Today my guest is graphic designer Malcom Garrett. For over forty years Malcolm has been at the forefront of graphic design and has created iconic images for musicians and bands around the world. From the Rio album by Duran Duran to becoming a founder member of the 5D World Builders at 5D Institute at USC in California, Malcolm is noted for his collaborative approach to design and education and is an ambassador for the Manchester School of Art, and co-curator of the annual Design Manchester festival. When I was a teenager, Malcolm’s work was a guide to me and allowed me to appreciate the importance of graphic design and how it is an integral part of making sound visible. I had no idea how our conversation was going to go, but from the very first minute I knew we were going to have a great chat. Malcolm is engaging, humble, and funny and it’s an extended episode, so I hope you are sitting comfortably and happy to stay with us.
We stared with Malcolm chatting about podcasting and how he enjoys talking about stuff he has a passion for, before moving on to his career and how it started (01:15), his love of fashion and how it influenced his work (04:10), and why Malcolm’s work was a guide to choosing music (05:55). We then talked about listening to the music before designing imagery for it (11:35), how his designs created a balance between the artists’ vision and target audience (14:10), and the story behind the iconic design of Duran Duran’s Rio album (17:03). We moved on to talking about typography trends that Malcolm finds interesting today (24:40), the intermixing of art and graphic design (31:46), and his reaction to one of my favourite Malcolm Garrett album designs (35:13). Our next topics were the return of the vinyl record (37:38), taking an in-depth look at other famous album art work (43:15), before finishing with what Malcolm is reading, watching or listening to at the moment (59:30).
Show Notes
- Malcolm’s website
- Malcolm on Instagram
- Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA album
- Ultravox’s Vienna album
- Japan’s Tin Drum album
- For more, hear my conversations with Dave Haslam, Claire Murray and Midge Ure
If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe, review and rate: Spotify and Apple Podcasts
The Comfortable Spot Podcast 