Matthew David Reynolds

Client: Google

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I created a visual identity for Google’s ‘Think’ events – a series of global marketing programmes.

The ongoing series comprises six digital and live events, covering topics from consumer habits to retail trend analysis. 

The identity I developed featured interchangeable elements that can be configured in order to represent the theme of a specific event. Items were shot on a neutral background in order to create a suite of fully adaptable assets.

Additionally, I created a comprehensive Toolkit, which enables Googlers around the world to build event assets with a consistent tone and style.

Photographic project.

We travelled to Benidorm in Spain for an article in issue 16 of Umbrella, the lifestyle magazine I co-founded. Our invitation came from visitbenidorm.es, a government-funded initiative encouraging tourists to look again at the coastal resort.

We met and interviewed municipal architect Luis Camarasa, who has overseen the town’s development for 35 years. Sitting in the futuristic town hall (which he designed) he explained to us that the man responsible for modern Benidorm, and by extension all modern Mediterranean resorts, was Pedro Zaragoza Orts. Following a stint working in the local mine (and later in the town bank) Orts was appointed mayor in 1950. One of his first initiatives was to permit the wearing of bikinis on the beach – a hugely controversial move at the time and one which nearly saw him excommunicated by local bishops. His next step was to complete a 600 mile round trip (by scooter) to visit General Franco. The dictator not only agreed to allow the bikini-wearing to continue, but, crucially, gave Orts his blessing to transform Benidorm from a sleepy fishing village of 3000 people into a high-rise holiday destination. “If you build low, you occupy all the space and have a long walk to the beach” he said. “If you build high you face the sea, and leave room for gardens, pools and tennis courts”.

Today Benidorm has more than 300 skyscrapers including the Hotel Bali (the tallest hotel in Europe) and the Torre Lugano (which at 158m is the highest residential block on the continent). The town has a population of around 70,000, but has enough hotel beds to accommodate over 200,000 visitors during peak season. The only other European destinations with more capacity are London and Paris. The town planning department require that the soaring towers occupy the space required for their ‘single-storey footprint’ – meaning that if a hotel has 100 rooms stacked on top of each other then it must be built in a space sufficiently large to accommodate all of those rooms at ground level. The result is pleasantly-spaced buildings surrounded by green space, as opposed to the familiar ‘clusters’ of high-rise towers in Manhattan or Hong Kong. Sociologist Mario Gaviria is currently leading the push to secure UNESCO World Heritage status, claiming that the resort is “a symbol of harmonious coexistence that happily brings together people of all nationalities and languages”.

Over the last 50 years more than 250 million visitors have enjoyed Benidorm, winning it admirers around the world, including – strangely enough – North Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea recently dispatched a team of 20 officials for a tour of the Costa Blanca, taking in the ‘most sustainable and best-designed city of the Mediterranean’ as a possible blueprint for the development of its own resort in the town of Wonsan on North Korea’s east coast.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Tim Cole

Videographer: Zac Assemakis

Film Editor: Oliver McIntyre

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds and Dan Froude

We filmed and photographed the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF in London. Over three nights I assisted a senior art director and drove the prototype vehicle (accompanied by police outriders) around the capital. The result was a photoset for Mazda’s customer magazine as well as the short film ‘Drive London: Soundtrack To The Night’ for use on their social media channels. The idea was to demonstrate how quickly the ‘retractable fastback’ roof mechanism could shut out the sounds (and wet weather) of the city.

Client: Google

Affiliate Brands: The Guardian, Stylist, Evening Standard

Photography: Catharina Pavitschitz

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I helped launch Google’s Grow With Google campaign, creating guidelines for photography and providing art direction on photoshoots.

The Grow With Google programme is intended to stimulate economic growth by offering free 1-to-1 mentoring, live training, courses and tools to help businesses communicate with their customers more quickly and easily – as well as find new ones locally and online.

Media partners were The Guardian, Stylist and the Evening Standard, with each creating a series of case-study advertorials featuring small businesses who use Google tools and services.

Case studies appeared in both print and online, and were accompanied by imagery shot especially for the campaign. I created the detailed guidelines for this photography, with an emphasis on capturing ‘real’ and authentic moments with a warm, human feel.

