Graphic Thought Facility (GTF)

3rd December 2015


Graphic Thought Facility (GTF) is London-based design consultancy established in 1990 by college friends. The studio is jointly owned and led by three directors – Huw Morgan, Paul Neale and Andrew Stevens supported by a team of designers and managers. GTF's philosophy principles are simplicity, clarity and equal consideration for functional need and emotional response and deep most of all deep understanding of the objectives for particular projects.

Kvadrat – The Wool Parade by Doshi Levien 2013 by GTF

Today we have met Andrew Stevens, principal/creative director and founder of GTF, who told us a bit more about company's work and general functioning in the creative industry. I've met him before last year while visiting The Somerset House for ''Pick Me Up'' event (an annual celebration of contemporary illustration, graphic design and related disciplines). The show included an exhibition of the work of selected ''rising stars'', interactive workspaces and a programme of debates, presentations and demonstrations. I've attended his lecture there and so I had a bit of knowledge about his design studio. However it was still really refreshing and interesting. I have looked on the official website and I compared my notes from last year which was definitely useful activity in raising knowledge and gaining deeper understanding of the creative industry.


He has presented their comprehensive and innovative approach through project examples and variety of materials used in their realisation. He told us about company foundation and gave a few really good tips relating to the professional design practice. GTF enjoys ''exploring the physical possibilities of design, which has naturally extended our work into product, exhibition and environmental design,'' using non-standard materials and production methods (Graphicthoughtfacility.com, 2015).
Here are some things I've picked up on:

• Spaces and materials can communicate as much as graphics (they define particular styles, preferences, fashion)
• Designer shouldn't worry about professional skills in all creative fields; people are ready to cooperate so it's good beneficial and more cost-effective to build up a team for some projects
• When starting the business its good to use help of family and friends and their skills; its also really important to going out and making relevant contacts; collaborations and connections with different disciplines specialists; it's also good to use it as a hobby at first to be occasionally paid for and not depend on it as it may not always bring enough profit
• Self-expression should take place in or out of work
• It's important to be confident with the work but also be able to make a compromise with a clients and fulfil their needs
• Doing unexpected while fulfilling the brief; not being afraid of the obvious (playfulness); cliché solutions, linking and research and observation can be a great start
• Graphic subject's materiality matters  (useful, functional but also powerful, meaningful)
• gradual definition of studio workplace as there is quite a contrast between dream and reality (GTF's studio was very unorganised at first, crowded, ''made out of nothing''- it has changed with new location, development of interior design, organisation of books/folders/sample libraries etc. and beginning of Internet era); new concepts
• Coming out with the new context/idea can cost more depending on resources (difficulties in availability can occur) and it needs compromise between client and designer (also the prior discussed salary may have to change)

Andrew Stephens has told us a story of GTF's one of latest projects: Wayfinding Hult International Business School (2015). New campus were made in the place of the original Whitechapel brewery site. This project included redesigning the interior and redecorating with art and graphics interventions (approach for the whole building graphic identity).



GTF made signage system for this six-storey very old iron building which is presented on the photograph above (distinct code and destination). The inspiration for this stencil concept came from whisky barrels; recycled floorboards were used to create steel and wood combinations. Expression of colours goes through the building - cold evolves into warm palette up the floors/levels.

New design is partly incorporated into the remains of history, such as vinyl door signage and graffiti on the walls. Each floor level is defined by the colour additionally supported with 40,000 felted discs inserted into classroom walls (noise dampening and a unifying motif).

The buddleia bush (plant ubiquitous on the exteriors of London’s post industrial landscape, symbol of the city) was used to make a clever metaphor and lovely decoration for the social rooms. Plant motif was reproduced as life size prints and flecked with neon and arranged as a new lighting system (working with graphics as a whole). ''Hot and Free'' van was placed there to provide hot drinks for students (Coffee cart illustration: Gabriel Corbera).

Old British magazines, postcards and stamps collections were used to create very original silkscreens with white dots and red text overprints (cheap and meaningful) with the final outcome of unusual posters with playful phrases, such as: ''Do me a Pony at Ten to One'' or ''God Save the Baked Beans''.

Handwritten frames from Evening Standard matched the previous posters as a funny wall decoration.

MeBox project (2002)

''A retail product designed and produced by GTF. The ends of each box consisted of a grid of perforated discs that could be pressed out to create initials, numbers, symbols and texts. When assembled, the double-thick construction showed the message against the contrasting colour of the box lining.'' (Graphicthoughtfacility.com, 2015). MeBox storage system is one of my favourite projects by GTF. It shows all the main principles of company's independent thinking philosophy. It's simple, functional and sophisticated. It looks elegant and slick and shows graphics materiality through environmental changes. They're not ready made product but they're personalised and made after the order is placed.

I really like how Graphic Thought Faculty gets involved with graphics as a whole and gets into designing interiors. I like physicality of their products and their connection between traditional, analogue and digital methods. I think there could be a bit more details about design work methods, client relations and financial issues, a bit more specifics rather then general rounds about the topic during the lecture and within the whole course. However I really enjoyed it and I found it all very useful in raising awareness of professional practice.





References:

Graphicthoughtfacility.com, (2015). Profile | Graphic Thought Facility. [online] Available at: http://www.graphicthoughtfacility.com/about/profile/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2015].