Design Week
Other

£100,000 grants for projects to help older people live independently

Fri, 11 Nov 2011

The Design Council and the Technology Strategy Board have awarded £100,000 grants to three service design projects which will help older adults live independently for longer, by offering better approaches to nutrition.

The Design Trust support organisation set to relaunch

Thu, 10 Nov 2011

The Design Trust, which provides business training and support to designers and craftspeople, is relaunching as a privately-run social enterprise.

Design industry calls on Government to protect design education

Wed, 9 Nov 2011

A group of leading designers and education experts have appealed to Education Secretary Michael Gove to keep design and technology in the National Curriculum.

RSA director of design Emily Campbell to join academies group

Tue, 8 Nov 2011

Emily Campbell, director of design at the Royal Society for Arts, is set to join the Creative Education Trust, a group which runs academies.

Voxpop - do you think a design degree is worth £9000 a year?

Thu, 3 Nov 2011

With university fees set to hit up to £9000 a year next year, new figures show that applications to art and design courses for 2012 have dropped by more than a quarter.

Jon Bailey joins Dragon Rouge as senior design director

Mon, 31 Oct 2011

Jon Bailey, formerly design director at Ziggurat Brands, is joining Dragon Rouge as senior design director.

Voxpop - who is the most inspirational public speaker you have seen?

Fri, 28 Oct 2011

Last week’s Typo London event brought design stars including Michael Bierut, Chip Kidd and Ghana’s King Bansah to the capital. Who is the most inspirational public speaker you have seen and what was so special about them?

News analysis - Cape Town appointed World Design Capital 2014

Wed, 26 Oct 2011

South African city Cape Town has been announced as the next World Design Capital by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.

DBA Design Effectiveness Award winners announced

Tue, 25 Oct 2011

The Design Business Association has announced the winners of this year’s Design Effectiveness Awards.

Government to commission design through ‘hubs’ as COI is wound down

Thu, 20 Oct 2011

The Government has unveiled plans for a series of cross-departmental hubs that will be involved in commissioning design, as it confirmed that the Central Office of Information is to be wound down by the end of next March.

News Analysis - Highlights from The British Invention Show

Wed, 19 Oct 2011

The British Invention Show, which kicks off today in London, is a beguiling mix of the serious, the potentially life-changing and the novelty.

Number of art and design students grows by a quarter - report shows

Mon, 17 Oct 2011

The number of UK creative art and design students has grown by nearly a quarter since 2003/04, according to a new report.

Voxpop – Which regions could benefit from community focussed design?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011

Studio DB recently created a 3D installation as part of the We Love Brixton scheme. Which regions do you know of that could do with some community focussed design?

Harry Pearce and Nat Hunter turn up the sustainability for D&AD annual

Fri, 7 Oct 2011

This year’s D&AD annual has been designed by Pentagram partner Harry Pearce and founding director of Airside Nat Hunter with a focus on sustainability.

News analysis - Steve Jobs’s impact on design

Thu, 6 Oct 2011

Steve Jobs probably had more impact on the way design is perceived than anyone else - and certainly more than any other non-designer.

Voxpop - Which 1970s brand would you like to revitalise?

Thu, 29 Sep 2011

Bloom has rebranded Cockburn’s port, aiming to bring back the character that made it a success in the 1970s. Which ’70s brand would you like to revitalise and why?

Method bought by software R&D group Global Logic

Tue, 27 Sep 2011

San Francisco-based consultancy Method, which has offices in London and New York, has been acquired by software research and development group Global Logic.

Neville Brody announced as D&AD president in waiting

Thu, 22 Sep 2011

Neville Brody has been announced as the incoming deputy president of D&AD, which means he will take over as president of the organisation in a year’s time.

Government calls for evidence on design rights

Wed, 21 Sep 2011

The Government has today called on the UK design community to provide information on how well the current design rights intellectual property system is working.

Ron Arad awarded London Design Medal

Tue, 20 Sep 2011

Ron Arad has been awared the 2011 London Design Medal.

RCA appoints architecture and fine art deans in school structure overhaul

Tue, 13 Sep 2011

The Royal College of Art has appointed Alex de Rijke as its dean of architecture and Ute Mata Bauer as its dean of fine art as it prepares to implement its new academic structure.

Labour accuses Government of ‘damaging the foundations’ of UK’s creative industries

Thu, 8 Sep 2011

The Labour Party has launched a national Creative Industries Network of businesses, trade bodies and other organisations and attacked the Coalition Government for its ‘damaging’ education and arts policies.

New D&AD executive committee appointed

Wed, 7 Sep 2011

Someone founder Simon Manchipp and Airside director Nat Hunter have been elected to the design seats on the D&AD executive committee.

Voxpop - Which book has inspired you most as a designer?

Fri, 2 Sep 2011

An exhibition at the Kemistry Gallery is marking 10 years since the publication of Alan Fletcher’s book the Art of Looking Sideways. Which book has inspired you most as a designer?

Hidden Art closes due to lack of funding

Tue, 30 Aug 2011

Organisation Hidden Art, which promotes the work of designers and designer-makers, is to close at the end of next month due to a lack of funding.

Branded at WMH offer brings together two Loewy agencies

Fri, 26 Aug 2011

Loewy Group consultancies Branded and Williams Murray Hamm have launched collaborative offer Branded at WMH, which will see the agencies work together on specific projects.

WPP profits up by 37 per cent

Wed, 24 Aug 2011

WPP has reported a 37 per cent rise in pre-tax profits for the first half of the year, compared with the first half of 2010.

Design Council launches dementia challenge

Tue, 16 Aug 2011

The Design Council and the Department of Health have launched a £360 000 competition to develop designs to help improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers.

Voxpop - Which overseas retail brand would you like to see come to the UK?

Thu, 11 Aug 2011

US fashion brand Forever 21 has opened its first British stores. Which overseas retail brand would you like to see brought to the UK?

Voxpop - What was your most enjoyable client consultation process

Thu, 28 Jul 2011

Tangent Graphic consulted with professional athletes when developing its pictograms for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Which client consultation process have you found most enjoyable and why?

Lloyd Northover and Holmes & Marchant brought together in new structure

Fri, 22 Jul 2011

Media Square is bringing together its design consultancies Lloyd Northover, Holmes & Marchant UK and Holmes & Marchant Asia Pacific to form the new Holmes & Marchant Group.

News analysis: The Made in Britain logo

Tue, 19 Jul 2011

The Made in Britain identity project has certainly been a PR triumph for kitchen company Stoves, which is behind the initiative and has got its name into pretty much every local and national paper in the UK. Some observers, however, have questioned whether the resulting logo is a fitting marque for UK design and even whether such a logo is needed at all.

Former Selfridges boss Vittorio Radice joins Conran

Mon, 27 Jun 2011

Former Selfridges chief executive Vittorio Radice is joining Conran Holdings as a non-executive director.

Government scraps Central Office of Information

Fri, 24 Jun 2011

The Central Office of Information, the Government’s main procurer of design, is to be scrapped.