I attended several of the photoshoots on behalf of Google in order to ensure that the guidelines were followed and to provide brand guardianship.

Client: JD Sports

Photography: Martyn Leather

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

Model: Joe Collier at Boss

I art directed the Lacoste AW16 lookbook shoot, featuring a selection of items from their menswear range available at JD Sports. The pictures were taken at the modernist Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and displayed in retail locations nationwide. They also appeared as an eight-page advertorial feature in issue 15 of Umbrella magazine.

Client: Google / YouTube

Photography: Wilson Hennessy

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We produced a book showcasing the effectiveness of digital marketing techniques for consumer brands considering advertising on Google and YouTube.

The case studies we featured promoted use of the Think With Google toolkit – an online resource available to advertisers providing planning tools, marketing insights and industry research. 

The platform also offers advanced services such as the ability to target viewers with bespoke advertising based on the time of day and their location.

We created a high-quality print product to be distributed to key advertisers, featuring a striking debossed cover, premium paper stocks and bright, playful photography.

The conceptual images we commissioned encouraged advertisers to ‘do’ things with Google’s toolkit – and as such featured a range of busy hands (including those of Britain’s top hand model) shot against their distinctive four-colour palette.

Photographic project.

I took some portraits at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset.

I met sequin-clad first-timers, a brass band from Jaipur in India, McCartney mega-fans and a local lady who’d been to every festival since 1970 (she’s the one with the colourful leggings and green ruc sac).

Client: Mazda

Photography: Jacques Mezger

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Ronda in southern Spain to meet Friedrich Schatz, owner of the Schatz Bodega and maker of 'underwater wine'. Most of his wine is produced and bottled in the usual way – but each year a small number of bottles are transported to be stored in a secret location at the bottom of the Mediterranean. The idea is that the undersea temperature and humidity are more constant than in a traditional wine cellar – resulting in a smoother, more flavoursome wine.

Client: Mazda

Photography: David Powell

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Albania on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula. The country endured almost four decades of isolation under the rule of dictator Enver Hoxha, but since the fall of the Communist regime in 1992 has been rebuilding itself – and now has its eye on European Union membership. Our journey began in the country's capital, Tirana, its skyline a clutter of soviet-influenced tower blocks and newly-built skyscrapers. From there we drove southwest towards the Mediterranean coast to join the SH8, a spectacular 75-mile coastal route taking in spectacular views of the Ionian sea.

Our first stop was the city of Vlorë, where we saw old men playing dominoes in the shadow of the Monument of Independence. From there we travelled onwards (and upwards) into the mountains, climbing steadily to over 1000m above sea level. The Llogara National Park is home to the Llogara Pass – a former military road opened to the public in the 1990s which has become the most celebrated segment of the SH8 for both drivers and cyclists. Featuring vertiginous mountain passes and endless hairpin bends (not to mention a multitude of roadside beehives and honey-sellers) it's easy to see why. Our journey continued via the town of Himarë, the picturesque village of Dhërmi (nestled on a slope of the Ceraunian Mountains) and the beautiful 'three beaches' of Ksamil.

We stopped to explore the castle at Porto Palermo, former residence of Ali Pasha of Tepelena, an Ottoman ruler and friend of  British poet Lord Byron (who visited the country in 1809 as part of his Mediterranean tour). His portrait still hangs in the ruined fortress. Next to the castle is a military base built by Enver Hoxha, comprising disused submarine tunnels and a cluster of concrete bunkers. The paranoid dictator was responsible for building more than 750,000 bunkers, protecting his country from the threat of an invasion that never came. They still dot the landscape, yet these days have been repurposed as shelters for shepherds, storage facilities and even juice bars.

We passed through coastal city of Sarandë, where the Greek island of Corfu can be spotted off the coast and cruise ships now stop so that holiday-makers can wander amongst the pastel-coloured buildings along its seafront. Our final destination was Butrint National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Albania’s finest historical monuments. The vast complex of ancient buildings includes a particularly well-preserved Greek amphitheatre, the remains of Roman baths, and a reconstructed Venetian castle dating back to the 14th century.

Client: Google

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I created a visual identity for Google’s global digital transformation programme, Route to Ready.

