WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
(About | short version | 168 words)
FL@33 is a multi-disciplinary design studio for visual communication with over 20 years of experience in Graphic Design, Art and Creative Direction, Design Teaching and Writing.
___ We help you define and reach your strategy, communication, and design goals.
___ Established in 2001, FL@33 has grown into an internationally recognised studio led by co-founding Creative Director Tomi Vollauschek.
___ The FL@33 team can organically grow for each client and project.
___ FL@33 delivers thoroughly considered and exquisitely crafted designs, consistently striving to exceed client expectations.
___ Tomi Vollauschek is an engaging, passionate, and dedicated designer who gives international lectures, judges, art directs, consults, designs, curates, exhibits, conceives, compiles, edits, and writes his own internationally published books, contributes to books and magazines, runs workshops, and develops design products for the studio's graphic art label Stereohype.
___ He also developed the inspirational and highly successful one-week FL@33 masterclass workshop 'Personal Project and the Power of Three', which he runs across numerous international design colleges.
___ We are partners – focused on delivering excellence. What can we create together?
ABOUT US
(longer version | 662 words)
FL@33 is a multi-disciplinary design studio for visual communication with over 20 years of experience. Its two founders met on the Royal College of Art's postgraduate Communication Art and Design course in London and set up their company there after graduating in 2001.
___ Since then, FL@33 has created an award-winning, internationally published body of work, ranging from self-initiated projects to commissioned work for clients from around the world, across many different sectors, regardless of size and budget. Their work spans from logos and visual identity systems to tone of voice, image-making to complete book designs, from magazine and book cover designs to posters and websites, moving image and spatial design.
___ The Franco-Austrian founding directors have been described as multi-lingual, multi-specialised design activists consistently striving to exceed expectations of their demanding clients – using wit and humour to create fresh, imaginative and engaging visual communication, products and interior designs.
___ FL@33 is today led by co-founding Creative Director Tomi Vollauschek – a Frankfurt am Main, Germany-born Austrian. He is an inspirational, passionate and dedicated designer who gives international lectures, judges, art directs, consults, designs, curates, exhibits, contributes to books and magazines, conceives, compiles, edits and writes his own internationally published books, runs workshops, teaches and also develops design products for the studio's sister company, Stereohype. Stereohype.com was launched in 2004 as an international platform for both emerging and established talents and is a graphic art label with an online boutique.
___ FL@33 has also released widely-acclaimed,
self-initiated and award-winning projects such as Trans-form magazine and the popular online sound collection project bzzzpeek.com, which was also exhibited in New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
___ Studio interviews, features and profiles have been published online and in more than 230 magazines, newspapers and books around the world – ranging from the lifestyle, art, and design press including Computer Arts, Grafik, Étapes, Novum, Creative Review, RGB to The New York Times. Interviews with the duo have also appeared on BBC Radio and NPR (America’s National Public Radio).
___ The experienced team often judges international competitions and award schemes including STBBDC, YCN, FITC, D&AD and Selected. Jury panel work has also included final year design master class diplomas at ECV France. Tomi also lectures at international design conferences and colleges such as Limelight Night: Crossing Disciplines, House of Illustration, UK, ECV Lille, ECV Aix-en-Provence and ECV Bordeaux design residencies with master class workshops and lectures, France, Grafik's Letterform Live: Fashion conference, UK, High Noon Special, Darmstadt, Germany, MICA design residency with lecture and workshop in Baltimore, MD, USA, CPH:typo*12 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark and Selected A – Graphic Design from Europe conference and jury in Barcelona, Spain.
___ A FL@33 monograph was published in 2005 as part of the bilingual (English and French) design&designer book series by Pyramyd Editions.
___ Three other books conceived, compiled, written, edited and designed by FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek – under the FL@33 tag – have all been published by Laurence King: Postcard appeared in 2008, Made & Sold: Toys, T-shirts, Prints, Zines and Other Stuff in 2009, followed by The 3D Type Book in 2011. Postcard was also translated into French (Cartes Postales, Pyramyd Editions), German (Postcard: Postkarten-Design heute, DuMont Buchverlag) and Spanish (Postales: Diseño por correo, Gustavo Gili).
___ The name FL@33 stems from the studio's first headquarters when they were still located in Notting Hill – a flat, yes, you guessed it – number 33. In 2005, the founding duo moved to London's Clerkenwell area where they developed a stunning property for many years that was also family home and studio. In 2020, they successfully sold the house. Between the lockdown summer of 2020 and summer of 2023, they lived and worked in the heart of Islington in London before moving to Lyon, France – after over 20 years in London.
___ They always try to keep their guideline 'Power of 3' in mind – an equal balance between intellect, skill and emotion – based on a philosophy they first heard about at the RCA – and that also forms part of the regular masterclass workshop Tomi runs.
