Can we talk about your upbringing ?

As a young child I grew up in America, in Connecticut, Riverside, not far from New York City. I remember the supermarkets and candy shops that were so full of temptation when you were a kid. I was living in an area where there were no fences, so we would go from one house to another and everybody on the block would speak to each other. As a child I grew up to think we should say hello to anyone we walk by in the streets. I am still surprised today how little people say hello to each other especially in the context of being neighbours. When I came back to France, I was six years old and went to school in a suburban city just outside of Paris. When you say ‘I grew up near Paris’ a lot of people say ‘Oh, you’re Parisian’, but it is actually quite different. Although they are very close it is just not the same atmosphere. You can tell people who really grew up all their life in Paris. We had one friend in our class who was truly Parisian, stylistically I always thought she was very elegant, and she still is! I met her when we were ten years old and I still know her now. We went to an international school, so had lots of courses in English, with English teachers. I loved their courses, I guess that’s what started attracting me to come to London again.

Did you always know design was for you?

When I was studying A-levels, I had the option to take on more arts classes. I always liked drawing and painting, I did not envision graphic design as a career path then. I was really interested in studying language and literature because I had always been interested in words and how to communicate and to work with them. I have a visual memory so I loved spelling. It’s peculiar to go in between English and French, as I read much less French now so my spelling goes downhill, especially as I write and read mostly in English. Ideally, I would read newspapers and books in both languages more often but it tends to be mainly English these days. When I go back to France I sometimes speak in English as a reflex. Both languages are part of my identity and thinking, it’s all interwoven.

 “I was really interested in studying language and literature because I had always been interested in words and how to communicate and to work with them”

During your studies, were you encouraged to pursue your own style, and express yourself

My studies in typography at Estienne in Paris were highly specialised: type and editorial design. We were only 12 students in the course and still fairly young. The course was a perfect mix of projects to develop both our design voice and typeface design. There was a big print workshop with letterpress, lithography, lino, screen printing, where we often went and were encouraged to work with all the techniques. I remember these years as very privileged as we had access to so many resources and there were no fees. These years certainly set the foundations in defining my style. Then in my MA at LCC, London College of Printing at the time, it was massively different, as it was very self-initiated and self-led. You get a brief, you have tutorials, and unless you make use of the space at your disposal, they’re not going to ask you to, which was quite a radical difference from the course I did in Paris. I was the youngest on the course, I learned so much from the older students. It was hugely inspiring. Although the MA was focused on typography and graphic design I found myself creating photographic projects and large installations. I decided to focus my final MA project on visual impairment. I spent a lot of time at the RNIB and learned how to write in Braille. The MA was truly an experimental playground for design.

“I don’t give up easily and I work very hard. I like to be challenged, I am constantly in a pursuit of newness.”

What set your work ethic? Was it Paris, London, your parents?

I think it was all of the above as well as my drive to make things. The tutors I had at both courses were always pushing us a lot, in a good way, and they were very critical. I think you either hate it, or you take it on board and work harder to improve. I don’t give up easily and I work very hard. I like to be challenged, I am constantly in a pursuit of newness. You learn so much from different kinds of experiences and working with new people. When something does not work out I often think that it’s a great learning curve, how can your reinvent yourself and your approach to make it work. It’s important to take a step back and not repeat the same patterns in some situations. It’s by doing this that I have succeeded in many instances.

With that drive, did you have any specific aspirations?

I’ve always admired lots of design studios, but my mind was really set on the idea of working with an arts institution: The Barbican. I really liked the idea of discovering the ins and outs of an arts organisation, working closely with curators, programmers, marketing and seeing the backstage. When I got a job there it was an interesting time, as they were in transition between their old brand and the new one North had created. There was a lot of work to do in order to implement the new branding. At the time Sean Perkins, one of the North partners, suggested that for three months I should work in their studio part time, to find out how they were implementing the design. It was very formative and has had a huge impact on how I design. I was also very fortunate to work with William Allen at the Barbican who let me work on so many projects, I think it was the ideal first job. When I went to the ICA it was a similar situation, I arrived around two years after it had rolled out new branding by Spin, so it was interesting to see how staff, visitors, and the artists there related to the brand. I have found on occasions that design studios are critical of designers that work within institutions. One of my aims has always been to prove them wrong. You hear people say ‘in-house’ designers, I absolutely disagree with that term. You don’t call a marketing manager an ’in-house marketing manager’, there is no distinction.

This is the beginning of a milestone in your career, when you initiated the change that led to the current ICA identity…

When I was there it seemed that a lot of people didn’t identify with the visual identity that was in place. Working everyday with a visual identity that visitors, internal staff and artists are constantly challenging, I felt I should work to do a rebrand. This was not immediate and it took two years before we were in serious discussion about it but it was always in the back of my mind.

Did the structure of the design team there affect that process?

