Truth Design is a UK design studio/consultancy. They’ve created a great body of work. I especially like the invitation for the Reebok Pump relaunch event, shown above.

Milton Glaser recently agreed to design a #4 that the studio will use to create posters in celebration of their 4 year anniversary. I’m jealous.

Amazingly well-crafted design work coming from Swiss studio Moiré.

I don’t even know how to begin describing this Netherlands-based studio. Atelier Carvalho Bernau specializes in highly functional and painstakingly crafted design work. Their work is primarily print-based and typographic, in fact they do a lot custom typeface design. I love how their site captures the gorgeous letterforms they’ve created alongside photos of high-end book design projects.

All I can say is I want to work for SvB soooooo bad. Ridiculous. Amazing, Beautiful. They make it look so easy.

“Life of the Mind is the studio of designer, writer, and filmmaker Mark Owens. Founded in 2005, the studio pursues conceptually based projects in print, motion, and apparel design.

Before starting the studio Mark earned an MFA in graphic design from Yale University and worked closely with a number of New York design studios, including three years in the on-air design department at MTV Networks.”

Seok Jaewon runs a design studio in Seoul, Korea called Studio Heyday. Jaewon’s work is a blend of intelligently-conveyed thoughts and themes in a sequence of beautifully composed projects. I am a sucker for attention to detail, and Seok has that down pat whilst presenting new perspectives on social, cultural and personal topics in a charmingly enlightened manner.

The image above is by no means representative of all the work produced by the fabulous studio Skin in Norway. However, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a studio with a potato packaging project in their portfolio, I just had to post it. Check them out, they have great work.

I’m feeling the Swiss thing today I suppose; the long-term affects of having visited Geneva and Lausanne some years ago maybe? Probably not.

Studio Sport is a studio in Basel with some very nice work, give them a go.

A few years back I had the pleasure of hearing Deborah Adler speak at the Thinking Creatively design conference while I was a student. She was riding high on the recent success of her redesign for prescription medication packaging, specifically the bottle of pills you get when you fill a prescription at a local pharmacy. Target picked up the idea and worked with Deborah collaboratively to bring the system to market. It was an instant success.

I remember her lecture very vividly, she was then working at Milton Glaser Inc., and it became clear to me then as a student that designers could really do something valuable with their ideas. Looks like Ms. Adler is now running her own operation in NYC, Deborah Adler Design, and doing some nice work too.

Post Typography is one of those amazing studios that is capable of doing just about any kind of project conceivable. They’re located in Baltimore and get to work on custom typography, posters, books, illustration, packaging, clothing, logos & identities and web/digital projects.

OK, so lately I’ve been on this kick for looking up the work of design studios with an obvious modern/minimalist aesthetic. Grids, Helvetica (or other sans), black & white only, you get the point. Extra points if they’re in the UK. I’m not really sure why, but as I’ve “matured” as a designer (who know maybe I’m lying to myself) I’ve been able to see a greater attention to detail and clarity in communication that is so often associated with designers who think/create in this manner.

My friend Andy turned me on to the work of Fraser Muggeridge Studio in London, and at first I thought the work was too generic. It made me feel numb in fact. I got it right away, don’t get me wrong, I just wasn’t sure if I liked it. But then, as I began to look through each of their projects, I felt intrigued by the subtlety of their work. I was drawn in to actually look at the pieces, their purpose and message. I think there’s something genius about it now, they are designers that are able to show a tremendous amount of restraint in allowing the content to shine forth.

PS-Make sure to refresh the homepage a few times, different work tends to come up.

Music is a Manchester design studio whose work is not only brilliant, but also brilliantly displayed on their site.

One of our favorite studios, Willow in Belfast, recently updated their website with new work. Thanks for letting us know Will, amazing stuff as always!

Emily Lessard is a graphic designer based in Brooklyn. An MFA graduate from Yale, she’s worked at Heavy Meta and Ogilvy‘s Brand Integration Group (BIG). Check out the great work she does.

I’m lousy when it comes to French, but I’m pretty sure the name of French design studio Helmo translates to something like “badass”. Because that’s what their work is. I just want to get my hands on some of these posters they’ve done, incredible.

Everyone’s favorite Photoshop maven Chuck Anderson (AKA No Pattern) just updated his portfolio with some work for Microsoft, Google and Solace Magazine. If you don’t know now you know.

