Amrit Randhawa on using graphic design for social causes and commentary

Taxi Cab Industries is a Manchester-based design practice founded and run by Amrit Randhawa. Though his creative output spans textiles, printmaking, painting and DJing to name but a few, at the heart of this work is graphic design, the subject he studied at university. Offering a diverse, witty and humorous brand of design, Amrit says a quote by Ed Ruscha that reads “I'm dead serious about being nonsensical” sums up his approach to the medium. In particular, Amrit’s focus is often on the “shortcomings of language”, which he plays on in his artworks through clever bootlegs and reinterpretations. “These interests often communicate my experiences as a third generation diaspora, and the frustration of code-switching, language barriers, and a struggle for clarity and articulation,” he says.

Beyond this, Amrit works for clients as diverse as The British Council, The Barbican, Open Eye Gallery and World Wildlife Fund UK, collaborating on a range of projects. Commissions that see him engage with real-world issues have become a highlight in recent years, and Amrit says, along with his passion for tongue-in-cheek social commentary, he also wants to apply his design skills to charitable and progressive causes. Though he continues to make experimental personal work in his spare time, and pursue projects of an artistic nature, his hopes for the future lie in the medium’s potential to create change. “I feel especially inspired when creating something that has a real use value, and can experiment with the space it takes up and where it takes place,” he tells us. “I don’t believe in the idea that design should be about making pretty images — I’m definitely interested in the functionality and meaning that design can communicate.”