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EXCLUSIVE FACES V5 REVEAL: EURICO SÁ FERNANDES

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:34:33 +0000

Fresh out of the starting blocks, Eurico is barely out of his teenage years. He is a great talent, albeit one you probably haven’t heard of yet. His youthful, invigorous style is threaded with fiery Portuguese notes and we’re pleased to have found him in order to bring you an exclusive font with his name on it.

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

I was born in 1991 in a small town near Porto, Portugal. At the age of 14 years old I enrolled on a graphic design vocational course at Escola Artistica e Profissional Arvore. After a gap year I moved in the summer of 2010 to London where I joined the London College of Communication to study graphic design. Alongside this I also began work as a freelancer and started to develop a special interest for typeface design. Following this I formed a studio called Ponto with Mariano Lobao.

Research book about the French cinematographic movement called “Nouvelle Vague”. This is the research book of my exhibition “Tribute to Nouvelle Vague” that I made in the well known art space in Porto, called “Maus Hábitos”.

2. PUTTING TOGETHER A PUBLICATION FOR A PORTUGUESE ILLUSTRATION IS QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT. HOW DID THIS IDEA COME ABOUT, AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO FINISHED?

Colher is a project I started towards the end of 2009. The project aims to explore and promote the Portuguese graphic design scene. The idea came around long before we knew exactly what to do with it. It was only when I moved to London that Mariana suggested we used a magazine as the prime form of media to get the concept together. When I started to organise this publication at the start of 2011, my idea was originally to create a very small magazine about the new wave and blood of Portuguese illustration. So with that in mind I started to invite a few people and ran a contest on the Colher’s website. We ended up having so many amazing submissions that the publication turned out a lot bigger than we initially imagined. After a few months we finally released the publication in April. I think this offline approach to projects is very important to me, and it also helps to keep that design flame alive. Off the back of this project we organised a series of tours, lectures, and exhibitions around Portugal last summer.

3. BEING FROM PORTUGAL, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE BASIS OF YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIES?

When I was 15 years old instead of choosing to go to high school, I decided I wanted to pursue an education in graphic design. Obviously I didn’t really know if that was something I wanted at the time, however I always had an interest in graphic design and animation. When I finished my course I didn’t want to go straight to University, however my mother persuaded me otherwise. I applied to go to the Fine Arts University of my city, however unfortunately I wasn’t accepted and so following this I decided to take a gap year. It was during this gap year that I started the Colher project, and I also started to create the Colher typeface. During my year out I applied to a few courses in London, and I was lucky enough to be accepted on the FdA Design for Graphic Communication course in London. Looking back this was the best thing that ever happened to me.

4. WAS YOUR LOVE OF TYPE INTRODUCED TO YOU THROUGH GRAPHIC DESIGN, OR WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU FOUND EARLIER?

During the second year of my course at Arvore we had the opportunity to apply for an internship. My internship was with Atelier Martino & Alejandra Jana. Whilst working with them on studio projects Alejandra Jana proposed a personal project idea to me. This was to create a leaflet to explore the anatomy and terminologies of typography. I already had a passion for typography, however I was naive about the finer details. Since completing that project, it has made a huge difference to my understand and knowledge based around type, and it has also given me a great platform to learn and educate myself further.

Watch out for Eurico’s Exclusive Faces font coming very soon!

EXCLUSIVE FACES V5 REVEAL: ALEXANDER WRIGHT

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:17:26 +0000

Alexander possesses that rare thing in a young designer, a unique vision, combined with a creative take on things which he pours in abundance into his type, identity and printed work. Although he now lives in Venezuela, Alexander was born in the UK, so maybe you’ll spot a little British mixed with South American sexiness in his designs too. We love his typography work and we think you will too!

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?