PRESS
Please find articles, profiles and interviews in our Press archive. For a complete list of publications please click here or download our presskit.pdf.
PLEASE NOTE
___ FL@33 is written in uppercase only – without spaces before or after the '@'.
___ FL@33 is pronounced like 'flat33'
___ FL@33 is NOT an email address... 8)
TALKS | JUDGING PANELS | WORKSHOPS | DESIGN TEACHING
Forthcoming—ECV Lille (tutoring), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, visiting tutor, final year Master degree project, remote, ECV Lille – École de Création Visuelle, Lille, France, 2025
Forthcoming—ECV Lille residency (Tomi's Power of Three masterclass workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshop, ECV Lille – École de Création Visuelle, Lille, France, February 2025
Forthcoming—ECV Aix-en-Provence residency (Editorial Design masterclass workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 4-day masterclass workshop, ECV Provence – Creative Schools & Community, Aix-en-Provence, France, 28–31 October 2024
Ongoing—ECV Lille (Culture Graphique online course), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, visiting lecturer: Graphic Culture / Culture Graphique, remote, ECV Lille – École de Création Visuelle, Lille, France, 2024
ECV Aix-en-Provence (jury panel presidency), Graduation Ceremony Speech, FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek as president of the international Master Design Jury for Diplomas 2023/2024 at ECV Provence – École de Création Visuelle, Aix-en-Provence, France, 23 February 2024
ECV Lille residency (workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshop, ECV Lille – École de Création Visuelle, Lille, France, 15–19 January 2024
ECV Lille (Visual Identity online course), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, visiting lecturer: Visual Identity, remote, ECV Lille – École de Création Visuelle, Lille, France, 2023/2024
ECV Aix-en-Provence (jury panel presidency), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek was honoured to be the president and panelist of the international Master Design Jury for Diplomas 2023/2024 at ECV Provence – Creative Schools & Community, Aix-en-Provence, France, 26–27 June 2023
ECV Aix-en-Provence residency (workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 4-day masterclass workshop, ECV Provence – Creative Schools & Community, Aix-en-Provence, France, 2–5 May 2023
Type Talk at Cambridge College of Art, talk by FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek with Q&A, A.R.U. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, 13 March 2023
ECV Lille residency (workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshop, ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France, 14–18 November 2022
Stereohype’s annual Button Badge Design Competition (STBBDC), Judging, London, UK, 2004–ongoing
ECV Lille (online workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, 4-day online version of his masterclass workshop at ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France, 8–11
March 2021
ECV Aix-en-Provence (jury panel), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, judging diploma project presentations as part of international jury panel, Master class of Graphic Design / Mastère Design Graphique, ECV Aix – Creative Schools & Community, Aix-en-Provence, France, 7–9 September 2020
ECV Bordeaux residency (workshops and lecture), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day workshops and evening lecture, ECV Bordeaux – Creative Schools & Community, Bordeaux, France, 24–28 February 2020
ECV Lille residency (workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshop and evening lecture, ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France,
27–31 January 2020
ECV Lille residency (workshop and lecture), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshop and evening lecture, ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France, 28 January – 1 February 2019
ECV Bordeaux residency (workshops),
FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day workshops, ECV Bordeaux – Creative Schools & Community, Bordeaux, France, 12–16 February 2018
ECV Bordeaux residency (workshops and lecture), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 5-day masterclass workshops and evening lecture, ECV Bordeaux – Creative Schools & Community, Bordeaux, France, 27 February –
3 March 2017
Limelight Night: Crossing Disciplines, hosted by House of Illustration, included a talk by FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, London, UK, 27 January 2017
ECV Lille (jury panel), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, Judging as part of international jury panel, Master class of Graphic Design / Mastère Design Graphique, ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France, 27–28 June 2016
ECV Lille residency (workshop and lecture), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, 4-day workshop and evening lecture, ECV Lille – Creative Schools & Community, Lille, France,
12–15 April 2016
Letterform Live: Fashion, hosted by Grafik and Monotype, talk by FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, London, UK, 24 February 2016
High Noon Special (lecture), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek at his pre–RCA college, Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da), Fachbereich Gestaltung (formerly FH Darmstadt), University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Design, Darmstadt, Germany, 22 May 2013
