Design Week
Letters

Brunel was looking to the future, so must we

30 June 2011

Design Bridge played key role in the Ultimate story

23 June 2011

The perfect pub has a good cast of regulars, no screen...

23 June 2011

Growing brand shows that there's an art to good retail

16 June 2011

How refreshing to see the growth of a brand such as Cass Arts prove to the retail gloom merchants that everything is not ’going digital’ (www.designweek.co.uk, 25 May).

...as Bostock and Pollitt sets the record straight...

9 June 2011

The anticipation had been building and the day duly arrived when Design Week’s Top 100 Consultancy Survey 2011 arrived at our consultancy. A quick flick-through, followed by a thorough review, revealed we were nowhere to be seen in the rankings.

Information overload and the joy of going cold turkey

9 June 2011

I went to see James Gleick speak at the British Library a few weeks ago about how we are constantly subjected to almost infinite amounts of information. I talked to him about this afterwards, and we agreed that self-filtering is an inevitability. Not spam-filtering; self-filtering.

Dreaming of storytelling and feats of gluttony

2 June 2011

Now, which world record would I like to hold? (Voxpop, DW 19 May)

To fail utterly would be the best way to win my award

2 June 2011

In response to your Voxpop on a putative Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for the industry (DW 26 May), one common quality of designers is their control freakery and desire for perfection within the confines of what they already know.

Calling all Saturday art class alumni of the past decades

26 May 2011

Funding is not biggest problem for courses

19 May 2011

Event in Wales leaves other music festivals in its wake

12 May 2011

Hetherington's bravery was something else

5 May 2011

Is hands-on design a thing of the past?

28 April 2011

I am a hand-skills-based maker with 30 years’ experience of working within the product design sector of the industry. Therefore, as a professional ’maker’ working within the design industry, I read with interest the article by Anna Norman entitled ’New model army’ about hand-making in the design process (Design Week, 14 April) .

...Or a dragster out of multi-coloured, pixellated plastic

21 April 2011

As a kid I spent much of my time making things out of Lego, but not always buildings. It was usually cars, specifically dragsters. I would race them against my friends and we would end up with a pile of bricks we could rebuild. This was long before Lego came out with specialised parts, it was just bricks, so everything was multi-coloured and faceted, sort of pixellated plastic. So I would build a 1970s Funny Car based on a Plymouth Barracuda.

The ultimate Lego house would be my very own...

21 April 2011

In response to your Voxpop last week, asking which building I would you like to create in Lego (DW 14 April),right now, it would have to be my house.

...and the retro pomp of Manchester's Haçienda

14 April 2011

I’d say reimagine the Gaudí building in Barcelona that has all the masks on the front. I like playful things and reckon that’s a pretty playful building and would make a fun museum - lots of curves, bones, masks and tiles, and the roof is amazing.

Let's recreate Wembley's iconic twin towers...

14 April 2011

...let The Beatles and Paul Smith fly the flag for the UK

7 April 2011

I think I would rebrand the UK. I mean, when was the last time we won the Eurovision Song Contest?The Union Jack will have to go, of course, as this is the thing that our foreign cousins rile against - and we really do not have a jolly anthem either. I would replace the flag with a nice Paul Smith stripy flag, change our name to Beatles Island and make our anthem Hey Jude. That should do it.Franco Bonadio, Chief executive, Identica, London W1

Don't lose sight of a logo's main objective

7 April 2011

Further to the recent correspondence and various blog contributions regarding the seemingly ever-contentious subject of logo design, are we not in danger of losing sight of the basic primary objective of what logo design is - that of simple, straightforward and clear identification?

Death of Media Square's Bruce Winfield announced

31 March 2011

With deep regret, the board of Media Square announces the death of Bruce Winfield, the group’s chief operating officer/finance director. Bruce passed away on 21 March after a lengthy illness.

Stem reclassification could help turn the education tide

31 March 2011

Let's think carefully about the aim of design events

24 March 2011

I support wholeheartedly the principles of Design Indaba (DW 3 March).

...And support each other, starting at student level

17 March 2011

As a student in my final year, it’s the girls who are making names for themselves, not the boys. We’re slightly more organised and have realised the lack of recognition women get, so have banded together to support each other in our endeavours. The most inspirational placement I have done was Story UK, as most of the heads of department were female.Rachel Jane Patrick, by e-mail

The Budget must support start-ups and R&D

17 March 2011

Hats off to Waitrose's design team - and its management

10 March 2011

Design over substance gives us food for thought

3 March 2011

The convergence of two professions will benefit both

24 February 2011

You can't beat logos when it comes to grabbing attention

24 February 2011

I couldn’t agree more with Lloyd Northover co-founder John Lloyd’s recent guest blog, which argues for the continued central role of logos (www.designweek.co.uk/blog, 9 February), if I tried.

Alliance gives cohesion to local networks

17 February 2011

As much as I agree with the general idea of your editorial (DW 3 February) about local design networks, I would have to say that the cohesion you feel is lacking is in fact there, in the form of the Design Alliance.

...but let's not forget about national engagement

10 February 2011

DW’s Comment (3 February) calls for a few dots to be joined up in the design world. Many of us would agree - regional bodies are in discussion with the Design Council, under the UK Design Alliance, to do just that. What’s missing is the engagement of the Design Business Association, British Design Innovation and the Chartered Society of Designers.Peter Spence, Forum director, South Coast Design Forum, by e-mail

Our design networks need co-ordinating...

10 February 2011

Good branding needs to support change on a larger scale

3 February 2011

D&AD could tackle moral and ethical issues and promote higher ed

27 January 2011

With regard to its ’campaigning’ aims, D&AD should think about the morality of games promoting killing, which fall into the hands of children.

