Wired

My housemate came home with The Times the other day and inside was a 'magazine sampler' for a new magazine due to be launched on the 2nd April, Wired. The magazine is already running in the states. Its a journal about ideas, science, culture and people and basically the future. The most interesting section I found in the sampler was 'infoporn' which is basically a section that uses beautiful graphics to display information and facts and figures surrounding a particular subject. the subject in the sampler was Worldwide Bandwidth. Heres the chart: 2009 Global Internet Map, deisigned and researched by Telegeography. Its absolutely gorgeous, pure infoporn. Take a closer look.

Turning Virtual

Oh deary me, where to start. It's been a very long week. I think what I want to talk about most is pushing yourself. I feel like since I started my course I've only really had time to keep things safe. Well safeish. As in a 50% chance from the offset that it was achievable anyway. But for the last project I simply didn't care if we had enough time or not, the brief was a little dull and obvious and all I wanted to do was for us to come up with something different. The brief was to re-design Fruit Shoot and make the product appear healthier but at the same time make it cool for kids and something they would want to be seen drinking. This brief was set to real design agencies and the client bought Brandhouse's concept before briefing us students to see what radical stuff we could come up with. My teams main focus was the bottle. Packaging should be cool, if its somthing you want to have and to hold it can make or break a product, and the subconscious of kids knows this. did you ever see a kid was round Asda and pick up a Smart Price item? So our bottle had to be shit hot but easy, cheap and ethical to produce. We took inspiration from Original Source shower pouches, but decided to keep the main elements of the Fruit Shoot graphics the same with a similar logo and similar colour range. In order to achieve an understandable visual we had to mock up our product. there was no way we could have done this for real and still have it looking slick. so we went on a digital adventure. We went over to games design and learnt how to use their crazy software. It was hard and very, very confusing. we built our product in Silo and then mapped it in Maya. 2 weeks ago I had never heard of either of these pieces of software but now I dont feel scared to use them or be more ambitious with what I might use them for. I'm really pleased with our outcome for fruit shoot and I can honestly say if I was Britvic I would rather have our idea than Brandhouse's.

Brandhouse redesign


vs The Students (package should show a sports cap but there's no way we could figure out how to build one of those in Silo)
And just one more thing, I think I'm actually getting used to this pitching thing, it's awkward and a bit fake and nerve wracking but I secretly enjoy it, especially when I know I've done my best and I can talk about it.

Here today goo tomorrow

Easter is coming and despite not even having a TV I am a bit excited about the possibilities of how I can kill my creme egg this year. I absolutely love these ads, there humorous, cheeky, slightly disturbing, and strangely sexy. I'm only posting my two faves here but check out this playlist on Youtube for near enough the whole lot.

Exam Premier

I met Gareth Unwin through one of those difficult to explain family connections on Christmas day '08. He is a film director, so for a change I had someone different and interesting to talk to at Christmas! We got on well and have kept in touch. a few weeks ago Gareth dropped me a line saying 'Do you want to put that new iMac to some use?' The task in hand was to design the flyer for the premier of his latest film exam. The requirements were specific. The deadline was tight. I did it and was invited to the premier, which was yesterday. It was very interesting milling around with beautiful people in pretty dresses and shiney shoes at BAFTA! Bafta is lovely the door signs are written in gold Avant Garde caps and made me go ooooh! The film was stunning. An intense, loosely Sci-Fi story of candidates competing for the same job. The acting was suberb, I believed all of it. The film was a 35mm and predominantly shot with a very shallow depth of focus which increased the intensity tenfold and let your into the heads of the characters just a little. The afterparty was at the Penthouse at Number One Leicester Square. We were VIPs, queue jumpers, wristband wearers, I felt special and more comfortable than I expected. We drank wine and champagne and danced. Londoners cannot dance, well not in the fun way we do it up here anyhow. At 02.30 we left for an ice cream. It was good. I want to do it all again. and I totaly recomend the film.

http://www.bedlamproductions.co.uk/



FRONT OF FLYER


BACK OF FLYER


VIP WRISTBAND!

