Graphic #12 / Manystuff Special

Date
16 November 2009

One of the original design blogs, Manystuff has recently been the subject of a special issue of Graphic, a quarterly magazine published in Seoul, Korea. First published in January 2006, it focuses its attention on “the other trends of graphic design which are different from the mainstream”.

Intrigued by the twelfth issue, that features all 1,943 postings that have been posted since Manystuff launched in January 2007 we caught up the founder of the site, Charlotte Cheetham.

Morning Charlotte, how did the special issue of Graphic come about?

Very simply: Graphic just send me an email one day asking me if I would be agree to collaborate for a Graphic special presenting all the archives of the blog: literaly the printed version of the blog. I thought it was a good idea. And I was a fan of Graphic: this publication is, in my opinion, one of the best about graphic design, in the content and the form.

What was your involvement in the publication?

Graphic was totally in charge of the printed version of the archives, of the opinions by graphic designers part (experimental jetset, metahaven, urs lehni …) and of the comments posted on a temporary blog online for this occasion (“talk on manystuff”). What they asked me to manage is an insert booklet presenting Manystuff: how the blog was born, the activities, the project, how I work etc etc. These pages are designed by Pierre Vanni.

Graphic #12 features all 1,943 posts that have appeared online, how does it feel seeing them like this?

It concretizes and formalizes all the time (with pleasure) spending on Internet looking for graphic design portfolios, events, projects… I am very happy about that: I don’t think that I would have done it of my own initiative (to make this version paper of the blog). I want to make a large book with the graphic designers posted on the blog but I had not thought of printing the archives this way: I think it’s a good idea: because it’s illustrate well, and formalize it, a context (with its evolutions) of critical design confronting the mainstream. Me I would have made a selection and choose the images: it is a different project. I am also happy about the fact that there is texts from graphic designers.

What have you got planned for the next 1,943 posts?

Nothing is planned on the blog: daily improvisation…

Can we expect to see any more ManyStuff publications or exhibitions in the near future?

YES YES ! I am working on projects in this moment; The next issue of Manystuff which is gonna be different from the first issue, an exhibition, L’échappée-belle: with the studio “à 2 c’est mieux” we will present a panorama of the young French graphic scene (first in Paris, and then abroad, in London I think for example), Manystuff is going to make more “special reports”: I am going to Brazil tomorrow to propose a special “Sao paulo” on Manystuff during 10 days (invited by the curators of this exhibition ) … and just after, I am going to London invited by RCA to do a “Royal College of Art special report”.

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About the Author

Will Hudson

Will founded It’s Nice That in 2007 and is now director of the company. Once one of the main contributors to the site, he has stepped back from writing as the business has expanded to become The HudsonBec Group.

will@thehudsonbecgroup.com

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