Design Week articles from June 2007

Design Week archives from June 2007

ICA drops its plans for London Design Festival extravaganza.(Institute of Contemporary Arts)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The Institute of Contemporary Arts has been forced to shelve its ambitious plans for London Design Festival week, due to lack of funding. The London venue, housed in the John Nash-designed Carlton House Terrace, was to be transformed into...

Isis, hailed as passive plasma screen.(Randak)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Isis, hailed as 'the passive plasma screen', has been developed by Scottish consultancy Randak Design. The low voltage, energy-efficient signage system uses printed paper in an 'illuminated sandwich'. Founder of Randak, Charles Randak,...

Heiselman takes over at Wolff Olins.(Karl Heiselman)(Wolff Olins U.S.A.)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Wolff Olins has appointed Karl Heiselman, its US chief executive, to the newly created role of worldwide chief executive. According to a spokeswoman for the group, Heiselman's appointment will not affect other management roles at the...

Olympics 2012 branding backlash 'damages profession'.(Wolff Olins)
June 7, 2007... As the London 2012 organisers and Wolff Olins get their thoughts together on how to deal with the negative reaction to this week's #400 000 branding launch, the work continues to invite widespread condemnation. At the launch on Monday,...

Venture Xtreme drops in with branding by Lavahouse.
June 7, 2007... Billed as the UK's first extreme sport destination venue, Venture Xtreme has launched its brand identity, with the help of North West design group Lavahouse. Venture Xtreme aims to be a world-class sporting and entertainment destination,...

Love commissions Nolan Cadogan-Sealey.(Galaxy radio promotional campaign)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Manchester consultancy Love has commissioned London-based illustrator Nolan Cadogan-Sealey to create an illustration for this year's Galaxy Radio's Solar Sessions. As part of the music sessions, Galaxy will broadcast from festivals, tours...

Designmap blasts off into the Space Age.(exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum)
June 7, 2007... The public's fascination with space and its influence on popular culture, from design to literature and film, will be explored at a Space Age exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood in November. Following a final...

Design Matters: Logos 01.(Rockport Publishers)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Design Matters: Logos 01, published by Rockport, is intended as an illustrative guide to the 'inspiration and process' behind logo design. It is the first in a series of books by Brian Adducci and Aaron Keller of US brand consultancy Capsule...

DJPA repositions Grolsch to target high-end market.
June 7, 2007... Dutch beer brand Grolsch has completed the redesign of the brand packaging for its entire range in a bid to engage the premium beer market. Designed by DJPA Partnership, the 'evolved' packaging, which encompasses cans, bottles and outer...

IN BRIEF: Harry Potter attraction.(Warner Brothers Entertainment (UK) patners with Warner Brothers Entertainment)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Warner Brothers Entertainment and Universal Orlando Resort have joined forces to create a Harry Potter attraction based on the books by JK Rowling. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be designed by a team led by production designer...

IN BRIEF: Homes & Property website.(Red Snapper)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Homes & Property magazine has gone live with a website designed by creative Web consultancy Red Snapper, which won a four-way pitch for the project. Accessibility and usability were top priorities. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: Lippincott Mercer name change.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Lippincott Mercer has dropped the name Mercer from its title, as part of a number of changes within the group and to avoid confusion with sister company Mercer Human Resource Consulting, according to senior partner David Hensley. ...

IN BRIEF: Planet Organic website.(contract between Planet Organic and Tictoc)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Organic supermarket Planet Organic has appointed digital consultancy Tictoc to develop its first interactive website. The site aims to provide a resource for its customers and those seeking information on how to live a healthy lifestyle. ...

IN BRIEF: Discover Hackney's Heritage identity.(graphic design studio Very)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Graphic design studio Very has created the identity, pocket guide and website for Discover Hackney's Heritage, a week of activities highlighting the cultural heritage of the London borough. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: 2006 Sustainable Development Report.(design consultancy firm Red Letter)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... London-based design consultancy Red Letter has created Unilever's 2006 Sustainable Development Report. Creative director David Ayres said the consultancy worked with copywriting group The Corporate Citizenship Company. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Kim Robertson identity.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... 999 Design has created a brand identity for printmaker Kim Robertson, to raise her international profile and reflect the style of her textile designs. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Manchester groups set to benefit from sporting work.(designing for sporting events)(This is True North and Dinosaur)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Design is set to play a key role in the branding of a number of World Championship sporting events taking place in Manchester next year. Local design consultancies This is True North and Dinosaur are two of the groups to have benefited...

