Author Description

"Scratching the Surface" is a collection of essays and journalism by Adrian Shaughnessy, focusing mainly on graphic design. Essays include: '2012 Olympic logo ate my hamster'; 'Vaughan Oliver - minotaurs in suburban England'; and 'The myth of originality and the joy of copying'. The essays have appeared on blogs such as Design Observer, and in publications such as Eye, Creative Review, Design Week and The Wire. Many others have appeared only in tiny circulation publications. The book's introduction opens with a disconcerting question: 'Why would anyone want to read about graphic design?' Despite assertions that 'designers don't read', there has, in recent years, been a huge upsurge of interest in design writing: courses have been established to teach the subject, and many designers now combine design and writing within their practices. In 2003, Adrian Shaughnessy gave up studio life to become an independent designer, consultant, publisher, teacher and writer. He wrote the highly successful How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing your Soul which has sold 80,000 copies worldwide. Scratching the Surface is a book for anyone who wants to scratch the surface of the cultural zeitgeist to see what's underneath.