Bloody Hell Zine

I'm really pleased to have published my first solo large scale print run project: Bloody Hell. Its a zine all about menstruation. This project was a lot of hard work to orchestrate on my own but in turn was really rewarding. The pieces in this zine were submitted from a variety of people who menstruate. I launched a successful crowd funding campaign (with a lot of help from friends in promoting it and getting the coverage which meant it ended up in national newspapers and featured everything from The Guardian to Cosmo). It's be a really privileged to work on this non-profit project and share some amazing stories with this zine. You can see more images here: www.soofiya.com/bloody-hell

Just a note, the remaining copies of the zine will be sold at zine fairs in and around the UK.

Snazzy Jazzy Type

I worked on a very 80's-eesque alphabet a few weeks ago, you can see the full set and a special festive edition over in my portfolio

Book Design MA

In the past few weeks I started my MA in Book Design at Reading, which at times feels like both the best and stupidest decision I've ever made. There have been some really exciting lectures so far including some from Michael Tywman who, every Monday, delves into the typographic archives and brings some amazing gems to share and talk about. I snapped a few photos from the first lecture which in no way do the ephemera justice but you sort of get the idea. Oh, and on Thursday's we hit up the Museum of English Rural Life to touch books which are centuries old,  how cool is that? I was having a little read of Euclid's The Elements this past week. Aside from the historical mind-blow there's two projects on the go too, one called Complex Text, where amongst other books we have typeset War and Peace (yes, actually War and Peace). As well as a Book Jacket project with Fraser Muggeridge and David Pearson: which should be good fun. All in all a very busy few weeks ahead and equally busy year overall for this MA.

A Book for Two for the Creative Review Annual

Pleased to announce the new and improved A Book for Two, which we've entering into the Creative Review Annual. Finger crossed all of this pays off. But in the meantime here's the new website and a few photos:

A Book for Two Photoshoot

I'm planning on entering A Book for Two into the Creative Review Annual this year which is why I'm working with photographer Meara Kallista Morse to get some great shots for the entry. Here's a few snaps from the initial shoot this Friday where we tested colouring and lighting etc. With the final shoot happening Tuesday, I've got a busy few days ahead of bookbinding.

Risographing

Yesterday I went back to Bolt Editions, to do some more Risographing, this time I really wanted to use textures especially after seeing how well the Riso picked the last time. I created another cliche Bowie print (available to purchase from here). Next time I'm hoping to really play around with layering colours.

Open Quote Initiative

Contuined from The Open Quote Initiative The book encapsulating the discoure of the gender imbalance within the design industry. After a long night of binding the project is really coming together.

A Book for Two

In 21st Century we share everything from tweeting our train journeys to Instagramming our lunch, yet one thing which remains a solitary experience is reading. A Book for Two is a book which you cannot read alone, everything from size, format to content and typography is made for sharing. (This was a Uni project for ISTD.)

Question of the Week:

A note  from the last Occupy Design meeting, it has me pondering: 

Soof Says

A series of posters which document a few of my most over-used and slightly odd sayings. Here's one of the set, currently mocking a few before hand illustrating them, but you get the idea. Would be a nice, albeit a little odd, mail out: more to follow.

Where are all the women?!

For my dissertation I'm asking "Are women underrepresented within the design industry?" I've found that has suddenly become a little project which is about more than just hitting the word count. Below are some first prototypes of  a booklet/leaflet I've been working on in relation to this. It asks questions, it has some odd type and it wants to change the world.

Decorative Initial

http://cargocollective.com/soofiya/Alan-Kitching-s-Workshop

Alan Kitching's Letterpress & Typography Workshop

Kitching, the godfather of letterpress, gave a two-day workshop in his studio in Kennington this weekend. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to attend due to a student bursary myself and another student were awarded. (Thank you Kitching and Co for that) A series of two-day workshops are part of Alan’s grand plan to create a new edition of The Printers Terms and I’m beyond grateful to be a part this little moment in potential print history. There was a handful of inspiring visitors which popped into the workshop over the course including ex-Pentagram designers, members of Double Crown Club and AGI. Each participant was presented with a term which we had to visualize, mine was ‘decorative initial’.

Doctor Who

Adam and the Ants

I love Adam and the Ants at the moment. Here's a quick self-initiated project which was to design a cover for Room at the Top. I went for a typographic solution, here are a few different compositions.

Outline Editions Workshop

Last week I went to a great little workshop, in Soho. With lots of glue, scissors and bits to cut and stick, we created work inspired by Anthony Burrill.

One Word Brief

I had my work up at The Rag Factory recently as part of the One Word Brief competition. (My entry is the one with orange words.)