Features
Work
News
Nicer Tuesdays
Shop

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

Advertising
Animation
Architecture
Art

Fashion
Film
Furniture Design
Graphic Design

Illustration
Interactive
Miscellaneous
Photography

Product Design
Publication
Sculpture
Set Design

It’s Nice That

About
Contact
Submit
Advertising Opportunities
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy

Network

Printed Pages Magazine
Here London Symposium
Nicer Tuesdays Event
Company of Parrots Shop
If You Could Jobsboard
Lecture in Progress
Anyways Creative Agency

All Sections

Features
Work
News
Watch
Publications
Events
Partnerships

Regulars

Things
Bookshelf
Diary
Friday Mixtape
Monthly Brief
The Graduates
Review of the Year
Ones to Watch
The It’s Nice That Podcast

Editorial Staff

Bryony Stone
Jenny Brewer
Lucy Bourton
Ruby Boddington
Daphne Milner

Social Media

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest
Tumblr
Soundcloud
Newsletter
RSS

Championing creativity

Advertising • Animation • Film • Graphic Design • Illustration • Photography •

View all categories

Funen_1 — Designbolaget: The Funen Art Academy

Work / Publication

Designbolaget is Denmark’s best kept design secret, and it’s wonderful

Words by James Cartwright, Monday 03 September 2012

Every once in a while we come across a studio with such astounding creative prowess we can scarcely believe we’d not heard of them before. Danish design studio Designbolaget have a portfolio of such magnitude and quality we’re amazed they’re not the darlings of the graphic design world – though with a client list predominantly based in the Netherlands and Scandinavia it’s perhaps understandable they’re not better known abroad.

With ten years of experience behind them, the studio has a strong handle on all aspects of their creative practice – art directing fashion shoots, designing identities for top creative institutions and book design are all second nature to the Designbolaget team. If we’re being completely honest we love their publications best for the sheer breadth of sylistic, thematic and typographic diversity they employ. Whether exploring niche subjects like the history of Danish tattooing or promoting public funding, their bound printed works communicate beautifully and are rarely less than stunning.

Funen_2 — Designbolaget: The Funen Art Academy

Kunsten_id_8 — Designbolaget: Kunsten Museum of Modern Art

Kunsten_id_9 — Designbolaget: Kunsten Museum of Modern Art

Kunsten_id_13 — Designbolaget: Kunsten Museum of Modern Art

Soren_lose_relicts_1 — Designbolaget: Kunsthallen Brandts

Soren_lose_relicts_3 — Designbolaget: Kunsthallen Brandts

Soren_lose_relicts_4 — Designbolaget: Kunsthallen Brandts

Soren_lose_relicts_2 — Designbolaget: Kunsthallen Brandts

www.designbolaget.dk

Words by James Cartwright, Monday 03 September 2012

Most Recent

Clean it, beach: Reto Schmid's new fashion series shines light on the plastic waste problem 24 May 2018
Short film Krista demonstrates the power of drama to overcome trauma 24 May 2018
Robert Rubbish takes us on a hazy, illustrated day of the places and people of Soho 24 May 2018
Studio Moniker’s collaborative painting tool turns the Earth’s surface into a giant canvas 24 May 2018
Tales of the sea: behind John Morgan’s identity for Island, the British Pavilion at Venice Biennale 24 May 2018
Photographer Pierluigi Macor travels to southern Italy to capture interesting characters 24 May 2018

More like this:

Work / Publication Robert Rubbish takes us on a hazy, illustrated day of the places and people of Soho

Illustration fanatics are more than familiar with the work of Robert Rubbish. London dwellers will be familiar with the sight of him too. Usually found in Soho he can be spotted in the cafes and pubs populated by a unique community, who in an area of consistent gentrification manage to hold on to its inclusive and historic personality.