Lovely posters over at Spur Design.

One of my favorite studios right now is Project Projects. Their work makes up an impressive collection of websites, exhibits, books, identities and environments. Their work is consistently effective in it’s communication and aesthetic. I think that what they do best is focus on the message behind every project, rather than attempting to dress it in some trendy graphics or type. Smart and beautiful, that’s it. Must be why they were named finalists in this year’s National Design Awards by the Cooper-Hewitt.

If you don’t know the work of M/M Paris then I feel very sorry for you.

Check this bad boy out they designed!

Tappin Gofton is a London-based design studio that has some fabulous work on their site.

Mostardesign is a French studio with some really nice motion work and typography. I’ve really got a thing for a few of their typeface designs.

I wish I was born in Brooklyn. It seems like only good things come from there. Hence, the work of Thumb.

Marque is the kind of studio that makes me want to relocate to the UK. Amazing work.

Nice work from NYC studio Landers|Miller. Their work covers design, books, illustration and product design.

I can’t say enough about Jason Munn’s studio, The Small Stakes. He produces some amazing gig posters. I want to buy them all.

Absolutely amazing work coming out of Singapore from Silnt.

Belfast is home to Willow, a studio with great print work and delicious typography. Yes, I said delicious.

Can’t figure out what to name your design studio? Just go ahead and give the Design Naming Machine a try.

Some great work by Tokyo’s.

Oh my, SDL has some absolutely gorgeous and brilliant work in their portfolio.

There’s some nice work over at Able.

OK, apparently I have a few too man “favorite” studios. What’s worse is that they’re all in the UK. Universal Everything joins that list, they create some incredible work, including this installation for the V&A Museum.

-NAME
Don Clark

-WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Seattle, WA

-WHAT DOES YOUR WORK CONSIST OF?
Illustration and graphic design, mostly.

-HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I’ve been interested in art since … well, since I knew how to say “art” I guess. Our (my brother Ryan is also my partner at IC) grandfather was an extremely talented artist and illustrator who worked at NASA for many years. Our father is also a very skilled woodworker and luthier. They were both a really big influence on us as kids and definitely inspired us to take this path. We never really thought about doing anything else.

-WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Well, getting paid for your ideas (and your interpretation of those ideas) isn’t so bad. Being able to use vintage children’s books as a tax write-off is pretty cool too.

-WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
The business aspect of being self-employed can be stressful. If it weren’t for my accountant, I might be in jail. Things get confusing!

-IF YOU WEREN’T DESIGNING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
Playing music or left field for an obscure single A farm team.

-WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Life around me – and that changes all the time … but more specifically I’d say Southern California mid-century modernism.

-WHERE DOES CREATIVITY COME FROM?
The Creator.

-WHO’S WORK DO YOU LOOK UP TO? (Either currently or in the past)
Past: Alfred Paulsen, Alvin Lustig, Herbert Matter, Paul Rand, Jim Flora, Dr. Seuss, Martin & Alice Provensen, Ward Kimball (and many at Disney), Richard Scarry, Bernice Myers, J.P. Miller, etc.

Present: Chip Kidd, Stefan Sagmeister, Bob Staake, Geefwee Boedoe, Tim Biskup, Lou Romano, Teddy Newton, Ralph Eggleston, Johnny Yanok, House Industries, my brother Ryan, etc.

-WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR INDUSTRY?
For us, “our industry” used to mean the music industry. We’ve been fortunate to branch out in new directions as a result of dwindling CD sales, piracy, etc. Lately we’ve seen a large increase in illustration projects for a variety of clients, from retail to editorial. While the music projects are still coming in, we’ve been able to be a bit more discerning with the records we work on. I think that’s been a good thing for us.

As for music, as long as people want to sell it, you’re going to need art. Yes, the budgets are shrinking, but packaging won’t go away entirely. In fact, we’re in an age where we aren’t limited to a jewel box or a CD anymore. I’m rather optimistic in terms of what kinds of packaging options might be out there in the future. Why not an Interpol book that comes with a digital download card? I think we’ll be seeing all kinds of cool things …

-WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU NEXT?
I touched on this in the last question, but as a company (and personally), we are seeing a fairly dramatic shift from design projects to illustration projects. We obviously love doing both, but we really enjoy drawing. If people want to see more of it, we’d like to keep doing more of it.

