Table of contents for August 2019 in Computer Arts

This year’s competition yielded more eager entrants than ever, and it was a delight to see so many imaginative and varied executions. Yet despite the high volume of covers to choose from, judging was unanimous and swift. Hazel P Mason’s entry hit every mark we could hope for: a distinctive, beautifully rendered illustration, great cover composition, and a visual wit and playfulness that ensured it stood out from the crowd. “My concept for the cover was based on the fact that I was having the time of my life exhibiting at the various London showcases for new talent last summer,” Hazel explained, “and there’s no better way to enter the industry than sipping on ice-cold drinks as I chatted to clients, art directors and other creatives. Fresh out of university…

BEREN NEALE EDITOR A devotee of me time, the ed had the best day in Bristol’s Saint Andrew’s park in scorching solitude this June – Wolf Hall in hand, a couple of cold cans within reach, wistfully getting burned to a crisp. Glorious. MARK WYNNE ART EDITOR Mark asked Cliff to write something for him here, and all he got were a couple of rows of Occae vere que parum rest, optiisq uident que quo quia porepudae omni tem quiscim laborest incil [That’ll teach you – Cliff]. CLIFF HOPE OPERATIONS EDITOR The first-person shooter and cultural phenomenon Fortnite finally made an appearance on the family’s games console. Cliff’s attempts to distract his son’s gaming sessions by doing the Floss didn’t end well.…

THEO INGLIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND AUTHOR www.theoinglis.co.uk Why bother to study the history of graphic design? As an ever-evolving practice, it can be tempting to think that for graphic design, history is – in the words of Henry Ford – bunk. As a student I remember being fascinated by the history of design, but with this came an anxiety that time spent geeking out over old books would have been better spent on developing my design skills. Eventually, once I embarked on a career as a designer, and later a design writer, this worry faded and I appreciated how I had benefitted practically from a passion for design history. Although the technology used to create graphic design is always changing, the basic building blocks we play with are much the…

Almost every piece of creative work made – whether it’s an advertisement for television, a studio’s side project or a street mural – requires some sort of cooperation with others. But even though collaboration is so fundamental to most creative projects, it’s not something that spends much time in the design community’s spotlight. That looks set to change, however, as this year D&AD launched an award celebrating the art of collaboration. “We introduced the D&AD Collaborative Award to recognise the long-lasting relationships between design, advertising and production companies and their clients,” explains Donal Keenan, awards director at D&AD. The two winners of the award were adam&eveDDB and John Lewis & Partners for advertising, and Design Bridge and Fortnum & Mason for design (more on that later). But if you struggle…

1. THRIVE ON DEBATE “Sometimes we find ourselves debating things or coming from different angles, but in a way that makes for interesting conversation,” says Superunion’s Katherina Tudball of her collaboration with The Poetry of It All’s Tom Sharp. “And if we really can’t agree, it means that idea’s not right for our collaboration,” she adds. 2. START AGAIN “When we worked on Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly Biscuits range, we went quite far down the line with a route, and then got to a point where we all agreed it wasn’t working,” recalls Design Bridge’s Chloé Templeman. “After a very frank conversation, we revisited some of our early concepts and started the whole project again. I’m so glad we did because we definitely got the best result.” 3. WALK AWAY…

The starting point for the logo design was the cylindrical rolls of foil that are at the heart of Foilco’s business. The end of each roll is round, so geometric circles suggested themselves as an element in the design. Our work on the brand had also revealed that the number eight could play a role. The company sees itself as working in eight main markets, and has eight main product and service offerings. Furthermore, our strategy contained eight brand values: knowledge, discovery, possibility, inspiration, innovation, conduct, process and responsibility. To represent them, I sketched ideas that used eight circles. One route had eight circles in concentric rings, which would look like the end of a roll of foil. In another, four sets of circles overlapped to form an eight. The…

