Design Week articles from August 2006

Design Week archives from August 2006

Nissan wins R&D tax relief claim for design in test case.
August 3, 2006... Many UK design businesses could become eligible for substantial tax relief on their work, a landmark claim by Nissan Design Europe has shown. The company has won a tax relief claim for design work dating back two years, using the research...

Creative leap for Alliance Boots.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Alliance Boots is to brand all of its 3000 European retail outlets as Boots and will relaunch its wholesale business with a new name, after the completion of the #7bn merger between Alliance UniChem and Boots Group this week. The merged...

IDI to build a name at global design events.(international design initiative)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The Dubai-based International Design Initiative, which is seeking to boost creative industries across the Middle East, will use forthcoming global design festivals as a platform from which to promote itself. The intention is to create a...

STOP PRESS: Wrench is first Briton to head Landor.(appointments of Charlie Wrench and Phil Dean)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Landor Associates has a non-American at its helm this month for the first time in its 65-year history, as worldwide chairman Craig Branigan hands the role of chief executive to worldwide president Charlie Wrench. The move sees the...

STOP PRESS: Finn finds future to be at Dragon.(new appointments)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Former FutureBrand managing director Elizabeth Finn has joined Dragon Brands as director of packaging. Finn resigned from FutureBrand for personal reasons two years ago (DW 1 July 2004). She has been working on a consultancy basis in the...

STOP PRESS: Balko to bring in the business at Publicis.(appointment of David Balko )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Fitch has appointed Publicis new business director David Balko as business development director of its London studio. Balko has worked at the ad agency, a rival to WPP-owned Fitch, since 2003. Part of his brief will be to extend the group's...

Wellcome Collection goes for big name design treatment.(Gitta Gschwendtner- German born designer based in London)
August 3, 2006... A host of design consultancies has been appointed to work on the #30m Wellcome Collection, a public venue opening in summer 2007, with further appointments in the pipeline. The six-storey former headquarters of independent medical research...

Yell Group reports.(Yell Group has published its 2006 annual and corporate responsibility reports)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... International directories company Yell Group has published its 2006 annual and corporate responsibility reports, designed for the first time by College Design, a division of communications agency College Hill. The consultancy was briefed to...

Spa builds steam with Mytton Williams.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The long-anticipated Thermae Bath Spa, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, is opening this month after a five-year delay, with a brand identity and wayfinding scheme by Mytton Williams. Mytton Williams was first appointed to the...

More than 1000 colour images.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... 1000 New Designs and Where To Find Them, published by Laurence King Publishing, highlights some of the furniture, storage, lighting, textile, bathroom, kitchenware and electrical product designs launched over the past five years. Designed by...

Random House dishes up the dirt for Welsh novel.(Suzanne Dean- creative director of Random House)
August 3, 2006... Random House is set to publish a series of innovative dust jacket designs this week for the launch of The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by the novelist Irvine Welsh. A set of three book covers created by Random House creative...

Virgin set to integrate NTL's 'quadruple play'.(Virgin Mobile merge with NTL Inc)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The creative team at Virgin Mobile has begun looking at design concepts to brand NTL's 'quadruple play' product, comprising Internet, television and fixed-line and mobile telephony services, which will eventually be retailed through Virgin's...

Heritage Lottery Fund gives British museums a boost.(renovations of Bristol Industrial Museum )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The Bristol Industrial Museum is to be turned into a new Museum of Bristol, after a #10.7m Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The renovated venue will tell the tale of the city, from medieval times through to its international importance as the...

Priceless Exhibition.
August 3, 2006... Priceless, a multimedia art exhibition that displays objects of great value as selected by cultural institutions located on and around London's Exhibition Road, will be held at the Serpentine Gallery from 7 to 27 August. It will feature a...

IN BRIEF: Purple Circle design.(service introduction of websites)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Nottingham consultancy Purple Circle has designed the identity, packaging and website (www.miette.co.uk) for Miette, a chocolaterie and patisserie in the Cotswolds. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Golley Slater contract.(contracts)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Golley Slater's Birmingham office has won the below-the-line account for 100.7 Heart FM in the West Midlands and Heart 106 in the East Midlands, following a competitive pitch. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Origins launching retail concession.(marketing)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Health and beauty brand Origins is launching an 'Eco-chic' retail concession at the Lifestyle Hall of Harrods in London. It has been designed by Monroe Alcheman, senior vice-president, creative director of Origins. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: At the helm of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment.(Michael Roberts has stepped down from his position )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Parkview International chief executive Michael Roberts has stepped down from his position at the helm of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London, it has been reported. Parkview owner Victor Hwang takes up the title of executive...

