With the EJP guide to #LDF17, you can navigate through the best installations, workshops, talks, exhibitions & design districts this London Design Festival.

One of the great things about the festival is the sheer number of exhibitions and the variety that each of them brings. Of course, I’m a little bit of a sucker for those with a distinct graphic style, so if you’re after something with originality, pattern, colour or typography, these are my top picks!

Cliptomania, London Design Festival 2017

1 // Cliptomania

Present & Correct are always on hand to provide the perfect exhibition for any stationery lover and while their Islington-based shop might be small, you know there’s gotta be something said for a carefully curated display of office essentials.

Last year ‘Error’, an exhibition of 200 erasers, stole our hearts and this year the pencil pushers will be bringing to us ‘Cliptomania’ –  a gridded wall of perfectly knolled clips. 150 new and vintage clips will be on display and you can bet that I’ll be analysing each and every one of ’em.

Present & Correct, 23 Arlington Way, EC1R 1UY 
Nearest Tube: Angel
Sep 16-24 (11am-7pm)

Graphic Design Process, London Design Festival 2017

2 // Graphic Design Process

The Bankside Design District is heavily focused on typography this year and with so many amazing signs along the Southbank, it’s not hard to see why. Letterform Archive’s popup exhibit at Devonshire House, ‘Graphic Design Process: Analog Artifacts of Experimentation, Development, & Production’ will highlight the work designers produce on the way to final products – think sketchbook galore.

The exhibit utilizes the breadth of the Letterform Archive collection and includes the work of W.A. Dwiggins, Emigre Inc, Eric Gill, Philip Grushkin, Edward Johnston, Aaron Marcus, Herbert Matter, Piet Zwart to name a few. Keep your eyes peeled on their website for new about talks referencing the lettering arts and design archives.

Devonshire House, 68 Union St, London, SE1 1TD
Nearest Tube: Green Park
Sep 20-24 (Wed 5-9 pm, Thur, Fri, Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-5pm)

Creativity in the City, London Design Festival 2017

3 // Creativity in the City

The Milliken showroom will be celebrating ‘Creativity in the City’ during LDF. To accompany the launch of design journalist (and all-round lovely lady) Katie Treggiden’s book: Urban Potters – Makers in the City, Milliken will host an exhibition of London based ceramicists including work from Florian Gadsby, Nicola Tassie and Barry Stedman to name a few.

On Tuesday 19th September, Katie will lead a discussion exploring creativity in the city, focusing on the challenges facing space-hungry activities like pottery at a time when space has never been harder to find and afford. Don’t miss it – reserve your tickets here!

Milliken Showroom, 5 Berry Street, Clerkenwell, EC1V 0AA
Nearest Tube: Barbican
Sep 18-22 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm Tues,Thurs (late opening))

The House of Wallpaper, London Design Festival 2017

4 // The House of Wallpaper

While admittedly there’s not much information going around about ‘The House of Wallpaper‘, I’m absolutely intrigued by the title alone. Presented by wallpaper manufacturer Graham & Brown, SHH Interior Design has taken over a house in Soho to showcase the brand’s wallpaper design studio, archive pieces and new collections. Also included will be designer seminars, Coolbrand events & a pop-up dining experience designed by Pedro Passinhas. Curious to say the least.

19 Greek Street, Soho, London, W1D 4DT
Nearest Tube: Tottenham Court Road
18th September – 4th October 2017

Indian Design Platform, London Design Festival 2017

5 // Indian Design Platform: Bold – Graphic Design from India

Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of India’s independence and 2017’s UK-India Year of Culture, promoted by the British Council, Rich Mix will present ‘Indian Design Platform: Bold – Graphic Design from India’.

Bold is the first exhibition to showcase the work of the current wave of Indian graphic designers. The show will display examples of branding, typography, posters, films and digital media, as well as personal passion projects, revealing the vibrancy and diversity of work underway in India’s visual communications scene. Expect a visual feast of posters, zines, typography, films and digital works.

Rich Mix, 35 – 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA
Nearest Tube: Shoreditch High Street / Liverpool Street / Bethnal Green
7th September – 30th September 2017 (Mon to Sat: 9am -11pm, Sun:10am-11pm)

Water, London Design Festival 2017

6 // Water

For the curious and intrigued amongst you, discover ‘Water’ where 13 designers have come together for a one-of-a-kind exhibition devoted to the creative and technological exploration of h2o. Taking place at the heart of the Bussey Building in the Copeland Gallery, a disused warehouse in Peckham, the involved designers will create products, materials, installations, and experiments that incorporate, exploit, or examine water.

Copeland Gallery, Bussey Building & Copeland Park, Peckham, SE15 3SN
Nearest Tube: Peckham Rye
19th September – 24th September 2017 (12pm-8pm)

7 // The Conran Shop x It’s Nice That: Private View

After the success of last year’s A Load of Jargon, It’s Nice That and The Conran Shop are once again collaborating for a gig with a difference. Rather than a one-night spectacular, the store and online magazine will run a month-long soirée in the windows of the store where everything may not be quite what it seems. Traditionally, a private view is an occasion when gallery walls are at their brightest, the prosecco is chilled, the press releases are neatly stacked and the products are polished for their moment in the spotlight. But something has gone awry…Come and decipher the aftermath of an evening that started as a glittering occasion and took a lurch towards the unexpected – a playful installation combining products, set design, storytelling and chaos that questions what a memorable event really might be.

81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD
Nearest Tube: South Kensington
16 September—16 October 2017

8 // 100 Prints by Sophie Smallhorn

British artist and colour consultant Sophie Smallhorn will be showing ‘100 Prints’ – an exhibition of one hundred one off screen prints which quite frankly sounds incredible. Displayed in the order in which they were created the prints are an illustrated thought process played out across identically sized sheets of paper. Pattern and colour? SOLD!

The Tea Building, Shoreditch High Street, London
Nearest Tube: Shoreditch High Street / Liverpool Street
16th – 24th September 2017

Want to see more LDF content? Explore the full EJP London Design Festival Guide or head straight to your interests – just click for Installations, Workshops, Talks, Design Districts and Design Shows.