Absolute Beginners is an ongoing project by artist Tom James. The project, based in Park Royal Industrial Estate in north-west London, aims to help young people learn how to produce real, useful products in sustainable ways.

Local 17 to 21 year olds have learned how to make products with links to the estate’s past. Working with talented makers, the beginners made items such as A4 paper, clay cups and tyre sandals. These are all made by hand, using off-grid power and abundant local materials. The participants are even paid the London Living Wage for their involvement.

The idea behind the identity is based on the initials of ‘Absolute Beginners’ and the simple notion of learning: starting at ‘A’ as an absolute beginner, and finishing at ‘B’, with new knowledge and skills.

In the spirit of being an absolute beginner, the identity uses the typeface Arial (set as it comes, with no kerning or leading) and standard system Unicode arrows. Effectively, the identity is something that anybody can make in Microsoft Word as a complete beginner. It is utilitarian factory signage for a new and simple production line, from A to B.

Critical to the theme, Tom James (who is an absolute beginner illustrator) made the illustrations. I enlarged the small margin sized drawings and scribbles that Tom made quickly in his notebook during the planning stages of the project. These sit alongside simple factory floor instructional texts and slogans.

Please visit the Absolute Beginners website here, which works as an ongoing project archive, or the Instagram page for regular updates.

Illustration and slogan examples below:

At the end of each project, the products are sold in an ever-growing factory shop on Park Royal where participants receive 50% of the proceeds.