Published by Phaidon

Page 8-11

A Practice for Everyday Life (London)

The polish Harpsichordist Wanda Landowska once said, "I never practice, I always play." When A Practice for Everyday Life first appeared on my radar, I thought about Landowska's remark and wondered if it was the same for Kirsty Cater and Emma Thomas. Do they always just play? I dare say that their work, like that of any good design firm, is a constant balance of play, exploration, and a deliberate crafting of ideas and emotion.

The facts, however are that APFEL is a graphic design studio based in London, founded by Carter and Thomas in 2003. The firm usually works with cultural institutions and individuals, often for galleris and museums on publishing and editorial projects. But as you may know, fact is the enemy of truth, and the truth of APFEL is that its work is a melting pot of personal observations, charming character, and a desire to capture the very essence of a moment.

Whe asked about the qualitites that make up APFEL's work unique, Thomas commented that their aim is "to create work that is simple yet evokes feeling. We often borrow from rituals and everyday forms , and our work does not look overtly designed, perhaps because it feels so familiar. In reality though it is designed to the finest detail." This is a quality evident in many of APFEL's projects , including the exhibition design for London Garage Sale at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and the design for the Journal The Happy Hypocrite.

Thomas told me that having a creative manifesto can be rather restrictive and that the office prefers to remain open to change to change and the surprise of things discovered. Perhaps this is her way of saying that the designers at APFEL never actually practice, they always play.

Brett Phillips

< press