keep an eye on these 2 / sorin bechira and stefan romanu

Rob Alexander is an extremely talented, and insanely humble designer based in Framingham, MA. I had the pleasure to work with him for about year at Tank Design where he was the Design Director. Anyone who has crossed paths with this man knows how rare and special he is. I am proud to profile him and his work here on GraphicHug™.

GH: Please introduce yourself.

GH: Describe your role as a graphic designer. This can be something ideological, or a mere description of your day.

GH:  If you hadn’t become a designer what would you have liked to become?
RA: OK, you have to understand, I think this is my favorite question to ponder. It’s something I think about all the time. So here’s my list (and yes, all of my ideas about these professions are the completely romanticized versions):
Architect: I think this one is a bit of a cliché for a lot of designers. But there’s something so amazing about the idea of creating spaces. An environment that is both useful and beautiful — a home, a hotel, a restaurant, a library. What an interesting and totally overwhelming problem that must be to solve.
Chef: You’d never know it (I don’t actually cook all that much) but I’m fascinated by the idea that cooking is a skill that has this beautifully artful element to it, but at its core is completely utilitarian (providing sustenance). I’m also interested in all of the environmental and ethical decisions around food.
Furniture Maker: I have such admiration for really well crafted wooden furniture. The stuff that just gets better the more you use it. And I’m kind of a sucker for these apprentice based professions … the ones where there’s really no quick way to get into it. You really have to do your time under someone who really knows what they’re doing. Love that.
Shopkeeper: I love really well made useful products (like a good umbrella). And I’m borderline obsessed with the idea of arranging and curating “things” (ask my wife). So, I’ve always loved the idea of owning a shop. I think it would be a great outlet for me.
Painter: This was actually my intention when I first went to college (and it’s something I continued to study along with design). I still paint (but not enough).
Teacher: This is something I could still see myself doing some day. We’ll see.
Professional Cyclist: I actually had a go at this (ok, nowhere near the professional level). But it’s the greatest sport (minus all of the doping). Honestly, I would probably take any job on a pro cycling team. Or Bike-building… I love classic steel road racing bikes. I’d love to start a bike brand.

Thank you so much for your time Rob! We wish you and your growing family the best!

Anton Jeludkov has got to be on the forefront of a serious formal revival, but it would be unjust to say that this young man’s work is purely revivalist. Yes, there is much formal influence by the likes of Neville Brody and Jonathan Barnbrook, but the young Jeludkov is harnessing a real force that pisses old guys off. I strongly commend this type of courage in the midst of such a starkly classic graphic environment.

Swiss typographic mastery cannot be beat. There is such a strong base that is harnessed at such a young age. It is hard not to be jealous. Johannes Breyer is living up to that legacy for sure. Check his work out.

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Some new work from the adorable Hyperkit crew. Check out their shop too!

A designer extraordinaire with years of experience. I absolutely love how much of his own hand is in this work. I do not suspect him piggybacking on the labor of others.

Following in the footsteps of YWFT, Reserves sells fancy typefaces and stock imagery. A growing and unique collection indeed. Check it out.

123 Buero is the graphic design practice of Berlin-based designer Timo Gaessner. There’s a nice blend of German cool, and Dutch typographic whim. I’m enjoying that mix. Dig.

The allusive name fits the amazingly atmospheric work of this design duo. Working from Copenhagen and NYC Troels Faber and Jacob Wildschiødtz make some serious stuff. We mentioned their work here before, but we now present the whole deal.

Makers of Soko Zine, I present Pogo. This Buenos Ares outfit is just fantastic and bursting with hungry energy! Yes, there’s a bit of triangle worship here, but that is forgiven by there impeccable typography!

Some very intriguing typographic work from Zetuei aka Yoshiyuki Kano. I wish I could read his site or even understand his typefaces! They probably all say “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Everyone, thank you all for a wonderful 2009. We wish you the best and hope for your continued love in 2010!

Fumio Tachibana is a former Tokyo TDC winner who wonderfully crafts typographic beauty from scraps, scraps, scraps. Read his excitement and passion for the typographic form here:
My room is covered with piles of old newspapers. I had not realized how many of them had accumulated; it is now a melee of thousands of newspaper headlines gathered from countries far and near where those newspapers were read and then thrown away. I pick up fragments of text and transform them into new characters. Sometimes these new characters are used to make up the title of a poem. As usual, today I am buried in this dream island of old newspapers and I rummage through them randomly looking for bits I might use. Whenever I see something I like, I just rip it out and paste it along with others to create new characters. There I have another one finished; “Appreciation, Emotion, Rain, Hail.”

Artfully crafted with thoughtful grace is the work of Kj Kim. An interesting combination of craft, hand and concept blend through a variety of processes. Her MFA thesis show is quite compelling. Check it out.

As 2009 winds down it’s time to start laying plans for 2010. Keep track of your new resolutions and don’t ever miss a meeting with a Peter Bi’lak special, the Typotheque Journal. These pieces are designed with precision and masterfully crafted. Check out the gallery of previous journals as well. Printout a snazzy calendar for yourself!

