Hello, apologies for the radio silence! I’ve been keen to get back to this series but things have got a little crazy this year (not least the new website, I hope you like it!)
Welcome back to, ‘The making of’, an interview series where I’ll be exploring the diverse and dynamic world of design by speaking with creatives from all corners of the industry. From full-time professionals to freelancers and business owners, I’ll be featuring a wide range of voices—each offering their own unique insights into their craft. By diving into the complexities and talents that define the design world, my goal is to share a comprehensive and nuanced perspective of the industry.
Today features Darren Leader, I had the pleasure of him being one of my lecturers whilst studying at Norwich University of the Arts and we have kept in touch ever since. He’s a fantastic designer and recently has been working on a fascinating project on medieval marks. We discuss that and more below!
Charlie Garrod – Hi Darren, great to chat with you. Starting off, what motivated you to begin a career in design?
Darren Leader – Looking back I was incredibly lucky and it was because of two people that said the right thing at the right time.
Although I was from a working class background, my mum always wanted me to attend art school – she is a gifted calligrapher but was never encouraged by her family to explore the potential of that skill – it was wrongly regarded as worthless.
I remember as a child in the 1970s we would sometimes stand outside Norwich School of Art (now Norwich University of the Arts) and she would say to me, ‘one day you’ll go here’ – which was quite prophetic, although the pathway would be circuitous.
Years later and I left school with no clue or career guidance, but in 1985 I began an A Level Art course at a Sixth Form. It was headed by the artist Michael Toll. He encouraged a group of us to study graphic design and apply to Great Yarmouth School of Art and Design – the course run by Steve Warden was transformative. But to be honest, there was no one personally around me that understood the purpose of graphic design – I was forever explaining that it was all around us.
My biggest design influence was my record collection, featuring sleeves designed by Peter Saville Associates, Malcolm Garrett and Mark Farrow. That work had an attitude that was missing from most 1980s graphics and it encouraged me to unlock similar connections from graphic design history.
Norwich Union branding by Wolf Olins.
CG – Can you outline your pathway through the industry?
DL – I was determined to follow a graphic design career and that drive was important. My first big break was actually working client-side, in the Creative Services department at Norwich Union (now Aviva) in 1993 – just in time for the roll-out of their new identity designed by Wolf Olins. Understanding brand and its daily communication was a valuable experience. The skills I learnt there would be later developed at advertising agencies such as The Point, Fox Murphy and MBA.
Later I found working freelance could be limiting. It was in 2008 when I launched my own independent design practice that I fully expressed my own creativity. I particularly thrived by working with education, heritage and cultural clients.
Teaching at Norwich University of the Arts.
CG – What inspired you to move into teaching?
DL – It wasn’t planned but it happened at the right time. In 2007 I met Andy Campbell at a Norfolk Network event, and he radiated positivity and creative energy – qualities that led him to became Head of the Graphic Design department at Norwich University of the Arts.
We must of had a great conversation because Andy soon invited me to teach part-time on the Graphic Communication course. And similar to my first experience at Great Yarmouth School of Art and Design, it was genuinely transformative. I loved teaching. It felt like a constant flow of research, experimentation and discussion. And Andy encouraged an enquiring, creative spirit that opened the courses to industry and raised Norwich’s profile to the highest standard. I’m very proud of the graduates that we taught there.
CG – You have recently published your first book on medieval marks, this is such a fabulous project. Can you tell me a little bit about how this idea came about?
DL – Ten years ago I began working with Unlocking the Archive at University of East Anglia to share their research into historic Renaissance books.
I was fascinated by their typography and grid systems but I also noticed that most books featured their own printer’s mark. This initiated a study that culminated in Logo Redux (2021), a zine published by LogoArchive.
This publication featured a collection of European marks from the first era of print, but our research also uncovered the influence of merchants’ marks. These curious devices were emblematic of an individual’s identity and craftsmanship and were recognised by a mostly illiterate society.