I was born 30 years ago in Swindon, England. I was raised and spent most of my life in the oil-driven, South American country, Venezuela. Infamous for its socialist/communist leader and high crime rate, but also known for its beautiful beaches and delicious rum. I originally attended a British school, and then a German school in Caracas and I went on to study graphic design at Pro-Diseño (also in Caracas). I left design school early to become an art director at an Arts & Culture magazine called plátanoverde where I worked for a 4/5 years. This opportunity allowed me to experiment a lot and definitely shape my love and interest in editorial and print design. We worked on developing the publication from scratch and I learnt about the many steps involved in the conceptual, design and print process. It also marked the beginning of my life as a professional designer. I went on to design several publications including: Medio Informativo (architectural publication for Venezuela’s Central University) and more recently Gopher Illustrated (ongoing project with business partners at our new Caracas-Austin based studio In-House International). Along the years I also developed a strong interest in logo design which goes hand in hand with my interest for typography. Other than that I just enjoy spending time with family, my two kids and my girlfriend. I am just trying to earn a decent living in a country where the annual inflation rate is around 30%.

2. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN GRAPHIC DESIGN?

I’ve been involved with graphic design since day one, my mother was studying graphic design in England where she met my father, who happened to be her teacher. Everything design related in our family home (during my time growing up) must without knowing it have had a strong influence on me. I have always been surrounded by visual stimulation since a very early age. This includes collecting stamps, watching my dad build model airplanes and ships, drawing, constructing lego, you name it. I’ve wanted to be a graphic designer, or something of the sort, ever since I can recall. Later as a teenage, skateboarding and music would be a major influence in my life. All those awesome decks and album covers are certainly something I’ve always remembered. At school I was quite good at geometry, not so much at art, I guess that reflects a lot on the branches of design I chose to pursue.

Poster design for El Súper Cartel, an expo Alex was invited to in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

3. DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAS HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE OVER THE WAY YOU WORK?

I couldn’t say one specific thing has had a major influence, however a collective of small things over the years have shaped my creativity. Whether this is what I learnt at school, or the tips given from other designers I have been fortunate enough to work with. I guess having a family and kids and working from home has been a big influence too, certainly a boot camp in time management!

4. YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE YOUR WORK IS TYPE INFLUENCED, HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?

I was lucky enough to have some awesome typography teachers in design school (Gabriella Fontanilla and Carlos Rodríguez), I loved their class! They were always so adamant in viewing type as graphic images and not just (but also as) readable letters. They’re probably responsible, among others, for my foundation in type design. I really love the attention to detail involved, the manic relationship between positive and negative space. Now that I come think of it I’m quite crazy about old school storefront signs, prior to when they all started being generic back-lit pieces of plastic. I’m always on the look out for DIY hand painted signs, specially when traveling through rural roads outside the capital at food stands. They’re so straight-forward, there’s a beauty in them not trying too hard, or not trying at all! Don’t know, I guess you have to have a certain personality to pursue this field, maybe a little bit of obsessive compulsiveness going on.

‘Not A Big Small Talker’ is a hand drawn t-shirt design Alex created for Threadless

5. DO YOU FEEL TYPOGRAPHY AS AN ASPECT OF DESIGN IS BECOMING EVER MORE IMPORTANT FOR DESIGNERS?

I feel it’s important and it always has been, typography will always be around regardless of the trends or styles that are out there pushing information and/or selling products, it’s how we make our languages visible. With the introduction of computers everybody has access to type design, whether they received any formal preparation or not, and that results in some very poor type work. You see so many pieces out there with zero attention to the basics, with the kerning all over the place. On the other hand I think that computers have also broken down the limitations typographers may have faced back in the day. You also see amazing mind-blowing work that would have never been possible with the few tools they had available. I guess the key is in creating a font-culture for good/correct use of typography among designers and clients alike.

6. WHAT PROCESS DO YOU GO THROUGH WHEN GENERATING NEW IDEAS?

It’s hard to tell, I don’t think I can specifically pinpoint the process. Once I have an idea floating around in my head I’ll start sketching, if it’s something very geometrical (which usually happens to be my case) I’ll start throwing things together straight on the computer. I normally have quite a clear picture in my head of how I want it to look, but if it’s something a little more free and flowey I’ll probably start off with some hand-drawn sketches then scan them, clean them up and vectorize. The source of the ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere: music, the chaos on the streets, the beach, what my kids draw and say, the cartoons they watch, thinking in the shower, old packaging I find laying around in my grandpa’s house.

