony Aitman www.behance.net/anthonyaitman @TheMusket

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s you read this, your brain is firing up; you can now begin to decode and reveal the silent words in your head. Talking to yourself used to be a strictly private pastime, whether that meant reading yourself to sleep or thinking what to have for dinner. That voice that is reading to you right now has always been a part of privacy to you, in your own language and style. This is soon about to change. It’s not quite telepathy, but a group of scientists have successfully eavesdropped onto our inner thoughts for the first time. A newly designed algorithm has allowed researchers to work out what people are saying in their heads based on your brain activity. The process is based on scientific facts as to how the technology works; it is all surrounded by the movement of sound waves that are produced through specific nerve cells in the brain. The idea behind this is not to give people the ability to read minds or hold super human powers (X-Men style), but to eventually use a system that can help individuals who can’t speak. Scientists are also using a decoder to predict the neuronal firing patterns during different aspects of a volunteers hearing. However the topic has divided the public, some claim that the use of this technology could be seen as dangerous and misused. Whilst others disagree in the hope of a changed future for those who suffer with the loss of hearing. “It doesn’t matter what its initial purpose is.” Says Alex a 34 year old retail assistant, “It will always be hijacked for more questionable purposes, especially if it’ll benefit the government in some way. I’m quite concerned about this. Hopefully a very effective legal construct will be put in place to regulate the potential harmful use of this technology.” Despite the fact the software is in its early stages, researchers believe this to be a big break for science as it opens so many doors to illness and disease which effect the loss of hearing and speech. “Talk about a great opportunity for people who can’t communicate.” Alice a Child Care nurse continues, “It would be helpful in determining whether a patient is in a complete vegetative state or are conscious.” Could decoding your mind be the next scientific breakthrough or just one more step to the loss of our privacy?

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ypefaces have been around since the 19th century; they have evolved from heavy carcases of lead, which would be carried by men to use for printing. Now there are no limitations with typefaces, with an estimated 5 million different types of fonts to download on the web today. Type developers are always thinking of new ways to develop new typefaces. One year ago South Korean designer Sang Mun had something else in mind when it came to designing a new typeface. Mun served two years of mandatory service for the Korean military gathering intelligence and research under the NSA. Mun never published any documentation, but encouraged a counter-surveillance revolution by designing ZXX - a typeface that cannot be read by computers. It is known that the British government continually monitors the public’s online activity. Intelligent software of supervision has the ability to check all communications with or without warrant. New laws were announced last year in the UK which granted permission for the government to monitor calls, emails, texts and website visits of any user in Europe in aid of battling against terrorism and hijacking. Mun had published a letter to the online world last year explaining the means behind his project, the letter read: “Dear Sir / Madame, We live a life overloaded with extensive impalpable information that is gathered, intercepted, deciphered, analysed, sorted and who knows what happens next…” Mun continues to explain the reasoning behind the defensive typeface and users privacy. “…This physical, mental and technological growing invasion of privacy and surveillance dehumanizes us. The militarization of cyberspace must stop. If not, it’s online a matter of time before we live in a technologic Orwellian society.

This project counteracts the status quo, a fatigueless fight to retrieve our civil rights, liberties and freedom back from the auto crafts. This project will not fully solve the problems we are facing now, but hopefully will raise some peculiar questions.” With Mun’s strong opinions in mind, it is clear to see where the designer’s views have risen. Mun’s words put a high perception of what society has turned into. There is a public divide between positive and negative regarding Mun’s typeface, which is possibly what he was aiming for, to raise questions. The font can be read by the human eye, which means anyone can send any information via email/text message in which the iris should recognise and be able to separate each individual letter to build a word. Once an email has been sent this will then automatically be checked by a specialized software system, which is operated by the NSA (National Security Agency) working under the US government. The software system, similar to the human eye, can separate alphabetical letters one at a time, by shadowing their outlines to form the representation of the letter. In order for this to operate successfully, the outline of the text has to be visible enough for the software to run over the outlines with no interference. Which, is how ZXX has cracked the system. The unique font uses a camouflage, which disguises the text with a camouflage over the typeface this acts as a new outline for the system to follow. Therefore the system can no longer define separate letters; instead they are identified as shapes that cannot be made into lettering. Once the whole process of an email/text message has been scanned, the specialised software would not be able to identify the lettering of a sentence therefore making it unable to read and process, whereas the human eye, despite its camouflage masking, can still distinguish parts of the camouflage to form a recognisable

The ZXX False font comes in four styles all of which can not be read by NSA computers. ZXX Noise, ZXX False, ZXX Camo and ZXX Xed. Separatley they can be used to disguise lettering or used together as one font that can not be read.

ABC letter which is registered by the brain as lettering we are familiar to, therefore enabling us to still read the sentence. Despite Mun’s intelligent typeface, it would only be a matter of time before the NSA and the US government would be alerted of a typeface being able to bypass their system. Therefore in order for Mun’s creation to bypass the government, he would have to create a unique code, which would be virtually unbreakable for any professional decoder. Could you really dodge the NSA by sending emails in this font? Some of you may be disappointed, not really. Despite Mun’s effort in creating a typeface that no designer has achieved before, there are still enormous amounts of data which is tracked regularly. Mun had recently discussed his project with fastcodesign.com admitting the obviousness of his own trickery; “In all likeliness, it would be impossible to fool the NSA with a typeface for long,” he writes. “When I first showed the work to my peers, they enjoyed the subtle humor embedded in my political statements. It was obvious that this wasn’t the best tool to fight the authorities, but it did attract attention.” While its main function may have been to raise awareness, this has proven that the possibility of a typeface to bypass and stand against governments is achievable. In the digital world we know there is nowhere to hide, and one could argue this is for our own safety. It is possible that the typeface could be misused maliciously and for profit. If terrorists were to use ZXX, could they potentially be talking openly about destructive plans? The NSA work to protect against terrorism and any threat to public, so could this typeface potentially affect the NSA? Or does ZXX give us back our online privacy? It took Mun a year to create the typeface and it is a now a free downloadable font for designer’s personal use. Although for the time being Mun’s creation is a demonstration of what one person could do, what if someone manipulated and

improved his font and turned it into something that could never be checked or scanned by any form of software. “This would definitely be misused,” Robert John a lecturer from Lincoln College says. “If the wrong kind of people got hold of something this developed, it could be a real danger to our country. Our conversations get scanned for a reason, to protect us. Without that anyone is open to discuss anything.” “Privacy was extinct a long time ago.” Web developer Steve King explains, “The new generation won’t know what privacy is because it’s almost impossible to keep anything private. This font could be the answer for people to finally be private once again.” Although ZXX is a great insight into how type can be developed, there are some extreme pros and cons on whether this typeface is for better or worse. The question could be asked, if one were against privacy – what would one have to hide? With the NSA measures in place, is it best that the country is safe against data manipulation as the first resort? For now ZXX is a free download for your own personal use, you certainly will not be cracking the government, but it is a topic of debate to which we could expect in the future and how further generations will react to privacy.

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