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I’m a huge fan of the Designers Republic, the studio responsible for Wipeout’s brilliant aesthetic. Being from Sheffield, they also worked closely with Warp Rec

I’m a huge fan of the Designers Republic, the studio responsible for Wipeout’s brilliant aesthetic. Being from Sheffield, they also worked closely with Warp Records on a bunch of beautiful album artwork for Aphex Twin, Autechre and others. The studio shut down in 2009 sadly, but the website popped back online a couple years ago. I hope they keep making stuff! It seems slim that there will be more Wipeout, however. Sony Liverpool dissolved awhile ago

1986 5y ago
Still have this on my bookshelf: https://www.amazon.com/Sampler-2-Contemporary-Music-Graphics/dp/0789305224 https://www.amazon.com/Sampler-2-Contemporary-Music-Graphics... It's got tons of TDR work in it, in addition to several other studios / designers. I could definitely see the TDR aesthetic resurfacing with all the 00s revival stuff going on right now.
deltaonefour 5y ago
I believe they were only responsible for wipeout 3.
- musha68k 5y ago
  Designer's Republic? They were definitely involved in the original design for Wip3out. The packaging and manual alone still feel fresh after almost 30 years IMHO: https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,42640/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... You can see the little "I love my DR" logo on the back cover: https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,42707/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,175870/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... It truly felt like "an experience from the future" back in 1995 - and to some extent still does, for this fan at least :)
  - monocasa 5y ago
    I think you misunderstood the parent.
    - detaro 5y ago
      What's the non-misunderstood interpretation, because I also don't get it? If it's about Studio Liverpool, that's also wrong since Studio Liverpool was just a rename of the original developer Psygnosis after it got integrated deeper into Sony.
      - monocasa 5y ago
        The original parent claimed that Designers Republic only collaborated on the design of Wipeout 3 (also known as Wip3out). The user replying countered this with proof that they collaborated on Wipeout 3.
        lkitching 5y ago
        All those links are to the first game, not Wipeout 3.
        musha68k 5y ago
        If the confusion stems from me writing 'Wip3out' I'm sorry about that, just a habit of mine. I've always written out any WipEout title as Wip3out (the capital 'E' looked like a horizontally flipped `3` in the original DR design). I was referring to the source leak related title, the original WipEout (1) of course (see cover art links).
        monocasa 5y ago
        Oh, ok. That totally checks out and is my bad for further confusing an already confusing situation.
  - thot_experiment 5y ago
    > It truly felt like "an experience from the future" back in 1995 - and to some extent still does, for this fan at least :) This fan as well. Really fantastic, innovative stuff.
- chaboud 5y ago
  TDR was responsible for the logos, team design, manual, and packaging of the first WipEout, working through XL to Wipeout 3. The feel and character their work gave to those simple polygonal wedges was impressive, and that graphic design perfectly laid out the ultra-futurist vibe with global half-kanji minimalism. We'll never know for sure, but I've always thought that the success of the franchise really stemmed from their influence at the beginning.
- whywhywhywhy 5y ago
  They were involved in all of it with box art and logos, but I think it extended to the game UI [1] and more in the 3rd game. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYY7w5VUN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYY7w5VUN0
naoqj 5y ago
Don't forget Pop Will Eat Itself. They did practically all of their graphics.
- cronix 5y ago
  Thanks for that. Was a big PWEI fan in the late 80s/early 90s but had no idea of their connection to games/graphics.
DoneWithAllThat 5y ago
TDR’a graphic design is still some of my favorite to this day. It was so iconic and instantly recognizable. Their album art for PWEI’s “This Is The Day…” and WARP’s “Blech 2” compilation for example are incredible.
_dain_ 5y ago
Someday I want to rice my linux desktop to look like the Wipeout interface style.
- eecc 5y ago
  is Enlightenment still a thing? It would make a good start? https://www.enlightenment.org/ https://www.enlightenment.org/
Thaxll 5y ago
Yes, they were awesome: https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/61558b585acaa9be092654af/Wipeout-2097-logos/960x0.jpg?fit=bounds&format=jpg&width=960 https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/61558b...
- tezza 5y ago
  They also did a lot of album art for the Gatecrasher Trance discs So fresh in 1998/99 https://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/gatecrasher https://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/gatecrasher

