31/05/2008 by Andrew.

If only every day was a fresh idea. New bright young starting companies with asperations of grandure, aiming as high as they can. The question is though if they are only starting up where do they find that big budget to get a website, a brand, a marketing strategy. The truth of the matter is most of them dont have that bottomless bank account. A recent new addition to our clentel wanted to start a very high level business venture but did not want to be burdened with high design costs. We said fair enough but what are we getting from this, you are getting our vast design experience and taking our precious time!

Well the answer is you sit down and let him explain why you should take on this work for a cut price. Just like a bank manager you find out the business plan and if you like what you see you decide whether to take the risk and agree together that maybe the first job you do together is at a special rate but the rest is to be at your normal rate. You take that risk in hoping as that business grows you are in turn rewarded for your contribution to the rise in success of a now vastly profitable business and are now bombarded with all of their regular work that you are excited about doing and so your company now grows with it!

We know its risky but we dont get anywhere by sitting back and only taking the safe options, easy mundane work, churning out the same corporate layout again and again, lets be fair it pays the bills but does not exactly get your cranium brimming with new ideas. Life would be far to dull and our designs would lack that spark that keeps us burning that midnight oil.

Andrew, 5ifty 7even design.

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13/05/2008 by Andrew.

Are business matters overwhelming your thought patterns at the moment when they should be focused on enjoying the fruits of your hard labour?

Well like most of the free lance designers out there, i am one of these people. The credit crunch has hit more than just home prices and has come at a really bad time of the year. April is the start of a new financial year and also when companies usally start planning how they will spend that years budget, instead many of them are seeing where they can make cuts to try and ride out the crisis. I for one think they are missing a golden opportunity to overstep their competitors and take a big leap in profits. If you take HSBC for instance they went on the offensive knowing that all the mortgage borrowers with that fixed rate coming to an end would all jump at the offer being put forward by themselves.

Me and my partner have been pursuading clients that this is the case and they are reaping the benefits as they find themselves being one of the only businesses in their sector pushing their profile to potential customers, while others lose the consumer presence they once had through their own company image. The human mind is very susseptable to forget and if you are out of the game to long people will not put you to the forefront of their brain and any new clientel will eventually die out.

So i say keep trying to get those clients out spending that money, its for their own good. We the in the design and marketing world can help the economy back on its feet and pursuade the consumer and the business world to stop being so pessimistic about the outcome of an economy that is in essence very strong. The only reason an economy goes on downward spiral is if we all stop spending. Although we still have a responsibility to offer good value as well and in the present climate this is one way we can help our clients “you rub my back and I’ll rub yours”, a saying that makes alot of  sense in the business world, offer incentives and produce results and maybe just maybe we can all start eating those juicy apples.

Andrew, 5ifty 7even design.

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05/05/2008 by Andrew.

March 15 - July 13, 2008

Victoria & Albert Museum London

China Design Now is a major exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It looks at China’s recent history through contemporary design.

Featuring Chinese and international designers, the exhibition ranges from architecture, fashion and graphic design to film, photography, product and furniture design, youth culture and digital media.

China Design….Now In London
The exhibition’s 3 sections focus on Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, highlighting a different design discipline in each city. Architecture defines Beijing - the glittering capital of China and home of the 2008 Olympics. Shanghai is a centre of exciting fashion and design, with the city’s first fashion week inaugurated in 2003. Shenzhen in southern China has become China’s manufacturing capital and has seen a massive explosion of graphic design and visual culture.

Four years’ exhaustive research by co-curators Zhang Hongxing and Lauren Parker, and collaboration with institutions and individuals in China, have created this must-see exhibition.

exhibition design by Tonkin Liu architects, London

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14/09/2007 by Andrew.

Innovative design - of everything from small consumer goods to large-scale communities has proven to be one of the most important drivers of corporate success in recent years. The Financial Times’ Business of Design talks, hosted in partnership with the London Design Festival, will bring together a select group of top-level executives from the worlds of investment, property, retail, autos and leisure to discuss how design is used to best effect in their respective industries. Four key talks will cover areas which include; Investment in Design, Branding with Design, Architecture and Development and Design in Retail.