Now, the site does not do justice to the immaculate craft of these typefaces. This new digital foundry has a small, but solid stable of typefaces that have clearly been lovingly created. They have a freakin’ coptic typeface for christ sake! These have GOT to be made by true type lovers. Skip the site and check out their specimen sheets!

The infamous typeface that has been dominating the arts and crafts/ethnic food market for years, has taken another victim this year. James Cameron’s highly anticipated feature film Avatar, has succumb to Papyrus’ unescapable advances. It is quite clear that Cameron’s well was running dry of the film’s projected $200 million+ budget when it came time to hire a competent graphic designer. Sadly, all of the outer glow in the world that cannot save yet another usage of the wonderfully atrocious Papyrus. I conclude this post with a personal favorite found on Papyrus Watch.

I was surprised to find that Baseline Magazine took a swing towards our modern times. The new, fluid, and super gridtastic website is an overall pleasurable experience. The images of the magazine are apure tease that don’t do any justice to the printed magazine, but nice to see nonethless. Yes, I was reminded of the EYE magazine site, but this may be an unfair comparison. A grid is a grid.

The website now reflects the redesign they’ve been using since issue 52. Some people were a bit ruffled by this left turn, but I admire the smooth grid experience created by the HDR Visual Communications team. Props to them for keeping this truly one-of-a-kind magazine alive since ’95.

Also, the new issue 57 features some work by Leah Harrison Bailey and Sara Carneholm who recently particiapted in Control:Print. Check it out because the work presented is quite intriguing!

To follow up on our post about Harvard Fogg Museum identity, I re-present the work of Atelier Carvalho Bernau. Visit this small studio comprised of Susana Carvalho and Kai Bernau. Here you will find several immaculate typefaces accompanied by an impressive display of minimal-ized Dutch design. Admittedly, the work is not the most eye-catching material, but there is a respectful stillness for type and image that is plain classic. Such use can only come from the thorough crafting of letterforms day and day out. Enjoy.

Our french readers are probably familiar with the work of Catherine Zask. Her careful and obsessive study of typographic form is truly motivational. I find new meaning to typography as structures.

I know this is sort of old news, but I have to say this is one of my favorite identities. The redesign of Harvard Art Museums by New York-based studio 2×4 and Altelier Carvalho Bernau. Check it out here, or see more images on the OK-RM websiteñ so, so very nice.

One & Done Studio is the workplace of Lorin Brown, a young CalArts gun. Some pretty solid work there for the likes of Arkitip, NY Times, and 2k by Gingham.

Studio Von Birken, a New York based studio run by Katia K¸the & Philipp M¸ssigmann, just launched their new site! I have always been a fan of their work, especially after taking a visit to their studio and seeing this stuff in print. Simple, elegant, and beautiful = breathtaking! With fashion as their main focus, SvB works with clients like Uniqlo (they were behind all the creative work behind Uniqlo’s campaign when they were first coming to the States), Liz Claiborne, Gucci, J.Crew, and a number of others. They are also responsible for a publication called The Glossy Zine which comes out twice a year. Anyways, check out their work here!

Those guys from IP.3, parisian graphic design studio, informed us of the update of their portfolio and the release of a book they’ve worked on : le Dictionnaire du Look edited by Robert Laffont. It’s all about fashion, explains all the current trends with good pictures and nice funny types.

There’s a video presentation of the book on the editor’s website, to watch it, click here! And to have a look at their portfolio, click here!

Back when I was a lowly intern in Carlos Segura’s cave I heard whispers about a dark, wooly lord. This man was mighty, powerful, hairy, and possessed powers beyond belief. I never met this furry creature, but I can attest to his typographic might. Check it. Silas Dillworth. The Legend. Also, check out his buddies at the good ol’ Type Trust.

Chad Kloepfer is a graphic designer, who’s work I’ve come across awhile back, but also had the pleasure of recently meeting him here in NYC where he is based. His extensive work experience as a senior designer at the Walker Art Center and Wired Magazine, along with several other publications and institutions, clearly shows an incredible amount of refinement and understanding of typographic process and execution. His work is bold, yet still shows beautiful, subtle details that conclude in breathtaking results. Take some time to check out some of his work here. He has a pretty awesome site, too.

After a recent surf session I came upon the work of Tom Tor. There is some serious typographic goodness here. Check it out when you have time.

Pentagram’s latest work on everyone’s favorite living room jam, Guitar Hero, has quickly made the blog rounds. Michael Beirut’s foray into a world of typically repulsive graphics yielded … surprisingly typical results from usually strong heavy hitters, (Rick Valicenti, Adam Larson, and Steve Wilson.) Despite this, one major elements stands out, the bespoke typeface Hero Bold executed by our very own Kai Samela. Nice1.

Guitar Hero design credits: Creative Director: Michael Beirut. Design: Joe Marianek. Type Design: Kai Samela.

There has been a slow, but steady stream of submissions piling up in our GraphicHug mailbox. Had we the time to hug everyone individually we would, but we aren’t GraphicAstana and hugs require time to be meaningful. So, we’ve compiled a few of the highlights and present them to you here. Enjoy. The above work is from our first heavy hitter, Avraham Cornfeld.

We’re still getting excited about the decadent, yet superbly executed work coming out of Spain. Kike Besada is some more cream from the crop.