1986 5y ago

Still have this on my bookshelf: https://www.amazon.com/Sampler-2-Contemporary-Music-Graphics/dp/0789305224 https://www.amazon.com/Sampler-2-Contemporary-Music-Graphics... It's got tons of TDR work in it, in addition to several other studios / designers. I could definitely see the TDR aesthetic resurfacing with all the 00s revival stuff going on right now.

deltaonefour 5y ago

I believe they were only responsible for wipeout 3.

musha68k 5y ago
Designer's Republic? They were definitely involved in the original design for Wip3out. The packaging and manual alone still feel fresh after almost 30 years IMHO: https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,42640/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... You can see the little "I love my DR" logo on the back cover: https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,42707/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId,175870/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/wipeout/cover-art/gameCoverId... It truly felt like "an experience from the future" back in 1995 - and to some extent still does, for this fan at least :)
- monocasa 5y ago
  I think you misunderstood the parent.
  - detaro 5y ago
    What's the non-misunderstood interpretation, because I also don't get it? If it's about Studio Liverpool, that's also wrong since Studio Liverpool was just a rename of the original developer Psygnosis after it got integrated deeper into Sony.
    - monocasa 5y ago
      The original parent claimed that Designers Republic only collaborated on the design of Wipeout 3 (also known as Wip3out). The user replying countered this with proof that they collaborated on Wipeout 3.
      - lkitching 5y ago
        All those links are to the first game, not Wipeout 3.
        musha68k 5y ago
        If the confusion stems from me writing 'Wip3out' I'm sorry about that, just a habit of mine. I've always written out any WipEout title as Wip3out (the capital 'E' looked like a horizontally flipped `3` in the original DR design). I was referring to the source leak related title, the original WipEout (1) of course (see cover art links).
        monocasa 5y ago
        Oh, ok. That totally checks out and is my bad for further confusing an already confusing situation.
- thot_experiment 5y ago
  > It truly felt like "an experience from the future" back in 1995 - and to some extent still does, for this fan at least :) This fan as well. Really fantastic, innovative stuff.
chaboud 5y ago
TDR was responsible for the logos, team design, manual, and packaging of the first WipEout, working through XL to Wipeout 3. The feel and character their work gave to those simple polygonal wedges was impressive, and that graphic design perfectly laid out the ultra-futurist vibe with global half-kanji minimalism. We'll never know for sure, but I've always thought that the success of the franchise really stemmed from their influence at the beginning.
whywhywhywhy 5y ago
They were involved in all of it with box art and logos, but I think it extended to the game UI [1] and more in the 3rd game. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYY7w5VUN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYY7w5VUN0

naoqj 5y ago

Don't forget Pop Will Eat Itself. They did practically all of their graphics.

cronix 5y ago
Thanks for that. Was a big PWEI fan in the late 80s/early 90s but had no idea of their connection to games/graphics.

DoneWithAllThat 5y ago

TDR’a graphic design is still some of my favorite to this day. It was so iconic and instantly recognizable. Their album art for PWEI’s “This Is The Day…” and WARP’s “Blech 2” compilation for example are incredible.

_dain_ 5y ago

Someday I want to rice my linux desktop to look like the Wipeout interface style.

eecc 5y ago
is Enlightenment still a thing? It would make a good start? https://www.enlightenment.org/ https://www.enlightenment.org/

Thaxll 5y ago

Yes, they were awesome: https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/61558b585acaa9be092654af/Wipeout-2097-logos/960x0.jpg?fit=bounds&format=jpg&width=960 https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/61558b...

tezza 5y ago
They also did a lot of album art for the Gatecrasher Trance discs So fresh in 1998/99 https://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/gatecrasher https://www.thedesignersrepublic.com/gatecrasher