MARK ALLEN INTERVIEW
Mark Allen
On 16 August 1975, the BBC’s weather broadcast featured a series of weather symbols for the first time. These symbols would become one of the most iconic pieces of design in broadcasting, if not design history. There was a national outcry when in 2005 the symbols were replaced with a computerised weather map but the symbols are still used on the BBC website today. After a call to the Alumni office from the BBC One Show looking to contact Mark, we were set the challenge of tracking him down. Thanks to the power of social networking, we found Mark and asked him about the weather symbols and his career since. What memories do you have of your time at Norwich School of Art? John Tomlinson or ‘JT’ as he was affectionately known was Head of Graphic Design and he was an extrovert, charismatic
and innovative leader. I always looked forward to Wednesdays when the freelance graphic designers arrived like Ken Kirkwood and Brian Love. They were so inspirational, in particular I found Ken’s boundless enthusiasm so motivating and Brian Love even put a roof over my head when I first moved to London. I was a rubbish first year student as John Hall, AKA ‘Arnos Grove’ told me: “well Mark this is simply just the worst”. However in my second year I won the Richardson Brown Travel Prize as most improved student of that year. We had guest lecturers from industry such as Michael Wolff from Wolff Ollins who came in to give a talk on the Blue Circle logo which I thought was the most influential and meaningful insight into the world of corporate identity I learnt as a student.
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