Last week I went to the D&AD Presidents lecture where straight talking, non computer using, rubbish collecting graphic designer Ivan Chermayeff took centre stage and shared stories from his 50 year (and still going strong) career in design. He showcased projects he was invloved in on behalf of his company Chermayeff & Gesimar, including brand identities, exhibition design, motion graphics and art in architecture. As you may expect it made for a very impressive and highly motivating evening.

Towards the end of the lecture he presented a selection of motion graphic projects his studio has produced, one of which was a project called ‘Logomotion’ where a selection of their identities are morphed in and out of each other, excerpts of which can be viewed here. This organic sequence of events reminded me of a little typographic place called Bembo’s Zoo. Enjoy.

My first PTN post! Last weekend I paid a brief visit to The Great Exhibition, this year’s modestly titled RCA Summer Show which marks the 150th birthday of South Kensington institutions such as the V&A and Imperial College with a homage to the original Great Exhibition of 1851.

Housed in a specially erected pavillion in Hyde Park, the work on show from students across the school of architecture and design eschews the departmental separation typical of so many degrees shows in favour of a fitting cabinet of curiosities-style layout. Pockets of work from the various departments jostle for the viewer’s attention.

As ever, some definite themes are in the ether this year. Here are some of my pics:

Design Interactions
Students from the Design Interactions department such as Marei Wollersberger, Michiko Nitta and Tamsin Fulton posed questions about the many ethical, moral and social issues surrounding our relationship with technology through a speculative, scenario-based approach.

Design Products
Meanwhile, over at Design Products Il Hoon Roh and Luka Stepan took inspiration from nature to explore the potential application of self-generating processes that allow objects to be ‘grown’ by computer, then manufacturered using rapid manufacturing technologies.

Photography
As a big fan of Andreas Gursky-style minimalism, Gerd Hassler and Marco Bohr’s work in the main RCA building also caught my eye.

It’s true to say in 2004 when I was finishing my degree the internet wasn’t so communitytastic as it is now. So today in 2007 it’s great to find 5oup, an online community for student artists, which on the surface looks like a healthy mix of graphics, fine art, interactive and illustration. Its graduation time right now and all the design blogs are featuring student portfolio’s, from those I have had a quick glance at - Mr.Robert Holmkvist’s graphic design abilites have impressed me the mostest!

For you to visit the ‘Alan Fletcher: Fifty years of graphic work (and play)’ exhibition at the design museum (final day is February 18th). I went on Saturday as part of my 2007 week on week off exhibition policy (poke brought me lots of gallery memberships for xmas, and therefore, to do their generosity justice said policy has been introduced).

I first became aware of Alan Fletcher through his book the ‘Art of looking Sideways’, but it is only since his death last year that I have begun to fully appreciate his infleunce and stature within design, so I went along in attempt to fill in the many gaps.

I’m glad I did, what a great story, from start to finish, his training, travelling, design philosophy and career development was fascinating. I loved the self promotional work created for his first company, Fletcher Forbes Gill, plus the moving card he produced to announce he was leaving New York and the typographic posters he did for a coffee shop and much much more - I left completely exhausted, partly due to my hangover, but mostly because of the lifetime of sheer skill I had just absorbed. If you can get there in time, go for it!

…are on their way, watch this space for some super scando skills coming your way soon.