Always a pleasure to find a young designer engaging in more conceptual work. Rebekah Bruke definitely made us think twice.

What is it about the Swedish that just makes them so damn cool? It really must be something in the air. G&V is a ‘multi-disciplanary collective’ that embraces risk and revel in creative gambling. Yes, this work is stylized and again shows that ‘fashion-based’ aesthetic, but behind it there’s a very clear conceptual attitude that takes the Grouch up one level. Unlike some of these other cats in the black and white ambiguo-dress-up game, you can tell Gustaf and Vassili really believe in what they do.

If you haven’t heard already, Johno at www.ilovetypography.com has started a new site. It’s like ffffound for all things type. Even video! Check it out…

This one’s a long one folks. So, if you’re looking for the trivia answer, just click here.  A couple months ago GraphicHug had the opportunity to meet with John and Jiae at THEME, a bi-monthly Asian Culture magazine published here in the US and distributed worldwide. On a gray morning in DUMBO they humbly chatted with us and allowed us to pick their brains.

GraphicHug: Theme has a keen attention to design in every issue. How does design tie into the voice of Theme magazine?

THEME / JIAE: I feel like a magazine is a reflection of the people who make it. We were both designers before we were publishers. So you can’t divorce the design from the magazine because it’s the point of view we’re coming from. Neither of us studied design, so we approach it from a less visual perspective and more from a content perspective. So we try to marry the design with the content. That’s why the magazine is an interesting endeavour for us because it allows us not to just do visual styling, but direct the styling with a concept because we come up with the stories. So once you control the content, then you really control the design because you can marry the two, or divorce them.

GH: As curators and controllers of your own content have you guys been able to really push the boundaries of design?

THEME / JIAE: We could take more liberties, but we made a conscious decision earlier on that this wasn’t going to be an exercise in design. We wanted it to straddle the line between commercial and crafted. Take esopus for example, they’re really pushing the boundaries in everything from printing and design and it becomes very much an object. We decided that that’s not the direction we wanted to go. It’s a little too esoteric. We wanted the content to resonate with people and we knew that all our readership weren’t designers.

We could definitely go hog-wild with the design if we were a design magazine, but we’re not, we’re a lifestyle / culture magazine. So we have to just figure out what our message is, who we’re targeting, and how we can service design to that end. The design is good, it’s clean, and we both have a keen interest in typography. And you should because a magazine is words and a bunch of images and you put them together. But beyond that, whiz bang effects, printing, production, we’ve tried to stay away from that. Besides the fact of cost, it’s alienating. The magazine becomes too precious. And we want it to be something that people pick up, now that it’s a bimonthly.

GH: Could you talk a bit about your curatorial taste. How has being former designers influenced your choice in content?

THEME / JOHN: Every time we approach an issue it’s always been about having a good mix of high and low culture. it’s not about having one kind of thing, one kind of story. And the approach has always been anything that’s interests us, and that has always guided us. We are the barometer and we are the litmus test for content. And we try and not do stories that everyone else does. So, somewhere in there lies a sweet spot that is the soul of themes.

THEME / JIAE: We’re a culmination of a lot of different experiences. We’ve traveled quite a bit. John’s not an American, he’s a New Zealander. We’ve lived abroad for a huge chunk of both our lives. All of those collective experiences in our lives affects how we look at the world and the magazine is an extension of our world.

THEME / JOHN: We brought in LinYee who’s pretty hands-on with the magazine now. So, we’ve got more voices, which is good. The drive of the magazine has never been to be this lovely esoteric object meant for you to finger. It’s meant to be read, and it’s meant to sort of affect culture and reflect culture. In order for it to do that it has to have a strong point of view, but the content has to be broad enough to appeal to a larger audience base.

THEME / JOHN: It’s also meant to have an element of surprise as well. For example, the food issue we have an artist that works in salt. I don’t think most other magazines would take that sort of approach for a certain theme and I think that’s what keeps us going. That surprise factor.

GH: Has there been a guiding theme or concept or mantra that’s been moving you guys for the past four years? An overriding goal?

THEME / JOHN: Get through the next issue? [Laughter]

THEME / JIAE: Like a lot of designers we didn’t think about the business aspect of it. A lot of people jump into project, and that’s a really good thing because it doesn’t stop you from starting the project, but once you dive headlong you start to understand that if you’re going to do this for a living you got to make it a business. So that’s something we try to impart on people who come and ask us about the magazine business. If it’s a business you have to think of it as a business. You have to do the research and learn what people are doing right and wrong and figure out what you can do to keep going on. For the most part we’re very successful, we’re still around which is a good thing considering the market. We’re actively looking for different ideas and iterations of the magazine so we can keep doing what we’re doing.

GH: Was this an escape for you guys?

THEME / JOHN: I don’t think it was an escape.

