I’m Bodil, a book and identity designer from Trondheim, Norway, holding a PhD in Typography & Graphic Communication from the University of Reading. My research interest concentrates on the verbal and visual presentation of health messages on food labels dating from 1850 to 1970. Please read my blog and have a look at my work. Feel free to get in touch if you think there is something I can do for you. Get in touch ›
– a blog about my work, research, ideas, typography and passion for books.
WORK | Pietro Querini, a 15th-century sailing captain from Venice, was shipwrecked at Røst during the winter of 1432. The plot of the Querini opera centres around the stark contrast between the modest living conditions of northern Norway and the opulent lifestyle of Venice.
The visual identity of the opera captures these contrasts through the use of colours, typography, imagery, and proportions. You can see more of the opera’s visual identity here.
WORK | In 2022, the year was primarily characterized by the completion of my doctoral degree, the Viva voce examination, minor adjustments, submission, and graduation. However, my life as a book and identity designer is gradually starting to mirror the annual report.
WORK | After three successful performances at Røst, the Querini Opera has been invited to perform at Arsenale Nord in Venice in October 2023. The venue is a former shipyard from the 1400s with high ceilings and large archways, providing a unique and dramatic setting for the opera.
I am hired to develop the visual identity for the opera. Together with Hildegunn Pettersen, Raine Nilsen and Monica Stendahl Rokne, we started with a one-day workshop defining the vision, aim and desired personality for the identity of the opera.
WORK | At the same time I was finalising my thesis, I designed a book for Steinerskolen in Trondheim, which celebrated its 50th anniversary. It has been a great and exciting project and a pleasure working with author Anne Lise Aakervik. The book was launched after an excellent performance in Olavshallen on 5 October 2022, including all the pupils from the school. See more from the book.
WORK | 2021 has been characterized by a life in the world of letters and texts. Everything has revolved around research, language, sentences, explanations, understanding, labels, presentation, structure, more structure, more sentences, corrections, fine-tuning, abstracts, and conclusions.
WORK | This year’s annual report for my own business is characterised by a year with a pandemic, lockdown, writing, frustration, face masks, rules, testing, new rules, restrictions, tiredness and difficulty focusing. Most of the time spent on working is related to the thesis, in addition to a few design projects, such as finalising the book about Selbu patterns and identity for EiP (Everything is Possible).
WORK | My latest book design ‘Selbumønster’ (Selbu pattern) is a beautiful book showing the diversity of the knitting tradition in Selbu. The book presents registered patterns used on garments that have been produced in the village of Selbu or sold as the brand name ‘Selbustrikk’. The book, written by Anne Bårdsgård, is a follow-up from ‘Selbuvotter” (Selbu mittens) and grounded on a similar visual expression. See more from Selbumønster.
WORK | Operating simultaneously as a graphic designer and researcher is not always easy and several days contains work from both disciplines. My everyday life inspires this year’s annual report for my own company, from the food I am eating, where I am working, what I am reading to travels, archives and preparations for new book projects.
WORK / PERSONAL PROJECT | As my PhD is a full-time study, 2018 has been characterised by more research than design projects. The annual report for my own company is therefore visually inspired by food labels and in particular Sainsbury´s packaging design from 1950-60. The front page is part of a label from 1964 from The Sainsbury´s Archive, Museum of London Docklands.
WORK | I am designing material for the next Paper Dialogue exhibition. The exhibition has been shown at Today Art Museum in Bejing, Shanghai, Norway and Jersey and is now coming to Center for Papirkunst in Denmark 22 March 2019. Posters, invitations, wall text etc. are prepared for the exhibition. See the catalogue and the Paper Dialogues visual identity.
