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Autumn 2012

VISION

It has been a while but VISION is back! Much has happened since the last edition and the National Design Academy (NDA) tutor team have gone through many changes; but one thing has remained the same; our passion for quality Interior Design.

With each edition of VISION we will introduce a different Interior Design based topic. This Autumn it is Typography and how it can be used for many varied effects.

Other regular features include profiles of famous designers, NDA students and members of the NDA tutor team. Each edition will also include a Coffee Break

WELCOMEBrief, where the tutor team are asked to create inspired ideas for a small Interior Design brief based on the main topic.

You will also find portraits of all the tutors throughout to help you put a face to a name. As you might have guessed, the theme for this issue is ‘Mug Shots’.

VISION sets out to inform, inspire and admire all things Interior Design - above all else we hope you find it a jolly good read.

NDA Tutor Team

Nicola Dejewski

Kim Roworth

TypographyInside

The use of typography in Interior Design has exploded in popularity in recent years. The trend for decorating walls, soft furnishings, homewares and more with words is so prevalent now that a lot of it can already seem quite stale; is there anything they haven’t plastered with ‘Keep calm and Carry on’? Yet typography is here to stay; it never left in the first place; it has always been an important factor interior designers have had to consider. Imagine you are designing a hotel interior, which typeface you use to number the doors can have an enormous affect on peoples perception of the place. A classic font will inspire quality and luxury, while a post modern font may better suit a hostel that wants to attract young backpackers.

Typography will always have a practical and functional use within interiors, but it is the creative and unexpected way that it is being used that is exciting right now. However before we look into this, it is important to understand a bit more about typography itself.

Unless you also dabble in graphic design or print, you may not be aware of all the work and fine tuning that goes into creating a piece of typography. In many ways it is similar to Interior Design; working with layouts, sizes and scales, to provide a client with all the needs and functions they require, further guided by a specific aesthetic in each project.

Form, in typography, follows function and just like interior design, good typography tells its story through creative uses of space and shape. What makes a piece of typography appealing to the eye? Look at the use of colour, the layout of the text, how much of the space is blank and what percentage is filled. Consider the readability, the beauty, the impact of the message - many aspects of good typography are similar to what designers do with interiors.

Humanist (1460/70s)

Old Style (1501 - 1725)

Transitional (1745)

Modern (1784)

Slab Serif (1800s)

Post modern (1950/60s)

Typography: The design of letter forms and

their combination and arrangement to communicate a message to best effect.

In typography, the x-height or corpus size refers to the distance between the

baseline and the mean line in a typeface. Typically, this is the height of the letter x

in the font.

There are thousands of different typefaces available, they can be classified in a number of ways, but based upon their

historical development they are usually classified as follows:

The beauty of typographic décor is that it covers a variety of styles and can therefore generate a range of different looks, creating drama, glamour and uniqueness to a home, office or retail space.

Clean-lined and bold text can be used to create a modern look.

Old correspondence imagery forms a vintage style.

Of course it is not all about the typeface that is used, the message is just as important. Similar considerations must be taken as when specifying a piece of art or furniture for a client; it is intensely personal, perhaps more so as words are very powerful.

Typography can be used anywhere, the only limitation is your imagination. You may have seen this clever little project pictured below before. The message ‘Face reality as it is’ can only be seen clearly from one angle. This type of optical illusion is called anamorphic. The designer, Thomas Quinn, achieved this by using a projector to display the message at the angle he wanted, then simply (and very carefully!) painted over the projected image. The resulting mind bending effect and clever use of words is quite stunning.

