Kicking things off with the graphic design team

I went up to GDS to talk to Mark about how graphic design works on his team. And we chatted about what first steps I should take with the new graphic design team in ONS Digital Publishing.

Make your work visible

• Share patterns offline
• Pattern libraries don't have to be code based
• Create posters
• Especially key things like typographic scale and colours
• Print out work and stick it on the wall
• Print black ink on coloured paper to add colour (but keep costs down)
• Cover the environment in "good design"
• Graphic design and data visualisations might need a more extensive pattern library that is difficult to maintain – that's okay
• Maybe we do need 50 shades of grey?

British public service design

• British public service design has a strong history of great graphic design
• Look at designers like Tom Eckersley
• ONS is in a position to create some great information and editorial design

Zoom out

• Step back and look at your work
• Does it work at a distance?
• Does it work at a angle?
• Does it work on smaller screens?
• Graphic design needs to be strong enough that the hierarchy still works under pressure