Malcolm Garrett
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Garrett is a British graphic designer, who has worked for music artists such as Simple Minds
, Magazine
, Duran Duran
and Peter Gabriel
. He was an early convert to exploring the opportunities and challenges of design with digital technology, and his London studio was the first amongst its peers to go totally digital in 1990.
Garrett's work is widely regarded as a key influence on the development of contemporary UK graphic design. Along with other key figures working in the UK music industry he helped establish and promote a new design-driven culture which has defined today’s youth media market. In 1998 he received a Prince Philip Designers Prize nomination in recognition of his achievements in design for business and society. In 2003 he was named by Design Week
as one of the "Hot 50 people making a difference in design" for his work as design ambassador.
, England, and attended St Ambrose College. He studied typography
at the University of Reading
from 1974 until 1975 and graphic design
at Manchester Polytechnic from 1975 until 1978. A fellow student of Garrett's at Manchester Polytechnic was Peter Saville, a graphic designer who would also design prominent record sleeves in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
His first important professional work was design for the punk rock group Buzzcocks
, including the iconic cover for the their 1977 single Orgasm Addict
. Until 1994, Garrett was the design director of Assorted iMaGes the design company he had formed in 1977. His work there included "graphic identity, exhibition design, television graphics, and literature design." His work for musical artists included Magazine
, Duran Duran
, Boy George
, Simple Minds
and Peter Gabriel
. http://www.fontshop.de/fuse95/fuse-talk/garrett.html The sleeves that Garrett designed for Duran Duran (from 1981 until 1986) include their first four albums (Duran Duran, Rio
, Seven and the Ragged Tiger
(together with Keith Breeden
) and Arena) and their associated singles such as Planet Earth, Is There Something I Should Know?
and The Reflex
.
In the early 1990s Garrett was increasingly attracted to working solely with digital technology and in 1994 he teamed up with Alasdair Scott to form AMXdigital (later called AMXstudios), an interactive media production company. http://www.adobe.com/uk/web/gallery/amx/index.html Garrett left AMX when that company merged with Zinc to form Arnold Interactive in 2001. http://www.polaine.com/playpen/2007/01/19/dialogue-with-malcolm-garrett/ He then worked at I-mmersion http://www.i-mmersion.com in Toronto, Canada art directing interactive cinema, but returned to London in 2005 to become Creative Director at Applied Information Group (AIG) http://www.appliedinformationgroup.com/, subsequently collaborating with X-Communications http://www.xcommunications.ie/ in Dublin, and Cogapp http://www.cogapp.com/ in Brighton on a variety of projects. He left AIG in January 2011 and is now an interactive media design consultant at the communications company 53K. http://www.53k.co.uk/
Garrett is a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) – the first to be recognised in the field of interactive media, a Fellow of the International Society of Typographic Designers
(ISTD), and a Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London
. http://www.polaine.com/playpen/2007/01/19/dialogue-with-malcolm-garrett/ He has served on numerous committees including BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Committee and FontShop
Type Board in Berlin. http://www.fontshop.com/ He currently sits on the RDI Executive Committee, Eye Magazine Editorial Board, the Science Museum Advisory Board, and the Misha Black
Awards Committee. http://www.mishablackawards.org/ He was creative director of Dynamo, http://www.dynamolondon.org/ an online showcase and forum for the interactive media industry, and of the i-Design interactive media conference held at the London Design Festival
from 2007 until 2009. http://www.idesign-london.com
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Magazine
Magazine (band)
Magazine are an English post-punk group active from 1977 to 1981, then reformed in 2009. Their debut single, "Shot by Both Sides", is now acknowledged as a classic and their debut album, Real Life, is still widely admired as one of the greatest albums of all time...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. He was an early convert to exploring the opportunities and challenges of design with digital technology, and his London studio was the first amongst its peers to go totally digital in 1990.