Breaking the roundel rule

20 January 2011

The roundel incorporating the siren, last updated in 1992, has been synonymous with the Starbucks brand since 1972.

Reduction in college funding not all bad

20 January 2011

Glenn Taylor

A logo can never tell the whole story

13 January 2011

I read with interest guest blogger Patrick Argent’s article regarding National Grid’s erstwhile logo designed by John McConnell from Pentagram. (www.designweek.co.uk, 8 November).

...And objectivity is no barrier to creating inspired art

16 December 2010

A logo should be versatile enough to be a blank canvas

18 November 2010

The Sorrell Foundation's Saturday Club is a fine idea

18 November 2010

I couldn’t agree more (Editor’s blog, www.designweek.co.uk, 12 November). Drawing and making are essential to the initial stages of any design project. There is no better way to quickly generate ideas than by using a pencil and paper. The speed and freedom of the process generates ideas that would never otherwise see the light of day. Ideas beget ideas beget ideas. I couldn’t imagine starting a project any other way.

No gender bias in design? Take a look at Design Week

11 November 2010

Finally, the important question about why there are so few women in senior roles within the design industry (Hugh Pearman’s Private View, DW 21 October) was answered in Rising Stars (DW 28 October).

Sexism in design - it's just not natural

4 November 2010

I was shocked that Jim Davies, a male copywriter, could make such a sweeping judgment about female designers (Private View, DW 21 October). I would find it far more interesting to hear about the situation from a young female designer’s perspective.

'WWF given stronger brand identity' - a clarification

4 November 2010

An inclusive Design Council will be a more effective one

27 October 2010

The Design Council has done some fantastic work to raise awareness of design within Government and industry. However, its third set of stakeholders - design practitioners - have not been sufficiently involved in the Design Council’s direction in the past.

What really matters in India is being there on the ground

27 October 2010

Your article ’Home Advantage’ (News Analysis, DW 14 October) talks about India being on the cusp of ’developing its own indigenous design industry’.

There's no Easy way to protect your brand

20 October 2010

What’s in a name? A brand has many facets - logo, colour, typeface, look and feel, attitude, name - and every brand endeavours to ’own’ as many of these as possible.

Patrick Wilson - a friend as well as a client

14 October 2010

My mate Patrick Wilson died last Wednesday. I guess that, as managing director of Thrislington Cubicles, he was technically a client too, but I’d prefer to think that for more than 20 years we were mates who helped each other, doing stuff we liked doing and having a giggle along the way.

The wrong type of baby bouncer

7 October 2010

As head of the interior design arm of Sheppard Robson, I have been responsible over the past few years for the interior design and space strategy for clients such as the BBC, BP, RBS and other well-known brands and organisations.

Subtlety would have made Boris' bikes more appealing

30 September 2010

I hate the new London bike scheme. Correction,I hate the new over-branded bike scheme by Barclays. I am not alone as I am now starting to see ’F*** Barclays’ stickers appear all over the bikes everywhere I go.

...And don't worry about paying much for it either

23 September 2010

I read Caroline Robert’s excellent article on crowdsourcing (Private View, DW 2 September) and was reassured, but was later amazed to see on one such site - www.designcrowd.com - that Queens, the self-styled ’ultimate entertainment centre’ in London’s Bayswater, was looking to rebrand and offering just £100 to the winning candidate.

Until the funding is sorted, design education will suffer

23 September 2010

In support of David Kimpton and Julian Grice’s suggestions on how to raise standards in design education (Letters, DW 9 September), I would like to chuck my two-pennyworth in.

Get the music right and everything clicks

16 September 2010

Life is indeed one big symphony (Insight, DW 26 August). Silence on this crowded isle of ours is a rarity.

Getting the finances right is always a good place to start

9 September 2010

I read with interest your feature on start-ups (On Your Marks, DW 26 August). As an accountant with clients in the design industry, I concur with the advice that the finance team should be in place as soon as possible.

This festival is anything but revolutionary

9 September 2010

Nobody likes to shoot down good intentions, but I can’t stand by and read about Neville Brody’s Anti Design Festival without thinking how last century the concepts are (News, DW 19 August). If anything shows Brody’s thinking, it’s this enterprise.

Don't let the grass grow under the feet of this idea

2 September 2010

Bin 2 Bin - what a fantastic collaboration (The Art of Plastic, www.designweek. co.uk, 25 August). Love the Nature Step (pictured).Perhaps this should kick off a series of mash-up exercises that bring together ideators from various corners to create new, sustainable ideas. Any suggestions?John Root Stone, Leading the Brand, by e-mail

We're creatives, we're a team - why bother with titles?

2 September 2010

In 21 years of working in this industry I have never officially been given a job title (Voxpop, DW 26 August). When I worked at my previous consultancy there were 14 designers and one boss. We just got on with the job without the hierarchy of a title structure.

A pocket-sized story worth immortalising on the big screen

26 August 2010

Although it has been told in print form, my suggestion for a design story worth immortalising on film would be that of Penguin Books and its association with designers and illustrators, which starts at its inception back in 1935 (Voxpop, DW 19 August).

What was Brody on about on Newsnight?

19 August 2010

I found the exchange between design writer David McCandless and graphic designer Neville Brody on the BBC’s Newsnight on 9 August infuriating (www.designweek.co.uk, 10 August).

...And ditching the sponsor would be Wheelie Good too

12 August 2010

In reply to your Voxpop in last week’s issue, asking for alternative names for the new Barclays Cycle Hire scheme in London, here’s my proposition.