IN BRIEF: British Land annual report.(CDT Design's 150th anniversary)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... The latest British Land annual report has been designed by CDT Design with an accompanying British Life history book in celebration of the company's 150th anniversary. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Project X closure.(Project X was closed by mutual agreement of its directors)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Project X was closed by mutual agreement of its three founding directors and owners Nick Blyth, Ross Haxton and Simon Wyatt-Budd, and not by Blyth Wyatt Budd, as stated in DW last week. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Stanton Williams appointed.(new appointment of Stanton Williams )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Stanton Williams has been appointed to design a scientific research building for the University of Cambridge in the University's Botanic Garden. The focus of the proposed laboratory will be on the fundamental mechanisms of plant development...

COMMENT: Dubai is rife with opportunity, but it must nurture its talent.(International Design Initiative)
August 3, 2006... The only surprising thing about Dubai's bid to celebrate its local creative talent is that it has taken so long to do so. Plans fostered by the International Design Initiative (see News Analysis, page 9) come some ten years since design -...

Slice freshens up Cillit Bang with colour-coded variants.(Reckitt Benckiser acquisitions)
August 3, 2006... Household products giant Reckitt Benckiser is to roll out a global packaging refresh for its Cillit Bang cleaning range, with design work by Slice Design. The packaging initially launches in the UK later this month, followed by...

Jet Airways brings in Landor to fly high.(landor associates contracts)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Landor Associates has been appointed by India's biggest domestic airline, Jet Airways, to undertake what is believed to be a strategic branding project, as the company seeks to boost its international profile. It is understood that Jet...

Study pinpoints firms' return on design investment.(measuring return on design investment )
August 3, 2006... By Scott Billings The Design Council's latest research study has come up with a way of measuring return on design investment for the first time. According to the report, Design in Britain 2005-6, 'design alert' companies achieve an...

News in Pictures: Zaha Hadid building.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Planning permission has been granted for one of Zaha Hadid's first permanent buildings in the UK, which will be a mixed residential and retail development located in Hoxton Square, East London. She has been commissioned by art curator Kenny...

News in Pictures: The History of Toys book.(book review)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 3, 2006... The History of Toys by Deborah Jaffe features designs by illustrious creatives such as Frank Hornby, the Lesney Company, Hilary Page, John Lloyd Wright and Patrick Rylands. It is published by Sutton Publishing, priced #20. Copyright:...

News in Pictures: 23red design.(marketing)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... 23red has designed the brand identity and packaging for an anti-aging skincare product by Space.NK called Pro-Ferm. It is being rolled out across stores now ahead of an official launch next month. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

News in Pictures: Brand identity and packaging for Tezon.(marketing)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Pearlfisher has created the brand identity and packaging for Pernod Ricard's premium tequila, Tezon, which is launching across the US this month. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

News in Pictures: First dedicated boutique for PPQ.(Waldo Works )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Tom Bartlett of Waldo Works is designing the first dedicated boutique for fashion brand PPQ. The store opens in September in London's Conduit Street, W1. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

News in Pictures: New pendant light.(introduction of pendant light )(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... British lighting group Bestlite has added a new pendant light to its collection. The large-shaded lamp is available in black, white and off- white, priced #175. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS ANALYSIS: Design oasis for desert kingdom.(Country overview)
August 3, 2006... Dubai, a hotspot for extravagant design by global players, is now building an infrastructure to nurture local creative talent, says Sarah Balmond The desert kingdom of Dubai, nestled in the blistering heat of the United Arab Emirates, is...

NEWS ANALYSIS: About Dubai.(history of dubai)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... * Originally a small fishing settlement with traditional activities such as herding sheep and goats, cultivating dates, fishing and pearling * In 1971 Dubai joined Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and, a year later, Ras...

Inspired: Jeremy Leslie John Brown Citrus Publishing.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... As a teenager in the late 1970s, my obsession with music had broadened to include the record sleeves produced by the likes of Hipgnosis and Roger Dean. Then along came Punk, a new visual language was called for and the new stars of sleeve...

