tDR RIP

So, The Designers Republic have closed shop. Seems sudden (and by all accounts is). The Designers Republic are (were) a Sheffield UK based design studio, and one of the main reasons I got into graphic design. I loved these guys when I was a student (still do, although their work doesn't excite me like it used to). It's a sad thing to see them pass on. Although if you read the Creative Review article it sounds like Ian Anderson will be looking to start something interesting and leaner.

I must admit, a lot of their later work seemed to be going through the motions, I guess large clients can make it harder to take risks (whether that be due to the way the marketing departments for the clients work, or timidness on the side of the studio in not wanting to lose a big contract and sticking with the "safe" option). And it sounds like he'd be happier working that way.

Anyway, to commemorate I played Wipeout HD on my Playstation 3. tDR are largely responsible for the overall look of these games, which blew my mind back in the 90s. It was so precise and clean and futuristic. And thorough. I didn't know what a brand guide was when this first Wipeout game came out, but I could tell that the people who made the logos and visuals for it had sweated the details, and treated these fictional racing teams like real ones. That's what it felt like anyway. And it was probably the first time I was consciously aware of graphic design making me feel something. And the game is still gorgeous.