Child/Baby Trend Research 2016

I recently worked on a project; to design a print for a baby stroller for 2016. Here's my Trend Research leading to my theme.

Happy Socks to open first UK store

Happy Socks, the Swedish brand best known for its bright and colorful socks, is set to open its first UK flagship store in Covent Garden, London next week.
The accessories label will open a 600 square foot stand alone store on Neal Street, in Seven Dials, stocking Happy Socks full product range, including its limited editions and designer collaborations, on December 3.
“We chose to open our first London flagship store in Seven Dials as we love the line-up of international brands already positioned there and see it as a great destination which will bring us the fashion forward locals as well as the tourist demographic,” said Chris Stratos, director of CM Delta, the UK distributor of Happy Socks, to Drapers.
The Swedish label currently has over 100 UK and Irish stockists, including Urban Outfitters, House of Fraser, Selfridges, John Lewis, and Dover Street Market. The London store opening comes after Happy Socks launched a series of pop-up stores in a number of European cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Berlin earlier this month.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014-Vivian Hendriksz

The Partners creates hidden pattern branding for Tusk Conservation Awards

The Partners has created a new identity for the Tusk Conservation Awards, based on a geometric pattern that contains the letters T, U, S and K.

The awards are run by charity the Tusk Trust and aim to recognise achievements in African conservation.
The Partners says the pattern used in the identity is inspired by traditional African designs. The branding aims to focus on “the emotional connection between the Tusk Trust and the communities and individuals dedicating their lives to the preservation of African heritage”.

The pattern looks like an abstract series of orange, black and white shapes, but can be cropped into to reveal the Tusk name.
Graphics can be used in applications such as website design, event design and vehicle wraps.

A series of patterned wristbands were created by the “Mamas” of Enkiito village in Kenya, to be  by nominees and celebrities, including Bear Grylls and Katherine Jenkins, to raise awareness of the cause.

The Partners creative director Stuart Radford says “It’s great to to see the new identity being rolled out, particularly the applications which employ traditional African techniques. It has been a rewarding process both in terms of what we’ve achieved from a design perspective and ultimately working for such a good cause.”
The branding was created over a six-month period as a pro-bono project by The Partners.

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 | By Angus Montgomery

Creative Industries Federation launches

More than 200 companies across the fashion, publishing, TV, film, music and arts industries have united to form a new independent body bringing together the public and private sector to provide a "single and independent voice" for Britain's fastest-growing sector.
The Creative Industries Federation was unveiled last night, November 24 in London, and features support from fashion houses Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Issa, and Mulberry, as well as retailers Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Liberty, Net-a-Porter, and Selfridges. The organisation, which aims to represent the UK's cultural sector, also has the support of the British Fashion Council, University of the Arts London, the BFI, Design Council, Creative Skillset, Victoria and Albert Museum and Walpole British Luxury.
As well as the host of businesses supporting the group, there are also a number of founding supporting individuals including Liberty managing director Ed Burstell, Whistles chief executive Jane Shepherdson, Nicole Farhi owner Maxine Hargreaves-Adams, Issa chairwoman Camilla Al Fayed and the British Council chairman Sir Vernon Ellis.

Tuesday, 25 November 2014- Danielle Wightman-Stone

What does it take to be a successful freelance designer?

In 2010 exhibition designer Rebecca Shipham was made redundant from her job at a studio in London and moved back home to Hull to set up as a freelancer. Five years and she has won a nationwide competition run by IPSE to find the best freelancer in any business.
We spoke to Shipham about the challenges she faced when she set up as a freelance designer and how she managed to make it a success.

Rebecca Shipham meets Prime Minister David Cameron after being named as the UK’s best freelancer

