Derek Birdsall
Derek Birdsall, RDI (born 1 August 1934) is an internationally renowned British graphic designer.
Early life[edit]
Birdsall was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1934 and attended The King's School, Pontefract, Wakefield College of Art and Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.[1] "At Central, Birdsall came under the influence of Anthony Froshaug, who – alongside Herbert Spencer and Edward Wright – taught his students the difference between beautiful lettering and typography proper, with its pre-eminent concerns of clarity, directness and, above all, textual legibility."[1] Birdsall failed to earn a diploma, however, and began his career in design in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Career[edit]
Birdsall's career and fame were built on a variety of designs and commissions. During his long career—among much other work—Birdsall designed Penguin book covers and Pirelli calendars; he art-directed several magazines (including Nova and Mobil Oil's Pegasus; and he designed books for the Yale Center for British Art, the Tate, the V&A and the British Council and designed Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England in 2000.
Alongside his practice in design, Birdsall also taught design at the Royal College of Art beginning in 1987.[1] Birdsall was the author of Notes On Book Design, published by Yale University Press in 2004.
Personal life[edit]
He married in 1954 and has three sons and one daughter, including actor Jesse Birdsall. His daughter Elsa has followed him into the design industry.
References[edit]
Books and articles on Birdsall[edit]
- Myerson, Jeremy, White space, black hat, Eye 9, Wordsearch Ltd, 1993.
- Thompson, Philip, Derek Birdsall – Typographer, Baseline 28, Bradbourne Publishing, 1999.
- Birdsall, Derek, Notes on Book Design, Yale University Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0-300-10347-2.