A collection of red rectangular cards are scattered and overlapping across the frame. The words “Picturing Thoughts” are written in white across the centre.

Graphic Design: Iancul brings his inner thoughts to visual life in ace new booklet

Words: Rob Alderson
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Date: 4 July 2013; Work
Graphic Design
Publication

Hey guys, great news! You know that awkward moment when someone asks you who your favourite Romanian graphic designer is and you just go all awkward and quiet and they hate you and leave? Right? Well we’ve got you covered, because we’ve just been sent a beautiful new publication from Iancu Barbărasă, a brilliant brand identity designer based in London. For a while now Iancul (the name he works under) has run a blog called Picturing Thoughts, “an ongoing personal project which turns thoughts into images, thereby creating space for more interesting thoughts.”

The images are a really fascinating insight into a designer’s mind, and it’s fun to compare and contrast the entries here with his consummate – but very different – client work. Now Iancu has collected some of his favourite entries into a lovely booklet where his clean, unfussy design approach gives them room to be enjoyed as an eclectic set. The vivid red cover first caught my eye when it landed in the studio but the quality within kept me interested – and the good news? This is billed as Collection 1 so watch this space!

An open book rests on a background of red paper. The right page features a geometric abstract illustration in red, black and blue, while the left page contains a short introductory text. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book displays two contrasting pages against a red background. The left page features a colourful collage of hands with the text “THINK WITH YOUR HANDS”, while the right page shows a blue and white geometric illustration. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a textured red background. The left page features a red abstract face on a pale purple backdrop, while the right page shows a bold black curved shape on white. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a red background. The left page features a dark brown block with the text “MIGHT AS WELL ADMIT IT, THIS THING WILL NEVER BE ‘DONE’”. The right page shows a grey textured image with the words “I DIDN’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS” overlaid by the word “MAKE” in red. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a background of folded red paper. The left page shows a 3D white cross on a dark background, while the right page features the word “BETTER” in bold, black typography with a red arrow pointing upwards. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a red background. The left page is yellow with a large, stylised “Ask” and the right page is black with the word “Play” in multi-coloured letters. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a background of red paper. The left page features a bold, black typographic “W” followed by a question mark, while the right page shows a hand-painted black “S” with a red eye in the centre. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a red background. The left page is yellow with a red abstract line drawing, while the right page features a red circle on a blue background containing the letters “T”, “L”, “A”, “N”, and “E”. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a bright red background. The left page features red text arranged in an oval that reads “obvious begins as almost never”. The right page shows a blue, hand-drawn floral shape containing the words “REMEMBER ME” with a short line of cursive text below. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a red background. The left page shows a large, white, stylised letter “Q” on a black background, while the right page features a photograph of a blue building facade framed by a bold red border. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

An open book rests on a bright red surface. The left page features a series of graphic elements, including a gold bar labelled “TALENT” and a set of playing cards. — Above
Iancul: Picturing Thoughts – Collection 1

Further Info

www.iancul.com
www.picturingthoughts.com

About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

Graphic Design: Iancul brings his inner thoughts to visual life in ace new booklet

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