Design festival returns to Liverpool this week

Mexico 68 Olympics designer Lance Wyman will headline Designival – the North's biggest design festival.

The New York-based designer behind the Mexico 68 logo will be the keynote speaker. Wyman's work for the Olympics is still widely revered as the best piece of logo design in Olympic history.

The 74-year old, described by The Washington Post as a 'rock star', said of London 2012 branding: "It was brash, outlandish, failed to meet its potential, and was outshone by the big production."

Wyman will go head-to-head with Simon Manchipp, the out-spoken founder of London-based agency, SomeOne.

Manchipp worked on the sports pictograms for the London 2012 Olympics. Other speakers include the Belgian graphic artist behind this year's Liverpool Biennial brand, Sarah de Bont, and renowned illustrator James Jarvis.

Around 500 people are expected to attend the two-day event on Thursday and Friday. The festival is supported by RBS, Liverpool Vision and ACME, is held in conjunction with architecture organisation RIBA, the national design and advertising body D&AD, and Manchester digital events body BLAB.

RIBA members ShedKM, MgMa Studios, and BCA Landscapes are among a selection of architects participating in Open Studios, with an 'open door' policy from agencies and practices across the city.

RIBA is also hosting a special one-off Architour across the city as part of the festival.
The event, hosted in partnership with Creative Review, is created and managed by Liverpool creative agencies Smiling Wolf, Black & Ginger and Uniform.

Nick Howe, managing director of Uniform, said: "This is a celebration of the best, most innovative, most celebrated design across the world, and its now a multifaceted festival with fringe events, pop up shops, exhibitions and masterclasses".

Designival will feature masterclasses from Liverpool creatives Apposing, Milky Tea and Uniform, and portfolio surgeries with Black & Ginger and Smiling Wolf.

Designival will also see the launch of The Designist, a design biased guide to Liverpool written and curated in association with The Double Negative.

Simon Rhodes, director of Smiling Wolf, said: "It's fantastic that we're able to bring such a prestigious event to the city. We've already demonstrated the appetite for a strong design event in Liverpool with the Design Symposium, but this exciting new format sets us in a new direction. It really embraces the city and its creative spirit."

The event takes place on Thursday 22 November across Liverpool, and on the Friday 23 November at Camp & Furnace.

See the website for more details: www.designival.com