Words don’t just appear on walls, cushions and kitchenware. More and more designers and DIY upcyclers are creating and improving a whole range of homeware with words. Here are some inspiring ideas:

Different ‘types’ of chair

Claes Chaise by Texas based bespoke furniture maker, McGannon

Personalised benches by Cut by Fire

Dharma Two Chairs by Tom Delavan, available from retailer Gilt Group

This tired old chair has been livened up with a

simple stencil print

Vintage chair re-upholstered with old coffee sacks

Store your words

Walk on words

time telling Typeface

READ YOUR BOOKCASE Modular shelf system by Saporiti

Custom built bookcase

Bespoke typography furniture by set26

Doug’s Word Clock by Austrailian Designer Doug Jackson

Bespoke carpets by EGE Carpets

Sarah Watts

Typography needs to be audible.

Typography needs to be

felt.

Typography needs to be

experienced.

- Helmut Schmid

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Mwte

Regarded as one of the leading designers of the twentieth century, Wim Crouwel is a Dutch Graphic Designer and Typographer who embraced a new modernity to produce typographic designs that captured the essence of the emerging computer and space age of the early 1960s.

Crouwel is a self confessed workaholic and it shows. For over 60 years he has been producing iconic posters, print and typography. Born in Groningen in 1928, he began his career originally as a painter, but in the early 1950s his interests moved more toward the world of graphic design. Fate introduced him to Eduard de Wilde, the Director of the Van Abbemuseum, who was looking for a new designer to advertise the museums exhibitions.

Wim’s posters for the Van Abbemuseum were almost entirely typographical and abstract. Rather than relying on images of the art, he translated the content of the exhibition into typography, or into a single word. He said: ”I never wanted to stand between the artist and the museum. I wanted to do my own thing – translate it into type.”

This period in the 1950s was an interesting time for designers. There was a lot of damage to fix after the war and the role of visual communications was to make things clear for people. Crouwel said: “We were there to clarify the message, to communicate information, clearly and simply. We would show people what to do and what not to do. We were making things better.”

In 1963, Wim Crouwel founded the design group Total Design (now Total Identity) with Friso Kramer, Benno Wissing, Paul and Dick Schwarz. It was the first large scale design studio in the Netherlands: “In the beginning, designers used to be called ‘Advertising Designers’. But we designers all knew each other and wanted to lift design to a professional level, make it a profession in its own right.” - Crouwel.

When Eduard de Wilde became the director of the Stedelijk Museum in 1964, Wim continued to work for him but wanted to change his approach to poster design. He chose to work with a consistent grid across everything, to standardise the typography as if the posters were issues of a magazine.

Besides printwork Crouwel also designed several font sets, of which the New Alphabet (1967) is best known. He started working with Cathode Ray Tube technology and discovered that round shapes were handled badly by the new machine, so he developed a typeface that used only straight lines.

This created a lot of debate at the time; traditionalists hated it and young people loved it, but it was difficult to read as Crouwel explains: “The New Alphabet was over-the-top and never meant to be really used. It was unreadable.”

His assistant made it more legible and it went on to become a famous typeface that was later used on Joy Division’s Substance album cover in1988; the start of digital age.

It is hard to imagine that most of Wim Crouwel’s work was created before computers. Wim’s devotion to the grid system led to the nickname ‘Mr Gridnik.’

Wim believes that there are big lessons to be learnt from modernism and recommends designers read as much as possible from the period. He said: “It is still the most important movement. Crucial is the word ‘movement’ – it’s not a style.”

Crouwel is still an active member of the Dutch graphic design scene as an advisor to Total Identity and occasionally works with typography companies to create new fonts.

Wim Crouwela digital designer working in the analogue age

“Wim’s devotion to the grid system led to the nickname ‘Mr Gridnik’”

Michelle Cree

Typographical design should perform optically what the speaker creates through voice and gesture of his thoughts.

- El Lizzitsky

Typography at its best is a visual form of language linking timelessness and time.

- Robert Bringhurst

Student ProfileKaitlyn Harvey - Diploma in Interior Design

Kaitlyn originally trained as a hair designer and beauty therapist, running her own salon at the age of 22. She said: “The salon was just an empty shell when I acquired it, with bare plaster walls and a concrete floor. This was my first interior design project and where my passion for it all began.”

