Design Week articles from December 2007

Design Week archives from December 2007

Sorrell sanguine on question of recession.(Martin Sorrell)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... WPP chief executive Martin Sorrell seems to be cautiously optimistic about the fortunes of the marketing services world next year. Having apparently jumped out of his infamous bathtub (he notably compared the likely economic recovery of...

Indian matchbox labels.
December 6, 2007... Colourful and curious, Shahid Datawala's collection of Indian matchbox labels showcases almost 1000 brands, such as Cheetah Fight, Judo Deluxe, Tip Top and New Shit. The book itself mimics the design of a large matchbox, complete with...

Lippincott appoints new creative chief.
December 6, 2007... Lippincott has appointed Lee Coomber, former executive creative director at Wolff Olins, to the newly created position of senior partner and creative director for Europe. He joins the group's London office this week after officially...

Caulder Moore and Fitch ramp up M&S store modernisation.
December 6, 2007... British retail giant Marks & Spencer is working with Caulder Moore and Fitch to modernise its stores, it has emerged this week. Caulder Moore has been collaborating with M&S's in-house design team on the revamped men's, women's,...

Shakespeare's Globe unveils exhibition space by Cultural Innovations.
December 6, 2007... Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London launched its refurbished exhibition space yesterday (4 December). Exploring the life of Shakespeare and the history of the Globe, the show was overhauled by consultancy Cultural Innovations, completing the...

Five-year traveling exhibition.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... A #1.5m five-year travelling exhibition, Inside DNA: A Genomic Revolution, funded by the Wellcome Trust, kicked off at the end of last week at Bristol science centre Explore-At-Bristol. A partnership between Ecsite-uk, the UK network of science...

Comme des Garcons hypes its perfume with preview store.
December 6, 2007... Japanese fashion label Comme des Garcons has been busy this week with the launch of its 8 88 perfume and a preview shop, which will open until 8 December only. Designed by Christian Weinecke, who is responsible for creating the label's...

Smiler stamps.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... The Royal Mail issued a new set of 'smiler' stamps to coincide with St Andrew's Day on 30 November. The stamps, designed and art directed by Iain Lauder, creative director at Redpath, feature images of well-known Scottish landmarks. The...

Call for triennial Six Cities timetable in post-festival report.
December 6, 2007... Scotland's Six Cities Design Festival should become a triennial event to overcome problems with planning and organisation, says a report published by Ekos this week. Evaluation of the Six Cities Design Festival makes 18 recommendations...

New Savile Row flagship for Boateng.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Two titans of British design, Ozwald Boateng and David Adjaye, have joined forces to create the couturier's flagship store in Savile Row, due to open tomorrow. Located in the spiritual home of London's exclusive tailoring district, the...

Fresh faces for Saudi TV from Turquoise.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Saudi TV, Saudi Arabia's national broadcasting corporation, is to launch brand identities for its four core channels, created by Turquoise. The consultancy was briefed to create a 'bold new network mark for Saudi TV', which will feature...

Penguin unveil design for James Bond novel.(Penguin Books Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Penguin has unveiled the design for the new James Bond novel, penned by Sebastian Faulks. Designed by The Partners, the jacket for Devil May Care, which will be published on 28 May 2008 to mark the centenary of Bond creator Ian Fleming's...

IN BRIEF: Andaz hotel brand.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Design consultancy Lippincott created the name, customer experience strategy, market research and positioning for Hyatt's Andaz hotel brand (DW 22 November). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: East London Business Alliance visual identity.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Coley Porter Bell has created a visual identity for the East London Business Alliance, a body enabling the private sector to contribute to the social regeneration of east London. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Established & Sons to launch in two new markets.(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Established & Sons is to launch in two new markets - at the Arkitektura showroom in Barcelona, Spain and at the Ministry of the Interior design store in Toronto, Canada. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Susan Williams-Ellis has died.(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... Susan Williams-Ellis, British designer and founder of the Portmeirion Group, has died aged 89. Renowned for her originality in design and manufacturing techniques, Williams-Ellis received an honorary fellowship from University of the Arts...

COMMENT: Bring new generation into the debate on climate change.
December 6, 2007... The call has gone out from an unexpected source for designers to engage with the issues surrounding climate change. Speaking at the Royal Society of Arts last week as he received the coveted RSA Medal, film-maker Lord Putnam cited climate...