Lucy Bourton — 24 May 2018
Work / Publication Material is the magazine committed to female-identifying individuals

It’s difficult not to get excited about Material Magazine’s latest issue when it includes Nadine Ijewere, Hedvig Jenning and Osma Harvilahti among its list of featured artists. Characterised by its commitment to female-identifying individuals, Material cuts across disciplines like design, art, fashion, film and architecture to delve deep into and dissect a prevalent social issue. “The magazine seeks to unite bold visuals with an honest, no-bullshit approach to talking about women in creative fields. Even though we operate from Berlin and Vienna, we continue to collaborate with an ever-growing network of renowned international teams,” Kira Stachowitsch, the head of Material’s creative direction and strategy, tells It’s Nice That.

Daphne Milner — 23 May 2018
Work / Publication "Excitement, change and hope": a poster workshop in a Camden basement from 1968 to 1971

Back in between 1968 and 1971 in the basement of a building a Camden Town, anyone who wanted to, or had something to say, could drop into a poster workshop. It was a workshop that voiced its belief of belonging to people, but also needing people too, in order to fight for them: “You’re the people. Use it,” shouts its promotional poster. The work created over these three years, half a century ago has now been pulled out of the archive by London-based publishers Four Corners Books, coinciding with a new exhibition at Tate Britain, marking 50 years since the protests of May 1968.

Lucy Bourton — 23 May 2018
Work / Publication NXS magazine builds a network of contributors who reflect on "the self" in the digital era

“We came up with the idea of NXS while studying on our master’s programme at Sandberg Instituut,” recalls Monika Grūzīte, Juliette Lizotte and Florian Mecklenburg, the founders of the tall, skinny publication exploring “the self” in the digital age of technology. NXS, which stands for nexus, is true to its name with every issue building a network of contributors where each is asked to reflect and comment on a previous contribution.

Ruby Boddington — 17 May 2018
Work / Publication Super Paper is the cultural journal with regular design overhauls by Bureau Borsche

Super Paper lives up to its name. The Munich-based magazine is both superbly designed and informative; it updates its readers on art exhibitions, music and club events in the local area; it offers insightful articles on wider cultural and social issues; and it entertains its readers with satirical essays on the Bavarian lifestyle. “Each issue introduces a young as well as an established design studio, photographer or painter who accentuates a specific theme. The spreads include articles on art, fashion, places to be, exhibitions, literature, parties, and a chronological calendar. Most themes appear up to four or five times in a row. The magazine will then get a complete redesign," founder Hubertus Becker tells It’s Nice That.

Daphne Milner — 15 May 2018
Work / Publication Tim Walker and Molly Goddard team up on a new book

Photographer Tim Walker and designer Molly Goddard have announced the release of a new book, Patty. Styled by Molly’s sister Alice Goddard, the book is packed with pieces from Molly’s archive stretching back to her 2012 BA collection.

Bryony Stone — 11 May 2018

Work / Photography Clean it, beach: Reto Schmid's new fashion series shines light on the plastic waste problem

With a climate change denier in the White House, it’s important that we all do our bit to raise awareness around global warming and the detrimental effects pollution has on our planet.

Daphne Milner — 24 May 2018
Work / Film Short film Krista demonstrates the power of drama to overcome trauma

From the horror of Weinstein to the strength of the #metoo movement, it’s been difficult to have a conversation about acting in the past year without the shadow of sexual harassment looming large. Tapping into this atmosphere, short film Krista by director Danny Madden explores the low-level threat constantly levelled at women and the empowerment that can come from reclaiming those experiences. The film tells the story of Krista, a high school student using her theatre class as catharsis. “The idea came from a combination of stories we’d heard from friends and that first point of realising that the world has teeth,” explains Danny. “It aims to show that helpless feeling of not knowing where to point frustration and anxiety, and how the theatre can create a space for releasing it.”

Peppered with powerful cut scenes between Krista’s performances and the emotional experiences she’s channelling, the atmosphere of the film is made all the more intense by its sound design. Foot stomps, claps and vocal exercises from the drama group’s warm-up were crafted into a rhythmic pattern which builds in momentum as the film progresses.

