Description

Two editions ago we presented our first of a three-issue foray into Design and place. Ligature Journal issue nine brings the cycle to a close. When we began the work on the issue you have in your hand the task looked very much ‘same same but different’, articles began to come in, design started to happen, the process was looking totally normal.

Then the world changed. Everything was thrown into chaos and we were locked down. A process of lots of face-to-face stopped and we went virtual. It seems, though, that consideration of Design and Place became more pertinent. When the world changes in a way that we lose access to, or have to totally rethink, how we use places we thought were almost immutable, we as designers need to be at the forefront of this rethinking.

In this issue we bring considerations of Indigenous consultation, a new approach to low-cost housing, rethinking aged care, designing for the vulnerable and much more (and yes, there is our direct response to the impact of the virus).

This issue was designed under the guidance of Tiliqua Press by students and graduates from UTS, UNSWAD and Torrens University (Billy Blue College). We think they have done a beautiful job under quite trying conditions and we believe you will think so too. Enjoy.

The Cover

This issue once again has a fully letterpress cover. Printed in the Tiliqua Press studio using just metal type this time. We created the grid on the front cover by raising the height of Em-quads to ‘type height’ with packing material (mostly plywood). The colours you see here were both custom mixes, so you won’t find them in any swatch book—something you can do when you have total control of the process, not follow the ‘rules’ or what others do.

We use a hand operated proofing press to print with, a FAG Swiss Proof 40 built in the early 1970s we believe. On this machine the inking rollers are powered, however, they require frequent manual ‘topping up’. The net result—every cover varies slightly and therefore is unique.

Featuring the writing of:

Grace Welsh, Jane Connory, Lynda War­ner, Ma­­rgie Rahmann, Natasha Ballantyne, Jeremy Bull, Jonathan Ben-Tovim, Maggie McGowan, Mark Gowing, Rosie Cass, Ryhia Dank, Felix Oppen and Anne Vu.

Specifications:

96 pages
Cover: Grange Board from Ball and Doggett
Text: Grange Offset from Ball and Doggett
4C process and letterpress
Print managed by SEED Print Group

About the Journal

Ligature Journal  is a title owned by Tiliqua Press. The design and publication of the magazine provides real world experience opportunities for communication design students and recent graduates. For each issue interns find and/or create all the content. They design, lay out, create imagery (both illustration and photography) as needed and take the publication through production process.

If you haven’t already visited the Ligature Journal website you can see more spreads here.