Badesaison – the Swiss design studio that can handle everything from Dada to music

Words by Lucy Bourton, Friday 26 August 2016

Earlier this year graphic design studio Badesaison created an advertising campaign for “Perlaton”, an annual music festival held in Zurich. The studio’s approach to design is ideal for the event – unbiased in genre or taste – and in many ways the studio shares values that represent the festival as a whole. For this campaign the studio reference a number of typefaces that could be related to any genre of music, a gothic style balanced against graffiti typography. Their ability of combining and contrasting elements doesn’t stop there. Black and white layouts are mixed with highly saturated still life photography which sit comfortably on the page they’ve designed for it.

Back in May the studio created the official program for Festspiele Zurich 2016 dedicated to the anniversary of Dadaism. “This machine we created is a collage from a very old tool catalogue, we found in a thrift shop” the duo explain, “Our inspiration was the french dadaist Francis Picabia and his imaginitive blue prints. It works a flow chart, that guides the reader to a certain event of his interest.”

More recently Badesaison designed Wir Sind Da a publication for the masters degree of fine arts for the University of Arts Lucerne. For the brief they shot a “photographic portrait of the city” where the exhibition took place. “The individual characteristics of the City, with its huge factories and construction sites is reflected in our design as well as in the artworks of the students,” say the designers.

Most Recent

More like this:

Work / Graphic Design Victor Fonseca treats his graphic design practice like a “playground”

The Paris-based graphic designer was first gripped by the iconography and visual devices surrounding football, and then by the creative typographic possibilities of graffiti writing.

Rebecca Irvin — 18 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design Astrid Seme elevates an artist’s work by challenging it through the lens of design

“The question is not ‘how can I use the artistic imagery that already exists?’ but how does the artist respond to the specific rules and framework that I develop within the design process”: the Vienna-based designer discusses her exhibition design for Marlene Hausegger’s solo show.

Jyni Ong — 18 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design Arabic and Latin typography don’t have to mimic each other to be harmonious says Montasser Drissi

The Moroccan designer’s work focuses on the relationship between Arabic and Latin typography.

Jyni Ong — 17 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design “My creativity is sparked by music and architecture”: meet graphic designer Stephanie Specht

Specht Studio, founded by the Belgium designer, features an array of playful designs inspired by her architectural past.

Ayla Angelos — 16 July 2019
Sponsored / Animation Studio Moross and video artist Nic Hamilton capture the emotions of clubbing for The Warehouse Project

The design studio rebranded the Manchester club to launch its new venue, The Depot, and is working with a different artist for each season

Sponsored Content — 12 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design Querida on art directing the brand everybody wants a piece of, Paloma Wool

The Barcelona-based studio tells us about its on going collaboration with beloved brand (and its neighbours!) Paloma Wool.

Lucy Bourton — 11 July 2019

Work / Graphic Design Victor Fonseca treats his graphic design practice like a “playground”

The Paris-based graphic designer was first gripped by the iconography and visual devices surrounding football, and then by the creative typographic possibilities of graffiti writing.

Rebecca Irvin — 18 July 2019
Work / Photography Photographer Jack Latham investigates the hidden conspiracies of Bohemian Grove

Burrowed within the redwood forests of Monte Rio in northern California, this yearly two-week summer retreat is frequented by the political and business elite of the world. But what goes on is shrouded with secrecy.

Ayla Angelos — 18 July 2019
Work / Illustration Stella Park’s warm illustrations reflect her outlook on life

The Seoul-based illustrator’s untrained approach to illustration gives her work a fresh perspective. And when she notes down her feelings and experiences through drawing, she can always remember them vividly, even after a long time.

