And indeed all of the examples of work that he shows are for commercial clients such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Marks and Spencer, the Gagosian Gallery and the Design Museum but are all uniquely different and creative. It seems to be trust and mutual respect between these brands and GTF that allow them to produce such creative work.
What strikes me most about Andrew is that he still seems to have the same sense of excitement and discovery he had when he studied at the Royal College of Art 20 years ago. He reminisces about the materials library he discovered in there which was filled with all kinds of polymers and his excitement when he discovered their foil blocking machine. All of the examples of work that he shows use interesting materials such as paper which turns clear when you apply heat and pressure, or indeed normal materials put to interesting use. It is refreshing to see somebody still so excited about the work they do with an almost kid in a sweet shop outlook. I don’t think Andrew will be getting bored any time soon …
Andrew Stevens
Graphic Thought Facility is a London-based design consultancy.
Founded 1990 we have worked for retailers, manufacturers, publishers, cultural institutions and galleries around the world and have forged long-term relationships with many of our clients. The scale and complexity of our projects are as varied as our clients. Recent commissions include store environments for M&S, exhibition design for the Science Museum, books for Gagosian Gallery, wayfinding for VitraHaus and campaigns for Kvadrat and Frieze Art Fair.
Over this time the studio has striven to stay relatively small – currently a team of ten designers supported by our studio manager.
Andrew Stevens, Director, born in Sheffield, 1966.
Studied graphic design at Leeds Polytechnic, 1985-88, and Royal College of Art, 1988-90. Founder member of Graphic Thought Facility in London, 1990.
Text: Lynsey Power, Graphic BirdWatching
