Anish Kapoor

I visited the Manchester Art Gallery and was a little unsure about what to expect from Anish Kapoor's work. Sometimes I find I can go to exhibitions and aimlessly wander around, never really inspired or wowed. I was expecting the same from this exhibition, however I was pleasantly surprised. The sculptural work made from pigment, wood and fibreglass was pretty memorising to the point where you didn't want to walk away. My favourite piece was called 'When I am pregnant' which can be seen above (the photographs don't really do the piece much justice!) A huge bump is coming out of the wall and can be seen from all over the room. But when you stand directly in front of the sculpture the bump blends in with the wall with just a small shadow to be seen. It really plays with your eyes and almost makes you feel a bit sick, yet you cant hep but look at it. Don't' believe me...? Go and see it.

Meat & Bread

I love this identity for a sandwich shop in Vancouver. Glasfurd & Walker created this strong clean branding for the "man made" style store. My favourite part are the small animal icons on the business cards, they are so simple and beautiful. My current project, rebranding the local butcher, is proving quite difficult as people don't want to see the actual meat or notion of the animal. However, I feel it's important that people should see the animal the meat came from and these little logos evoke that idea, but in an anonymous way; the animals don't have eyes of a mouth and are all black in colour... they lack personality (which is ideal as people are then less attached to the idea of it being a cute pig etc) The branding really does have a masculine no nonsense feel to it! Thumbs up from me.

D&AD Good!

D&AD fundraiser club night actually was DEAD GOOD! It was lovely to see people off our course outside the studio environment. I think the promotional poster was very attractive and the use of the ampersand as an 'E', very smart!

The perks of being a wallflower

So if the narrative wasn’t good enough I just love the design of this book. It was a suggestion from an American friend who claimed it was a ‘coming of age classic’. The book was published by MTV which I thought was very unusual but I guess using big names associated with a younger audience would entice more to read it. I found a second hand copy in Harvard Book Store, Boston. There was an old bookmark inside which had the Florida zip code in… I love the idea that the book has been read and enjoyed by someone, somewhere else in the world; I am less obliged to give up the book and send it on its travels once more.

The book is a epistolary novel; narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.

The lime green cover (my go to colour!) has a small-cropped sepia photograph in the top right hand corner of a boys legs donned in smart trousers and shoes. The image is so old and intriguing in comparison to the contemporary colour and minimal typeface on the cover.

I feel the cover reflects the anonymous, captivating storyline the book has to offer

Black Swan

How could I not watch this film when all I’ve heard are fantastic reviews.

This beautifully, eerie film was art directed perfectly. Shades of innocent pink and white connotating ageless, feminine ballet along with strong black tones emphasizing the dark side Natalie Portman has to find within herself; and she definitely does that. The pure, flawless dancer Nina Sayers gets the role as Queen Swan; displaying control and skill means the White Swan isn’t an issue but she struggles to find the dark, seductive passion within to evoke the character of the Black Swan.

Some crazy, squeamish things happen throughout; drugs, smashed glass, nail files to name a few. My favourite bits were where Nina is subtly turning into a swan what with her toes sticking together like a webbed foot, little black feathers coming out of a graze like an un plucked chicken, and her neck growing tall as she is being strangled by her alter ego. All of these effects are far fetched, and I have to admit got a bit of a laugh by some members of the audience, which I don’t think was intended, but this almost ‘Alice in Wonderland’ visual to the film did it for me.

French Connection - Bucket Stylist

The latest French Connection Campaigns are full of bizzare humour surrounding the theme of 'The Man' and 'The Woman'. The adverts were originally created last year by design agency Fallon, and are proving just as successful this spring. It's a nice twist to fashion advertising which can often be so polished. My favourite advert is 'The Man' giving himself an old school bowl cut, only with a bucket to retain the length of his luscious locks! Click here to view the advert in question.

The John Hour for Selfridges

Tired, achey and hungry after a long day in London Town this window display gave me a sense of life again! Aiming to challenge the rules of modern society, The John Hour has created four installations featuring paralleled objects, which represent a clash of lowbrow and highbrow culture. The cinema has been replaced by DVD's. Dinner parties have been replaced by the convenience of takeaways, the orchestra by the ipod. The overall concept is executed amazingly, my favourite display being the hundreds of old tennis rackets challenging a Nintendo Wii. 

