Designers/Design Studios + Possible Placements

The ideal location for a work placement would be at a London design studio that takes on projects focussed on print, digital and editorial within the cultural sectors of music, self publishing and photography. The studios I have interest in have a strong visual aesthetic that produce work within these areas and appeal to my personal interests within graphic design such as typography and image making.

To start I have looked at some studios I could visit/apply for placements in the North of England where I am currently based and make the most of my time here.


Qubik (Leeds)

www.qubik.com

Qubik is a graphic design studio founded in 1998 by Joe Gilmore. Specialising in typographic-led design for branding, print and digital media, the studio works with a variety of clients in the commercial and cultural sector.

I really like the modernist approach to their design work, not over-complicating anything but using effective layouts and typography to communicate the information. 

 

 

As Qubik is based in Leeds I sent them an email saying I liked their work and if they could give me any advice on where start with setting up my own studio and maybe start thinking about work placements over the coming months.  

Yoke (Leeds) 

Yoke is a duo based in Leeds with an aim to curate an exhibition space that spurs dialogue between creatives. Yoke held an exhibition called dialogue where they asked people to submit for a blind collaboration. Some of the work that came out of it was really striking and the juxtaposition of peoples ideas and styles made for really interesting prints. It was also a good way of finding out local artists and designers.   

 

 

Deep Hedonia (Liverpool)

www.deephedonia.com

Deep Hedonia is a studio focused on the music industry and putting on events in Liverpool. The musicians and DJs they have on appeal to me and would be interesting to see how they go about running events as the collective I am currently a part of (Jarg People) is interested in doing a similar sort of thing.  

Huck (London) 

www.huckmagazine.com

I have been keeping up with Huck magazine and buying their issues for a few years now and think it would be a great studio to experience as the content suits my interests. 

'Huck celebrates radical culture – people and movements that paddle against the flow. Inspired by DIY principles and rooted in the rebellious heritage of surf and skate, Huck roams the globe to document grassroots counterculture as it unfolds, seeking out freethinkers who are a wellspring of new thoughts and ideas.' - Huck

The magazines are beautifully designed and a lot of detail is considered for each uniquely designed issue. They collaborate with filmmakers, photographers, artists, illustrators, designers, musicians and anyone else who has a story that fits within their ethos.

Ditto Press (London) 

www.dittopress.co.uk

Ditto are a print based studio who run a lot of self initiated projects as well as working with clients. Many of their projects are centred around music, zines, posters, album covers and books. The print aesthetic is something that is really unique about this studio with the majority of their publications and prints being Risograph printed, a process I have become strongly involved with after printing my own zine of 50 editions this year, and is a method of printing I want to continue to be involved with in the future.  

Give Up Art (London) 

A unique aspect of this studio is its focus on the music industry. The minimal clear aesthetic combined with interesting content is something that also appeals to me - focusing on quality print finishes which have been well photographed.    

Kid. (Toronto) 

I haven't found much information on this studio although I can see from the work they produce they are very selective on which projects they want to choose.