About Rebus

So, a little about me. I don't find it an easy thing to write about myself, but here goes! Not the most academic of kids at school, my interests were focused around Sports and Art, much to the disappointment of my Form Tutor and Geology teacher, Mr Jackson. But, as it turns out, knowing the difference between an Igneous and Metamorphic rock hasn't really been a significant thing in my working life, whereas Art & Design seems to have stood me in good stead.

On leaving school, I went to York College of Art & Design, where I discovered my passion for design. From here I was accepted on to the Graphic Design course at Cleveland College where I passed with Distinction and also gained an unconditional offer onto the Typography course from the prestigious London College of Printing (LCP). Here I spent a great deal of time with my nose pressed up against the glass where the Macs were kept - because at LCP, students on the Typography course weren't allowed to touch them in the first year. That's because this course focused on teaching core skills, explaining fundamental techniques and expanding thought processes. Most importantly of all, it was a course about design in the commercial world, and not about making pretty pictures.

All this was the solid grounding and foundations for what Rebus was built upon and produces today. Well considered, meaningful design, created to work hard in the real world.

This is Forrest. Forrest doesn't work at Rebus, have any social media accounts or help in any way towards the running of the business. But can usually be found under my desk waiting to pounce as soon as anyone dares to knock on our door.

In Latin, the word rebus means 'by things' a rebus is a form of the Latin word res, which means 'thing'. English speakers started using the phrase rebus for picture writing in the early 1600s.

A rebus is a puzzle or engaging brainteaser that combines the use of illustrated graphics or images with individual letters or words to depict phrases. For example, a picture of an Ape, followed by the letter X, means 'APEX'.

I work with clients who have problems they need to solve. It may be a rebrand of a business that now needs to appeal to an entirely new audience or multiple logos that need to work and look like part of a family, but also represent different divisions within a company. As a graphic designer, I use a combination of type, images and illustrations to visually solve these problems for my clients, just like a Rebus!