MICA residency (lecture and workshop), FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek designer in residence, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), 3-day workshop and evening lecture, Baltimore, MD, USA, 9–14 March 2013
CPH:typo*12 (lecture), lecture by FL@33's Tomi Vollauschek, Danmarks Medie- og Journalisthøjskole / Danish School of Media and Journalism, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2012
Selected A – Graphic Design from Europe, Index Book, Judging, Barcelona, Spain, 2010
Selected A – conference (lecture), FL@33 talk, Barcelona, Spain, 2010
D&AD, Category: Illustration, Judging, London,
UK, 2006
Gangart Awards, (online) Judging, Sidney, Australia, 2005
YCN Design & Communication Awards, Judging, London, UK, 2004
FITC – Future. Innovation. Technology. Creativity. formerly known as FlashInTheCan,
(online) Judging, Toronto, Canada, 2004
PAST AND CURRENT CLIENTS INCLUDE
1961 Film Production, Paris, France – London, UK
Alsop Architects | Valencia Biennale, London, UK
– Valencia, Spain
Altran, Paris, France
Arts Affaires, Paris, France
A.R.U. Anglia Ruskin University |
Cambridge College of Art | Type Talks, UK
BBC | BBC Events, London, UK
BlackBook magazine, New York, USA
Computer Arts | Future Publishing, Bath, UK
Creative Review | Centaur Publishing, London
DDB | AOL, Paris, France
Danmarks Medie- og Journalisthøjskole | Danish School of Media and Journalism | CPH:typo*12, Copenhagen, Denmark
DuMont Buchverlag, Köln, Germany
École Normale de Musique, Paris, France
ECV Lille | ECV France, Lille, France
ECV Aix-en-Provence | ECV France, Aix-en-Provence, France
ECV Bordeaux | ECV France, Bordeaux, France
Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, Spain
Emap | Media & Marketing (MM), London, UK
Equity – The Board Game, Fostering Responsible Finance, London / Los Angeles / Turin / Hong Kong / Paris / Berlin, online hybrid
Friends of the Earth, London, UK
Groupe Galeries Lafayette | Les Quatre Lunes,
Paris, France
Génépi Immobilier, Paris, France
Greater Paris Investment Agency | Paris-Ile de France Capitale Economique, Paris, France
Habitat, London, UK | Paris, France
Index Book | Selected, Barcelona, Spain
Kids Love Photography, Berlin, Germany – Paris, France
Laurence King Publishing, London, UK
Location 68, Newcastle, UK
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) | Baltimore, MD, USA
Matelsom, Paris, France
Meubles.com, Paris, France
MMM Festival | Musiques des Montagnes du
Monde, Anzère, Switzerland
MTV Networks | VH1 European, London, UK
Noos (later Numericable), Paris, France
Novum – World of Graphic Design, München,
Germany
Penrhyn Books, Chester, UK
Prestel Verlag | Verlagsgruppe Random House, München, Germany – London, UK – New York, USA
Pyramyd Editions, Paris, France
RotoVision | GraficEurope conference, East
Sussex, UK
Royal College of Art | MA Curating Contemporary Art, London, UK
Saatchi Gallery Store, London, UK
Sacla, Asti, Italy
Samaritaine | Agence V, Paris, France
Soul Boy | Miragushi Tennis, London, UK
Southbank Centre | Royal Festival Hall,
London, UK
Stereohype.com, London, UK
The Conran Shop, London, UK
The Creator Studio | Torraspapel, Barcelona,
Spain
The Tuning Company, Paris, France
Toi Com Moi, Paris, France
Toy2R, Hong Kong
University of Gloucestershire | UoG Illustration, Gloucestershire, UK
Van Vessem – London, UK
Waldruche de Montremy | Champagne | Coat Of Arms, Paris, France
Weeks & Cowling, Leeds, UK
Young Vic | Vesturport | Barbican, Bite,
London, UK
Zotoprod | Elaine Harris Productions, Paris, France
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
British Library, London, UK
Bibliothèque National des Livres Rares,
Paris, France
Bibliothèque National, Paris, France
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (DNB), Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Germany
Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid, Spain
Royal College of Art library, London, UK
Bibliothek der Hochschule Darmstadt, Fachbereich Gestaltung (University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Design) formerly known as Fachhochschule (FH Darmstadt), Germany
Arno Schwarz collection, private, Germany
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS AND PRIZES
After having won (and paid for) quite a few awards in the early years of FL@33 we decided in 2004 not to enter any of our projects anymore. Award schemes are usually simply too time-consuming and expensive for small studios. We find it quite frankly much more rewarding to be invited to run workshops, give talks, collaborate and invest time and money in the support of new talents via our Stereohype platform, FL@33 books, exhibitions and other activities and focus on new commissioned and self-initiated projects instead.
___ For more recent achievements please visit our Selected projects, Press archive, Exhibitions etc. and Design Teaching sections, here at flat33.com. Thank you.
Step (Inside Design) magazine, Ones to watch, nominated to be included in Field Guide to Emerging Design Talent, USA, 2005
Emerging Designers, nominated to take part at exhibition during the GraficEurope conference in Berlin, Germany, 2004
Design-a-Qee Expo UK 2004, FL@33 skin design for 2" Mr Papillon Kit Cat Qee, 1 of 20 winners chosen (from just over a thousand entries) to be produced in 2005.
