COP Book _ Research

COP Publication

I thought it would be appropriate to put the research that I've been using for my COP Publication onto PPP as it's all key inspiration that has helped me along this year and throughout my whole time as a Graphic Designer on this course.  I tried to pick the highlights and key things that have help form and conceptualise my design practice.  Information is collected, collated and reviewed that I will be using in my COP Book Publication...

Paul Rand


Paul Rand is one of my biggest influences and inspirations within Graphic Design because his work is so simple, but so effective. I love the clean shapes and bold colour he uses to help build brands and to create brandmarks that have stood the test of time, and even outlived him as an person, still being used today which has got to be one of them most humbling achievements.

Wolf Ollins

Wolff Ollins are what I’d consider a modern day version of Paul Rand. The brands they create are bold and impactiful, but also clean, well considered, with a touch of timelessness to them.

Pentagram

Pentagram create brands that are sleek, proffesional and that can stand the test of time. I particularly like the type treatments they create, these stencilled brandmarks for restaurant GATO and iconic museum logo for the V&A in London.

Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
An iconic design firm specialising in visual identity and brand design. The form and application of their brands is out of this world. The swiss-influenced brands they create are powerful and timeless, something to which I aspire to when creating brands.

BVD

BVD are a Swedish based studio with an obvious influence from Swiss Design. There design uses lots of Swiss Bold Typography along with Shape Colour and Pattern to build beautiful Brands.

Dieter Rams & Braun

In particular, the work that Dieter Rams thought up for Braun is a massive inspiration to my personal practice. The way that he managed to create uncluttered, clean and innovative practical solutions to users problems helps to epitasmise the importance of good design.

Good design should be invisible.

George Lois

George Lois is an American art director, designer, and author. Lois is perhaps best known for over 92 covers he designed for Esquire magazine from 1962 to 1972.

Aside from the Esquire covers, and more importantly to my personal practice, Lois managed to construct a large number of amazingly successful advertisement campaigns throughout his career, often led by well thought out, well constructed, clever use of copy writing to help grab attention and create sales for a variety of different American products that are ultimately a huge source of inspiration for my practice.

KesselsKramer

Erik Kessels is a Massive inspiration to me personally, After visiting his talks and his studio in Amsterdam, I love the way he works with his colleagues and clients. He create often humorous Ad Campaigns for his clients that pack a punch.

Hey Studio

Hey are a forwards thinking design studio based in Barcelona. They mostly work in brand identity, illustration and large scale campaigns. Their application of shapes and colour is superb and definitely where some of my inspiration is sourced from.

Jessica Walsh

Jessica Walsh is a multidisciplinary designer living and working in NYC. Now one half of Sagmeister & Walsh, her work explores the bridge between hand rendered and digital. Often photography based with Tons of character.

Uniform
I share the same passion and drive as my soon-to-be empolyers, Uniform, who create honest, innovative creations that are packed with character. Brands and sustained campaigns, throw in some Art Direction and beautiful things happen.

The Beautiful Meme

After speaking with Tom and the design team from The Beautiful Meme, they got across the point to me of how important copywriting is within design work. From that day forwards, I applied their philiosphy to all of my briefs where relevant.

Craig Oldham

Craig Oldhams humour wit and general outlook on Graphic Design is something to firstly take notice of, then be inspired by. He simply tells it as it is, and this helps influence my throughts and feelings towards Graphic Design and in partocular trends. 

Massimo Vignelli

Massimo Vignelli is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to houseware design to furniture design to public signage to showroom design through Vignelli Associates, which he co-founded with his wife, Lella. He has said, “If you can design one thing, you can design everything,” and this is reflected in his broad range of work. 

I believe that this quote symbolises where I personally source my inspiration from and that is a variety of different disciplines with design, which I find important.

Peter Saville

Peter Saville is one of the reasons I found myself falling into design so I thought he needed a mention. I love the way he plays with shapes and colour but in a very systematic approach. This is a constant influence throughout my work.