Jyni Ong — 18 July 2019
Work / Publication Ugly beauty and challenging established norms feature in Jade Palace's collaboration with Yat Pit

Jade Palace Collective, founded by Kelly Cho, is a London-based online shop featuring a collection of mostly vintage shoes, handbags and homeware. “The idea of Jade Palace is to give value back to items that have been discarded, mostly for being seen as not having a place anymore in most people’s context of fast-moving trends,” Kelly tells It’s Nice That. Whereas, until recently, all items were vintage, Kelly has now introduced Yat Pit to the shop, marking the introduction of the first contemporary brand with a publication featuring the work of Joyce Ng, Harry Chan, Zhuo Chen and Mika Kailes, designed by Zyxt.

Ruby Boddington — 18 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design Astrid Seme elevates an artist’s work by challenging it through the lens of design

“The question is not ‘how can I use the artistic imagery that already exists?’ but how does the artist respond to the specific rules and framework that I develop within the design process”: the Vienna-based designer discusses her exhibition design for Marlene Hausegger’s solo show.

Jyni Ong — 18 July 2019
Work / Photography Elizabeth Hibbard’s unsettling photographs examine subjective experience with a visceral gaze

Drawing on film, painting, second-wave feminist art, literary and theoretical texts, as well as her experiences with psychotherapy, the Silicon Valley-born photographer crafts shots that focus on the interplay of textures, surfaces, people and objects.

Rebecca Irvin — 18 July 2019

Work / Art Catch a glimpse into the cartoon world of artist Aaron Elvis Jupin

With a portfolio filled with otherworldly paintings, this California-based artist has a knack for turning the mundane into the extraordinary.

Ayla Angelos — 18 July 2019
Work / Digital Artist Paulo Arraiano envisions a symbiosis of nature and technology

For the Lisbon-based multimedia artist, the future of digital technologies is not one that will arise in opposition to, or as a destruction of, the natural environment, but as an augmentation of our perceptions.

Rebecca Irvin — 17 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design Arabic and Latin typography don’t have to mimic each other to be harmonious says Montasser Drissi

The Moroccan designer’s work focuses on the relationship between Arabic and Latin typography.

Jyni Ong — 17 July 2019
Work / Response and Responsibility Shame Plane confronts our continued involvement in climate-destroying activities

Produced by Swedish design studio Grafik+Program, this website lays out exactly how much damage to the environment your roundtrip journey will do. And it doesn’t make for pretty reading.

Ruby Boddington — 17 July 2019
Work / Photography Peyton Fulford intimately photographs small-town America’s LGBTQ+ communities

With her ongoing personal project, Infinite Tenderness, the Albany-born photographer aims to bring “a new visual understanding to the lives of queer people living in rural areas, specifically those who identify as trans and non-binary.”

Rebecca Irvin — 17 July 2019
Work / Art Parted hair and succulent leaves: artist Molly Greene draws from the peculiar

Having become interested in the “idea of making this deeply familiar material seem alien or strange,” the Los Angeles-based artist’s recent work sees an abundance of brown hair carefully placed and combed onto the paper.

Ayla Angelos — 17 July 2019

Work / Illustration Genie Espinosa’s illustrations are not quite as innocent as you might think

Upon first glance of this illustrator’s portfolio, you’re instantly greeted with vibrant colours, outlandish figures and some powerful slogans.

Ayla Angelos — 17 July 2019
Features / Response and Responsibility The climate crisis is daunting, but as a creative professional, there’s much you can do

Naresh Ramchandani, Pentagram partner and founder of environmental charity Do The Green Thing, talks us through the few simple steps you can take as a creative to improve the lot of our planet.

Naresh Ramchandani — 17 July 2019
Work / Graphic Design “My creativity is sparked by music and architecture”: meet graphic designer Stephanie Specht

Specht Studio, founded by the Belgium designer, features an array of playful designs inspired by her architectural past.

Ayla Angelos — 16 July 2019
Work / Photography Bodily discomfort supplies the “subtle strangeness” of Melissa Schriek’s photographs

In “experimenting with the body and space”, the Netherlands-based photographer conceives of her role as that of a “photographic choreographer” creating staged compositions.

