Alex Bec Email

Alex Bec is one of the founding members of It's Nice That, a design blog that I check regularly, he is also a working graphic designer. I think that as a regular contributor to It's Nice That he will have a very broad understanding of design and be very aware of current trends and hopefully be able to give me some insightful answers for my design context publication.

Hi Alex

My names Angus MacPherson and in my 3rd year studying graphic design at Leeds College of Art. For my final major project I am producing a publication entitled 'Typography: Process and Product' looking at how developments in technology have influenced design over the last century. The final section of the book looks at design in the 21st century or post digital design and reasons why even though it is possible to do practically anything with a computer designers still put a huge amount of energy into using manual design and production techniques.

I am a big fan of It's Nice That (I just recieved the lovely third publication with the huge Parra print. Thank you very much!!) and I think your, obviously very broad persepective on design would make your opinion on current trends very relevant. It would be brilliant if you could answer a few quick questions for me.

Many thanks
Angus MacPherson
www.angus-macpherson.co.uk

1. When you embark on a new brief to what extent does the production method inform the ideas you come up with?

2. With the way graphic communication, advertising and promotion is becoming increasingly digitised why do you think a physical, printed products still hold such a fasination for designers?

3. To what extent do you think expertiemental and premium finishing techniques are relevant to non designers? Do you think the average man in the street will notice or care about your beautiful die-cut, spot varnished book cover for example?

4. Where do you see the future of graphic communication in 20 years, how much printed collateral do you think we will still need?

5. Where you involved in design pre the introduction of the apple mac?

6. If you were what impact on your personal practice did the introduction of desk top publishing have? If not how has the role of the computer changed while you have been a designer?

7. In our current climate where, typographically, it is possible to do pretty much anything with a laptop and a digital printer, why do you think designers are still so interested in real physical graphics like paper cuts, models and the use of photography and manual production techniques like screen printing and letterpress?

Big thanks for your time