CREATIVE PROCESSES: SCOTT BLACK
Scott Black is an Edinburgh-based designer with one or two tricks up his sleeve.
At just 22, he already has a truly unique portfolio under his belt - from playing cards and brand logos to album artworks and club night posters. He also has his own brand, Four Corner, which combines his passion for graphic design and cardistry. Cardistry is a niche subculture that has captured the interest of people all over the world, from hobbyists looking for a new fidget to skilled cardists that passionately create eye-catching flourishes with playing cards. Scott was kind enough to join us for a chat through his projects, design processes and how he has managed to build a successful brand from the ground up.
How did this all start? As a kid, Scott’s first dream job was owning his own ice cream van, however that dream didn't last very long. “I realised that I loved being creative from a very young age. I did fine art and product design at school and stuff but I always knew I wanted to do graphics. I remember my first dream project back then was to design football kits.”
We asked Scott where he finds inspiration as a creative. It turns out that music plays a huge role in his life, creatively and beyond. “I guess a lot of my current design output is focused on the music industry. I enjoy going into record stores and flicking through old dance vinyls and taking photos of designs I like. I'm trying to do this more, collecting ideas from something in my hands, something I've walked past, rather than looking online. Same thing with posters, you know?”
Above: Scott designed a poster and merch for artist Feux to accompany his album rollout last year.Besides seeking visual inspiration from music, Scott finds a real boost from the listening experience too, as it can help paint a picture when thinking creatively. For example, “I’m currently working on a full-scale album rollout. Before touching any designs, I spent time playing the project over and over. This immersiveness allows me to connect with the music, and the artist, so I can design something that best represents the album. I like to surround myself with the inspiration. It’s not always this straightforward though. I also like to be playful, trying to not shy away from stepping into something different, using new techniques, and just seeing what sticks. That goes for anything creative as well, not just designing.”
We got chatting about different projects Scott has done in the past, trying to dig down into which one was his favourite at the moment. “It’s a tough question, it really is. I’d probably go with the Postal logo.” Scott worked with Postal, an established Dundee streetwear brand, on their logo back in 2021. “I'm happy to see a logo I created a few years back when I was a student is going strong. The opportunity came about quite naturally after I worked on a pop-up poster for them. A few months past, I was down in London and got a DM like, are you any good at logos? At the time I hadn’t done that much branding, but I replied yes, and the rest is history. I’d say the best feeling as a designer is seeing your work in the flesh. I took my Dad into the Manifesto store in Dundee that summer and was like, yo, look, those t-shirts, I did that. He was so chuffed.”
Above: Various designs using Scott's Postal logo.Another side to Scott’s creativity is his cardistry brand, Four Corner. I was interested in how something like that starts, and what the interaction is like within such a niche community. Having first got into magic as a schoolboy trying to be a young Dynamo, Scott dived down the rabbit hole of cardistry, after stumbling across it on YouTube. “I thought, damn, these people are cool. The way they presented themselves, the editing, the music choice, the overall vibes. It made me want to join in and be like them. I felt drawn to connect with this community.”
As opposed to doing magic tricks to try and fool your audience, cardistry focuses on the handling skills and its aesthetic purposes, with original flourishes becoming increasingly more creative as the community has grown. “I always describe it like how a skateboarder does their tricks - it’s real, it’s happening, there are no strings attached. I started sharing my own cardistry posts on Instagram as a way to connect with the community - just a bunch of like-minded and creative people. These folk are of all different ages from around the world, and we know each other well online. Once a year there’s a Cardistry Con in a city around the world for a more official gathering.”
Above: Cardistry Con 2019, as captured by Kyle Tran.“The first conference I went to was in Berlin back in 2016. I was like, oh, here’s all these guys from the videos I’ve seen online, and they’re all just normal people. I was 16 at the time, and got nominated for the breakout cardist of the year award, which was sick. I didn’t win, but it definitely boosted my activity in the community and gave me a bit of recognition, allowing me to connect more with people at events and online.”
“My platform grew a lot over those next few years, and since then I’ve been to many conferences around the world, as a headliner. It felt full circle at the time to be represented at the conferences and have my name up there with those same people from the videos I looked up to as a kid. Headlining also gives an opportunity to present my original cardistry creations to all the attendees. One of the most hype aspects each year is video screenings. It’s kinda like a film festival.” His most recent work, BRAIN TICKER, is a great example.
Since then, Scott’s cards have taken him all over - Copenhagen, Berlin, Los Angeles and Portland to name a few. “The maddest thing about our community is its global reach. Even on family holidays when I was younger, I could ditch my parents for a day and go and meet-up with a friend or even a cardist I’ve never met before.”
His involvement in the community soon started to develop into something more, as Scott wanted to use his platform more. “My passion for design was always there, so it made sense to combine the two. I created Four Corner and designed Void Playing Cards to push myself as a cardist and a designer. With the support I had managed to grow over the years, I was able to print my first deck after hitting the funding goal within a single day through Kickstarter.”
“Four Corner was never meant to be a competitive cardistry brand, but rather a gateway to create more, you know. I love being a graphic designer, so it’s sick to have this other pocket in my life that I can open up when I want.”
So what’s next for Scott and Four Corner? Being pretty happy with where he is at this point in his career, Scott mentions that a goal for this year is to try and really step up his design game. “I’ve looked at my work, and I feel like I could be doing a lot better. I want to be working on longer projects, sitting with ideas for a while before putting them out into the world. Make sure I’m not just doing things for the sake of it. I’d like to stray away from the predictable in general, and try and explore ideas in more depth and from different angles before I choose one to take forward. Put time into every stage, and make sure all the details are considered”
We really appreciate Scott joining us for a chat. You can find his work all over, but here’s a few of our favourite projects for you to check out:
Written by Adam Gregory & Scott Black
Photography by Adam Gregory