Five years later Kaitlyn purchased a large Grade II listed residential property with the aim to convert it for commercial use as a day spa. It took three planning appeals over a period of five years: “It was both the most rewarding and frustrating experience I have ever had, working with planning officers, conservation architects, English Heritage and the fire department; all with a strict criteria of what could and couldn’t be done to the building.” The property had been empty for seven years and the renovation was a big project. During this time Kaitlyn also bought her first house, a cottage, which she also decided to fully renovate, pulling down ceilings and exposing beams.

Kaitlyn was working as a Spa consultant, designing health and beauty spas when she changed direction completely and trained to be a psychotherapist: “I missed using my creativity and realised that continuously redecorating my house wasn’t really fulfilling my passion for interiors. So that is when I decided to get some formal training and embark on my interior design career with the National Design Academy (NDA).

“I was very apprehensive about doing the Diploma and went through all kinds of self doubt and worry, thinking: ‘Will I be good enough?’ I had fears about not being able to draw free hand and technical drawing terrified me! However, once the course started, I was able to put my fears behind me. It is broken down into manageable sections so you can fully understand the material and if you need clarification, the tutors are very helpful and quick to respond to emails and calls; the tuition I received could not have been better.

“I love the whole process - sourcing products and finding that ‘just right’ something that fits into the

design scheme. Seeing the finished product is always so rewarding.”

With her passion for Interior Design and an NDA Diploma under her belt, Kaitlyn has recently opened her own Interior Design shop in the centre of Stratford upon Avon.

“At the shop we sell lighting, furniture, home accessories, art and gifts. We also offer an interior design and home styling and staging service. The shop has a boutique feel to it and stocks an eclectic mix of stylish contemporary on-trend statement pieces.”

“I was very apprehensive about doing the Diploma and went through all kinds of self doubt and worry, thinking: ‘Will I be good enough?”

It has only been open for a few months but has already built up quite a following, with clients returning from London and Manchester. She said: “It really is a great place to work and I know it sounds like a cliché but I look forward to coming to work in the morning and love being surrounded by gorgeous things.”

Opening a shop can be hard work at the best of times; not least during a recession. When asked if she had any advice for anyone aspiring to opening their own business, Kaitlyn said: “Do your research and then do more. Choose your location wisely; really get to know the area and who your clients are and find your own niche. Finally, in today’s economic climate, self employment is not for the faint hearted and can be likened an emotional roller coaster ride, so if you do decide to take the plunge buckle up, be prepared to work hard and enjoy it.”

Kaitlyn’s favourite designer is Nicky Haslam: “I love his attention to detail, his originality and the injection of glamour he incorporates into designs.” This reflects her personal tastes as she describes her home’s style:

“My favourite room is my bedroom. The design is very contemporary and it has a vaulted ceiling which goes right up to the apex of the house, with one exterior wall being made of glass giving a very light and airy feel to the room. Because of the height of the ceiling I have been able to experiment with scale using lots of over sized furniture. I have a huge chandelier in the centre which I adore. I used a neutral colour scheme and included lots of different fabrics creating lots of sumptuous textures giving it a feeling of warmth.”

Asked if there was anywhere in the world she could live, where would it be, she said: “This was such a hard question as I have so many, however, I finally decided on a contemporary villa in Barbados overlooking the ocean.” - (Who wouldn’t?)

“I love the whole process - sourcing products and finding that ‘just right’ something that fits into the design scheme”

The famous and wonderfully inspiring Holstee Manifesto shows how powerful a good message can be when good typography is used with a great layout. This poster became an instant internet hit and has been viewed over 80,000,000 times! You can purchase it in a variety of sizes and finishes from: http://shop.holstee.com/

Sarah Lockett

What inspired you to pursue a career in Interior design?

