Design Week articles from June 2008

Design Week archives from June 2008

D&AD and DBA bring design symposium to Liverpool's party.
June 5, 2008... D&AD and the Design Business Association are organising a design symposium in Liverpool this October, a late addition to the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations, Design Week can reveal. The one-day conference will address...

Rebranding of Barratts shoe retailer.
June 5, 2008... Retail consultancy Dalziel & Pow is rebranding shoe retailer Barratts in a bid to move it more upmarket. The group has also created a new store interior for Barratts, currently being rolled out across the UK. The first new-look store opened...

Baltic gallery seeks new directors.(Peter Doroshenko)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is on the hunt for a new chief executive and artistic director, since last year's dramatic departure of director Peter Doroshenko. According to reports, Doroshenko left the gallery amid...

Vibrandt 'plugs market gap' with innovation package set-up.
June 5, 2008... Vibrandt Distillery is to make its first foray into product design and innovation, with the formation of a team headed by former senior PDD staff. The Windsor-based consultancy has this week launched Vibrandt Form, aiming to address what...

Red Bee Media helps Greek broadcaster punch its weight.
June 5, 2008... Greece's public service broadcaster Hellenic Radio and Television this week embarks on a radical relaunch with the help of Red Bee Media. The rebrand aims to reflect the broadcaster's new programming strategy, with a view to revitalising...

The Acorn House Cookbook.
June 5, 2008... Alice Tait has illustrated the front cover for The Acorn House Cookbook, by Arthur Potts Dawson. Tait worked alongside designer David Lane, who created the identity for the author's Acorn House restaurant in London WC1. The layout of the book...

Yorkshire health job for Designers Republic.
June 5, 2008... The latest NHS initiative, Healthy Ambitions, aimed at improving healthcare in the Yorkshire region, is being realised with the help of The Designers Republic. Healthy Ambitions is the outcome of a national NHS review led by Lord Darzi...

Form UK designs for PureGold.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Form UK has designed the identity and a poster/leaflet for PureGold, a music season created and performed at Goldsmiths - part of the University of London - which runs until 27 June. The consultancy has also created Colour Your Summer, a range...

Nissan Design Europe to appoint Godber successor.(David Godber)
June 5, 2008... Nissan Design Europe is poised to replace its general manager David Godber, who defected to the Design Council last month. The carmaker is expected to name an internal candidate for the post, possibly from its Perceived Quality department. ...

Feel brings condom brand out of the medicine cabinet.
June 5, 2008... Consultancy Feel is refreshing the identity and packaging for one of Eastern Europe's leading condom brands, Cool. The consultancy is repositioning the brand to widen its appeal, making it more unisex and increasing its relevance to a...

Softroom's first bridge project.
June 5, 2008... Softroom's first bridge project, the 20m Leeds Liverpool Canal Pennington Road Footbridge, has been granted planning permission by Sefton Council. The bridge form follows a typology of canal bridges, with a sustainable timber structure, and...

Savile Row Bespoke to cut a dash and trade on logo.
June 5, 2008... Savile Row Bespoke, the consortium of tailoring businesses on the famous London street, is trademarking its logo to extend its use as a mark of authenticity. The identity was created in 2004 by The Chip Factory. It has since been pressed...

COMMENT: Time for Johnson to reveal his hand regarding design.
June 5, 2008... The only thing certain about the creative industries is that they are hard to classify as a sector. They may be enjoying Government attention, but are they as easily compartmentalised as, say, manufacturing or the service industry? We do...

Studio LR to put Highland community back on the map.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... A rural Highland community is looking forward to the benefits of an environmental renewal scheme after a revamp of its tourist amenities by Studio LR. The Scottish consultancy has created a fresh brand identity for Lairg's Ferrycroft...

Smart founder says big clients focus more on individual needs.
June 5, 2008... Big-name clients for designers including Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft are continually paying more attention to the personal needs and desires of users. This is a trend that Dan Formosa, the US design consultant and founder of Smart...

Bio 21 includes just one British entrant on shortlist.
June 5, 2008... An exhibition of industrial design from 19 countries around the world will open in Slovenian capital Ljubljana in October, but just one British project will be among the works on show. Peter Crnokrak, the sole British designer shortlisted...

NEWS IN PICTURES: University of Teesside graduates.
June 5, 2008... University of Teesside MA Art & Design graduates Joanne Riddle and Ondrej Stanik have joined forces as Ateliero, to create a range of products made from recycled PET and HDPE plastic bottles, based on a concept the pair call EcoPETlite....

