Phil Baines

[1958–2024]

Phil worked as a freelance graphic designer after graduating from the RCA in 1987. His work has been diverse including animated typographic sequences for TV advertising; exhibition design; web design; and much editorial design. Significant early clients included Monotype Typography, the Crafts Council, and Neville Brody’s Fuse project.


Since 1995 Phil was the chief designer for Matt’s Gallery producing over 20 ‘white books’ to accompany exhibitions, and bespoke publications in collaboration with Director Robin Klassnik and artists such as Mike Nelson, Willie Doherty and Anne Bean.

His work over recent years included custom typefaces for the London bombings memorials in both Hyde Park and Tavistock Square, as well as the digitisation of Flaxman for the Metropolitan Police Service’s New Scotland Yard.

From 1991–2020 he also taught typography (0·5 full time) on the BA(Hons) Graphic Design course at Central Saint Martins in London, becoming Professor there in 2006.


Obituary in Forum 47