#linefeed

What’s Up #106: Seanographic

Michael — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:23:45 +0000

Sean Pruen aka Seanographic [seanographic.co.uk] has just completed a new video for indie band, Fever Dream‘s debut single, This Waste [feverdream.co.uk], and it’s rather rad. Taking the band’s 90s psychedelia influences (I’m not going to say shoegaze okay, you can’t make me) he has crafted a video that’s modern but references all manner of psychedelic imagery from as far back as the 60s (note the, for want of a better phrase, ‘lava lamp’-esque swirly blobby bits). On Sean’s site you’ll not only find more ace videos but also details of an amazing interactive project called ‘Eels’ which was an experiment in projection mapping an interactive game onto a series of white boxes (crappy description I know, you just have to check it out really).

What’s Up #105: Jim Bletsas

Michael — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:14:37 +0000

Click the image above for a larger version.

Yesterday I went to visit Mother [motherlondon.com], after being invited in to meet the head of their design department, Jim Bletsas. While I was there I was lucky enough to grab a copy of Operation Alphabet, a new children’s book produced by Jim (and fellow Mother creative, Al MacCuish) under the banner of the The Ministry of Letters [ministryofletters.com]. Jim also gave me a bit of insight into the creative process behind the book which included getting illustrator Luciano Lozano [ilustrista.com] to thoroughly investigate illustration techniques from the 50s and 60s (to many the golden age of children’s illustration) to come up with the pretty gosh-darn, authentic-looking aesthetic employed on said pages. If you remember Mother’s foraey into comic books a few years ago you’ll also find this a curious glimpse of the warmer, fuzzier side of the agency.

Operation Alphabet is published by Thames & Hudson [thamesandhudson.com] and available from all proper, decent bookshops. Don’t forget to take a peek at the inside of the book jacket to reveal the Ministry in full effect.

Get me! CA Collection #1

Michael — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:39:46 +0000

It’s been out for a few weeks now but I’ve only just managed to get me mitts on the first edition of the Computer Arts Collection publication thingy on the subject of Graphic Design. Not actually entirely sure what the title is but I’ve seen people refer to it as CA Collection #1 [computerarts.co.uk], which sounds pretty good to me. Inside CA Collection #1 you’ll find a bunch of quotes from a heap of ace creative bods including, er… me! See, I was approached by amazing future thinkers FranklinTill [franklintill.com] to comment on what they see as emerging trends in graphic design, in particular, the need to ‘embrace failure’ as an intergal part of the design process, since only when you fail can you then move ideas forward… that’s the jist of it anyways. To find out if I’ve hit the nail on the head you’ll have to pick up the mag… er, publication. Here’s a couple of things what I have been quoted as saying…

On young, emerging designers…

“It’s the only time you’re allowed to fail without direct commercial consequences.”

On future designer’s portfolios…

“I think we’ll see emerging designers happy to display both their failures and their successes as part of their ever-evolving portfolios.”

On ‘Retro Chaos’…

“This seems to be based on unearthing the mistakes of the past and turning them into graphic motifs.”

To read the article in full and to check out other pieces by a vast array of ace graphic design practioners pick up a copy of CA Collection #1 on sale now [computerarts.co.uk].

Linefeed Reading List—January 2012

Michael — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:53:31 +0000

For this first edition of the Linefeed Reading List for 2012 we’re joined by, special guest, Steven Gregor from Gym Class Magazine [gymclassmagazine.com]. Together we try not to giggle our way through mag reviews of Collect [collectmag.com.au] / Desktop [desktopmag.com.au] / Dumbo Feather [dumbofeather.com] / Framer [frame-fund.fi] / Dor [decatorevista.ro] / Bloomberg Businessweek [businessweek.com] / Paris Vogue [vogue.fr] / The Good Times [goodtimes.thechurchoflondon.com] / Coverjunkie magazine [coverjunkie.com]. Posh!

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Random Play: Perfect Teeth reissued

Michael — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:16:45 +0000

In the upper echelons of Linefeed’s all time fave record labels sits Teen-beat. One of their ‘seminal’ releases — Unrest‘s ‘Perfect Teeth‘ (produced by Simon Le Bon, doncha know) — gets a reissue this spring as a series of 7″s plus associated goodies. Check out the vid above for the official speil and to take a peek at the actual produce and/or visit [teenbeat.net] for all the deets and more.

What’s Up #104: Simon Wald-Lasowski

Michael — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:06:52 +0000

We received a New Year’s greeting just now, via email, so cheery we had to share it with you. The email in question was from Simon Wald-Lasowski [simonwaldlasowski.com], a Frenchman in Amsterdam with a curious surname (not unlike my own). Of course it takes more than a cheery email and curious surname to qualify for a Linefeed ‘What’s Up’. Mr Wald-Lasowski is also the holder of an ace portfolio of photography and art direction for clients such as Amsterdam Weekly, Time Out [amsterdamweekly.nl] and Blend magazine [blend.nl]. He’s was even invited to exhibit at one of the world’s premiere photographic institutions, Foam in Amsterdam [foam.org] back in 2010.