The Chase completes Cannes Lions hat-trick

Thu, 23 Jun 2011

The Chase has bagged gold, silver and bronze Design Lions at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival.

Tim Lindsay to take over at D&AD

Mon, 20 Jun 2011

Tim Lindsay has been appointed as the new chief executive of D&AD and will take over from Tim O’Kennedy in August.

Typo London takes its place on the conference calendar

16 June 2011

King Bansah and Julian Zimmermann billed for Typo London

Student designs aim to tackle cashpoint crime

Wed, 15 Jun 2011

Students and staff at the Design Against Crime Research Centre at Central St Martins College of Art and Design have developed a series of projects that aim to reduce incidences of crime at cash machines.

Leeds loops the Loop as new arts fair promotes creativity

9 June 2011

The Loop Arts Fair, which is launching in Leeds this month, will see a host of illustrators, designers and artists transform a city-centre mill into working studios, print shops, publishing houses and workshops.

Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden among Design Council trustees

Tue, 7 Jun 2011

The Design Council has announced its new board of trustees, which features Simon Waterfall of Fray alongside Wayne Hemingway and businesswoman Deborah Meaden of BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den fame.

Creative Choice consortium bags central Government contract

Tue, 31 May 2011

The Creative Choice consortium, which features design consultancies Bell, Bentley Holland and the Domarn Group alongside integrated groups Brass and Kindred, among others, has been appointed as the Department for Education’s creative services supplier.

Loewy launches Loewy Unlimited collaborative offer

Thu, 26 May 2011

Group Loewy, which operates consultancies including Seymour Powell, Williams Murray Hamm and The Team, has formalised its cross-consultancy collaborative offer with the launch of new agency Loewy Unlimited.

Media Square is back to revenue growth

Tue, 24 May 2011

Media Square has reported a 15 per cent rise in revenues from last year, compared with the 23 per cent year-on-year drop it experienced in 2010.

Design Management Institute appoints new president

Mon, 23 May 2011

Karen Reuther has been appointed as the next president of US-based industry body the Design Management Institute.

WPP reports revenue rise

Thu, 28 Apr 2011

WPP says its reported revenues were up by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 from the last quarter of 2010, to stand at £2.223bn.

V&A appoints new director and head for Dundee project

Thu, 21 Apr 2011

Professor Martin Roth, director general of the Dresden State Art Collections, has been named as the new director of the Victoria & Albert Museum, replacing current director Sir Mark Jones.

Acid to launch digital intellectual property tracker

Tue, 19 Apr 2011

Organisation Anti Copying in Design is set to launch an intellectual property tracker, which it says will be a ‘simple, cost-effective digital method of tracking delivery of IP-led and confidential information’.

New York design school launches festival

Mon, 18 Apr 2011

New York-based design institute Parsons The New School for Design has launched a festival that will take place in May.

Brand Union and Lambie-Nairn work on Cannes Also show

Fri, 8 Apr 2011

WPP consultancies The Brand Union and Lambie-Nairn are working on the selection and exhibition designs for the Cannes Also exhibition at this year’s Cannes Lions festival in June.

2011 James Dyson Award open for entries

Tue, 5 Apr 2011

Entries are being sought for the 2011 James Dyson Award, which challenges young designers and engineers to develop problem-solving inventions.

Design Council examines future of design review

Fri, 1 Apr 2011

The Design Council is launching a consultation on the future of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment’s design review, on the day the Design Council and Cabe officially merge and assume charitable status.

MPs say public spending cuts could be ‘disastrous’ for the arts

Mon, 28 Mar 2011

A ‘double-whammy’ of local authority cutbacks and spending reductions from the Arts Council could force arts organisations across the country to close, MPs have warned.

Design Council seeks new trustees following Cabe merger

Tue, 22 Mar 2011

The Design Council is looking to appoint five or six new trustees to join a ‘trust board’ following its merger with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment that takes effect from 1 April.

Government Communications Centre to replace COI

Fri, 18 Mar 2011

A new Government Communications Centre that would replace the Central Office of Information has been proposed.

Government funding cut for arts institutions

Thu, 17 Mar 2011

The University for the Creative Arts has had its annual central Government funding slashed by 7.8 per cent in the latest round of grant allocations from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

D&AD launches Graduate Academy

Tue, 15 Mar 2011

D&AD is launching the Graduate Academy initiative, which aims to help design graduates find work and gain industry experience.

Deborah Dawton takes over as president of Beda

Mon, 14 Mar 2011

Design Business Association chief executive Deborah Dawton has taken the helm as president of the Bureau of European Design Associations.

Entries open for Inclusive Design Challenge

Thu, 10 Mar 2011

This year’s Inclusive Design Challenge, organised by the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art, is currently accepting entries for the 24-hour-challenge, which will take place on 18 April.

New Ideo consultancy to use design to tackle poverty

Tue, 8 Mar 2011

Ideo has launched a new social innovation consultancy which aims to address poverty through design projects.

WPP reports ‘remarkable’ recovery as profits jump

Fri, 4 Mar 2011

WPP has reported a 28.5 per cent rise in profits before tax in 2010, which it describes as ‘a year of significant recovery’.

Brit Insurance category award winners unveiled

Mon, 28 Feb 2011

The seven category winners of the Brit Insurance Design Awards have been announced. They include London’s Barclays Cycle Hire, winner in the Transport category, and personalised magazine app Flipboard, by Mike McCue and Evan Doll, which won in the Interactive category.

Design Council and Cabe confirm merger

Fri, 11 Feb 2011

The Design Council and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment have confirmed that they are to merge from 1 April.

Mentor team put together for Design Ventura

Fri, 4 Feb 2011

A mentoring team has been put in place to work with Year 10 pupils from Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College in London, who have won the Design Museum’s Design Ventura initiative.

Wiltshire Design Network launches

Mon, 31 Jan 2011

The Wiltshire Design Network is looking to put a management and organisational structure in place following its launch.

Baroness Wilcox says Cabe announcement is ‘imminent’

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Baroness Wilcox, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, says an announcement on the future of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which is expected to merge with the Design Council, is ‘imminent’.

Wellcome Collection blockbuster dishes dirt on reality of everyday life

27 January 2011

Design Week publishes Hot 50

Tue, 25 Jan 2011

Tomorrow sees the publication of Design Week’s 2011 Hot 50 – the latest round-up of people, movements and organisations that went beyond the distance for design during the previous 12 months.

Design Week Top 100 open for entries

Mon, 24 Jan 2011

Applications are now open for the 2011 Design Week Top 100 Consultancy Survey.

Design Week Top 100 open for entries

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Applications are now open for the 2011 Design Week Top 100 Consultancy Survey.

Think Public works on Barnet prototyping system

Thu, 13 Jan 2011

Think Public has been working with Barnet Council to develop a new prototyping system that can be used to build new public services.