Rebecca Irvin — 16 July 2019
Work / Illustration Tara Booth explores the reality of her escapist fantasies in a lyrical new book

The Philadelphia-based illustrator developed the story for Cabin in the Woods over the past few years, creating a beautifully illustrated outcome which resonates with many in its concept, seeking to find an antidote for discontent.

Jyni Ong — 16 July 2019
Work / Art Artist Brian Rideout paints private art collections that will never be publicly available again

Motivated by the pictures that he finds and their historical relevance, this Canadian artist’s portfolio is filled with astounding replicas of luxury interiors, architecture, still lifes and, most poignantly, art.

Ayla Angelos — 16 July 2019

Work / Photography Photographer Eva Verbeeck looks at the place of young women in modern American society

With her ongoing series, America’s Girls, the Belgium-born photographer forges a community of young women with an emphasis on positive recognition, acceptance and encouragement.

Rebecca Irvin — 16 July 2019
Regulars / Double Click Simple, experimental and sophisticated websites all feature in Double Click July

This month’s Double Click is a testament to the diversity and variety that exists within the medium of web design.

Ruby Boddington — 16 July 2019
Work / Photography Turning her lens to those around her, Danna Singer reveals the story of a working class community

Capturing “poverty, addiction, teen pregnancy, abuse and lack of healthcare”, the portfolio of American photographer Danna Singer is one that’s filled with pain and honesty.

Ayla Angelos — 15 July 2019
Work / Animation “I don’t like doing the same thing twice”: Olivier Lescot on his new film’s aesthetic

Olivier has created yet another intricate world filled with character in an animated music video for Christian Rich’s Shibuya (Ghost II). Inspired by 80s manga comics, the Blinkink director discusses this new style of animation and what’s next for him.

Jyni Ong — 15 July 2019
Work / Photography Kyle Berger’s Photoshopped images exist in “a post-truth timeline”

The Canadian photographer’s new series, titled If There Was Money On The Ground Someone Would Have Already Found It, exposes the absurdity of our collective relationship with modern commercial capitalism.

Rebecca Irvin — 15 July 2019
Work / Illustration Illustrator Anshika Khullar creates snapshots of the lives of underrepresented people

With their myriad references and maximalist style, these illustrations are overtly political and true-to-life representations of marginalised people and their experiences.

Ruby Boddington — 15 July 2019

Work / Film Paris Hilton gives us the lowdown on where in the world is particularly hot

The New York-based directors Gigi and Roy Ben Artzi direct the Hilton heiress in a new film for lifestyle shopping platform Semaine. In Hot Weather, Paris takes up the role of a weather presenter, selecting the hottest and least hot places in the world according to her standards.

Jyni Ong — 15 July 2019
Regulars / In Conversation “AI felt like the next frontier”: Holly Herndon in conversation with It’s Nice That

We sit down with the musician to find out about her latest album Proto, produced with the help of an artificial intelligence called Spawn, and to discuss how the future of creativity may continue to evolve alongside such tools.

Ruby Boddington — 15 July 2019
Work / Illustration Franz Lang on understanding freelance illustration as a business

The London-based illustrator discusses the important lessons she’s learned since establishing herself as a freelance illustrator two years ago.

Jyni Ong — 12 July 2019
Work / Art Hester Finch's artworks portrays normal instances "rendered in a state of taut anxiety"

The London-based artist never limits herself to one subject or way of working, creating surreal and juxtaposing artworks.

Lucy Bourton — 12 July 2019
Regulars / Ones to Watch 2019 Regular Practice on returning back to the Royal College of Art for this year's show identity

For the second consecutive year (the year before that they were exhibiting in the show as students) It’s Nice That Ones to Watch have designed the Royal College of Art’s graduate show identity.

Lucy Bourton — 12 July 2019
Work / Digital AIDOL is a computer-generated fantasy world set during the 2065 eSports Olympics

Renowned digital artist Lawrence Lek continues to stun the world with his innovative artworks with his latest work AIDOL. Delving into the fields of virtual reality and simulation, Lawrence’s first feature film AIDOL tackles the relationship between humans and AI.

Jyni Ong — 12 July 2019