Creative Bloc

My responses to the Topman brief we were given a couple of weeks ago. I made flyers, canvas bags, gift cards etc. Really quite enjoyed this one.

Interpretation Exhibition Opening

Last night was the grand opening of our 2nd year 'Interpretation' exhibition. It's up for a week, showing group work that we did just before Christmas. There's something nice about putting up exhibitions, i always find it fun, like it's an official marking point of a stint of time. I did spend longer than was comfortable in a hot, cramped cabinet stringing up posters whilst looking like a Damien Hurst formaldehyde exhibit gone wrong, but i think overall it went quite nicely.

 Good wine and nibbles.

Ian Anderson Workshop Brief

**New Brief**

An optional project, for those wishing to get onto a workshop with Ian Anderson. Only a small number will.

Brief: Internationally renowned designer and founder of The Designers Republic,
Ian Anderson wants to change his name. He's never liked his own. Names are
given to us, they reflect the past present and future from our parent perspectives,
not our own - they don't represent us, although sometimes we grow into them.

How would it be if our names represented something about us, if our names were

descriptive, however obliquely. If our names, like brands, described something of

how the consumer was supposed to react to the product.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rename him and create a

promotional poster informing the public of the change and explaining the reason

behind the new name.

The Ruins of Detroit

I can't stop looking at these photographs, taken by Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre in Detroit.

Designed to Help

 

This book has been on my course reading list for a while now, and i've put off reading it because of the title. It reminds me self help books by Paul McKenna such as 'I Can Make You Thin' or 'I Can Make You Happy'. The title promises too much.

Whilst caught in a brief monsoon in Leeds on my way to the train station, i ducked into Waterstones for cover and found myself in the art section (I love the art section). This book jumped out at me and i thought it was probably about time i read it, and i needed something to read on the train anyway.

I'm three chapters in now, and it's utterly brilliant. The little nuggets of advice Shaughnessy throws out every other page are fantastic little lightbulb moments. It's as if out of nowhere, this old, sage-like friend has appeared and decided that you are worthy of hearing the inner secrets of how to survive in a profession you've pretty much set yourself on. Thinking back over the chapters i've read so far, the advice seems obvious now, but when you're caught up in the middle of a project, the advice is very welcome. I'd honestly recommend this book to anyone designery, and to anyone self-employed who needs a bit of organisation brought back into their life.

Brain Vomit

To satisfy the need for immediate brain vomit:

abitofspace.tumblr.com

Relatively Leeds

photo by a bit of space

This weekend was spent in and around Leeds for a joint celebration of various Uncles' birthdays. It's a rare occasion that my fairly small family gets together for a 'knees up', but when we do it's always nice. My Aunt is currently tracing our family history, and has found so much out. It's so interesting, and seemingly addictive. The afternoon was spent probing Great Aunts for information about 4th husbands of 2nd cousins twice removed, whilst the men played with remote control helicopters.

In the evening i stopped over in Leeds for the night at Rach's flat. We had a nice dinner out followed by liquid pudding, and put the world to right. Our joint resolution is to make sure we do this at least once a month, and take it in turns to go to each other's city of residence. 

Have you had nice weekends?

Art School Bloc

**New Brief**

We got given a live brief this morning for a project that's to run over two weeks. 

"Following the success of the opening of the NY Flagship store in April 2009, Topman are now excited about launching a store in Chicago. The Brief is to develop a creative based on the trend 'Art School Bloc' which will be used across various marketing tools to engage new customers and drive brand interest leading up to and during the opening of the store."

Pleasant Pheasants

Look at those colours!! A new farm shop has recently opened in my home village and i went to have a nosey last weekend (but forgot my camera), so went over-equipped with three today. The feathers are so fantastic they don't look like they can be real. They remind me of dress patterns you might see on the catwalk. If i had the time/patience/skill i'd love to paint the image on the left. Without the right hand image would you be able to guess what it was?

A Visual Life

Why is it that when you have a large amount of work to get done, all you feel like doing is heading outside and enjoying the city. I watched this mini documentary with Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) this morning and it made me want to go out and take lovely pictures all day. Can't. Also, it's snowing.

Grey Day

It was pointed out to me a year or so ago by a friend that i wear a lot of grey. It wasn't meant as criticism, it was just general observation. I knew i was on the right course when i sat down at my very first group crit session in my first year of graphic design and noticed that everyone round the table was wearing at least one item of grey. Grey is a thinking colour, the colour you wear while you're in between stages, the colour one wears before they commit whole heartedly to something. 

Today is a bit of a grey day.
The sort of day that doesn't get fully light outside, and just rains consistently throughout, and is grimly cold. Today is a working day, and i am wearing the necessary noncommittal colour whilst i wait for inspiration to hit. I will be getting all of last terms work ready for the hand-in on the 11th. I would really like to be working in somewhere like this...

It's so quiet and secluded and minimal i think i would get a lot more done. Bet the rain would be loud on those windows though.

Right, enough procrastination, on with work.

Primavera

Fingers crossed i'm not meant to be doing anything else over these dates. 

Check out the line up, it's ridiculous :D

Resolutions

 

from a field journal

I always enjoy thinking up what my new years resolutions might be for the coming year, but i never promise myself that i'll stick to them (not one to bring disappointment on myself). This year i think i would like to try and find some sort of balance. Whilst at work on new years eve, supplying the rich and beautiful with new years headaches and liver failure, i considered all of the things that are important to me. The sort of things like Health, Family, Friends, Man Candy, University, Food, Travel etc. I thought that it would be a good idea to get my priorities in place, and spend the new year working on a good balance for splitting up my time between them all. This year there will be more contact with friends who have settled further a field, and my degree will be a higher priority that it was previously. I'm looking forward to a fresh start. 

What are your resolutions?

Happy New Year!

I'm very much looking forward to a new start. Here is a review of my first year in blogging.

I switched from a PC to a MAC and began this blog.

I travelled to some pretty wonderful places.

Rome, Budapest, Serbia, New York

I followed some nice recipes

I lost a friend

My work was exhibited

And i got down to some hard work.

Here's to an even better 2011 

All the best xxx