2021

William Lyons

I’m Will Lyons, a graphic design graduate specialising in typography, editorial design, information graphics and motion design.
Whilst my degree studies have helped me become increasingly fluent in contemporary technologies, I’ve also always been drawn to more analogue methods of creating, from traditional hand-drawn lettering, to pre-digital processes such as screen-printing and collage.

Regardless of the medium, I have a passion for creating visually striking graphics by experimenting with, and combining, different processes. I strive to find new and interesting ways to present my work, and I'm always conscious of the professional context in which it lies. My practice is an ever-evolving and experimental process.

My main interests lie in editorial design/layout, and in typography and hand-drawn lettering. On the one hand, I love taking complex information, finding ways to illustrate it graphically to make it compelling and accessible, and placing it in a disciplined grid on a double page spread. On the other, I’m equally drawn to working away from the computer, hand-drawing my own lettering and creating fonts, and outside of my college studies I’ve taught myself some of the skills of traditional signwriters.

Before undertaking my degree in Graphic and Media Design at the London College of Communication, I spent a semester at the Rhode Island School of Design, where I further developed my interest in graphics amongst likeminded peers. During my time in the US, I was given my first real glimpse into the working world of design, which aided me in my decision to study graphics at UAL.

I used my first couple of years at LCC to immerse myself in the different aspects of graphic design, making the most of the facilities in order to build my skills. I was fortunate enough to be accepted to undertake a year in industry, during which I worked at a handful of studios that specialised in branding and in FMCG packaging design. I also spent time working with a traditional sign writing studio, learning some of the skills of the artisanal and analogue craft.

I find inspiration in the work of past masters in the field, and have accumulated an increasingly growing collection of old graphic periodicals, typography manuals and logotype books! There’s a purity and simplicity in much of the work of the ‘50s and ‘60s which I admire. At the same time, I’m intrigued by finding ways to bring that same aesthetic to life within the new technologies, such as motion graphics and creative coding. Although these processes took me some time to wrap my head around, I enjoy finding the time to develop my skills in my free time, and I'm intrigued by the addition of motion to visually striking yet static visuals.

My Perspective on design.
“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.”
Thomas H. Huxley

Publication Design

One of my key areas of interest within design is the creation of publications and the vast amount of processes involved with book design. Several of my university briefs allowed me to explore this specific design industry, where I was able to immerse myself within the arduous process of creating a publication, from start to finish.

1.
I had previously undertaken a brief which led to the creation of the 'N Book'. The premise of this publication was to collect and organise a set of data, and to display it in a visually unique manner. Due to the broad nature of the brief, I decided to utilise a random number generator to direct my outcome. The number given to me was 47, from which I began to collect anything and everything I could find. The publication features 47 different pieces of data and accompanying infographics which are all united by the number 47. This project was driven by detail, and I even incorporated my selected number in the colour schemes (using 47 within the CMYK scale) and paper stocks.

2.
As a part of my major project unit in my final year of study, I tasked myself with creating a publication revolving around the current state of politics and the recent years of political turbulence we have experienced both in the US and the UK. At the time, I was being constantly bombarded with news updates about scandalous political affairs and I felt that my university brief would be a perfect opportunity to respond to the political discourse and divide that we have witnessed in recent years. With the publication being titled 'The Divide', I aimed to create a non-bipartisan publication, acting as a resource and presenting fact-checked information in a visually striking way. As a citizen of both the US and Britain, I cherished the opportunity to use current affairs within an editorial context.

Sign writing and Typographic design

During my time on my year out as a part of the Diploma in Professional Studies, I was fortunate enough to train under the well known, London based sign writer, Nick Garrett. During my time at his studio, I learnt about the dying craft of sign painting, and the incredibly detailed process of hand made lettering. From a young age, I have always created hand made lettering, and Sign writing has allowed me to continue this within a professional context.

The majority of my digital work stems from some form of hand created design, however, I adopted the craft of sign writing purely out of my own initiative. Although the craft can take years to reach any professional level, I have been fortunate enough to work on small commissions here and there; from drawing to painting.

Motion Design and Creative Coding

In contrast with the majority of my work being print orientated, I have also gained valuable experience creating motion graphics and pieces of code that exist entirely digitally. My experience within this field stems from my time spent at Kino Design, where I worked alongside a team of branding designers in order to create a series of motion design assets for an international corporation. I would love to find more professional opportunities that would allow me to work more with these processes.

Most of my motion design work is experimental and forms a collection of short animations. I found it incredibly liberating to explore these new processes, as even the smallest of ideas can exist on their own as visually striking pieces of design.

William Lyons

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