Underworld + Tomato
When I was a kid in school, I always dreamt about being in a band, and later about having my own design studio. As I grew up and graduated college, I, like so many others, realized that maybe having a band was a bit of a pipe dream. Well, the guys behind the band Underworld & design studio Tomato didn’t give up on either dream. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith began Underworld in 1980. In 1991, they started the design firm Tomato with several other London-based designers.
You may know Underworld’s work from the film Trainspotting, which featured their song “Dark & Long (Dark Train)”
The Tomato Project, celebrating 25 years and having an anniversary exhibition in Tokyo, began working in graphic design, identity and marketing.
They have offices in London, Tokyo, Melbourne and New York. They have an impressive client list, including Adidas, BMW, Levis and dozens of other brands. For U+ by Geneu, a cosmetics line, they designed the identity as well as the futuristic packaging that evokes the high-tech product within. The company describes it as "a DNA Beautylab on a microchip".
Tomato was asked to develop Pixel Wall, an interactive sculpture, for the 2012 London Olympics. Installed at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, users are invited to turn the wooden blocks that make up this analog "digital" display to create their own messages and artworks.
Water for Life is an ongoing installation at the iconic "Torre del Agua" building in Zaragoza, Spain. The most interesting and dramatic part of the display is the interactive chandelier at the building's entry.
