Mind Design for Lacoste by Tom Dixon

Mind Design are a London based creative agency that challenge the restrictions of print based design with subtle variations.

In total contrast to a corporate studio set-up, Mind operates a small creative team, which benefit from individually & spontaneity through out each project that they are a part of.

Founder Holger Jacobs, who accepted a job opportunity to work in Japan, says that the different cultural perspective he gained from that experience influences the he handles western typography. When he returned to London back in 1999 he single handedly started up Mind Design. Since then the collective has grown steadily and operates with only a further five designer maintaining their intimacy as a company.

Back in 2006, Tom Dixon collaborated with Lacoste and is recognized figure as a product designer especially for his use of raw and recycled materials.

The exploration of the tension of between ecology & technology, clarifies the parallels between Lacoste’s heritage and Dixon’s own influences.

Out of this collaboration two shirts were produced: Eco Polo & Techno Polo.

It seems that both Mind & Dixon share a mutual interest in incorporating the actual process of production as part of the finished design, and whilst the packaging is so different conveying these two separate ideas, the near symmetrical typography treatment clarifies the similarity of the shirts.

Since these were limited edition pieces, it would seem that any concerns over the longevity of this concept or Lacoste’s intermigration where not relevant.

The collaboration also covered labels and tags using the same materials and following the same set of design rules used on the packaging for the shirts.

“Tom had a large influence on the design of the packaging but gave us total freedom in the actual graphics & typography. For the Eco Polo we did not want to use any printing on the packaging at all, so the design was embossed into recycled, egg carton-like material. For the Techno Polo Tom suggested a silver, vacuum packed foil packaging that was screen-printed. On the matching labels we worked with silver foil blocking. Originally we wanted to produce a talking electronic price tag, which became too difficult to realize.” Holger, J