Letter by letter

13 January 2011

Harrison & Co has designed the cover art for a series of Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment albums on its newly launched label OAE Released. The first album, Monteverdi Vespers, is released on 31 January. Consultancy creative director Chris Harrison says, ’The artwork for the range of CDs is based on using and illustrating a single letter for each CD. Over time the collection will build into an alphabet.’

BDI chief executive Maxine Horn to step down

Fri, 7 Jan 2011

Maxine Horn, the founder director of British Design Innovation, is to step down from her role as chief executive of the organisation.

Electrolux launches ‘intelligent mobility’ design challenge

Fri, 7 Jan 2011

The Electrolux Design Lab 2011 competition is inviting industrial design students and recent industrial design graduates to submit ideas that consider intelligent mobility within home appliances.

Elmwood’s Jonathan Sands receives OBE

Wed, 5 Jan 2011

Elmwood chairman Jonathan Sands has received an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

Merry Christmas: Design Week online to return on 5 January

Wed, 22 Dec 2010

This is the final Design Week newsletter for 2010.

Chartered Society of Designers approves charter change

Mon, 20 Dec 2010

The Chartered Society of Designers has approved plans to amend its Royal Charter to allow it to set up a register of chartered designers.

Ideas sought for Cornwall Big Design Challenge

Fri, 17 Dec 2010

Cornwall’s Big Design Challenge, run by Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is seeking local issues that can be tackled through design.

Bean there

16 December 2010

As they continue their inexorable colonisation of our high streets, the major coffee chains are experimenting with new store concepts to maintain their addictive appeal to an increasingly design-savvy public. Emily Gosling reports

Managing and creative director Hugo Eccles leaves Studio Conran

Wed, 15 Dec 2010

D&AD and The One Club launch Pencil Rankings

Tue, 14 Dec 2010

D&AD has partnered with advertising and design organisation The One Club to launch a new Pencil Rankings system, aimed at ‘identifying the absolute leaders in creativity internationally’.

More than half of design employees want to change jobs next year, report shows

Thu, 9 Dec 2010

Nearly 56 per cent of employees in the design and digital industries intend to change jobs within a year, a new report shows, compared to 38 per cent in 2009.

Design Council in exploratory partnership talks with Cabe

9th December 2010

The Design Council and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment have been in ’exploratory’ discussions about a potential partnership between the two organisations.

Management moves at Lambie-Nairn signal global shifts

9th December 2010

Clive Grinyer, David Archer and Zena Martin join RSA trustee board

Tue, 7 Dec 2010

Clive Grinyer, David Archer and Zena Martin have all been brought on to the trustee board of the Royal Society of Arts.

Designed in Devon launches regional chapters

Fri, 3 Dec 2010

Designed in Devon, which is part of the South West Design Forum, has set up three local chapters and is seeking to establish more.

Client of the Year BHF heads 2010 Benchmarks winners

2nd December 2010

Richard Clayton joins Coley Porter Bell as design director

Tue, 30 Nov 2010

Coley Porter Bell has appointed Richard Clayton as design director.

DBA online directory launches

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

The Design Business Association has launched its online database of DBA-registered design groups, in a move which aims to speed up and simplify the pitch process.

A rebalancing act

25 November 2010

The Mayor of London has previously championed the role of public investment in developing the capital’s cultural life, but a new strategy document hints at a cost-driven change of approach. Tom Banks looks at the implications for design

Sheffield conference aims to explore the art of sketching

25 November 2010

Design Week Creative Survey set to be unveiled

Tue, 23 Nov 2010

Creative award wins are important to consultancies, but necessary for clients, according to Design Week’s 2010 Creative Survey.

Jerwood Makers Open programme launches

Mon, 22 Nov 2010

Jerwood Visual Arts is launching the Jerwood Makers Open initiative, an annual exhibition series that aims to support and showcase new work by emerging artists in the applied arts.

Paul Smith joins Landor as creative director

Fri, 19 Nov 2010

Landor London has appointed Paul Smith, former design director at Interbrand, as creative director.

Identica parent group Cossette restructures

Thu, 18 Nov 2010

Identica’s parent company Cossette Group is to be renamed Esprit de Corps in the UK as part of a global restructure.

COI head of creative services takes redundancy as organisation awaits its fate

Wed, 17 Nov 2010

Fanny Sigler, head of creative services at the Central Office of Information, has taken voluntary redundancy as the organisation anticipates a decision on its future, Design Week understands.

Sir Terence Conran named Royal Designer for Industry

Wed, 17 Nov 2010

Conference promotes social study and collaboration

18 November 2010

A new book argues that with the growth of the digital and interactive worlds, designers are moving away from simply being creators of material products to becoming a new breed of anthropologist - studying human relations, rituals and habits to develop inspiration for designs.

Gringo groomers

18 November 2010

Leveraging its creativity could help Mexico escape the economic shadow cast by the US, but can UK consultancies such as Lambie-Nairn - about to open an office in the nation’s capital - help it realise that goal? Emily Gosling reports

Neville Brody plans name change for Royal College of Art department

Mon, 15 Nov 2010

Neville Brody, incoming head of the Royal College of Art’s Department of Communication Art and Design, has announced plans to rename it the Department of Visual Communications and Moving Image.

Intellectual property laws to be reviewed

Thu, 11 Nov 2010

An independent review is being launched into how the UK’s intellectual property system can better drive growth and innovation.

Identica appoints Sam Stone to 'raise creative standards

11 November 2010

Identica has appointed Sam Stone to the newly created role of creative director.

Bill Moggridge honoured with Prince Philip Designers Prize

Wed, 10 Nov 2010

Cities sought for World Design Capital 2014 title

Mon, 8 Nov 2010

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design is seeking applications from cities that want to be World Design Capital 2014.

Government plans return of guilds and new craft award

Thu, 28 Oct 2010

Skills Minister John Hayes has signalled a re-emergence of guilds to promote skills and announced plans for a new award for excellence in crafts.

St Etienne Design Biennale to show vision of the future

27 October 2010

British designers are contributing to this year’s 2010 Saint Etienne International Design Biennale in France, where the pervading theme will be ’teleportation’.

Design Council prepares for new charity status

Wed, 20 Oct 2010

Design Council chief executive David Kester says the decision to turn the organisation into a charity means the way it carries out its functions will be ’very different’.

Gaming shapes up

20 October 2010

Computer games have undergone a revolution, with gamers able to burn the calories as they play, while developments in motion-sensor technology are set to herald a new era in interactive fitness. Angus Montgomery reports

David Godber to leave Design Council

Tue, 19 Oct 2010

David Godber, deputy chief executive of the Design Council, is to leave the organisation in December.

Design Week Awards entry deadline extended

Fri, 15 Oct 2010

The deadline for entries to the 2011 Design Week Awards has been extended until Thursday 28 October.

Work Foundation to research growth strategies for design

Thu, 14 Oct 2010

The Work Foundation is set to launch a research project which will aim to pinpoint how to create ’explosive growth’ in the UK creative industries, including design.