Virgin Atlantic's new livery lacks confidence

12 August 2010

Divide and conquer has been a successful tactic for overcoming adversaries for centuries, and it is one that Virgin Altantic Airways must be wary of, as its brands appear to be becoming increasingly disparate (www.designweek.co.uk, 29 July).

A future role for the Design Council? To champion risk...

5 August 2010

With the future of the Design Council now under review, you recently posed the question, ’What do you think its role should be?’ (Voxpop, DW 29 July).

Design Council review needs more thought

29 July 2010

If the Design Council is to undergo a fair and impartial review of its ’future role and status’, then surely a council member is not the person to lead that review.

We must create space for trial and error - and failure

29 July 2010

At our consultancy, as with many other small studios, we have started a Lab concept where we allow our designers and developers the time to try to test ideas outside client briefs (Editor’s blog, www.designweek.co.uk, 23 July). It allows us to ’fail’ on many occasions, but, in doing so, we learn at every step.

Their cash, our brains - a winning team

22 July 2010

I am excited by the suggestions provided by various contributors to your issue last week (DW 15 July). It took me a while, but here’s my contribution to what could be an ongoing debate, taking on board all their ideas.

Are infographics useful, or mere decoration?

15 July 2010

I’m a huge fan of The Guardian’s infographics (Facts in focus, DW 8 July), and have kept a number of the paper’s recent Factfile series.

Interesting environments to work in? Let me see...

15 July 2010

We have a group of bright young things at Landor Associates called Digital Innovation Group (aka Dig), who have created a space in our building called ’the engine room’.

College projects must avoid the self-indulgence trap

8 July 2010

In his role as external examiner to three universities and through his willingness to offer portfolio advice and lectures at a further five design courses, Adrian Shaughnessy (pictured) should be applauded for having the amount of exposure to graphic design education that he has (Private View, DW 1 July).

Design has a role to play on the world stage

1 July 2010

The application of design to challenges such as mine clearance or peacekeeping in Burundi is not immediately obvious. Last week I found myself sitting with 19 other delegates at a UN strategic design conference (pictured) in New York, trying to meld together the worlds of policy development, design and cultural research to address the issues of turning local knowledge into action. For three days, we discussed the problem of combining the disciplines to develop a method of improving ...

BBC should stay true to its values to retain our respect

24 June 2010

Regarding your Voxpop (DW 10 June) relating to the major branding challenges the BBC faces following its strategy review, I feel that it needs to get itself out of the news.

We'd never ever build in obsolescence

24 June 2010

In response to Hugh Pearman’s Private View on appliances seemingly designed to self-destruct (DW 10 June), we can report from the coalface of in-house design that we have never encountered an example of planned obsolescence being built into any of our products and we would be horrified if we ever came across one, as would our company’s quality department.

Innovation will keep BBC's branding critics at bay

17 June 2010

Last week you posed the question, ’As the BBC prepares for its move to Salford and the impact of its strategy review, what major branding challenges do you think it faces and how should it address them?’ (Voxpop, DW 10 June).

... But is its success making it too powerful?

10 June 2010

It would be criminal if the iPad was, indeed, ’the end of the website’, as suggested by your recent feature (Hype Pad, DW 20 May). What would the online experience become if every Internet presence required the development of an app, apart from corporate and marketing heaven?The beauty of the Web is its democracy, the fact anyone can create a basic Web page. This isn’t about design, but content and information, what makes the Internet the amazing resource it is.

Christine Clarkson: talented and enthusiastic designer

10 June 2010

It is with sadness I note the death of Christine Clarkson after a brave struggle against cancer.

Let's use digital tools to get the voting system right

3 June 2010

We believe the most powerful way to design solutions is through collaboration with the end user, in this case the voting public (Voxpop, DW 20 May).

The new bus is stylish, but is it efficient?

3 June 2010

The ’Boris Bus’ is a very stylish piece of work and it is a brilliant idea to have windows by the front stairs (www.designweek.co.uk, 17 May). The window at the back is likely to be expensive.

Branding is the big issue for charities, not budgets

27 May 2010

Yes, the recession has placed budgetary challenges on an increasingly competitive charity sector (News Analysis, DW 6 May), but a shrinking budget isn’t the only issue design has to contend with in the Third Sector.

David Chaloner 1944-2010: always inspiring

20 May 2010

David Chaloner had such an impact on people. As his creative partner and friend, I feel as if I have lost my arms, legs, eyesight and hearing.

Letters

20 May 2010

I just saw the sad news about David Chaloner. In a time when we all get caught up in our own little worlds, this has come as an incredible shock.

Reunited - if only the Apple employee had been as lucky

13 May 2010

Following news of the Apple employee who apparently left an in-development iPhone in a bar, you asked the question - what is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever lost?

Drop the logo and you risk confusing the consumer

6 May 2010

No need for a logo? So what is there left to distinguish the company name? I have to disagree with Simon Manchipp’s thoughts regarding the rise of the brand world (Insight, DW 1 April). After recently graduating from the University of Portsmouth I focused on semiotics for my major project, and therefore feel I am well rehearsed in the subject.

We support the ideas behind this healthcare design body

6 May 2010

Although I was invited to the Young Foundation meeting about its plans to set up an Institute of Healthcare Design, I was unable to attend and have not been advising them, contrary to the report in Design Week (News, DW 22 April).

