We like simple design. We like to keep things clear and enjoy editing out all the unnecessary bits that cling to ideas, so you can call us minimalists, it’s OK. But we don’t like dry work. We believe design should be concept driven, personally formed as well as engaging & fun.

Brighten the Corners is Frank Philippin and Billy Kiosoglou. A German and a Greek, we met studying Graphic Design and set up Brighten the Corners after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London in 1999. We have a studio in London (Brixton) and in the Odenwald (near Darmstadt/Frankfurt).

Over the years, we’ve worked with many clients including the Goethe-Insitut, the British Council, the Department for Education, Accenture, and Laurence King Publishing, happily switching between public sector, corporate and cultural environments. All along we’ve resisted specialising. This is important to us, as we feel that doing the same thing over and over leads to formulaic responses, and they never quite work. And it keeps us on our toes, so that we don’t become “those guys who only do annual reports” or something equally scary.

We’ve won quite a few awards as well. Not just for posters, logos, programmes, websites or events we’ve designed, but most recently for the outcome of a university workshop. And we like to keep our hands in many pies: we publish and sell work in our online shop and teach Graphic Design at the University of Darmstadt.

For more information about who we are, why we have this name, our manifesto, how to brighten the corners, or a list of our awards, publications (print, online & TV/radio), talks, exhibitions and clients, click accordingly.

Frank was born in Stuttgart in 1967. As a teenager, he was the singer in a punk rock band as well as an aspiring goalkeeper. Frank discovered design during his 20 month-long civil service in a local magazine and soon developed a curious appreciation for the work of Neville Brody and the likes. However, the German educational system wasn’t quite ready for Frank’s radical approach to life drawing so he soon left the continent for London where he befriended a Greek with strange facial hair.

Frank went on to complete an MA at the Royal College of Art, during which he was shortlisted to design Royal Mail’s Millennium Stamp and where he designed his graduating year’s poster in manifesto style. He also completed a one-year research project at the Helen Hamlyn Centre on the subject of Small Print, before setting up Brighten the Corners. Today, Frank moves between the Odenwald, London and Darmstadt where he teaches Graphic Design.

Billy was born in Athens in 1973. His formative years were spent making covers for Scorpions compilation tapes on his bedroom floor, reading comics or walking long distances with his dog. Aged twelve, Billy visited an Athens design agency with a friend and declared themselves available for work. Eight years later he travelled to the UK to study at Camberwell College of Arts, where he befriended a smartly dressed German.

After a 20-month long military service in Greece, Billy returned to London for an MA at the Royal College of Art. During his studies, he successfully undesigned his graduating year’s catalogue and was selected to design a publication for the college’s own imprint, Salvo. At his degree show, Billy was awarded the Oberon Book Award and produced a giant sheet of writing paper. In 2001 he joined Frank at Brighten the Corners.

Before there was Brighten the Corners studio for design, there was Brighten the Corners, the album by Pavement. Although tracing the connection may seem difficult, the more persistent listener will find that repeated sessions of Type Slowly, Date w/ IKEA or Old to Begin will offer invaluable insights.

We don’t have one. But why not try one of these?
How to work better Fischli & Weiss
The Stuckists Manifesto
The Dada Manifesto by Hugo Ball
The Dada Manifesto by Tristan Tzara
First Things First Manifesto
The Orgasm Manifesto
The Manifesto of Negativity
Permanent Manifesto Art and Communication
Ten Commandments for Gilbert & George
Manifesto of the Empress Catherine II

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2014 (ADC93)
(Design Bronze Cube Award)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2014
(Grand Prix, Category Editorial/Book Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2014
(Excellent Work, Category Editorial/Book Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2014
(Excellent Work, Category Editorial/Book Design)

TDC Type Directors Club New York 2014 (TDC60)
(Certificate of Typographic Excellence)

Fedrigoni Top Award 2013
(Corporate Publishing: 2nd prize)

D&AD Design & Art Direction UK 2013
(Yellow Pencil Award, category: Graphic Design)

ADC Art Directors Club Germany 2013
(Gold Award, category: Literature)

D&AD Design & Art Direction UK 2013
(In Book Award, category: Book Design: Entire Books)