Adam Ellis joins Elmwood from Coley Porter Bell

Wed, 13 Oct 2010

Coley Porter Bell design director Adam Ellis (pictured) is set to join Elmwood’s London office in the newly created role of creative director.

Sir Philip Green recommends centralised Government procurement to cut spend

Tue, 12 Oct 2010

Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green has recommended that the Government centralises some procurement and ‘leverages its name, its credit rating and its buying power’ in his review of Government spending.

Naresh Ramchandani joins Pentagram’s London office as partner

Fri, 8 Oct 2010

Naresh Ramchandani has been appointed as the eighth partner in Pentagram’s London office, and is the first advertising and communications partner in the consultancy’s history.

DBA Design Effectiveness Awards shortlist unveiled

Thu, 7 Oct 2010

A total of 47 consultancies have won 2010 Design Business Association Design Effectiveness Awards.

Fact seeks interactive groups for new-build developments

7 October 2010

The director of the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Mike Stubbs is set to announce his search for the commission of interactive interventions which will be integrated into new-build developments at sites adjacent to the organisation’s premises in Liverpool.

Ron Cregan leaves Navyblue to take AIG and Construct roles

Wed, 6 Oct 2010

Ron Cregan has left his position as strategy director at Navyblue to take up strategic director positions at consultancies Applied Information Group and Construct.Cregan (pictured) will obtain an undisclosed equity in both companies, and will split his time equally between the two.

Interbrand looks to expand Indian presence

Wed, 6 Oct 2010

Interbrand has opened a Mumbai office ahead of a raft of appointments as it looks to strengthen its position in India.

City University seeks consultancies for design roster

Tue, 5 Oct 2010

City University in London is seeking design groups for a roster that will cover print and digital work.

2011 Design Week Awards judges announced

Thu, 30 Sep 2010

Nina Jenkins, head of branding at Virgin Atlantic Airlines, has joined the line-up of judges for the 2011 Design Week Awards.

Liverpool Design Symposium rebrands as Design Symposium North

Wed, 29 Sep 2010

Liverpool Design Symposium is rebranding as Design Symposium North to become a regional event for the North West, held in both Liverpool and Manchester.

Creatives to discuss London’s future at RCA conference

Mon, 27 Sep 2010

The Royal College of Art’s Innovation Centre is bringing together a  panel of design experts including Richard Seymour of Seymour Powell to discuss how the creative sector can help shape London’s future.

Ed Vaizey says Design Council review is ‘very positive’

Thu, 23 Sep 2010

Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, says the review of the future role and status of the Design Council is ’very positive’.

To the barricades

23 September 2010

As the art and design world braces itself for the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review next month, Angus Montgomery reports on some recently launched campaigns that are fighting back against funding cuts in the sector

Dott Cornwall unveils its final major project

Wed, 22 Sep 2010

Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will launch the Big Design Challenge in October, which will invite communities to identify and tackle local issues by co-developing their ideas with designers and entrepreneurs.

Thomas Heatherwick awarded London Design Medal

Mon, 20 Sep 2010

Thomas Heatherwick is set to receive the London Design Medal at a ceremony tonight.

Creative Barcode software unveiled to protect designers from intellectual property theft

16 September 2010

New software application Creative Barcode is launching, which claims to allow designers pitching for work to guard against intellectual property theft.

Shortlist unveiled for Prince Philip design prize

Wed, 15 Sep 2010

Graphic designers Neville Brody and Margaret Calvert, furniture designer John Makepeace and industrial designer Bill Moggridge are all in the running for this year’s Prince Philip Designers Prize.

New D&AD executive committee appointed

Tue, 14 Sep 2010

Vince Frost, Neville Brody and GBH’s Mark Bonner have been elected to the design seats on the D&AD executive committee.

Guide to the Anti Design Festival published

Tue, 14 Sep 2010

A guide to the Anti Design Festival, featuring a map of events created by ADF curator Neville Brody, will be published with Design Week this week.

Technology Strategy Board seeks ‘disruptive’ ideas

Thu, 9 Sep 2010

The Technology Strategy Board is launching a competition to find ‘disruptive’ solutions to challenges in the areas of energy, digital, healthcare and sustainability.

SCDF restructures to cope with cutbacks

9 September 2010

The South Coast Design Forum is introducing a new business model and seeking new premises as it aims to move from being reliant on funding to providing its own revenue.

Sanky outlines ambitions for D&AD presidency

Wed, 8 Sep 2010

Simon ’Sanky’ Sankarayya will provide the ’glue’ between advertising and design, he says, when he becomes D&AD president next Tuesday evening.

Multiple British Design Embassies to launch at LDF

Wed, 8 Sep 2010

The London Design Embassy is to be augmented and renamed as the British Design Embassy for this year’s London Design Festival, organiser UK Trade & Investment has confirmed.

Dyson and Sorrell ‘to advise Government on business’

Mon, 6 Sep 2010

Ten Downing Street says it is set to make a statement confirming details of David Cameron’s new business advisory board.

Neighbourhood Watch to be rebranded in Design Council project

Thu, 2 Sep 2010

The Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, which is the national association for Neighbourhood Watch groups, is being rebranded and will have its service design overhauled in a project run by the Design Council.

Suffolk joins European driveto push C2C design thinking

2 September 2010

Suffolk County Council has linked up with engineering and environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning as part of a Europe-wide project that aims to promote cradle-to-cradle design.

Key industry figures attempt to define design

Tue, 31 Aug 2010

Leading industry figures will offer their definition of design in tomorrow’s issue of Design Week.

Red Bee Media head of design Jeff Conrad leaves

Wed, 25 Aug 2010

Jeff Conrad has left Red Bee Media, where he was head of design, as the consultancy prepares for reorganisation and expansion.

WPP pre-tax profits up 36 per cent

Tue, 24 Aug 2010

WPP has seen a 36 per cent increase in pre-tax profits in the first half of this year, compared with the first half of 2009.

More public sector suppliers going bust

Mon, 23 Aug 2010

The number of businesses supplying goods and services to the public sector going bust has risen by nearly half in the past year, according to research.

Marksteen Adamson questions ‘creative director’ tag

Tue, 17 Aug 2010

Arthur Steen Horne Adamson’s creative director Marksteen Adamson questions his own job title in Design Week’s upcoming Insight feature.

Michael Grade and Wayne Hemingway to speak at Bristol Media event

Fri, 13 Aug 2010

Design luminaries Wayne Hemingway and Nicolas Roope will join business development consultant Blair Enns and broadcast executive Michael Grade as keynote speakers for design network Bristol Media’s conference Vision.

Tim O’Kennedy and Javier Mariscal to speak at Design Yatra

Thu, 12 Aug 2010

India’s largest design conference Design Yatra has announced the speakers at its event, which will be held on 3-4 September in Mumbai.

Prospect works on Design Business Association online directory

Wed, 11 Aug 2010

The Design Business Association is preparing to launch its online database of design groups on a website designed by Prospect, which will also revamp the DBA’s main website.