Laura Snoad — 24 May 2018
Work / Publication Robert Rubbish takes us on a hazy, illustrated day of the places and people of Soho

Illustration fanatics are more than familiar with the work of Robert Rubbish. London dwellers will be familiar with the sight of him too. Usually found in Soho he can be spotted in the cafes and pubs populated by a unique community, who in an area of consistent gentrification manage to hold on to its inclusive and historic personality.

Lucy Bourton — 24 May 2018
Work / Digital Studio Moniker’s collaborative painting tool turns the Earth’s surface into a giant canvas

We’re big fans of Studio Moniker here at It’s Nice That. Based in Amsterdam, the interaction design studio churns out project after project that continues to surpass expectations and its most recent, titled Painted Earth, is no exception. Launched inline with the opening of the Galileo Reference Centre, the project sees Studio Moniker creating an interactive, collaborative painting tool that turns the surface of the Earth into a giant canvas.

Ruby Boddington — 24 May 2018
Partnership / British Council: Venice Architecture Biennale 2018 Tales of the sea: behind John Morgan’s identity for Island, the British Pavilion at Venice Biennale

For this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, the British Pavilion takes on the provocative theme of Island, with a bare-bones public space atop the building’s roof. Below, the building will sit empty of exhibits. Both the elevated platform and vacuous space below will host events throughout the Biennale’s six-month run, with a broad range of creative contributors interpreting the subject of Island in depth, so it was imperative the branding not interfere with this openness and diversity. It was a compelling task for designer John Morgan, then, to come up with a visual identity, and he laughs as he remembers the early meetings in the building’s void.

Jenny Brewer — 24 May 2018
Work / Photography Photographer Pierluigi Macor travels to southern Italy to capture interesting characters

Since the release of his book Bowie, Texas earlier this year, Italian-born photographer Pierluigi Macor has stayed very busy. One particularly striking project, which was commissioned by SZ Magazin, saw Pierluigi travel to a small town near Naples popular with the local population’s elderly citizens. “We didn’t know anyone there so we simply decided to show up and see what might happen,” Pierluigi tells It’s Nice That.

Daphne Milner — 24 May 2018

Work / Graphic Design Regular Practice return to design the RCA's show identity just a year after graduating

Just a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art (RCA), graphic design studio Regular Practice – made up of Tom Finn and Kristoffer Soelling – are back at their former academic haunt, having designed the identity for this year’s graduate show.

Lucy Bourton — 24 May 2018
Work / Graphic Design Cause & Effect's identity for Gi2018 embodies the character and presence of Glasgow

Glasgow International is Scotland’s largest festival for contemporary art, taking place across three weeks every two years. As a festival that places Glasgow in the international spotlight of the art world, it’s one that requires an identity which embodies the city’s personality and translates this on a global scale. For this year’s festival – Gi2018 – this responsibility fell to Kerr Vernon and Ed Watt of Glasgow-based studio, Cause & Effect.

Ruby Boddington — 24 May 2018
Work / Photography From sensuous fruit to mythical quests, Jacques Brun’s photographs are a masterclass in lighting

Whether the sun-kissed skin of youths in their prime or the petals of a dying flower, Paris-based photographer Jacques Brun uses light as both a structural and metaphorical tool in his image-making. “A photographer is a kind of hunter who tries to catch and control light, an untouchable pray, to speak about shape, time and feelings,” the ECAL graduate tells It’s Nice That. “This raw and precious material allows me to sublimate everyday things from life into a unique sculpture or transform anecdotal moments into timeless stories.”

Laura Snoad — 23 May 2018
Work / Publication Material is the magazine committed to female-identifying individuals

It’s difficult not to get excited about Material Magazine’s latest issue when it includes Nadine Ijewere, Hedvig Jenning and Osma Harvilahti among its list of featured artists. Characterised by its commitment to female-identifying individuals, Material cuts across disciplines like design, art, fashion, film and architecture to delve deep into and dissect a prevalent social issue. “The magazine seeks to unite bold visuals with an honest, no-bullshit approach to talking about women in creative fields. Even though we operate from Berlin and Vienna, we continue to collaborate with an ever-growing network of renowned international teams,” Kira Stachowitsch, the head of Material’s creative direction and strategy, tells It’s Nice That.