Supplement artwork revives ancient tradition of error

29 April 2010

In William Caxton’s day, text was often reversed by illiterate printers who knew no better.I am pleased to see that this noble tradition has been revived on the cover of the Design Week Photography & Image supplement (look at the camera in the bottom left corner).NB - The Yashica Mat 124G was a fine, medium-format, portrait camera which served me very well in the pre-digital age.Bob Battersby, Photographer, by e-mail

The stories behind the manifesto covers

22 April 2010

I'd bring in a visionary with brand building expertise

15 April 2010

If my consultancy were to bring in a new non-executive director from outside of the industry (Voxpop, DW 11 February), I would like them to challenge and contribute to our vision, scrutinise our performance and have an interesting little black book. So, I’d go for someone like Nick Jones - a complete visionary in his field, with an understanding of brand building and an appreciation of the role design plays for businesses. A small group like ours can respond quickly to opportunities, ...

It's the loss of departmental rosters that will really hurt

15 April 2010

I am puzzled about why you are giving such prominence to the changes in Central Office of Information design procurement procedures (News, DW 1 April), yet ignoring the far larger change that is taking place. (I accept you kindly published my letter on 18 March, but that’s the only publicity the matter below has had.)

A picture of how design can improve care

08 April 2010

Did Think Public design project lead Ella Britton really not understand the Kingston University Design Research Centre report on the design of care homes for people with dementia (News, DW 25 March)? She states that the study ’indicated a lack of engagement with the users’.

Need 'bang for your buck'? Don't ask the young bucks

08 April 2010

I fully agree with the article by George Foster (pictured) headlined ’Are old hands better than young Turks?’ (Insight, DW 18 March).

Every design discipline should help in Haiti

01 April 2010

Helen Hamlyn Centre director Jeremy Myerson raises the important point that disaster areas need brilliant product and architectural design (Letters, DW 25 March).

The Conservatives would do well to recruit our Andy...

01 April 2010

Given the speculation that James Dyson is being lined up for a role in a future Conservative Government, you asked the question, ’Who in the design world would you most like to see enter politics?’ (Voxpop, DW 25 March).

...As well as a very funny man in a serious business

25 March 2010

I can’t say that I knew Richard Murray very well, but all I do know is that every time I met him he made me laugh.

Protect your IP rights, but remember the client's needs

25 March 2010

The Association of Illustrators has called for designers to share their experiences of moral rights infringement (Voxpop, DW 11 March).

Richard Murray was a great, charismatic contact...

25 March 2010

Williams Murray Hamm co-founder Richard Murray was a fantastic contact in the design world, always a source of original insight (Comment, DW 11 March).

Government move will hit smaller outfits

18 March 2010

Well, it was all very interesting to read ’Buyers’ guide’, your article about the Associate Parliamentary Design & Innovation Group’s long-awaited report on public-sector design procurement (News Analysis, DW 4 March), but the group doesn’t seem up to speed with recent events.

Sam Sampson: larger than life and a true innovator

18 March 2010

I worked with the late Sam Sampson, first as his client and then as his business partner. In all, we worked closely together for more than 20 years. We made Sampson Tyrrell into one of the leading UK design consultancies and then, in the 1990s, we created and implemented the plan that built Enterprise IG, now The Brand Union.

...with a knack for capturing the attention of the 'suits'

11 March 2010

In tribute to Sam Sampson, I first met Sam while I was involved with new business at JWT. He really wanted to find out if we could help Sampson Tyrell (as a new member of the WPP group) by having him help our clients.

Be brave and reveal your results for 2009

11 March 2010

So the submission date for the Top 100 Consultancy Survey is almost upon us again. I suspect that given the year we have all just been through, completing it this time around is going to be an unpleasant experience for a number of consultancies.

There's a fine line between familiarity and disrespect

04 March 2010

I have worked for Phil Jones in person, and it is so true what he says about motivating his staff in his Business Insight (DW 18 February). He made sure that everyone’s ’emotional buckets’ were brimming.

We must keep our focus on the facts of sustainability

04 March 2010

It was interesting to read Take Stock, Anna Richardson’s feature about the sustainable process (DW 11 February).

Chartered status? Nice idea, but it won't work

25 February 2010

I read your feature ’Membership rewards’ (News Analysis, DW 4 February) regarding chartered designer status with great interest.

Some think MPs need feedback from their constituents...

25 February 2010

Following Public Zone’s creation of an iPhone app that allows constituents and MPs to communicate with each other, you posed the question, ’What would you design for your MP, and why?’ (Voxpop, DW 18 February).

Allan Leighton - the ideal non-executive champion of design

18 February 2010

Last week, you broached the subject of bringing in people from outside the design industry as a non-executive director, and who to appoint (Voxpop, DW 11 February).

Try the kitchen table for some homespun wisdom

18 February 2010

Given the continuing debates about going freelance vs the security of the payroll, and the delights of working in the centre of a city, compared to the drawbacks of life in the regions, I thought my experience might helpothers considering working from home.

Mayor Boris taking a different route on London bus design

11 February 2010

Boris Johnson makes some wayward decisions on design - to replace the Routemaster, he launched a competition in which the winners were two projects with rear platforms.

Co-design cannot work without a bit of co-production, too

04 February 2010

Your recent poll on the merits of co-design (News, DW 14 January) reveals a split decision on whether it’s a good thing or not.

Strategic planning? Creativity? Top of the list is integration

04 February 2010

Strategic planning does not corral creativity, as suggested by the recent article by Brian Mansfield (Business Insight, DW 21 January).

Graduate survey - positive spin, or a shameful farce?

28 January 2010

What the Creative Graduates, Creative Futures survey (News, DW 21 January) has missed out is the fact that 10 000 new designers graduate every year, and at least 200 000 new designers have graduated in the UK in the past 20 years.

Uninformed criticism of design is hard to rebuff

28 January 2010

I read with considerable amusement your piece on the comments of Conservative MP Greg Hands (pictured) about the outsourcing of creative work on the NHS 60th anniversary logo to design consultancies (News, DW 14 January).