New school ties

12 August 2010

The Government’s ’free schools’ initiative could lead to a greater variety of schools being set up and to more diversity in school branding. Angus Montgomery goes back to the classroom to see for himself

BBC to appoint seven to creative services roster

Fri, 6 Aug 2010

The BBC has clarified that it currently has nine consultancies on its creative services roster and it will appoint up to seven under its new roster, which is currently at PQQ stage.

BBC slashes creative roster by more than half

Wed, 4 Aug 2010

The BBC stands to slash its creative services roster to less than half of its original size.

Olympian canvas

5 August 2010

London 2012 has so far emerged unscathed by Government cuts, with design briefs still being put out to tender and the concepts that have already made it past the commissioning stage approaching realisation. Tom Banks reports

Fitzrovia Village to launch during LDF

Mon, 2 Aug 2010

The Fitzrovia Village initiative, which describes itself as ‘a loosely grouped organisation of design-led retail venues’, will launch during this year’s London Design Festival.

CBI aims to develop findings into policy recommendations

29 July 2010

Business lobbying group the Confederation of British Industry says its report Creating Growth: A Blueprint for the Creative Industries will be developed into detailed policy recommendations over the coming year.

Land of plenty

29 July 2010

Oman is embarking on a drive to divert its economy away from oil and towards tourism. Emily Pacey talks to designers already working in the sultanate, and finds a country offering huge potential for UK consultancies looking to expand

100% Design picks Julieann Humphryes as first non-executive chairwoman

Tue, 27 Jul 2010

100% Design has appointed its first non-executive chairwoman, in the shape of Philippe Starck-founded interiors and property group Yoo’s creative director Julieann Humphryes.

Rodney Fitch to head up new WPP group The Hub

Wed, 21 Jul 2010

Rodney Fitch has taken the helm of a new WPP consortium within a month of finally relinquishing the chairmanship of Fitch.

BBC re-tenders creative services roster

Wed, 21 Jul 2010

The BBC has published a pre-qualification questionnaire as it prepares to re-tender its creative services roster.

Milton Keynes forum holds first meeting

22 July 2010

The newly formed Milton Keynes Design Forum will have its first meeting tomorrow, which its founder says will set the agenda for the group.

Report sets out energy-saving challenges to design industry

22 July 2010

A cross-industry workshop has developed a series of proposals for making homes more energy efficient, and is calling on designers and others to take the ideas forward.

Future of Design Council under review

Mon, 19 Jul 2010

The Government has called a review of ‘the future role and status’ of the Design Council.

New creative apprenticeships scheme for Wales

Thu, 15 Jul 2010

Creative & Cultural Skills is launching a new programme of creative apprenticeships in Wales

The art of clubbing

15 July 2010

Budding designers have long cut their teeth on music flyers, but until now little has been done to archive this ephemeral art. With a new museum set to open, Angus Montgomery examines the relationship between clubs and creativity

Jason Bruges Studio creates Olympic racing bridge

Thu, 8 Jul 2010

Jason Bruges Studio is working on two underpasses and a bridge for the London 2012 Olympic Park, with the bridge featuring an installation that will enable visitors to ‘race’ Olympic athletes.

Dott Cornwall collaborates with University College Falmouth on sustainable transport project

8 July 2010

The second Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly showcase project is a collaboration with University College Falmouth that will aim to develop a sustainable transport system for Falmouth.

DBA brings The Edge back for 2010

Fri, 2 Jul 2010

The Design Business Association is running its The Edge event for the second time, with the theme this year being ‘for love or money’.

David Worthington becomes Designersblock chairman

Wed, 30 Jun 2010

David Worthington is to join exhibition group Designersblock as chairman.

Design undergraduates shine in 2010 D&AD Student Awards

1 July 2010

This year’s D&AD Student Awards have once again punched a window into the world of design undergraduate talent. The 2010 awards saw students answer briefs set by sponsors including Ikea, Channel 4 and Nokia, with a UK team bagging the top Student of the Year accolade.

Liverpool academic proposes design education changes

Tue, 29 Jun 2010

Apprenticeships could be brought back in typography, and art and design teaching could be funded through VAT on goods created by the creative industries, a Liverpool academic has proposed

Design Council Designing Demand scheme to continue after RDAs go

Fri, 25 Jun 2010

The Design Council says its Designing Demand programme will continue, despite the Government announcing it will scrap the regional development agencies that deliver the scheme.

Concerns remain despite ‘small business-friendly’ Budget

Wed, 23 Jun 2010

A number of measures in the Government’s Emergency Budget have been highlighted as benefiting small businesses, including those in design, but there are concerns over some tax rises.

LFA and LDF organisers discuss possible collaboration to coincide with London 2012

24 June 2010

The London Festival of Architecture and the London Design Festival have discussed possible collaborations in 2012 - the year the Olympic Games come to London.

Benchmarks judging panel unveiled

Fri, 18 Jun 2010

The judges for the 2010 Design Week Benchmarks awards have been announced.

UK Design Alliance recalibrates and relaunches

Wed, 16 Jun 2010

The UK Design & Skills Alliance is dropping the word ’skills’ from its name and has announced a new advisory board chaired by David Worthington, as it prepares to broaden its remit.

Artists and designers recognised in Birthday Honours list

Mon, 14 Jun 2010

Artist Paula Rego, Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon, Green buildings expert Bill Dunster and fashion photographer Nick Knight are among those recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Centre for Competitive Creative Design to reveal results

Mon, 14 Jun 2010

Results from the Centre for Competitive Creative Design will be presented on 28 June to show how London College of Communication and Cranfield University are producing ‘practical and conceptual’ research, according to institution directors.

Step into the past

10 June 2010

GF Smith is offering a glimpse of the goodies in its archive in a London show, and more and more design collections are opening their doors to the public. Laura Snoad looks at where to go to find inspiration from our rich heritage

Johnston Works and SVI Design bag European Design Awards

Thu, 3 Jun 2010

British consultancies Johnston Works and SVI Design have both picked up silver awards at the 2010 European Design Awards.

Bureau of European Design takes on EC challenge

Wed, 2 Jun 2010

The European Commission has tasked the Bureau of European Design Associations with creating a series of proposals that could influence design policy over the next few years.

Imagination claims first place in Design Week Top 100

Wed, 26 May 2010

Imagination has maintained its first-place spot in the Design Week Top 100 survey, despite an 11 per cent drop in fee-income over the past year.

Hotel conference addresses the next decade's challenges

27 May 2010

Forecasters are saying turbulence and uncertainty in the coming decade will present hotels with new problems for design to challenge and change.

Royal Society of Arts launches spinal injuries programme

Mon, 24 May 2010

The Royal Society of Arts is launching a pilot scheme in which leading designers will give basic design training to spinal injury patients, possibly helping them to create their own products and services.

Design Museum launches initiative for schoolchildren

Fri, 21 May 2010

Sebastian Conran is to unveil plans for Design Ventura, an initiative run by the Design Museum to develop student creativity in a real-world context.