The ongoing programme is intended to help businesses thrive in the digital era by using Google’s unique insights – everything from rethinking measurement based on first-party data to advice on creating growth opportunities from industry-leading experts.

The content hub for the programme is located on the Think With Google site, and along with a selection of in-depth articles it features six interactive ‘Visual Stories’ – one for each of the content sub-categories.

As well as this I assisted a team in the USA who created a 12-minute keynote video featuring Kate Stanford – VP of Ads Marketing at Google – to be premiered at AdWeek New York. The film features GFX sequences which I created based on the visual identity.

Finally, I created a comprehensive Toolkit, which enables Googlers around the world to build Route to Ready assets with a consistent tone and style. For example, these LinkedIn social posts were created by a team in Australia.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the annual street party held on my road in east London. Residents are encouraged to bring food, perform music and play games. This year the fire brigade turned up with their engine and we organised a tug-o-war for odd housenumbers versus evens. Evens won.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire, a road cycling race that forms part of the UCI Europe Tour. The idea for the race arose as a legacy event following the success of the visit of the 2014 Tour de France to the county. The first two stages of the 2014 Tour (from Leeds to Harrogate and York to Sheffield) were nicknamed Le Tour de Yorkshire – and the name stuck.

From 2015 to 2017 it was a three-day race but in 2018 expanded to four days – attracting crowds of an estimated 2.6 million people and a worldwide broadcast audience of almost 10 million.

Client: Mazda

Photography: David Breun

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Celle in Germany to meet light and video artist Philipp Geist. His projections have illuminated monuments around the world, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the Azadi (‘Freedom’) Tower in Tehran. Philipp had designed a new light installation for us in association with the Kunstmuseum Celle around the theme of movement. Robert Simon, the curator of the museum, supported the idea that the piece would be projected onto the front of the building – a cube-like modernist structure in stark contrast to the traditional German properties surrounding it. Complex geometric patterns were created in a computer program, which a giant projector then beamed onto the glass facade. In Philipp’s words: "My art should help people to rediscover the places of everyday life and to question them… the theme and style of the installation are always connected with the place".

Client: Mazda

Photography: John Wycherley

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the Alps to drive on some of Europe’s most exciting mountain roads.

Switzerland’s Furka Pass crosses the Muttbach river and was made famous by Sean Connery’s high-altitude car chase in Goldfinger.

The Flüela Pass links the towns of Davos and Susch, reaching a summit of 2383m.

The Col de Turini is a notorious stage on the Monte Carlo Rally and a punishing climb on the Tour de France.

Regularly voted the ‘world’s best road’, Italy’s Stelvio Pass has 48 hairpins.

Located in Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is almost 50km long.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Rene Van Der Hulst

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled from Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe, to Antwerp, the second-largest. The two cities are a short distance apart (Rotterdam is in The Netherlands, Antwerp is just across the border in Belgium) and regard each other as friendly rivals.

Rotterdam's towering skyline has gained it the nickname 'Manhattan on the Meuse'. It's easy to see why. The riverside buildings of the Kop van Zuid district include (local) architect Rem Koolhaas's ultra-modern Nhow hotel, as well as the beautiful Hotel New York – former headquarters of Holland America Lines, a shipping company responsible for transporting hundreds of thousands of Dutch immigrants to North America. In the city centre, a short distance from Piet Blom's famous cube houses is the giant market hall, a 130ft tall horseshoe-shaped building housing a covered market and decorated with an artwork by artist Arno Coenen covering more than 11,000 square metres.

However, despite Rotterdam's impressive credentials Antwerp considers itself a cut above when it comes to the cool factor. Home to the famous 'Antwerp six' fashion designers (including Dries Van Noten), a Zaha Hadid-designed port house and the breathtaking MAS (the Museum aan de Stroom, containing almost half a million works of art) the Belgian city might just have a point – and after a drive through the achingly-hip Het Eilandje neighbourhood with it's pop-up bars and colourful street art it's hard to disagree. Antwerp is also the entry point to Europe for more than 100,000 Mazdas a year. We visited the busy port where 3000 cars were being unloaded from a Japanese cargo ship. The 60,000-ton vessel had just spent one month at sea.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures of Walthamstow market. The low morning light brought a special warmth to the busy strip of shops and stalls, which (dubiously) claims to be the longest street market in Europe.