Watch out for Alexander’s Exclusive Faces font coming very soon!

EXCLUSIVE FACES V5 REVEAL: STEVEN BONNER

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:48:52 +0000

Forget Hoxton or the Meat Packing District, Steven does a very nice job of whipping out creative, incredibly unique work from his studio in Stirling, Scotland. Steven has worked with a lot of big corporate clients and his artwork has graced the covers of style leaders such as GQ and Wired. His hand-drawn style has a retro twist and we think you’ll love the exclusive font coming your way.

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A with Steven Bonner.

1. YOU HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC STYLE IN YOUR WORK, HOW DID THIS EVOLVE?

I think my style is the child of two very different parents. I used a traditional airbrush a lot when I was in college years ago, and always loved the soft and hyper real results it gave, but when I moved to the mac, I loved the sharp and crisp effects you get with vectors, so I think I naturally end up somewhere in the middle. I think being trained in traditional graphic design focused my mindset into keeping clarity in my work, and so I always strive to keep the message clear in my pieces, whether that’s type, illustration or graphic work.

2. HOW MUCH OF YOUR WORK IS PRODUCED AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER?

It all starts away from the computer with sketches and random doodles, but generally, around 80-90% of my work ends up drawn on the mac as it’s the most appropriate tool for my style. Saying that, I’ve never understood why people would use a computer to try and simulate something with a naturally random finish like chalk or paint. Why not just do the image in one of those mediums in the first place? It’s good to look at other methods, as it keeps your skills evolving.

Typographic T-Shirt design by Steven Bonner for a US based clothing label.

3. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

I’m just finishing up some book cover lettering for Penguin, and sent off an art pack for an iPad app for production which will allow the users to create their own blacklister type. Next up are a couple of advertising campaigns involving a nice mix of briefs including circus/freakshow lettering, and then some some illustration work for a drinks company. I’m very lucky in that I get to work on a nice mix of disciplines which keeps my working day varied.

4. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE FUTURE OF TYPOGRAPHY, AND GRAPHIC DESIGN?

I think regardless of the economy, the industry is in a very healthy creative state, and more designers are willing to either learn more about lettering and type themselves, or hire in people like me to create more custom work. It’s encouraging to see an appreciation of craft coming back so strongly in recent years. Now designers are thinking more about collaboration outside their own walls and so long as that trend continues, there’ll always be opportunities for new talent to come through.

People are taking more care and consideration over their typography and the fact that it now seems to be trendy to be into type has put it back in focus for a lot of creatives. There’s a great use of crafted typography which is something that was maybe lacking a few years ago. I love the fact that there are so many great fonts appearing on the market all the time. The more options we have, the more interesting things can come from it.

A feature opener for Advanced Photoshop Magazine on ‘The Art of Type’

5. DO YOU FEEL WITH THE RISE OF THE INTERNET AND VARIOUS SOCIAL PLATFORMS, SELF PROMOTION IS NOW AS IMPORTANT AS GOOD DESIGN?

Self promotion is majorly important, but I do still think that producing good work is by far the most important thing. There’s no point in promoting yourself if the work isn’t up to scratch as people aren’t afraid to criticise on the various social platforms so you need to be confident in the work you show.

It’s a constant process and you have to be quite disciplined to keep on top of self promotion, but conversely, the time you spend is free in comparison to the past when you had to spend fair sums of money on mailshots to reach much less people. Having said all of that, I still believe that a polite email to the right person is far more effective than being popular on twitter.

6. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR PRINT, AND IS THIS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Most of the time, I’m hired as a supplier to design, advertising or publishing agencies so I don’t have as much contact with print directly as I used to, but my love for print is still strong and I’d personally be gutted if we lost it. I think the digital mediums have replaced print in the mid ranges, and possibly even the lower end of the market, but for me, there always be a need to produce the experience that only print can give. It’s the smell of a newly printed piece, the weight, the feel – it’s a sensory experience that the web can’t match and for me, high end marketing will always need high end print to tell its story. As a creative, I always want to see my work in application, so print work is always my favourite thing to be involved with.

Watch out for Steven’s Exclusive Faces font coming very soon!

