Communication Design School of Design
Connor O’Donnell Archibald
My graphic design practice centres on the intersection and synthesis of analogue and digital processes, embracing a DIY ethos that feels visually rich, tactile and raw. Rooted in an interest in print ephemera and vernacular graphics, my work often reinterprets lost, overlooked or niche pieces of visual history, bringing them into contemporary focus by placing them at the heart of my design practice. Research is central to this process. Exploring both formal and informal collections, archives, material artefacts, and found imagery informs the visual direction of the work while grounding it in the social and historical contexts often overlooked in vernacular design.
While confident in my strengths working independently, I embrace collaboration and thrive on the generation of ideas, the sharing of new perspectives and challenges to my own thinking, which often leads to unexpected outcomes that fuel my personal design practice.
This Record Should Be Played Loud
This Record Should Be Played Loud is a personal compilation of ten curated albums and collected print ephemera reflecting my teenage discovery of the medium of vinyl and the album covers that shaped my path toward graphic design. Starting as the ten records I would play that most annoyed my parents, the project evolved into a statement on my connection to vinyl, my inherent archival tendency toward print ephemera, and the visual culture of music. Influenced by the DIY aesthetic of The Who: Live at Leeds and the archival sensibility of Tony Wilson’s Factory Records, the project acts as a container for collected memories and fragments of visual history. Designed to feel as if rediscovered from a box of records in an attic, the project is a total homage to the physical medium, resonating with anyone who holds a lasting connection to music and its artefacts.
