First up at November’s Nicer Tuesdays was Zak Kyes, the founding designer of the London-based design office Zak Group. A multi-faceted venture which overlaps design, education, art direction, music, and more, the founder took us through the ins and outs of its acclaimed output; from an NTS radio show to the relaunch of electronic music-led publication, Fact Magazine. After a decade-long hiatus, Zak Group explained how it brought a new creative zest to the glossy spreads. Starting off with some inspirations including E.A.T. publication as well as the typeface Eurostyle, Zak references 1960s design as well as engineering and art to explain how the visual language for Fact came about. Uniting several disparate fields under one design system, Zak shed light on the “elastic visual language” including an energising new logo and a system which “got rid of hard and fast style guides.”
Watch the video above to find out more on Zak Group’s career highlights to date including its new scholarship for a CSM student from an underrepresented background and also an NTS show shining a light on visual artists who also make music. Explaining how Zak Group is so much more than just a design studio, the California-born designer also discussed how it’s aiming to be a place where above all, value is created.