Three triumph in AHI interpretative awards.(Awards list)
December 6, 2007... The Association for Heritage Interpretation has announced the winners of its 2007 Interpret Britain and Ireland awards. Irish-based design consultancy Martello Media and the Cliffs of Moher visitor experience in Ireland won an award for...

Yotel checks in at Heathrow en route to global expansion.
December 6, 2007... The ever-expanding London Heathrow Airport is to house its first Yotel, the hotel concept created by Yo! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe, following the brand's launch at Gatwick Airport earlier this year. The capsule hotel, inspired by...

Health foods set the standard for Green packaging.
December 6, 2007... The next generation of health foods could set the standard for environmentally friendly packaging, a new report finds. According to the report Ten Trends to Watch in Packaged Goods in 2008, released by Datamonitor Productscan Online, many...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Art Deco-style ad.
December 6, 2007... Racing UK is targeting potential subscribers with an Art Deco-style ad campaign. Designed by 141 Worldwide/London, the ads promote the publication's coverage of horse racing's jump - or national hunt - season. Copyright: Centaur...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Two Oceans unveils environmentally friendly packaging.
December 6, 2007... South African wine producer Two Oceans has unveiled environmentally friendly packaging made from recyclable materials. It is designed by local consultancy Kevin Farr Designs. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS IN PICTURES: Vinyl record sleeves exhibition.
December 6, 2007... Music design gallery Art Vinyl launched an exhibition this week to celebrate this year's best vinyl record sleeves. It takes place at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London W6, until 6 January 2008. Pictured is Hexstatic's When Robots Go...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Rolling message board unveiled on Piccadilly Lights.
December 6, 2007... A rolling message board was unveiled this week on Piccadilly Lights, the building at the heart of London's Piccadilly Circus. Owner Land Securities hopes advertisers will use it to display bite-sized facts and information. Copyright:...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Giant plug and drain to be installed.
December 6, 2007... A giant plug and drain by James Glancy Design will be installed in the canal at London's Paddington Basin this month. It will remain there until the empty waterway is refilled once construction work on the development site is complete. ...

ANALYSIS: Technology tackles a grey area.
December 6, 2007... Technology is usually pitched at the young, but the growing ranks of older consumers are now demanding inclusive products, says Trish Lorenz Technology is generally considered to be the preserve of the young; anyone who has children,...

PRIVATE VIEW: Cross-media mediocrity.
December 6, 2007... Integrated communications and the Web require less input from traditional creative sources. Is it the end for specialist craft skills? asks Adrian Shaughnessy The term 'integrated' has been kicking around in design circles for a while...

INSPIRED: Sally Costen, Seachange.
December 6, 2007... I have no idea who gave me the pack of A5 postcards when I was 15. These cards were different. They were graphic design. All were reproductions of posters from the 1920s and 1930s, designed under the banner of what is lovingly referred to...

LETTER: Does London deserve to be the 'creative capital'?(Letter to the editor)
December 6, 2007... It's a well-known conundrum: do you set up your creative business in the capital with the buzz, the excitement and the expense, or do you choose to invest in somewhere you'd like - and can afford - to live? It's not always as clear-cut...

VOXPOP: Why should public back wayfinding scheme?
December 6, 2007... Last week saw the start of Transport for London's ambitious Legible London wayfinding scheme, which will be rolled out if the trial in central London is successful. Why should the public back this scheme, and what problems could it face? ...

LETTER: The Kindle won't set the publishing world alight.(Letter to the editor)
December 6, 2007... In response to last week's Voxpop (DW 29 November), which asked: will electronic books like Amazon's Kindle put book designers out of a job or will these devices yield new opportunities? Whether it is intended for print or screen, content...

LETTER: Graphic design is reduced to the bare essentials.(Letter to the editor)
December 6, 2007... As if unenlightened clients and the public need another excuse to dismiss our skills. Ours is a profession that can be learned in just one year part-time or three months full-time study, according to this ad I found in a newspaper for...

LETTER: Consultancies on a client roster have to earn their keep.(Letter to the editor)
December 6, 2007... This is a response to Voxpop (DW 15 November), which asked: following news that Coca-Cola is holding a pitch for its first pan-European design roster, is it beneficial for consultancies to partake in the lengthy pitch process for a place on...

PROFILE: Fuel.
December 6, 2007... Dissatisfaction with lame college projects led the founders of Fuel to originate their own. Yolanda Zappaterra talks to the team who divide their time between client commissions and running an independent book publishing business There's...