Design Week: Why did you decide to set up as a freelancer?
Rebecca Shipham: In all honesty, it was a case of “sink or swim”. I was made redundant in the recession, while working in London, and so, I took a gamble of setting up alone and moving back home to Hull. I’d been missing my home city for a while anyway, so being made redundant gave me a chance to go home. Rather than returning with my tail between my legs I came back with a couple of clients from London and the start of a little business that would keep me busy and happy for the next five years and counting.
DW: What was the most challenging aspect of setting up?
RS: When I first set up I had no idea of how to run a business. As a freelancer you’re not just the designer, you’re the accountant, the marketing department, the sales team, all in one, and it took a good 18 months before I had settled in to each of these roles. I also found it challenging knowing just how much to charge for my work. It’s not something they really teach you at university. The other challenge was related to confidence in my own work. When I first started sending my designs off to new clients I always imagined they’d think it was rubbish, but one by one they all started coming back for more work, so I must have been doing something right! I’m so much more confident now in what I offer in terms of a design service, and in my style of work.
DW: What sort of support was available to you at the time?
RS: Very little really. I was lucky in that my boyfriend has run a business for 14 years, and he is always on hand to give advice. My old design director was also a great help in my first year as he’d worked with freelancers for a long time as part of his job. I think it’s important to seek advice when you set up alone from someone already in business.
DW: How did you initially win new clients?
RS: Initially it was a case of cold-calling – which I hated, but it’s a necessary evil! It actually worked out really well, it seems that companies are often looking for new freelancers to work with. Now that I’m more established I tend to get business from word-of-mouth. It’s quite a small industry really and a lot of people are connected within the trade.
DW: What are the advantages of being freelance in design?
RS: Probably the fact that it doesn’t feel like work. My friends think I’m mad when I tell them I can’t meet at the weekend because of a big deadline, but to me happiness is sitting here churning my way through a creative problem and getting to grips with a design. I do have a life, [honest!] but, as we all know, design can be all-consuming. Being able to crack open a bottle of red while working is a pretty good part of it too. And the pyjama days. Anyone self-employed who says they don’t have pyjama days is fibbing!
DW: And what are the disadvantages and challenges?
RS: Designers and solitude don’t mix! Having no one to bounce ideas off was a killer in the first 18 months. I felt like I was going mad! But the joys of Twitter, and slowly building my own contacts in the industry have settled that one, and I now feel like I have a network of four or five designers who I can call on when needed to talk through a creative problem or to just share a worry. It’s a bit like having a design studio but because it’s via the internet you don’t feel obliged to make everyone a cuppa. I think not knowing when to stop is another one, which really links to the “best thing about working alone”. Yes, it’s fun, and yes it doesn’t feel like work, but because I [and most designers] throw my all into a creative proposal, it can be hard to say when enough is enough.
DW: What advice would you give to someone thinking about setting up as a freelancer?
RS: Now that I have won this award I welcome the challenge of promoting freelancing and working for yourself. I particularly feel that we should encourage young people to see working for themselves as being a viable career path from an early age, and set them in good stead for a future in independent business. In the short term I intend to do this by reinvesting my knowledge and experience through offering creative workshops in schools and colleges, backed up with information on how freelancing or self employment can work in the real world. Freelancing in the UK is on the increase, and the stats show no signs of this growth slowing down. To anyone considering freelancing, my advice is to be clear about what services you are offering: don’t try to be all things for all people, do what you are a good at, be strict with clients and their expectations of what you can do within their deadlines, don’t sell yourself short, don’t let work run your life… and invest in some thermals.
Rebecca Shipham runs Ships and Pigs Creative Design. She has just been named the UK’s Best Freelancer by IPSE, the Associate of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed.

(Mon, 24 Nov 2014 Design Week)

The Allotment helps Quality Furniture Company ask questions

The Allotment has looked to help the Quality Furniture Company reposition as an innovation-led business and has created a Q device containing a hidden question mark to show the company is always “asking questions”.

Quality Furniture Company makes more than 250,000 sofas a year, and supplies to companies including John Lewis, Laura Ashley and DFS.
Following a period of growth QFC approached the Design Council to see how it could improve product design, development and employee engagement.
QFC was seconded to the Design Council’s Designing Demand programme, which made recommendations, one of which was to improve brand perception.

After The Allotment was commissioned it found that customers expectations around product innovation were increasing.
The Allotment says it looked to “bring the brand back to a sense of inspiration that would engage and enthuse everyone involved with the business.”

A new brand proposition, identity and marketing touchpoints needed to be created while retaining the name of the business, known to many as QFC.
The Allotment says the “Quality” in QFC is both a supposition and a given, and so therefore had little meaning.

Instead the consultancy focused on the idea of asking questions, being one of the “key drivers” for innovation.
The Allotment says: “The Q in ‘QFC’ became the question and the big idea for the business. By asking questions the business would continuously deliver better products and in-turn become indispensable to its customers and delight the consumer purchasing the sofa.”

