Inside Egg: Graphic Design

If there is anything that’s just as important as decent a line-up for an event in electronic music, it’s the artwork. The artwork on a flyer or a banner online can heavily influence your decision to click a link or attend a certain night. The artwork has always been a fundamental part of the club’s history but it’s not exactly plain sailing. 

A successful producer or DJ (understandably) usually has specific brand requirements to adhere to and no artist in dance music is ever the same - something of a challenge for a designer in the music industry. 

Multiple technical skills and ability to work under pressure with a solid dose of patience is just the tip of the iceberg in the field of graphic design. Our two core designers Rick and Miles have been with us for 13 years combined, and have designed everything from monumental birthday flyers to captivating visuals for the club itself. 

Get to know more about the process of design and everything that comes with it, we chatted to Rick who joined the team back in 2006… 

Did you study graphic design in Brazil? Is it the same process in England, usually 4 years in Uni? 

Yes, I studied for 4 years but I did Industrial Design – Project of Product so for each product I created, I needed to do the visual promotion. That’s why I switched to Graphic Design. 

You helped to start Berlin Berlin here at the club and the artwork aesthetic for BB really stands out, always remaining consistent and never boring. How did you come up with the artistic vision for Berlin Berlin? 

The primal concept came from Laurence Malice then together we developed the visual identity together with the New Yorker illustrator artist, John Toth, who I worked with for a long time. 

What else do you do outside of Egg that’s related to electronic music? 

I am an event organiser mixed with promotion and design for the party Gold Diggers. Again Laurence gives me some ideas about what he wants. I then do the bookings of DJs and performance artists, the design artwork and social media posts - similar to what I do for Berlin Berlin but not as often. 

Your Instagram account features lots of buildings and architecture from different cities, do you ever take your surroundings from abroad into account when designing artwork? 

Yes, architecture is a big influence in what I do. It is related to a period of time and cultural movements so when I see a building, I imagine the fashion, paintings, restaurants and costumes etc. of that time which inspires me in life. 

Do you go to exhibitions in London regularly to get inspiration? 

Yes, I go to galleries and museums very often, not only in London but in many other places I visit. The last one I went to was one month ago in Berlin in a small gallery in the leather/fetish area Schöneberg. It was all gothic with dark, fetish horror paintings and sculptures which is one of my favourite styles of art. 

What do you think is next for graphic design? Maybe more animated artwork will be more present? 

I think at the moment graphic design is a mix of many different ways and platforms to present what you are trying to advertise. It can be something static or a gif or a video or the interaction of all of them mixed with a theme to expose in different channels like Instagram, Facebook, a printed magazine or a billboard that you can interact with. 

We have many more places to show our work nowadays compared to 10 years ago for example. We also have many more tools, technology and software to deliver it - which can only be positive. 

Miles has been with us for 3 years and is a self taught designer. Here he tells us a bit more about his creative background … 

How long have been a designer and where did you study? 

I've been working as a freelance designer for over 10 years in the music and film industry. I'm completely self taught and actually studied music production and sound engineering in Nottingham.

I think it all ties together creatively in the end. I use quite similar methods making music and making posters. 

Have you always done graphic design for the music industry or were you working in a more corporate environment before Egg? 

Before I joined Egg full time I working as an assistant editor/ technical coordinator for a documentary film company. I also transferred super 8mm film. I did a lot of other jobs before doing design full time. But I've always I was making posters for various parties in London and beyond, so always kept my hand in. 

When you’re given a brief, what’s the starting point for you? 

It can depend on what type of music the DJ is playing. I usually make the techno posters a bit weirder than the more commercial house sound on a Friday. Saying that I make a few completely different options for each party. 

For the Omar-S party I decided to do something that was nearly completely typography based – I've got quite a few books and the online resources are amazing so it's always great to check out for inspiration. 

What are your other projects do you do outside of Egg? 

I do a lot of work with independent record labels such as X-Kalay, West Friends and my own label Ears Have Eyes. I've also designed menu's for a Taco restaurant in Peckham and a dog food labels – so it really varies. 

Is there a designer who’s impressed you recently with visuals at a festival or certain artwork on for a label/night that’s really stood out for you? 

Al White's pretty decent. http://alwhite.tumblr.com/