SIGNS: Signs of equality.
December 6, 2007... Bilingual signage - increasingly in demand across the UK and the European Union - poses several design challenges, such as making sure that the languages have equal status while retaining clarity. Colette Jeffrey offers some pointers Sign...

PRODUCT DESIGN: Change agent.
December 6, 2007... New models and tie-ups with lifestyle brands are just the prelude to a change in design philosophy at handset manufacturer Samsung. Scott Billings flies out to Seoul to see what - other than the iPhone launch - motivates this powerhouse...

FURNITURE: Play to the gallery.
December 6, 2007... Fiona Sibley previews some of the furniture appearing at two new exhibitions this month, while Clare Dowdy reports from Spain, where designer-manufacturer collaborations give emerging talent the opportunity to make a name for themselves ...

BRANDING: Gold rush.
December 6, 2007... Comme des Garcons has created a festive fanfare for the launch of its new fragrance, but does graffiti-style branding work for a prestigious fashion brand? Fiona Sibley finds out The streets of London may be mythically paved with gold,...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Mitigating risk pays dividends.
December 6, 2007... Managing your cash flow and factoring in flexibility are the best ways to survive when the going gets tough, says Bryan Wilsher As chief financial officer of Loewy, I am frequently asked about the pitfalls of growing and developing a...

Still life.(obituary of Andrei Tarkovsky)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 6, 2007... By Fiona Sibley The great Russian film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky left behind a legacy of extraordinary visual poetry in his relatively short life. He was an auteur with a predilection for long, lingering takes, and his films are defined by...

BBC begins job of shortlisting consultancies for design roster.
December 13, 2007... The BBC has kicked off the second stage of its delayed design roster review, and has begun shortlisting consultancies. The corporation's current roster was completed in 2003 and consisted of 28 groups, including Attik, Lambie-Nairn, Wolff...

Bristol city transformed into winter wonderland.
December 13, 2007... A team of leading design creatives has joined forces to transform Bristol city centre into a winter wonderland, featuring hourly snow blizzards, light projections and 120m animations across College Green. The ambitious light show, entitled...

Design input for Innovation Review.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... The role that design will play in the Government's first Innovation Review is under discussion again this week. Minister of State for Science and Innovation Ian Pearson has drafted in the Design Council, along with the National Endowment...

Dempsey plans to leave CDT to tackle personal projects.(CDT Design)(Mike Dempsey )
December 13, 2007... CDT Design's founding partner Mike Dempsey is to leave the consultancy at the end of this year, after almost three decades heading up the group. Dempsey, who founded the consultancy in 1979, is to 'relinquish all responsibilities' and...

Plans exposed for the new Photographers' Gallery.
December 13, 2007... After months of anticipation, plans for the new Photographers' Gallery in the heart of London's Soho were finally unveiled last week by Dublin- based architects O'Donnell & Tuomey. The proposals signal future opportunities for design...

Milton Keynes subject of exhibition.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Milton Keynes is the subject of an exhibition created by Prospect, marking the New Town's 40th anniversary. The show was designed to fill a six-minute walk-around by The Queen and Prince Philip during their recent visit to the city. It is...

LFH brings back Irvine as 'head of the roost'.
December 13, 2007... Design, production and print consultancy LFH is planning to ramp up its design offer, with the appointment of former Landor Associates design director Steve Irvine. Irvine, who takes up the mantle as creative director this week, returns...

Traidcraft launch range of recycled tissue.
December 13, 2007... Fair trade organisation Traidcraft has launched a new range of 100 per cent recycled tissue products. The packaging has been designed by Studio Blackburn. 'The design gets a serious message across while having a bit of fun,' says the...

Vintage picks Yuko Kondo for redesign of Pynchon's novels.
December 13, 2007... Random House imprint Vintage is redesigning the paperback versions of Thomas Pynchon's novels, to coincide with the paperback release of his latest epic, Against the Day. Previously issued with simple, graphics-based cover art, all eight...

Design groups priced out of the West End as finance moves in.
December 13, 2007... Concern is mounting over the escalating price of renting office space in central London, with the design industry complaining that it is being priced out of its traditional West End home. In October, Westminster City Council published a...