PRIVATE VIEW: Out of the picture.
August 3, 2006... Adrian Shaughnessy laments the demise of illustration and urges designers to seek out pioneering work that shows the discipline is still going strong As a young graphic designer in the late 1970s I took part in a bizarre weekly ritual....

Voxpop: Design as socio-political change.
August 3, 2006... Following last week's news of the Peace Oil project, aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East, what scope exists to use design as an instrument of socio-political change? As designers, our approach tends to be led by the client brief...

LETTER: Does a mix of disciplines produce better results?(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2006... For what it's worth, I'd like to add two points to the debate featured in your news item: Is design really under threat from the ad agency? (DW 13 July). First, I'd like to point out that Dave is no more part of WCRS than Wolff Olins is...

LETTER: Is this a link with industry or is it just a one-off?(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2006... Interesting article (Comment, DW 20 July), especially the sign-off about designers who feel that the Design Council could be seen as irrelevant without a direct link to the industry. It actually has one... it employs designers and has...

LETTER: Public sector red tape is a barrier to small consultancies.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2006... We're still a relatively new consultancy, but thought it was time to start putting in tenders to Government Land. We recently saw a carrot being dangled by the Carbon Trust. But to have a go, we had to go to a website, then follow a link to...

LETTER: Institute of Directors' conference fails to reach board level.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2006... I read with interest Raymond Turner's article (Design Business, DW 13 July). As a small design group, we strive to help our clients appreciate the added value of good design. Sometimes this is a struggle - design is often seen as a commodity...

Profile: Tomoko Azumi.(interior designer)
August 3, 2006... Tomoko Azumi built quite a reputation with her husband Shin, but she has gone from strength to strength since they parted, taking on design projects, teaching and research, says Max Fraser Enter the workplace of TNA Design Studio in a...

BOUTIQUE APARTMENTS: Hotel homes.(designed by Herzog & de Meuron)
August 3, 2006... If luxury breaks are your thing, why not opt for a permanent holiday? Bethan Ryder previews a New York scheme designed by Herzog & de Meuron that brings the comforts and stunning surroundings of a top class hotel to your very own apartment...

ILLUSTRATION: Stretch the canvas.(graphic art)
August 3, 2006... There's a rich history of crossover in the graphic art world - creatives who spread their professional wings often take an unorthodox approach to produce original results, says Yolanda Zappaterra What do Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol and...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Don't be scared of advertising.(management)
August 3, 2006... As ad agencies strengthen their design units, what does the shifting creative arena mean for the future of the design business? asks Jonathan Ford With ad agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi looking to bolster their design units (DW 13...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: The design Group of the future.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Vision - the design business model of the future will need to be truly visionary: flexible, independent, individualistic and fluid Multidimensional - foster a specialist skill set and embrace both a multidimensional approach and modern...

Incredible journey.(travel of Japanese artist Chiho Aoshima)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... By Trish Lorenz Taking a trip underground on a hot, muggy afternoon, when the Tube is at its most sweltering and unpleasant, is a lot to ask. But from this week it's worth making a detour to Gloucester Road's District Line station in...

TfL design teams develop London Overground service.(London 2012 Olympic Games)
August 10, 2006... Transport for London is poised to unveil a service branded as London Overground this autumn, featuring a new train fleet with livery concepts by Real 451 and interiors by Design Triangle. TfL is taking control of a series of lines...

ICA turns to Spin for an 'impactful' identity.(Institute of Contemporary Arts )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... The Institute of Contemporary Arts is scrapping its visual identity - last revised by Neville Brody - and relaunching with an overhauled brand and website created by Spin. Both the identity and the website, www.ica.org.uk, are due to...

Different and NE6 to style Dott 07.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Dott 07, the first of a ten-year series of regional design events, has appointed Different and NE6 to handle its creative communications work. Different has been signed up as the programme's lead creative consultancy and will interpret...

STOP PRESS: Morris takes over as MD at Design Bridge.(John Morris appointed as managing director )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Design Bridge has appointed John Morris as managing director at the consultancy's London office, filling the role vacated by Jill Marshall in November last year (DW 3 November 2005). Morris was previously deputy managing director. At the...