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2013 (ADC92)
(Design Gold Cube Award)

Best of Corporate Publishing – BCP Award Silver 2013
(Category: anual reports)

TDC Type Directors Club New York 2013
(Winner TDC 59 Communication Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2013
(Prize Nominee Work, Category Editorial/Book Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2013
(Excellent Work, Category Poster)

Design of the Year Award 2013 by the Design Museum.
Nominated in the category Graphic Design

TDC Type Directors Club New York 2012
(Winner TDC 58 Communication Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2012
(In-Book Award, Poster)

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2011
(Design Print Bronze Cube Award)

The 100 Best Posters 2010

ΕΒΓΕ (Greek Graphic Design & Illustration Awards) 2011
(Visual Identity: Commendation)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2011
(In-Book Award, Poster)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2011
(In-Book Award, Mark & Logo/Corporate stationery)

Creative Review: The Annual 2010
(for Inbox, our 10 year anniversary poster set)

D&AD Design & Art Direction UK 2010
(Typography: Book Design)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2010
(In-Book Award, Experimental Work)

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2009
(Design Print Gold Cube Award)

TDC Type Directors Club Tokyo 2009
(In-Book Award, Logotype)

ADC Art Directors Club Germany 2009
(In-book Award, Typography)

ADI Design Award 2009
(Art & Design Institute of China Academy of Art)

Allianz Business to Arts Awards 2008
(Best Use of Creativity by a Business)

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2008
(Design Print: Newspaper, Trade/Consumer)

ADC Art Directors Club New York 2008
(Design Print: Corporate & Promotional Design)

D&AD Design & Art Direction UK 2007
(Brochures & Catalogues)

RBI Achievement Award 2007
(Marketing Campaign of the Year)

D&AD Design & Art Direction UK 2005
(Brochures & Catalogues)

Shortlisted for the Most Beautiful Book Award
(Stiftung Deutsche Buchkunst)

Ad Q Award for Outstanding Advertising 2004

The 100 Best Posters 2002

The 100 Best Posters 2001

Oberon Book Award 2001

Colonel Varley Memorial Award 1999

1st Prize RCA Environment Programme 1999

Royal Mail Millennium Stamp 1998

ADC Jahrbuch 2013
640 pages (February 2014)
Publisher: avedition
ISBN-13: 978-3899861952

D&AD 2013
544 pages (February 2014)
Publisher: Taschen
ISBN-13: 978-3836545273

Tokyo TDC, Vol.23 –
The Best in International Typography & Design
272 pages (June 2013)
Publisher: Azur Cooperation
ISBN-13: 978-4903233789

New Graphic Design:
The 100 Best Contemporary Graphic Designers
512 pages (April 2013)
Publisher: Carlton/Goodman Books
ISBN-13: 978-1847960443

I used to be a design student
256 pages (Feb 2013)
Authors: Frank Philippin, Billy Kiosoglou (Brighten the Corners)
Publisher: Laurence King
ISBN-13: 978-1856698986

Best of Corporate Publishing 2013
624 pages (July 2013)
Publisher: FCP e.V., Munich & Horizont, Frankfurt
ISBN: 978-3-86641-288-0

Design Museum: Designs of the Year
(March 2013)
Publisher: Design Museum

Fully Booked: Ink on Paper: Design and Concepts
for New Publications
272 pages (Feb 2013)
Publisher: Die Gestalten Verlag
ISBN-13: 978-3899554649

Multicolour
256 Pages (January 2013)
Publisher: Victionary
ISBN: 978-988-19439-0-3

It's Nice That Annual 2012
264 Pages (December 2012)
Publisher: It's Nice That

Tokyo TDC Vol. 22: The Best in International Typography & Design
258 Pages (May 2012)
Publisher: Azur
ISBN: 978-4903233772

Art Directors Annual 90
500 Pages (December 2011)
Publisher: Ava
ISBN: 978-2940411887

Slanted Magazin #16 Bold/Light
148 Pages (November 2011)
Publisher: MAGMA Brand Design
ISSN: 1867-6510

Selected B: Graphic Design from Europe
616 Pages (October 2011)
Publisher: Index Book/Ginko Press
ISBN: 978-8492643950

