Jonathan Barnbrook's Influence

Who is Jonathan Barnbrook?

Jonathan Barnbrook is a British graphic designer, typographer, and activist born in 1966, known for using design as a tool for social, political, and cultural commentary. His work and message would become impactful to a wider audience in the late 90s. Barnbrook often sought to challenge not only the design industry, and the expectations placed on composition and creation, but he also sought to challenge the world based on politics, culture, and capitalism. Barnbrook is also widely recognized for his collaborations with the late musician David Bowie, as he designed iconic album covers for the music artist such as “Heathen”, “Reality”, and “Blackstar”. Through both his type design and visual compositions, Barnbrook has aimed to expand the role and definition of a designer as not just a communicator, but instead as an artist with a creative voice in public discourse.

Why is Jonathan Barnbrook Influential?

Jonathan Barnbrook is an influential typographer for many reasons, as he was able to push the use, creativity and messages/meanings behind typefaces and their designs to communicate more than just text. Barnbook utilized typeface for politics through anti-corporate posters, war critiques, and pro-democracy designs. His typefaces continue this trend, as his ideas were expressive and told stories through their designs. Barnbrook considered that typefaces aren’t purely functional, but also consisted of stories. Whether these stories relate to an individual through creativity, relatability, or cultural/historical significance, all design had a meaning more than just communication. Jonathan Barnbrook took this initiative when working typographically in design, something that has ensured his importance and influence in the design world. To Barnbrook, designers weren’t just communications and technicians, but activists, storytellers, and artists.

Barnbrook’s typefaces are the perfect mergings of design considerations and have been remarkable contributions to the industry. They bring past historical design choices into the present, effortlessly merging the worlds of creativity across centuries. His typefaces also push boundaries and have a more radical approach to design, challenging the status quo and convenient decisions. There were many typographic compositions that made Barnbrook influential to the industry, however his work with David Bowie on his album covers, as well as his acts of resistance in the composition “Olympukes” continue to be some of the most clear and recognizable examples of his influence.

These are all examples of how Barnbrook was able to influence the world of typographical design by encouraging designers to value not only craft and communication, but their voice in any context. Jonathan Barnbrook utilized his own voice in a loud, political and poetic manner, hoping other designers would follow suit.