Johnny Hannah

Jonny Hannah was born in Dunfermline. He studied illustration at Liverpool Art School and then The Royal College of Art. Since 1998, he has worked consistently as an illustrator in most fields. He has collaborated with the animator Jonathan Hodgson, and in 2000 they completed 'The Man With The Beautiful Eyes', a five minute animation for Channel Four Television which went on to win many awards, including the BAFTA that year. In 2001 he co-published 'The Captain's Alphabet' with Peter Sampson at Merivale Editions, which like most of his fine printed ephemera, quickly sold out. Hot Jazz Special, a book of red-hot rhymes and cool cats, is his first offering for children and published by Walker Books. It was shortlisted for the 2005 Victoria & Albert Museum Illustration Award.

John Maeda

John Maeda is Japanese-American graphic designer, currently the president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Origianlly a software student in Massachusetts, he became intrigued by the work of Paul Rand and Muriel Cooper, particularly Cooper’s MIT Visual language workshop. After completing his master’s degree, he went from there to Japan to attain his PHD in Design.

His early work made use of electronic media in showing expression with computer imagery, combined with traditional artist techniques. In 2001, he received the National Design Award for Communication Design in the United States and Japan's Mainichi Design Prize. Published the Laws of Simplicity in 2006 to help inspire and overcome complexity. 

Joel Stewart

Joel Stewart was born near Barnsley and from an early age had a keen fascination with picture books. With a First Class Honours degree in Illustration from Falmouth College of Arts he has gone on to illustrate numerous books and has exhibited in several important exhibitions in England and abroad. The Adventures of a Nose by Viviane Schwarzis was one of the first commissions he got and created the designs for, and won him the Parents Choice Silver Medal award in 2002. He has illustrated such classics as Tales of Hans Andersen, translated by Naomi Lewis and provided imaginative pictures to Lewis Caroll’s Jaberwocky. 

Ian Pollock

Since graduating the Royal College of Art in the 1970s Pollock has been an important figure in British Illustration. His anarchistic and uncompromising approach to his subject matter has made him a highly respected illustrator both in the UK and internationally.

His notable work commissions being posters for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The London Dungeon, a set of postage stamps entitled ‘Tales of Terror’ for the Royal Mail. Currently working freelance and as a recluse in the Macclesfield area taking what work he can, even quoting “I will work for anyone – even the taxman.”

Designers Republic

The Designers Republic is a graphic design studio, based in Sheffield, England and started in 1986. Known for the there anti-establishment attitude, while also being open to the benefits of consumerism and uniformity of branding. Originally the Republic was formed to design flyers for the band Person to Person, of whom Ian Anderson was managing at the time. During there time creating record covers for bands such as Moloko, The Orb, Pulp and Supergrass.

Outside of music they created the visuals and packaging for the 1995 video game Wipe out and in 1997 Grand theft Auto for playstation. They worked with Swatch in 1996 to help in the designs of a new watch, and also mny of the visuals on the 1998 PC game Hardwar. After 23 years in business the Republic closed down on January 20^th 2009.

Alan Fletcher

“Design is not a thing you do, it’s a way of life.”

Began his studies from the age of 18 at Hammersmith School of Art and Central School of Art after that. After a year teaching English in Barcelona he returned to London in 1953 to study at the Royal College of Art. Then proceeded to take on a scholarship at the School of Architecture and Design at Yale University.

Afterwards staying in New York to start his career, working for the Container Corporation, Fortune magazine and IBM. Upon returning to London in 1959 and becoming one of the most important figures in British Graphic Design, co-founding Fletcher/Forbes/Gill in the 1960’s and Pentagram in the 1970’s. Creating designs for the likes of Pirelli, Cunard, Penguin Books, BP, Olivetti, the Victoria and Albert museum, Lloyds of London, Domus magazine, London transport, Shell and Toyota.