Tokyo TDC Vol. 21
428 Pages (July 2012)
Publisher: Azur
ISBN: 978-4903233734

Minimalist Design
336 Pages (July 2011)
Publisher: Collins Design
ISBN-13: 978-0062004581

Logology 2
288Pages (June 2011)
Publisher: Victionary
ISBN: 978-9881732897

Love Earth – Design for Green Living
240Pages (June 2011)
Publisher: Victionary
ISBN: 978-9881732750

D&AD 2010 – The Best Advertising and Design
in the World (D&AD Awards)
592 Pages (November 2010)
Publisher: Taschen
ISBN: 978-3836524995

Selected A: Graphic & New Media Design from Europe
700 Pages (September 2010)
Publisher: Index Book
ISBN: 978-8492643578

The Complete Typographer 3rd Edition
292 Pages (September 2010)
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 978-4903233567

Tokyo TDC Volume 20
The Best in International Typography & Design
268 Pages (May 2010)
Publisher: The Azur Corporation
ISBN: 978-4903233567

ADI Graphic Design Annual Volume 2
240 Pages (May 2010)
Publisher: Art Design Institute of China Academy of Art
ASIN: B003C1H3JU

Idea No. 340: Forms of Practice
230 Pages (April 2010)
Publisher: Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Creative Review: The Annual 2010
A showcase of the year’s best work in advertising, graphic design and visual communication
96 Pages, (May 2010)
Publisher: Centaur Communications Ltd

The Graphic Eye
240 Pages (February 2010)
Publisher: Rotovision
ISBN: 978-2888930594

1000 Ideas by 100 Graphic Designers
320 Pages (January 2010)
Publisher: Rockport Publisher
ISBN: 978-1592535743

Celebration Graphics Sourcebook:
Festive Designs from All Cultures
256 Pages (January 2010)
Publisher: Rockport
ISBN: 978-1592535897

88th Art Directors Annual 2009
Hardcover, 464 Seiten (December 2009)
Publisher: Rotovision
ISBN: 978-2888930853

3 Minutes – The Book
Designers Against Human Rights Abuse,
Subism, London (August 2009)

ADC Deutschland 2009
Hardcover, 650 Seiten (August 2009)
Publisher: Schmidt, H, Mainz
ISBN: 978-3874397766

Diagrams: Innovative Solutions for Graphic Designers
224 pages (October 2009)
Publisher: Rotovision
ISBN-13: 978–2888930617

Made & Sold
Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing (19 Oct 2009)
ISBN: 1856696286

Sourcebook of Contemporary Graphic Design
Hardcover, 600 pages
Publisher: Collins Design (1 May 2009)
ISBN: 0061704385

Business Cards 3: Designs on Saying Hello
Paperback, 272 Seiten (Juni 2009)
Laurence King (UK)
ISBN 978 1 85669 589 3

2 Colors: Low Budget, High Impact
Paperback 288 pages (April 2009)
Publisher: Maomao Publications / Page One Publishing
ISBN: 9789812456571

Book of the Year
Hardcover, 760 Seiten (April 2009)
Index Book, Barcelona
ISBN: 9788496309807

Creator’s Self Promotion
Paperback 160 pages (January 2009)
Publisher: Pie-Books
ISBN: 9784894446991

87th Art Directors Annual
Hardcover 464 pages (January 2009)
Publisher: Rotovision
ISBN: 9782888930228

Making Do Magazine
Issue 1: The Translation Issue
Publisher: Making Do

Color in Graphics
Hardcover 242 pages (December 2008)
Publisher: Page One / Maomao
ISBN: 9789812456632

Postcard
Hardcover 224 pages (September 2008)
Publisher: Laurence King
ISBN: 1856695697

Creative Card Design
Hardcover 160 pages (August 2008)
Publisher: Pie Books
ISBN: 9784894446779

Material, Process, Print
Paperback 208 pages (October 2007)
Publisher: Laurence King
ISBN: 1856695107

D Annual 2007
Hardcover 600 pages (August 2007)
Publisher: D&AD
ISBN: 0954278445

The Layout Look Book
Hardcover 265 pages (April 2007)
Publisher: Collins
ISBN: 0061149756