NEWS IN PICTURES: Second graduate show.
June 5, 2008... The Royal College of Art's second graduate show, Show RCA Two, at the college's campus in London SW7, will open from 25 June to 5 July (closed 4 July). Vehicle Design by Joonas Vartola is an exhibit. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

ANALYSIS: Postmodern art for shoegazers.
June 5, 2008... A pavement-bound, moving-image public art installation is set to welcome visitors to a new arts and design hub in central London, says Mike Exon An embryonic creative hub in a backstreet of London's Victoria quietly set an important...

PRIVATE VIEW: Storm clouds looming.
June 5, 2008... Will the current global economic crisis have the same repercussions for the design world as in previous downturns? asks Adrian Shaughnessy According to Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, the 'nice decade is over'. He has...

INSPIRED: Matthew Dabbs.(Matthew Dabbs Lime Design )(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Matthew Dabbs Lime Design Our consultancy is a UK-based design studio which was formed by a trio of international designers - one British, one Cypriot and one half- Japanese, half-Swiss. I find that our work is greatly influenced -...

LETTER: Time we celebrated the real unsung stars of design.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... Stephen Bayley does not see a problem with Hollywood actors and pop stars posing as designers and architects (DW Interiors supplement, April). Pop stars and actors, I agree, do help to promote a product, but as for calling themselves...

VOXPOP: What's most opportune brand you've come across and why?
June 5, 2008... Recent reports suggest that Birds Eye, in conjunction with Waste & Resources Action Programme, is to target consumers worried about food waste by promoting the benefits of frozen food. What's the most opportune brand strategy/repositioning...

LETTER: The boating fraternity takes a narrow view.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... I agree with Hugh Pearman's view about the boating industry being stuck in the past (DW 15 May). There are those who commission very individual boats, but such a step carries huge risks. Function is paramount. Canals are rough places for...

LETTER: Why Britain needs to reassert itself as a creative hub.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... Further to your Voxpop asking what would you like to see prioritised for design by MPs (DW 29 May), would you agree that Britain, once a beacon of creativity and imagination, now needs to reassert itself as the pre-eminent hub for...

LETTER: Designers must take responsibility for Greenwash.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... It is great that Design Week is bringing the Greenwash phenomenon to light (News in Depth, DW 24 April). I totally agree with Social Environmental Enterprise and Design Foundation co-director Clare Brass that designers need to take...

PROFILE: Leni Schwendinger.
June 5, 2008... For the New York-based lighting artist Leni Schwendinger, working with local people is an integral part of the design process. Clare Dowdy asks her about the concept of 'community outreach design' It may not be the most lucrative, the...

PHOTOGRAPHY: Secret garden.
June 5, 2008... Long unseen images by a young photographer learning his trade recall a commercial and social culture that has disappeared. Hugh Pearman is touched by their evocation of a time when London's bustling streetscape could be a haven of...

BLOGS: Talking heads.
June 5, 2008... As people's thirst for information, gossip and opinion about design becomes almost insatiable, so more and more senior designers with voices worth listening to are dabbling in the art of personal blogs, says Hannah Booth The design...

LARGE-FORMAT DESIGN: Upscale art.
June 5, 2008... You'd think large-format work was just a matter of scale, but there are many practical issues to resolve before designers can realise their creative solutions. Design Week looks at three recent projects that overcame the obstacles A...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Taking a wider perspective.
June 5, 2008... Who are we and what do we believe in? How can our group make the world a better place? Nicolas De Santis tackles some truly big questions In the movie A Good Year, ruthless investment banker Max Skinner begins to question his values upon...

REVIEW: Toodle-loo.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... By Sarah Frater Restroom, smallest room, ladies, gents. If the language of lavatories skirts the issue, then so too does the design. Few loos get the treatment lavished on top-line interiors, while public loos fall further behind in...

Design Council flies proposal for sustainable kitemark.
June 12, 2008... The creation of a national sustainability kitemark is among proposals being considered by the Design Council as part of the development of sustainable design standards, Design Week can reveal. According to industry sources, the council is...

Resorts submit plans to secure Sea Change regeneration cash.
June 12, 2008... Blackpool, Dover and Torbay have submitted detailed proposals to the Government-funded initiative Sea Change, in the hope of securing large- scale funding to build and revamp visitor attractions. Sea Change panel member the Commission for...

