“Hello! I am a Freelance Designer from Northampton, England.
I have a broad range of graphic design and illustration experience.
This blog is a collection of my recent thoughts, rants, and miscellaneous endeavours.
If you would like to discuss a design project please drop me a line.”
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May 9th, 2010
Catch the sun
Spotify playlist Number 11: Summer Sounds
For those of you with Seasonal Affective Disorder -- fear not -- for summer is here again, and about time too!
Fingers crossed that we've got the volcanic ash and election palaver out of the way - for now anyway - so here's to a long drawn-out wind-down with chilled drinks
in pub gardens, and days at the beach!
I've dusted off a few of my favourite seasonal tracks to play this time of the year with a few new ones to boot;
so if you're unlucky enough to be stuck indoors working maybe this will help you get into a summer state of mind.
March 16th, 2010
We can rewind
Spotify playlist Number 10: Modern Retro
I've recently been enjoying the upsurge in retro graphic styles and colour usage posted on design and image bookmarking sites. Interestingly this direction correlates with the alternative music scene: the past five years has seen a massive influx of 80s inspired music -- whether it be through synthesisers and electro sound effects, writing style, or even mimicking a former popular artists sound.
The popularity of both indie music and the 1980s has also been highlighted in the satirical blog 'stuffwhitepeoplelike.com': 'Indie music' and '80s night' currently feature in the top 100 list at positions 41 and 29 respectively.
Personally I can't get enough of this potent mix of genres, and I hope this wave continues in both musical and graphical media formats. This playlist is a bite-size update of retro/power/electro/pop/indie that I've been frequently listening to over the past month or so.
March 14th, 2010
Formula one season 2010
After all the build up, the much anticipated Bahrain Grand Prix was a bland affair. The cars can no longer refuel in the pits so carry a full tank from the race start. In turn pitting strategy is less of a factor and positions change less frequently. The cars are slower due to the increased weight and the gap between the cars is bigger, as a result overtaking has suffered. Typically the drama builds much later on, but the current formula seems inert.
The only significantly interesting detail was the new broadcast onscreen graphics.
The panels now slant to the same angle as the F1 logo (tut), they also stack at an angle which -- although refreshing is an aesthetic modification instead of a functional change. I've always believed 'form follows function' and not the other way around.
The panels feature web 2.0 style gradients which works well apart from the yellow lap time gradient doesn't work due to the lower colour being far too dirty making the digits less legible.
The transition animation is pretty good, although I prefer the old throttle diagram and animation; the new one is uninspiring.
A quick look at some viewers comments on various bbc sites with regard to specific statistics now being omitted indicates that this years aesthetic changes have come at the cost of function. That's not what information design is about.
February 22th, 2010
Substance over substance
I finally got to see Avatar in 3D recently: it really is amazing. It's been a long time since I've become fascinated with a film after viewing.
The human based 3D character animation was incredibly accurate; the animators managed to record and recreate facial micro-gestures. From the close-ups and body animation 'mannerisms' I knew it would have to be based on real actor footage, and a further browse through youtube shows exactly how they achieved this. These clips also highlight the professionalism of the actors through difficult circumstances: conveying believable emotion dressed in special suits and rigs, and with an absence of environment.
What made the movie outstanding for me personally was this was the first movie I had seen in 3D glasses! I cannot over emphasise how much the effect enriches the typical cinema viewing to all new sensory levels.
I totally forgive the tried and tested plot line (Dances with wolves, Fern Gully (apparently) etc). I can also [at a push] forgive the lazy font choice.
James Cameron has such a fantastic concept of the future military. I think the reason Aliens was so widely accepted as a successful sequel was he didn't try and out-play Ridley Scott at his own game; he instead set out to do something else - an action movie based with a strong theme of the military of the future. I also think its ok to be a pacifist yet still be fascinated by the grandeur of military and its mass structuring, repetition, order and graphical markings. Dialogue-wise some lines such as 'fighting terror with terror' and the labelling of nations who sit on a resource as an enemy I found to be close to home.
The film seems to nod to surrealist illustrator Roger Dean for inspiration, but also draws reference to Camerons earlier work with the 'Amp' mech vs the Alien (but with the audience rooting for the other side this time.) Giovanni Ribisi plays a carbon-copy character of 'Carter Burke' in Aliens (essentially a metaphor for corporate mentality or the darkside of the human heart), and the Chief military character was just a cliche idiot - a pantomime villain for the kids. It also has to be said that the final act battle scene had hints of the battle of Endor.