YCN

Zoe Barratt from YCN came into speak to us about the Student Awards they have held for the past ten years. Major brands such as Ted Baker, Boost and Warp Records set briefs each year giving design students the opportunity to create something fresh and eye catching.

YCN really do seem to be all about the students. The award ceremony is super extravagant, the competition winners get to see their ideas through to production and get paid to do so.

I recall the 2009/2010 YCN annual being very boring and unattractive; a quick flick through and I threw it on my bookshelf. This years annual is much more appealing, a publication you want to keep. It’ the first year the inhouse designers at YCN created an annual and it’s certainly proved a success! It’s much more student friendly and has various quotes and advice from top graphic designers.

The studio is based in East London and the studio has a little shop and a library where you can borrow design books. Too cute. May pop by next time I’m in the smog!

Propaganda design agency based in Leeds spoke after YCN about the branding they do for the energy drink Boost. I personally didn't like the work they did. I find it hard to judge campaigns aimed at a young/student consumer groups because I feel it's all a bit stereotypical looking. 

And the dish ran away with the spoon

Cupcakes available from Topshop. The pop up stall is up for two days selling beautiful little cupcakes all in the spirit of Valentines day! I love the logo for the company who are based in Didsbury. The website is nearly as nice as the cupcakes, click here to go to the site!

The all new 2012 Passat - Volkswagen

Saw this last night for the first time, so good. The Star Wars reference combined with a cute small child, in a happy family home is bound to mean success. Screened during Superbowl games must count for something too! Click here to view.

Handbag Heroine

This pensioner should definitely join the police force. Now known as the handbag heroine, this little old lady scared off six robbers armed with sledgehammers by swinging for them with her handbag. Amazing! To see the footage click here!

Down with the Supermarket

Former Design & Art Direction Students, now known as Teacake design, turned the old supermarket carrier bag into something with more meaning. Tesco is the fourth largest retailer in the world, you can't get away from the brand; on retail parks, town centres and city streets. Taking business from small independent retailers, it's no wonder people hate the supermarket. I love the screen-print quality adding that retro feel to the dated design. 

Don't have a cow...

It took me a while to see German designer, Uwe Loesch's radioactive cow. Pretty cool once I had though.

Glamping!

Would definitely be up for a weekend of camping if the experience was like this. No sleeping bags or porta-loos insight! Another cool option is a Shepherds Hut in Cumbria...!

Contradicting Clouds

CLIENT:

Shotopop Ltd. Album artwork for LEST, Contradicting Clouds. Cool, tactile illustration.

Happy as a pig in muck!

Aubin & Wills

New Heritage Brand, Aubin & Wills. The idea of being traditionally British is at the forefront of their identity, despite the brand only being established in 2008. Feels trustworthy and real.

Love the nostalgic feel of the British seaside resort displayed in the Autumn 2010 Almanac. I've noticed Alex James seems to have his thumb in lots pies nowadays...

Lecture from Trevor Johnson, Creative Lynx

Bit of Backlog - 7th December 2010

Trevor Johnson is the creative director of Creative Lynx, Manchester. His lecture was relaxed and he came across as a down to earth guy. Born and bred in the area, Trevor's love of Manchester is clear. Much of his work relates back to things he loved as a child; Football, Music and his home. Much of his work surrounds regeneration and development of property and areas. Lots of successful corporate identity. Trevor mentioned that sometimes opinions don't count in design - it's important that it solves a problem and communicates a message to the user. Sometimes design gets too fancy and complicated trying to impress and get 'opinions', resulting in unclear interpretation. Think it's something to keep in mind when designing, bear in mind the general public not just tutors and peers. Other words of wisdom were; make mistakes (check!) collaborate, and know when to stop...

70's throwback - Spirograph

So I'm guilty of watching a bit of trashy television this Christmas... 'James May - My Sister's Favourite Toys'. The BBC must be seriously scraping the bottom of the barrel as it was repeated from 2007. Anyway, featured artist Lesley Halliwell creating some fantastic work using the 1970's Spirograph! Looked really impressive! Checked out her website and found this magazine cover, particularly pleasing on the eye. Love the colour, created with 20 different coloured inks.