EXCLUSIVE FACES V5 REVEAL: TOMATO

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:39:25 +0000

Born alongside Britpop, this creative design collective are still icy cool and continue to be incredibly influential. Their graphics are widely sought after and you’ll spot their script spelling out the titles of the latest 007 flick. Although with a growing body of work encompassing live performances, exhibitions, architecture and fashion, expect an exclusive typeface with a twist from Tomato.

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A with Dylan Kendle of Tomato.

1. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
Work in progress…

2. HOW DID THE BIRTH OF TOMATO COME ABOUT
It’s good to talk

3. IF SOMEONE WAS SETTING OUT TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED WITH TOMATO TODAY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?
Collaborate.

Underworld. Frankenstein. Soundtrack album design for danny boyles live performance of the mary shelley’s classic horror story.

4. WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN TODAY?
It’s in a massive state of flux — the tools and the platforms are so changing so rapidly it’s hard to keep an overview on it all. There is some great stuff being made but it’s very hard to pinpoint it in a over-saturated and fragmented marketplace.

Mike Parr. The tilted stage. The tilted stage is a 232 page book that is split into 3 sections. the first documents (at one dps per hour) mike’s extraordinary 36 hour performance at the tasmanian art gallery and museum (TMAG). each spread is is split between the ‘photograph of the hour’ and tony bond’s notations of his parallel experience of the performance.

5. FAVOURITE DESIGN JOB?
One with a clear brief and decisive client. One with an open brief and an ambitious client.

Adidas Superstar 35. Concept and design for the superstar 35 sneaker a music series anniversary collection. The tomato contribution was presented with the band underworld.

6. WORST DESIGN JOB?
A muddy brief with multiple clients.

7. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR TOMATO?
Another 20 years of work, and a nice Christmas lunch.

Watch out for Tomato’s Exclusive Faces font coming very soon!

EXCLUSIVE FACES V5 REVEAL: ANTHONY BURRILL

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:31:05 +0000

Visually arresting and quintessentially minimalist, a typographic insider could spot his designs a mile off. With suits and bohemians equally keen to sign him up for projects, Anthony is a busy boy. But luckily, he loves nothing more than a collaboration and his self-styled mantra ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’, which is why we’ve been lucky enough to snare him in for an exclusive.

So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I graduated from the Royal College of Art, London in 1991 and have worked independently on a wide variety of projects including music, fashion, film, advertising, and publishing. My work has been exhibited internationally and I travel widely to lecture and lead workshops.

‘I like it, what is it?’ Woodblock poster designed by Anthony Burrill. Printed by Adams of Rye using traditional woodblock printing techniques.

2. THE IDEA FOR THE OIL & WATER DO NOT MIX POSTER WAS PRETTY PROFOUND, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND WERE YOU IN MEXICO AT THE TIME?

The project was conceived by Happiness a communications agency in Brussels. They came to me with the concept and we worked on the message and design of the poster. The team from the agency did the field work, I was connected via Skype during the production of the poster. The reaction to the story was amazing. The simplicity of the project appealed to a broad range of people, and in a small way we contributed to the wider public debate.

Screen-printed poster made with oil from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster. Proceeds from the sale of the print were donated to CRCL (Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana)
a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring the Gulf of Mexico’s coastal wetlands.
The project was conceived and produced in collaboration with Happiness Brussels.

3. WERE YOU EDUCATED AND BROUGHT UP ON TRADITIONAL PRINTING TECHNIQUES, OR IS THIS SOMETHING YOU’VE LEARNT THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?

I was taught the basics of letterpress by Alan Kitiching when I was studying at the Royal College of Art. Computers were only just being introduced into art colleges in the early nineties, I feel fortunate that I have had experience of both analogue and digital design.

4. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR STYLE OF WORK?

I am interested in making work that engages with people in a thoughtful and playful way.

5. DO YOU FEEL TYPOGRAPHY AS AN ASPECT OF DESIGN IS BECOMING EVER MORE IMPORTANT FOR DESIGNERS?

The access we have to a huge variety of fonts is staggering. I remember the days of the Letraset catalogue, and that seemed baffling enough. I am fascinated by typography and feel that I’ve only really scratched the surface so far, there is so much to learn and explore. Typography is a hard subject to master, that’s what makes it interesting.

