If you’re not familiar with the APFEL design agency by name, you’ll have likely come into contact with its output – on gallery walls, in publications and in the hallmarks of creative institutions.
Established in 2003 by Kirsty Carter and Emma Thomas, the London-based graphic designers' work can be seen work can be seen throughout the UK (and internationally) in the digital experience of Camardy Groarke's Windermere Jetty, in publication design for Kettle's Yard in Cambridge, and in the bespoke typefaces for V&A Dundee.
Type design has been ‘central to APFEL’s practice since its inception', explain the duo, and so the creation of a native foundry seems a natural progression. Launching with four retail typefaces – Certeau, Periferia, Remnants and Lining – alongside a bespoke type design service, the APFEL type foundry is now open for business.
As many will appreciate, launching a landmark project during a pandemic presents challenges. But for Carter and Thomas, it also presented opportunities. ‘Our launch date for the APFEL Type Foundry project didn't change significantly due to the lockdown, and we actually found that the situation galvanised our determination to make it happen – this is a project that means so much to us as a studio that we felt it was really important to stay on track, as we were so close to completion by the time that lockdown happened.'
They continue: ‘Having something so big and important for the studio to work towards alongside our client work during these months has been really valuable for the team as a whole, and it's wonderful to have something to celebrate right now.'
Though they aren't celebrating with a physical launch party just yet, APFEL has released a physical publication to mark the moment. A specemin for the foundry's new retail typefaces, Type As Readymade features a timely essay investigating the cultural concept of the everyday, and type design in context. As the value of clear and creative communication – both virtual and physical – is assigned gravitas in these strange times of isolation and distance, APFEL's communicative work is marked with renewed importance.
INFORMATION
-
Osteria del Mare brings a slice of coastal Italy to The StrandSpanking fresh fish is the house speciality in this new London restaurant with a menu inspired by the Tuscan seaside
-
This rehabilitated arthouse cinema in the Netherlands romanticises the silver screenVisum Mundi is an eco-conscious, boutique cinema nestled in the heart of Wageningen, Netherlands
-
This auction gives you a chance to snap up rare Maison Martin MargielaThe largest ever auction of Martin Margiela’s work at his eponymous maison, collectors will be able to bid on 270 items from 1988-1994, from rare clothing to sketchbooks and ephemera
-
The future of Salone del Mobile: new report quantifies impact of the world's biggest furniture fairFor the first time, Salone del Mobile reports on its size and impact. ‘Milan Design (Eco) System’ puts Salone into numbers, allowing its future and challenges to be addressed
-
Design Dynasties: the powerhouse families of Italian furnishingWe profile the powerhouse families of Italian furnishing, uncovering the secrets of their legacies and stamina
-
Discover the alchemy of American artists Philip and Kelvin LaVerneThe work of Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, prized by collectors of 20th-century American art, is the subject of a new book by gallerist Evan Lobel; he tells us more
-
Designers make light work at Lake Como Design Festival 2024, revisiting heritage traditionsThe spectacular lakeside design festival, now in its sixth edition, occupied historic buildings and contemporary galleries with responses to the theme of ‘lightness’
-
20 pairs of bookends celebrate contemporary Scottish design and Dundee’s literary heritageAs Dundee Design Week gets ready for its fifth edition, a bookish commission shines a light on two pioneering female journalists from the city’s storied past
-
‘You’ve got to hang out with Judd furniture… you learn something’: Rainer JuddAs new book ‘Donald Judd Furniture’ lands, the artist’s children Rainer and Flavin discuss their father’s legacy
-
Discover London’s lesser-known design gems with ‘an opinionated guide’‘An opinionated guide to Design London’ by Sujata Burman and Wallpaper’s Rosa Bertoli is a carefully curated tour of intriguing design spots across the capital
-
Well hung? We interview Martino Gamper about his new book of (around) 1,000 hooksItalian maverick designer Martino Gamper doesn't hang around. He has a new book featuring 1,000 hooks made by hand. We ask him how and why...
