LogoArchive ExtraIssue – Letters As Symbols
Posted: Filed under: Art and Design, Graphic Design Reviews Comments Off on LogoArchive ExtraIssue – Letters As Symbols 
LogoArchive in print was conceived, designed and sent to print in a day. It was inspired by a panel discussion at Somerset House as part of the exhibition Print! Now on to its seventh release, LogoArchive continues to reconfigure itself with each new issue with the intention of surprising, graphically and materially, within the context of archival.
The distinctive smaller format offers ample license to experiment and collaborate with other like-minded resources. Christophe De Pelsemaker’s Logo Books, an online archive of pages from out-of-print publications dedicated to trademarks, is one such resource. Christophe’s own book, Letters As Symbols, a collaborative endeavour with renowned Belgian designer Paul Ibou, sought to bring to life and uniquely document symbols solely based on the letters of the alphabet. It has an compelling story and an interesting journey to publication which began in 1991. This LogoArchive ExtraIssue offers readers a sample of Letters As Symbols and tells its story through selected logos and archival documents. This issue can be purchased from the LogoArchive store alongside copies of Issue 5 here.
Inn Situ by Studio Mut
Posted: Filed under: Art and Design, Graphic Design Reviews | Tags: Studio Mut Comments Off on Inn Situ by Studio MutOpinion by Richard Baird.
Inn Situ is part of the cultural programme of BTV Bank and series of three events; a exhibition, a concert and panel discussion. This takes place two to three times a year in the Austrian city of Innsbruck. The events are distinctive in their approach, a Russian doll of nested narratives, with each layer responding to the next. Practically speaking, and exemplifying the idea, one event saw an internationally renowned photographer create a project for the Inn Situ gallery. A local musician then composed a concert that responded to the photographs which played twice in the concert hall next to the exhibition. This was then followed by a panel discussion that responded to both the exhibition and the concert.
The format remains consistent, there is always three events, with the panel discussion and concert both seeking to contextualise the themes of the the artist and their the exhibition. So far, there has been three Inn Situ events, with a fourth due to take place soon. Each is accompanied by a printed programme and catalogue, plus a city-wide poster campaign designed Studio Mut in Italy. These share a similar material and visual language. For the sake of brevity, this article looks at the materials for Inn Situ 2. The framework of the visual identity and the format of the material outcome are the same, but each also folds in its own response to the themes present in the artwork to provokes the responses.
Maria Sole Ferragamo by Lundgren+Lindqvist
Posted: Filed under: Architecture and The Built Environment, Fashion | Tags: Designed by Lundgren+Lindqvist Comments Off on Maria Sole Ferragamo by Lundgren+LindqvistOpinion by Richard Baird
Maria Sole Ferragamo is one-of-a-kind jewellery designer using up-cycled premium leather; remnants of the Italian fashion industry. She has a degree in architecture at Politecnico, Milan and another in jewellery design from Central Saint Martins, London. This intersection of fashion and architecture can be seen throughout the designer’s collection and has gone on to inform the design of her visual identity by Lundgren+Lindqvist. This is made up of a flexible logotype which comes in a compact form, split up on two lines, and a horizontally oriented version. For the former, a series of secondary level logotypes were designed, incorporating ‘So-Le Studio’ and ‘Florence/Firenze’ as well as additional secondary level information. The logotypes are woven together into a visual tapestry of type, running over and along the edges of boxes, and intersecting or framing images online.