Watch out for Anthony’s Exclusive Faces font coming very soon!

EXCLUSIVE FACES V4 REVEAL: CALANGO

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:35:17 +0000

Moshun Font HypeForType from Jeroen Krielaars on Vimeo.

The emergence of an internationally recognised Dutch design scene has been fueled by a strong educational system for designers. A second contributing factor to the success of Dutch design is government support for new designers. Financial support from the Fonds BKVB (the Fund for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture), launched in 1988, has enabled design students to set themselves up as independent entrepreneurs right after graduation.

So you’ll not be suprised that one of our contributors to Exclusive Faces V4 is indeed from Amsterdam. We randomly stumbled upon Jeroen’s work one Friday afternoon, and having viewed some of his typographic animation projects the talent was simply evident. Jeroen mainly works within the motion field however his strong grasp on good typography and flair in which he executes it is second to non. So let’s start by introducing Jeroen with a brief Q&A…

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN DESIGN?

As a kid, I was always drawing. But unfortunately, I was not that skilled with pencil and paper. The first time I started playing around in Photoshop and Illustrator, it was like a world of endless possibilities opened up to me. I never been to an art school but just spend years of doodling around and roaming the internet looking for interesting techniques. In the last few years, my focus is shifting to the overlap between graphic design and motion design.

2. HAS ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGN STYLE?

At the moment, I am very much inspired by the Japanese culture. I really like their sense of order and serenity. On the other hand, their outrageous popculture forms a nice contrast with that. In my work, I like to have a systematic approach, than break with that to add a little spontaneity.

3. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

To make each project better than the last one. To keep growing and developing in terms of style, skills and knowledge.

4. WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

To make myself proud. I can get a real energyburst when I have the feeling I succeeded to created something that just works, and I have not seen before.

Watch out for Jeroen’s Exclusive Faces font which goes live on Monday, April 18th.

EXCLUSIVE FACES V4 REVEAL: ARIEL DI LISIO

admin — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:52:56 +0000

You’ll remember we recently mentioned that Buenos Aires is fast becoming a hot bed for creative talent, well that’s solidified again by another Argentinian addition to the roster. This time it’s not other than Ariel Di Lisio, AKA NegroNouveau™. Ariel first caught our eye back in 2009 when his work was brought to life by another strong typographic presence, Alejandro Paul Sudtipos.

Together this dynamic duo went on to create a catalogue of beautiful fonts, utilising each others skills perfectly. This time is no different apart from the exclusivity tag, and you’ll be pleased to hear this duo have carried on the legacy as Ariel’s new exclusive face has been built by Sudtipos. So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN DESIGN?

Really I do not know how I got started with the design, but always knew I wanted to design. I have an uncle who is an illustrator; when I was a boy I saw him working and I liked what he did, although it was not design. When I finished my studies in graphic design, my approach was more towards illustration..

Packaging design for Estudio X, printed with fluorescent inks and sporting Helvetica.

2. HAS ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGN STYLE?

I feel that part of my work reflects the Swiss school, and even more the European-latin-american sensibility. The quality of work of someone like Herb Lubalin, I really like. It’s difficult to think about what influences the work I do, because, in fact it is everything; my mood, friends, music, street, and my son…

CD typographic design and art direction for a major exhibition in the centre of Pompidou.

3. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

The most difficult challenge is time. I’m always looking to have more time to develop each project. It’s what I try to negotiate with my clients.
And in that way get a better result; products of the highest quality in terms of design and production.

“Design, art direction and custom type work for 2021 magazine”

4. WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

The most satisfying thing, is seeing the great results of the projects, and happy clients. If my clients are happy, I’m happy. It gives me great pleasure to see my work realized from the original ideas. This is the greatest happiness.

Watch out for Ariel’s Exclusive Faces font which goes live on Monday, April 18th.

