davidthedesigner

through a glass lightly

It's about time I updated you with what I've been up to recently. And top of the list at the moment is my continuing work on designing for the shape of things, and the catalogue that I've just completed for Chien-Wei Chang's exhibition, Don't Look Back! I Told You So. It's on now until 25 March at Leicester's New Walk Museum & Art Gallery.

If you're not familiar with Chien-Wei's work, then you might recall the image on the cover of the current issue of Crafts Magazine. Chien-Wei's work is wonderful and the exhibition is both beautiful and thought provoking. If you can get yourself to Leicester, then you should make every effort to go and see it. Because you'll be missing a real treat if you don't. And if you want a sneak preview of the catalogue, you'll find it over on my Issuu link.

i spot dh t-shirts (or the spot is calling the kettle black)

Remember my bit of fun with the 'orange spot' t-shirt last week? Well the heavy hand at Hirst headquarters has beaten me around the head and threatened me with an 'infringement of copyright' notice.

Which sort of makes me wonder why he thinks it might be fair for him to do it, but it's not, apparently, fair for me to do it.

After all, the orange spot could just as legitimately be claimed as the copyright of david the designer (it's been there a long time):

And there's no law, as far as I'm aware, that prohibits me (or anyone else) from using the font American Typewriter. So maybe it's my initials, DH, that he's claiming sole rights to? Go tell that to David Hockney.

Anyway, it seems to me to be just a little bit rich coming from someone who has the brass neck to appropriate (like hundreds before him) and then lay claim to Milton Glaser's brilliant original concept as well as every damned spot under the sun.

So since we can't have the spot, let's have something else instead:

Oh, and by the way, if I ever do sell any of these t-shirts (which, to be frank, I consider to be highly unlikely) I'll donate all the profits to charity. You know, sort of like Damien Hirst had to do when he got into copyright trouble over that sculpture.

taking it at a leisurely pace

I also spent a few days of my extended break in the Cotswolds. The cottage had a well-thumbed (but still perfectly servicable) copy of the AA / Ordnance Survey Leisure Guide to the area, which came in jolly handy.

It added a certain frisson to my experience, for this was a guide that I myself had designed (along with perhaps eight or nine others in the series) in the early 1990s. And all done by hand - that is on a drawing board, without an Apple Mac. What a sweat that was, I can tell you.

when the logo came on letraset sheets

I came across a folder of some very early work the other day (that's where I found the evidence of svelteness). Included in it was what I think was the first professional piece of mine that was ever printed:

Produced on a drawing board overlooking Wigmore Street with Kodatrace and Cow Gum (and some commissioned airbrushed artwork).

blast from the past

It will probably shock you as much as it shocks me, but here's the proof: once upon a time I was svelte...

...and sported a David Bowie haircut!

one thousand up and counting

Well, here's a milestone that just has to be celebrated: this is post number 1,000 on this blog. Not bad going, eh?

So where do we go next? If you've got any thoughts or ideas on what you'd like to hear about, leave a comment below or send me an email - davidthedesigner(at)studiohyde.com.

Meanwhile, I'm off to crack open the bubbly.

when they're gone they're gone

I only have a limited amount of card available, so you'll need to get your skates on if you want to order any of my special Christmas cards.

christmas cards are beginning to go

We should be shipping our first orders later today.

Remember, we're doing this for just one week only: hand-crafted personalised Christmas cards from Studio Hyde.

i've gone christmas crackers!

I've gone and decided that I'm going to devote this week (but only this week, mind) to producing Christmas cards. Not for me, but for you. And not just any Christmas cards: personalised cards that cost from just 50 pence each - and that includes matching envelopes and delivery. All you have to do is pop over to StudioHyde and take a look.

You can choose to have whatever greeting or message you want - and you'll even get a PDF proof.

They're available at StudioHyde right now.

for my dutch-speaking friends

Here's news of one of my recently-completed projects (in collaboration with my China correspondent): 'XINJIANG - DE NIEUWE GRENS VAN CHINA'. Just published by ASP Editions and featured in today's issue of Knack.