It isn’t as simple as Greg Hands, a case of right or wrong

21 January 2010

The comments made by Tory MP Greg Hands surrounding the NHS 60th anniversary logo, which cost £12 000 to create, has resulted in uproar in the industry and has raised issues within the public sector (Voxpop, DW 14 January).

The real challenge is to improve quality is to improve quality across the board

21 January 2010

The kind of facile statement Tory MP Greg Hands recently made about public-sector identity work, saying anyone with ‘an average brain’ could do better, is beyond frustrating (Voxpop, DW 14 January).

Authenticity means honesty - you can't just conjure it up

14 January 2010

In response to your Voxpop asking how brands can be made more authentic (DW 10 December 2009), authenticity needs substance. It cannot be invented. To do so is to attempt to fool your consumers, and we know that honesty is key to driving a deeper, more connected relationship with them.

Software can never replicate the talent of good designers

14 January 2010

On Boxing Day 2009, an article appeared in The Times newspaper about public-sector spending on design. In it, the Conservative MP Greg Hands said that modern software packages make it possible for ‘anyone with an average brain’ to create work as good as, if not better than, that of trained designers.

Regional design support needs to find new models

07 January 2010

Last month, the Design Council brought together representatives of regional design groups and national bodies to ‘shape the future’ of design support organisations. Three key themes emerged. There was agreement that all the bodies should work together, and the first task was to set out exactly what ‘collaboration’ means. This is needs to be done quickly to maintain the momentum of the meeting.

Why did the product designer cross the road?

07 January 2010

Just recently I’ve noticed a new type of pedestrian crossing around London.

More than a mere 'pocket' are itching to leave their jobs

17 December 2009

In your article on the Design Industry Voices Report (News, DW 3 December), Ian Cochrane suggests that ‘pockets of people’ are demoralised as ‘there has been a hold on salaries and no bonuses given out’, and that they don’t understand ‘that the situation is the same everywhere else as in their current consultancies’. A 12 per cent response rate is more than a representative sample of the UK design and digital industries, so the 38 per cent who intend to change job when the recession ...

The regions have a stronger identity than David Cameron

17 December 2009

Conservative Party leader David Cameron recently told the CBI conference that Britain lacks strong regional identities (Voxpop, DW 3 December). I disagree. It’s just the sort of thing you’d expect a soft, southerner to say. The ‘regions’ (was there ever a more pejorative term?) don’t need an identity because they already have an identity. The people of Manchester were asked if they wanted a mayor and rightly said no. Cameron should concentrate more on his own identity ...

Graphic design is about the client, not the art-lover

10 December 2009

I was disappointed to read the article ‘Somerset House promotes graphic design with annual fair’ (DW 12 November). As an industry, we spend a lot of time and effort explaining to clients, and other non-designers, what we do and why it is important to them - how graphic design is a vital tool for communication, with measurable effects. However, reading this article we don’t seem to be clear on what graphic design is ourselves. Who are we designing for? We design ...

We only have a decade to change our behaviour

10 December 2009

I have been going to a few non-design talks recently, but these have been overshadowed by one held earlier this month by Tomorrow’s Company at the House of Lords. Entitled Qualitative Growth, it launched a paper by the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales and was supported by the World Wildlife Fund. The paper set the agenda for businesses and the paradigm shift that is required within the next ten years. I also went to the Tomorrow’s ...

Music and design - what a virtuous circle of influence

03 December 2009

I enjoyed reading the article on Mark Farrow and was particularly interested in the influence music had in his work (Profile, DW 12 November). After studying graphic design I left my job for a career in music. Our agent shared an office with Farrow’s company. The walls were adorned with Deconstruction and Pet Shop Boys artwork, and projects like the Atlantic Bar and Grill. While hanging around doing nothing, as we seemed to do a lot, I’d wander about, taking it all in. To ...

The difference between six and 11? A COI brief

03 December 2009

So, the Central Office of Information is reviewing its roster of consultancies for design services, splitting it into three new frameworks (News, DW 24 September). COI creative director Fanny Sigler said, ‘We need a really good mix of agencies across all the lots to respond to the variety of briefs that we handle from across the public sector.’ We thought this sounded interesting and something we should aim to be on, as this is a field that we specialise and ...

COI is not to blame for public-sector problems

26 November 2009

Recent news items and letters about design procurement in the public sector have raised some important issues regarding free-pitches, aborted tenders and Central Office of Information rosters (News, DW 24 September, and Letters, DW 22 October, 29 October and 5 November). Setting up a design framework that meets European Union regulations, allows you to judge submissions fairly and isn’t too time-consuming for consultancies is a difficult balancing act. For our ...

Rams retrospective proves the value of in-house design

26 November 2009

All praise to your item on in-house design (Comment, DW 22 October). Indeed, in-house design is often viewed as the poor relation, but you can now see the results of 50 years of in-house design, because Dieter Rams’s work for Braun and Vitsoe is being exhibited at London’s Design Museum. Rams often speaks of his internal battles with the marketing departments of Braun and its then US owner, Gillette. However, good design is often the product of a single-minded ...

There’s more to design than Starck and stereotypes

19 November 2009

As a great admirer of Adrian Shaughnessy - his fantastic book Graphic Design: A User’s Manual is currently sitting on my desk in front of me - I am surprised by his reaction at the collective criticism, including my own, of Philippe Starck’s recent TV show.

Hmmm. Would that nice Mr Rankin do us a free shoot?