Travelogue: Third Drawer Down

Michael — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:46:26 +0000

Linefeed recently spent a couple of weeks in Melbourne, catching up with the fam over the Chrimbo break. It was too short a time to get to see everything the city has to offer (and loads of stuff was closed because people were on holiday anyways) but we did manage to visit a few places of interest that we thought we’d share with yous…

First up is Third Drawer Down [thirddrawerdown.com], and thanks to Ms. Crompton for giving me a sneak peak at some exciting forthcoming product designs even though it was just before christmas and every person and their dog was wandering off the street to do some last minute filling of various Chrimbo stockings. If you’ve been to see the Postmodernism exhibition at London’s V&A (which closes today — eek!) or, indeed just like awesome nick nacks, Third Drawer Down is of particular interest.

In the store and on their website you can not only get yer mitts on ace stuff like a Day of the Dead woollen blankie [here] or a ‘Fries’ shaped beanbag [here] or one of Vuk Vidor‘s awesome Art History posters [and here], they are also selling a selection of objects by original Memphis Milano [memphis-milano.it] members Peter Shire [echoparkpottery.com] and Nathalie Du Pasquier [nathaliedupasquier.com] who is continuing to work with the fine folk at Third Drawer Down with some new, never before released prints being issued at some point later this year. Exciting stuff!

Shown above—Original Nathalie Du Pasquier ‘revival’ prints on placemats produced exclusively by Third Drawer Down. Also available from the V&A.

Antimix Modern Disease Mixtape 15

Michael — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:59:05 +0000

015 A Marvellous Concept Through the diminishing fog of jetlag comes this first poddie for the new year. In this edition you’ll hear the eclectic strains of Echo Park (with Thurston Moore) / Atlas Sound [deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com] / The Penetrators / Dead Man’s Bones / Desire [vivaitalians.blogspot.com] / Denim [bfi.org.uk] / The Drums / Portishead [via YouTube] / GusGus [via YouTube] / ABC plus a special bonus track we’ve hunted down from 1988 that takes a poke at the Iron (she ain’t no) Lady by Nick Sample. Don’t forget to grab yer tres exclusive Linda Jackson influenced artwork from above too. It’s beaut!

Linefeed Reading List—December 2011

Michael — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:38:19 +0000

It’s a jumbo bumper Chrimbo! edition of the Reading List for December. Chock full of ace mags for your holiday reading pleasure including Wired (US) [wired.com] / Foam [foam.org] / Pin—Up [pinupmagazine.org] / C20 Magazine [c20society.org.uk] / Midcentury [midcenturymagazine.co.uk] / Head Full of Snakes [headfullofsnakes.com] / Response [agda.com.au] / Smith Journal [smithjournal.com.au] / KnockBack [knockback.co.uk] / Wrap [thewrappaper.com] / Little Joe [littlejoemagazine.com] / It’s Nice That [itsnicethat.com] / Gym Class Magazine [gymclassmagazine.com] / Loud & Quiet [loudandquiet.com] plus Graphic Design: Now in Production [shop.walkerart.org]. Phew!

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Graphic Design in Boystown U.K.

Michael — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:23:56 +0000

When did the UK graphic design scene become so gender biased? Was it a gradual thing? How did we miss this? Which leads onto my next question… Why are male graphic designers so damn competitive about every little thing? Where are the designers that value harmony, balance and level-headedness. The ones that don’t need to be constantly self promoting because they don’t shout about everything they do, they just do it… and it works. I’m guessing they’re still around. They’re just being shouted down by the current ‘boyworld’ of obnoxious geek designers, happier running work down than celebrating anything of any real significance.

I’ve started off a bit ranty here I know but seriously, how is this current rash of brash, negative, ‘boy racer’ types helping an industry that, you have to admit, needs all the help it can get at the moment, as it makes the move from traditionally relying on mostly print based work to tackling all manner of new, mostly digital, media.

Over the past 12 months we’ve seen more ‘networks’ of designers and developers forming. As well as a renewed clamour to dissect and crit the business of graphic design slowly growing in volume. Is it just that were been constantly told there are less jobs out there so, boys being the way they are, have grouped together, at the same time switching to competitive mode, in an attempt to starve off whatever circumstance lies ahead? Or is this a sign of the rise of the designer developer, coming from an industry that was moulded, it’s fair to say, mostly by men, who are now finding a new voice in the elder industry of graphic design that they haven’t expected to have before.

