1. Which work are you particularly proud of? Which work best represents your style or approach?

I’m proud of all the work we have created at SomeOne — We like to do more than a logo for organisations, products and services, and this approach has led us to create all sorts of things. From creating sculptures to spinning tops. I love the diversity of project at SomeOne. It keeps every week feeling fresh with challenges rather than repetition. Our new work to create a full BrandWorld for Tizen (an amazing new open source operating system for anything with a screen) — Is a good example of how we have enabled a brand to brand things without predictable badging …

2. The theme of this year’s TYPO London is »Social«. Do you consider design to be a social discipline? Which design project do you consider to be particularly socially relevant?

Design has always been socially driven. It is not ‘Art’ which can exist purely for itself — design sets out to improve things — so it is created to be used by people. Therefore it is inherently social in it’s intentions (even if it is elitist in it’s principles) —  I thought the London 2012 Olympic games were an amazing example of how intelligently commissioned creative thinking can help unite society an an enormous scale. (ok, and some amazing sport too) — the sceptics soon turned into advocates when they saw it all come together to connect the UK to the world.

3. A conference like TYPO London is in itself an obvious example for a social event: what are you especially looking forward to?

I’m rather looking forward to my speech being over. Then I can relax! — and meet some like-minded people. I love meeting new people and hearing about their ideas, approach and manifesto when it comes to design and creativity.

Simon Manchipp

Simon‘s SomeOne has been behind the recent Royal Opera House rebrand, the re-grouping of the National Maritime Museum (the largest in the world), the Royal Observatory (The Home of Time) and the Queen’s House (The birthplace of British architectural classicism) as Royal Museums Greenwich, the rebrand of the progressive high speed european train company Eurostar, and the launch of Telefónica Digital’s ‘Tu | Me’  brand. Most recently SomeOne has been behind the launch of Africa’s newest and most exciting low-cost airline, FastJet. Simon has been in the business of design for over 20 years. He is a member of the D&AD Executive Committee, an external assessor at Central St. Martins School of Art & Design, London, has written a short course on Typography and is a widely awarded and published voice on design and progressive branding. He is also called Al Pacino, ‘Cappucino’ to his face, but thats another story. Being  the Executive Creative Director and Co-Founder of SomeOne, the progressive London based and internationally operating design practice, Simon launches and relaunches brands worldwide. SomeOne is working on some of the biggest and most high profile design projects in the sector. From telecoms to hotels, management consultants to airlines.

Speaker page

4. Required reading/watching: What are currently your favorite interesting/beautiful publications, exhibitions, books, movies and/or websites?

• I’m reading Good Strategy / Bad Strategy : The difference and why it matters — By Richard Rumelt.
• Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson (that guy gets Branding)
• I loved Visual Editions absolutely mental ‘Tree of Codes’ by Jonathan Safran Foer.