MACFADDEN & THORPE was founded in 2008 by Brett MacFadden & Scott Thorpe. As a studio and in our respective backgrounds, we’ve tackled a wide range of design projects, from identities to websites. The greatest scope of our experience lays in publications—books and other printed materials, where we posses significant technical and logistical knowledge. We are best known for typographic-centered work, and recently joined to the faculty at the California College of Arts, where we are teaching advanced typography classes in the graduate and undergraduate design departments. Our studio ethic puts particular emphasis on craftsmanship and a content-driven design approach. We have an earnest belief in partnership, and the ability of design to improve and clarify. We aspire to create work that is smart, functional, and handsome, regardless of medium, budget, or market.

Our motto, provided by the artist Tucker Nichols, is:
"We Make It Easy."

BIOS

Prior to starting MacFadden & Thorpe, Brett MacFadden & Scott Thorpe sat next to each other for two years at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Brett was Senior Designer in the Art & Design category, where he designed and art directed over 100 books during 5 years at the publishing house. Brett’s previous work experience includes Tenazas Design in San Francisco, where he was Senior Designer; and Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, a Boston architecture firm, where he served as Marketing Director. At Chronicle, Scott was the Marketing/Branding Design Director, and oversaw the group responsible for all of Chronicle’s marketing efforts, including the company website, seasonal catalogs, trade shows, and many, many, promotions for individual products. Prior to Chronicle, Scott was a designer at WGBH in Boston and at the Earthwatch Institute in Watertown, Mass. Brett holds an MFA in Design from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Scott earned his MFA in Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design. They grew up in adjacent towns in Massachusetts.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Eye Magazine (UK), Issue 75, April 2010
    Typography special section: Make each letter speak out loud. By Liz Farrelly
  • grafik (UK), Issue 179, November 2009. Feature on Southern Exposure Bellwether Poster and project typography
  • Typeface: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design. Tamye Riggs, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Featured Projects: BLDG BLOG Book, Dad’s Awesome Grilling Book, Photo/Stoner, Fashion Illustration by Fashion Designers
  • Making it easy: an Interview with Brett MacFadden of MacFadden & Thorpe. Arjen Noordeman, March 2009. http://www.cranbrookdesign.com/
  • 100 Habits of Sucessful Publication Designers. Laurel Saville, Rockport Publishers, 2008
  • Print Magazine, Regional Design Annual, 2008. Featured Projects: Stalefish, Snap to Grid Poster, McEvoy Group Staionary System, AIGA San Francisco 50 Books/50 Covers poster
  • New York Times Magazine, June 3, 2007. William Safire: On Language, Typographic Illustration
  • Print Magazine, Regional Design Annual, 2007. Featured Projects: Chronicle Books Branding Campaign, AIGA San Francisco 50 Books/50 Covers poster

TEACHING

  • California College of the Arts
    Adjunct Professors
    Undergraduate Graphic Design &
    Graduate Design Departments
    Spring 2010–present

LECTURES / WORKSHOPS

  • Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
    at California College of the Arts
    Wide White Space Exhibition
    Lecture
    February 2011
  • Art Publishing Now
    at Southern Exposure
    Panel Discussion
    October 2010
  • Smart Design
    Lecture
    April 2010
  • Rhode Island School of Design
    Lecture + Guest Critics
    November 2008
  • University of Georgia, Athens
    Lecture + Typographic Workshop
    September 2007

PEOPLE WE'VE WORKED WITH