Red Bee Media designing for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.(Red Bee Media )
June 12, 2008... Red Bee Media will be designing the opening titles, information templates and programme graphics for China Central TV's coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The designs 'will integrate five athletes with the Chinese elements of fire,...

Creatives get technology explainer talks.(Creative Lancashire)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Creative Lancashire is to hold a series of local, interactive events in response to demands from creative businesses to learn more about technology. Entitled Hyphen, the events will take place over the next few months, with the first, a...

Module names new Covent Garden retail development.(Module Media)
June 12, 2008... London's Covent Garden is to gain a major new retail development, with branding, wayfinding, brochures, websites and hoardings by Module Media. St Martin's Courtyard, located just off Long Acre, London WC2, is to be strongly targeted at...

Pigeon Detectives' album cover.(Emergency)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The cover of The Pigeon Detectives' new album, Emergency, has been produced by designer Dan Forrester, who created both the album and campaign graphics. The design is inspired by 1930s movie posters and takes on a retro sci-fi theme to pick up...

Warner Brothers picks Start to kick-start DVD sales with rebrand.
June 12, 2008... Warner Brothers is to rebrand and strengthen its home entertainment DVD offerings, and has commissioned Start Creative to the job. The appointment comes as WB is looking to address stiff competition within the DVD market, by making new...

Limited edition album for Pendulum.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... A limited edition album for Pendulum, created by Paul West from the design consultancy Form, has been released on the Warner Music label. Pendulum's album, In Silico, hit the number one spot in the iTunes charts recently, so when it came to...

TfL looks beyond roster with tram and Tube competitions.
June 12, 2008... Transport for London is poised to launch two design competitions to find a new generation of designers outside of its design roster, which is due for review next year. The first competition, which is expected to launch over the coming...

Pentagram rolls out new face of Akzo Nobel.
June 12, 2008... Dutch paint and chemicals giant Akzo Nobel is rolling out an updated identity and a new set of brand guidelines by Pentagram Design. Akzo Nobel bought British paint and chemicals company ICI last year, dropping its name but retaining...

Support for inner-city school wins Design Links top prize.
June 12, 2008... A Scottish design consultancy scooped the prize for Small Company of the Year at this week's Scottish Business in the Community Awards. Design Links, which employs ten people, received the prize - which rewards businesses that have had a...

Landor Associates moving on to next stage of rebranding Morrisons.
June 12, 2008... Landor Associates is moving on to the next stage of its rebranding of Morrisons, after being appointed last year, and is rolling out updated packaging for its premium food brand, The Best. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

COMMENT: We're not ready to introduce sustainability accreditation.
June 12, 2008... Every so often the question of accreditation for design groups is raised, and it is invariably greeted with dissent within the industry. 'You can't measure creativity' is the usual response, though, with procurement officers in the ascendancy,...

#10m revamp for Exeter's Royal Albert Museum.
June 12, 2008... Work on a project that looks set to be the catalyst for realising the cultural potential of Exeter's Castle Quarter begins later this month. The #10m scheme will see the city's Royal Albert Museum and Art Gallery redeveloped, refurbished...

GP Studio updates departments for Knightsbridge Harvey Nicks.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Harvey Nichols will open revamped footwear and personal shopping departments at its flagship Knightsbridge store later this summer, with design by GP Studio. Harvey Nichols appointed the retail design consultancy in January without a...

Middle East is a land of opportunity for aviation design.
June 12, 2008... Although storm clouds in the guise of rising oil prices have recently engulfed the airline industry - headlines from Ryanair cutbacks to the demise of business airline Silverjet indicate turbulence - the Middle East is showing a very...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Paul Skerm designs book.
June 12, 2008... Graphic designer Paul Skerm has designed a book for fine art photographer Anderson & Low. The project features international circus performers and is set to be published on 17 July. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS IN PICTURES: New luxury biscuit range.
June 12, 2008... Fox's this week launches a new luxury biscuit range, Whipped Creams, with brand identity and packaging created by Brandopus. The biscuits come in two flavours - Sinfully Strawberry Conserve and Lustfully Lemon Curd. Copyright: Centaur...

NEWS IN PICTURES: Bespoke chair.
June 12, 2008... The bespoke chair made in American red oak has been created by furniture designer Philip Koomen. The table and chair collection, which was commissioned especially for the Guardian Hay Festival, has been shortlisted in this year's Wood Awards....