THEME / JIAE: I think we wanted to take a risk. We were quite comfortable with where we were in life. We had a choice at that point. You kind of go along that trajectory and you’re relying on a certain standard of living… So we made a choice. We either buy a house or we start a project, which meant that we were starting our careers all over again, which is kind of exciting, scary, but both of were looking for a bit of an adrenaline rush. I was working at Pentagram and John was doing creative direction for Equinox and kind of rising along the ranks. We’re both risk takers. We do dangerous sports we like rushes of energy. In that way it’s an escape, but it was more about needing to shake things up. To think about the world a little differently and we both really wanted to produce content. We were both at a point where design wasn’t fully fulfilling us in of itself. Both of us have jumped around from interests and careers because we’re constantly curious about the world. Design, there’s a certain curiosity to it, but it gets formulaic after awhile, whereas content you can really jump around. I think there’s craft there because you have to craft the message, the medium, so we love the craft. The magazine allows us to jump around and ask a lot of questions.

GH: In Theme’s fourth year now is it still maintaining it’s original rush. How has the curve of energy been?

THEME / JIAE: Anything you do over along period of time will become formulaic even if you redesign it, which we did two issues ago. We’ve been slowly mixing up the content. You have branch out in order to bring in something new and exciting. I think if you’re going to succeed as a business / magazine you kind of have to do that anyway, because it’s all these associated properties you build around the magazine that are just as valuable as the magazine itself. What more can you make that in to? whether it’s a conference, a shop, whatever.

GH: Over the past four years what has been the most exciting project or interview?

THEME / JOHN: For Issue 2 we got an opportunity to go to both China and Japan. And I have to say one of our most memorable interviews was with Daido Moriyama. That was really cool. He was very cool. We got to meet him at this local cafe. It is in a back alley, in the backwoods of Shinjuku. Its like the sixth floor of this office building. We walk in and its a dingy little cafe and he has photographs everywhere. He obviously knows the cafe owner. And he starts talking. He’s smoking. It was just a really unique kind of experience.

THEME / JIAE: Super, super talented guy.

THEME / JOHN: Yeah, he was like, we should go drinking!

GH: You were mentioning earlier, the mindset now is to often just make it to the next issue. One theme, we are constantly grappling with at GraphicHug is this notion of future. We are wondering if you have something in mind, past the next issue, something you are aiming towards and are considering for your future?

THEME / JOHN: I’d like to say, there are definitely graphic design brands. Michael Bierut is a graphic design brand. Paula Scher is a graphic design brand. People know them and they expect to be treated a certain way. There are definitely opportunities out there. The thing is, people need to understand once you are known for something, there are definitely  opportunities for you to do other things. If you look at every opportunity, as an opportunity to try something different.

THEME / JIAE: I think you need to invest in it. So that means if you have never done it before, and you do it for free, well that’s what you do. You have to shape your career on a day to day basis. I mean you could just take on the same type of projects that you are good at and people recognize you for and you will get paid handsomely for it over time because its where your expertise lies. But I think again, it is about making a conscious decision that you want to take a risk. That you want to expand your set of tools and the projects you work on. And you have to develop them. And it may take years. Someone said, ten years is how long it takes to develop expertise (Malcom Gladwell’s, Outliers). I think its pretty accurate I’d say. After ten years, you are going to be pretty good at what you do. You can’t expect transformation overnight. I think everything happens in gradual steps. The opportunities are there, you just have to identify them. And you have to decide if you want them or not.

For us, I think right now, because of the whole historic election, I think John and I are thinking more about creating opportunities for giving back. We don’t know what that means yet. I used to do a lot of volunteer work growing up, but I haven’t done it in ages because I have been so absorbed in my life. This is a good time to think about maybe getting back to that. But of course we tend to think that we should start a new project. So we are kicking around new ideas like kicking off a non profit project. But perhaps, we are thinking we should perhaps give hours to the soup kitchen first before we decide to start a non profit to feed the hungry!

GH: What are you guys hugging these days?

THEME / JOHN: Our baby.

GH: Congratulations!

THEME / JIAE: And each other when we can. And that’s pretty much it. And the dog occasionally. Yeah, he gets very little love from us these days. He’s just the dog… just the dog…

Thank you very much to John and Jiae. People. Get yourselves the latest issue of THEME and support magazines!

I came across these pretty amazing identity systems for schools. It’s great how these schools are seeking out good designers to build their identity: logo, school uniform, environmental graphics, etc. This creates an environment where design and creativity are welcome and as a result encourages young students to be creative thinkers.

This is an amazing identity system for Fuji Kindergarten in Japan by one of my favorite designers, Kashiwa Sato. I totally believe that a well designed learning environment helps to improve a student’s passion for learning. Simply stated, a fun environment makes it more fun to go to school. Here’s a video of the kindergarten brought to you by Monocle and the letters O, M, G.

Here’s a system for Uncommon Schools, a nonprofit organization that starts and manages outstanding urban charter public schools and creates college prep opportunities for low-income children. This project was designed by Pentagram under the creative direction of Paula Scher and lead designer, Julia Hoffmann.

This was also another project by Kashiwa Sato for the Meiji Gakuin University. I really enjoy all the design details that Mr. Sato paid attention too. I definitely wouldn’t mind getting an education here.

A while back I was perusing Apartmento Magazine. I found it to be an honest, interesting, and intriguing take on the lifestyle/interiors concept. The design was understated, but present whil complimenting the tone of the magazine. But I never really bothered to investigate.

