Open Plan

2022

South London Gallery

London

Open Plan is a long-running public art program by the South London Gallery, in which they run community-led arts projects with the residents of local housing estates. We worked with the gallery on a comprehensive book summarising the project so far.

The design reworked commonplace graphic elements from housing estate wayfinding into a new visual language: a ‘remixed’ version of Arial and graphic abstractions of the estate buildings evoke both the public perception of the estates, and the often-overlooked diversity and vibrancy that exists just below the surface. 

The symbiotic relationship between artists and residents was represented by layering title typography above and below artworks, with an emphasis photographically on residents interacting with the work. The overall effect was a heavily conceptual book, that remains a playful, accessible summary of the project to be enjoyed by residents.