Noisy Decent Graphics

Simply can't think of an appropriate title for this 5

Engine

Engine used to be WCRS. To be honest Engine isn't that bad, but it's so much worse than WCRS.

Simply can't think of an appropriate title for this 4

"When the client moans and sighs, make his logo twice the size."

"When the client moans and sighs,
Make his logo twice the size.
If he still should prove refractory
Show a picture of his factory.
Only in gravest cases
Should you show the clients' faces"

I always thought this was written by John Betjeman, but everyone else seems to think it's by David Ogilvy. I still say it's by Betjeman.

"There is no wrong, there is no right"

"We all live under the same sky
We all will live, we all will die
There is no wrong, there is no right
The circle only has one side"

As sung by Travis on the song Side.

BR&Me

The latest copy of Marketing has landed on my desk. Which has reminded me of something I wanted to discuss last week, but forgot.

Brewer Riddiford have rebranded themselves. I want to preface this by saying I have nothing against Brewer Riddiford, they are obviously successful and I’m sure they are all really nice people. But...

Brewer Riddiford have been going for 15 years. They work with loads of massive brands and together with Design Bridge and JKR kind of have that “add more steam” packaging design market cornered. They are a big player.

Last week I saw this ad in Marketing.

Hmmmm. What are they called now? BR&Me. How do I say that? BR and me? BR ampersand me? Brewer Riddiford and me? Brand Me?

I thought I’d take a look at the website. I wondered what the url would be, especially as you can’t have ampersands in a url. The url is www.brandme.co.uk. Which is fine, borderline clever. (The reason I didn’t write about this last week is that the url was just a coming soon page. The website is up now but, chaps if you’re gonna take out a full page colour ad in Marketing make sure the bloody website is up...)

So is the company called Brand Me? Maybe, but would you honestly read BR&Me as Brand Me? No you wouldn’t.

BR and Me – that’s Ok but it’s a strapline
Brand Me – interesting and I do like the Brewer Riddiford and Me connection
BR&Me – but that’s your logo and that’s on the letterheads and no one is going to read that as Brand Me.

Does all this matter? Yes it does, you are a fucking branding consultancy for God’s sake. I think this is a mess, some good ideas badly executed. What was wrong with Brewer Riddiford? I don’t really like the name, but it made sense.

What do you all think?

Loss of revenue?

So, they've banned smoking. I don't normally talk about this kinda stuff (health, politics) but this affects our industry.

Tobacco companies are some of the biggest advertisers in the UK. Advertising has already been banned, but now actually smoking them has been banned. So what's gonna happen? They will still sell cigarettes, they will still promote them. But how? Will we see more underground stuff? Will we see innovative guerilla stuff? PR? DM? Generic branding?

I'm sure there will be an article in Marketing and a made up story in Design Week about JKR or Design Bridge redesigning cigarette packs. Let's wait and see.

Valentines Day - Come and meet Postman Pat

They're giving it away

And the winner is...

Seems like Russell Davies has won.

Congratulations Russell, thoroughly deserved!

(You didn't think I was talking about anyone else did you?)

Remember?

Remember I said I'd read all the PSFK Top 10 Design Blogs of the Year during January and report back? You don't? Oh, OK.

Well, I've been reading them all throughout January and, pretty much, they're all crap. (Well, Design Is Kinky is brilliant, but it's not my kind of thing.)

I've learnt some interesting stuff, like this article where the man who designed Comic Sans confesses and explains why.

I've seen some horrendous design, look at this:

Bloody hell, it's like an episode of Moonlighting in a jpeg. Christ, I hate that kind of design.

But, to be honest, I'm glad I don't have to read all that dirge anymore.

I like The Prepared Mind a little bit, I think I'll keep reading that. This post about Singapore is particularly interesting. Because Singapore is important right now, to me, to the Shortest Knight and to you.

I hate Design Observer. I think it's boring as fuck. It reminds me of all the kids at college who read Eye every day, could name every font ever invented, but couldn't communicate and now work in art galleries. Zzzzzzz.

The Aiga one is OK, a good resource. But I don't think it's a blog - more of a magazine. Dr Design is quite interesting.

To be honest, they are all pretty fucking boring. I have real trouble finding good graphic design blogs. Do you know of any?

Colourful offices

I wonder if it's dull working there.

BBC do it again

I love the BBC. Their committment to digital media is amazing. Yes, I know they don't have to make a profit and they have an unlimited budget, but what they do that money is fantastic.

BBC backstage is a website where you can use BBC content to create all kinds of cool stuff. Brilliant stuff. Now if only my developing skills were good enough...

“I’ve tried really hard to talk my kids out of going to University. You can’t do it. It’s impossible.”

Wayne Hemingway

“British companies run out of steam too soon. If Bill Gates had been born in Britain he would now be running the largest software company in Guildford.”

Sir George Cox

Design or Die – Review

Subject: How UK business can use design to stay ahead of the global game.

