Design Education Talks Ep. 81 - Tony Pritchard

Tony graduated from Middlesex University in 1984 gaining a first in graphic design. He began work in the studio of his tutor Peter Gill. Eventually this association formalised into the design consultancy Root 2 Design (https://www.root2design.com). The consultancy was involved in many large-scale initiatives such as devising the visual identity and implementation for the London Research Centre. Tony was both an associate of Root 2 Design but also worked in a freelance capacity with clients such as the Icebreaker music ensemble; Decca Records; Andrew Haig Associates and the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependency.

Tony co-organised the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) lecture series between 2000-2003. The series culminated with a lecture by Rosmarie Tissi held at the Cochrane Theatre. He co-organised the accompanying 100+3 posters exhibition from Siegfried Odermatt’s collection. In 2017 Tony interviewed pre-eminent book designer Jost Hochuli in front of a sell-out audience. At this event he was awarded a Fellowship of the ISTD. He was the former managing editor of ISTD’s Typographic journal. He has been a board member and is currently on the education committee.

In 2004 Tony co-curated Future Map for the University of the Arts London, which was part of the London Design Festival. In 2007 he was commissioned by innovative music ensemble Icebreaker to design the packaging of a commemorative CD for the composer Philip Glass.

In 2012, Tony presented a paper at Cyprus University of Technology's first International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication. He was invited onto the organising and scientific committee for the 2020 conference. He was also featured in the film Visual Rhetoric, a collaborative project between London College of Communication and the London School of Economics (LSE).

Tony has written numerous articles for publications such as Eye, Computer Arts and Typographic. In 2016 he was published in Taking a Line for a Walk (assignments in design education).

Tony has taught in many capacities over the years. His tutors Andrew Haig and Peter Gill both maintained professional practice whilst undertaking visiting lecturer roles. This connection between design education and the associated profession was formed early on in his outlook as a result. Tony cites Geoff White as an influence on his approach to the teaching of fundamental principles of design.

Tony was course leader for the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma Design for Visual Communication courses at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

In 2020 Tony decided to embark on a new phase, away from employment in formal higher education, to explore his own personal work and collaborations locally with independent educators at The Margate School. He is currently completing a book with Ian McLaren on the subject of post World War Two Modernist graphic design in Britain. The book encompasses: societal developments; important schools; influential organisations; profiles of key individuals; and a discussion relating to an ongoing attitudinal le