It appeared to be an over-looked period of design history and presented an opportunity for further investigation, later documented in the book, Logo Rewind: Trademarks of Medieval Norwich (2023). It features a collection of merchants’ marks originally sketched by John Kirkpatrick (1687–1728), an antiquarian that documented each logo owner, their occupation and location. Recreating each mark is a captivating process that makes me experience Norwich differently – imagining a city of weavers, brewers and busy mercantile trade and spotting medieval marks that can still be seen today.
Logo Redux (2021), a zine published by LogoArchive.
CG – How do you go about creating these modern interpretations of these fascinating old marks?
DL – I firstly study historical draftsman drawings and select designs that are striking in their composition to be remade in software such as Adobe Illustrator and Indesign. Each logo remake is faithful to its original geometry.
Present-day design methods tend to create a precision that enhances each logo device, rendering it familiar to modern eyes accustomed to seeing contemporary logos. I see it as digital preservation that is comparable with previous historic methods.
CG – What have you learned about modern branding from looking back at these old marks?
DL – I think there is a clear compositional link between modern-day logos and marks from the distant past. They share that ‘less is more’ aesthetic. Recently I’ve been looking at 20th century designs by Michael Olyff, Roger-Virgile Geiser and Walter Breker – they had created marks similar to medieval designs – you can recognise the modernist skill of distilling a mark to a minimum of elements to create compelling new forms. And that instinct appears to be evident in historic mark marking.
Logo Rewind: Trademarks of Medieval Norwich (2023).
CG – In what ways do you inspire yourself to create?
DL – I’m always interested in seeing other people’s creative work, whether in art, design, photography, fashion or architecture. Finding out its story or process tends to nurture the research skills required by every design project. I love music and the visual world that an artist creates – but also in film, the recent television series Severance is great example.
CG – Can you describe your typical day as a designer? Are there any specific rituals or habits that support your work?
DL – I now work in a home studio, so a morning walk is important to begin each day. Actively looking at design and reading about the latest projects has always been habitual. Maintaining curiosity is important with a combination of research, writing and design. We work office hours but stepping away from the studio creates a calm distance where I can look at design work as a typical observer. While resting I will review a current design on my i-phone and evaluate the design decisions made that day. It sparks new thinking and anticipation to return to the studio the next day.
Darren Leader Kirkpatrick sketch.
CG – Do you foresee AI tools becoming commonplace in your process?
DL – Not in my present process, but I am open to its possibilities, especially regarding future opportunities for the Logo Rewind project. It’s important that today’s designers master these new processes, that said, I currently have nagging doubts. AI does not excite me. I’m suspicious how it is being pushed into all we do. I don’t want AI to replace our natural ability to analyse and problem solve or the designer’s craft replaced by typing prompts. But let’s see.
CG – What strategies do you use to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
DL – Home and family life is important – I love planning and cooking meals – it’s a creative act that recharges me. I prioritise rest to think and daydream. Listening to music is my escape and thinking about each artist’s story – in particular the history of Factory Records fascinates and inspires me.
CG – Has your process evolved since the pandemic?
DL – There has certainly been an impulse to explore self-initiated work and keep busy. I still enjoy and welcome commercial work, but my study of medieval marks drives me forward to uncover more history. And it’s working toward outcomes such as books, exhibitions, talks and workshops to engage a wider audience.
Spread from Logo Rewind: Trademarks of Medieval Norwich (2023).
CG – Do you have a preferred setting or environment to work in?
DL – A design studio with a large white table, a laptop and wi-fi. Music is always playing and I’m surrounded by design books and a view of roof tops.
CG – What advice would you offer to creatives just starting their careers?
DL – For those beginning a degree be open, curious and willing to work – graphic design may appear intimidating with much to learn and master but it’s accepting that it takes time to nurture knowledge and critical thinking.
Similar to a medieval apprentice learning their craft, graphic design is a daily practice which soon becomes one of life’s great loves. This profession is about life-long learning and it will continue to surprise its practitioners with new discoveries and opportunities to improve.
Additionally, surround yourself with people that encourage, inspire and develop you – this applies to friends, colleagues and employers. Coupled with your commitment to learn, personal and professional growth is guaranteed.
You can see more of his work at: darrenleaderstudio.co.uk. I also highly recommend picking up a copy of his latest book: Logo Rewind: Trademarks of Medieval Norwich (2023).
