We’re catching up with the brilliant minds behind the work – diving into their creative journeys, standout moments and what keeps them inspired both in and outside the studio. Meet Alex Fage!
What sparked your journey into graphic design – was there a defining moment?
Weirdly no! During school I would always run to the ‘DT’ class, which was product design centric, I enjoyed it, but it never wholly satisfied me. Me and a friend enrolled to graphic design course in college and my interest grew and grew from there, it was clear it was less about the theory but more the practicality of crafting a specific outcome born out of an unique idea. Then came discovery of typography, and my love of photography (which continues to grow the more countries I visit) which all blended into a mutual love for design. The snowball kept rolling and kept growing until i rolled into an industry focused, ideas heavy course at Norwich and now here into an the industry itself!
What’s been your favourite project at Coley Porter Bell so far and why?
A project i recently was involved in was a finest coated poultry brief (chicken kievs / spicy chicken tenders), as this marked a significant change for me to go from working on the shop floors at Tesco during my time at university, to then designing products was a real watershed moment for me, it really came full circle! .
What’s the most inspiring exhibition, show, or creative experience you’ve had recently?
I went to a gladiator (The Ridley Scott original) orchestra recently, which was mind blowing. It placed further emphasis on the fact it’s not just what we can be inspired by visually, but from all our senses to inform our work.
Tell us something about you that might surprise people…
I’m a Marathon runner! I believe to get the best out of you mentally and thus creatively it is important to push yourself physically. So, when there’s a creative problem that seems tricky and difficult to solve, you know if you can run a marathon and get yourself through that, you will always be able to persevere and find the right solution!
If you had a superpower – real or metaphorical – what would it be and why?
The ability to go back in time! To be at the eye of the storm of historic events watching as they unfold would be truly remarkable, the heights of ancient Egypt, the battle of 300, maybe back a bit closer though to see my beloved Tottenham Hotspur win a trophy…