I think the essential ingredient to creating a science fiction masterpeice is addressing a fundamental philosophical concept. The film does contain a philosophical idea such as transfering the human mind and soul to a new host, which in turn opens the door to a huge amount of interesting debate. However I would be hesitant to label the film a masterpeice because of the unoriginal plot; I think the term 'benchmark' sits better.
...There is so much more to write about this film, but to summarise this is one of those rare moments where plot can successfully take a backseat to method of story telling (in this case technology) and yet due to the sheer intensity of visual stimulus and richness of experience, not leave you feeling short changed. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope they don't make a sequel.
February 2th, 2010
Mad for it!
Spotify playlist Number 9: Student Salad Dayz 89-00
These days the nineties are predominantly marketed using 'old skool' dance songs. I liked this period but not as much as the britpop period which would follow on a few years later; dance music in the 90's was really just a logical progression from the late eighties.
Then came the lowest ebb in music history of recent times: the 'smash-hits' dance / reggae / vacuous pop period that reached a peak circa 1994. It felt like a period of cheap music created for instant business gain with little substance. In the background, indie music was building up momentum through this period thanks to bands like the stone roses. This culminated in a britpop explosion that peaked about 1996. I always felt that the rise of britpop was due to a knee-jerk reaction to the awful chart music from previous years. Bands like oasis, blur, pulp, and the manics were championed by the press as the front runners to a new epoch that clung to a more traditional resonance.
This collection of songs earmark my youth - a decade in education and teenage angst that seemed to never end, from school to college and eventually university. Nowadays I don't often listen to this period of music, but its still worth a listen now and again. This playlist is not strictly indie or britpop as some songs belong to other categories, however these tracks suitably belong to the era. Its too bad the Oasis back catalogue is largely absent from Spotify.
January 14th, 2010
By invitation only
As a graphic designer I often get asked to design wedding invites when friends get married. Its a rare situation in design as the client (typically the bride) knows exactly what they want - most brides have a clear vision of the whole event, and a wise groom will toe the line!
As such the project becomes more of a working collaboration, and this latest effort was no different. The bride had the ribbon, paper, and art deco theme already in mind and just needed advice over execution. I provided some examples of art deco typography and various examples of famous design work from the era, as well as visualised different methods of ribbon application. The project workflow was smooth from start to finish and we're both very pleased with the results!
December 20th, 2009
Fight the Power!
Spotify playlist Number 8: Rebel Yell
I wouldn't openly champion the idea that I have a rebellious streak, but what makes my blood boil is self-serving and corruption in authority. I expect many of the british people feel the same way which is why the news about the MPs expenses scandal has refused to die down.
On a different note, the latest (albeit minor) revolt covered in the press is the campaign for Rage against the machine to beat the Xfactor finalist to the Christmas number 1 spot. Whereas I sympathise with the principles, I cannot help but feel a strain of cynicism with the details: both artists feature under the Sony Label.
I half believe this is ingenius spin doctoring on behalf of Sony to raise Christmas sales during a flagging economy, (as well as act as an insurance policy as they represent both the runners.) Potentially the publicity stunt could extend projected annual Xfactor artist sales: lets face it, all popular mainstream fads reach a peak and eventually pass. By turning this event into a publicity stunt both artists and the Xfactor programme get a boost in the headlines, to which the latter will no doubt get a token publicity boost next year as there will be a precedent for contention. Shouldn't we just let this fad die down naturally rather than fuel its longevity?
On the other hand this could be a geniuine grass roots revolt - which has now succeeded. Whatever your thoughts on the matter, Simon Cowell has vested interests in both Xfactor and Sony so hes quids in. This is not necessarily a no win situation for people who really like music, as the overall goal is to diminish chart control from pop-pap manufacturer Xfactor.
...I could easily rant on, but the actual reason for this post is that I've made a playlist on the loose theme of rebellion either through lyrical content or band attitude. I make no apologies for including Billy Idol or Pat Benetar!
October 28th, 2009
Don't you open that Trap-Door...
I watched the fantastically written 'Micromen' on BBC4 recently - hats off to Alexander Armstrong for his humorous portrayal of Sir Clive Sinclair. The program brought back many fond memories of those dark days of the early home computer. Me, my brother and my sister had a plethora of spectrums; firstly the ZX81, then the 48k ZX Spectrum, and finally the 128k Spectrum +3. It lead me to think about some of the great games I played: the most inspirational game I believe was AticAtac.