Design industry welcomes Vince Cable's Government appointment

Thu, 20 May 2010

Design industry observers say former Liberal Democrat economic spokesman Vince Cable’s appointment as Secretary of State for Business Innovation & Skills bodes well for the sector.

2010 London Design Festival aims for international appeal

20 May 2010

Programme details are emerging for this year’s London Design Festival, which LDF director Ben Evans says will ’include activities from all over the world’.

Michael Johnson and Wolfgang Weingart talk at St Bride event

Tue, 18 May 2010

Johnson Banks co-founder Michael Johnson and typographer Wolfgang Weingart will speak about a growing trend toward self-initiated design projects at this year’s St Bride Conference in London next week.

London Design Festival to bring robot octopus to Trafalgar Square

Fri, 14 May 2010

Trafalgar Square is to play host to a giant ‘mechanical octopus’ as part of this year’s London Design Festival.

Leading by design

13 May 2010

Pop-up stores, anechoic chambers and sustainable bags are just some of the initiatives being adopted by major brands repositioning themselves to cope with changing markets. Tom Banks investigates these design-led strategies

CSD delays bid for design certification

Wed, 12 May 2010

The Chartered Society of Designers is postponing its application to professionally certify designers, following a meeting with regulating body the Privy Council, Design Week understands.

EC launches paper on future of Europe's creative industries

6 May 2010

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the development of Europe’s creative industries. It is asking designers and other creative professionals to comment on ways to improve funding, skills and clustering.

WWF and Tetra Pak in hunt for Green ideas

Tue, 4 May 2010

Tetra Pak and WWF UK have launched a competition to generate ideas that encourage the public to buy environmentally friendly products.

WPP says its branding sector has seen biggest growth

Fri, 30 Apr 2010

WPP says its branding and identity, healthcare and specialist communications sector has recovered the most quickly, as the group released its quarterly trading update.

Native Design fined for unlicensed software use

Thu, 29 Apr 2010

Native Design has agreed an out-of-court settlement with the Business Software Alliance for £24 000 following an investigation into claims the consultancy had been using unlicensed software.

CMI report puts management approaches in the spotlight

29 April 2010

Some 60 per cent of the workforce in the creative industries believe the prevailing management style is ’negative’, according to a new survey commissioned by the Chartered Management Institute.

Think Public works with housing association residents on 'skill-sharing space' co-design project

29 April 2010

Consultancy Think Public is working with residents at a housing association block in Plymouth in a co-design project to create a ’skill-sharing space’ in the house.

Bristol Media launches creative mentoring service

22 April 2010

Creative network Bristol Media has launched a mentoring system, whereby leading creative entrepreneurs will be able to offer tailored advice both online and face-to-face.

Party poopers

22 April 2010

The election manifestos of the main political parties contain scant pickings for design, and commentators are also concerned about the collective failure to address the gaping hole in public finances. Angus Montgomery reports

Cultural Olympiad provides opportunities for designers

Tue, 13 Apr 2010

Opportunities for designers have been highlighted in the upcoming Cultural Olympiad, which will run alongside the London 2012 Games

Pentagram alumni launch Dowling Duncan consultancy

Wed, 7 Apr 2010

Nottinghamshire-based consultancy Dowling Design & Art Direction has joined together with Rob Duncan Design, based in San Francisco in the US, to launch new consultancy Dowling Duncan.

Organza project launched to explore creativity in Europe

08 April 2010

Institutions across Europe will be asking what they can learn from each other’s creative industries with the launch of new research project Organza.

COI claims flexible procurement process addresses design concerns

Wed, 31 Mar 2010

The Central Office of Information says perceptions of it as a ’bullying’ state monopoly are wide of the mark, as it unveils a new flexible procurement process.

Robot Food kicks off anti-free pitch drive

01 April 2010

Driven by a request for an unpaid creative pitch to a petfood company, consultancy Robot Food is launching its No Free Pitching campaign.

Recessions, networking and training feature in Design Council debate

Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Tom Dixon, Studio Dempsey’s Mike Dempsey and Shan Preddy of Preddy & Co were among the panelists at the Design Council’s debate this morning, discussing the merits of recessions, training and networking.

Reactions to the Budget

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

The design industry is broadly welcoming the help for small businesses unveiled in the Budget yesterday.

Dott event to work on agenda for Cornwall programme

25 March 2010

The think-tank event being run this week by Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will influence the direction of Dott’s programme over the next year, according to Dott programme director Andrea Siodmok.

Bell Design to represent the industry at Shanghai Expo

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

UK Trade & Investment has selected Bell Design to represent UK design at Expo 2010 Shanghai China, ahead of the opening of the consultancy’s new office in Beijing.

Barry Seal leaves Anthem Worldwide

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Anthem Worldwide managing director Barry Seal is leaving at the end of the month to set up a creative business mentoring consultancy called Vitamin B.

Nicolas Mamier joins Appetite as MD

Fri, 19 Mar 2010

Appetite has appointed former Elmwood managing director Europe and Middle East Nicolas Mamier as its new managing director.

Body Shop looks to recruit new global creative director after departure of Nikki Austen

18 March 2010

The Body Shop International is recruiting for the role of global creative director, in the wake of Nikki Austen’s departure in January.

Sowing the party line

18 March 2010

James Dyson’s Ingenious Britain report for the Conservative Party has thrown the spotlight firmly on the role of design in future Government policy thinking. Laura Snoad sounds out senior figures from the industry for their responses

Caroline Felton to head up Creative & Cultural Skills

Thu, 11 Mar 2010

Caroline Felton has been appointed as interim chief executive of Creative & Cultural Skills.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation briefs Think Public to provide design support to social projects

11 March 2010

London- and Lisbon-based charity the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has commissioned Think Public to provide design support for a number of upcoming social projects.

James Dyson calls for Design Council review in Tory party report

Tue, 9 Mar 2010

James Dyson has called for a review of the ‘funding, objectives and impact’ of the Design Council in a report commissioned by the Conservative Party.

WPP profits down after ‘brutal’ year

Fri, 5 Mar 2010

WPP’s profits before tax fell by 16.1 per cent to £812m following what the group describes as a ‘brutal’ 2009.

DBA to launch approved list of design suppliers

Wed, 3 Mar 2010

The Design Business Association is set to launch an approved list of design suppliers - the DBA Design Directory - which clients will be able to access for free.

Something From Us creates Cornish brand for Dott

Wed, 3 Mar 2010

Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has appointed London consultancy Something From Us as senior design producer for branding project From Cornwall with Love.

British Design Innovation works on 'device' to monetise design's contribution to the bottom line

04 March 2010

British Design Innovation is working on a piece of technology which will be capable of tracking the financial benefits of design thinking for client companies.

Four vie to be UK City of Culture

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Birmingham, Derry, Norwich and Sheffield will compete to become the UK’s first City of Culture in 2013.