12 November 2009

How very generous of top photographer Rankin to invite five consultancies to pitch for free to design not only his own website, but also an additional one for him and his business partner, Chris Cottam (News, DW 22 October). And why only five consultancies - why not ten, or more? Our company is currently looking at photographers for a project, and I think I’ll return his generosity and get him to shoot some ideas as part of a free pitch - or would he have a problem ...

Joined Up youth project shows UK design at its best

12 November 2009

In response to your piece on the Joined Up Design for My Place initiative (News, DW 29 October), I’d like to stress that those who volunteered to work on it did so for nothing more than a small honorarium. Some refused to accept payment and one even wrote a cheque for £5000 for his young client. They all donated a huge amount of time, created brilliant concepts and engaged wholeheartedly with their young clients. We were overwhelmed by their generosity and readiness to go ...

Free-pitches and aborted tenders are a tax on designers

05 November 2009

A couple of weeks ago (Letters, DW 22 October), I warned of the potential £1m cost to the design community of most of of the nation’s design consultancies trying (and failing) to get on the new Central Office of Information rosters (News, DW 24 September). I also gave an example of a public sector tender showing how rostered consultancies were asked to do an unpaid creative pitch where the total value of the pitch costs exceeded the value of the project itself - 12 groups ...

Smile in the Mind sequel should focus on the idea

05 November 2009

In response to Greg Quinton’s question regarding whether there is any interest out there for a follow-up to the seminal book A Smile in the Mind (Letters, DW 22 October), I’d support a new edition. His other question, about whether such work is really relevant any more, is more interesting. I believe it is, though an entire edition about witty thinking in design isn’t the right thing to do. Many consultancies produce witty work, and it would be good to pick up ...

Please don't devalue creativity by asking us to work for free...

29 October 2009

I don’t agree with free-pitching at all (News, DW 15 October).I think it really devalues the creative process. But I find it particularly annoying that Birmingham City Council should ask for such a progressed level of work for nothing - they have no idea of the amount of time and knowledge required to develop a brand. A budget of £30 000 is not a large one. When free-pitching first raised its head, it was to manage accounts for two or more years of work. Now we seem to be ...

UK creative skills are still in demand on the global stage

29 October 2009

In response to your Voxpop on which countries are coming out of recession fastest (DW 22 October), we are seeing sentiment improving across Asia and the Middle East, but we are not necessarily seeing green shoots of recovery. We think today’s levels of economic activity are likely to remain more or less static through 2010. This said, UK creative excellence is very much sought-after, and we are growing our business in our international markets while the UK remains challenging. ...

COI procurement shake-up is a cause for financial concern

22 October 2009

The news that the COI design rosters are again up for tender is not a cause for celebration (DW 24 September). Based on the last time, 650 consultancies will apply for pre-qualification questionnaires, and the total cost of them all tendering, by my reckoning, is more than £1m. At the end of this process there will be 20 or so winners. However, we’ve been successful with the COI on the past two occasions and never had a single job. Another Government department ...

Security is always an issue with structural packaging

22 October 2009

On the weekend as we were returning from Arizona we had collected a box of glass items that we were to take on the plane as hand luggage so that they did not break. Going through security at Phoenix airport the conveyor belt came to an abrupt stop and I was asked to move away immediately and stand in the middle of the secure area. I was told not to say anything and surrounded by airport security dressed in official blue uniforms I knew I was in trouble, but was not aware ...

More thoughts on what D&AD's new team should do

15 October 2009

A couple of weeks ago, you canvassed people’s thoughts on what issues the new president and deputy president at D&AD should address over the next 12 months (Voxpop, DW 24 September). Although, as an organisation, D&AD needs to ensure its relevance to an increasingly international and diverse audience, it also needs to remain confident and single-minded, staying true to what it believes in and stands for. In my opinion, it should be promoting, educating ...

Surely this is design for a laugh, not Design for Life

15 October 2009

Philippe Starck’s BBC Two programme Design for Life is a joke and I desperately hope that none of our clients or any students of design stomach it. Starck is the worst type of stereotypical designer who fuels the world-at-large’s perception of designers as head-in-the-clouds dreamers, rather than grounded, creative professionals. Starck and this programme are damaging to our industry and no help to the students. If he thinks he is helping mentor students by acting ...

So long, Ray, you'll be a very hard act to follow

08 October 2009

Although it may seem like a mere footnote to the design industry, I know the news of the retirement of Ray Gregory - the long standing head of the BA Design course at Norwich University College of the Arts (formerly the Norwich School of Art and Design) - will affect many people within it. His retirement is a real loss to the future of the industry. Ray was at Norwich for more than 20 years and taught some of the design industry’s biggest players, including Phil Carter and ...

Bendy or not, just tell us when it's going to arrive

01 October 2009

I was intrigued to read your news about London Mayor Boris Johnson’s speech at the opening of the London Design Festival, where he restated his support for the traditional and acknowledged design’s importance to the capital’s economy (www.designweek. co.uk, 22 September). Perhaps he might like to explain, then, exactly why, since his arrival as leader of the Greater London Authority, the ‘real time’ bus information system that was so crucial in improving the service experience ...

Freelances deserve a fair reward for the profits they generate

01 October 2009

Thanks for your article on freelances and the rates of pay you’ve number-crunched for us to see (Up-skill battle, DW 17 September). It’s reassuring to see that we’ve got it right for the most part in what we charge for freelance work. The declining rates of pay also demonstrate to our clients that most designers are finding it hard to make ends meet in this current climate. The problem we face is how to manage client expectations while remaining competitive, ...

Course funding for more creative time is what's needed

24th September 2009

Regarding Glenn Tutssel’s call for three-year foundation courses to improve arts education (Voxpop, DW 17 September), I believe he is being disingenuous. This debate between specialist and generalist education has been banging on for years. My view is that art and design higher education should promote core skills and a depth of understanding in one discipline with transferable skills in other areas, while retaining completely open experimental options, usually over summer, ...