Postcard made by Damp Flat Books.

The Snowman

I went to a screening of Raymond Briggs 'The Snowman' today, surrounded by about fifty children under the age of 10. Stood out like a sore thumb. Did I care? No. On a big screen you really notice every detail in the the beautiful moving pencil illustrations. Classic Christmas animation which definitely put me in the festive mood!
The best bit... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubeVUnGQOIk

Project Review

13th December 2010
Over the past few weeks I've been working on an ISTD live brief; Mutton Quad. The idea is to brand a typographically themed restaurant, Mutton Quad being a working title. I decided to run with it and after some experimentation and development I came up with a visually literal logo of a quadrilateral on 'mutton' legs. I felt it was simple and sophisticated targeting a professional, money-no-issue audience. The aesthetic of the restaurant is rustic grey/brown, metal/wood which reflects the traditional print and letterpress rooms. The lime green acts as a contemporary colour lifting the darker shades. The letterpress theme is subtle but consistent throughout. Food served on square plates upon old galley trays placed on wooden tables with 'mutton legs'. The restaurant is a hidden gem in the city. Exclusive and somewhere you feel proud to dine at. I felt my presentation feedback was positive and has given me the confidence to keep developing work over the festive period! Hurah!

'Fayre Well' Degree Show Fundraiser

9th December 2010 

Had a fantastic day getting involved with our degree show fundraiser. Alot of hard work and planning was put into the event - A vintage clothes sale, screen printed t-shirts, tea and cake, fruit cups, Henna and Christmas cards! I worked on the card stall and had one of my designs printed with an envelope ready to be snapped up for a mere 50p (or 6 for £2.50!) We made £96 on our stall and a grand total of £697 in total! Teamwork works! =)

Two Day Workshop with Ian Anderson

1st / 2nd December 2010

I was invited by a fellow student to join a workshop run by graphic designer Ian Anderson. I was quite nervous about this opportunity but am very pleased I took part in the activity. Our task was to represent and pitch a colour to be used to represent a governing body in the future.   We were put in groups and given the colour red. The idea was to think outside the box and avoid existing and negative connotations - red having many such as Labour, danger, anger and propaganda. We eventually decided on red being festive; warm, happy and secure. We tried to recreate this feeling by giving out warm mulled wine at our pitch showing red could be felt, smelt and tasted. We created a small animation of a present being unwrapped revealing layers of wrapping paper displaying the words 'warmth', 'happiness' and 'security. This concept expressed the idea of giving - which is how we wanted the 'future governing body' to be represented. Our presentation wasnt the strongest of all the groups and we got the following feedback from Ian...

"settled for their warmth idea too quickly, it was woolly. there was a sense of them going through the motions, nice touches at the presentation although they were under-rehearsed, nice animation ideas but there wasn't really a feeling for me they were desperate to convince me. they made it difficult for themselves BUT what was good was that they were still pretty impressive and despite my feedback i thoroughly enjoyed their work as much as the others"

...which was true, but learn from mistakes! I really enjoyed this workshop and had the opportunity to work with people on my course who I wouldn't normally get chance to. All in all good fun! 

Lecture from Joana Niemeyer for April Studios

31^st November 2010

I found Joana’s lecture quite informative with regards to freelance/client relationships. The idea of working in a small studio environment and keeping costs down, i.e. not having a colour printer, really hit home. I think it made me realise how many facilities I have access to at university and how much I take them for granted! I liked the selection of logos Joana had designed for a small children’s fashion brand ‘Sam+Rose’. She said it was important to try and keep designs concise when showing clients by picking the best 3 and showing them in colour, black and white and with some sort of application. This way the client has a clear set of options and isn’t bombarded with concepts. I think this would be beneficial when I’m pitching my work in crits; to have some concise ideas I feel confident with instead of lots of tatty development logos. 

24hr Graphic Design with Johnny Hardstaff

24th November 2010
Wednesday 3pm Johnny Hardstaff entered our studio and gave us an industry based brief he had persued himself for 'Toshiba'. This required a concept to capture the publics imagination and position the brand as hi tech and cutting edge in the field of imaging. We had 24 hours to tackle the task. I decided to work on my own and try and get the most out of the opportunity as I could.
It was all abit scary at first. I found the idea of working with such a well known designer daunting, what did he expect from us and what if it wasn't good enough? However, Johnny was very friendly and approachable and ensured the workshop remained fun for all involved. The vibe he gave off was very encouraging; he didn't belittle ideas or thought processes.