STOP PRESS: Priestman Goode wins African task.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Priestman Goode has been appointed by Woolworths South Africa to develop a new store concept for the retailer. Based in Cape Town, Woolworths SA sells a range of food, clothing and homeware products nationally and also owns stores across Africa...

STOP PRESS: HM Treasury seeks to clarify R&D tax relief.
August 10, 2006... HM Treasury will publish a series of leaflets later this year explaining how to claim R&D tax credits, using case studies from design consultancies including Creactive Design and Harrison Fisher. The leaflets come as Nissan Design Europe...

Unreal rebrand gives Little, Brown 'a sense of heritage'.(Little, Brown Book Group)
August 10, 2006... Unreal has rebranded Time Warner Book Group as Little, Brown Book Group - using the name of one of its imprint titles - with a fresh design that seeks to shun a corporate look. The redesign follows the #280m acquisition of Time Warner...

Portrait of Margaret Thatcher.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... A 1.5m portrait of Margaret Thatcher, constructed from silk chiffon and rusted iron, has been created by freelance designer Benjamin Shine. He presented the work to the former Prime Minister last week and it will feature in a larger...

Hidden Art reveals all with on-line revamp.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Hidden Art is to receive a boost from a raft of digital design projects to expand its on-line presence. The initiative is being overseen by Hidden Art founder Dieneke Ferguson. The aim is to launch more services across the organisation's...

Personalised range of cycles.(Mercian )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Fashion designer and cycling fan Sir Paul Smith has teamed up with Derby bicycle maker Mercian to create a 'personalised' range of cycles based on the company's Mercian Track and Tour cycles. Smith has designed nine custom builds, which...

Rose identity puts lead in D&AD's Yellow Pencil.
August 10, 2006... D&AD is launching its first 'major rebrand' since its formation in 1962, with designs by Rose, but has steered clear of a radical overhaul. Rose has developed an identity that retains D&AD's original Fletcher Forbes Gill logo, first...

News International free sheet styled to look like the Web.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... News International has taken inspiration from the Internet for the design of its forthcoming free sheet The London Paper, its art director Alfredo Trivino has told Design Week. Launching on 18 September, The London Paper is a free afternoon...

Overhauled packaging design for J7.(Wimm Bill Dan)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Minale Tattersfield's London office has overhauled the packaging design for J7, a range of juice drinks from Russian food and drink company Wimm Bill Dan. The designs reposition the product as a 'health, energy and vitality' drink. According...

ASHA brings M&Co brand together.
August 10, 2006... Arthur Steen Horne Adamson has overhauled the brand identity for clothing retailer Mackays, uniting its eight sub-brands under a single umbrella brand, M&Co. The M&Co marque was previously used for the store's premium line and was the...

IN BRIEF: State-of-the-art swimming pool.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Sunderland City Council has begun construction of a #20m state-of-the- art 50m swimming pool designed by local consultancy Red Box Design Group, working with Arup. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Odd appointed.(Lee Cooper )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Jeans brand Lee Cooper has appointed Odd to handle the global relaunch of its 1970s brand FU's, creating a visual identity and logo for the range. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: #3m interactive gallery.(National Museum of Photography, Film and Television )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford has opened a #3m interactive gallery, Experience TV, designed by Redman Design. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Annual report for Speedy Hire.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Ammunition has designed the 2006 annual report for tool hire shops Speedy Hire, adopting a 'straight-talking' theme and icon-based graphic style. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Kia Motors appointment.(Peter Schreyer is appointed )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Kia Motors Corporation has appointed Peter Schreyer, designer of the New Beetle and Audi TT, to the newly created position of chief design officer. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Coutts Retail Creative renamed.(CRC)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Media Square-owned Coutts Retail Creative has restructured its businesses into a single entity and renamed the consultancy CRC. Retail strategy and branding division Lucid and experiential marketing agency Theatre retain individual brand names....

CORRECTION: Landor Associates.(Correction notice)
August 10, 2006... Phil Duncan is to be promoted to Landor Associates' president for Europe and the Middle East in September, not Phil Dean, as stated in last week's issue. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

COMMENT: Test case shows that R&D spending pays off in the end.
August 10, 2006... Nissan Design Europe's test case over tax relief on elements of the design process should raise a cheer in design (see News Analysis, page 9). The car company's success in securing what director David Godber estimates as 'hundreds of...