Whatever the reason, the need for fellow designers to squabble and generate negative comments, tweets or whatever on the subject of graphic design does the industry, and all those that reside in it, a dis-service. Our industry, like most other modern, media-based industries, is shrinking. It has happened to publishing, to music, to cinema and it’s now happening to graphic design. To stem the tide of clients turning away from using traditional graphic designers, to welcoming the idea of being ‘undesigned’, we need to provide a united front. We need to support creative endeavours of merit, not just the ones that a handful of our mates happen to have come up with in their ‘spare time’.

There is a danger that designers will only end up discussing design with other designers. That graphic design will become a niche thing for wannabe artisans. We are already loosing our relevance, and therefore influence, in the eyes of many potential clients so how about we all start pulling our heads out of our arses and celebrating the fact that we are all fortunate enough to work in one of the most amazing industries around. An industry that, when successful, touches the lives of everyone, not just other designers, and stop the ugly bickering, one-ups-man-ship and infighting.

Graphic design deserves better than that and you know it.

End Rant /

Product! Poster Set #1

Michael — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:40:10 +0000

'Will I Ever See You Again' poster available now via Society6

We’ve had a whole heap of linefeed related products on the boil here at Linefeed HQ. Most of them remain under wraps until next year but we thought we’d share the first of a few print-on-demand experiments with you now. Namely a set of 3 prints available via Society6 [society6.com]. Two of the prints, ‘I’m a Monster’ and ‘Kite No.1′ are also available as tshirt designs and iPhone cases (fancy, huh). Artwork is available as Poster prints, up to A1 size, as archival quality Giclée prints or canvases. Society6 also offer to frame ‘em up for you too. The imagery on all three posters come from original photos taken by yours truly, made all graphic like. Visit [society6.com/okinterrupt] to see more.

'I'm a Monster' poster available via Society6

'Kite No.1' poster available via Society6

What’s Up #103: Jonas Damon

Michael — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:21:24 +0000

Jonas Damon [jonasdamon.blogspot.com] is a product designer, creating new and ultra slick takes on every products as well as devising a few quirky new concepts, still in keeping with his smooth, pared down aesthetic. His cork bricks, in particular, stacked Jenga style, wouldn’t look out of place in a exhibition on the theme of modern Minimalism. His early work for Habitat in the early to mid 2000s cemented many of the themes he has carried through to his most recent work for clients such as Areaware [areaware.com], who whom he has developed a number of novel iPhone and iPad docks in the shapes of televisions, transistor and clock radios. Serious wantage.

Podcast: PoMoRadio

Michael — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:14:43 +0000

Inspired by the V&A exhibition, Postmodernism, on from now until 15 January [vam.ac.uk], comes PoMoRadio. Don’t worry, does not contain any posthumous picking over of the theorem that underpinned this ‘movement’. Instead it’s approx. 40 minutes of 1980s pop protagonists warbling away amongst a sea of synth, strings and samples. Ahh, the 80s. Included in this special edition of the Antimix podcast series are Spandau Ballet [spandauballet.com] / Devo [clubdevo.com] / Grace Jones [via YouTube] / ABC [abcmartinfry.com] / Laurie Anderson [laurieanderson.com] / Talking Heads [davidbyrne.com] / Bomb the Bass [bombthebass.com] / Erik B & Rakim [via YouTube] / Neneh Cherry [via YouTube] / The The [thethe.com]. Got a fave PoMo track from the 80s? Then leave a comment or tweet at [@linefeed] and let us know what it is. Oh, and bubble-sloshy-massive-massive-face, ok?

New Mags: Cagoule

Michael — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:24:17 +0000

This is exciting! Present Joys [presentjoys.com], the makers of happy mag for kids, Anorak [anorak-magazine.co.uk], Ploc and the fine folk that helped bring Fire & Knives [fireandknives.com] into the world have released a happy mag for adults! It’s called Cagoule, has a saucy abstract ‘adulty’ cover and you can bet the writing will be spot on. Check out the flick through above then go purchase! You can grab your very own copy of Cagoule via [shop.presentjoys.com].

Creative Canon: French Glamour (1988–1995)

Michael — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:07:24 +0000

"La Double Vie De Christy", French Glamour, October 1994. Photographed by Juergen Teller. Styling by Venitia Scott. Modelled by Christy Turlington.

The French edition of Glamour magazine was first published from 1988 to 1995 as part of the Vogue Paris stable. The editor was Anne Chabrol. It was relaunched in 2004 with a new team and continues today. It’s Glamour’s original incarnation that is worth a look back on though.

Although the actual editorial design of the magazine was pretty lack lustre (verging on the belligerent at times), the fashion editorials became a hot bed for various creative talents that would go on to become hugely influential. This was where Carine Roitfeld began putting her stamp on the fashion world as a stylist, working closely with another new comer at the time, photographer Mario Testino. Juergen Teller, Melanie Ward and Ellen Von Unwerth all became contributors.

