Hi I’m Andrew.
I write about design (and queer things among many others) and I design visual communication for print and online on a freelance basis. I teach part-time in contextual studies for BA Graphic Media students at the Colchester School of Art based at Colchester Institute. My design and writing can be viewed on my website.
In 2010 I passed with Distinction my Master of Arts in Design Writing Criticism at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. I always held a desire to write about design, but there wasn’t a course that combined design and writing until 2008 when MA DWC became the first course of its kind in Europe. The School of Visual Arts based in New York, USA had set up a critical writing course the previous year, so as part of the first cohort on MA DWC, for the eight of us we felt pretty unique.
My disposition to combine writing and design was formed while studying Visual Communication Design at Ravensbourne in the early 1990s. Teal Triggs was a lecture in Historical and Theoretical Studies and eventually became my course leader. It was Teal’s passion for design writing and criticism and her network of contacts that inspired and enabled me to collaborate with fellow Student Simon Letherland to design an essay written by Brian Schorn, that appeared in Emigre 36, 1995.
13 years later I reconnected with Teal and submitted an application to study on the Design Writing Criticism course at LCC, where Teal is Professor of Graphic Design, and course leader for MA DWC. I was accepted and the rest is history.
I am deeply indebted to (the old Chislehurst-based) Ravensbourne for the life-changing experience that it was, the most amazing tutors, such as Teal, and my dear friend and hero Geoff White (you can see and interview with Geoff on Tony Pritchard’s blog).
I have been working as a designer since 1995 both employed and self employed, and very much enjoy giving back my knowledge and experience through lecturing, I hope you enjoy my thoughts and views that I contribute to my blog and all comments and feedback is welcome.
Andrew
