Interview: Patrick Fry

Hi Patrick, could you give a brief introduction about yourself?

I am a London based graphic designer with a love for research based design and all visual languages. I mostly work in print but enjoy jumping into other media from time to time. You can usually find me hunched over my mac with a pile of strange books by my side.

Two years ago you graduated from the London College of Communication, how’s life after graduation been?

It has been brilliant. I spent a while doing placements and then somewhat prematurely jumped into work. But I have always enjoyed the deep end! I’ve met and worked with some ridiculously talented people, including a handful from my graduating class.

_No.Magzine

No.Zine is looking really great! Could you tell a bit more about the project?

Thank you.
No.Zine is a sign of my love for very simple concepts that have a lot of legs. The idea is that each issue is based around it’s issue number and all it’s connotations. The beauty of numbers is that they can form the DNA for everything around us and as such we could take any number and find so many routes within it.

The zine project began as a simple idea to keep me sane while working on a few less creative projects. But it turned into a real labour of love. It has been a brilliant learning curve and I have to thank all the great contributors.

_No.Magazine

Your work has a raw feel to it. Do you prefer working with ‘offline’-materials over tools like Illustrator and InDesign?

I am strangely happy staring into a screen but I always try to integrate something tactile or hand made into my work. I really believe in the qualities of a D.I.Y approach and the joys of accidents that computers just can’t create.

How would you describe your own style?

I would prefer not to. I like to think that I don’t have a set style and attempt to approach each project without a preconceived visual idea. It’s an approach that comes from Fletcher/Forbes/Gill, who had a great influence on my thinking.

Recently you created the “Penny Ponzi” stall, a project about the financial industry. How did this project originate, and what was the goal of it?

The Penny ponzi stall was an idea by Not Actual Size, an experiential agency. They brought me in to help out with the identity and production. We spent most of the time researching old scam merchants, security patterns and amazingly boring bank identities.

_{Penny Ponzi stall}

You seem to do a fair amount of stop motion as well, how come?

It is just something I fell into. I created a stop motion with just paper in 2006 at university. I added this to my portfolio and a few clients wanted the same treatment. I am hoping to try a new animation technique next, hopefully something just as hands on and monotonous.

_{Pure Groove Window}

And how does doing stop motion compare to ‘static’ graphic design?

There is a brilliant meditative quality to stop motion’s repetitive actions. It is certainly a nice break from the screen and when you do finally get it animated, it surprises me every time.

What are your future plans?

To keep working hard and trying new things. I am still really keen to keep learning and I would love to join a new team in a London studio.



Please list your 5 favourite websites.

This week I have been mostly visiting:

• Spacecollective
• It’s nice that
• But does it float
• Lotus Artificial Life – EoSex
• Steven Hill’s Movie Title Screens
  
  

Any last words?

Yes, a bit of shameful self promotion:
The No.Zine shop is open at: http://www.nozine.com
We are now shipping internationally.