Until last week when I discovered that Apartmento was designed by a humble studio in Barcelona called Folch. I opened their website and jizzed my pants. Folch is designing some of the most interesting magazines out on newsstands and in bookstores today. Next to Mike Miere they’re one of the few studios out there doing some truly astounding work with some great editors and writers. Metal, Fanzine, Few, Futu, and that’s just to name a few!

This last magazine, Kilamanjaro, is a huge publication coming out London. Now, according to our friends at PostPoetics it’s so big that it comes equipped with its very own viewing stand! I can’t wait to hunt down these magazines and make a public disgrace in my trousers. Now, is it just me, or has Spain been kicking as and taking names in the realm of editorial design?! Also, check out Fulch’s recut of Futura, pretty hot. They have some other interesting type work as well.

Aaron Draplin has been designing a storm for years up in the Northwest corner of the United States. He recently worked with Chicago powerhouse agency, MODE, to bring us this. But he has plenty more to look at and admire. He’s also an avid blogger.

An interesting take on a portfolio by Remo Caminada. There is some true type goodness nested amongst posters, random half naked dudes, and cool grandmas. Caminada is a Swiss designer and type designer. There’s an interesting interview on his joint type project with Ludovic Varone here. May not work in Safari.

Texture is a great typographic screensaver by tha ltd. Have fun!

I have been enjoying this website. Typography sketches by multiple Russian type designers.

Nathalie Seitz

Daniel Volkart

Norm

My favorite Ralph Schraivogel poster. For many years the Museum für Gestaltung Zurich has been an epicenter for design history. Their shows and collections have curated topics of design found nowhere else on this planet. But most people are probably more familiar with their exhibition posters than the actual institution itself. These are truly astounding works of graphic design. It is through the Museum that many renowned designers have established their careers.

Cyan (?)

Cornel Windlin You can order some of these infamous posters through their website. The international shipping is pretty steep, but would totally be worthwhile. A group purchase may help distribute those costs **hint hint. They also publish a great series of booklets of the posters that I’m sure on many of your shelves.

Müller + Hess

Martin Woodtli

I recently had the pleasure of seeing this marvelous MartinWoodtli poster in person. It’s a mastery of graphic percision an printing excellence and a must see if you ever get the chance. This is design for design’s sake at its best.

the designers republic started in 86 / ends in 09. much respect.

Mr. Munari was a prolific Italian designer, artist, painter, etc… General all around super guy. His modernist design was full of energy, formal experimentation, and a lifelong belief in the educational force of design. From modular lettering sets, to books Munari’s work for children demonstrated how effective design can be in teaching basic concepts. In addition to this work Munari was a great writer on many aesthetic topics. His book, Design as Art, has now been reissued by Penguin.

Great type design by B&P Typefoundry based in Switzerland. The complete set of SangBleu BP came out recently. Free trial version of their fonts are available. Check them out.

This book came out almost a month ago and I didn’t have a chance to check it out at the book store until yesterday. It is more than 460 pages book. Little bit overwhelming. But I must say this book is one of the best type design/typography books I have ever seen. Of course we all know he created typefaces such as Univers, Frutiger, and Avenir. But there is more. About 50 typefaces that he designed are illustrated beautifully in this book. Honestly I didn’t know most of them. Amazing work. More info is here.

While trolling the net trying to score a copy of the minor design classic “Godard: Images, Sounds, Politics.” I came across the portfolio site of its visual creator: Richard Hollis. An extremely accomplished, (he’s almost old enough to be your grandfather) yet still under-the-radar graphic designer. Dig the letterheads he did for the members of Pink Floyd. Solid.

I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with Craig Oldham, but both his work and his musings on design are thoughtful and a pleasure to look through. Please don’t skim through this one, it’s worth the reading. I particularly like his experiments like the nudist typefaces and the “I forgot” series.

Drum role please! The FontShop announces this years 20 hot new typefaces. Below are just a few.

Meet Gloriola. –

Say hello to Katarine. –

Here’s Foco. –

Meet the members of the Co Family. –

P22 Underground. -

For nearly two decades Tnop Wangsillapakun has been producing phenomenal work from his base in Chicago, IL. A long time designer at Segura Inc. Tnop has been running his own studio for the past three years. I had the pleasure of working with him soon before he left Segura to rightfully pursue his own visions. Not only can I attest to his incredible talent, but also his humble and positive spirit. Tnop took some time out of his busy international schedule to speak with us at GraphicHug.

GraphicHug: What’s on your plate at TNOP Design these days? Could you explain how you maintain your international studio? Who else is behind the scenes?

TNOP: We listed 3 addresses for our company but most of the activities are coming out of the Chicago office. We used to have four partners, two in Bangkok and two in the States when we were bePOS|+|VE design. But I wanted to stay small, so I could control my work. It’s quite hard, but it’s been working very well for me. I handle pretty much everything from dealing with clients to paperwork to design. At the moment, we have one designer in our Bangkok office and a partner in the Italy office to help when I need it. We also work with freelancers once in a while.

GH: Can you speak a little bit about being a Thai designer? What has your experience been like working as a Thai designer in the United States? Does the notion of a “global” identity play into your work at all?

