FLAT DESIGN: AN EVOLVING TREND
by Carrie Cousins
WHAT IS VEXEL ART?
by Sharon Milne
A HOUSE THAT BUILT TYPE
by Jason Godfrey
An exclusive interview with
MALIKA FAVRE
by Ryan and Tina Essmaker
The Radical Future Of Branding by Suzanne Labarre At a time of tremendous political and cultural upheaval, one thing remains certain: Companies will keep trying to sell you stuff, and they’ll keep coming up with new ways to do it. Design is, of course, a major part of that pitch. We spoke with designers and design leaders at nearly a dozen agencies to identify the major branding trends of 2017 and their five key predictions.
Flat Design: an Evolving Trend by Carrie Cousins Is the flat design trend finished? We don’t think so. It’s not dead yet. But the trend has evolved to be less stark and more engaging.
An Exclusive Interview with Malika Favre by Ryan & Tina Essmaker Malika Favre is a French illustrator based in London. She grew up in Paris and moved to the UK to pursue illustration after graduation. Her work spans editorial, music, fashion, and any medium she can get her hands on. She creates playful, often sexy art that will always leave some space for the viewer’s imagination. Less is definitely more.
What is Vexel Art? by Sharon Milne Vexel art has been mentioned on a variety of websites, be it talking about vector art and vexel art, or featuring the wonderful work created by vexel artists. However, do you actually know the answer to “What is vexel art?” We’ll give you an in depth look at what vexel art is, how to create it, and why it isn’t vector art.
Rules for Creating Effective Typography by Joshua Johnson Joshua Johnson discusses something that is both a hot trend and timeless art: typography. The basic rules outlined will help you become more aware of how you use typography in your designs.
A House that Type Built by Jason Godfrey Type foundry House Industries – the subject of a hefty new monograph and a retrospective exhibition near Detroit – champions the joyful vulgarity of United States graphic arts.
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“There is no point in adding and adding things to a design. If you can live without it, then you don’t need it; get rid of it.” —Malika Favre
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Describe your path to becoming an illustrator and graphic designer. I think it all started when I was a kid. I was quite a compulsive drawer and would draw absolutely every day. My mum was a painter and she drew with me. We didn’t have TV and we were not allowed video games or anything like that, so I would draw all day. My mum was really harsh with me because she wanted me to draw really well and when you’re a kid, you don’t—you draw an oversized head and think it looks absolutely brilliant. She would never let it go. She really pushed me, which was quite fun. I remember feeling frustrated and getting angry because I couldn’t draw as well as her. I always thought that artists don’t make any money and
no way I was going to be an illustrator and I needed to
my mum was my first example. I didn’t want to be like
make money, so I studied advertising and I really loved
that. I knew I was going to draw all my life, but I never
it. After graduation, I wasn’t ready to work just yet. I
knew it was going to be my job or that I was going to live
went to London to study and get a BA. I studied digital
off of it. So, after high school, the first thing I did was go
media and realized I didn’t like it. The English system
to a science prep school because I wanted to become
is funny because they let you do anything you want at
a quantic engineer. After four months of that, I thought,
school, which is the opposite of the French system where
“There is no way I’m going to do this with my life.”
you can’t do anything; if you’re having fun doing it, it’s
Up until then, I had refused to do art, but it started to
probably wrong for you. (laughing)
become stupid not to do it. I decided to try to get into
I got an internship at Airside, which was the one design
art school and I got accepted at Olivier de Serres, which
studio I really loved in London. They were doing funny,
is a big art school in Paris. I still thought that there was
colorful, quirky illustrations and lots of animation. I
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interned there for three months and it was the best three
working at a different company and the next day I got an
months of my life! I worked my ass off and after that, I
email from one of the founders of Airside saying, “Dick
stayed in England for another year of school. During that
told me you wanted his job. Were you joking?” A week
year, Airside used me quite a bit as a freelancer to do
later, after an interview in a pub, I got the offer and I took
illustrations, which helped pay for my studies and stay in
the job. I was so happy. I stayed there for four years and I
London. That was brilliant. I was really lucky because my
think that’s where I really, truly found myself.
parents couldn’t afford it either.
