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The Newsletter 140
Projects, jobs, mockups, books and more
Case studies
A science-focused overhaul
Founded in 2009, transatlantic pharmaceutical company Bicycle Therapeutics harnesses the Nobel Prize-winning research of Sir Greg Winter to develop ‘bicycles’ – a groundbreaking therapeutic modality. With roots in both Cambridge, UK and Boston, USA, it promises a new era in transformative medicine targeting diseases with high therapeutic needs. To support the company’s new phase of expansion, creative consultancy Greenspace collaborated with them, working on three fronts – establishing the brand story, while creating a new identity and leading the interior design for Bicycle’s new HQ in Cambridge, UK.
A tale of two halves
For many people, the experience of student life in a new country can be an extremely novel one, filled with both delight and challenges, and when talking to their family back home, it’s easy enough to fabricate the odd white lie sometimes about the harder bits of life. In the case of Brooklyn-based designer Ian Chen, his studying experience was no different. But, during his time in the US – moving to Maine in 2015 for high school before shifting to Chicago for college – he became aware that what he was experiencing in daily life and what he told his parents were two completely different things. “I maintained regular FaceTime conversations with my parents, often two or three times a week,” he explains. “This routine was a vital connection to my family, but it also highlighted a fascinating aspect of communication – the tendency to share only the positive aspects of our lives while concealing the more challenging or unpleasant experiences.” As a result, he created his book, ‘Sorry Mom, I Lied,’ to better understand this duality and contrast the lies and truths told over the years and the conversation between two cultures, through the use of two language systems – Chinese and English.
A work of wonder
The Contented Copywriter, a content agency in Sydney, had been growing for a while, from just being able to deliver great copy to becoming a one-stop shop that could craft strategy and design. And so, it needed to be repositioned; neither the name nor the visual identity was representative of the scale of strategic support they were offering their clients. To do this, its Founder, Brooke Hill, reached out to creative director Belinda Hubball and co-creative lead Elizaveta Pogossov to create an identity that would shape a fresh path for the agency.
Defiant decentralised spirit
A galvanising force in the world of Web3, [REDACTED] is a movement responding to the increasing centralisation and monopolisation of technology by Big Tech corporations. Taking place online and IRL in Bangkok, Thailand, the event's goal is multifaceted: to foster collaboration, drive innovation, and empower communities to shape a decentralised future. It promises to be a melting pot of ideas, featuring workshops, discussions, and a hybrid hackathon with substantial prizes, all geared towards exploring the intersection of AI and Web3 technologies. Ultimately, [REDACTED]’s rallying cry aims to inspire and mobilise the Web3 community, setting the stage for what promises to be a landmark event in the ongoing evolution of decentralised technology. Their look, designed by London-based design agency Fold7Design, embraces the nostalgia and activist spirit of the dark-mode lo-fi aesthetic.
Interviews
Angel & Anchor
From its humble beginnings as a one-man operation to becoming a respected name in expressive, personality-driven branding, Angel & Anchor’s journey is one that TBI has been thrilled to follow. As the Belfast-based design studio celebrates its 10th anniversary, we sat down with Founder & Creative Director Ben Connolly to reflect on this decade of creative evolution. And what a decade it’s been! In this comprehensive interview, Connolly looks back on the studio’s growth, vital lessons learned, and his shift from hands-on designer to Creative Director. In the run-up to revealing Angel & Anchor’s refreshed brand identity and new website, he also reflects on how both the studio and he himself have transformed over the years – from wrestling with perfectionism to embracing collaboration and nurturing meaningful, long-lasting relationships.
Take five with POV Budapest: Buck
As the anticipation builds for POV Budapest (it’s almost here!), the premier Hungarian design event, we’ve been chatting with the line-up of top industry speakers to give you a sneak peek into what’s in store! Why did the debut edition of the festival catch their eye? What topics and subjects will their talks touch upon? And what Budapest attractions are on their must-see list?
For BUCK, one of the most anticipated speakers at the conference, it’s been a wild, wild ride over the past two decades. The global creative company – which has roots in motion graphics and animation – turned 20 this year. Having been around that long, they know a thing or two about how the creative landscape has changed. And yet, if you speak to them, you’d pick up on the energy of a 20-year-old company that’s just getting started.
At POV, the company will bring slices of its experiences over the years, letting the audience into their journey. To double down on the details, we spoke to Vincent Lammers, Executive Creative Director, based in Amsterdam, and Camille Chu, Group Creative Director, based in LA. Together, they give us a bird’s eye view of where BUCK has been and where they find themselves now, talk about their comfort in showing up more in the branding space, and promise to share their “somewhat outsider POV” with attendees at the conference.
News
LABASAD launches its Online Master in Brand Design
At LABASAD, Barcelona School of Arts & Design, everyone is committed to cultivating creativity. Through their many masters courses in design, the 100% online school has been educating and shaping the next generation of designers. To help sculpt careers even further, they’ve now launched their Online Master in Brand Design, a holistic one-year programme that dissects both the macro and micro nuances of designing for contemporary brands today. Before it dives into the details, the programme takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture – the expansive history of branding – and then digs into the specific modules that develop key skill sets, leaving all students ready to jump into the industry.
Templates
“On a personal level, I’ve grown a lot. My only studio experience is the one I created.”
Ben Connolly, Angel & Anchor
11th September 2024
Books
M to M of M/M (Paris) Vol. Two
French-born Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak established M/M (Paris) in 1992 with the aim of expanding the notion of what an image could be. Originally working for small independent music labels, the pair caught the attention of the fashion world through collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto and Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and later produced advertising campaigns for Jil Sander, Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Loewe and Calvin Klein.
The pair have pushed the boundaries of graphic expression for over 25 years, often superimposing surrealist collages or drawings in order to create an effect that is entirely their own. M to M of M/M (Paris) Vol. Two showcases hundreds of projects from the past decade of their illustrious career and includes interviews with major collaborators such as Peter Saville, Steven Meisel, Miuccia Prada, Jonathan Anderson and Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Jobs