NEWS IN PICTURES: Colourful deckchair.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The colourful deckchair by Barber Osgerby has been created as part of the Deckchair Dreams initiative 2008. A total of 23 artists, including Tracey Emin, have each designed a chair. Throughout the summer, some 700 reproductions will be...

ANALYSIS: A change is gonna come.
June 12, 2008... Product design must evolve to address sustainability issues, and a Welsh educational initiative could point the way forward, says Emily Pacey If the world's consumers and manufacturers of products are to continue to have their cake and...

PRIVATE VIEW: An influential design.(Viewpoint essay)
June 12, 2008... How come everyone's suddenly cycling in Berlin? And what would it take to make London as amenable? Hugh Pearman on the art of zero-emission travel There have been three great bicycle songs. First: the Edwardian Daisy, Daisy, as sung by...

INSPIRED: Andy Cameron.(Colors magazine )(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Andy Cameron Fabrica Colors magazine always felt like a website, even before we knew what the Web was about. Good old-fashioned ink on paper maybe, but passionate, with a diversity of voices and a global perspective, it was a harbinger of...

LETTER: Simple measures can do a great deal to control waste.(Letter to the editor)
June 12, 2008... In reply to your Voxpop (DW 5 June), President cheese - there's a great example of a brand doing the right thing at the right time: giving people the choice of portioned products and resealable packs, helping them to better manage food waste...

LETTER: A design education that leaves a lot to be desired.(Letter to the editor)
June 12, 2008... I'm still reeling from a conversation I overheard in London's Royal Festival Hall last night and have to vent. I was wrestling with a concept when, from the table behind me, I heard two young girls talking. I heard 'I spoke to the...

LETTER: Let's take steps to unleash our innovative power.(Letter to the editor)
June 12, 2008... It was interesting to read your account of the Designers Breakfast event we ran to provide a response to the Government's New Talents for the New Economy report (News in Depth, DW 22 May). We support Nesta panellist Jon Kingsbury's...

LETTER: Start the design debate by asking the right questions.(Letter to the editor)
June 12, 2008... Design consultancies were asked what issues on design should be debated by Government (Voxpop, DW 29 May). Where to begin? How design can save the planet? How it can transform businesses and rescue the economy? How it is being taught?...

VOXPOP: What's been biggest creative obstacle you've had to overcome?(Viewpoint essay)
June 12, 2008... London studio Peepshow Collective this week reports that it met with several obstacles while creating the new on-screen look for BBC2's Culture Show (see designweek.co.uk). What's been the biggest creative obstacle you've had to overcome on...

PROFILE: Oona Scheepers.(Biography)
June 12, 2008... Self-professed 'car nut' Oona Scheepers is taking design from out of the shadow of engineering at Volkswagen. John Stones talks to her about emotionalisation, sustainability and the role women play in automotive design 'Basically, we...

RETAIL: Attracting men.(Rafael de Cardenas )
June 12, 2008... How do you do luxury for young males, without alienating them? John Stones takes the measure of a tricky - but up and coming - part of the retail market Credit crunch or not, luxury seems here to stay. And while the world chooses to turn...

EXHIBITION DESIGN: Bling the house down.
June 12, 2008... In development for four years, the Victoria & Albert Museum's Jewellery Gallery opened last month. It was a considerable challenge for the designers, but an innovative approach has resulted in a show-stopping space, says Henrietta Thompson...

LIVERPOOL: Merseybeat.(European Capital of Culture)
June 12, 2008... While the jury remains out over whether Liverpool truly deserves its Capital of Culture crown, Dominic Lutyens finds the Design Show is banging the drum for a contemporary design scene that is gathering momentum Amid all the recent...

POLITICS: The art of control.
June 12, 2008... In terms of graphics and brand identity, the 20th century's totalitarian states are some of the best. A new book by Steven Heller analyses how they did it, while Quentin Newark says dictator iconography would be laughable if it weren't rooted...

BUSINESS INSIGHT: Opting for the middle way.
June 12, 2008... How do you run a successful medium-sized consultancy, staying profitable without selling out or losing creative edge? asks Jonathan Davies The age of growth for the medium-sized design consultancy is upon us, so let us not hide from it or...