Client: JD Sports

Photography: Martyn Leather

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

Model: Conor at Nemesis Models

I art directed the SS16 lookbook shoot for Tessuti menswear, a part of the JD Sports group. The pictures were taken on location at London's iconic Barbican Estate, and were used as in-store promotional poster displays nationwide. They also appeared as an eight-page advertorial feature in issue 14 of Umbrella magazine.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Thomas Motta

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Lusatia, a former mining region in eastern Germany close to the Polish border. The area was well-known for open-cast mining, a technique of extracting rock from the earth by using giant coal excavators. Several of these huge machines (the world's biggest land vehicles) still remain as fearsome-looking reminders of the area's industrial past. Many have been left to rust, although some have been preserved for heritage, including the gigantic Lichterfeld F60 Overburden Conveyor Bridge which we climbed across. More than thirty of the mining pits have now been deliberately flooded and connected by canals, with the intention of reinventing Lusatia as leisure destination – perfect for windsurfing or kayaking. Other attractions include the floating eco-hotels of the Geierswalde resort (where we stayed), and the breathtaking view from the top of the so-called Rostiger Nagel (rusty nail) tower overlooking Lake Sedlitz.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the annual Vitality Big Half race. Organised by the people behind the London Marathon, this is essentially a half marathon-sized ‘warm up’ for the big event covering the south and east parts of the route.

Client: Mazda

Photography: On a Hazy Morning

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Amsterdam to photograph the city's food trucks. A two-year pilot scheme launched in 2015 gave food truck operators the opportunity to sell high-quality food on the streets of the Dutch capital for the first time. Entrepreneurs were invited to submit a business plan, and out of these applications 50 successful candidates were chosen. The selection procedure was strict; the focus was on innovation and quality, the concept had to be unique and the food sustainable and biologically or locally produced. Over the course of the trial the food trucks were required to rotate over more than 25 city locations, including business districts, metro stations and parks. In the summer of 2017 designated sites were awarded to the most popular food trucks to remain on a permanent basis. 

Client: Mazda

Photography: Markus Altmann

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Leipzig to talk to the people behind the city's thriving startup scene. First, we met Dr. Eric Weber, head of Spinlab, a government-funded 'startup accelerator' based in the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei (or 'Spinnerei' for short), a converted cotton mill at the centre of the city's creative community that incorporates a museum, gallery and the studio of artist Neo Rauch. He explained to us how he and his team help startups to grow by offering entrepreneurs the chance to be selected for a six-month support program. Successful applicants benefit from a series of business workshops, seminars and individual one-on-one coaching. They also receive support from industry experts and investors – as well as free office space in the Spinnerei and €6000 towards their cost of living.

Next, we met Thomas Kuwatsch, a former beneficiary of the Spinlab program and developer of Ekoio, an app that encourages sustainable driving. "The creative surroundings of the Spinnerei are perfect for entrepreneurs" he says, "artists and startups are similar – they fail a lot and have to reinvent themselves time and time again".

At the nearby Social Impact Lab we were greeted by owner Jennifer Pauli. Like Spinlab, the company offers support to startups in the form of coaching, contacts and office-space – although they differ by focussing on more socially-minded small businesses. "It's about finding an entrepreneurial answer to social problems" Jennifer explains.

Finally we met Jonathan Geffen, a graduate of the Social Impact Lab and designer of practical furniture for elderly people. He explains, “Leipzig is simply a great city that is growing… there is still room here to create things".