Turner Duckworth

An ex NSAD (now NUCA (where I go)) Graphics student who now works as a creative for Turner Duckworth came in to talk to us on friday. I'm 90% sure his name is Gavin Horrell but I can't seem to find him on the internet! Anyhow it was very very encouraging to see someone come from our school and recieve 4 job offers including one from Turner Duckworth just from his grad show! He was quite inspirational and talked in a fun, witty, english and slightly nervous manner that held my attention even on a friday morning. He spoke of the company and how they operate using their base in San Fransisco and their base in London to run projects simulatiously so they are almost being worked on 24 hours a day just on seperate sides of the world! Genious in it's self without metioning how stunning the work actually is.

Their company values and beliefs are:
To initially approach every job in the same way.
To have a clear vision. 'We create clarity.'
Emotion makes the first connection.
A brands true personality resides in the detail.
Nothing should be included that doesnt serve a specific or useful purpose.
And to evolve at a rate that doesnt alientate current users.

and that is how they can produce stuff like this, consistantly:

Check out 'The Quote Wall' for more beautiful things that were said.

Getting Back in the Studio

So I did a photography A-level but that seems like forever ago. Despite being one of the best courses of my life I don’t really remember a huge amount about studio stuff, lighting etc. Plus on my A-level we pretty much only used black and white film. Which was not a bad thing b&w film will always be one of those things that makes me go oooh! And I liked it because it was real and it was very easy to fuck up at many different stages be it loading, taking, processing or developing. But that’s part of its charm. The fact you have to trust yourself to know what your doing and hope a bit that fate is on your side. Otherwise your screwed, simple as.

Medium format image I took with Hasselblad during A-level.
Possibly my best photo to date.

So when I got my DSLR I was not so interested and I'm still not. Digital photography will probably never be a passion to me and I'm not sure whether it's because I don’t like the buttons and the pretending or whether it’s because I find colour very difficult. Black and white is so easy to make sexy, white balance is not so important, but colour is a pain in the arse. Despite this I obviously understand why it exists and why it has become an industry standard that no one uses film anymore. We live so much faster lives nowadays.
So anyway we had the opportunity to get back into the studio last week and in groups of 4 were set a word to represent, ours was Anticipation. Unfortunately I've had a pretty bad cold and as stubborn as I am the lighting didn’t end up quite the way I wanted but I think we did a good job considering the somewhat tricky subject matter, my advice: never take a picture of a translucent shiney object in a studio. I did learn a fair bit but mainly about where equipment was kept and so on, some of which I knew already as I've already used the NUCA studio twice, but none the less the more time spent down there the more the technicians will like me, or that’s what I hope.

Anticipation: taken last week at NUCA with a converted medium format camera, shot to screen as a RAW.

If You Could:...

I was having a bit of a browse and I came across this lovely project:
where basically once a month an up and coming and a well estabilshed designer have their submissions picked to become limited screenprints.
i had a quick browse through the chosen images and was a bit shocked to find that I only knew the names of 4 of the illustrators/designers! however all the work it top quality. Below are the 4 I already knew and 2 that I really liked.

Dan Mumford + Kate Moross

The Designers Republic + Rob Ryan

Alex Trochut

Anthony Burrill

Typography Served

Oh dear lord! I just found this website and nearly wet myself! It's actually bloody gorgeous and i will probably end up spending far too much of my life looking at it. so I thought I'd better stick it on the pinboard before I get too carried away.

David Carvalho

The Portuguese designers are looking a bit hot this week. Just discovered David Carvalho, Illustrator/Graphic Artist. He has some lovely work I especially like this piece entitled 'Blind Peony'. It's massive!


He also does some very nice type work, logo types and has designed 2 of his own faces!


one to check out me thinks: http://www.behance.net/Karpa/Frame

Stop Frame Illustration

Also whilst we're on the subject check this one out too. I think these two have to be my all time favourite stop frame illustrations.

L Filipe dos Santos

Just discovered this Portuguese illustrator, his work is pretty stunning and fresh. for this project (see saw) I wonder whether he knew what he wanted to draw before he made the ink shapes. hmm...?

You Spin me right round...

Call me a typophille all you like, this poster does get me a little hot under the collar. By Spin for How Very Tokyo Exhibition. Actually most of Spins works makes me very flustered: so here are a few more treats for your eyes if I haven't persuaded you to click the link yet.



p.s. if you don't own the logo book yet you should: Amazon: Logo

Real Life Quotes.