Garrett's work is widely regarded as a key influence on the development of contemporary UK graphic design. Along with other key figures working in the UK music industry he helped establish and promote a new design-driven culture which has defined today’s youth media market. In 1998 he received a Prince Philip Designers Prize nomination in recognition of his achievements in design for business and society. In 2003 he was named by Design Week
Design Week
Design Week is a UK-based magazine launched in 1986 for the design industry. The publication was first published in October 1986 by Centaur Communications and currently [2011] published by Centaur Media plc...
as one of the "Hot 50 people making a difference in design" for his work as design ambassador.
Life and work
Malcolm Garrett was born in NorthwichNorthwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
, England, and attended St Ambrose College. He studied typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
at the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
from 1974 until 1975 and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
at Manchester Polytechnic from 1975 until 1978. A fellow student of Garrett's at Manchester Polytechnic was Peter Saville, a graphic designer who would also design prominent record sleeves in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
His first important professional work was design for the punk rock group Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, including the iconic cover for the their 1977 single Orgasm Addict
Orgasm Addict
"Orgasm Addict" is a single by punk rock band Buzzcocks and its B-side is "Whatever Happened To...?" The song later appeared on the album Singles Going Steady and also on CD reissues of Another Music in a Different Kitchen....
. Until 1994, Garrett was the design director of Assorted iMaGes the design company he had formed in 1977. His work there included "graphic identity, exhibition design, television graphics, and literature design." His work for musical artists included Magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. http://www.fontshop.de/fuse95/fuse-talk/garrett.html The sleeves that Garrett designed for Duran Duran (from 1981 until 1986) include their first four albums (Duran Duran, Rio
Rio (album)
Rio is the second studio album by the British rock band Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
, Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Seven and the Ragged Tiger is the third studio album by English pop rock band Duran Duran, released globally in November 1983. It would prove to be the last studio album for the band's original lineup until 2004's Astronaut....
(together with Keith Breeden
Keith Breeden
Keith Breeden RP is a graphic designer and portraitist. He is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.-Early career:...
) and Arena) and their associated singles such as Planet Earth, Is There Something I Should Know?
Is There Something I Should Know?
"Is There Something I Should Know?" is the eighth single by Duran Duran, released on 19 March 1983.The song was released as a stand-alone single and became the band's first UK number one record. It debuted in the #1 position on the UK Singles Chart on 26 March 1983...
and The Reflex
The Reflex
"The Reflex" is the eleventh single by Duran Duran, released worldwide on 16 April 1984.The song was heavily remixed for single release and was the third and last to be taken from their third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger.-Song history:...
.
In the early 1990s Garrett was increasingly attracted to working solely with digital technology and in 1994 he teamed up with Alasdair Scott to form AMXdigital (later called AMXstudios), an interactive media production company. http://www.adobe.com/uk/web/gallery/amx/index.html Garrett left AMX when that company merged with Zinc to form Arnold Interactive in 2001. http://www.polaine.com/playpen/2007/01/19/dialogue-with-malcolm-garrett/ He then worked at I-mmersion http://www.i-mmersion.com in Toronto, Canada art directing interactive cinema, but returned to London in 2005 to become Creative Director at Applied Information Group (AIG) http://www.appliedinformationgroup.com/, subsequently collaborating with X-Communications http://www.xcommunications.ie/ in Dublin, and Cogapp http://www.cogapp.com/ in Brighton on a variety of projects. He left AIG in January 2011 and is now an interactive media design consultant at the communications company 53K. http://www.53k.co.uk/
Garrett is a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) – the first to be recognised in the field of interactive media, a Fellow of the International Society of Typographic Designers
International Society of Typographic Designers
The International Society of Typographic Designers is a professional body run by and for typographers, graphic designers, and educators. The society has an international membership and its aims are to establish and maintain standards of typography and to provide a forum for debate.- History :The...
(ISTD), and a Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
. http://www.polaine.com/playpen/2007/01/19/dialogue-with-malcolm-garrett/ He has served on numerous committees including BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Committee and FontShop
FontShop
FontShop was founded in Berlin in 1989 by Erik Spiekermann and Joan Spiekermann, who were then husband and wife, and Neville Brody. FontShop was the first font reseller in digital type history. There are four independent FontShops in Austria, Benelux, Germany, and the USA.FSI FontShop International...