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One of the great things about working on Computer Arts is that it cuts through the cynicism that, for me, can seep into a working day – this is the age of Brexit, after all! The team becomes genuinely inspired by the creative minds we connect with each month. The mag’s aim is to explore what’s possible in creativity, noting but not fixating on the limitations. That’s why our annual New Talent issue is so special. First of all, we get to champion a new creative up front on the cover (skip back to page 3 for more on that). It’s also the issue that we speak to and promote graduates from all across the UK – the very definition of creative potential! And no two grads are ever the…

RUTH HAMILTON DEPUTY EDITOR, CREATIVE BLOQ This month, Ruth attended her work’s summer party. She took advantage of the free temporary tattoos on offer, one of which she forgot about and rediscovered in the middle of an important meeting several days later. GARRICK WEBSTER FREELANCE WRITER Garrick’s interest in packaging design has extended into his own war on plastic. He’s become Tupperware Man, armed with a scoop and buying cereal and snacks in bulk from his local whole foods shop. Go Garrick! Production notes PRINTERS TEXT AND COVER CMYK AND PANTONE 807 INTENSE William Gibbons HIGH BUILD SPOT UV AND MATT LAMINATE SOFT TOUCH FINISH BY PAPER COVER Precision Special Gloss FSC 250gsm P3–98: Ultra Mag Plus Gloss 90gsm TYPEFACES Trump Gothic West, Akkurat, S-L, Simplo, Kondola and Calluna…

ESSAY Designing cities we deserve! Marisa Denker asks what makes people move and stay in certain cities, and avoid or leave others? Creative director, A Playful City www.aplayfulcity.com Here’s a confession for you. I’m someone that falls in love a lot… with cities. I feel a magnetic pull to certain cities – where the people and space come together to make it a place that’s full of life, connection and engagement across all ages and backgrounds. But what makes this happen? For me, when it comes down to it, such a liveable and loveable city is one that’s co-designed – with and for its inhabitants. It’s a city that’s human-centred. A city that listens to those in it. A city that’s built on the needs, hopes and dreams of its…

MARIE-LUCE OUELLET Brand manager, lg2 www.lg2.com Zoo de Granby first opened its doors in 1953. Although the non-profit organisation came from humble beginnings, it hasn’t stopped growing and accumulating international accolades since then. Today, it’s a source of pride for Quebec and a top tourist destination. To better represent its role as a leader and its vision, our strategists developed a brand positioning that guided the team throughout the creative process: the zoo as ambassador of the magical animal kingdom. We created a flexible brand image that reflects the zoo’s commitment to providing its animals with an environment that’s been adapted to their needs. The identity appeals to the entire family. Young visitors will appreciate the bright colours and playful animations while adults will be amused by the typographic characters…

After a successful pitch, Design Bridge began working with luxury household brand Fortnum & Mason in early 2014. Their first project was to redesign several of the company’s confectionery products, and they have since reworked the entire Christmas range, revived the biscuits portfolio and even come up with ideas for new products. Together, they have won over 30 industry awards – most recently the new Collaborative Award for design at the D&AD Awards 2019. We spoke to Alice Goss and Chloé Templeman, business development manager and creative director at Design Bridge, and Fortnum & Mason’s customer experience director, Zia Zareem-Slade, to discover how to foster a mutually beneficial creative partnership. Bring in other people when necessary Although Design Bridge has a core team for Fortnum & Mason, it collaborates with…

1. DON’T MICRO-MANAGE When art directing, SooJin Buzelli is careful to guide artists, rather than “solve” problems for them. “When I receive sketches that are not quite on the mark, I communicate why it’s not working, not how to fix it,” she says. “I’m collaborating with the artist so the concept can be solved from their unique perspective.” 2. REMEMBER YOUR GOALS “Chris Buzelli told me not to ‘fight’ with my clients but to ‘dance’ with them early on in my career,” says Ngai. “It took me years to understand what he meant – remember you and your clients share the same objectives when negotiating the disagreements.” 3. DON’T RELY JUST ON PHONECALLS “Face-to-face meetings are important,” says Design Bridge’s Alice Goss. “We usually get a lot more out of…