My idea was based around what happens to photographs at home as my Mum stores all precious imagery in metal tins and filing cabinets; effectively a time capsule. We discussed the concept of having a safe storage device or achieve that people could upload images to and trust 110%, but people just wouldn't buy into it and it would never quite believe. Instead this lead me to think about having proud imagery on show instead of storing it away. The idea of living rooms and staircases being full of photos for all to see.
Basically my idea would consist of the nation showing proud moments of their life for all to see. Perhaps photos in a mock up living room, recordings of school plays on a tv set all in the middle of the city proving intriguing to look at. Photos up flights of stairs in the office or the tube. Maybe this would encourage people to record more memories in their life through high tech devices...


We put up our work and had a friendly crit at the end of Thursday afternoon. Although my idea wasn't the strongest in the group I felt it was a great chance to tackle something in a short space of time. I really enjoyed the 24hours; it made me feel more confident and was like a little bit of escapism from current projects! 

Homesick

20th November 2010
Today I decide to start a project I'd been thinking about since the summer. I spent ten weeks at a camp in New York working with children aged 7-16. Communication with the real world, for both staff and children, was little and often. The main source of contact with family and friends was via post. Letters and parcels were precious and often withheld to encourage children to do chores and maintain a tidy bunk; they would then be rewarded with this tiny bit of contact from reality. It usually resulted in homesickness and tears. I collected envelopes from the children and staff and plan to make a small book. Watch this space!

Nail Biter

Nail Biter Video

12^th November 2010

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

This three minute infrared night vision video by Anthony Goicolea sees a young boy sat in bed in what can be only described as a cabin in the middle of a forest. The camera zooms in on the boy who is nervously biting his nails, which continue to rapidly grow. What starts as an innocent boy with an everyday habit turns into a scary portrait of obsessive compulsive behavior showing numerous shards of nail clippings all over a saliva covered boy. 

The fast pace of the video is complemented with a steadier soundtrack of woodland noises and a metronome heartbeat.

I really like the concept of an everyday habit becoming uncontrollable. I found the video really summed up such an addiction even though I found the eerie imagery uncomfortable to watch.

Manchester Artist Book Fair

6^th November 2010
Holden Gallery

I was fortunate enough to work at the fifth Manchester artist book fair and found the experience really inspiring. Speaking to many of the artists, some of which had just graduated from the Design and Direction course, gave me an insight into possibilities post graduation.

I loved a collection of books by Alix Swan. Her books are based on traditional children’s fairytales. She combines old and new ephemera, drawings, collage, photography and bookbinding together with familiar quotations from the stories. I particularly liked the long thin format of the book ‘Rapunzel’, reflecting the princess letting down her long hair from a tower.

A book I purchased was called ‘Pork Party’. The triangular book folds out into a white paper plate showing all the pork based products you used to have at a party; sausage rolls, pork pies, scotch eggs, cocktail sausages and quiche. I thought the concept and execution was really nice!

Paul Gorman Lecture

4^th November 2010

Reasons to be Cheerful: The Life and Work of Barney Bubbles

I found the lecture with Paul Gorman very informative and loved the enthusiasm he had for Barney Bubbles life and work. Bubbles embraced ‘general messiness’ in his work creating an innovative style. He was the first artist to incorporate branding and marketing within the music industry inspiring designers such as Peter Saville and Malcolm Garrett. He worked with Hawkwind, Elvis Costello and Ian Dury to produce some of the most iconic covers of all time. However, what stood out for me wasn’t the work he produced for the music industry but a logo for Justin le Blank Provisions Ltd in 1970. The logo was very different to the manic artwork for the music industry. It was refined and controlled reflecting the upper market deli. I guess even the most creative artists have some direction when necessary.

The lecture theatre was full and at the end we had a really nice Q&A session, which was unusual as no-one usually asks the guest speaker questions; I think Gorman’s intriguing passion and relaxed personality made it easy for people to do so.