Can a Toucan Tango?

From making local band gig posters to becoming the creative director of Listen and co-founder of Toucan Tango. Due to taking a gap year, I had heard of Scott Duffey through my old year group. I had seen them mention his work and how good it is so when I found out we would also be having a lecture with him I was excited to hear his story. Not only this but he is local to me which sparked my interest even more.

During his lecture he shown us some of his earlier work that he done off his own back. They mainly consisted of gig poster that were for local bands playing in the area which then kick started his love for screen printing. It was amazing to see the development of his technique and work over the years, although even in the beginning his work was amazing. The bold use of colour and creative concepts went together perfectly to create interesting gig posters that were bound to capture people's attention. Another thing that I found impressive about his work was that he had also worked with some bands that I listen to daily including Tame Impala and Daughters. Not only is he the creative director at Listen creative in Liverpool but he also co owns a company with his wife called ToucanTango. Their style is colourful and bold, eye-catching to say the least... similar to his earlier works. Again, their main practise is screen printing to create their products but they also produce items like pin badges and bags. Some of the things that they make using their screen printing techniques include; greeting cards, gig posters and prints. I will link all the businesses down below so you can check out some of his other work.

What I loved about this lecture is that is is relatable, this is mainly due to the fact that he lives locally to me and he also attended the University of Chester. I think sometimes when you hear of the big designers that are in America it is hard to envision yourself in that position so this was a nice way to start the module and give me and others in the group that motivation and glimpse into the potential future. The overall hard work that has went into creating the brand and getting the reputation that he does while also working for another company... shows true dedication and it is very inspiring to say the least.

This was a great start to the module and has gave me that extra bit of motivation to produce good work. It has also made me want to try out screen printing for myself because the outcome is so rewarding. can't wait to see who the next guest lecturer is.

Much love,

Abs x