Zoom In Zoom Out
Paperback 288 pages (December 2006)
Publisher: Victionary
ISBN: 9889822814

Tres Logos
Hardback 508 pages (December 2006)
Publisher: Gestalten Verlag
ISBN: 3899551575

Idea No. 316: The Conditions of Graphic Design
Paperback 264 pages (May 2006)
Publisher: Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Play Loud!
Paperback 140 pages (April 2006)
Publisher: Gestalten Verlag
ISBN: 3899551583

World Business Cards Today
Paperback 208 pages (February 2006)
Publisher: Pie Books
ISBN: 489444468

Introducing
Authors: Robert Klanten, Michael Mischler,
Boris Brumnjak
Paperback 240 pages (January 2006)
Publisher: Gestalten Verlag
ISBN: 3899550870

Problem Solved
A Primer in Design and Communication
Author: Michael Johnson
Paperback 288 pages (August 2004)
Publisher: Phaidon Press
ISBN: 0714844535

Business Cards: The Art of Saying Hello
Authors: Michael S. Dorrian, Liz Farrelly
Paperback 272 pages (November 2004)
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing
ISBN: 1856693864

Amatterofdesign: It’s a Matter of Promotion
Hardback 184 pages (March 2004)
Publisher: Victionary
ISBN 9628650440

100 Best Posters 02
Germany-Austria-Switzerland
Hardback 200 pages (June 2003)
Publisher: Schmidt, Mainz
ISBN: 3874396592

Insight: A Guide to Design with Low Vision in Mind
Authors: Michael Evamy, Lucienne Roberts
Hardback 304 pages (November 2003)
Publisher: RotoVision
ISBN: 2880466989

100 Best Posters 01
Germany-Austria-Switzerland
Hardback 200 pages (June 2002)
Publisher: Schmidt, Mainz
ISBN: 3874396588

:output 05
Paperback 192 pages, 2002
Verlag Pfeffer, Dieter Kretschmann
Publisher: Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz
ISBN: 978-3874396103

What Is Graphic Design?
Author: Quentin Newark
Hardback 256 pages (September 2002)
Publisher: RotoVision
ISBN: 2880465397

GB: Graphic Britain
Author: Patrick Burgoyne
Paperback 208 pages (November 2002)
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing
ISBN: 1856693112

Restart: New Systems in Graphic Design
Authors: Christian Kusters, Emily King
Paperback 176 pages (October 2001)
Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
ISBN: 0500282978

Brain Pickings
Cool Hunting
Creative Review
Design Week
Designers’ Review of Books
Drawn!
Digital Arts
Eye Magazine
Fast Company
German Architects
Iamian
Intelligence Arkitip
It’s Nice That
Lined and Unlined
Many Stuff
The Naked Copywriter
Page-Online
Site Inspire
Slanted
Speak Up
Swiss Miss
The Times
Thinking for a Living

Baseline (UK)
Blueprint (UK)
Creative Review (UK)
DB Mobil (D)
Design Report (D)
Design Week (UK)
Eye Magazine (UK)
Creative Review
Graphics International (UK)
Horizont (D)
ish Magazine (Singapore)
Idea Magazine (Japan)
Lift Stuttgart (D)
Print Magazine (USA)
Novum (D)
Der Spiegel (D)
W&V (D)

The Independent (UK)
Daily Telepgraph (UK)
The Guardian (UK)
Stuttgarter Zeitung (D)
Suddeutsche Zeitung (D)
The Times (UK)
Die Welt (D)
Welt am Sonntag (D)

UCA Epsom (University for the Creative Arts)
03/04/2014

Xijing Art College, China
02/11/2013

Chengdu Art College, China
28/10/2013

PechaKucha X Design
Design Museum, London
21/05/2013

I used to be a design student
Faculty of Design
Hochschule Darmstadt
25+26/04/2013

I used to be a design student
Camberwell College of Arts
BA Graphic Design Department
18/02/2013

Type Talks
Royal College of Art London
Communication Art & Design Department
10/04/2008

Camberwell College of Arts
University College of the Arts London
14/05/2008

Zeitgeist vs. Tradition
FH Augsburg, Fachkolloquium
October 2007

Type Talks
Royal College of Art London
Communication Art & Design Department
12/12/2005

