Bump
Graphic Designer
Bump was a graphic design enterprise, founded by Mike Watson and Jon Morgan. Developing an irreverent trademark style, the enterprise worked across illustration, film credits and exhibition design to products ranging from t-shirts to half-mast sandcastle flags. Bump was formed in 1995 after Watson and Morgan met one another on the Royal College of Art's Graphic Communications course and worked with a roster of clients including Harvey Nichols, Knoll, The Crafts Council, Tank magazine, 333 nightclub in Hoxton, The British Council and the watchmaker Patek Philippe.
Bump's source texts and references were consciously appropriated from the lexicon of advertising, their styles and messages, however, subverted typical ad forms. Designated 'creative terrorists', Bump were reputed for their savage wit and uncompromising style: one of their signature products is their set of six 'calling cards', illustrated with unsettling slogans such as 'You're our main rival' or 'Let it be known', which carry no contact details. These were left in toilets or sent to people anonymously. Another key project was their 'Basic Communication Set', which contains stickers bearing statements including 'I want my fucking money back', 'Fuck this bus route' and 'This food is shit', for consumers to paste where they would like to voice an opinion.
Their work was featured in the British Council exhbition Ultravision (1999-2001), Stealing Beauty at the ICA (1999) and Jam: Tokyo-London at the Barbican (2001).
Bump stopped operating in 2007.
Bump was a graphic design enterprise, founded by Mike Watson and Jon Morgan. Developing an irreverent trademark style, the enterprise worked across illustration, film credits and exhibition design to products ranging from t-shirts to half-mast sandcastle flags. Bump was formed in 1995 after Watson and Morgan met one another on the Royal College of Art's Graphic Communications course and worked with a roster of clients including Harvey Nichols, Knoll, The Crafts Council, Tank magazine, 333 nightclub in Hoxton, The British Council and the watchmaker Patek Philippe.
Bump's source texts and references were consciously appropriated from the lexicon of advertising, their styles and messages, however, subverted typical ad forms. Designated 'creative terrorists', Bump were reputed for their savage wit and uncompromising style: one of their signature products is their set of six 'calling cards', illustrated with unsettling slogans such as 'You're our main rival' or 'Let it be known', which carry no contact details. These were left in toilets or sent to people anonymously. Another key project was their 'Basic Communication Set', which contains stickers bearing statements including 'I want my fucking money back', 'Fuck this bus route' and 'This food is shit', for consumers to paste where they would like to voice an opinion.
Their work was featured in the British Council exhbition Ultravision (1999-2001), Stealing Beauty at the ICA (1999) and Jam: Tokyo-London at the Barbican (2001).
Bump stopped operating in 2007.