Quality Furniture Company from The Allotment on Vimeo.

A new set of values have been defined – Imagination, Achievement, and Support – and an identity forged, which was launched to employees in the form of a film and a book to show “the power of questions”.

The book features stitched binding and stitched typography. Stitching is also used as a motif across other communications.

There is a new website, signage has been designed for the two QFC manufacturing sites and brand assets include giant Q-shaped sofas.

(Tue, 23 Sep 2014 | By Tom Banks )

A pop-up store for the Science Museum made from 4000 test-tub

The Science Museum is launching a Christmas pop-up store which uses test-tubes filled with coloured water as its key design point.

The store has been designed by BAT Studio and is at Bluewater in Kent until 31 December.

BAT Studio co-founder Jonty Craig says that for the interior design concept, it wanted to use “colour and repetition to create surfaces with texture and depth that references sweetshops and pharmacies”.

The consultancy filled 4000 test-tubes with coloured water and used them to create screens and line walls in the space.

Craig says: “Framing displays of chemistry sets and other science-themed toys, both the decoration and the content of the shop complement each other, creating a colourful and playful space.”

Alongside the test-tubes, Craig says the consultancy wanted to use “materials which could be considered as ubiquitous components in the science of modern buildings but which are rarely elevated to be used for this aesthetics”.

Shelves in the store are formed from cable tray, which is suspended from galvanised channel by threaded bar.
Cable tray is also used to provide peg boards, and forms tables and the till counter.

(Mon, 17 Nov 2014 | By Angus Montgomery )

The Eureka moments behind famous designs

The first sketches for designs including the Brompton bicycle, the Anglepoise lamp and the Eiffel Tower are going on show as part of an upcoming exhibition.

Initial designs for the Brompton bicycle

The Eureka Moment Gallery opens on 25 November at London’s Proud Archivist Gallery.

The first patent design for the Anglepoise Original1227 Lamp

Among the exhibits will be the first patent design for the Anglepoise Original1227 Lamp, architectural drawings for the Eiffel Tower from 1887 and SeymourPowell’s initial concept for the Life Tech Smart Jacket.

Sketch by Andrew Ainsworth of the mechanics of getting Superman to fly in the 1977 film

There will also be the original drawings for the character that went on to be Dennis the Menace (sketched on a fag packet) and pencil sketches from designer Andrew Ainsworth of the mechanics of getting Superman to fly in the 1977 film.

Source: ©DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. 2014

The original 1950s drawings for the character that went on to become Dennis the Menace

The exhibition has been curated by Mark Champkins, the Science Museum’s inventory in residence, in partnership with O2. It marks the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and all exhibits in the show will be displayed on the tablets.

Original pencil drawings of Hello Kitty, by Yuko Yamaguchi

The Eureka Moments Gallery is at Proud Archivist, 2-10 Hertford Road, London N1, from 25 November-7 December.

Sketch of Covent Garden Christmas decorations

Concept for SeymourPowell's Life Tech Smart Jacket

Architectural drawings for the Eiffel Tower, from 1887

 

(Fri, 21 Nov 2014 | By Angus Montgomery )

Black, Yellow, Wood and Graphite – D&AD introduces new Pencils

From next year, D&AD is introducing new Wood and Graphite Pencils, which will be awarded alongside its traditional Black and Yellow Pencil prizes.

The Wood, Graphite, Yellow, White, Black and Gold Pencils

The new pencils replace the previous “In Book” and “Nomination” categories, which D&AD says have been “often undervalued or simply misunderstood”.
The new Wood Pencil will replace the “In Book” category and is, D&AD says, equivalent to a bronze award. This will be awarded to every project featured in the D&AD Annual.
The Graphite Pencil will replace the “Nomination” category and act as a silver award. This will be given to “standout work”, D&AD says.
The Yellow and Black Pencils remain, alongside the White Pencil, which was introduced in 2011 to recognise “the power of creative communications to effect change for good”.
The new range of Pencils will sit alongside two special awards, the Most Awarded category, the winner of which receives a Gold Pencil, and the President’s Award.
They will be used across all D&AD awards schemes, including the New Blood programme.
D&AD chief executive Tim Lindsay says the move follows feedback from D&AD members and entrants that there was “confusion” around the awards hierarchy.
Lindsay adds: “Our aim was to make things clearer, but we also didn’t want to default to a conventional system.
“We wanted a system that was unique, but instantly recognisable, with each Award’s place within the hierarchy apparent. Wood and Graphite both felt like the right logical extension of our existing Pencils and symbolic of the craft at the heart of creative excellence.”
The new awards will come into effect from May 2015 at the next D&AD Awards ceremony and all historical awards will now be referred to using the new system.
The new Pencils have been designed by Turner Duckworth.