The Church of England's literature makeover.("Do Nothing to Change your Life")(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The Church of England's literature has had a makeover, courtesy of London design consultancy Rareform. Its cover design for the new book, Do Nothing to Change your Life, by Stephen Cottrell represents the CoE's desire to cast off its stuffy...

Wallace & Gromit front innovation drive.(graphic design education in primary schools)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... A new Government initiative to promote creativity and innovation in primary schools is being fronted by 'Britain's foremost inventors', Wallace & Gromit. The UK Intellectual Property Office - an operating name of the Patent Office - is...

COMMENT: There's more to Olympics branding than just the logo.
June 7, 2007... It was inevitable that the 2012 Olympics logo would attract flak. What public emblem hasn't provoked concern about its appropriateness and the money that has been spent? It brings back fond memories of Mark Reddy's strangely incongruous...

SHH serves up contemporary styling for Vallorini restaurant.(Spence Harris Hogan Associates)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Italian restaurant Vallorini is to make its debut at the Brent Cross shopping centre in north London this week, with interiors, identity and branding by Spence Harris Hogan Associates. The 100m2 space will be located on the third floor of...

McColl quits troubled SMC Group as profitability falters.(Stewart McColl)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Stewart McColl, executive deputy chairman at architecture and interior design consultancy SMC Group, has resigned with immediate effect, following a turbulent year for the group's profitability. Gordon Watson, the group's business...

Boost from luxury organic onslaught on skincare market.
June 7, 2007... By Sarah Woods Organic cosmetics are not necessarily new, but they do appear to be coming up trumps with the second part of the consumer product mantra - 'improved'. While there is still scepticism surrounding the use of organic...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Ocean's 13 film.(set designer, Kristen Messina)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Kristen Messina, set designer for the Ocean's 13 film, has selected a range of Swarovski Crystal Palace chandeliers to feature in the film's sets. Cascade by Vincent Van Dyson is part of the Diamond Viewing Room and Blossoms chandeliers by...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Cornish Natural Spring Water.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Cornish Natural Spring Water has created a new-look glass range of packaging by design consultancy TRM:VS. The bottle incorporates a map of Cornwall, which is magnified when viewed through the water inside. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Ultrasilencer.(vaccum cleaner launched by Skandium)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The limited edition Ultrasilencer will be launched in the UK during the London Design Festival in September by Swedish furniture group Skandium. Designed by Pia Wallen for Electrolux, Sweden, it is being hailed as the world's quietest vacuum...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Visual identity for Swan at the Globe.(Roth Creative contracts with Swan at the Globe)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Roth Creative has designed the visual identity for Swan at the Globe, the restaurant and theatre bar at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. The identity is part of a wider refurbishment of the venue, which reopens this month, featuring...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Natural History Museum.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The Summer alfresco bar at the Natural History Museum, London opened this week, with environmental and branding design created by the NHM's inhouse team in South Kensington. It is set to open during the day and into the evening during the...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Avorities luggage collection.
June 7, 2007... Dunhill has unveiled the Avorities luggage collection, by its in-house design team, which includes the Avorities Solar Bag. The bag accommodates gadgets such as mobile phones and MP3 players and the solar panels on the sides of the bag can...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Panda Juice packaging.(contract with Butcher and Gundersen)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Butcher & Gundersen has designed packaging for the rebrand of the Panda Juice range. Using Prisma packs for the first time, the design incorporates the nutritional and health attributes that are part of the 'Panda Promise'. Copyright:...

ANALYSIS: Opening doors to the real world.(building centers of excellence for providing design education)
June 7, 2007... Cross-fertilisation between business and design education is a core function of the growing network of centres of excellence, explains Gina Lovett When Sir George Cox, chairman of the Design Council and author of the Cox Review, unveiled...

PRIVATE VIEW: Trial and admin error.(Adrian Shaughnessy)(Viewpoint essay)
June 7, 2007... Infuriating bureaucracy puts Adrian Shaughnessy off lecturing. Can't the universities streamline the booking process for the sake of their students? I like going into art schools - or universities, as we must call them. I like...

INSPIRED: Fred Gelli Tatil Design.(graphic designer)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Where do ideas come from? The best come when least expected. Sometimes we stumble into them or they 'invade' our heads without permission. Staying open to the world around us is essential to experience them. Our job is to create a...