Construction New Media Award, Design Indaba, Gold for bzzzpeek.com, category: Online / Functional, 2004
ADC NY – Art Directors Club New York – Annual, Distinctive Merit Award, category: Interactive Media, Work: bzzzpeek.com, 2003
Prix Ars Electronica, Honorary Mention, category: Net Vision/Net Excellence, work: bzzzpeek.com, Linz, Austria, 2003
Website of the day / week / month / year Since its launch in 2002 bzzzpeek.com has been chosen to be website of the day / week / month / year in hundreds of publications, website portals, link lists and blogs.
Creative Review, The Annual, category: Influential Works – November, Graphic Design / Illustration, work: Pencil Sculpture Illustration Series
I.D. – International Design, Annual Review, Design Distinction, category: Graphic Design, work: Trans-form magazine, Trans-it, trans-port.org, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 2002
MDA – Magazine Design Awards, Finalist (Shortlist of 6), Category: Best Use of Illustration, work: Trans-form magazine, London, UK, 2002
D&AD – British Design and Art Direction – Annual, two Selections for Inclusion, category 1: Magazine Design – Editorial Design, category 2: Illustration (series), work: Trans-form magazine, London,
UK, 2002
:Output 4, Verlag Hermann Schmidt, International Yearbook – Awarded Works of Graphic Design Students, work: CD-Rom FL@33 #1, Mainz, Germany, 2001
International Noos Multimedia Competition, organised by Noos (now Numericable), First Prize, work 1: AAT – Animated, Acoustic Typefaces, work 2: Singing Pasta or Eat And Be Eaten, Paris, France, 2001
WH Smith Portfolio Award (for RCA students), First Prize, scholarship, London, UK, 2001
DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service, full scholarship, 2000–2001 (RCA, London), Cologne, Germany, 2000
FOUNDERS' SHORT (ACADEMIC) BIOGRAPHIES
Tomi Vollauschek MA (RCA)
Co-founder and Director
born in Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Nationality: Austrian
1999–2001 MA postgraduate studies, Master of Arts, Royal College of Art, London, UK, Communication Art and Design
1994–1998 Diploma / Graphic Design Degree (BA) at Hochschule Darmstadt, Fachbereich Gestaltung (University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Design) formerly known as Fachhochschule (FH Darmstadt), Germany, Dipl.-Kommunikationsdesigner (FH)
1996–1997 Camberwell College Of Arts, London, UK, one semester / two terms
1989–1991 Fachoberschule für Gestaltung, Offenbach, Germany
Agathe Jacquillat MA (RCA)
Co-founder
born in Paris, France
Nationality: French
2012–2013 Diploma in Interior Design with Distinction, The Blackford Centre, UK
1999–2001 MA postgraduate studies, Master of Arts, Royal College of Art, London, UK, Communication Art and Design
1993–1998 Diploma / Graphic design degree (BA) at ESAG Penninghen, Paris, France
1997 HDK, Erasmus, Sweden
1994 Summer session at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), USA
TESTIMONIAL 1
"What appeals to me about FL@33 is their totally original imagination, their quirky sense of curiosity which they manage to express in the most elegant and eloquent ways. Their projects are infused with a highly individual humor that comes from ironic and precise observation. The world is definitely a better place for the work of Agathe and Tomi."
Aidan Walker, Media 10
(extract from Step – Inside Design)
TESTIMONIAL 2
"Tomi Vollauschek and Agathe Jacquillat of FL@33 beautifully designed the books, creating its website and advertisments, all to a standard I could barely have dreamt of. Tomi's contribution in particular has been enormous, his input going far beyond design and printing matters. Perhaps I may be forgiven if I sing the praises of left-justified text, lots of white space to relax and please the eye, readily accessible footnotes, beautifully clear maps, and a superb arrangement of photographs."
David Leedham, Penrhyn Books
(extract from The Bitter Sea preface, TBS 1, p.27)
TESTIMONIAL 3
"FL@33 is a multi-disciplinary design studio based in London, powered by the creative spark between two European designers with heaps of energy, a case full of fantastic ideas and the kind of leading-edge design skills rival companies would kill for."
Dom Hall, Computer Arts
(extract from Adobe Insider)
TESTIMONIAL 4
"Es gibt Designstudios, die haben einfach das gewisse Etwas. Bei dem in London beheimateten Studio FL@33 trifft das auf jeden Fall zu, denn die Arbeiten des französisch-österreichischen Teams Agathe Jacquillat und Tomi Vollauschek zeichnen sich durch ihre innovative Bildsprache und einen besonderen Humor aus."
Novum – World of Graphic Design
(FL@33 monograph, Buchtipp)