EXCLUSIVE FACES V4 REVEAL: SAWDUST

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:17:33 +0000

Fine pieces of creative talent come in the form of Sawdust: a mix of one part Rob Gonzalez and one part Jonathan Quainton and based in the achingly creative Hoxton area of London town.

With four eyes for impeccable detail and quality of finish, a thing of true beauty in the printed form, this duo, as the same suggests, are ones to watch – highly flammable in a creative sense. So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN DESIGN?

Rob: I actually started out studying art & design but by the end of the course I was encouraged by my tutors to explore graphic design instead. I’m not sure if they genuinely thought I’d be a good graphic designer or if they realised I was horrible at art — either way it set me on my way and I’ve never looked back. Dave Chisnall gave me my break by allowing me onto the design course two weeks late — I owe him a lot.

Jon: As a child I was very interested in writing poetry, the idea of communicating personal emotions or humour for the reader to envisage, was fascinating to me. I can only guess that’s where my creativity began although I don’t think you intentionally aim to be in design at a young age, your interests just lead you there – I didn’t really know what design was until I left school.

Spread design for the launch publication of bike blog Fixed & What, dedicated to bikes and the culture that goes with it. The article is about Ben Orcutt’s bike sculpture made using glass components. Photography by Cliff Ritchey, design and custom type by Sawdust.

2. HAS ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGN STYLE?

Rob: We recently had the privilege of seeing Wim Crouwel speak at the Design Museum. He’s an incredibly inspiring person. His design looks as contemporary and relevant today as it did when he first created it. How can anybody not be inspired or even influenced by what he has achieved?

Jon: My influences are drawn from so many different places that it’s difficult pin-point one area. However, I have recently noticed that my emotions have a profound effect on the way that I design. Sometimes the first response you feel towards a brief can produce the best outcomes. The longer that you search for an idea the more distant your emotions become towards the brief, the excitement can get lost towards the end of longer drawn-out projects.

Photography by Andrew Moore, creative production by Edit. Design, art direction and custom type by Sawdust.

3. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Rob: As a designer, it’s typical to challenge convention, for many it’s what drives us on, ourselves included. So I would have to say the most challenging aspect of our work is to convince clients that conventions need to be challenged in order to create truly powerful and meaningful work — it also paves the way for others to create newer and more exciting things.

“Various other design and typography based work from Sawdust

4. WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Rob: When you convince a client to challenge convention. And it works.

Jon: Hearing genuinely positive feedback from clients.

Watch out for Sawdust’s Exclusive Faces font which goes live on Monday, April 18th.

EXCLUSIVE FACES V4 REVEAL: HELLOMULLER

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:09:08 +0000

Step back waffles and beer – there’s an altogether finer Belgian export whetting our appetitive. Tom Muller is a typographic legend. Having crafted some of the most iconic and contemporary pieces of work for the likes of Wired mag, Lily Allen, Sony BMG Music, The Pet Shop Boys, Diesel and many more you will have visually gorged on, we’re in good company indeed to have Muller, a typographic maestro contributing to our exclusive faces.

Tom Muller is a inspiration to designers the world over, a regular voice in the design and typography conversation and evolution. When he’s not mixing grid structures with sci-fi like style in his work (and probably even when he is) you’ll find Tom taking inspiration from his other love – comics. So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN DESIGN?

Pretty much through my parents, who were both interior/furniture designers. I’d spend a lot of my childhood drawing in my dad’s studio whilst being surrounded by the type of books you see now sold at sites like Counter Print like Knoll catalogues (yes, the Vignelli ones, even I had no clue at the time), Ottagono and Domus etc. It was a pretty much foregone conclusion that I’d end up in a design-oriented profession really. I loved to draw as a kid and seeing the work of my parents and their contemporaries really fuelled that ambition.

Illustrations for the March 2010 issue of WIRED UK accompanying the article “Tablets of the new covenant” which investigates the rise of E-Readers and Tablets. The lead illustration incorporates elements from that issue’s cover.