We also have a brand new website / store / blog in the works that should launch sometime towards the end of summer.

-WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD ASPIRING TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
“Don’t try to be original, just try to be good” – Paul Rand

-ONE DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR.
A phone call from an extremely nice lady named Gaby who represents a band called Foo Fighters. Second on the list would be an e-mail from a man (and now friend) named Dave Cuzner who runs a website called Grain Edit.

-WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I Am X “Kingdom of Welcome Addiction”
Silversun Pickups “Swoon”
Mastodon “Crack The Skye”
Hot Leg “Red Light Fever”
Doves “Kingdom Of Rust”

Rumors is a multi-disciplinary design collective based in Brooklyn and formed by Holly Gressley, Renda Morton, and Andy Pressman.

Gotta say, I’m loving this shirt by GDloft. And shirts aren’t even their thing, they’re a super-cool design studio in Philadelphia headed up by Yale MFA grad Allan Espiritu. GDloft is a collaborative studio that specializes in working with non-profits and limited budgets. Basically, their work is awesome.

Legwork Studio is a design studio in Denver that does print, web and motion. Their site is pretty cool, I love seeing simple line art illustrations that are funny and utilized well within the structure of a site.

L to R: Jess Endaya, some gorgeous script and Leah Faust

Faust Haus for Smart Fitzjerrell

LEAH FAUST
Creative Director / Faust Haus

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Grown in NJ, matured in NYC, aged to perfection in LA.

WHAT DOES YOUR WORK CONSIST OF?
Designing and Creative Directing classic brands!

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I began drawing alphabets and letterforms at 7 years old after my mom gave me a book of fonts. My obsession with detail led to a fascination with architectural drafting and interior design. After realizing how much math was involved in architecture, I ruled that out and continued studying fine arts on my own and through Arts High School. At 18, I was offered an internship for a central New Jersey restaurant interior designer and began designing brands local restaurants and lounges in NY, NJ and Philadelphia.

I attended Hartford Art School in Connecticut and was thrust deeper into the world of Graphic Design by my foundations professor, Alex White, whose high expectations brought out my inner go-getter. After 2 years in Hartford, I studied abroad at the Aegean Center for Fine Arts on the island of Paros in Greece and went back to my roots as a fine art painter. Upon returning to the US to finish my BFA, I had a taste of the outside world and skipped off to NYC as soon as I had diploma in hand.

With love and guidance from my partner in crime Brian Romero, I found ways to combine my passions for graphic design, type, architecture, food, fashion, and interior design…the rest is blood sweat and tears.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Hustling, rising above, never having the same day twice.

WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
A brain that never shuts off.

IF YOU WEREN’T BEING A BADASS DESIGNER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
Cooking, interior designing.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Decrepit script type signage in Los Angeles, highbrow graffiti in NYC, illuminated manuscripts, Ivar Ave farmers market, vintage shopping, MUSIC.

WHERE DOES CREATIVITY COME FROM?
The need to express what I see to others.

WHO’S WORK DO YOU LOOK UP TO? (Either currently or in the past)
In the past: Francis Bacon, Wayne Thiebaud, Jan Tschichold In the present: Robert Brownjohn, Chip Kidd Always: Bruno Munari, Louise Fili…

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR INDUSTRY?
Over-saturated, super-bastardized!

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU NEXT?
Creative direction and design on a much larger scale, expansion of the Faust Haus studio with new creative wrangler Laura Narikawa and designers Jessica Endaya and Lyndsey Lesh, who will definitely satisfy.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD ASPIRING TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
Bust your ass, school of hard knocks style, be humble.

ONE DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR.
1000 Hours refining one very special script logo.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The Misfits, Booker T and the MG’s, Diplo, The Vacation, Singapore, The Cult, Lykke Li, Black Sabbath, Mr. Bungle, Steely Dan, The Black Keys, The Binges, Mark Lanegan, Nirvana. The list goes on and on and on and on

OK Creative is a top-notch one man design studio in Brisbane, Australia. Owner/designer Matthew James has a nice range of good-looking projects in print, web and branding. One project I noticed immediately was this corporate report, shown above, with a beautiful side-sewn binding.

Amazing work by Norwegian design studio Oh Yeah.