Designers sought for school entrepreneur programmes

25 February 2010

As entrepreneurship becomes the buzzword for successful design education, industry professionals are increasingly being sought out to teach real-world business skills in schools.

Glasgow students win Audi Sustain Our Nation contest

Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Students from The Glasgow School of Art have won top prize in the Sustain Our Nation contest with a project to connect residents on Glasgow’s Wyndford estate by helping them to create interest groups across generations.

New Frontiers launches Green events and Web push

11 February 2010

Product and interior specialists seeking to create sustainable designs will soon have access to information, courtesy of start-up initiative New Frontiers. Based in Manchester, New Frontiers is poised to roll out a website, seminar programme, a major awards scheme and accompanying exhibition.

Membership rewards

04 February 2010

The CSD wants design to follow other professions and gain chartered status. Emily Pacey looks at how this might work

Tories would be bad for design industry, poll suggests

Thu, 28 Jan 2010

More than three-quarters of respondents to a Design Week poll believe a Conservative Government would be bad for the design industry.

Universities and consultancies meet to discuss link-ups

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

More than 60 universities and design consultancies will meet next month to discuss how to support each other’s commercial interests withoutfalling into competition.

Design Week Top 100 open for entries

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

The entry form for the 2010 Design Week Top 100 is now available on the Design Week website.

Designers ‘need a union’, says DW poll

21 January 2010

More than 70 per cent of Design Week readers believe the design industry needs a trade union, according to a DW poll.

Tories vow to slash advertising spend

Fri, 15 Jan 2010

The Conservatives would slash spending on Government advertising straight away if they won this year’s General Election, shadow chancellor George Osborne says.

Jeremy Myerson leaves InnovationRCA to focus on Helen Hamlyn Centre

Thu, 14 Jan 2010

Jeremy Myerson is relinquishing his role as director of InnovationRCA at the Royal College of Art in London to concentrate on leading the RCA’s Helen Hamlyn Centre.

Reading University resurrects scrapped design tender

Wed, 13 Jan 2010

Reading University has reissued its tender for a design framework, after coming under fire from design consultancies for scrapping it at the last minute (DW 29 October 2009).

Industry split on co-design, says DW poll

14 January 2010

Nearly 40 per cent of respondents to a Design Week poll say they do not think co-design is a good idea.

Antony Gormley chairs Brit Insurance awards jury

Fri, 8 Jan 2010

Artist Antony Gormley will chair the jury of the Brit Insurance Design Awards, which will be held at the Design Museum on 16 March.

Link up or sink?

07 January 2010

Proposed cuts in funding are forcing regional design networks to consider new strategies and sources of revenue. Angus Montgomery reports

Designer sought for pan-European Unicreds project

Tue, 5 Jan 2010

Cornwall County Council is seeking a consultancy to work on design projects as part of the pan-European Unicreds project.

Seymour Roworth-Stokes to chair Design Research Society

Fri, 18 Dec 2009

The Design Research Society has appointed Dr Seymour Roworth-Stokes as its chairman, replacing Professor Chris Rust. Roworth-Stokes is pro-vice chancellor for research and development at the University for the Creative Arts.

DBA appoints new directors

Thu, 17 Dec 2009

The Design Business Association has appointed four new directors to its board, including Pearlfisher creative partner Jonathan Ford and Appetite chairwoman Laura Haynes.

Children bring fresh ideas to the design of public spaces

17 December 2009

Designers have praised contributions to public design projects from children and young people, saying they inject fresh new ideas and a different perspective.A new project targeted at children aged between nine and 14 shows the value designers attach to young people’s involvement in public design. Space Shapers 9-14, developed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and Beam with The Architecture Centre in Bristol and the Kent Architecture Centre, aims ...

Unreal creative chief Brian Eagle takes branding role at Lavender

17 December 2009

Brian Eagle is leaving his position as creative director of London consultancy Unreal to take up a new job in Australia.Eagle, who is originally from New Zealand, is starting a new role as creative director of branding for independent full-service consultancy Lavender, and will be based at its Sydney headquarters. Eagle says the consultancy will be focusing on more ideas-based branding for the next year.He will take up his new position in Australia on 18 January ...

Design workshop held for Copenhagen climate conference

Tue, 15 Dec 2009

Design network The Quiet Riot is set to host a workshop in collaboration with Your Climate TV during the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Number of UK designers increases by a quarter

Wed, 9 Dec 2009

The number of designers in the UK has grown by a quarter over the past five years, according to new research from the Design Council. Early analysis from the Design Industry Research survey, which is set to be released in full next year, shows that there are 232 000 designers in the UK, up from 185 500 when the research was last undertaken in 2005. However, the total number of consultancies in the UK has declined from 12 450 in 2005 to 10 800, and the proportion ...

The value of British design

10 December 2009

The exchange rate might be favourable, but UK consultancies should be wary of treating the eurozone as theirs for the taking, says Emily Pacey

Nearly all creative businesses offer employee benefits, research shows

Tue, 8 Dec 2009

More than 90 per cent of companies in the creative sector offer benefits to staff over and above basic salary and holiday entitlement, according to new research from accountant Kingston Smith W1.

Government slashes marketing spend

Mon, 7 Dec 2009

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that the Government’s marketing spend will be cut by a quarter as part of a cost-saving drive.

Jamie Oliver is Client of the Year at 2009 Benchmarks

Thu, 3 Dec 2009

Jamie Oliver’s culinary empire took Client of the Year at the fifth annual Design Week Benchmarks awards last night. The accolade was established in 2007 to celebrate excellence in commissioning design.Since his TV debut in 1996, Oliver has proved to have a highly commercial bent, developing a range of products, packaging and brands through Jamie Oliver Holdings. At this year’s Benchmarks, Pearlfisher, which developed the Jme lifestyle brand, collected an award in the Household ...

Boris Johnson adds Farrell and Parry to London design panel

Fri, 27 Nov 2009

London Mayor Boris Johnson has expanded his Design Advisory Panel to include architects Sir Terry Farrell and Eric Parry.

Royal Society of Medicine opens doors to designers

Mon, 23 Nov 2009

The Royal Society of Medicine is offering corporate membership to design groups that work in the healthcare sector.

Nicholas Serota appointed to Boris Johnson’s design panel

Fri, 20 Nov 2009

Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, has been appointed to London mayor Boris Johnson’s Design Advisory Panel.

Academic boost for discipline of design anthropology

19 November 2009

The discipline of design anthropology, which will next year be the subject of an MSc course at the University of Aberdeen, is described by its practitioners as an emerging field, but one which has been emerging for some time.For some 20 years, the likes of Ideo, Intel and Nokia have been using arts and social science graduates to help them define and think about their customers in new ways. Key figures such as Genevieve Bell at Intel and Dori Tunstall, formerly of Arc Worldwide ...

Sorrell Foundation seeks Saturday arts and design club venues

Tue, 17 Nov 2009

The Sorrell Foundation is seeking partners for an initiative to run Saturday courses in art and design for youngsters.