Regular photographers such as Mikeal Jansson, Thierry Le Goués and Lance Staedler seemed to get the idea of using fashion editorials to envelope, what were essentially just clothes, in heady fictional tales, straight off the bat (something Carine Roitfeld has carried with her throughout her career). This what set French Glamour in the 90s apart rom it’s contemporaries. It sounds a bit dorky, but many of Glamour’s editorials were like reading without words. It was also a place where you got to see top models at the time in a new light such as Christy Turlington on the run from a hyper-perfect (and eerie) clone of herself, or Naomi Campbell transformed into a male ska fanatic.

Now days you only have to do a quick search on Tumblr or Google to find numerous blogs re-running shots from Glamour’s heydays back in the early 90s. Proof, if there need be, that a magazine is only as good as it’s team and when a team is this good, their legacy will live on for, something approaching, forever.

Event: Graphic Design—Now in production

Michael — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:57:34 +0000

Every so often a design exhibition comes along that manages to mark a significant point in the creative industrie’s development. This is exactly what Graphic Design—Now in Production [walkerart.org] sets out to achieve and looks like it delivers in spades. This exhibition is major, if only because of the breadth of the disciplines on display. The focus is on graphic designers as producers via identity work, publications, posters, products and loads more. Plus we’re dead chuffed to announce that LineRead, the official publication of this here blog is included in the show [via MagCloud]. Best be getting on with the next issue then. Here’s a few pics nabbed from magculture—see the complete post here [magculture.com].

Get Me #2: Fond & Parq

Michael — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:27:00 +0000

It’s not necessarily all about me, me, me on linefeed today. For instance here’s a couple of interviews, with me, for a couple of ace independent publications. :P First up is Fond [fondzine.tumblr.com], the outcome of recent project work by a trio of graphic design students from Bristol, namely Fanny Wacklin-Nilsson, Sophie Balch and Naomi Dodds. They have also been able have a chat with ace editorials bods such as Scott King [scottking.co.uk] and Andrew Diprose [wired.co.uk]. Damn fine company to be in, I reckon.

Next up is a magazine I’ve championed in my Linefeed Reading Lists for a while now. Parq [parqmag.com] have returned the favour by including an interview with me in their latest issue (to be honest I thought it was for their website so it was a bit of a shock to see my funny fizgig appearing in print), still dead chuffed, me. You can have a flick through a PDF version of Parq below…

Get Me! #1: Add This

Michael — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:35:40 +0000

I’ve been coaxed out from behind the curtain lately to talk about some interesting designy stuff. Back in July Christopher Norman [313rgb.com] very kindly got in touch to have a video chat over Skype about graphic designers and social media for a special AGDA TAS [tas.agda.com.au] event. You can see the video (and witness some very odd facial expressions) below. Here’s a snippet… “Social Media lets a bit of the chaos in and designers don’t necessarily like chaos very much.”

What’s Up #102: Alasdair Monk

Michael — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:00:39 +0000

Alasdair Monk [alasdairmonk.com] is a particularly prolific designer developer currently based in London. Since graduating and then spending time working at With Associates [withassociates.com] Alasdair has built up an impressive body of work. At the same time he has been able to develop a host of side projects (cause it’s all about the side projects these days, dontcha know) such as Let’s Meet and Work [letsmeetandwork.com]. Now freelance, his latest endeavour is a much more esoteric affair. So & So [so.andso.co] is a cool breeze blowing through the interwebs. Issue 1 was a single page containing three odd little stories with links. Issue 2 tackles the metaphysical with guest contributor, Adam Johnson. Alasdair has already posted a snapshot of Issue 3 via the So & So twitter feed [@soandso_]. Here’s hoping this one runs and runs.

Event: Imaginary Menagerie

Michael — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:58:07 +0000

A couple of weeks ago Linefeed had a ramble around Bloomsbury after attending a few Sunday sessions at Typo London [typolondon.com], and checking out the Bloomsbury Festival, which just happened to be on at the same time. It was after ducking down an alley off Lambs Conduit Street that we discovered a tiny gallery check full of some big, awesome work by some well known names within London’s graphic design community. The gallery has the curious title of So Far, The Future [so-far-the-future.co.uk], the exhibition in question is called Imaginary Menagerie and runs until November 16th, featuring some ace artwork by Barnbrook Design [barnbrook.net], Company [company-london.com] and Morag Myerscough [studiomyerscough.com] (whose neon installation is a highlight) to name but a few. BTW While you’re down that way you might want to check out new designy nick-n-nack store Volte Face [turnaround-gifts.com/volteface]. I was kinda jealous of their pegboard ceiling.