Hello, my name is...

There are few professions for which self-promotion is more important then that of graphic designers, for it is on the material that they produce to sell their own services that they will be judged. And if designers can’t design a decent piece of self-promotional materials, what hope do they have of convincing a potential client that they could do a good job for them? Our biggest-ever feature, presenting the self-referential work of 25 artists and their views on how best to introduce yourself to the world.

In their own words

It is said that every designer is in love with typography – but some are more so than others. These 11 exponents of the art of the alphabet simply live for letters. See what the big attraction is, how it all started for them, what keeps them interested and where they aim to go from here. And take a sip of the tasty alphabet soup that is their work.

The Joys of being Hands-On

Most of us started out, as kids, with a love of drawing – remember that feeling of excitement when the teacher or your mum placed a piece of pristine paper in front of you and a box of coloured crayons? Despite the incredible advances in digital technology, enabling even those who are incapable of drawing a straight line or a recognisable human figure to be “artists”, this is a sensation that has stayed with some who have gone on to become professional designers, but still love to draw by hand, even if they continue to use the computer for some aspects of their work. We talk to 10 of them about the attraction of being hands-on.

Handy Graphics

Craft designers say they love being “hands-on”, that the feel of real material between their fingers and the inevitable imperfections of the process make it more exciting than purely digital work. They also say that it has its drawbacks – mistakes cannot be rectified with a click of the keyboard and it tends to be time-consuming! Read what they have to say about their art – and view the result.

Designers turning us all into shopaholics

We all have our favourite places to shop, browse, eat and drink or just hang out, but did you ever wonder what makes them your favourite? Feeling “comfortable” in the space is a large part of the attraction, albeit subliminal. And this is the result of a lot of hard work and inspiration on the part of what are known as retail designers. We have gathered together eight top names in the field, all experts at giving body (retail design) and soul (visual identity) to the biggest of brands.

Shaping up to geometric design

It is probably the most difficult design form to define since in many ways it underpins the entire discipline. But one thing it is not, in the hands of our 10 featured practitioners, is cold and calculating. They each explain how geometry shaped their design world – and why they feel so passionately about it. And their selected artwork helps to square the circle.