TNOP: I’m not sure If I like the term global identity. Even though message in design is universal the style that’s chosen to represent the message can determine who you want to speak to. I don’t think there are any differences in terms of the design process, production or how I work between handling a client in Thailand or in the U.S. But the perception toward design of the clients in Thailand is much more limited. That’s because the U.S. design scene has a longer history and has a much broader scale. So, it’s a challenging process to sell my idea to a client in Thailand. But it’s getting better and better since there’re more and more designers producing good work in Thailand.

GH: What do you think about the design scene in Thailand? How does it differ from scenes in Singapore, HK, Korea, etc…

TNOP: The design scene and design community in Asia is definitely growing bigger and stronger. It’s very exciting. Especially in Thailand, we have more and more young and talented designers that work independently. 10 years ago, everybody would want to work in an advertising agency. This probably applies to many countries in Asia. But now the internet has totally change that perception. Young Asian designers now have found the way to express themselves by publishing their works to the world and they see more and more opportunities in this field [design].

GH: You’ve begun to put out some vibrant conceptual typography. Aside from pure graphic love, what are the things driving these projects? Could you speak briefly on the importance to self-generated work?

TNOP: It’s like an exercise to build your creative muscles. I think designers should always do more experimental work whether it’s a design related exercise or not. Beside my typographic studies I also do paintings. I have always been fascinated with the colors and textures of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. And I’m happy to be living so close to the Art Institute of Chicago museum, which has a big collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. I’m very inspired by these artworks and they have led me to start my own painting projects. These interests and activities play a big role in my work and help me look at design in a different way.

GH: You have such a strong command of form. It seems that there is a very high level of ‘craft’ in your practice. Can you speak to this a bit? How have you been able to further develop your craft as a designer over the years? Exercise? Practice? Personal projects? Any advice for aspiring designers?

TNOP: Part of it might be that English is my second language, when I see a word, I see its letterforms before meaning. This helps me a lot when I work on a logo or typography project. The other reason is that I’ve always been fascinated with shapes and forms since I was studying art. I remember I used to collect all kinds of packagings back when I was living in Thailand. When you have such a strong interest in something its embedded in your brain and it comes out naturally in your design. On top of that, I do believe that a good designer should have a very strong foundation (esp. drawing) and a high level of craftsmanship. It’ll make you understand lighting, volume, textures and you’ll be able to think 3 dimensionally in your head without relying on the computer. I do a lot of sketches when I work on a project. I’ll not touch a computer until I got some good concepts. Most young designers these days start the project without sketching and go directly to the computer. For me, computer programs are just tools to help execute your idea. Just don’t rely on it too much.

GH: Your work also has a sharp conceptual twist. It is not sometimes obvious, but there is a bit of tongue-in-cheek here and there. Can you speak to the conceptual process in your work?

TNOP: I think I’m trying to create value in my design. I believe in “message over style”. As a designer, I think that good design should convey the message behind its piece. That means it has to have a concept and idea. Then it can have good style.

GH: At GraphicHug we’ve been trying to get at the ‘next big thing.’ It’s a topic that’s been tossed around here and there. Basically, we’re wondering where all the graphic badasses went. What are your thoughts on the creative climate today? What is the ‘new thing’ that you’ve got your eye on today?

TNOP: I personally don’t believe in trends in design. This is why you wonder about how someone who was so popular in the past could still be doing the exact same thing as in their time. Because they created trends not good design. I do think that good design relies on good concepts and not the style that executes the work. Style can become so outdated if you keep doing it. But when you have a good idea, style will become just the outfit that people will look pass it to the message inside. If you continue to create good ideas and experiment with style that showcases your idea, this will make you continue to produce successful work throughout your design career

GH: Top 5 typefaces you’ve been rocking as of late.

TNOP: There’s something about bold or extended typefaces that have fascinated me lately. These are my favorites: CG Brazilia, Gothic Extended, Avenir, Akzidenz Grotesk Extended, and Trade Gothic.

GH: We are curious about what your future vision for yourself as a designer is. In the next few years. Next ten years? And as an old man designer?

TNOP: I never thought about what will I be doing in the next few years since I’m quite happy with what I’m doing now. I probably will be doing the same thing as I’m doing now and perhaps travel more. But I’d love to teach when I get older and spend more time on my painting projects. Thank you Tnop and we look forward to seeing more great work from Chicago.

Some brilliant graphic design by two-person collective Atelier Aquarium. They’ve got some sweet typefaces also. This one’s a french kiss AND a hug. You can see more details on this wonderful letterpress work on their flickr.

Studio Julia is the combined practice of RCA graduates Valerio Di Lucente, Erwan Lhuisser, and Hugo Timm. The three recent graduates have already brewed a silent storm in the world of typography. Their graduate show, which is presented in pdf form here, was full of their cheeky adventures in type. There is a certain wit and intellectualism in their approach that is typical of the RCA. Julia’s work is all that without the pretension. The fact that they have corrected Comic Sans seems more humanitarian than authoritative, (they responded to the popularity of it.)

Much of their conceptual approach to typography comes from practical questions. Take, for example, Rotalic. The idea was simply transform any typeface into an italic form by mere rotation. The result is funny and provocative. I also enjoyed their unitalic exploration, (not pictured here.) There work is also as much about language as it is about form. This understanding of both reading and writing shows how thoughtful these three designers are. Now, these creative points may only be interesting to typographers, but their type does not leave the realm of legibility and practicality. So, in that sense Julia is fulfilling both professional and public duties of type design. I’m delighted by their work and can’t wait to see what these three will do.