Monotype Imaging buys Linotype to widen its offer.(acquisition of Linotype by Monotype Imaging )(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... US font giant Monotype Imaging has acquired German type foundry Linotype for an undisclosed sum, in a deal that creates one of the world's largest providers of typeface design and imaging technologies. The deal provides the two companies...

Landini Associates sets In Your Face scene.(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... An exhibition of graphics by 16 designers, designed by Landini Associates, opens this week in Sydney, Australia. The Australian design group has just put the finishing touches to the showcase - called In Your Face: Contemporary Graphic...

UK talent snaps up Red Dot design awards in Germany.(Red Dot communication design award winners)
August 10, 2006... By Sarah Balmond A handful of UK designers were among this year's German Red Dot communication design award winners, unveiled last week. A panel of nine international jurors awarded designers for work that translated complex subjects...

News in Pictures: Glass bottle design.(glass bottle design created by Dutch product design consultancy Flex)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Grolsch is rolling out a glass bottle design created by Dutch product design consultancy Flex and produced by UK company Rockware Glass. The design is introduced to all pack types this month, following earlier trials. Copyright: Centaur...

News in Pictures: Identity and packaging for Akvinta Vodka.(marketing of Akvinta Vodka)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Lewis Moberly has designed the brand identity and structural packaging for Akvinta Vodka, a product from Adriatic Distillers rolling out to Eastern European markets this month. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

News in Pictures: New chocolate brand from Winterbotham Darby.(introduction of chocolate)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Pure-Equator has designed retro 1950s-inspired packaging for Chocochic, a new chocolate brand from Winterbotham Darby, which is launching in Waitrose from September. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

News in Pictures: Limited edition single malt.(Adelphi Distillery has launched a whisky)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Adelphi Distillery has launched a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky called The Old Fox, with a packaging design by Nevis Design Consultants. The design features a Hogarth illustration, first drawn in 1746. Copyright: Centaur...

News in Pictures: Peckham Library's plans given go-ahead.(Design and construction of art gallery)(Brief article)
August 10, 2006... Peckham Library's plans for a Will Alsop-designed art gallery and 'loo with a view', from which you can see the sky, have been given the go- ahead by Southwark Council. The gallery space will be funded by grants obtained by Camberwell and...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Stake your R&D tax credit claim.
August 10, 2006... The Government is setting up units to advise companies about R&D tax credit eligibility and designers are set to benefit, says Scott Billings Major sectors of the UK design industry could be sitting on a pot of gold in unclaimed tax...

Inspired: Rob Howsam, Purpose.
August 10, 2006... It's easy to tell when I've reached the bottom of the creative well on a project... as I run to the safety of my plans chest. If anyone needs to use the adjacent printer they know to do it quickly, as very soon the area is completely...

PRIVATE VIEW: Proustian Penguins.
August 10, 2006... Early Penguin paperbacks were created as cheap, throwaway items, but Hugh Pearman marvels at the lasting power of their now legendary design When my pre-university son arrived home the other day, a book was sticking out of his man-bag. It...

LETTER: Consumers trust packaging more than celebrities.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2006... Last month the National Consumer Council and AccountAbility published some research by Globescan showing that celebrity endorsement came only one place above direct mail leaflets as the least trustworthy source of consumer information....

Voxpop: Book cover design.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2006... As the holiday season kicks in and books slide up our summer shopping lists, how much credit do you give book cover design for your choice of beach reading? It's that old adage, never judge a book by its cover, but how many of us fall...

LETTER: Design Skills Initiative title is a wake-up call.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2006... Various players are upset with the title of the Design Skills Initiative Keep British Design Alive (DW 25 May). Three things seem to me self-evident. First, the British design industry is fragmented and lacks the professionalism, processes...

LETTER: Build a partnership instead of biting the hand that feeds you.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2006... I was so frustrated by the 'bad clients' article (Design Business, DW 27 July) that I scribbled my own notes across it before passing the issue to colleagues in our studio. I am amazed that our industry continues to regard clients as a...

LETTER: Designs never die, they're just recycled 30 years later.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2006... Reading through a recent edition of Design Week (DW 20 July) I came across the section headed News in Pictures and noticed the 'families' identity created by Rose Design for the Tate Gallery. What is British design coming to when all we...