GeneralPublic aims to create graphic design “for everyone”

“GeneralPublic is based on the idea that design is for everyone,” Mathilde Lesueur and Jérémie Harper who co-founded the Paris-based graphic design studio tell It’s Nice That. This attitude sees the pair creating projects that “don’t force a style,” and “set the bar high without being too exclusive,” meaning the studio’s projects are able to produce the most gratifying solutions for clients but also stand the test of time.

The duo met while studying at École Estienne in Paris but went their separate ways after graduation. However, while working as freelancers for several years, they found they kept coming back together to work on projects. When the pair realised they were sharing nearly three-quarters of their projects, they decided to make it official and form GeneralPublic.

As a studio, collaboration is at heart of what they believe in. This is both between themselves – their practices complement each other as they both obsess over work in very different ways – but also with other designers and, more importantly, their clients. Instead of imposing ideas and concepts, Mathilde and Jérémie prefer to “work with rather than work for. From our experience, this always produces a better design,” they explain.

GeneralPublic largely tackles print projects within the cultural and industrial fields but aims to keep a diverse clientele to ensure it never gets bored with what it does. One of its oldest (and favourite) projects is Revolver Zeitchrift für film. The magazine was founded almost 20 years ago by Christoph Hochhausler, a German film director, alongside some of his peers from the film industry. As Mathilde and Jérémie had previously used graphical experimentation to question the translation of cinema (the focus of Revolver) into print form, Christoph invited them to collaborate on the magazine.

Mathilde and Jérémie took over the art direction, heading up the layout and cover design but also creating a unique set of images for each issue. Each series of said images translates various words or phrases into collage to be included in the publication. “This project nourished our love for collections, experimentation and cinema,” the pair says. Indulging in projects that are more personal is really important to them as it affords them the ability to take a step back and avoid comfortable choices, even when faced with heavy workloads.

A more recent project saw the studio creating the catalogue for architecture agency Pierre Yovanovitch’s exhibition in New York entitled Oops. The exhibition was a collection of extravagant but beautiful furniture, designed by the agency and so GeneralPublic needed to translate this somehow on to the printed page.

The studio utilised bold shapes, inspired by the collection, to represent the materials, refinements and strong commitment to craft prevalent throughout the exhibition. The catalogue features close ups of the materials used and is printed on textured coloured papers inviting interaction and touch from a reader while also creating powerful visual impact.