We are hugely passionate about graphic and web design at GoGo. For us, it’s not just a job – we live, breathe and consume a lot of content! When thinking about the best way to communicate a client’s message through their marketing, advertising or/and pr we start with the story the client wants to tell. We consult on the best way to communicate their message using our expert knowledge in creative ways.
We like to keep on top of trends in the design world so we are able to utilise styles and colours that help to sell our own clients stories to their respective markets. Design is naturally very subjective, but who do we look towards for design inspiration?
Here are my current top five heroes (in no particular order) within the graphic design world.
Art Director and Graphic Designer Paul Rand
Paul Rand is an American art director and graphic designer, a truly influential figure within the profession. I first became aware of his work whilst studying for my degree at the Norwich School of Art and Design (now, Norwich University of the Arts). Rand was best known for his corporate logo designs such as IBM, UPS and ABC but he first came into the spotlight with his editorial layouts. He quickly became art director of Esquire-Coronet magazines. I really like his bold and clean design, which I believe contributes to why he is so important and relevant today.
Rand collaborated with Steve Jobs for the NeXT Computer corporate identity and Jobs was so pleased with the creative work Rand produced that he labelled him, just before his death in 1996, as “the greatest living graphic designer”.
Designer, photographer, writer and educator Ken Garland
Ken Garland has made fundamental advances in graphic design since the mid-twentieth century and founded the revered studio Ken Garland Associates in 1962 in Camden, London. I had the pleasure of hearing him talk whilst attending university and found him truly inspirational. A prolific figure working in the graphic design industry for over 65 years, Ken has written for numerous graphic design magazines such as Baseline, Creative Review, Eye Magazine and the list goes on. He also wrote and published the First Things First 1964 manifesto, backed by 20 prominent designers. The manifesto called for a return to a humanist aspect of design and promoted betterment of society.
Graphic Designer Matt Willey
Matt Willey is one of the most talented graphic designers to have worked in the creative industry. He co-founded his own design studio, Studio8, has worked for internationally acclaimed studio Frost Design and has worked on many award-winning projects. Matt masterfully redesigned The Independent newspaper in 2013 which was beautifully considered and is a great example of his editorial design talents. His natural intuition for design is truly incredible.
The work that first captured my imagination was Elephant magazine (fifth issue), a quarterly ‘art and visual culture’ magazine. It’s a joy to flick through, the attention to design is expertly executed and use of space is inspiring. He is now art director at the New York Times Magazine.
Graphic designer, storyteller and typographer Stefan Sagmeister and graphic designer, art director and illustrator Jessica Walsh
(Bit of a cheat here, two for one!)
Stefan Sagmeister is co-founder of the New York based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh.
He is famous for his album cover designs including artists such as Lou Reed, OK Go, The Rolling Stones, Jay Z and more. His motto is “Design that needed guts from the creator and still carries the ghost of these guts in the final execution.” I really admire his brave use of typography and unique creative style.
Jessica Walsh is co-founder of Sagmeister & Walsh.
She recently formed her own creative agency, joining a very short list of creative agencies around the world that are led by women. She explained upon the launch of her agency, ‘&Walsh’ that “70% of design students are women, but only five to 11% of creative director positions are held by women.” Not only that, but she also features on my hero list due to her commitment to “[being] known for producing top-quality work for top clients, but to be one of the best places to work in terms of agency culture.” Legend.
Art director, web designer, illustration and photographer Mike Kus.
Mike Kus is a British designer specialising in branding, graphic/web design, illustration and photography. He has worked with clients all around the world and often has his work featured in visual culture and design publications. He is also a regular public speaker at design and technology events. Mike has worked with brands such as Shopify, Getty images, Smashing Magazine, Berocca and Twitter. Crafting beautiful concepts and designs across media, his bold and playful style is truly inspirational in today’s commercial world.
Feeling inspired? If you have a brief you think we could help you with, please get in touch!
