Adrian Shaughnessy spent fifteen years as creative director of Intro, the design studio he co-founded in 1988 in London. Under his leadership the studio won numerous awards, and at the turn of the century employed 40 people. Intro was an early adopter of digital technology, and a pioneer of digital motion graphics within graphic design.
In 2004, Shaughnessy left to pursue an interest in writing and lecturing, and to work as an independent design consultant. Today he runs ShaughnessyWorks, a consultancy combining design and editorial direction. He has written and art directed numerous books on design. His book How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, published in 2005, has sold 80,000 copies to date, and has been issued in numerous foreign language editions.
Shaughnessy writes regularly for all the leading graphic design journals including Eye (UK), Creative Review (UK), Etapes (France) and Print (USA). Between 2004 and 2010, he had a monthly column in Design Week. He is also a contributing writer to Design Observer. In 2010 he was elected to AGI (Alliance Garphique Internationale), the invitation-only organisation of the world’s leading graphic designers. He hosts an occasional series of one-hour radio shows on Resonance FM called Graphic Design on the Radio.
In recent years, Shaughnessy has been an external examiner at various UK universities. In 2012, he received an Honorary Degree from UCA (University of the Creative Arts). In 2009, he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Royal College of Art, London. The following year he was appointed Senior Tutor on the College’s visual communication programme. In addition, Shaughnessy lectures around the world.
Shaughnessy is co-founder of the publishing company Unit Editions. The company has published a wide range of graphic design books. Shaughnessy is the author of monographs on Herb Lubalin, Ken Garland and FHK Henrion.
In 2004, Shaughnessy left to pursue an interest in writing and lecturing, and to work as an independent design consultant. Today he runs ShaughnessyWorks, a consultancy combining design and editorial direction. He has written and art directed numerous books on design. His book How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, published in 2005, has sold 80,000 copies to date, and has been issued in numerous foreign language editions.
Shaughnessy writes regularly for all the leading graphic design journals including Eye (UK), Creative Review (UK), Etapes (France) and Print (USA). Between 2004 and 2010, he had a monthly column in Design Week. He is also a contributing writer to Design Observer. In 2010 he was elected to AGI (Alliance Garphique Internationale), the invitation-only organisation of the world’s leading graphic designers. He hosts an occasional series of one-hour radio shows on Resonance FM called Graphic Design on the Radio.
In recent years, Shaughnessy has been an external examiner at various UK universities. In 2012, he received an Honorary Degree from UCA (University of the Creative Arts). In 2009, he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Royal College of Art, London. The following year he was appointed Senior Tutor on the College’s visual communication programme. In addition, Shaughnessy lectures around the world.
Shaughnessy is co-founder of the publishing company Unit Editions. The company has published a wide range of graphic design books. Shaughnessy is the author of monographs on Herb Lubalin, Ken Garland and FHK Henrion.
Sessions
Publishing Design Books in the Age of the Internet
Friday, May 8 • 11:15 – 11:45am
A talk by Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy on the special challenges of researching, writing, designing and publishing books on graphic design. The co-founders of Unit Editions discuss how they've thrived in an era when it is possible to see nearly everything ever published online, and when bookshops are closing around the world.
The talk will reference Unit Editions’ books on such diverse subjects as Herb Lubalin, master typographer Jurriaan Schrofer, the great design manuals of the golden age of identity design, and the imprint's latest work, Spin: 360° - an attempt to re-think the contemporary monograph.