Tuesday 18th September
Investment in Design
Design is a fragmented, often undisciplined industry and therefore, many say, ripe for investment and improved management practices. But what is the best way to build a profitable design business? How do manufacturers ramp up production and distribution while still preserving quality?
Speakers:
Matteo di Montezemolo, Charme Investments, (Poltrona Frau, Cappellini)
Hon. Angad Paul, Caparo (Established & Sons)
Daniel Sachs, Proventus (Artek, Tom Dixon)
FT Moderator: Adrian Michaels, Milan correspondent

Wednesday 19th September
Branding with design
From Marriott to Motorola, Audi to Apple, companies around the world are trying to differentiate themselves with “design-led” offerings. How do creative directors and designers go about reshaping corporate images in this way?
Speakers:
Frank Stephenson, Alfa Romeo
Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic
Nick Jones, Soho House
FT Moderator: John Gapper, chief US business commentator

Thursday 20 September
Architecture and development
Its no secret that architecture can transform a street, neighborhood or city. But recent years have seen developers work harder than ever to create iconic buildings and well-designed communities. Is it worth the extra investment? Which projects around the world should others try to emulate?
Speakers:
Mike Hussey, Land Securities
Spencer de Grey, Foster & Partners
David Rosen, Pilcher Hershman
FT Moderators: Jim Pickard, property correspondent , Edwin Heathcote, architecture critic

Friday 21 September
Design retail
What is the best way to sell design to consumers? We consider success stories and failures, ranging from the mass market to the niche, department store revamps to boutique expansions.
Speakers:
Vittorio Radice, La Rinascente
Murray Moss, founder of Moss
Florence Delorme, Habitat
FT Moderator: Elizabeth Rigby

Tickets for the FT talks cost £15 and include breakfast. They can be ordered from: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/festivals-series/london-design-festival
http:www.londondesignfestival.com/southbank.aspx
Alternatively book via the South Bank centre Box office on 0871 6632500
The talks start at 08.00 prompt. Breakfast from 07.30.

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13/09/2007 by Andrew.

Source: Online Design week
Author: Emily Pacey  

The graphics for the rugby ball to be used in the sixth Rugby World Cup, which starts in France tonight, have been designed by Mad River.
The Bournemouth-based consultancy was appointed to design the insignia for the ball by the International Rugby Board two years ago, following an unpaid creative pitch. Mad River beat design teams from Nike and former Rugby World Cup ball designer Gilbert to the contract.

The group was invited to pitch by the IRB having worked with the Board for the past six years on its awards ceremony. Gilbert, which designed the ball for all five previous Rugby World Cups, will manufacture this year’s ball.
The ball graphics feature a blue and green chevron pattern on a white background, with the IRB Rugby World Cup logo in the middle. It will be used in all 20 World Cup games taking place in France and the UK.
‘The IRB briefed us to emphasis the World Cup brand over the IRB brand,’ says Mad River creative director Simon Gater. ‘This was a challenge as the rugby ball is a difficult shape to work with, and we were restricted to painting only certain areas of the ball, because of where players make contact with it, and the way it looks in the air.’
The design has also been developed into a range of products including a replica ball, juggling balls and key rings.
The opening ceremony of Rugby World Cup will be held at the Stade de France later today, followed by the first match between France and Argentina at 8pm tonight.

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13/09/2007 by Andrew.

Source: Online Design week
Nestlé is set to relaunch its iconic Black Magic chocolate brand, with an ultracontemporary rebrand by Elmwood.
The overhaul, which will see the introduction of three 100g chocolate bars and three new gift boxes, is designed to reposition the brand as a premium product.Black Magic brand manager Rebecca Reason explains that the design brief was influenced by the Japanese philosophical approach to designing called Kansei, whereby consumer emotions are translated into specific design parameters.

The packaging will sport a monochrome style, with black wrapping and a silver font in capitals. The gift range will feature a cube-shaped collection box and two smaller sizes – Dark Discovery and Simply Black Magic – aimed at sharing.The launch will be supported by a press advertising campaign, which has also been created with the help of Elmwood, as well as a website, which will be built by digital group Pilot.

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20/06/2007 by Andrew.