Boxer plans to open offices in North America.
December 13, 2007... Birmingham-based design consultancy Boxer is to expand internationally, with plans for offices in Chicago and Toronto by March 2008. At the same time, Paul Castledine, former group creative director, has been promoted to chairman and...

Dutch consultancy devise bicycle clip.
December 13, 2007... Dutch consultancy Gijs Bakker Design has devised a bicycle clip called the Windrider for French company Eno. The wing-shaped clip is designed to attach to the ankle while cycling and the spiral metallic spring holds your trousers. It costs...

CORRECTION: Hyper Exhibitions.(Correction notice)
December 13, 2007... Hyper Exhibitions is a joint company owned by Cultural Innovations and Hyper Entertainment, not a subsidiary of CI, as stated in DW 6 December. Hyper Entertainment is advising on the wayfinding for Shakespeare's Globe, while CI is working only...

IN BRIEF: World Darts Championship.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Design House has created the event identity for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, which makes its debut from 17 December to 1 January 2008 at London's Alexandra Palace. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Wedo Recruitment branding.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Navyblue Leeds has completed the branding for Wedo Recruitment, a Leeds- based recruitment agency. It will be applied to interior graphics, stationery and on-line. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Faulkner Browns identity.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Newcastle-based architect Faulkner Browns has unveiled an identity by A2/SW/HK. It features a custom typeface in black and white and a set of guidelines for office documents. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: UK manufacturing to receive #23m boost.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... UK manufacturing is to receive a #23m boost from the Technology Strategy Board to help it develop high-value manufacturing processes that address sustainability issues and product life cycles. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

COMMENT: Why do women at the top still come as a surprise?
December 13, 2007... We shouldn't be surprised to hear that Pentagram has made Jane Pluer an associate (see designweek.co.uk). She has, after all, been with the creative supergroup for some nine years, working mainly with partner John Rushworth, and any...

Blue Marlin carves out branding for Isklar.
December 13, 2007... Blue Marlin has developed the complete branding and packaging for a new brand of mineral water set to launch in the UK in 2008. Isklar, which means 'ice clear' in Norwegian, will be the first UK water brand imported from Norway and plans...

Elmwood brings in Robson to bolster its digital presence.(Simon Robson )(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... Elmwood has moved a step closer to establishing a 'digital hub', with the appointment of former Union Digital managing director Simon Robson as its digital director. Elmwood Edinburgh managing director Jo Coomber says that the...

London galleries take top honours at IMCA awards.(International Museum Communication Awards)
December 13, 2007... Two London-based arts institutions triumphed to take home top accolades for their design prowess at the inaugural International Museum Communication Awards, which aim to assess creative excellence in the museums and galleries industry. ...

NEWS IN PICTURES: David Adjaye furniture design.
December 13, 2007... Architect David Adjaye has unveiled his first venture into furniture design, with the launch of the African-inspired range Monoforms for the Albion gallery at Design Miami last week. The pieces will feature in an exhibition at the Casa dell'...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Hand in Hand launched.
December 13, 2007... NHS East Midlands has launched Hand in Hand, a campaign to raise awareness of hospital hygiene and personal measures that can help reduce infections. Cunningham Design has created the campaign identity and supporting visual and interactive...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Innovation beer launched.
December 13, 2007... Suffolk brewery Adnams has launched a new range of beer called Innovation. Graphics for the packaging and gift box have been created by Cookchick Design. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS IN PICTURES: Glass sculptures.
December 13, 2007... The Vessel gallery is to present sculptures by glass artists Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg. The exhibition takes place at the gallery's Exhibition Road site, London SW7, from 25 January to 16 February 2008. Copyright: Centaur...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Once Upon a Time in the North cover.
December 13, 2007... Together has designed the cover for Philip Pullman's short storybook Once Upon a Time in the North. Published by David Fickling Books, it will be launched in May 2008. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

ANALYSIS: Location, location, location.
December 13, 2007... With spiralling rents, creative businesses may be offered subsidies to stay in central London, but not everyone wants to, says Emily Pacey Last month a St James's Square office development in London's Mayfair succeeded in commanding the...

PRIVATE VIEW: Netting a bigger catch.
December 13, 2007... The Web is a great leveller, enabling smaller groups to punch above their weight, suggests Hugh Pearman, but it's no protection against the perils of cyber piracy This is the age of small fish in big ponds. Take me, for instance. Until...

