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Design beyond Manchester 1968

Design beyond Manchester 1968

It was a wet Wednesday afternoon in January; Kevin and I were finishing our second pint in Yates’s Wine Lodge. Across from us sat Pete and Martin. We made up a very competitive group who had thrown ourselves into graphic design in the final year and stood somewhat...
Ink, print and more thesis disaster.

Ink, print and more thesis disaster.

Last minute frenzy Pete was less lucky when it came to time. Nobody had seen him for weeks, but that was common. He would work at home in a nervous frenzy and then turn up at the last moment with a stunning and totally original solution to each project. We were both...
New technology meets 60’s typography.

New technology meets 60’s typography.

The first whiffs of new technology were blowing through the world of typographic design. Display fonts were the typefaces that were available in large sizes to create headlines in designs and advertisements – such faces as Grotesque No.9, Gill Sans Ultra or...

In praise of Cow Gum

Cut and paste – there was a time when it meant just that. Artwork for print was assembled by physically cutting out pieces of typeset text, photographs, illustrations and other graphic elements, and carefully sticking them on pieces of art board. The cutting...

The realities of a working designer’s life.

A first taste of the real world of work can be a a bit of a reality check for the aspiring creative. One of my hobbies throughout college, and one that had also supplemented my student income, was music. I had played around local folk clubs, both solo and in various...

Swinging London for swinging designers?

1960’s design and the realisation that swinging London may be the doorway of opportunity. In the middle of our course a trip was organised by some of the fine art lecturers to visit the Bonnard exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. However, as well as this...