Daphne Milner — 23 May 2018
Work / Illustration Klas Ernflo’s illustrations for the Moderna Museet restaurant are a treasure hunt around the gallery’s collection

When wandering through Stockholm’s contemporary art museum Moderna Museet as a child, there were a couple of artworks that became permanently seared in Swedish illustrator Klas Ernflo’s imagination. Salvador Dalí’s surreally deformed portrait of William Tell, for example, particularly fired up young Klas’ creative juices, as did Frank Stella’s eye-boggling optical illusion Claro Que Si and Robert Rauschenberg’s Monogram, a sculpture that features a stuffed Angora goat that looks like it’s got its paint-smudged front end stuck in a rubber tyre.

Laura Snoad — 23 May 2018
Work / Photography In Search of Frankenstein by Chloe Dewe Mathews embodies Mary Shelley's "nightmarish vision" 200 years on

“I’m interested in the history of places and the human relationship to the landscape,” explains London-born, St Leonards-on-Sea-based photographer Chloe Dewe Mathews. With a background in fine art, Chloe spent four years working in the film industry before coming to photography as a way to “express myself in a much more spontaneous and economic way.” Now, through projects like Shot at Dawn which documents the sites at which British, French Belgian soldiers were executed for cowardice and desertion during the First World War, Chloe explores the parallels and juxtapositions that exists between humans and our surroundings.

Ruby Boddington — 23 May 2018

Work / Publication "Excitement, change and hope": a poster workshop in a Camden basement from 1968 to 1971

Back in between 1968 and 1971 in the basement of a building a Camden Town, anyone who wanted to, or had something to say, could drop into a poster workshop. It was a workshop that voiced its belief of belonging to people, but also needing people too, in order to fight for them: “You’re the people. Use it,” shouts its promotional poster. The work created over these three years, half a century ago has now been pulled out of the archive by London-based publishers Four Corners Books, coinciding with a new exhibition at Tate Britain, marking 50 years since the protests of May 1968.

Lucy Bourton — 23 May 2018
Work / Graphic Design Designer Marc Armand on graphically interpreting the French football team’s kit ahead of the World Cup

Marc Armand has a long list of accomplishments to his name: he is the creative director of Please! magazine; he has designed patterns for Desigual and Jean-Paul Goude; he has worked on countless collaborations with Nike as a graphic designer, typographer and type researcher. The list is endless.

Daphne Milner — 23 May 2018
Regulars / Bookshelf Michael Bierut shares the second-hand books which have "truly influenced" his practice

Having studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, Michael Bierut has been a central figure in the design world as a partner at Pentagram since 1990. Throughout his career, he has amassed a client list including the likes of The New York Times and Mastercard, and notably created the “H” logo for Hilary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Ruby Boddington — 23 May 2018
Work / Photography Photographer Sophie Stafford on shooting the Saharan desert’s largest celebration

To bring in the new year, the desert oasis of Douz in Tunisia transforms into an anarchic and event-packed four-day-long festival celebrating northern African Berber traditions. Featuring horse and camel racing, falconry, dancing and parades, it’s a visual feast as well as an important part of Tunisian heritage – a wonderland for a photographer keen to capture the heightened emotions of two worlds meeting.

Laura Snoad — 22 May 2018
Work / Illustration Taylor Benson's “old school” illustrations are inspired by anxiety, Seinfeld and 70s cartoons

Hailing from a small town in Washington State called Puyallup, illustrator Taylor Benson spends her time hiding from “a lot of white, truck-driving, pro-gun” Trump supporters. “I guess it’s good I grew up in a town that makes me never want to leave my house, because it forces me to stay inside and draw,” Taylor laughs.