Client: Mazda

Photography: Amy Shore

Videography: The Progress Film Company

Film Editor: Oliver McIntyre

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the historic city of Augsburg in Germany to visit the Mazda Classic Automobile Museum Frey, home to more than 50 classic Mazdas. Owner Walter Frey started collecting the vehicles when he ran a car dealership in the city, and over time (and with the help of his two sons) gradually accumulated the largest collection of vintage Mazdas outside of Japan. We photographed the vehicles (including a super-rare Cosmo Sport 110S and a three-wheeled K-360 in salmon pink) for Mazda’s customer magazine and directed the short film ‘A Night At The Mazda Museum’ to feature on the brand’s social media channels.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Wilson Hennessy

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Mazda’s research and development centre in Germany to photograph their revolutionary new SKYACTIV-X engine. Mazda plans to introduce electric vehicles to areas that have clean and renewable energy sources (and will add hybrid and plug-in vehicles over the next few years) but the internal combustion engine will continue to be the base power unit for 85 per cent of all cars up until 2035. The new technology in this engine allows it to produce more power and increase fuel efficiency by 20 per cent.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the annual London Santa Run in Victoria Park, Hackney. The fundraising event is held every December and features over 4000 runners in festive outfits.

Client: Mazda

Photography & Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the MX-5 Owners Club rally in Warwickshire to photograph Mazda enthusiasts with their cars. One of the largest gatherings of MX-5s anywhere in the world, the annual event features hundreds of cars in five categories: Standard, Light Modification, Modified, Ultra Modified and Daily Driver. From pristine Mk 1s to brand-new MX-5 RFs, every generation of Mazda’s iconic and much-loved sports car is represented, not to mention all manner of special editions and imports.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Victor Jon Goico

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the highest and lowest points of Europe. Our 2500km roadtrip began at Zuidplaspolder in The Netherlands, which at a depth of 6.76m below sea level makes it the lowest piece of land in the European Union. After a long drive east the next stop was Berlin's TV tower, the so called Fernsehturm or 'Sky needle'. Completed in 1969 the 368m tall building is the tallest structure on the EU mainland. Continuing south from the German capital we headed for the lowest manmade point in the EU. The KTB borehole can be found just outside the picturesque town of Weiden and allows scientific monitoring equipment to be lowered more than 9km into the earth's crust. Our guide, geophysicist Jochem Kück, explained that the specialist drill heads used in this project were designed to withstand temperatures of up to 300°c and cost upwards of a million Euros each to replace. Crossing the border into Austria we climbed 2830m to the snow-covered peak of the Ötztal glacier road, Europe’s highest driveable road. The last stop on our tour was Mont Blanc, which at 4808m is the highest natural point in the EU. Here, we met Oscar Taiola, head of mountain rescue in the Aosta valley for more than 30 years. He had spent so long working at high altitude that his body had started to experience a sort of 'reverse altitude sickness' when he descended to the valley floor.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Alex Bernstein

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Mazda’s research and development centre in Los Angeles to photograph the new Mazda6. The car features improved performance, styling and safety features as well as being available in a brand new colour – ‘Soul Red Crystal’. I stood in as model for the interior shot, and even managed to (just) make an appearance on the cover of Mazda’s customer magazine, Zoom-Zoom.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the annual London Landmarks Half Marathon. The race starts on Pall Mall, finishes by Downing Street and offers runners fantastic views of London’s most iconic landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Gherkin, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye.

Client: Mazda

Photography: On a Hazy Morning

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to The Netherlands to meet the green pioneers of the 'urban jungle'. First up, we met artist Maartje van den Noort in Amsterdam, who has recently published the Pocket Herbarium. The book is full of pictures and information about the wild flowers and plants found in cities, and encourages readers to carefully collect, press and record them within its pages. Also in Amsterdam we met Tom van de Beek, owner of I Love Beeing – experts in urban beekeeping. Over the past few years Tom has trained more than a thousand new beekeepers, and aims to place new beehives in every Dutch city. Finally, we met Ingrid Ackermans in Rotterdam, whose Rotterdamse Munt garden on a vacant lot in the south of the city produces more than a hundred varieties of herbs and edible flowers. Managed and run by volunteers, the initiative sells organic plants to the catering industry and local residents.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Thomas Van Schaik