...or an opportunity for consultancies to educate clients?

17 September

Regarding the debacle of the Greater London Authority London logo tender, I believe that our industry has a couple of questions to answer.

Housing co-op work may be sustainable, but it's not design

17 September

I’m not often astonished, but reading last week’s issue I was. There was a piece on seven housing cooperatives (News, DW 27 August). Aconsultancy that designed all seven of them claims sustainability as a specialism.

Design, not user-testing, will challenge convention

Thu, 10 Sep 2009

Regarding Anna Richardson’s article Modern Hieroglyphics (DW 6 August), Gary Davis says, with reference to making symbols recognisable and conforming to an established standard, ‘But who makes that judgement? Not the designer, that’s for sure.’ (Letters, DW 20 August).

How can clients take us seriously if Boris can't?

10 September 2009

I just wanted to echo the sentiments of Lambie-Nairn and others (News, DW 3 September) about the frustrating communication - or lack of it - within the Greater London Authority.

More consistency would make Cabe's reviews even better

03rd September 2009

One area that we feel Paul Finch should focus on at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment would be the ‘design review’ process (Voxpop, DW 27 August). The purpose of these reviews is to improve the design quality of schemes at,or prior to, planning. Land Securities is supportive of these reviews and believes that there is real benefit in having a fresh, expert pair of eyes review and critique design proposals at a stage when amendments can be introduced. ...

A complementary, not competitive, resource

27th August 2009

There is ongoing debate around the perception that universities are increasingly encroaching on the work of professional design consultancies, with some taking a view that higher education institutions offer inferior design services to their commercial brethren. The report on this topic released by British Design Innovation earlier in the year (News Analysis, DW 2 April) recommended that universities and the private sector should work closer to build closer working relationships. ...

Essential Waitrose designs: more than just one meat label

27th August 2009

I’ve just seen the article ‘Brand battle hits the aisles’ (News Analysis, 13 August), which refers to our newly branded range, Essential Waitrose. I very much wish we had been given the opportunity to supply an image to represent the scope of the work we have been doing on this project. We have designed the packaging for more than 1400 products, and commissioned around 1000 illustrations. The design attention given to each pack and product area was a crucial ...

Consultation must start with some engagement

20th August 2009

I feel I must put the record straight regarding Emily Campbell’s assertions (DW 6 August) that she ‘consulted’ with the Faculty of Royal Designers on her Design & Society manifesto/pamphlet. To use the words of former Cabinet Secretary Sir Robert Armstrong, Campbell is being ‘economical with the truth’. When Campbell joined the Royal Society of Arts last year she attended a Royal Designers for Industry executive meeting to meet and get to know us, as she ...

Martin Cox sorely missed by friends and colleagues

20th August 2009

We have received the incredibly sad news that Martin Cox died on Monday 10 August, aged 42, at his family home in Slovakia. Martin was a kind, gentle man who was much loved by his family and friends and will be hugely missed. Martin worked as a designer at Williams & Phoa and Trickett & Webb before founding London graphics consultancy Blast in 1996, along with his friend and colleague Colin Gifford. He left Blast as a director in 2003, but continued to ...

...or a wake-up call for the UK design establishment?

13th August 2009

Regarding the Royal Society of Art’s Design & Society manifesto, there was no consultation ‘process’. The RDIs have been calling for a sympathetic exchange of ideas and expertise for some time, feeling, quite rightly, that many RDIs would have valuable input in matters like this that the RSA concerns itself with from time to time, without any question of resorting to ‘design by committee’. British design does need to project a position of strength, and it is precisely ...

RDI criticism of the RSA - a case of fragile egos...

13th August 2009

Sorry, but your piece on the Royal Designers for Industry, and their criticism of the Royal Society of Arts’ Design & Society manifesto (News, DW 6 August) just sounds like some Very Important People claiming not to have been treated like Very Important People. Aw, bless. I can’t believe people such as Chris Wise and Mike Dempsey sat through a presentation and didn’t use the opportunity then to ask questions or make comments. Resorting instead to this ...

Bling is in our nature - there's life in luxury yet

06th August 2009

Clare Dowdy’s feature ‘Bye-bye bling’ (DW 16 July), which examines trends in luxury brands, looks at an interesting area but comes away with the wrong conclusion. It’s not really ‘Bye-bye bling’, but more like ‘See you later’. I think it’s a bit short-sighted to call the death of opulence and the ornate just yet. Whatever the climate, it will always be human nature to want to show off success, though the accessories may change from time to time. Having said that, ...

If you're baffled by BS 8900, there's help to be had

06th August 2009

I read your article on jargon in BS 8900 with great interest (Comment, DW 16 July). It occurs to me that you might like to know that BSI publishes a handbook to accompany BS 8900, titled A Handbook for Sustainable Development. It demystifies the standard and places it in a real-world context, and it is available from our shop (http://www.bsigroup.com/en/shop). Gavin Williams, Commissioning editor, BSI, London W4

Not even archiving can stop extinction - or I'll eat my words

30th July 2009

Last week you asked the question, ‘Where is the most incongruous place your work has been displayed?’ (Voxpop, DW 23 July), following the news that design products will hang from the rafters of Borough Market during London Design Festival in the Food With Thought event. Creating the world’s largest edible poster for a British Library exhibition was the most incongruous for us. The poster was about ancient words that have become extinct. It felt incongruous, but relevant, ...