LETTER: The Apprentice is a setback for design.(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... I am writing with regard to Jack Stark's letter (DW 17 May). I could not agree more with his comments on the misunderstanding of designers' job roles in the BBC2 show The Apprentice. Recently I watched the episode where two teams were...

Voxpop: Bullish year for design.(scaricity of good staff)(Survey)
June 7, 2007... The Design Week Top 100 survey revealed a bullish year for design, with consultancies reporting turnover up 9 per cent. But, why are design groups still failing to manage their growth efficiently, with staff costs rising ahead of fee-income...

LETTER: Is it time for a tax on wasteful packaging?(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... After reading your article on corporate responsibility (DW 24 May), I was duly greeted by headlines announcing the potential introduction of penalties or rewards for the poor or successful management of household waste. This made me cringe -...

LETTER: Dr Rock hosts a jukebox that is just for designers.(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... Further to Jim Davies's interesting article on design on radio (DW 19 April), readers may be interested to know that a local BBC radio show in north Yorkshire has for many years featured design luminaries talking extensively about their work....

LETTER: Design your way out of the corporate straitjacket.(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... In response to Stephen Willard (DW 3 May), all designers can start with a blank canvas - it's designing within corporate guidelines where the real skill comes in. Many think guidelines are a straitjacket for designers, but I agree with Rick...

PROFILE: Luke Prowse.(Biography)
June 7, 2007... Type designer Luke Prowse took on the daunting task of condensing the Times font when the newspaper turned tabloid, a success that has brought a variety of work to Research Studios, says Simon Loxley In the light of being one of the few...

PRODUCT DESIGN: Fresh eyes.(criticism of Naoto Fukasawa)
June 7, 2007... On the publication of a monograph of his work, Mark Delaney appraises Naoto Fukasawa's rare position as one of product design's original thinkers, while Clare Dowdy looks at a research project that also seeks inspiration from a wider sphere...

BICYCLES: Wheel appeal.(modern designs of folding bicycles)
June 7, 2007... Folding bicycles have been a part of commuters' lives for years, but despite their technical complexity, the market leaders are decades-old designs. David Henshaw questions why there is little real design innovation today The folding...

POST-PUNK INFLUENCES: True colours.(graphic art industry)
June 7, 2007... With colour and pattern rampaging through contemporary design, Dominic Lutyens traces their origin to the Postmodernist and post-punk era Only two years ago, neo-psychedelia seemed to be the one truly hip graphic design style. Remember...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Legal briefs are worth the effort.(legal advertising)
June 7, 2007... Design groups are missing a trick by not taking advantage of the business opportunities offered by the lifting of ad restrictions on legal firms, says David Carroll You'd be forgiven for thinking that marketing as a discipline and...

Bill of health.(fund raising project by graphic designers)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... By Fiona Sibley 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' runs the old epithet, but our approach to staying healthy and what that really means becomes ever more complex. A growing awareness of physical and mental well-being is often...

2012 Logo designed to be a 'blank canvas'.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Chairman Brian Boylan's claim in an e-mail to Wolff Olins staff that the London 2012 branding will get the 'recognition it deserves' may refer to the revelation that the initial logo format is intended to be a blank canvas. According to...

Gateway Communications enters African market.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Broadcasting services provider Gateway Communications has entered the African pay-TV satellite market with GTV, featuring a visual identity by Dunning Eley Jones. The logo was created incorporating the letter G within an orange disc, to...

Benchmarks award scheme honours clients.
June 14, 2007... A new category, Client of the Year, has been added to Design Week's Benchmarks awards scheme, the call for entries for which went out this week. Nominations are invited free of charge from entrants to the Benchmarks, for individuals or...

Lloyd Northover briefed to position Belfast as global city.
June 14, 2007... The city of Belfast is embarking on a major branding overhaul in a bid to sharpen up its image, following the power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland. Belfast City Council has appointed Lloyd Northover to oversee the work, following...

'Sexed-up' Dolphin Square targets young professionals.(Architectural services design and renovate Dolphin Square development in London)
June 14, 2007... The newly modernised Dolphin Square development in London's Pimlico, which has housed MPs, spies and members of the Royal family, opens its doors today to reveal a complete renovation. The complex was acquired in January 2006 by Westbrook...