Some great work coming from our Nordic friends at HeyDays. They strike a very nice balance between stylish flair and classic sparity. I’m really feeling this film poster above, and the mark they made for it. The future looks bright for these young lads and we’re happy to give ‘em a hug.

Today, I was saddened to hear about the death of Henry Nijhof. I did not know the man, but I did have two brief encounters with him during the summer of 2006. While perusing the endlessly interesting books at Nijhof and Lee a helpful white-haired man approached me and asked me if he could help me clear my obvious amazement. I quickly grabbed a random design topic amongst the thousands darting in my head, and blurted out “typography!” He kindly prompted me to a shelf and highlighted a couple new arrivals. His knowledge was quick, his movements reserved, and his help was balanced. Honestly, I was split in my assessment of the man’s customer service because it was helpful without being overbearing and too kind, much like a soft gust of wind. I returned to the shop a few days later to discover that they were opening a shop accross the street. I did not get to interact with Mr. Nijhof that day, but I could see delight in his eyes as he was setting things in motion for his new store. The death of this man got me thinking about the place of the bookseller in today’s society. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a few very helpful booksellers. They had a personal interest in what I read and strived to bring their customers great titles. So, today I contemplate the death of the book salesman and the state of books in our society today. For sure, they are no going to disappear, but unfortunately I think we are losing the sense of community that can grow around books and bookstores. I’m sure everyone here at GraphicHug who has had the opportunity to visit this man’s legendary store will shed a tear of respect. But I’m sure Nijhof and Lee will go on to continue being an unending and invaluable resource to graphic designers everywhere. Chris Vermaas wrote an insightfully endearing obituary here. (Yes, it’s a bit blog-on-blog..so sue me.)

talented design group out of the netherlands. smcs = ace type. experimentaljetset.nl

Yuliya’s proposal image At Graphic Hug we’re all about love. So, a few weeks ago our fellow hugger Yuliya threw us a project idea. While reading John Maeda‘s book, Simplicity, she was struck by this passage:

Why have smileys evolved? Why does the textual medium need such baroque flourishes? Because of the human need to better express emotion – to capture the nuances of communication that we take for granted in speech. Interfacing through text, speaking to other disembodied voices it is easy to stray from normal social mores. Smiley evolved as a way temper and soften textual conversations without the facial cues speakers use to signify when they are “just kidding.” And although sending photos is now possible, text continues to dominate. My daughters send me email with text of all sizes, all colors, and sometimes in ALL CAPS! Not only does this seem to make their job of typing email unnecessarily complex, it hurts my eyes! However I wholeheartedly accepts their highfidelity messages as I know their youthful exuberance cannot be contained by simple text messages alone. Does not the phrase “I love you!” have so much more meaning when typed, “I LOVE YOU!”? Think of it typed at 36 points in pink and bright yellow and it can really go over the top.

Yuliya thought to herself, “how would I typeset the words ‘I Love You?’” Then she asked all of us at Graphic Hug how we would. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Graphic Hug™’s first group project. I love you.

Graeme Stephenson
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Lauren Kim
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Katy Harris
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Asad Pervaiz
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Dungjai Pungauthaikan
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Lisa Maione
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Nikki Chung
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Chris Ro
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James Chae
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Patrick Corrigan
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Taylor Stapleton
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Jimmy Soat
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Katherine Hughes
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Stan Zienka
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Ryan Lee
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Lauren Kim’s extra credit submission
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We’ve got a guest submission from Bec Worth from Australia. We had to provide a zoom because it is all in the details.

Bec Worth
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Thanks everyone for your submissions! For our readers, look out for more original projects from our lovely huggers.

A few years ago I had the honor of working with Mr. Tnop Wangsillapakun. Not only was the man the most humble and amiable person I had met, but he was a graphic hot shot too! Tnop has since left Segura Inc. and has been running his own show for a couple years now. By the looks of it, his operating presence has expanded to Thailand and Italy. However, I believe his base is still in Chicago. His site is regularly updated to reflect his vibrant, creative energy and prolific output. I’m always excited to see what’s next. I was especially teased by the identity for Asian Arts Publishing group, (shown above.)

Lately I’ve had a consuming obsession with ampersands. Seriously. What a foxy little glyph. I did an inventory of my typefaces to see what I had in stock. I was surprised by how many of my favorite typefaces have lackluster ampersands, and how many mediocre typefaces are hiding typographic gems.

The giddyup std ampersand is kicky and cute, and the American Typewriter ampersand is tattoo-worthy. (Would that be too much? Like getting a oar tattooed on your ankle because you rowed crew freshman year? Maybe. I’ll wait before I do anything permanent.) Perhaps most interesting is the typographic history that ampersands divulge. Italic type was developed independently from roman type, and only became a roman subsidiary in the mid-16th century. Italic types were based on 15th century Italian handwriting (hence the name?) and they look thoroughly calligraphic. This is especially evident in the italic ampersands in many old-style typefaces. It isn’t just a sloped roman, but a totally independent form—albeit one that looks like the calligrapher got into the Limoncello.