You can't claim monopoly on large vinyl numbers

30th July 2009

I write in reference to the letter titled ‘Don’t forget to credit your reference points’ from Morag Myerscough and Ian Cartlidge (DW 16 July). What incredible egos these designers have. Let’s face it, using large-scale vinyl numbers in Helvetica, or any other typeface, on coloured walls is hardly revolutionary and unique. I think Myerscough and Cartlidge have missed the point. What makes the Barbican signage (pictured below) exceptional is the fact that the numbers ...

In or out? However you source your IT, beware

23rd July 2009

A recent report, published by PA Consulting, suggested that more than 30 per cent of companies plan to outsource more of their IT capabilities over the next year. This has been denounced as corporate cost-cutting. Many feel that such a move ‘out of house’ represents a loss of creativity and control, and will lead to a decline in internal knowledge bases. However, this misses the point entirely, particularly as it applies to small and creative businesses, where ...

When you're over 50, every decade makes a difference

23rd July 2009

Reading your piece on the brand resistance of the elderly (News in Depth, DW 9 July), I wondered whether it isn’t about time we stratified the age bands of the over-50s? Grouping everyone older than 50 as one homogeneous market is short-sighted, to say the least. Age groups of ten years, somewhat similar to younger age bands, would be a start - for example, 50- to 60-year-olds, and so on, would reflect the very different thoughts and emotions of the over-50s. ...

Don't forget to credit your reference points

16th July 2009

We were astonished to see the Cardiff Central Library wayfinding project by Stills Design (Guiding touch, DW 25 June) and its striking resemblance to our Barbican Centre wayfinding system which won the Design Week Award for wayfinding in 2007. We were surprised that the similarity between the two projects wasn’t picked up. It is disappointing that the Cardiff scheme is receiving acclaim with no mention of the project that it undoubtedly attempts to replicate.

Why it takes more than one idea to get your boat afloat

16th July 2009

I’d like to respond to Simon Taylor’s comment on my branding for Manchester Water Taxis (www.designweek.co.uk, 6 July), and his suggestions that this might be a first-thing-you-thought-of solution, and also that referencing New York cabs is not relevant to travelling by boat in Manchester.

JKR's new look for Trebor is like a breath of fresh air

09th July 2009

While not a huge fan of the new Trebor mark itself (www.designweek.co.uk, 30 June), this rejuvenation will ultimately be judged on if there is an increase in sales.

...while this critic just doesn't see it in too-clever wordplay

11 June 2009

I read with interest your piece on Brand Catalyst’s identity for Keep Britain Tidy (www. designweek.co.uk, 1 June).Peter Shaw is quoted as saying the design makes the brand more flexible, but, try as I may to understand the visual reasoning behind it, all I can see is ‘Keep Brain Tidy’.Tabrez Ahmad, by e-mail 

Cooling things down could make London a friendlier capital

11 June 2009

London Underground is crying out for air conditioning, and it would be a great opportunity to showcase design ingenuity.

...but go easy on adjectives to keep readers hooked

04 June 2009

David Bernstein, as ever, makes sense in his latest Private View (DW 21 May).

The good old Copy Test should identify talent...

04 June 2009

David Bernstein’s view on the plight of today’s advertising copywriters (Private View, DW 21 May) was spot on, and raises interesting questions about the kind of writers the communications industry is recruiting. This is something the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising is seeking to address by reintroducing the advertising agency Copy Test.

It's a shame that Nottingham can't promote local talent

28 May 2009

As a director of a Nottinghambased consultancy, I read with interest your article highlighting the work of the talented London-based Belgian graphic designer Sara De Bondt (Profile, DW 30 April).

Sadly missed car brands? Don't forget the E-Type

28 May 2009

In the light of General Motors’ announcement that it is to ditch its iconic Pontiac car brand, a few weeks ago you asked, ‘Which now-defunct brand do you miss most, and why?’ (Voxpop, DW 7 May).

Let's regain some of the old-school spirit of invention

21 May 2009

I would like to second Jeremy Myerson’s view (Private View, DW 7 May) that the recession can be a real opportunity, not just for designers, but for everyone in brand development. Invention remains the daughter of necessity, and innovative businesses can turn adversity into advantage by confidently identifying new market opportunities and designing developing brands accordingly.

A little less jargon is the best approach for brands

14 May 2009

How good it was to see Michael Wolff’s comments on design jargon last week (Letters, DW 30 April).

Designers should be getting ready for the Mexican wave

14 May 2009

We designers are naturally optimistic folk, so most of us probably haven’t worried about swine flu yet.

The New Deal of the Mind couldn't be more timely

23 April 2009

Last week, you asked for suggestions in response to the request from the New Deal of the Mind coalition, soliciting proposals for potential job-creation strategies for the creative sector (Voxpop, DW 16 April).We at the Design Council welcome this coalition and stand ready to support it in any way we can. It amplifies the message that only through creativity and innovation will businesses and communities recover from the recession.It is also a reminder that now ...

Ah, those were the days - cold hands and sticky footwear

9 April 2009

What a brilliant article by Michael Peters (A lost world, DW 26 March).I started out in graphic design in the early 1970s during the three-day week - no rubbish collection, fewer jobs - and carried on through the excesses of the 1980s and 1990s.Somewhere along the line, I worked in a cow shed where we defrosted our hands in the morning in front of a Super Ser.When the type came back from the typesetters, we had to be careful and ingenious with the ...

There are no short cuts to a career in graphic design

3 January 2008

While for the most part I agree with Alan Herron’s comments (Letters, DW 6 December), I don’t care for his closing remarks - ‘On second thoughts, that’s about as much real teaching that a student on a full-time three-year course gets anyway’.Fine, Alan, have a pop at education. I don’t know where you studied graphics, but there ...