2. HAS ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGN STYLE?

I’m a firm believer in Massimo Vignelli’s moto: Design is One. Looking back, my dad would tell me the same thing whilst I was studying… that I should never pigeon-hole myself and look at multiple aspects of design (although most of those conversations started with “Look Tom, there’s more out there than comics!”). My dad was a heavy Sci Fi fan (both literature and film) so aside from the design influences I’d grow up watching Logan’s Run, Silent Running, 2001, Star Wars and Alien while reading (and being read) stories of Isaac Asmimov and Ray Bradbury… So yeah, not really one thing in particular. And comics of course. Lets not forget those!

Cover design and art direction for the softcover edition of VIKING: The Long Cold Fire collection.

3. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Honestly, its constantly pushing for new things and finding the space within a project to innovate. Its really easy to take a brief and execute it to the exact spec from the client, but I love to find those spaces between the lines and find something unexpected, that elevates the project.

“My home set up: 15″ MacBook Pro hooked up to an external 30″ Apple display, 4 external HDs for backup and storage. A Dropbox and MobileMe account for cloud storage, iPad (good for presentations), iPhone and a stack of sketchpads, Field Notes notebooks and Rotring pens.”

4. WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Being able to find those spaces between the lines and working WITH a client rather than FOR a client. Its a world of difference when you open up to a collaborative atmosphere to create something new. And the fact that I’ve been able to turn the work I used to do as a hobby into a job — which is an ongoing project of its own!

Watch out for Tom’s Exclusive Faces font which goes live on Monday, April 18th.

EXCLUSIVE FACES V4 REVEAL: PLENTY™

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:55:17 +0000

Buenos Aires is fast becoming a hot bed of creative talent, and it doesn’t come much hotter than typography’s answer to Maradona – Pablo Alfieri. Bold, confident, experimental – a maverick inspiration of the letterform, and his studio Plenty™ is a visual banquet.

With hip, forward brand work for people like MTV, Motorola, W+K, Nike, Snickers and Chevrolet under his belt, Plenty™ have carved a truly unique reputation for edgy, stylistic, standout work. Every piece is striking and meticulously crafted, but oozing with effortless chic – they are to the typographic movement what Heston Blumenthal is to the gastronomic world, unbelievably inventive and undisputedly genius. So with the introduction out of the way, let’s kick things off with a brief Q&A…

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN DESIGN?

My initial approach to design started during my time at University. In Argentina the graphic design scene really took off in 2000, and it was constantly growing from then onwards. I think that a new wave of teenage designers (like myself) were very tired of the classic career paths such as finance, engineering, accountancy and all of the “boring” careers (no offence intended) our parents wished us to pursue. So, during that time in my life I was one of those teenagers who wished to pursue a creative career, and with that I decided to go to University to study Graphic Design without initially knowing anything about the subject. During my first year studying our tutors introduced us to the works of Rodchenko, Carson, Brody, and Paul Rand, and at that moment I fell in love with design.

“Fox Retro summoned us together with our dear friend Fantasma™ in order to join forces and develop a very special piece: an Ident to commemorate its birthday. The client had imagined a one minute piece of animation, where all its series are showed in a 80´s retro-futuristic spatial Pinball.”

2. HAS ANYTHING PARTICULAR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGN STYLE?

I don’t think I have a precise influence in my work. The world as a whole has probably had the most influence on my work and the way in which I “get into it”. Trends, advertising, and the internet are the new ways now to have relationships, and open up the access to be able to see and be inspired by things you would never of known about before. Music, fashion, and people also have a big influence on my creativity.

Branding development for the production company Pank Films

3. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

The result. It’s always a challenge to get what you want out of something. This is our main objective with every project that we start, to get the best possible result. With great results you have you clients smiling, and obviously in turn that makes you happy as an individual too.

“Dr. Lemon Vodka, the alcoholic beverage from Argentina that mix the intense acid flavor of the lemon with Vodka, trusted us to recreated a old russian ad, based on the constructivistic art, to show to the world how “the flavor revolution” is made.”

4. WHAT IS THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?

Love. That’s the most important aspect for me. You have to love it, be passionate, have fun, play a lot like Thom Yorke said in his amazing song “street spirit, fade out”. The quote “Immerse your soul in love” is one of the most important phrases I have listened too during my life.

Watch out for Plenty’s Exclusive Faces font which goes live on Monday, April 18th.