They call what they do visual interaction. This concept includes commercial graphic design projects, as well as art projects. As they say:
We create bold graphic designs for companies and institutions based on several years of experience and solid research. We love challenges which require us to adopt an original and creative approach. (http://syfonstudio.com/info)
The studio often takes on projects combining design with social and artistic activity. The artists draw on a mixture of traditional techniques whilst adding a modern approach. An example of this is the design for the album Soho Factory. Mieszkać, pracować, być / Soho Factory. To Live, To Work, To Be (in collaboration with the Soho Factory), which is a publication presenting urban and architectural ideas for the development of the Kamionek area in Warsaw.
In 2014 the Syfon Studio co-organised the visual aspects of the Year of Jan Karski – they were responsible for the design of brochures, banners, catalogues, the exhibition Jan Karski. Człowiek wolności / Jan Karski: A Man of Freedom, and the cover of the book of the same title. Thanks to these publications, the Syfon designs were shown at the prestigious London Design Festival. Ula Janowska and Filip Tofil were among the 50 best Polish designers and illustrators whose work was also presented at the Designing Poland – Design in Poland exhibition.
Janowska and Tofil point out that what they value in their work is the ability to choose commissions which not only require creativity, but also allow them to carry out projects from beginning to end. They want their customers to entrust them with the entire process, together with the production of materials, because only then can they be responsible for ensuring a satisfactory result. They do not want to act as craftsmen recreating the ideas of customers. As Urszula Janowska says:
That is why we are professional designers – to be able to create wise, aesthetic and valuable things. The customer pays for this. (http://www.smartbiznes.com.pl)
Syfon Studio has won a number of prestigious awards, such as: first and second prize at the Poster Bienniale in Bolivia, two honourable mentions in the competition Project of the Year 2013 (organised by the Association of Applied Graphic Artists), two awards in the AMS Poster Gallery competition, Grand Prix at the Zamecznik Now poster competition, honourable mention at the Ljubliana Poster Festival, honourable mention at the Skopje International Social Poster Competition, and many others.
Works by the studio have been included in the collections of the National Museum in Poznań (Poster and Design Gallery) and the MAK – Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst / Gegenwartskunst. The artists have also collaborated with institutions such as the Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, the National Centre for Culture, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, as well as the publishers Czytelnik, WSiP, and the National Publishing Institute.
Syfon Studio’s website
Syfon Studio’s official Facebook profile
Sources: http://syfonstudio.com/, wyborcza.pl, www.smartbiznes.com, own materials, ed. Katarzyna Kostyra, transl. Bozhana Nikolova, April 2015