It's Getting Old record sleeve.(designer Salvador Lavado designs album cover for pop band goldspot)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... This vibrant 1960s-inspired seven-inch record sleeve has been created by London-based designer Salvador Lavado, for the Californian indie-pop band Goldspot. Lavado, who has worked in the music industry for ten years, says the artwork for...

FutureBrand forges global steel giant logo.
June 14, 2007... Global steel giant Arcelor Mittal has unveiled its long-awaited identity, created by FutureBrand. The marque, based on the idea of a signature, was decided on just two months ago, after a number of initial design routes were rejected...

Cultural Fog paintings.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Paintings come from a series called Cultural Fog, created by British architect Will Alsop, and are being exhibited in the Olga Korper Gallery in Toronto, Canada, this month. They are based on London's Kensington Market and 'the nature of...

CDG updates branding for Great Ormond Street.(Conran Design Group)
June 14, 2007... Great Ormond Street Hospital is to renew its visual identity and implement a set of revised brand guidelines as part of a strategy to double the annual fundraising income of its associated charities. Devised by Conran Design Group, the logo...

Landor to review Etihad Airways' offer.(Landor Associates)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways is undertaking a wholesale review of its brand with Landor Associates. Landor was appointed in January, without a pitch, to review the carrier's brand strategy, while the...

Innovision gets Tour de France opening event rolling.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Transport for London has appointed events management company Innovision to stage the prestigious opening ceremony of the Tour de France next month, the first time it has started in London. The Grand Depart, taking place on 6 July in...

Another I'm Not a Plastic Bag campaign.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The organisation behind Anya Hindmarch's infamous I'm Not a Plastic Bag (DW 22 February) will launch yet another campaign against plastic bags on 14 June. The logo for Plastic Ain't My Bag, an initiative aimed at retailers, has been designed...

IN BRIEF: UPC Broadband to unveil new identity.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... European cable operator UPC Broadband has unveiled a fresh brand identity, by Venture Three. The new identity has launched in the Netherlands and will roll out to other parts of Europe where UPC is active. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

IN BRIEF: Holmes & Marchant appointment.(Becky Fone and Simon Scholl appointed at Holmes and Marchant Group PLC)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Holmes & Marchant has appointed Becky Fone as account director and Simon Scholl as planning director. Fone was previously an account director at Path, while Scholl was formerly planning director at Landor Associates. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: McDonald's annual report.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... McDonald's has launched its latest annual report, which continues the global brand campaign 'I'm lovin' it', with design by Boxer. The report is intended to appeal to both investors and non-investors. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

IN BRIEF: Muchos Media identity.(Library Creative)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Leicester consultancy Library Creative has designed the identity for Muchos Media, a multimedia company specialising in on-line video content. Marketing material and a website are to follow. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

COMMENT: Creativity and effectiveness will win over a cynical media.(Wolff Olins)
June 14, 2007... Wolff Olins chairman Brian Boylan said in a memo to staff last week that it is too early to assess the consultancy's identity for the 2012 London Olympics (www.designweek.co.uk 8 June). Well, he would, wouldn't he, you may say, however crude...

GLA launches Unreal 'DIY' Green campaign.(Greater London Authority )(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The Greater London Authority launched its latest sustainability campaign last week under the title 'DIY Planet Repairs'. Designed by consultancy Unreal to be simple, bold and accessible, the branding and advertising is aimed at providing...

Brandopus spices up packs for Sharwood's sauces.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Premier Foods is to unveil its revamped Sharwood's range, with packaging design by consultancy Brandopus. Brandopus was added to the RHM roster earlier this year before the group was acquired by Premier Foods. The consultancy was...

Failure to measure innovation damages value, says ESRC.(Economic and Social Research Council)(Report)
June 14, 2007... If innovation is not properly quantified, companies risk being undervalued, according to a report by the Economic and Social Research Council, published this week. The report - entitled 'Facilitating Innovation through the Measurement and...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Coco Electrick.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The artwork for Coco Electrik's forthcoming album, Army Behind the Sun, has been created by Paul Flack of the Creative Corporation. It will be released on 25 June on Oscillation Records. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Motorola T605.(contracts with Green Room Retail)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The Motorola T605 demo case, designed by Green Room Retail, enables the company's sales staff to demonstrate the product's virtues from a portable unit. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS IN PICTURES: Will Baker's work.(Nottingham Trent University)
June 14, 2007... Nottingham Trent University BA Product Design student Will Baker's work miniaturises a kitchen into a single product, containing oven, hob, fridge and storage units. Work by graduates from the university will go on show at New Designers Part...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Promotional film for Lascivious.(Wyld Stallions)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Design collective Wyld Stallions has created a short promotional film, The Doll, for lingerie brand Lascivious. The storyline is based on the idea of a mail order sex robot, delivered in parts. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Gloo.(Philip Watts Design)
June 14, 2007... Gloo, a 'glowing' urinal using fibre optics in various colours, has been created by Philip Watts Design, which promises to 'light up many a dull washroom'. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS IN PICTURES: Subzero website.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Cog Design and its digital arm Dotcog have created print publicity materials and a website for ice-cream distributor and wholesaler Subzero. The website, www.subzero.uk.com/dev, launches on 15 June. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

