From the Archive
/Here we feature an old year 1 packaging project for primary school kids rubbers by Lez Copa.
A god idea is always a good idea.
Bird Spotting
/Here we feature an image captured by Bernie Blackburn….a bit of visual levity in these times of gravity.
Iconically British – D&AD 2013
/Here we feature Naeem Mitha’s D&AD entry for the Ted Baker brief from 2013. The brief was to imagine Ted Baker opening a store in a country and capitol of your choice and then create a roll out campaign to advertise the opening. Naeem chose Dubai and here is his creative twist.
Classic British Icons
Creatively applied to iconic Arabian Keffiyeh Head Scarf
Keffiyeh Head Scarf - Detail
Magazine Advertisement
Concept applied to a Persian Rug to create a Billboard Advertisement
Detail 1
Detail 2
In context
Design applied to airport travelator
Pattern applied to a range of in store bags
Digital touchpoints
Store frontage - Design concept
A great example applied pattern. A great example of a connection made. A great example of crafting to the highest degree and then a great example of how to apply an idea to a series of relevant touch points that bring the concept to life. Unfortunately it was not shortlisted for D&AD…but it deserved more in our humble opinion. A good idea is always a good idea!
Protecting Pubs
/Here we feature another D&AD entry to the Monotype typography brief.
Pubs play a pivotal role in local communities, but are increasingly under threat of demolition or being converted to another use by large developers. The protecting pubs campaign designed by Neil Bennison encourages people to take the first step in saving their beloved locals, by nominating them as an asset of community value.
The pub industry has a rich typographic history, so being able to merge it with a worthy cause such as the protection of a national institution is a fantastic challenge. Using the versatility of a beer mat, a custom typeface was created which would underpin all messaging in the campaign.
THE CAMPAIGN
THE APP
#WELCOME
/As we’re currently off campus, we’re taking the time to trawl the archives, update and re-post where we can.
This project by Anya Hoque was for the D&AD Monotype brief, and was a response to the seemingly hypocritical welcome messages displayed by countries at their borders, and highlighted how unwelcoming these places actually feel. The video below demonstrates the level of commitment to the project.
What is Branding?
/Below is an excerpt from a talk give by Mike Rigby, circa 2009…but the foundations of which still hold true today. It focuses on brand, and what branding actually is - with examples in context throughout.
Just click the first slide below to open the PDF.
SHARE!
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Design Week – Exhibition Posters
/Over the last four weeks graphic design first years have been tackling what staff thought might be a designer's dream brief…
Client: Design Museum
Brief: Name an upcoming exhibition and design the accompanying poster
Production: Two colour screen print only
The students chose a designer from outside the world of graphic design, and researched them through new channels such as Netflix and iPlayer, as well as the traditional channels of books and print. Distilling their gathered knowledge, the first task was based in copywriting and naming the exhibiton. Using the name(s) as a starting point, the second task was to create an image to counterbalance the copywriting and make a creative connection. The restriction of colours amplified the focus on the idea, and consideration to the overall layout and its impact.
Below are example colour proofs from the final crit which are yet to be screen printed, but are built around a strong proposition.
Alessi - Three Generations of Alessi
Robin Day - pioneer of the modern day
Dieter Rams - Less is Better
Ferrari - Rosso Corsa, celebrating the colour of Ferrari
Habitat - Lighting up designer living
Jonathan Ive - iVe
Christian Louboutin - A Closer Look
Paul Smith - One Man Brand
Platon - Faces of Power
Platon - Shot in Black & White
Resource Klaxon: Packaging Nets
/Templatemaker is a really useful site I happened across whilst researching custom packaging for the recently published Words of Wisdom.
On it are a huge range of templates, from basic stuff like a matchbox, mail box, through to more complex items like spheres and a variety of polyhedra. If free vector nets aren’t enough, the really nice part is that you can input your specific dimensions and it will generate the net bespoke for your needs.
As ever, this kind of resource does not replace an idea. But if you do have an idea, then the template to produce it is more than likely available here.
As a final point the site is run and maintained by one good person in the Netherlands, so acknowledge any help you get and contribute where possible.
487Zero miles from Preston to China
/Here we feature the D&AD pencil winning project, 487Zero miles from Preston to China. Created by Ya Wang in her final year, the project became an exhibition which told the stories of international students studying far from home. Below is the project synopsis, video and presentation slides.
According to the survey about psychological problems from Yale University, 45% of Chinese students studying abroad express they have the psychological problems.
As a young student studying abroad and being away from your family, friends and loved ones, it can often be a daunting experience. Everything you encounter is slightly different and the culture can often seem strange and confusing at times. This is particularly apparent amongst the communities of Chinese students who have travelled 1000s of miles from their homes to study in UK universities.
Recent research has highlighted that these students can often suffer from a whole variety of psychological problems and barriers. And it is something that is on the increase year on year. The question is how can we further understand, help and support these students through their course of study?
The 487Zero project is a response to the above problem. We have been asking Chinese students across the UCLan campus, here in Preston, to think about and choose a number of personal possessions, ones that may hold a significant or particular meaning to them.
We then invited these students to collect and document these items through photography, and to share the meanings behind each object. By using the Dropbox Paper digital platform to collate and share them, we were able to create an inclusive community.
The subsequent 487zero exhibition, is the resulting culmination of this project. It is aim to expose the problems, share the experience, and strengthen futu re friendships that currently exist within the Chinese student community across the UCLan Preston campus and hopefully beyond.
This is not the end, but the beginning.
