Name:
The Designers Republic

Age:
14

Location:
Sheffield, SoYo. North of Nowhere.

Mac or PC:
Mac, obviously.

Site(s):
www.thedesignersrepublic.com
www.thepeoplesbureau.com
www.pho-ku.com


Tell us a little bit about the history of The Designers Republic:
The Republic was declared on Bastille Day 1986. We designed a few record covers for mates and now we work with major corporations and exhibit all over the world.

You guys have a very distinct style, how did this develop:
Brain Aided Design
The desire to communicate.
The search for truth.

Talking of 'you guys', who works at tDR? How many designers are there:
Today The Designers Republic is Ian Anderson, Michael Place, Nick Bax, Matt Pyke, David Bailey and Abby Ribbands.

Do you find that you get a lot of clients wanting the tDR look:
Yes.
or do you have to bend them to your ideas and style:
Yes.
Catch 22. The former buy into tDR for surface not concept. The latter are frightened of tDR concept because of the surface.

Do you get much time to do non client work:
We make time.

A lot of people are influenced by the Designers Republic's work, who or what influences you:
Everything and nothing.

Your website is frustratingly sparse, do you plan on developing it at all:
It's under-construction - it's not intentionally sparse.
Maybe it should be.
And if so when will this happen:
In the fullness of time.

When will the tDR products be available to "Buy, Sell":
So soon it hurts me to keep it from you.

I read somewhere that you have a book in production, when will this be released:
Summer 2001.

You mentioned to me that you had been to Sydney, what do you know about Australian design/designers:
My perception of Oz design was:
New nation searching to find visual language under the weight of pro-colonial conservatism. Too agency led. Too many young designers happy to explore imported trends, esp. in club culture. In a word, transitional.

Do you think there is anything unique about Australian designers as opposed to American or European:
Not enough but I'm confident.
The historical context is difficult to cast off.

Do you have any projects coming up:
Yes.
you can tell us about:
No.
Basically design for everything.

Any final comments:
Owls R8
Gaaaaaaahn Da Hawks.