That’s where I started doing the girls, all the erotic
After I finished that year of school, I really wanted to work
drawings, everything. I was doing that as self-initiated
at Airside, but they were a really small company and no
work because they wanted all of us designers to do client
one ever left. I knew someone needed to leave for me to
work, but to also do really exciting self-initiated stuff for
get a job there. That was the deal. I think it took a year.
the Airside shop. They were clever enough to know that
After a year, one of their designers—Richard Hogg—left
one fed the other; clients always came for the self-initiated thing because it looked like we were having fun. After four years, I was ready to go freelance. I left Airside nine
“I try to keep some time to work for things that I really believe in. I think that’s important.”
months ago and now I’m a full-time illustrator.
That’s an awesome story. You briefly talked about creativity in your childhood. Do you want to elaborate on that at all? Well, my dad is probably the least creative person you can think of; he has no imagination. He’s more of an intellectual and is good with words and concepts. Somehow, that
to go freelance. I met him in the street and when he told
also helped me. I had the pretty side of things by drawing
me he was leaving, the first thing I said was, “Can I have
with my mum. With my dad, I felt like I needed to have
your job, please?” He said, “Yeah, I’m sure you can.” I was
an idea or story behind everything because I needed to
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intellectualize what I was doing. I think that was quite important to my development. Actually, I recently dug through my old drawings because my mum kept all of them. I was drawing every day, so it was the same girl over and over again. She was dressed as a princess when I was six and seven. Then, when I was eight, she was starting to be a little more fashion-y, like a teenager with fancy dresses. In the middle of all those drawings, there was the same girl with the same face, but dressed in S&M clothes—I’m not kidding. And I was nine
to say yes. It’s easy for me to do an illustration and give it
when I drew it. It was crazy.
away for a good cause. I’m not going to do that for a big
After that, there were more princesses. There was just one
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brand—they have to pay the full price for it.
S&M girl in the middle, dressed in leather with a whip. I
I am trying to find this balance where I do little things for
asked my mum, “What did you think back then? Did you
small, interesting ventures to help people who are doing
think there was something wrong with me?”She said, “No,
good things because I don’t do those things myself—I
no, you know—just the hormones kicking in.”
don’t go and save the whales. If somehow I can help people communicate about those things, I’m going to say
Do you feel a responsibility to contribute to something
yes as long as I have the time.
bigger than yourself? I don’t know. I try to keep some time to work for things
Are you satisfied creatively?
that I really believe in. I think that’s important. We did
Yes, very much since I’ve been a freelancer. I have to
this film at Airside for Infoasaid, which is an organization
be careful of not working too much and to keep doing
that helps aid agencies around the world to assist those
self-initiated things. I need to do that to keep going and
affected by natural disasters. They’ve just contacted me
not be a one-trick pony. So far, I’ve had amazing clients.
to ask if I can help them design some things and I’m going
It’s nice to be in the position where people come to you because they want your ideas and your work. Most of the time they give me creative freedom to work. I’m really satisfied creatively.
Right now, you have a really distinct style. Was that something you developed at Airside so that when you went out on your own, people sought you out for that? It all came together at Airside. I’ve been drawing these girls since I was a kid, but I drew them so much that it became a reflex. I’ve spent too many hours drawing these girls like this that I can’t do them differently. That was my frustration when I came to Airside because everything they were doing was about simplicity. They were pioneers in the early vector style and everything. I thought I would try an experiment and play with what I can do—I can draw a girl with my eyes closed. I asked myself how I can make it as simple as I can and suggest
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sions for the girls. I think people manage to make a leap of faith in connecting that the way I think—it doesn’t have to be a girl, it can be a landscape or anything. Every time I do a new project and see I can push it somewhere else, I really try and do it. The last project I did with girls was for London fashion week. Now, I’m making them really abstracted with triangles and circles. That’s me trying to push it; I don’t want to do the same thing for 10 years.
