Designer of Soul II Soul's seminal 'Funki Dred' logo, Derek Yates went on to make a major contribution to the way Britain's multicultural club culture looked in the late nineteen eighties. During that time he designed tee-shirts, banners, merchandising and 12" covers for Jazzie B and was responsible for the visual identity and interior design of the groundbreaking acid house night 'Confusion De Londra'. This led to him being a featured artist in Design After Dark by Cynthia Rose, which was the first survey of the design that accompanied the explosion of dance music culture at that time.

Since then, an interest in diversity and a pride in the multi cultural environment he grew up in, have always been at the heart of his practice. Derek is now a senior lecturer in Graphic Design & illustration at Camberwell College of Arts and he continues to create visual communication that truly reflects the world around him.

This website contains a selection of Derek’s work from the last 20 years and is designed to demonstrate the range of his interests – so, as well as commissioned work for Soul II Soul and other clients from the black music industry, there are more personal projects which include observational drawings from his trips around the world and ideas for children’s books that celebrate urban diversity.

The purpose of the site is to act as a point of contact with like minds and a way of sharing ideas and experiences - so please feel free to get in touch.