Great things about this game:
1. The trap door animation and sound.
2. The walking sound (which is now embedded in my brain). The game title is almost an onomatopoeia of this sound. (Note a similar sound can also be heard nowadays through the indicators on a Citroen C3 if I remember correctly.)
3. The abstract yet instantly understood elements: top down perspective, the door graphics, the progressive room architecture (distinguishable despite being constructed from lines).
4. The room with a devil that keeps coming toward you -- to this day I still find this frankly disturbing. (Interestingly if you picked up the cross he would run away!)
5. The strategy: you had to remember which rooms lead to where and the locations of the keys.
6. The choice of playing different characters, the navigating of a maze of rooms, and the carrying of different keys to enter certain rooms. These elements have also inspired other later day game developers such as ID software who made Wolfenstein3D, Doom and Hexen, and Quake.
From a glance by todays standards it looks rudimentary and no different from hundreds of other sprite laden spectrum games, but you could tell by playing it that a lot of thought-process, time, care and energy went into the development of this game; it not only paid off but inspired the decisions and ideas of the modern day game developers, and also through approach to a design, me!
October 17th, 2009
A touch of class
Spotify playlist Number 7: Classical and Soundtrack
I've always been a closet fan of classical music. It seems to have a stigma attached to it as the domain of the stuffy and pompous. Regardless of these percieved notions or implicit connotations I have loved the genre since my formative years. I've rummaged together a 'concert' list of favourite peices as well as orchestral and instrumental film scores that to this day inspire me.
September 8th, 2009
The Sounds of Science
Spotify playlist Number 6: Experimental Randomness
Where would we be without pioneers? Scientific mavericks? Revolutionary thinkers? Probably still fumbling about in caves dressed in pelts. This playlist is a celebration of the few brave explorers within the realms of music and sound. You may hear techno, dance, ambient, instrumental; mainstream and underground -- however it all sounds a little bit experimental. Each track of beats, bleats, and beeps has been lovingly selected for its quaint and melodic properties. Venture forth!
August 28th, 2009
Together in Electric Reams
Spotify playlist Number 5: Ultimate 80s
At heart I'm an eighties throwback - the decade I was born somehow feels like a home to which I can never return to, yet never let go of. I doubt I will ever figure the cause of this deep rooted love as it is shrouded through the perception of childhood, and subject to nostalgic romanticism. Nethertheless, here is a collection of 200+ songs (over 15 hours) worth of eighties tunes -- and its freakin' awesome!
August 25th, 2009
A Modern alternative
Spotify playlist Number 4: Retro Indie Echo
My favoutie kind of music: a retro sounding indie mix featuring elements of electro, punk, alternative, sustain and echo. Inspired by the punk/alternative period in the very late 70s / early 80s, and all the way through to its influences over modern day indie rock. Occasionally electronic, always slick.
August 15th, 2009
Unwired for sound
Spotify playlist Number 3: Indie Acoustic Collection
A few breezy guitar strumming tracks that remind me of summer. A bit late in the season as the promised barbecue season from the Met office seemed to only last a week in June. However if you believe that summer is also a state of mind, perhaps this audio smokescreen will help you fool yourself. And why not?
August 8th, 2009
Golden Oldies for Silver Surfers
Another Spotify playlist: Oldies Collection
Too many tracks to list here (147 in total), but a recollection of all my old favourite songs, most of which I first heard throughout the eighties whilst fighting with my brother in the back of my dads crappy old rover 2300. Ah memories...
...I can almost smell the four star and old leather seats.
July 28th, 2009
Down with the Kids
If you use spotify, check out my playlist 'Insane Ghetto Beats'.
Wildchild – Renegade Master - Fatboy Slim Old Skool Radio Edit •
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines •
DJ EZ Rock – It Takes Two (With Soundbyte Intro) •
M – Pump Up The Volume (7″) •
House of Pain – Jump Around •
Tone-Loc – Wild Thing •
Jay-Z – 99 Problems •
Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me •
Snoop Dogg – Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang •
Naughty By Nature – O.P.P - LP Version •
S’Express – Theme From S’Express •
Young MC – Bust a Move •
LL Cool J – Phenomenon •
Beastie Boys – Root Down •
RUN-DMC – It’s Tricky •
N.W.A. – Express Yourself •
De La Soul – Me, Myself & I - Radio Version •
The Notorious B.I.G. – Mo Money Mo Problems •
Tone-Loc – Funky Cold Medina •
Pharrell – Can I Have It Like That (feat. Gwen Stefani) •
Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain •
N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton •
Public Enemy – Rebel Without a Pause •
Wise Guys – Ooh La La •
Dr. Dre – Still D.R.E. - Explicit Version •
Beastie Boys – Shadrach •
Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance •
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee – The Message •
The Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight •
Uffie – Dismissed •
The Chemical Brothers – Get Yourself High (Radio Edit) •
Cypress Hill – I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That •
Tone-Loc – On Fire (remix)
July 15th, 2009
Common sense and social networking
Is it really any surprise that the youth don’t actively use Twitter? Realistically future technologies will only be sustained if they fit in with the socio-economical model of their intended target audience. Throughout history money has always dictated what gets developed, and whether it gets used; Twitter is sustained by the working professional market, and especially the man-child iPhone user paying a premium for a pseudo benefit; did anyone actually believe that teenagers would have the inclination and money to send progressive SMS updates of their miserable oppressed lives? Besides, was it going to be worth reading anyway? i.e. ‘Just stabbed Keith. LOLz.’