INSPIRED: Darren Wittingham Start Creative.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... I've just bought a brand new, state-of-the-art flat screen TV. It's beautifully designed. Then I hear my mum's words echo in my head, 'Be grateful for what you have because there's always someone else worse off than yourself.' Of...

LETTER: Clients decide if roster design work will fizz or turn flat.(Letter to the editor)
December 13, 2007... This is a response to one of our Voxpops (DW 15 November), which asked: 'Following news that Coca-Cola is holding a pitch for its first pan- European design roster, is it beneficial for consultancies to partake in the lengthy pitch process...

VOXPOP: Six Cities Design Festival.
December 13, 2007... A report published last week recommend how Scotland's Six Cities Design Festival might be better run in future. Moving forward, what should the organisers introduce to build on the visitors' experience of the event? Through putting on...

LETTER: Bichard must underline design's role for business.(Letter to the editor)
December 13, 2007... Here are two responses to a Voxpop from last month (DW 1 November), which asked: 'Sir Michael Bichard, Rector of the University of the Arts London, has been named as the next chairman of the Design Council. What issues should he seek to...

LETTER: Can ethical groups such as Wrap ask for free pitches?(Letter to the editor)
December 13, 2007... Unfortunately, I have just declined to tender for a project that we were all excited about here at Jab Design. The organisation, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, is calling for tenders from product designers to develop boxes for...

LETTER: Walk by Rivington Place, but don't bother going in...(Letter to the editor)
December 13, 2007... Rivington Place gallery looked so promising - an industrial roof line, a street-level glass expanse, the mixed matt and polished black panels interspersed with oblong portholes and a monolithical grandeur in a dark Shoreditch backstreet......

PROFILE: .(dialogue with Rob Lowe)(Interview)
December 13, 2007... The hand-drawn, other-worldly aesthetic of Rob Lowe has won him a diverse mix of commissions, from Christmas cards to album covers. Lydia Fulton talks to the graphic artist who works under the alias of Supermundane In the world of...

PRINT: Card trick.
December 13, 2007... Teenagers live in the age of Bebo and blogs, but social relationships still flourish via the ancient transaction of cards. Yolanda Zappaterra looks at a refreshing update of this centuries-old networking concept Designers worried about...

RETAIL DESIGN: Palace revolution.
December 13, 2007... It's almost ten years since Nike introduced the concept of 'retail as brand experience' to the UK. As the footwear giant revamps its offering, Pamela Buxton sees the customer usurping the wow factor as the raison d'etre of these temples to...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Be clear about what you do.
December 13, 2007... Clutter in your business model could alienate your clients. Try focusing instead on the simplest definitions of 'design' and 'consultancy', says Ian Glazer We all know that, as an industry, those of us in marketing communications are...

Mighty feast.(Brief article)
December 13, 2007... By Yolanda Zappaterra If you've ever admired the visual elements of the Mighty Boosh, you're in for a treat at London's oldest cake shop, Maison Bertaux, because until 29 February, the Boosh's style arbiter Noel Fielding will be, ahem,...

35 To take over Tesco communications work.
December 20, 2007... Tesco has dropped Corporate Edge as its corporate communications consultancy after seven years, and appointed 35 Communications in its place. 35 beat three other consultancies - the incumbent, Salter Baxter and Addison - to clinch the...

Edward Bawden produced his greatest design while at Fortnum & Mason.
December 20, 2007... The painter, printmaker and designer Edward Bawden produced some of his most important work while employed as a commercial artist for Fortnum & Mason from 1925. This month, The Mainstone Press is publishing Entertaining A La Carte: Edward...

2012 Design panel list put back to 2008.(Brief article)
December 20, 2007... The London 2012 Olympics organisers are to shortlist consultancies for the games' design and creative services panel in the new year, following delays caused by a 'huge level of interest'. In August, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the...

Swisscom set to undertake rebrand for first time in decade.
December 20, 2007... Swiss telecoms giant Swisscom is to rebrand itself with a unifying visual identity at the beginning of next year. Designed by Moving Brands, with a wordmark by Dalton Maag, the identity will act as a 'clearly defined single axis around...

Standalone Aston Martin design studio gets Green light.
December 20, 2007... Luxury carmaker and ultimate 'cool' brand Aston Martin has stepped up a gear with the launch of its first standalone design studio, which is adjacent to its manufacturing centre in Gaydon in Warwickshire. Designed by the Weedon...