Spending most of my days ina creative environment some beautiful things get said and noted. current they are all written on my bedroom wall but I feel like I want to share these little pearls of wisdom with the world, well whoever stumbles across this page anyhow. I'm going to update this post continuously as the quotes flow. so here goes for the first bunch i have collected up over the last couple of weeks.
(p.s. Krystof's 'sex' quotes will be saved up until the end of the semester for a different post)

'Don't do things just because you like them and if you do, don't tell your client' - Adrian Shaughnessy

'My life is research' -Adrian Shaughnessy Quoting Iain Sinclair

'Ask yourself 'yes' or 'no' and trust the answer.' -Darren Leader

'We did not become designers by chance but by devotion.' -Martin Grothmark

'One thing I would encourage you to do is to learn to talk about your work.' -Frances Jackson

'Walking is so fucking primative!' -Uzzal

'It's better to make poor designs in a poor office because no one will notice' -Martin Grothmark

'And continue that love for type and the emotional response we get from it.' -Darren Leader

'it's linking the culture that surrounds it rather than being obvious and direct.' -George Payne

'Fail fast and fail cheap' -Iain Tait

'Would you do it?' -Iain Tait

'Cause things to happen; mock up a paper, work with PR, if its not for you, dont be afraid of binning stuff.' -Iain Tait

'Always be inventing and making stuff better, what could you make better?' -Iain Tait

'It's all about people.' -Iain Tait

'...but objects speak in a different language.' -Andy Campbell

'I think it needs reasoning behind it' -Will Farrow

'KISS, Huh? Keep It Simple Stupid' -Gavin Horrell? TD

'Good Design involves Two components: a great idea, executed immaculately' -Gavin Horrell? TD


'Wit: that indescribable little nothing' -Gavin Horrell? TD

'Be creative with your problem' Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher

'Take any job' Dough James, Honey

'Don't stop dreaming' Richard Murray

Some one who I accidentally forgot about until recently. Christopher Bucklow, gorgeous work, multi talented. He did an exhibition in my ex boyfriends mum's gallery back in 2004 she got to keep one of his pieces, mind blowing. This scan of a postcard doesn't do it justice. http://www.chrisbucklow.com/index.html

Original Source

An invigorating new form of packaging by Alloy (working alongside BDH and The Chase) I only discovered it when in the shower thismorning. its given me some thoughts for my current project...
also, lovely website: http://www.originalsource.co.uk/
and if your interested: http://www.thealloy.com/

Cheese and Chocolate

Pretty nice mix here. I'm still not keen on Aero though. Mr Burnquist doing a good job though.

Phil Baines

Our course had a lecture from Phil Baines last friday. I had got myself all hyped up for how amazing he was going to be and was prepared to have my jaw drop in awe. Unfortunately it didn't go quite like that: Baines was unexpectedly one of the most dull and pesimistic designers I have ever come across. The way he spoke seemed to include a moan about almost everything and everyone. He seemed so angry at the world that not everything went his way the whole time. He only showed us work from the last couple of years and to be honest I thought (and I'm sure my fellow students would agree) it was pretty poor. on more than one occasion his type on posters was illegiable due to poor colour choice and even if it had been legiable the posters would still have been unattrative. He also designed a book on the life and work of Alan Aldridge. I know if I was ever given that opertunity I would fully emerge myself in the piece and make it as true to the artist as possible. I would let his mannerisms and mentality affect the way the book looked and the way I produced it. Baines, however, on telling us the development of this piece of work repeated how frustrating it was to work with such a charater and that he was selfish and didn't pay and respect to those who helped him throughout his career!
So overall I was pretty dissapointed in getting the oppertunity to meet a person I had previously looked up to as one of the great names in design. It was mentioned to me by a member of staff at NUCA that prehaps when working in such a hard industry for so long one may become bitter. I am just glad that when I saw Adrian Shaughnessy he seemed to have managed to keep his soul fully intact, but that's a story for another time.

http://www.philbaines.co.uk/

Illustration

oops! I abandoned my blog over the weekend lets take a step back to a gorgeous flyer I found in my pocket on friday. I wish I could make my lines look like this.