There was no design team as such. I was the only designer, but as the work load grew, I put in place an internship scheme. I found a scheme called ‘Leonardo’ which funds students from other European countries to go work abroad, I was very fortunate that several talented graduates came to work with me, sometimes for a few months. One of them was particularly good: Frederic Tacer, we worked really well together. On occasions external designers / design studios where commissioned for a specific project by one of the curators, and I would think – I really want to do this project – it became a matter of getting to know the exhibitions team, gaining their trust to get these projects allocated internally or at least having a discussion before these were allocated. It was not easy and I worked really hard to get my work recognised internally. It meant working round the clock to do the usual designs I was brief to do and then create the designs for all the additional bits I aspired to do. One of the highlights was creating the visual identity for Nought to Sixty curated by Mark Sladen and Richard Birkett.

“I’m really against pitching for free. Do you know any other industry where it happens so much? We all have a duty to say no to free pitching and educate people who approach us for this”

 

And the people that originally commissioned that brand, where they open to change?

They were. They could see and hear the same problems I was, so they were open. A lot of people felt that they hadn’t been listened to or included and I think that is a hard thing for institutions, how you can involve everyone. I started by having conversations, not forcing anything, which eventually led to me putting a proposal to the Director at the time, and he said if you can show me how we’re going to do it, lets do it. So I did loads of research, because I’d never worked on any institutional rebrand like that before, not at the early stages. I remember thinking when I took the job, that if I’m going to do this I want to make some kind of transformation, I want to take ownership of what it is, and to do that I need to work closely with all the teams, so they trust me.

You strike me as someone who is instinct-led, do you have a sure sense of what is yes and what is no?

I used to say yes a lot and be eager to help out people. Unfortunately a few times it back fired and I was exploited by people that I thought were friends. Today I am much more cautious with my time and with what I say yes or no to. You sometimes learn the hard way. I also found that a lot of people I had been helping never had the time to help me when I occasionally needed. It’s important to never expect anything in return but also important to surround yourself with the right people. I am quite selfless but as I am getting older I believe it’s actually essential to look after myself a bit more. I’m really against pitching for free. Do you know any other industry where it happens so much? We all have a duty to say no to free pitching and educate people who approach us for this. Would you ask various building companies to each build a section of your house before you decide which one to appoint? Last year I was offered three teaching position, and I declined each one of them. It was hard to say no as I love teaching but it was clear I had to decline: I am developing my studio work and have a lot of personal projects and dreams. I have done two solo exhibitions too since going independent. I still do talks, workshops and mentorship and would love to teach again in the future.

So what do you do in your spare time?

I always try to make time to meet new people and do something different. I used to spend a lot of time in meetings sometimes nearly up to two days a week when working full time. Now meetings are more occasional and I feel this has freed up time to make more things and design more. I like to be hands on. I find a lot of ideas also when I walk so I have reinstated daily walks in my routine. You’re neither on the phone or the computer, it’s the perfect time to disconnect and let your mind drift.

Recently, you have contributed quite a bit to the response from the design community to the various political upheavals across the world. Is this something you feel strongly about

I felt compelled to react visually on several occasions. It’s an impulse and often it’s emotional. Back in 2015 when further NHS cuts were announced I created a union jack flag using fragile tape. It was then seen in demonstrations and shared a lot online. When the referendum happened I also created a graphic (We love EU). I shared the logo online so people could print it at home and use it. I’ve always been inspired by the collaborative spirit of May 68 too. In 2012 I was awarded a grant by Creative Scotland and did a residency at Dundee Contemporary Arts where I invited fellow artists and designers to talk, debate, create and print over a few days. The project was named the 48 Hour Splash. I also created a set of illustrations for Do the Green Thing, a platform led by Naresh Ramchandani from Pentagram. It’s becoming more important than ever that people engage and stand up. Many politicians don’t have people’s interests at heart, we need to change that. I always think about how we can make a difference however small as designers. As designers, we have the skills and means to put things together and send out messages. So using design to talk about more than just commercial products is something I find essential, especially today.

“As designers, we have the skills and means to put things together and send out messages. So using design to talk about more than just commercial products is something I find essential especially today.”

Since making the decision to work independently, has your perception of yourself as an individual shifted?

I think who I am is so much linked to how I work, as designers we are so passionate about what we do, I’ve never seen my job as a chore. The professional me is very happy with the decision I took two years ago to set up my own design studio. I was in an amazing job as Associate Art Director at Phaidon, and it was not an easy decision to leave. Since then I feel I am in the right place. I have received calls from recruitment agents who’s offers I always politely turn down. I am happy where I am. I have a lot of freedom and my work life balance is good. I’m also very excited about the projects and collaborations I have had so far. One moment I’ll be working on a personal collection of works or a new version of my flip book, Le Theatre Graphique, and another I’ll be working on the branding for a new restaurant. I like that diversity, and to have the time, the luxury to be able to do all these things in one day.