Laura Snoad — 22 May 2018
Work / Art Rade Petrasevic reimagines still lifes in his vibrant, large-scale drawings

Whether it’s Paul Cezanne’s The Basket of Apples or Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit, we’re sure you’ve seen more still life paintings than you can name. But we’re also certain that you haven’t seen a still life quite like Rade Petrasevic’s interpretation of the genre. Rade, who lives and works in Vienna, decided to pursue art after leaving school at 14 as “there was no opportunity to study anything else”. The Austrian artist now spends his time reimagining and revising the traditional still life through his delicate and deceptively simple large-scale drawings of chairs, vases, flowers and sculptures.

Daphne Milner — 22 May 2018

Work / Animation Boys and beer: animator Laura Jayne Hodkin's hilariously unapologetic depiction of female friendship

It’s pretty rare that a piece of work really makes you laugh out loud, however, our first (and every subsequent) viewing of illustrator and animator Laura Jayne Hodkin’s Haley and Joanna had us in stitches. Although depicting an essentially mundane conversation between friends, Laura’s ability to comedically spotlight moments creates a weird but altogether relatable short that pokes fun at and celebrates female friendship.

Ruby Boddington — 22 May 2018
Work / Photography Photographer Jim Jocoy's book chronicles San Francisco’s booming 1970s music scene

During a phone call with Korean-born, California-based photographer Jim Jocoy, he tells me about a night he spent with Mick Jagger and Patti Smith after a stranger invited him to a party on New York’s subway. In light of this, it comes as no surprise that Jim’s latest book, Order of Appearance, chronicles his youthful years during San Francisco’s booming music scene in the late 1970s. Filled with snapshots of musicians applying final layers of make-up before going on stage and photos of drunken teens struggling to find their way home, Order of Appearance is a celebration of the vibrancy and dynamism of youth.

Daphne Milner — 22 May 2018
Work / Illustration Get to know Jyan Ku's lovely hybrid of "friendly art, not difficult art"

When South Korean-born and Brooklyn-based Jyan Ku sent over the illustrations to be featured in this article, the titles of the works had us in stitches. The file names such as, “Why Crying”, “A Little Bit of Juice For You” and “Hey Sweetie”, each describes the cutesy narrative displayed in Jyan’s work, but also comment on contemporary culture succinctly, particularly our interactions with one another.

Lucy Bourton — 22 May 2018
Work / Photography Tom Fox Shea’s portrait of Utah shows a sleepy state with underlying tensions

“I think Utah has a unique atmosphere with its extraordinary landscapes and the highly religious overtones of the population,” says photographer Tom Fox Shea, whose work often depicts the still, sometimes eerie suburbia of his home state. Part of the tension brewing in Tom’s photographs stems from the current mood in Utah, where religious Mormons (who are primarily Republican with high moral standards and conservative views) are struggling with life under President Trump. “As you can imagine, it makes for a divisive atmosphere, not only within the religion itself, but on top of an already divided state,” Tom tells It’s Nice That. “I think I’m often looking for the juxtaposition of this mood, trying to highlight a sense of calm or if showing stress, it’s under a subdued surface.”

Laura Snoad — 21 May 2018
Work / Photography Benedict Morgan exposes the trickery of a photography set in his Tableware series with Lisa Jahovic

There’s always something intriguing about how a visual illusion is performed, and it’s our curiosity towards such trickery that photographer Benedict Morgan has been investigating for years now. His latest personal work to do so is Tableware, a set of images revealing the “truths” of a photography set. Each shot – co-created with set designer Lisa Jahovic – is split in half, the top showing a printed photograph, the bottom showing the set in real life, immaculately sewn together in-camera. The results make anyone want to look closer.

Jenny Brewer — 21 May 2018
Work / Opinion Custom Typefaces: are they worth the hype?

Nayoung Kim is a designer at brand agency Superunion with “a big heart for type design”. Here, she explores whether custom typefaces are worth the hype, and the hefty price tag.