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Leeuwarden in The Netherlands to talk to members of it's creative community about the city being chosen as European Capital Of Culture for 2018. Best known as the birthplace of graphic artist M. C. Escher and exotic dancer Mata Hari (accused of being a German spy in WW1 and executed by firing squad), the Dutch city had undergone a phase of sustained regeneration before its programme of cultural events began. We met poet Ninah Tiemersma at Tresoar, a learning centre opposite the famous Oldehove leaning church tower. She explained to us how the city and it’s surroundings inspired her words. Next, we visited the glass dome on top of the Rabobank building, allowing us to enjoy views across the city – all the way to the timber-clad Watercampus building, home to an international research centre. Finally, we visited the studio of Klaas Lageweg, a local artist commissioned to paint murals around the city – his distinctive style mixing the 'tags' of his graffiti past with digital pixelation. His favourite piece was a mural of Rembrandt's wife and muse Saskia van Uylenburgh, also born Leeuwarden.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Sander Baks

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Eindhoven in the Netherlands to meet the pioneers pushing the boundaries of 3D-printing. First up we met architect Jelle Houben. His firm has developed a method of 3D-printing interlocking concrete elements made from modified quick drying cement – allowing them to construct buildings with astonishing speed. A cycling bridge built using this technology has already been installed in the nearby town of Gemert, and 3D-printed houses in Eindhoven are set to begin construction soon. NASA has even enquired about the feasibility of printing such buildings on the surface of Mars.

Next we met furniture designer Dirk Vander Kooij, whose 3D-printed endless chair (made from melted fridge interiors) won him the Dutch Design Award in 2011 and is now on display in MoMa in New York. When asked if he considers himself a craftsman he replied "I work in the field of tension between inventor, designer and furniture maker. There is a kind of ping-pong between the three, but that's just the beauty."

Finally we met Maartje Dros and Eric Klarenbeek who have devised an ingenious method of 3D-printing with a biopolymer made using algae. Their ultimate goal is that harmful petroleum-based synthetic plastics are replaced with their biodegradable alternative.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Kim Öhman

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to Finland to discover how good design is considered an essential part of everyday life.

Our journey began in the capital city, Helsinki. There we learned that although Finland is a relatively small nation (with around 5.5 million inhabitants) the country has long punched above its weight – creatively speaking at least – influencing designers and design-thinking around the world.

“I think Finnish people are very down to earth, so we try to create solutions for people rather than just doing stuff for the sake of it,” says Hanna-Kaarina, whose studio we visited. She and her creative partner Anni Pitkäjärvi make up Studio Finna, whose products have graced the shelves of, amongst others, Swedish homeware giant IKEA. Finland enjoys a friendly rivalry with its more-populous neighbour Sweden, having been dominated by them (as well as Russia) until it gained independence in 1917.

In the intervening 100-or-so years Finland has been responsible for nurturing some of the most recognisable names in the world of product design, including Marimekko, Iittala, Artek, and Arabia. The company of Arabia even has a area of Helsinki named after it – Arabianranta. At the heart of the district the original factory stands tall, and while no longer a manufacturing base the building has been converted into a shop and exhibition centre.

Our next stop was the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA), a few miles from the city centre. Here we found an unlikely icon of Finnish design, the Futuro house. The UFO-like pod was designed by Matti Suuronen in 1968, and is in fact a lightweight plastic ski lodge transportable to mountainside resorts by helicopter.

A short journey away is arguably the most significant location for creativity in the whole of Finland, the studio of architect and designer Alvar Aalto. Since his death in 1976 Aalto's influence, and that of his company, Artek, seems to have grown and grown, with his practical, minimal, 'Scandi' style becoming the default for many of our best-loved home furnishings. We were greeted by Tommi Lindh, the director of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, who now occupy the studio. Windows line its curved wall, allowing natural light to flood the room from the courtyard and amphitheatre it overlooks. Examples of some of Aalto's most famous creations fill the space – his gently-curved brass doorhandles, the stackable Stool 60, Paimio chair and Savoy vase are all present. It was here that as many as 30 architects worked on commissions for private houses and municipal buildings – all seated at Aalto-designed chairs and tables made from his trademark curved birch wood.

Travelling north on the E75 highway (the long stretch of road that runs the entire length of the country) we passed through endless forests of pine, spruce and birch trees. We travelled over bridges and past some of the Finland's many lakes (it has over 180,000 of them). We stopped at the breathtaking Pulkkilanharju Ridge, which runs for five miles across the southern tip of the country’s second largest lake, as well as Niemenharju – an award-winning filling station built from the wood of local forests and yet another example of the value that the Finnish people put on beautiful, functional design. We passed the towns of Jyväskylä and Oulu, navigating the gravel roads best known to most from Finland’s annual World Rally Championship event. 