Like all these events there were lots of wanky designers in black with weird haircuts. Impressive audience though, Nick Bell, Linda Bennett (of LK Bennett fame) Phil Carter, Fernando Gutierrez (Pentagram), Mary Lewis (Lewis Moberly) the 2 Dicks, as well as people from Futurebrand, Imagination and the D&AD. The night followed a fairly standard format and to be honest drifted off into a discussion about how the British don’t appreciate designers (ie the audience) enough.

There were some interesting points made though.

I’ve never seen Sir George Cox speak before and he was really good. Authoritative, interesting and powerful. Carried a kind of boardroom authority the others didn’t have. He made the point that as we can’t do cheaper anymore we have to do cleverer and different. Which is true, if a bit old hat.

Nico Macdonald is a journalist and I didn’t like him much. Made some interesting and controversial points though. Said that “design” is becoming another management term like Totally Quality Management or Vertical Integration. Also said that sustainability was a real distraction from making quality products and user experiences.

As usual Wayne Hemingway was the real star of the show. Witty, to the point and charming. He made the point that corporations need to employ/develop adaptable employees because this leads to creativity. Also asked why creative people don’t become Chairmen or Town Planners or marketing people, because that’s where the real influence is. All good stuff.

Sebastian Conran stood in for his Dad and didn’t say anything worth remarking on.

George commented that British people didn’t support creative businessman and if Bill Gates had been born in Britain he would now be running the biggest software company in Guildford. Which is a very funny soundbite and a good point well made. Wayne said he’d spent hours trying to persuade his kids not to go to university but it was impossible. Which is a point of view you don't hear very often. This is a separate debate, but young people do tend to get on this conveyor belt where all roads lead to University. And a conveyor belt isn’t very creative is it?

I love it at the RSA, it’s very eccentric, very British and loads of interesting stuff happens there. I was pleased to see the furniture in the reception was supplied from an archive of RDI’s, which is an idea I suggested last year (I’m not taking full credit for that because I bet people have been saying that for years...). I also noticed this.

On the wall they have a list of all the winners of the Benjamin Franklin Medal. What happened in 2003?

All in all an enjoyable evening, some interesting points raised, the main question wasn’t answered and the debate wondered (a lot). Interesting though, which is good.

Design Or Die

I’m going to a thing (lecture, talk, debate) tonight at the RSA. It’s called Design Or Die. Apparently it will concentrate on how UK business can use design to stay ahead of the global game. What ever the "global game" is.

Panel includes Sir Terence Conran (whoops better not mention Alice Rawsthorn), Sir George Cox, Wayne Hemingway and Nico Macdonald who will "share their experiences and views on business and design".

I thought I would try and take notes and report back on the evening tomorrow. I hope that will be interesting. Let me know in the comments if you think it’s a good idea.

Fuss at the Design Museum

Seems like there’s a bit of fuss going on at the Design Museum. Again.

Relph-Knight was banging on about it in Design Week this week and the Indy mentioned it today. It seems that Alice Rawsthorn (the one with the wacky haircut) has been asked to leave by the Trustees. For Trustees read Terence Conran.

I’ve met Alice a few times and she’s lovely. She has also totally re-energised that Museum (the press reckon she’s increased numbers by 40%). Yes, you could argue that there is too much of a graphics focus, but people are talking about the museum again which is a good thing. A very good thing. I think she’s doing a great job and she should stay.

I think Terence Conran is (or maybe was) brilliant and he transformed design in the UK. However he is now a pompous, waffling bore.

What do you think?

(Picture courtesy of Sénor W and Flickr)

Great British Design Quest

Look at these nice things.

They are all from one of those crappy polls they run in the media. This one is quite interesting, I've voted and I'd recommend you do too. You can vote here.

The first round of voting closes 9th Feb, Then a Top 10 will be announced on the 16th Feb.

I voted for Cats Eyes. I love Cats Eyes.

England Brand Experts

I listened to a great little piece on You and Yours this morning.

It's about Manchester and their current branding exercise (remember Peter Saville was appointed Creative Director). Apparently they have decided against a strap line. Which is a very good idea.

The programme points out loads of crap straps for towns and counties, like "Live it, Love it" for Leeds. Although they miss out my favourite "Staffordshire - The Creative County'. Pointed out by Russell Davies.

They interview Saville and he makes coherent and decent points. For all his faults, he does know what he's doing. They also interviewed this idiot from a branding company called England. Yes, ladies and gentlemen there is a branding consultancy called England. Try searching for that on Google. I did, and I couldn't find anything.

So let's recap. You're a branding "expert", but your brand isn't strong enough for people to find after you've been on national radio. Therefore my friend, you are a complete and utter nincompoop. And certainly no expert. I've been on Radio 4 before and the phone was ringing like crazy all day at the office.

Have a listen, it's only 8 minutes long.