Updates
Supporter profile: Laurence King
We are delighted to welcome Laurence King as a Supporter for this year’s festival. Established in London in 1991, Laurence King Publishing is now recognised as one of the world’s leading publishers of books and gifts on the creative arts.
We are delighted to welcome Laurence King as a Supporter for this year’s festival.
Established in London in 1991, Laurence King Publishing is now recognised as one of the world’s leading publishers of books and gifts on the creative arts. They work with some of the world’s best illustrators, designers, artists and photographers to create beautifully produced books and gifts which are acclaimed for their inventiveness, beautiful design and authoritative texts.
“We are very happy to be supporting Birmingham Design Festival this year! It is a fantastic opportunity to bring the creative community together, and we are excited to support LKP authors Michael Johnson, Paul Woods, Craig Oldham and Patrick Thomas at the festival.
Find us in The Atrium for discounted books and games, plus activities for all the family.”
Read on to find out more on each of the LKP authors who are appearing at BDF 2019…
Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson is a writer, designer and thinker, and founder of world-renowned brand consultancy, Johnson Banks. He has won many sought-after prizes, including seven yellow and one ‘black’ pencil from D&AD. He received its lifetime achievement award in 2017. His books include the bestselling Problem Solved (2002) and Branding: In Five and a Half Steps (2016). His new book, Now Try Something Weirder: How to Keep Having Great Ideas and Survive in the Creative Business (2019), includes 233 dos and don’ts about design, the creative business and how to have – and keep having – great ideas.
Paul Woods
Paul Woods is a designer, writer and illustrator originally from Dublin, Ireland. He leads the USA operations of global design agency Edenspiekermann in his role as Chief Creative Officer. He has created award-winning work for brands including Red Bull, Google, Morgan Stanley, TimeInc. and many others. His new book, How to do Great Work without Being an Asshole (2019), is a straight-talking, fun read for all creatives: Director or junior, at an agency or client-side, packed with anecdotes, self-analysis flowcharts, exercises and action plans for better, more sustainable working practices.
Craig Oldham
Craig Oldham is a UK-based designer, educator and writer. He has produced design work for film, TV, retail, publishing, sports and entertainment. His work has been recognized nationally and internationally by D&AD, the Creative Review Annual, Art Directors Club, New York Festivals, Design Week, Type Directors Club, Benchmark Awards, Big Chip Awards, Fresh, and The Drum Awards to name just a few. CraigOldham has also been named by his peers in the creative industry as one of the most influential designers working in the UK. His book Oh Sh*t… What Now?: Honest Advice for New Graphic Designers was released in 2018 and is a practical and honest guide to anything and everything that is of use to those looking to break into the creative industries, sharing experiences, ideas, advice, criticism and encouragement.
Patrick Thomas
Patrick Thomas is a graphic artist, author and educator based in Berlin. He has exhibited his work across five continents in which it can be found in numerous private and public collections. He is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) and a Professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, Germany. In 2019 he released an updated edition of his popular Protest Stencil Toolkit, a bespoke stencil alphabet which makes it possible for anyone to easily make their own protest signs and messages.