Finally we arrived in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland – located just inside the Arctic Circle. The town was almost entirely destroyed during World War II and the rebuilding plans were drafted by – who else – Alvar Aalto. He based the new road layout on the shape of a reindeer's head.

It’s said that beauty exists even in the unlikeliest of places. And there’s few places less likely than Lea Bridge Road – the scruffy strip of A104 that traces the northern boundary of Leyton in East London.

It’s easy to dismiss the tired shopfronts, but on a sunny day the crooked flats above them glow with gentle pastel colours – in striking contrast to the cluttered displays below them. Beauty indeed.

Client: Mazda

Photography: John Wycherley

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the four countries of the United Kingdom in four generations of the Mazda MX-5.

The first stop on our road trip was the Black Mountain Pass in Wales. Comprising 20 miles of twisting tarmac between Llandovery and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen this was the perfect location to put the first generation of the iconic sports car to the test. The model we drove was the pride of Mazda’s heritage fleet – a pristine racing green example from 1989.

Next stop was the Honister Pass in England’s Lake District. Beginning at a former slate mine we descended the narrow route via hairpin bends and steep gradients to the bottom of the rain-soaked valley – the deteriorating weather causing no problems for our electric blue second-generation model.

Our third location was a short trip over the border (and the River Tweed) into the Borders region of Scotland. We drove the 2.0-litre third-generation model the length of St Mary’s Loch – the button-activated ‘folding hardtop’ roof proving invaluable in the ever-changing weather conditions.

The final stop on our tour was Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route. The route stretches almost 200 miles between Belfast and Londonderry, taking in castles, sandy beaches, whiskey distilleries, the UNESCO-protected Giant’s Causeway (not to mention various Game of Thrones filming locations) along the way. We drove the scenic stretch between Larne and Waterfoot, our fourth-generation Sport Nav+ edition clinging to the epic coastal road between the cliffs and sea.

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at the annual Brighton Marathon. The 26.2 mile route starts in Preston Park and then heads east past the Marina before doubling back on itself along the seafront.

Client: Mazda

Photography: Stefan Hobmaier

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

We travelled to the Alpine region of Eastern Bavaria, home of Germany’s violin-makers.

Although the Italian makers over the border – most notably Antonio Stradivari – have achieved greater fame, the luthiers of this part of Germany (and northern Austria) were producing stringed instruments much earlier for clients as prestigious as Mozart and Bach.

First, we met Anton Sprenger, a modern maker (or ‘Geigenbaumeister’) at his workshop in the town of Mittenwald.

“My roots go back 330 years to Mathias Klotz, the leading member of the family that established Mittenwald’s first violin shop” he explained. “For me, violin-making is in between an art and a craft. I feel like an artist. If I make a good violin, it may still exist after me.”

From there we followed the route of the Isar river, across the frozen Silvenstein Stausee and onwards to the town of Füssen – an important hub for violin-making since the 15th century.

At the Füssen city museum (located in a former monastery) curator Anton Engler showed us how different types of wood – unique to the forests of the northern Alps – are essential for achieving the distinctive sound of the instruments produced here.

He explained that the violin’s top is made of spruce (a soft, pliable wood), while the bottom and sides are usually maple which is more rigid. Ebony – which is stronger still – is used on the fingerboard, tailpiece and the pegs that allow the violinist to tune the four strings.

Our next stop was the studio of Pierre Chaubert. Situated on the top floor of a nearby building, the former fire station was now a beautiful workspace filled with light from enormous skylight windows.

Finally, we drove to the city of Munich to meet Stefan Wörz, part of a family of modern makers.

“What advice do you give to violinists who visit your shop?” we asked. “If the violin doesn’t please you 99 percent in the first moment, then please don’t try it again" he replied. "The instrument has to say, please play me!”

Photographic project.

I took some pictures at Walton-on-the-Naze on the Essex coast. The town is a popular resort and bird-watching spot that is also home to the third-longest pier in the UK. Apparently the ‘Naze’ part of the name derives from an Old English word meaning ‘headland’.

