Ella Fradgley

This time last year, I had just finished designing Maruja's debut album 'Pain to Power' for Sony Music Entertainment. I am immensely grateful to have been a part of this album, which holds significant meaning for me personally and for the thousands of people who find solace and connection through Maruja's music. The comprehensive album design included packaging for a CD, a coloured LP, a standard LP and a deluxe LP, with either inner sleeves or lyric booklets for each. Conceptually, the design was rooted in Maruja's deeply human sound. I aimed to make the physical album formats feel as tactile and handmade as the music itself. When I envisioned the audience holding the music as a physical object, I wanted it to feel like an artefact rather than just a product, embodying a sense of the clandestine. Mikey Thomas's album artwork provided abundant direction for the design, as did the album itself. However, I am always guided by research and concept, so I also drew inspiration from folklore, myth, religious iconography, and, of course, the sacred text of the album's lyrics for the album's key design motifs. The custom logo font and hand-drawn motifs I created for the album, as well as my compositional choices throughout the packaging, were influenced by the design language of Celtic medieval imagery, particularly the Book of Kells. Illustration was a central element in each format, serving as an age-old storytelling device. The full set of designs can be viewed here, where the album is available to purchase: https://www.twine.net/signin illustrator designer graphicdesigner

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Last year, I had the joy and privilege of designing the merchandise for Maruja's Pain to Power tour (which is currently ongoing!) ☆ When it came to expanding the visual storytelling of Pain to Power into merchandising, I continued the research-led design approach I brought to the album. Where the album included motifs from medieval illuminated manuscripts, the merch was conceptually rooted in the role self-adornment played in medieval Britain. In 1363, Edward III’s sumptuary law strictly forbade embroidery on clothing for anyone below the level of esquire unless they had an income 5 times that of an esquire, making at least £100 a year. The adornment of the body by those not in the upper classes was an act of rebellion, an embracing of beauty and a defiance of expectations - all themes present in Maruja's music. It was also essential that the merch capsule fused these ornate design elements with the kinds of merch designs that fans would expect at shows. One example of this is the traditional band hoodie, which carries the secret message of an illustrated angel placed above the cuff, referencing medieval practices of embroidering figures of faith, protection and communication. It also uses the body as a canvas, encouraging the wearer to turn their hands outward to see the full image, revealing a secret and opening their palms in a pose of offering and vulnerability. As with all my work with Maruja, this process was incredibly collaborative, fulfilling and an absolute pleasure and privilege to be a part of! graphicdesigner branding illustrator designer

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I had the joy of delivering the design for Working Class Movement Library's ‘A Great Betrayal: One Hundred Years On - The Lessons of the 1926 General Strike’ exhibition, which is open now! ★ The exhibition design included 19 panels that narrate the timeline of the General Strike and highlight individual stories, including local people like Jack Forshaw from Salford, who became a martyr for the strike after being mistreated in prison, and Mancunian Ellen Wilkinson, whose voice has helped shape understandings of women’s roles in strike action. The design was developed by researching the existing visual language in WCML’s vast archives. Glyphs, line work, font choices, and compositional devices were sampled and reinterpreted to honour past materials documenting the strike, ranging from original bulletins from 100 years ago to research documents from the past 20 years. I also had the privilege of working very closely with the amazing team of volunteers aged 21 - 82 who curated the show. Through regular in-person meetings at the library from February to April, we discussed the design together to ensure I was aligning with their vision for the exhibition. The exhibition is now open on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons from 1-4 pm! For more information, head to https://www.twine.net/signin

• Graphic Designer