We are the Lincoln School of Art & Design Graphic Design degree course. We eat full English Breakfasts for lunch and drink builders tea (sometimes Earl Grey) from small plastic cups with no handles. We rarely sleep, but when we do it is with one eye open and only at weekends. We take care of widows and orphans. We are a graphic army of hundreds who live in a castle which is owned by the Co-op. Together we work as individuals. We are passionate lovers... of everything graphic. We are men and women. We are the Design Auction 2009.

The Design Auction is run by tutors and students on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree course at the Lincoln School of Art & Design to raise funds for the end of year degree show. After the success of last years auction it was of no surprise to hear that other educational institutions had organised their own auctions up and down the country. This year we decided to take the bull by the horns and keep one step ahead of the game. TheDesign Auction 2009 is more than just about us, it has changedlocation, it involves more people than ever before and is much more ambitious than last year. We have decided to run the event with the St Bride Printing Library who relies upon donations to carry out its work and keep its doors open. They provide lectures, performances, lessons and activities for all ages and interests and keep the St Bride Printing Library open free of charge. We have decided to donate half of the proceeds of the auction to St Bride and to help us raise as much, if not more than last year, Michael Johnson of johnsonbanks has agreed to bang the gavel.

The Design Auction was conceived in the marble halls of Thomas Parker House in Lincoln back in 2007. Tutors and students Liam Mitchell, Matt Mellor and Faye Morrow pulled together to think of ways to raise funds for the third year graphic design end of year degree show. They initially approached a few designers and illustrators to see if we could get hold of a number of items to auction off. The response was fantastic and so we decided to widen the net and began attracting interest from other designers, illustrators and photographers from all over the world. We ran with the idea of pitching designer against designer, illustrator against illustator, photographer against photographer – what would be worth more – a Brody or a Sagmeister, a Hyland or a Deuchars? Posters were designed and produced, a website constructed, promotional material devised and before we knew it The Design Auction was born.