Hello, reader! Congrats on making it through the week (whatever day this finds you, it’s an accomplishment). As always, we have a new Design Diary roundup of all the best projects that have come across our inboxes and feeds this week.
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There’s a tried (and possibly true) joke about veganism: How do you know someone’s a vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. London-based designer and illustrator Matt Wood has gone one further: he’s creating a whole project around it. Cheap jibe aside (don’t worry, I’m one of that crowd), Wood’s work is charming and smart; there’s nothing here that’s taking itself too seriously. Wood has worked for clients including Adidas, the BBC, Wired, and Innocent drinks. This series, Plant Power, is a personal project to mark his leap into the non-animal-munching brigade this year.
“When I talk to my family and friends about going vegan everyone says they couldn’t do it as they think their lives will be boring or they wouldn’t know what to cook,” says Wood. “So I wanted to make a collection of images highlighting plant power in a fun and vibrant way, that will stand out and get people’s attention.”
It takes roughly two days to create each illustration. The images are created using Cinema 4D to model the 3D designs. Once those are rendered, Wood uses Photoshop to color correct. These will then be printed as postcards “with a vegan recipe on the back that will appeal to any meat eater,” Wood promises. “I’ll be giving them to family and friends and sending them out to clients as a keepsake.” Naturally, you’ll be able to find the pics on his Instagram, too.
The Studio of Williamson Curran is an east London design practice that recently created this smart, subtle yet arresting identity for the V&A exhibition, The Future Starts Here. The show presents more than 100 objects to explore the possibilities of the near future, and the identity takes a refreshingly sophisticated approach rather than relying on shiny, futuristic cliches.
“Using a series of questions to illustrate the diverse range of topics, we commissioned photographer Kulbir Thandi to capture four of these questions which were used to create a cohesive campaign that ran across online, out-of-home, and social assets,” the studio explains.
Sometimes simple really is best, as proven by République Studio’s identity for French creative studio saison. Using a simple monochrome palette and restrained custom font by Dinamo, the look and feel is one of classic Gallic sophistication and poise. According to République creative director Tom Uferas, saison “works around the plant,” and works across interior design projects, brand consultancy, and art direction, using “the plant in all its forms… The vegetable is for them an unlimited source of creation.”
There’s not a hint of foliage in the identity, stationary, and website designs, though; instead, they provide a minimal canvas for saison’s own ventures. We’re loving the art direction on these product photographs by Lisa Raio—that spattered stone texture is sublime.
American collage artist Matthew Craven’s work is now being celebrated in a gorgeous new book published by Anthology Editions. Primer is a work of art in and of itself that “presents both a ‘revised’ version of global art history and a mesmerizing vernacular of new symbols and designs,” according to the publisher.
Craven’s work pieces together found imagery from bookstores, libraries, school storerooms, and more, honing in on “lost relics and archaeological curiosities.” Imagery from Greek tribal sculptures are smushed together over Craven’s distinctive hand-drawn artworks, creating a beguiling new way of looking at the past.
Who doesn’t love geeking out over full-page spreads of analog synths? I, for one, am fully on board, as I am with the illustration in the new Spitfire Audio annual. The ring-bound tome from the British music technology company celebrates “10 years of creating sample libraries and virtual instruments through collaborations with the likes of Hans Zimmer, Olafur Arnalds, and the London Contemporary Orchestra.”
Designed by Aspa Founti and Tom Howe, the first in its series of annuals features behind-the-scenes photography of gems like the Schimmel Pianos Factory and the hallowed Harbeth Speakers workshop, interviews with the musicians involved, and original illustrations from Isabel + Helen and Jan Buchczik. It looks blummin’ lovely.
According to Spitfire Audio co-founder Christian Henson, the company was born in a pub in London’s Soho, “all enabled by our extended family, comprised of thousands of like-minded talented people around the world who have given us trust, belief, and vital feedback. So, as with any proud family, we thought it only appropriate to create a family album—an annual—as a memento of an incredible year that we have all shared together.” Aww.