MARISA DENKER The creative director of A Playful City stresses on page 22 how well-designed urban spaces can improve the lives of a city’s population – both young and old. www.aplayfulcity.com TWEE MUIZEN …which translates as ‘two mice’ from the Dutch, comprises Denís Galocha and Cristina Barrientos. Find out more about the duo – and their masks – on page 60. www.instagram.com/tweemuizen SOOJIN BUZELLI & VICTO NGAI On page 68 we discuss how collaborative working can bring the best out of creative partnerships. Case in point: Buzelli and Ngai have long realised that what might be good is often never good enough. DAVE SEDGWICK There’s a shining example of a brand revamp on page 80, as Studio DBD’s founder tells how he gave Foilco’s identity cohesion and consistency. www.studiodbd.com MIKE…

Experienced art industry professional Sarah Monk has been event director at New Designers since early 2017. Here she discusses the important role the show plays within the creative industries and the opportunities it offers design graduates. What’s the ultimate goal of this event? New Designers is a unique launchpad for fresh design talent. Every year, thousands of graduates use the show as an opportunity to launch new ideas, products and trends, and to connect with thousands of educators, professionals and consumers. Ultimately, it’s where these graduates begin their journeys in the professional design world. How much influence do you think the show has on the creative industries? It has a great influence. So many established, influential designers have launched their careers at the show, such as Thomas Heatherwick, Jay Osgerby…

DESIGN LAD 3D illustrator and animation director www.designlad.co.uk “Taking time out and doing anything but trying to think of ideas is key for me. In the past I would waste hours staring at my screen or scrolling endlessly on Instagram in the hope a spark would come. But it never did, and instead feelings of stress and frustration grew. So now if I’m ever lacking inspiration, I’ll spend time away from my studio, turn my phone off and immerse myself in some form of creativity that’s not directly related with what I do. Whether it be going to an exhibition, looking at street art, listening to music or reading a book outside, surrounding yourself with amazing work and learning from other people’s creativity will free the mind, naturally inspire projects…

1. TRUST AND MUTUAL RESPECT For Non-Format’s Jon Forss, it’s all about finding someone who you trust and respect. “If it’s a constant tug of war, then maybe that can create incredible results for a while, but to go the distance you need to be working on trust.” 2. SOMEONE WHO CHALLENGES YOU There are certain type of collaborators who should be avoided if possible, according to illustrator Victo Ngai. “Watch out for ‘lazy’ collaborators who don’t care about standing up for a good idea but only want to relay what their bosses tell them, and for the ‘easy’ collaborators who would give you a pass on ‘good-enough’ work,” Ngai says. “I recommend working with someone who cares about the projects as much as you do, someone who can challenge…

1. MAKE EVERYONE AWARE THAT THEY’RE IMPORTANT The key to forging a collaborative culture lies in making it clear everyone’s input is valuable, says Laura Sanjuan. “We really do believe good ideas can come from anyone or anywhere. And we make sure that everybody, whether you’re freelance or permanent, understands that ethos.” 2. CREATE A FLAT HIERARCHY A flat hierarchy makes people more willing to share ideas, says Katie Stamp. “Being relatively small, we’ve been able to avoid the traditional agency hierarchy. It’s very open here. Everybody can talk to everybody, and that encourages the free flow of ideas.” 3. KEEP EVERYONE IN THE LOOP Stamp also sees book-ending the week with regular catch-ups as important in promoting a collaborative atmosphere. “At SODA, we make sure we have meetings every…

Mike Schwoebel is creative director at Nemo Design, based in Oregon, Portland, US, and has over 14 years experience in the creative industry. www.nemodesign.com I’m not a bike expert, a collector or even a racer, but there’s something about bike design – the paint work and graphics – that has always caught my attention. My appreciation probably started in the 80s with BMX bikes, with their handle bar number plates, paint work and graphics merging with the engineering details such as anodised valve stem caps. It’s the blending of all these elements that makes an object stand out, scream for attention and want to be used. Later in life I’ve tended to gravitate towards bikes designed for a particular event or function. Today, there’s the Klein Mantra Pro, Cannondale Delta or…