These ampersands also reflect the origin of the mark much more than their roman equivalents. The E and T (the Latin for “and”) are discernable, if convoluted. The experimentation and new printing methods that paved the way for transitional typefaces were incredibly well-suited to the ampersand. A prime example: Caslon 540, italic. Insane in the membrane. Also in the ball terminals.

There is such a variety of ampersand forms, and most of them fit into the general categories represented by the glyphs below.

The most confounding one I found was the ampersand in the scala family.

Is that an R? What’s happening there, Mr. Majoor? The cheese stands alone.

I first heard about Vier5 back when their magazine, FT (Fairy Tale) was first launching. It’s one of those magazines that everyone whispers about, but you can’t ever get a hold of a copy. (I’m having the same problem with WERK magazine. Anyone know how to track one down?) Vier5 was recently heavily featured in IDEA magazine and that pushed me to post them here.

Signage for Documenta 12

Posters for Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt

Posters for Centre of Contemporary Art in Bretigny

Type specimen of F.T. Bold and a CAC poster

Type specimen of Documenta 12 Fläche + CAC poster

Type specimens of 0031 and 7try

An oldie but goodie. Test Pilot Collective is a type foundry founded in Minneapolis, MN in 1998 by Mike Cina, Joe Kral, and Matt Desmond. Since then Mike Desmond and Mike Cina have left the foundry, but their influence is kept alive on the TPC website’s archive of front-pages. The updating front-page is now a web-artifact of the past, but this collection provides endless graphics fodder. According to Joe Krall, the last remaining operator of TPC, there will be a new site coming and that TPC is still very much alive, (of course that was said over a year ago…) I remember when I first discovered this site. Quite a few nights were spent oozing over these graphics. Admittedly, some of them are pure graphics designs (both appropriated and intentional.) But I always find these quick graphic exercises quite inspiring and dedication that goes into them motivational. The site’s navigation can get a bit annoying — so you might also want to check Joe Kral’s flickr, which also has an astounding collection of book/magazine covers.

Her typography makes me salivate: so luscious, so round, so unabashedly decorative and girly though definitely not in the Martha Stewart sort of vernacular. Her shapes can be so feminine but tough. Conceptually, there’s so much fun and play in her work. Her site always picks me up when I’m in the design doldrums. Keetra Dixon

Yes, another magazine post. I’ve re-discovered my love for the tabloid these days, and I can’t stop myself from writing about it. Interview Magazine is a publication with a long and revered history. Started in 1969 by Andy Warhol, its influenced is far and wide. It “celebrated the cult of celebrity” that Warhol was fascinated by. It was also started around the same time the tape recorder was introduced and therefore the interviews had a raw, unedited, and revealing nature to them. That “real” sense is what defined Interview for years both editorially and in terms of design.

Interview was bought by Peter Brant in February earlier this year. Since then, infamous art director, Fabien Baron, and acclaimed journalist Glenn O’Brien have taken the helms of the magazine. They set out to reclaim the magazine and return a work that is “made with real craftsmanship, with a very high level of work.” The first newly redesigned issue came out last month sporting a beautiful foil-and-ink cover, (supposedly Interview is the first magazine in N. America do so.)

It’s a pretty behemoth publication, (it measures 13″x10″) and despite the cheap semi-gloss paper, it is well crafted. It definitely doesn’t feel like a $3.99 magazine. The design is equally rewarding. Huge broad strokes of Bodoni and finely tuned rules that tell the text blocks what the fuck to do. The use of photography is some big-dick stuff, even bigger than the big black dildo typography. Fabien Baron has been compared to the demi-god, Alexey Brodovitch, and the work done in the September issue warrants such a comparison.

Editorially, the new Interview tries to keep in with its famous interview repetoire. In the new October issue there are interviews of Raf Simons by Kanye West, James Franco by Gus Van Sant and other celeb-on-celeb action thus reinforcing that ‘cult of celebrity’ and Warhol strived to capture. The biggest criticism of Baron’s work has been the monotony of his design. He has redesigned magazines before and with great success. But even from the September issue to the October issue there is a consistent, look that leaves little room for imagination or change. All-in-all such classicism is refreshing in such a busy media climate. None of that hypercolor bullshit here ladies, and gentlemen. It’s all bowties, tuxedos, and big fucking black stallions. I’ll drink a glass of Johnny on the rocks to that!

Bumped into this yesterday and found some pleasure in these illustrations and typography. Thought I would share it with you all. Very nice drawings and restrained and elegant illustrative work. Nice work from Robert Samuel Hanson. awesome bugs / awesome owls.

Look at this awesome animal counter type:

Look at this awesome running tree!:

Great stuff overall:

nice cards with an interesting combination of centered and left-aligned typo. shun kawakamis portfolio is well worth a visit. great graphic and interactive design with a special sense for typography.

Have any of you actually seen a letterpress in action? Well if not, here is a really informative documentary on letterpress. Some interesting things that I didn’t even know. Enjoy.

a uk collective of artists, designers, musicians and writers. founded in 91. tomato.co.uk

a multi-disciplinary design studio in the uk. madethought.com

a design studio in london with a solid sense of typography and form.

kentlyons.com