Graphic Thought Facility

Graphic Thought Facility – GTF

Founders: Paul Neale and Andy Stevens
Partner: Huw Morgan

The company’s works are focused around developing and executing their graphic projects. The company is well known for the eclecticism of their works over many off their other aspects. Eclecticism is an approach that considers multiple theories, styles or ideas rather than just one insight on a project. Considering Neale, Stevens and Morgan’s opinions of what has influenced or inspired them this approach is not surprising.
Eclecticism


- Huw Morgan considers his greatest influence to be his mother’s work in artistic print-making he grew up watching. They used the technique of lithography which is a process of print making using wax or similar substance to separate forms on a stone into hydrophobic, which will accept the applied ink, or hydrophilic, which will deter the ink.
- Neale is a bit more simplistic and believe he was drawn to graphic design by his children’s books and toys and that those items continue to influence his work. This form of simple influence can be a positive by keeping the style simple but entertaining and effective, much like how children’s toys and books are designed for their simpler minds.
- Stevens believes that Malcolm Garrett’s sleeve and cassette packaging designs of the 70’s and 80’s were a large influence on him. Garrett was originally trained in typography but later became a fully rounded graphic artist creating album covers for groups like Duran Duran and Simple Minds. With these three styles and influences its easy to see how the works can come out very diversified and not focused around only one central design aspect. Stevens also mentions Derek Birdsall as an important figure head while he was the Royal College of Art. Birdsall’s focus was essentially around hand lettering. He had no real affinity for schooling like his grandfather but had a natural talent for hand drawn letters. He learned typography and had many jobs involved in its stylization.

Graphic Thought Facility
This is Graphic Thought Facility’s main site which contains all of their works, both current and past.

Graphic Thought Facility has created works for many different British companies such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theater Theater Poster

The Design Museum in London for the Peter Saville Show Poster for Peter Saville Show

And the re-branding of the company Habitat
Habitat Bag

Each design serves a different purpose, one is to rejuvenate a theater’s patrons, the second is to promote one of the upcoming artists at the Design Museum and the last is to re-create a theme and “brand” for a company. Each focuses on different emphases of design and does not lend itself to repetition of style, which is probably why this firm is very successful.

Overall, with the wide variety of influences and abilities contributing to the Graphic Thought Facility’s range of designers the firms potential to please their clients seems boundless. In addition it must create a great team full of different processes and opinions that the firm as a team can bounce off each other to achieve their desired end result.