I loved design from a very young age, so I’ve always known that was what I wanted to do as a career. My parents always used to get me to read books like my sisters, but I was more content with a packet of crayons and some paper. I had an amazing graphics teacher at school who was so passionate and enthusiastic about design, he would always take the time to help you to do the best you possibly could. So I would have to say my teacher, with a special thanks to my parents for allowing me to carry on colouring rather than reading!

Which current trends do you like?

There are several trends at the moment that I find really interesting. With events such as The Diamond Jubilee and the Paralympics happening recently, the ‘British’ trend

has been really popular. Accessories such as Bunting and Union Jack cushions have been heavily featured with many shops selling accessories to suit different budgets, making the trend accessible to all.

The Industrial trend is a favourite of mine as I love interiors that have been stripped back to their original form, with the exposure of raw materials such as Woods and Metals. I would love to one day own an old converted warehouse as a home, like the one pictured below.

Tutor ProfileChloe Muir

What is your favourite design publication?

My favourite design magazine is Dezeen (www.dezeen.com). The magazine covers architecture, interiors and design, allowing you to keep up to date with everything that’s happening in the design world. It is also a really good place to search for jobs, as the jobs advertised are all specific to design and the companies are often really well established and exciting.

How about your favourite design website?

My favourite website is Designspiration.net that I started using whilst I was at university. It’s full of design related things to inspire you ranging from Architecture and Art to Fashion and Typography. The things you find there are really unique and fun to discover.

What’s your favourite piece of design?

Any piece of furniture by Jean Prouve. I absolutely love his work. He was an art metal worker and a self taught architect and designer.

His work is so simple, yet it looks amazing within any interior. In my opinion you could place a piece of Jean Prouve furniture in a white room and the room will be instantly transformed. Prouve furniture has been re-interpreted by several modern designers, making the furniture more accessible and less expensive for people to own.

What’s your favourite biscuit?

It depends on whether I am having it with a cup of tea! With tea, it’s definitely got to be chocolate hobnobs. Without tea it would have to be party rings.

Describe your perfect work space - How would you design it?

My perfect work space would feature a variety of key pieces. I would have a blackboard wall that would enable me to note down any inspiration and ideas that came to my head. I would also use this area to pin up inspirational images and ideas so the wall would form a giant thinking area.

I would have a Jean Prouve desk and chair that would take pride of place in the middle of the workspace.

I am quite a messy worker, so I would have lots of innovative storage spaces to help organise my work. I would also have a large book shelf wall that would display hundreds of architectural and design books. This shelf would also act as room divide, dividing the space into two areas: a working space and a relaxing space. The relaxing space would be very calm and minimal with a large hammock and a view outside, so I could temporarily relax and watch the world outside!

Would you rather design for Peter Kay or Dolly Parton?

I would definitely design for Dolly Parton! I would

create a ranch themed interior reflecting Dolly’s traditional

roots. There would also have to be an old traditional juke box in there somewhere, so she could have a little sing song now and again.

Draw your ideal chair.

Nancy Bakopoulou

Ann Hoare

Caroline Griffin

Coffee Break BriefIn each edition of VISION magazine we give the National Design Academy tutors a small Interior Design brief to work on to get their imagination flowing so they can create some inspiring ideas based around the main theme of each issue.

Typography is the topic, so the Coffee Break Brief is:

The Hallway is usually the first part of the home that a person enters, how would you use Typography to improve this hallway?

Caroline Griffin

solution

Caroline Griffin

Vicky Arbuthnot

Vicky Arbuthnot

Chloe Muir

Sarah LockettSarah Lockett

AdiósCiao

Ma’a salamaHwyl fawr

Do svidaniyaSizobonana

SelamatHasta la vista

See you again soon!

Editor and Head of DesignPeter Morris

Cover ArtworkJosh Goodswen

Rola Al Zobai

You have officially reached the last page of this edition of VISION.

we hope you enjoyed it

We’d love to hear from you regarding your thoughts on the magazine - pop an email to us at: Pr2@nda.ac.uk

Until the next time,

NDA Tutor Team