Pitch Buzz

Our Four Food Logo

Me and my creative partner Phil had our first proper, full blown pitch today to design agency Four for a brief they set us to brand a potential new sub brand of Channel four. Ours was 4 Food. Admittedly we struggles a bit and I got to the point where I never wanted to see another 4 ever again and I only ate orange food for a couple of days (completely subconsciously may I add). Despite this, once we had pitched and we got the response that we did and we got to see the work from everyone else in the group it was all worth it. Completely. I'm on such a buzz and I can't stop smiling and cant wait to go party tonight. I've really enjoyed working with Phil, I may have moaned at him a bit but he is so tolerant and we work well. I also really enjoyed working for Scott and Anthony at Four, very good input and good harsh crits. Check out the agency at www.fouragency.co.uk

Iain Tait

We had a lecture by Iait Tait (Creative Director at Poke London) this morning. Most interesting. It was good to see how some people approach design in a completely different way to me. At Poke they do barely any print based work, almost all is digital media! And this gives them a very interesting approach to the way they approach their work because it doesn't really exist as something you can hold but as something that you can interact with. It's all about making people take a minuite or so out of their day to do somthing, click a link, sign a petition, play a game, etc. And surely interacting with your target audience in this way is far more powerful than putting attractive, beautifully set type and image infront of them?
Something I questioned, for a moment or 2 at least. I can completely understand why Poke and the way they work exists and I think there are certain markets than are best to reach in this way. But, personally (and maybe this makes me sound a bit old but) I just don't think your average person really takes most of what they see on the internet (especially in gimmicy ad format) that seriously. Yeah they may click a link or two but does it really settle in their mind? I think that the digital media ads end up being very directed at a much younger consumers and the kinds of people who regularly use forums, blogs, chat rooms etc. And maybe I'm (very) wrong but I dont think thats really many people. Isn't everybody too busy living to be on the internet all day?
For me, I know that if I saw a nice poster across a street I'd take a closer look or if I spoted a leaflet on the other side of the room I'd go and pick one up (honest, I did it today). This is a more physical interaction with the media surely. And once you have it in your hands it's yours to feel the stock of, and smell the ink and fold it to fit in your bag.
Or perhaps, as suggested towards the end of Iain's talk, it's because most of us art school kids are terrified of using digital media. Because we didn't do ICT or computing or coding or any of that stuff. Maybe we should all catch up with technology a bit.
Iait Tait on the otherhand was not an art student, he studied Psycology and thats something I found very interesting about him: He didn't seem to like design that was neccesarily good (aesthetically) but that played on your instincts to make you do something, or want to do something. And that I thought was a really lovely and refreshing way to go about thinking around your ideas. Check out his blog at www.crackunit.com. And Poke www.pokelondon.com
Gave me some things to think about for sure.

Bench and Vector Graphics

You know when your drawing an image with a vector tool and you get the anchor points and handles on your lines... well I was a work today and this teenage lad came in wearing a Bench t-shirt with the word Bench printed across his chest but in the design they had left all the construction lines and anchor points and handles etc. I couldn't help but stare at it. I was very attracted by the handles on the curve of the 'n'. So I didn't look like a nutter I told him I liked his shirt and that I studied graphics and he looked very blankly at me and said 'eer... cheers' I don't actually think he knew what the lines and dots were! and if he did he didnt seem to find it remotely exciting. Oh well. I thought it was fun.

Golden Syrup

I had a crit today with a lady that gave me a tutorial before christmas and it reminded me of a dicussion we had, well that and when I came in contact with the subject in question when I opened my cupboard.
Basically the argument was about packaging and golden syrup. She argues that the new squeezy bottles were hygenic practicle and far better suited to modern life.
I agrued that the whole charm of golden syrup was to have this sticky awkward to open tin sat somewhere near the back of your cuboard and it should be kept this way, because its traditional. I still stand to my point, I was charmed by the incrediable sickly product when it entangled itself in my arm hair whilst I reached for something behind it. Now this is rather odd for me because im all for practicle, clean, easy to use packaging but I dont think I will ever change my mind on this one.

Sins

I rediscovered some of my old work that was on my hard drive yesterday. I forgot how much fun these were to make. I did a project based on the seven deadly sins to kind of promote them, as in 'you need a little bit of all of them in your life'. They exhibited as seven stop frame animations, on loop. On seven portable tv's (one for each sin) facing into a corridor at my old art school. Here is Gluttony: My favourite.

Investment Rollercoaster

I was reading a tacky cheap newspaper at work today and this popped off the page at me. I'm not sure if it's because its a nice idea or because I love type but it attracted me enough to rip it out so I thought I'd stick it on my pinboard.

Tony vs Paul