To me it seems that today’s emerging technology has defined and created its own market sector; a post-teenager class of skilled working people using new media as a tool for social networking. I say post-teenager, as all technology is used and abused to personal effect. Look at Myspace for instance, each page is the equivalent of an exercise book or a bedroom that you decorate with stickers, posters, photos, and enforce your own music on other people. Facebook is a halfway house -- an organised chaos, facilitated by applications that on the whole evaluate to little more than pointless widgets.
I believe Twitter is the offspring of Facebook, ripping off the main ‘live’ elements that are of interest: the current photo and the ‘what are you doing now’ textfield. A limit on user generated content was always going to be a win over a blog entry as essentially its less crud to sift through. We are faced with so much ‘information’ these days we either naturally filter it out, or bypass it completely. On that note I’ll leave it.
July 5th, 2009
Twentysomething in the Noughties
As the noughties draws to its impending end its important to look back and reflect on what exactly has happened; lest we forget exactly what what we’ve done with a decade of our lives, and in order to correctly pigeon whole the era for future nostalgic reference.
Dotcom crash • Concord Crash • Nu Metal / Hip Hop reaches peak • Big Brother • Eminem / Coldplay / Britney / Madonna • Playstation 2 • Tiger Woods wins US open • George W Bush – president • Mobile Phones now ubiquitous • MP3/digial audio gains prominence • Digital Cameras become popular • The Matrix • The Office • Google gains prominence • Grand Theft Auto 3 / Halo • Chavs / Burberry • Xbox • Fuel Strike • Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center / Osama Bin Laden • 24 first season • War in Afganistan • The Strokes • Dirty Denim • Soham murders • return of ‘The’ in indie band names • SARS • Hans Blix • The Hutton Inquiry • Emo's • Social Networking Kicks off: MSN messenger > Friends reunited > Skype • Starwars II: Attack of the Clones • Enron • War in Iraq • Kill Bill • Kanye West • Stripes come back in fashion • Lord of the rings • Mullet (returns) • Floral Design • Shuttle Columbia Incident • Wireless Networking • Roger Federer / Williams sisters start wimbledon domination • Lost / The Wire • Internet & web communication now commonplace / Broadband • Asian tsunami disaster • Half-Life 2 • Madrid Bombing • HD / Blu-Ray • Playstation 3 / Nintendo Wii / Xbox 360 • 80’s revival • Hurricane Katrina / New Orleans • Daniel Craig is new James Bond • Yasser Arafat dies • Web 2.0 • Military Jackets • Nu Rave • Millenium Dome renamed to O2 Arena • London Underground Bombing • Climate Change • Social Networking matures: Blogging > Myspace > Facebook > Last FM > Twitter • Saddam Hussein executed • Disappearance of Madeleine McCann • iPhone • Housing Market Slump • Tony Blair Out / Gordon Brown In • Bird Flu • Global recession • The Dark Knight • Large Hadron Collider is turned on • Lewis Hamilton wins F1 • Barrack Obama President • Spotify / steaming content • Swine Flu Pandemic • MPs Expenses Scandal • Michael Jackson dies
June 16th, 2009
Future Retail Media Models
I was sorting out my VHS and DVD collection a while back, all the while trying to come to grips with an irritating notion: I seem to be in a perpetual process of replacing old formats with new. Films I loved and bought years ago on VHS I have later bought on DVD; it dawned on me that the process of attempting to build a collection will always be fruitless, as I will only end up replacing the old format when the latest contemporary format is released. The process is inefficient, expensive and wasteful; it is widely supported as a means for consumers to ‘own’ a recording of a film, but taking a step back it can only benefit the publishers. It also leads to me to further questions.
