Armin Hoffman (1936-2020) - The Designer's Tale

Margaret Calvert & Jock Kinneir

During my college days, their work was ubiquitous. It's now so much a part of the British environment that it's taken for granted. Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir, a British design duo, are best known for their groundbreaking work on the UK road signage system....

#3 A real Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer I survived the foundation course, happily with the top marks, which also earned me a voucher for one of Manchester’s academic book shops. I knew exactly the title of a book that I wanted; one that I’d noted on the desks of some older students....

#2 Blame it on the Bauhaus

As we strived to make sense of our foundation course, it was explained that we followed the principles of the Bauhaus - in line with design education in most colleges at the time. Many people when they think of design, would be surprised by the depth and history...

Neville Brody

I've always been a champion of good typography, but I felt the discipline had long been in the doldrums until in the 1980s, something fresh and exciting happened. Neville Brody burst onto the scene. A British graphic designer, known for his bold, experimental, and...

Peter Saville

I was first aware of Factory Records, before I knew of the creative force behind them. It was, of course, Peter Saville, the British graphic designer, who's renowned for his minimalist and iconic album covers, particularly for bands like Joy Division and New Order....

Milton Glaser (1929 – 2020)

I remember first coming across the work of Push Pin Studios while I was still at college. We had many American design magazines in the library and I just wanted to know, 'Who are these guys?' One of the co-founders was Milton Glaser, an American graphic designer, who...

Colin Forbes (1931-2014)

The very first design book I saw - and bought - was 'Graphic Design, Visual Comparisons' by Fletcher/Forbes/Gill. A classic, it was true to its form and had few words, but many images told their own story. Colin Forbes, a key figure in British graphic design, was...

Germano Facetti (1935-2015)

In my first year at college I was blown away by an exhibition of Penguin book jackets. I wasn't aware of the name of one of the most important designers, but perhaps it triggered my career choice in later years as a paperback art director. Germano Facetti, an Italian...

#1 How it all began

“Hey, this kid can’t half draw!” That was Alan. One of the older patients in the children’s hospital. ‘Older’ is a relative term. He was probably twelve, clad in pyjama trousers and a fairisle pullover. He was leaning over the shoulder of ‘the kid’. That was me....

Bob Gill

Bob Gill: A Master of Simple, Powerful Design Bob Gill, a true giant of graphic design, wasn't about flashy gimmicks. His strength lay in clear, concise communication, stripping away the superfluous to reveal the core message. Born in Brooklyn in 1931, Gill honed his...