After sending out context letters along with some posters I got this response from Design Project which I did not expect at all. Amazing.
Andy the director then got back to me with some brilliant answers to the questions I sent over.
- Firstly, How would you describe the work that Design Project produce? and do you think there is a project that you think sums up the studio?
Its always difficult to describe your own work, but I'd say our approach is very much centred around clear, articulate communication with a modern typographic approach.
I'm not sure any one project sums up the studio, as each project has its own particular design problem and subsequently this drives the appropriate solution.
Every element of a project is considered; colour, language, format, production - the common thread running through this, is that everything is born out of research and a complete understanding of the individual clients requirements.
- When studying/ starting your career in design, who were you influenced by?
I remember seeing the early work of Why Not Associates - the Next Directory catalogues they produced in the early 1990s, seemed to look very different at the time.
Also the work by Siobhan Keaney had an influence on my early work.
The word 'website' didn't exist when I was a college, so you had to look harder for reference points by searching the library or looking at current design magazines that were available at the time.
The book 'Typography Now' seemed to be the big thing when I was studying.
- Is it the same people you're influenced by now or have you found new influences? if so who are these new influences?
My influences have definitely changed since the early days studying and starting my career as a designer.
Design influences over the years have included: Josef Muller-Brockmann, Richard Paul Lohse, Helmut Schmid, Otl Aicher, Emil Ruder, Ken Garland, Milton Glaser, Total Design... the list goes on.
Although I don't tend to always look at designers and find influence from other sources like the arts and music. I even collect out of print ephemera (which spans a whole host of topics).
- Of the projects you've done, Which do you think was your favourite or most effectively answered the brief? and most importantly, why ?
Again a very difficult question to answer, but I'd probably say the Re-Bag project, curated by Progress Packaging.
This was all encompassing as a project and involved creating branding and communications to initially promote an exhibition held in London (promotional items, printed matter, packaging, exhibition branding and onscreen graphics).
The project was all about sustainability and the environment - and how by designing graphics for a canvas bag could help create a mindset to encourage reusability.
Our approach to this project seemed to tick all the right boxes when it comes to reusability - from designing a promotional bag (which could be used prior to the event - almost like ambient advertising) to creating clamshell packaging boxes which house each contributors bag as well as doubling up as a frame to display the bags at the exhibition. The catalogue also had an 'unfinished feel' about it with untrimmed pages and exposed binding - hinting at the fact that production processes were kept to a minimum.
The project is still talked about and bags are still requested even today - 6 years after the event took place (but sadly sold out).
- What is your view of the phrase Form Follows Function? do you think it is relevant in design today or outdated, and why?
I'd say, Form Follows Function is very relevant across all design mediums - the physical form and functionality of a piece of communication (from a graphic design perspective) go hand in hand.
Its also a process that needs to continually adapt depending on the specific design problem and requirement.
- Finally, what are your influences outside of design that you think have an effect on your practice?
I'd say we have quite a few influences outside the boundaries of graphic design which range from; music, art, architecture, fashion, film, furniture and photography.
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