Specific Ideas is the multidisciplinary creative practice of Adam Swift Lucas. Currently, it consists of two parts: the studio — a graphic design studio that seeks to create new structures for ideas through the meticulous arrangement of text and image; and the press — a small, independent publishing house that pursues a holistic creative process, providing care and consideration to the concept, design, typography, and production of each publication. These two parts are intertwined. Specific Ideas aims to operate at the intersection(s) of graphic design and publishing, making work in close collaboration with artists, writers, musicians, and other fine folk, for print, screen, and space. A portion of the practice is dedicated to supporting social justice efforts through pro bono service.
A focus of the press’s publishing output is artist books and editions because they are an accessible, distributable medium for ideas and an effective means for amplifying voices that are less heard. Formerly known as NOS Press, the press was founded in 2018 in Kansas City, MO. Specific Ideas tries to be as sustainable as possible in all aspects of its practice.
Specific Ideas publications are stocked at Inga (Chicago, Illinois) and Motto Books (Berlin, Germany). Work can also be found in the special collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Printed Matter, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Specific Ideas has exhibited at various book fairs, including the abC Art Book Fair (Beijing, China); It’s a book (Leipzig, Germany); the Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair (Malaysia); One Thousand Books (Cophenhagen, Denmark); the Recreo Art Book Fair (Valencia,Spain); the Tokyo Art Book Fair (Japan); the Vancouver Art Book Fair (Canada); and the Detroit Art Book Fair; among others.