Nayoung Kim — 21 May 2018

Work / Photography Photographer Fred Lahache captures Morocco through the eyes of his childhood friend

When you’re a kid, stories of your mates’ exotic holidays to anywhere further than Bognor warrant considerable fuel for the imagination. For Paris-based photographer Fred Lahache, his best mate Hamza’s visits to Morocco would inspire hours of conversation between the two 12-year-olds, with Fred captivated by the very different experience of his closest pal. “I remember the stories he would tell me after each summer in Morocco with his family – the time of year we could not be together for a while,” says Fred. His latest project Looking for Hamza is an ode to the power of these stories and Morocco as an imagined destination – a visual diary of a holiday together that the pair never had.

Laura Snoad — 21 May 2018
Work / Graphic Design Salon de Montrouge's identity sees deep reds and pale pinks sweep through the gallery

The annual Montrouge Contemporary Art Fair (Salon de Montrouge) fills galleries with the upcoming artists to keep an eye on. An art fair full of excitement, possibilities and new talent needs an identity that embodies this sentiment, with graphic design of a high calibre to match the work it represents. Since 2016 this has been a task entrusted with Atelier Baudelaire, a Paris-based design studio well versed in applying creative direction to the cultural field.

Lucy Bourton — 21 May 2018
Work / Art Artist Genesis Belanger explores the strange things that advertising conditions us to want

From hot dogs peeping out of handbags and squeezing into strappy sandals to fruit bowls filled with bananas, strawberries and a casual boob, Brooklyn-based artist Genesis Belanger’s ceramic sculptures mix consumer goods with more than a touch of the surreal. Inspired by claymation, cartoons like The Simpsons as well as artists Dorothea Tanning, Louise Bourgeois and Fernando Botero, her work also draws heavily on the advertising industry, where she worked until breaking away to focus on sculpture. “The advertising industry understands the strength of visual persuasion and I find it fascinating that our desires can be manipulated through aesthetics,” Genesis tells It’s Nice That. “I use elements of that persuasive language in my work.”

Laura Snoad — 21 May 2018
Work / Animation "Football's Bayeux Tapestry": behind the scenes of the embroidered BBC World Cup trailer animation

Viewers who gathered in pubs and living rooms across the globe to watch the FA Cup final on Saturday were treated to an embroidered history of football at half-time. The short, made in the lead-up to the World Cup starting this June, is the product of months of work undertaken by The London Embroidery Studio and animator (and It’s Nice That Ones to Watch 2017) Nicos Livesey.

Lucy Bourton — 21 May 2018
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Will Anderson on his Bafta-nominated animation, Have Heart

Fresh from a Bafta nomination and winning best short at the British Animation Awards, animator Will Anderson spoke about his much-lauded film Have Heart. In a captivatingly simple aesthetic, the animation tells the story of a weary animated gif stuck in a loop on the internet, on the cusp of an existential crisis.

It's Nice That — 18 May 2018
Work / Graphic Design Bonjour Garçon combines photography and graphic design to make "strong and delicate" work

The brainchild of designers Romain Fritiau and Pierre Tostain, Bonjour Garçon is a studio with a distinct visual language, despite having only started working together in 2017. With a portfolio that consists of photography and graphic design, Romain and Pierre produce work that merges the two in a series of considered and clean projects.

Ruby Boddington — 18 May 2018

Keep up to date with It’s Nice That — Sign up for our daily newsletter and follow us on social media

Daily Round-Up
Weekly Top-Ten
Nicer Tuesdays
Printed Pages & Shop
Here

Please select the newsletter categories you'd like to recieve

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest
Tumblr
Soundcloud

21 Downham Road,
London, N1 5AA, UK

@itsnicethat
+44 (0)20 7739 5222

Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy

We use cookies on this website to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our products and services, provide content from third parties and assist with our promotional and marketing efforts. Please be aware that your experience may be disrupted until you accept cookies.

If you want to manage your preferences or find out more, please see our cookie policy.

I accept It's Nice That's use of cookies