If you could go back and do one thing differently what would it be? Or would you? I don’t think I would. It’s a bit cheesy, but I really think things happen for a reason. The choices you make shape you. I’ve had some rough times, but I think it has taught me a lot. I’m super lucky to do what I do and be surrounded by friends and family. I have a job I love and I don’t have to use an alarm clock in the morning.
things rather than show them so that I let the imagination
If you could give one piece of advice to another illustra-
of the viewer do the trick. It came together like that. I did
tor or designer starting out, what would you say?
a few screen-prints and designed an alphabet. It got such a good response that I knew I was on to something.
I think it would be portfolio advice, especially for students. I’d say if you’re not sure about something, don’t show
I can do a lot of different styles of drawings, which I
it; don’t put it in your portfolio. It doesn’t matter how
did at Airside, but this style was the one thing that only
many hours or months you spent on something—if it’s
belonged to me. I kept pushing it and pushing it. After
not working, then it’s not working. I think that sometimes
four years, people had seen some of my work and it was
young creatives decide to show absolutely everything
recognizable, but the danger was that I was going to be
thinking that the person they are showing it to is going to
a one-trick pony. That was something that I was really
find something they like because there is so much.
worried about when I went freelance.
But actually, it’s all about curating your work. If you show
I actually met an agent that told me he was only interest-
someone three amazing projects and then one really,
ed in the girls. He said he would represent me, but only if I
really shit one, the reality is that I’m going to think, “How
pushed that work. I remember thinking that I couldn’t just
the hell did he manage to do that thing that’s so bad?”
erase the four years I spent at Airside and all the character
Whereas if I just saw one really good project, I’d think, “I
design I can do. Now, I haven’t had that many commis-
would need to see more, but there is potential there.”
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My other advice for beginning artists is that there is no point in adding and adding things to a design. If you can live without it, then you don’t need it; get rid of it. That’s really essential to what I do. If you can remove that line and it still works, then remove that line. Why would you put it there? Less is more.
Current album on repeat? I absolutely love Portishead and anything electro-rock. I listen to Desire as well. I think they did a song on the Drive soundtrack, which was amazing. I like anything rock and
“The choices you make shape you. I’ve had some rough times, but I think it has taught me a lot. I’m super lucky to do what I do and be surrounded by friends and family.”
mainly depressing, which is the opposite of who I am, but I just love it.
Favorite TV series or movie?
ian. Growing up, it was no TV, no video games, no meat. We were a bit hippyish. I didn’t eat meat for years and
I’ve got my favorite TV series and nothing can top it—
years. Recently I decided that I needed to educate myself
Arrested Development. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve
and try new things. Lately, I’ve discovered that I love steak
seen in my life.
and roast beef. I can’t eat an entire portion yet, but give me a few years and I’ll be a full-on carnivore.
Any favorite books? One of my favorite books is L’ecume des Jours by Boris Vian. It’s completely surreal and fucked-up and beautiful.
One last question. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave?
I also love Alessandro Baricco, who is an Italian writer. I
I think that with what I do, I just want people to remember
don’t know why, but his covers are dreadful. It looks like a
me as someone who had fun. I love what I do. I have a lot
book your mother would buy and read, but it’s amazing.
of fun doing it as well and I think that shows—there is this
His books really play with your imagination.
happiness. Also, if you work hard enough, you can actually
Favorite food?
do what you like as long as you have empathy and a con-
Italian. Simple and all about the ingredients. I love that. I’ve got a weird story about food. I used to be a vegetar-
nection with people. The more open you are to people, the more it will show in your drawings and the more others will identify with your work. That’s what I love—when I see something and it speaks to me on an emotional level. I try to be really spontaneous and genuine about what I do. I believe that if it makes sense to me and makes me laugh, it will make someone else laugh.
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