Together
Royal College of Art London
Communication Art & Design Department
03/2003

Professional Practice Lectures
University of Brighton
Kingston University
Kent Institute of Art & Design
North East Worchestershire College
1999–2000

PIRA Conference London
24-25/01/2000

Helen Hamlyn Reseach Centre
Symposium, London
11/10/2000

PSAG Talk and Discussion London
12/10/2000

The OCT Art & Design Gallery
Tokyo TDC Exhibition 2013
18 January–11 May 2014
Shenzhen, China

Chengdu Art College, China
10 Posters
25–31 October 2013
Chendu, China

Fedrigoni Top Award exhibition
Bodoni Museum
8–13 October 2013
Parma, Italy

Tokyo TDC Exhibition 2013
Samwon Paper Gallery
Sep 9—Oct 18 2013
Seoul, South Korea

TDC New York Exhibition 2013
The Cooper Union Gallery
July 16—August 8 2013
New York, USA

Tokyo TDC Exhibition 2013
ddd Gallery
May 14—June 28 2013
Osaka, Japan

Tokyo TDC Exhibition 2013
Ginza Graphic Gallery
April 04—27, 2013
Tokyo, Japan

Designs of the Year 2013
Design Museum
Shad Thames
London, United Kingdom
20 March–7 July 2013

ADI Design Award Graphic Design Exhibition
10–13 September 2010, Phoenix International Design,
Zhuantang Town, China

10th Anniversary Exhibition Helen Hamlyn Centre
Royal College of Art London
24–30 September 2009

Common Threads Poster Exhibition
Emily Carr University, Vancouver
7-17 September 2009

3 Minutes
DAHRA (Designers Against Human Rights Abuse)
Booklaunch in The Gallery
Cork Street London, August 2009

Art Directors Club Gallery New York
4-26 June 2009

Type Directors Club Tokyo
Ginza Gallery, 3–25 April 2009

100 Best Posters 2002
Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
20 June – 16 August 2003

Change Your Life – Just and Frank
Billboard und Publication in Duke St Hill
London, 2002

100 Beste Posters 2001
Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
14 June – 17 August 2002

24 Hours Wall White II
Young Horses, Group exhibition,
The Old Jam Factory London
2001

Small Print
Helen Hamlyn Reseach Centre London
2001

Cow
Hockney Gallery London
1999

Poster Poster
Henry Moore Gallery London
1999

Transit
AV-Installation, Entrance Gallery London
1998

Reflectaphors
Photographic Installation
Gallery No.10 London
1996

Accenture (IR)
Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (Lemmens Verlag) (D)
Anah Architects (AUT/D)
Anish Kapoor (UK)
Aram Store Gallery (UK)
Arnoldsche Art Publishers (D)
Bolles+Wilson Architecture (D)
British Council (UK)
Business to Arts (IR)
Chez Vous (GR)
CILT, the National Centre for Languages (UK)
Cabanon Press (UK)
DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service (UK)
Department for Education (UK)
Disney (UK)
Fraunhofer-Institut (D)
Frieze Publishing (UK/D)
German Embassy London (UK)
German Post Office (D)
Goethe-Institut Head Office (D)
Goethe-Institut London (UK)
Heinemann (UK)
Helen Hamlyn Centre (UK)
Holy Mountain (UK)
ICA – Institute of Contemporary Arts (UK)
IHK Region Stuttgart (D)
Italian Cultural Institute London (UK)
KASAPI Hellas (GR)
Laurence King Publishing (UK)
Lenze Holding (D)
Lola GP (D)
London College of Communication (UK)
Merrell Publishers (UK/USA)
Metz/Racine Photography (UK)
Naiv Records (D)
Mitchell Beazley Publishing (UK)
Random House (UK)
RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects (UK)
Royal College of Art (UK)
Royal Mail (UK)
Skira Editore (IT)
Second Hand Records Stuttgart (D)
Therium (UK)
Thurm & Dinges (D)

Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted. No part of these pages, either text or images may be used for any purpose other than personal use, unless explicit authorisation is given by Brighten the Corners. Therefore reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical or otherwise, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.