REVIEW: Shutter cubs.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... By Sarah Frater It's the diversity of the work you notice about Fresh Faced and Wild Eyed. From classic 16x20 framed prints to photographs wallpapering the gallery, and from slides to videos to Photoshopped strangeness, the fledgling...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: Introduction by Clare Brass.
June 12, 2008... Sometimes the S-word feels like a challenge just too vast for designers to take on. If clients are putting 'sustainability' into the brief, it is often simply an attempt to be seen to be Green. Even the word 'sustainable' is much disputed...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - PEOPLE: The Green brigade.
June 12, 2008... Three figures from the world of Green design - a product designer, a marketer and a grassroots designer - talk to Design Week about their approach to sustainability The product designer: Jorre van Ast By Henrietta Thompson There...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - PACKAGING: Waste not, want not.
June 12, 2008... With waste packaging volumes continuing to increase, the need for designers to contribute to the development of sustainable products has now become more urgent than ever. Paul Gander looks at the many challenges posed by eco-design ...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - ILLUSTRATION: Happily ever after?
June 12, 2008... One way to change the future of the planet is to influence the next generation. Nick Smurthwaite looks at illustrated eco books for children, which are capturing imaginations and getting the Green message across without being preachy It...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - CO-DESIGN: Means to an end.
June 12, 2008... What happens when end-users become involved in design? How does it affect the design process, and what effect does it have on sustainability? Clare Dowdy explores the concept of co-design, which sees designers adopting a participatory approach...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - PRODUCT DESIGN: The full service.
June 12, 2008... With businesses everywhere looking to achieve greater levels of sustainability, John Stones examines the track record of three design- led companies, and asks if upgrading products rather than replacing them could be the next logical step ...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - INTERIORS: Rocking the cradle.
June 12, 2008... The best design thinking has moved on from ideas about reducing consumption and minimising eco-damage, says Henrietta Thompson. They still matter, but the new cradle-to-cradle thinking is about avoiding such damage in the first place ...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - PRINT: Green light for change.
June 12, 2008... Print is a significant part of design work - and designers' incomes - yet specifying sustainable paper is an eco minefield. Simon Creasey looks at how designers can fulfil their Green aspirations without compromising quality On the face...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - PRINT: PAPER PROGRESS.
June 12, 2008... Most designers working with print now think along Green lines. Where possible, they consider sustainable paper sources, they understand FSC standards, and pre- and post-consumer waste is part of their vocabulary. Many also consider the...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - RESOURCES: Rule of thumb.
June 12, 2008... With no dedicated portal of rules, regs and resources, below is a thumbnail guide for Green-fingered designers There are an overwhelming number of rules and regulations governing all things Green. There are also an increasing number of...

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - BUSINESS: Seeing Green.
June 12, 2008... Sustainability is a big, complex subject, and many designers feel daunted just thinking about it. Worry not, says Nat Hunter, it all begins at home - small steps in individual studios add up to a big difference With designers a crucial...

Porral vacates Design House to take lead role at John.
June 19, 2008... The John Lewis Partnership is set to ramp up its creative department, with the appointment of Design House creative director Paul Porral as head of creative services. Porral will take the helm on 4 August, working under JLP marketing...

2012 Olympics logo taking on new look.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... The Wolff Olins' 2012 Olympics logo is taking on a new look, tailored to the UK to celebrate the Olympic flag being handed over to London on 24 August. It will roll out from this week on, and will be applied to marketing materials which...

Pay attention to car interiors, says Godber.
June 19, 2008... Interior designers need to do more to encourage car manufacturers to invest in their skills. According to the deputy chief executive of the Design Council David Godber, former director of Lotus, Audi and Nissan Design Europe, 'It is...

Manchester books Mark Studio for literature festival.
June 19, 2008... Manchester Literature Festival is set to reinvent itself next month under a radically different identity, created by Mark Studio. The festival, now in its third year, is evolving with an expanding programme, according to festival director...

Dyson Airblade Tent created.(Brief article)
June 19, 2008... The Dyson Airblade Tent has been created for outdoor events where hygienic amenities are not always available. Dyson creative manager Tim Sexton designed the inflatable structure and flooring to cope with the high volume of people at these...

Islamic bank trades on Siegel & Gale.
June 19, 2008... The Islamic Development Bank has launched its trade finance arm as a standalone corporation under an identity created by Siegel & Gale. The aim behind the move is to harness the expertise within the IDB in Islamic trade finance under the...