Do we really ever ‘own’ any media? When we buy a music CD or a movie, what exactly are we buying? To my knowledge, when you buy a media product, you are actually buying that individual copy -- in that particular format. I cannot see a problem with the logic of obtaining media this way based on the mentality of the 20th century consumer; however in the context of today’s accelerated technological progressive society it seems like throwing money down the drain.
Something has got to give. The music and film industry have been exploiting this restriction of transferable rights for far too long through obscene overpricing; now they are suffering the backlash at the hands of a more technical savvy generation. It doesn’t matter what barriers are invented -- electrical data can be effortlessly duplicated, so the modern consensus is why should we willingly let ourselves be duped? With analogue media the physical format itself stood in the way; today there is no physical barrier, only the background noise of the law. Either the prices of duplicate media will have to come down (already happening, yet an unattractive route for the industry), a new method of copy protection (a technological step backwards) or enforcement (piratebay lawsuit / virgin media monitoring) will be implemented, or the business model will change from owning the product to owning a licence, regardless of format.
Wouldn’t it be better if instead of owning an overpriced duplicate, we could instead purchase a licence to download/stream a movie, in whatever format we like, for a custom duration? Then when a new format comes along, if we still retain the licence we can reap the benefits of the new technology without shelling out again on essentially the same product, wasting packaging and materials etc. So long as pricing reflects the ease of electronic duplication whilst acknowledging artist and production costs, this model would support the contemporary consumer.
An alternative solution already exists in the form of streamed content spliced with advertising and the option to have this annoyance removed at a price (i.e. Spotify). This way the financially challenged aren’t punished, and the well-off retain the option of lording their wealth over us.
Eventually the middleman will inevitably worm his way into the market, either as an alternative higher priced/more readily available source, or a channel with more adverts at a slightly cheaper price. The middleman always raises prices to support his own business and as a result contributes additional weight to the piracy incentive. This is capitalisms unique way of building its own obstacles for someone else to jump over at a later date.
February 28th, 2009
2009 ressesion from the designers perspective
The looming economic crises that is currently being hammered into our brains day in, day out is without question an ominous sign of things to come. However to this designer, the way this recession is being 'sold' to the masses is just the beginning of the annoyance.
Ok, so it might just be me, but does anyone else think the latest news coverage of economic downturn represents the nadir of an adoption of outdated marketing techniques of the hard-sell past by our mainstream newsrooms. Has society become so used to consumer conditioning that even the news must be sold to us in the form of a double punch generation-Jones advertising tag?
CREDIT-CRUNCH. Cliché, tacky, kitsch. It smells of the 1960s, and it would sound more at home bellowed from the mouth of Roy Walker whilst an animated Mr chips chomps through a credit card behind. Its no longer a term; its a brand. Anything related to a recession based turn of events is sold back to us under that brand. Does the average Joe find news labelled such a way easier to compute than relatively big words like economic downturn, or recession? Or perhaps they have become gradually more acquatinted with this method of delivery through life in general. I just hope its not the case that broadcasters are without fault, and instead it's another sign of the nation dumbing down.
This is not the major annoyance; no its just a mere niggle. The worst part about being a designer in times like these is the impact on the design industry. One of my favourite designers from my salad days, Tanaka Ikko, described design as vitamins to a society; it's not deemed essential, and during economic decline is a prime candidate for culling. It makes sense; on the whole businesses would rather slash advertising budgets than kick people to the kerb. Its the moral thing to do, but from a business sense it merely stretches the downward curve out, and in some cases a more painful death.
I seem to remember a case study Wally Olins once made about Nike: during the financial hardships of the 1970's, sportswear manufacturers slashed advertising and promotions, all except Nike shoes who carried on spending as normal. Its important to note at this point in time Nike were an infant company - Adidas were the dominating leaders. Nike wanted to be present in the consumers minds on the upswing, and not on the back foot like its competitors. Nike pumped regular feed into advertising through the tough times, and when things started to look rosy, they literally hit the ground running (retro pun-age intended... you layman.)
Im not an economist, but my guess from the types of companies going down the tubes at the moment is that its the companies selling a lower quality product that are struggling. When high quality products drop in value to meet the demand, there's room to manoeuvre on price; however cheaper alternatives have nowhere to go. Advertising is a key tool in raising perceived value and awareness -- its not a replacement for quality, but it increases exposure. So in times like these you need people who know what they are doing at the reins. Its not a case of spending more, its a case of making what you spend work harder.
