Like most graphic designers I need inspiration almost as much and as often as I need food and air. The internet is a brilliant invention for shifting creative block, but sometimes you just can’t beat seeing quality art and design close up in large format.

Every now and then, usually when I’m hunting for ideas, I head down to the Design Museum in London to see what’s on show. I did just that on Sunday and thought I’d put up a quick post to tip you guys off about an exhibition that’s well worth catching. Until 10th October the Design Museum is showing ‘Friendly Fire’ a collection of works by prolific British designer Jonathan Barnbrook.

“Jonathan Barnbrook has emerged in the past two decades as one of the UK’s most consistently innovative graphic designers. Pioneering graphic design with a social conscience, Barnbrook makes powerful statements about corporate culture, consumerism, war and international politics. Through his work in both commercial and non-commercial spheres he combines wit, political savvy and bitter irony in equal measures.”

“Friendly Fire traces Barnbrook’s career from early experiments in pure typography and pioneering motion graphics in the early 1990s, to recent work, including his latest projects with collaborators such as the anti-corporate collective Adbusters. Drawn from the designer’s own archive, the work represented will span the wide range of disciplines in which the Barnbrook studio work, including one of their most pioneering areas – typeface design.”

It’s not a huge exhibition but is well thought out and has a good range of Barnbrook’s work on display, including some of his corporate identity work and typography. If you’re in London between now and October check it out…