• Source: Design week online 

• Publication date: 19 June 2007 11:53 AM

• Author: Gina Lovett

Barclays is thought to be under pressure to drop its historic eagle emblem, if its takeover of Dutch bank ABN Amro is to go ahead.

The logo, which was last worked on by Williams Murray Hamm in 2003, is poised to be dropped, reports say, because the ABN Dutch audience is more sensitive to Nazi connotations arising from the eagle symbol used by Barclays.

Under terms of the deal, yet to be approved, Barclays will move its headquarters to Amsterdam.

A spokesman for the bank declined to comment on the future of Barclays’ identity and branding, saying only that because the deal is in the early stages, it is difficult to ‘commit either way’.

A spokeswoman for Interbrand, one of Barclays rostered design groups for the UK brand, confirms that the consultancy is working with Barclays, but is reticent to elaborate on the scope of this work.

‘We don’t know what Barclays’ future plans are regarding the identity. If it wants a more international perspective, then it would continue to work with either London or the US. Either way we have no problem with a move of their head office,’ she says.

Interbrand was one of two runners-up at last year’s Benchmarks awards run by Design Week, and was honoured for its internal communications campaign, designed to highlight the bank’s arrival at its new head office in London’s Canary Wharf.

Landor Associates’ San Francisco office is working with Barclays’ international equity division.

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14/06/2007 by Andrew.

Source: design week Magazine  This vibrant 1960s-inspired seven-inch record sleeve has been created by London-based designer Salvador Lavado, for the Californian indie-pop band Goldspot. Lavado, who has worked in the music industry for ten years, says the artwork for It’s Getting Old has a Scandinavian flavour and is influenced by iconic 1960s designer Saul Bass. ‘The band wanted something bright and punchy that would stand out on the shelves - something organic that can’t be pinned down to a certain era - and hopefully that’s

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11/06/2007 by Andrew.

Nielsen: Making a site easy to use should be the first priority

Hype about Web 2.0 is making web firms neglect the basics of good design, web usability guru Jakob Nielsen has said. He warned that the rush to make webpages more dynamic often meant users were badly served. He said sites peppered with personalisation tools were in danger of resembling the “glossy but useless” sites at the height of the dotcom boom.

Research into website use shows that sites were better off getting the basics right, said Mr Nielsen.

User tests
Describing Web 2.0 as the “latest fashion”, Mr Nielsen said many sites paying attention to it were neglecting some of the principles of good design and usability established over the last decade. Good practices include making a site easy to use, good search tools, the use of text free of jargon, usability testing and a consideration of design even before the first line of code is written.

Sadly, said Mr Nielsen, the rush to embrace Web 2.0 technology meant that many firms were turning their back on the basics.

“They should get the basics right first,” he said. “Sadly most websites do not have those primary things right.”

Most people just want to get in, get it and get out Jakob Nielsen

There was a risk, he said, of a return to the dotcom boom days when many sites, such as Boo.com, looked great but were terrible to use.

“That was just bad,” he said. “The idea of community, user generated content and more dynamic web pages are not inherently bad in the same way, they should be secondary to the primary things sites should get right.”

“The main criticism or problem is that I do not think these things are as useful as the primary things,” he said.

Well-established patterns of user involvement with sites also led Mr Nielsen to question the sense of adopting Web 2.0 technologies. Research suggests that users of a site split into three groups. One that regularly contributes (about 1%); a second that occasionally contributes (about 9%); and a majority who almost never contribute (90%). By definition, said Mr Nielsen, only a small number of users are likely to make significant use of all the tools a site provides.

While some sites with particular demographics, such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo, have large involved communities of users that will not hold true for all sites, he said.

“Most people just want to get in, get it and get out,” said Mr Nielsen. “For them the web is not a goal in itself. It is a tool.”

Web firms rushing to serve the small, committed minority might find they make a site far less useful to the vast majority who come to a site for a specific purpose. Mr Nielsen also questioned championing teenage use of the web as a harbinger of what people will continue to do when they were older.

Although people in their late 30s make very different use of the web to those in their teens, Mr Nielsen expects that when those teenagers grow up the time they spend online will diminish.

“It’s because they are 20 years old that they act differently to 40-year-olds,” said Mr Nielsen.

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08/06/2007 by Andrew.

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