Client: Google

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I created a visual identity for Google’s ‘Tried & New’ narrative.

The purpose of the narrative is to help Google marketers to promote adaptability in the context of technological uncertainty.

Using this as a jumping-off point I created a toolkit for a flexible visual system based around the set of shapes formed from a deconstructed ‘morphing’ ampersand (the ‘&’ of ‘Tried & New’). This was used across social assets, keynote speech event branding and content program activations worldwide.

Client: Google

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I designed some film posters for a documentary film about the history of the internet. 

The story would explore how Google has been fundamental to the development of the web – and what the removal of third-party cookies might mean for its future.

Note: The project is currently on hold, all copy is placeholder, all designs are concept only.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 16 (the sixth print edition) we featured an interview with photographer Derek Ridgers, the graphic identity of British Rail, recipes by The Guardian’s Felicity Cloake, the world’s best taxis, Wetherspoons pub carpets, the memoirs of Karl Hyde of Underworld, photographer Chris Leslie’s portraits of Glasgow tower blocks, a debate about city-centre renovation in Bradford, a man obsessed with streetlamps, a report on our trip to Benidorm, a Q&A with Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic, an illustrated history of The North Face, 30 pages of style and an article on the simple pleasures of a saturday afternoon nap.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 15 (the fifth print edition) we featured an interview with cultural commentator Paul Gorman, an article on Salford Lads Club, recipes from Manchester’s El Gato Negro, a feature about GPS, photographs of the world’s best modernist buildings, a report on our trip to Dublin, a Hip-Hop T-shirt collector, a review of Birmingham’s creative scene, vintage Argos catalogues, a city guide to Tampere in Finland, pictures of drivers in the 1980s, 25 pages of style (including a menswear photoshoot commissioned by Lacoste) and an article on the simple pleasures of a Turkish supermarket.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 14 (the fourth print edition) we featured an interview with Aaron Draplin, a celebration of brutalist icon Robin Hood Gardens, the English town that thinks it’s Scottish, our favourite rail stations, photographs of the Vienna metro, a look behind the scenes at Bang & Olufsen, the secret history of Kowloon walled city, the world’s most popular watch, bespoke glasses from Cubitts, sailing gear from Arthur Beale, a woman obsessed with street signs, 36 pages of style (including a menswear photoshoot commissioned by Tessuti) and an article on the simple pleasures of a going for a walk.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 13 (the third print edition) we featured an interview with a brutalism superfan, recipes from Terroirs, cocktails from The Ivy, a Q&A with social historian Andy Beckett, a behind-the-scenes look at the Brooks saddles factory, modernism in Tel Aviv, a love letter to Japan’s bullet train, the world’s best passports, photographs of abandoned buildings by Thomas Windisch, football in the 1970s, an interview with Ian Paley of the Garbstore, our six favourite streets in London and an article on the simple pleasures of a sweet potato.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 12 (the second print edition) we featured an interview with The Gentle Author (founder of the brilliant Spitalfields Life blog), recipes from Jago, cocktails from Angela Hartnett’s Café Murano, a Q&A with The Economist’s Rome correspondent John Hooper, an article in praise of JD Wetherspoon pubs, an illustrated guide to Croydon’s skyline, a report on our trip to Reykjavik, the world’s best overhead railways, an interview with photographer Jean-Pierre Laffont, 32 pages of style and an article on the simple pleasures of an Indian restaurant.

Client: Umbrella Magazine

Art Direction: Matthew Reynolds

I co-founded the design and lifestyle magazine Umbrella. After ten successful online-only issues we were able to publish a limited run of high quality printed editions, which were sold in shops and galleries nationwide including The Conran Shop and Monocle’s Kioskafé.

In issue 11 (the first print edition) we featured an interview with Robert Elms, recipes from The Kitchen Table in Fitzrovia, cocktails from Hawksmoor, an interview with Bowie-fan and astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield, a city guide to Oslo, a look at the state of city bike-hire schemes, our favourite city crests, an essay on Glasgow’s Red Road Flats, the story of Bossa Nova, reflections on a Runcorn childhood, minimal watches, 33 pages of style and an article on the simple pleasures of butter.