(Thu, 16 Oct 2014 | By Angus Montgomery, Design Week) 

A new look for paper brand Favini

Silk Pearce has worked on the strategic repositioning of Favini, the Italian paper manufacturer, and designed a range of packaging materials in a bid to better align it with the luxury and fashion markets.

Favini acquired Arjo Wiggins’ casting paper division in 2013, increasing its casting release product range capabilities for the luxury and fashion markets, which it has since expanded into.

Silk Pearce says that the new positioning shows the brand’s passion for design textures and finishes.

The new look rolls out across 20 new swatches for paper ranges, brochure cover designs, catalogues, a new website, social media skins and exhibition collateral.

Favini has two core offers: The design and creation of surface textures for eco-leathers and synthetic materials for use in industries such as fashion, luxury goods and sportswear; and innovative papers for high-end print and packaging.

Still from promotional film

The new website showcases the Favini’s product ranges, business operations and its commitment to eco-friendly production and sustainability, and includes a series of online videos designed, directed and produced by Silk Pearce.

Silk Pearce first worked with Favini in 2008 and has since worked on redrawing the Favini mark and branding and packaging projects including the launch of the eco-friendly paper range Crush.

(Tue, 11 Nov 2014 | By Tom Banks )

Designers work in miniature for V&A doll’s house exhibition

Designers including Paul Priestman, Dominic Wilcox and Bethan Wood have created miniature rooms for a new doll’s house exhibition set to open at the V&A Museum of Childhood in London.

Kaleidoscope House USA, 2001, by Laurie Simmons, Peter Wheelwright and Bozart

A total of 20 artists and designers have contributed doll’s houses for the show, which also looks at historical and contemporary designs for the houses.
Priestman has created a never-ending party table, while Wood’s design features scaled-down versions of her own furniture.

If a Budgie Dreamed of being a Magpie, by Bethan Wood

Dominic Wilcox has created an “offline hideaway” complete with candelabra and a jug of juice, while Donna Wilson has designed a llama’s bedroom.
As well as showcasing the specially designed houses, the Small Stories exhibition will tell the stories of 12 doll’s houses from the past 300 years.

The Longest Party Table in the World, by Paul Priestman of PriestmanGoode

The museum says these exhibits will portray a journey through “the history of the home, everyday lives and changing family relationships”.
Each house will be displayed at a particular time of day and visitors can use buttons alongside the showcases to activate the narration and light up each character as they talk.

Hopkinson House - bedroom detail set in 1940s

Small Stories: At home in a doll’s house, is at the V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, London E2, from 13 December 2014-6 September 2015.

(Mon, 10 Nov 2014 | By Angus Montgomery )

New image of the Queen set to grace UK coins

A new portrait of the Queen is set to appear on UK coins from next year, the Royal Mint has announced.

The 1953 portrait, by Mary Gillick

This will be the first new portrait of the monarch since 1998 and only the fifth image commissioned during the Queen’s 62-year reign.
A number of designs have been submitted by specialist designers for the new portrait, and the winning design will be revealed next year.

The 1974 portrait, by Arnold Machin

The designs were submitted in a closed competition and will be assessed by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee.
The current portrait of the Queen was created by Ian Rank-Broadley and has been in circulation for 16 years.

The 1985 portrait, by Raphael Maklouf

The new image of the Queen will feature on the new £1 coin, which is set to go into circulation in 2017.
In September, the Royal Mint launched a public design competition to find designs for the “tails” side, with the winner to receive a £10 000 fee for their design, which will stay in circulation for around 30 years.

The 1998 portrait, by Ian Rank-Broadley

 

(Thu, 6 Nov 2014 | By Angus Montgomery, Design Week)