NEWS IN PICTURES: Los Angeles flagship outlet.(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Draw Associates has created the interiors and store concept for Reiss's Los Angeles flagship outlet in the US. The main feature is a glass frontage using a pixelated graphics system that filters sunlight to create shapes and shadows, which...

ANALYSIS: Will it run the distance?(Wolff Olins designed 2012 branding)
June 14, 2007... The 2012 identity has been panned by the media, but the work meets its varied criteria and it has five years to prove itself, says Sarah Woods In retrospect, Lord Coe's grand declaration at the launch of the Wolff Olins-designed 2012...

PRIVATE VIEW: Follow the crowd.
June 14, 2007... Shared experiences, like conferences and exhibitions, have a remarkable pull on us. Hugh Pearman wonders at our curious appetite for inconvenient gatherings Many, many years ago a man called Brian Wenham wrote a book called the Third Age...

INSPIRED: Paul Davis Illustrator.(Personal account)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Generally speaking, inspiration comes from all around me. People on the street, magazines I read, exhibitions I see and music I listen to. I am very interested in contemporary illustration emerging from the UK, particularly...

LETTER: 'Site in progress' sends out all the wrong messages.(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... I've been looking at your magazine on-line, primarily to look at what is new in branding and label design. If I see something of interest I copy and paste the design group name into Google to have a look at what it is doing. Today, the...

Voxpop: 2012 branding.(Advertising services)
June 14, 2007... Has the credibility of design been dented by the 2012 branding, and if so, what can it do to recover? Our normally invisible trade has been made visible - and derided. The brief was tough. Had it gone well, the politicians would have received...

LETTER: The 2012 identity looks like monkey business.(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... Don't you think the new 2012 logo looks very similar to the old Tiswas identity, only not as good? I reckon someone at Wolff Olins was dreaming about Sally James or Chris Tarrant when they came up with this little ditty. Why didn't they...

LETTER: This is why the Limehouse figures don't add up.(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... We would like to correct a misperception about Limehouse printed in the Design Week league tables (DW Top 100, May). We simply want to ensure that people we work with don't take an inaccurate message from the information. Our...

LETTER: DW table gives the wrong impression about Ralph.(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... We always look forward to Design Week's league tables. However, this year, we felt it did not represent groups that had changed their business model over the past year - when we had clearly explained this in our entry. In 2006, Ralph...

PROFILE: Yves Behar.(lightning designer)
June 14, 2007... Yves Behar creates desirable lighting and products, but it is the budget XO laptop - created for the developing world - that has the potential to change lives. Sarah Verdone asks him about his plans for the future Designer Yves Behar is...

RETAIL DESIGN: Dressing to impress.(designing retail stores for attracting all levels of customers)
June 14, 2007... As cheap becomes chic and notions of class-based consumer segmentation fade away, value retailers are having to take a more creative approach to store design. Clare Dowdy talks to three consultancies working in this sector It used to be...

LIGHT INSTALLATION: Glowing in the wind.(London's Southbank Centre)
June 14, 2007... Green installations which explore our relationship with the built environment are set to be big attractions during Architecture Week. Trish Lorenz looks forward to a wind-driven light display at London's Southbank Centre It's the...

STUDENT GRAPHICS: Future prospects.(Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design exhibitions)
June 14, 2007... As this year's design students graduate, Fiona Sibley previews new work arising from Central St Martins College of Art and Design, and looks at two live projects run between universities and companies 'Our aim is not to make a good show,...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Getting a head start in design.(Torben Dunn give vocational guidance)
June 14, 2007... If you've just graduated, the most important rule in the job-hunting jungle, as in education, is 'do your research'. Know your prey, says Torben Dunn Getting the company name right also helps. I recently had an application from a...