Type Board in Berlin. http://www.fontshop.com/ He currently sits on the RDI Executive Committee, Eye Magazine Editorial Board, the Science Museum Advisory Board, and the Misha Black
Misha Black
Sir Misha Black was an Azerbaijan-born British architect and designer. In 1933 he founded with associates in London the organisation which became the Artists’ International Association. From 1959 to 1975 he was a professor of industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London, England...
Awards Committee. http://www.mishablackawards.org/ He was creative director of Dynamo, http://www.dynamolondon.org/ an online showcase and forum for the interactive media industry, and of the i-Design interactive media conference held at the London Design Festival
London Design Festival
The London Design Festival was established in 2003 as an annual event to celebrate and promote London as the creative capital of the world and gateway to the UK’s world class creative industries. The Festival acts as a platform for a large and diverse range of partner organisations drawn from...
from 2007 until 2009. http://www.idesign-london.com
Articles by Malcolm Garrett
- "A Dearth of Typography" Baseline 13, edited by John Simmons, Chris Gray and Domenic Lippa, Esselte Letraset, 1990.
- "The Book is Dead?" Graphics World, 1991.
- "Multimedia, Who Needs It?" Baseline 18, with Alasdair Scott, edited by Mike Daines, Esselte Letraset, 1994.
- "The Widescreen Career of Alex McDowellAlex McDowellAlex McDowell, RDI is British production designer and film producer.McDowell was born in Borneo to parents of English origin. He wanted to become a painter and studied at the Central School of Art in London. He founded Rocking Russian Design in 1978 and started his career designing album covers...
" Eye, Number 60, Volume 15, edited by John L. WaltersJohn L. WaltersJohn L. Walters is a British editor, critic and composer. He was a founding member of the band Landscape, best known for the 1981 hit ‘Einstein A Go-Go’ which reached no. 5 in the UK charts...
, 2006. - "Conversation with Bill MoggridgeBill MoggridgeWilliam Moggridge, an industrial and interaction designer, is co-founder of the Silicon Valley-based design firm IDEO and the current director of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York. He designed what was the first laptop computer, the GRiD Compass...
" Eye, Number 66, Volume 17, edited by John L. WaltersJohn L. WaltersJohn L. Walters is a British editor, critic and composer. He was a founding member of the band Landscape, best known for the 1981 hit ‘Einstein A Go-Go’ which reached no. 5 in the UK charts...
, 2007. - "Apple iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
" Design WeekDesign WeekDesign Week is a UK-based magazine launched in 1986 for the design industry. The publication was first published in October 1986 by Centaur Communications and currently [2011] published by Centaur Media plc...
, edited by Lynda Relph-Knight, October 2007. - "Why the iPadIPadThe iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
matters" http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/february/why-the-ipad-matters Creative ReviewCreative ReviewCreative Review is a monthly magazine targeted on the commercial arts and design scene. Creative Review has a circulation of around 20,000 readers. In general it focuses content on media originating in United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, showcasing some of the best contemporary...
, CR Blog, edited by Patrick Bourgoyne, February 2010.
External links
- MalcolmGarrett.com
- Fuse 95 biography
- Typo Berlin 98 biography
- Adobe profile of AMX Studios: Garrett and Alasdair Scott
- 2007 interview with Garrett
- Interview with Garrett on YouTube for the DBA The Edge conference 2009
- Review of "The Book is Dead?", MagCulture, edited by Jeremy Leslie, February 2010
- "Out of Print", online exhibition curated for the Crafts CouncilCrafts CouncilThe Crafts Council was established in the United Kingdom in 1971 as the national agency for crafts and was granted a Royal Charter in 1982. The Crafts Council’s vision is to position the UK as the global centre for the making, seeing and collecting of contemporary craft...
, October 2010