Design Museum seeks architect to work with Koolhaas on its new home

Mon, 16 Nov 2009

The Design Museum has launched an international search for an architect to work on the Commonwealth Institute building in west London, which is set to become the new home of the museum

Vince Frost appointed Woolworths South Africa creative head

Mon, 16 Nov 2009

Woolworths South Africa has appointed Australian designer Vince Frost as its creative director.

European heads Ramshaw and Mamier leave Elmwood

Thu, 12 Nov 2009

Elmwood’s head of European operations Nick Ramshaw and European vice-president Nicolas Mamier are both leaving the consultancy.

Beyond the boom

12 November 2009

Where next for design in Dubai, after the emirate’s spectacular rise and fall? Angus Montgomery hears what some intrepid consultancies are up to

Designers say stress levels are on the up

12 November 2009

More than 72 per cent of designers say that their stress levels at work have risen over the past year.The poll, details of which are on www.designweek.co.uk, shows that 72.1 per cent of respondents say that their stress levels have risen over the past year, while 18 per cent say they have declined, and 9.8 per cent say they have stayed the same.Recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that more than a quarter of UK workers ...

Peter Reid to replace Roger Parry as Media Square boss

Fri, 6 Nov 2009

Roger Parry is stepping down as executive chairman of Media Square, the group that owns consultancies Holmes & Marchant and Lloyd Northover.

Michael Wolff leads rebrand of Russian bank

Wed, 4 Nov 2009

Michael Wolff is leading the rebrand and refurbishment of a Russian bank, working with NB Studio on a new identity and Urban Salon on the interiors. A cartoon cat, Russian lace and hand-painted murals will all feature in the revamp, which Wolff says will see the bank’s name changed from Life Credit to Poidjom (logo pictured below), which translates as a friendly ‘let’s go’, or ‘let’s do this together’. ‘The name was partly inspired by my dad, who, when I didn’t ...

Poll highlights problems with public sector

05 November 2009

More than 70 per cent of designers have had problems with public-sector clients, according to a Design Week poll. The survey, on www. designweek.co.uk, shows that 71.4 per cent of respondents have encountered unacceptable practices while tendering for public-sector jobs.Both Reading University and Birmingham City Council have come under fire from designers last month over their tender processes. BCC was criticised for asking for unpaid creative work in a tender to create ...

WPP revenues down but ‘less worse’ than previous quarter

Fri, 30 Oct 2009

WPP, which owns branding and design groups including Landor, Fitch and The Brand Union, has reported a like-for-like revenue drop of 8.7 per cent in the third quarter – an improvement on the second quarter’s 10.5 per cent fall.

Design teams hope to secure youth centre funding

Wed, 28 Oct 2009

Designers and architects in 15 teams are hoping to secure Lottery funding to build a series of youth centres across the country, in a project run by The Sorrell Foundation. The Joined Up Design for My Place project has seen The Sorrell Foundation match designers such as Interbrand with architects including Marks Barfield to work on youth centre projects aiming to secure funding as part of the £272m My Place initiative, which is administered by the Big Lottery Fund for the ...

Report raises college admissions discrimination fears

29 October 2009

Concerns have been raised about discrimination in admissions to art and design colleges, following the publication of new research.The report, Art for a Few, scrutinises admissions by examining institutional statements, prospectuses, websites, interviews with tutors and observations from 70 admissions interviews at five unnamed institutions. It has been commissioned by the National Arts Learning Network, and authored and researched by University of the Arts London.

Barcelona design festival opens

Mon, 26 Oct 2009

The BCN Design Week, which focuses on design in business, opens today in the Spanish city of Barcelona and runs until 30 October.

New Royal Designers for Industry master aims to build bridges with RSA

Wed, 21 Oct 2009

When Robin Levien takes up his role as Master of the Royal Designers for Industry in November he aims to improve the soured relationship between the RDI faculty and parent body the Royal Society of Arts. Levien (pictured), founder of product design consultancy Studio Levien, is poised to replace Chris Wise, who has held the position of master since 2007. ‘I am a conciliatory character and that will be my approach to trying to talk around any issues that there ...

LFA reaches out beyond architecture

Wed, 21 Oct 2009

The London Festival of Architecture 2010 will involve more non-architectural designers than previously, hopes Tamsie Thomson, director of the Royal Institute of British Architects London.

Birmingham Library tender reignites free-pitching debate

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Birmingham City Council is the latest public-sector client to come under fire for asking for unpaid creative work in a tender.

Think Public opens Cornish office

Wed, 14 Oct 2009

Public service design consultancy Think Public is opening a new office in Redruth, Cornwall. The London-based group, whose co-founder Deborah Szebeko is a ‘design producer’ for next year’s Designs of the Time in Cornwall (DW 16 September), is appointing two local designers to work at Think Public Southwest, which will be housed in the same building as Dott. The consultancy plans to run the studio remotely. Think Public Southwest’s first two projects will tackle ...

Straight from the heart

15 October 2009

Getting your pro-bono jobs to work out can be just as tricky as with paid-for projects. Angus Montgomery weighs up the pros and cons

New COI roster framework set to address concerns

08 October 2009

The Central Office of Information has often been accused of over-complicating public procurement, but it is confident its three new design rosters will be welcomed by designers and clients alike.COI roster veteran Start Creative is one consultancy enthusiastic about the new rosters, including branding and brand identity, which launches on 22 October, to be followed by content and publishing, and design and related services (DW 23 September).‘We hope that this ...

The Chase is overall winner at the Fresh Awards

Thu, 1 Oct 2009

The Fresh Awards announced consultancy The Chase as overall winner at its ceremony in Manchester last night, when it handed out digital and creative honours across 44 categories.

Design Museum move welcomed by leading creatives

01 October 2009

The Design Museum’s proposed move to the former Commonwealth Institute in London’s Kensington will extend the reach of the ‘Albertopolis’ cultural quarter, says Paul Thompson, rector of the Royal College of Art.Thompson was speaking after Kensington and Chelsea Council and English Heritage approved plans drawn up by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ practice OMA to house the museum in a redeveloped Commonwealth Institute building. This would move the Design Museum 10km west ...

European Design Day to be celebrated

Mon, 28 Sep 2009

The Bureau of European Design Associations will celebrate its lobbying achievements on 1 October, which BEDA has named European Design Day.

Paul Smith awarded London Design Medal

Thu, 24 Sep 2009

Fashion designer Paul Smith has been awarded the 2009 London Design Medal.

BDI appoints four regional directors

24th September 2009

British Design Innovation has appointed four new regional directors ahead of a restructure of the organisation that will turn it into ‘a regional, franchise-style co-operative’, according to chief executive Maxine Horn.

Boris Johnson praises traditional design

Tue, 22 Sep 2009

London Mayor Boris Johnson has reinforced his position as an upholder of tradition in design, while acknowledging design’s importance to the capital’s economy

Designers sought to promote Cornwall

Tue, 22 Sep 2009

A design group is being sought to work on projects for the Cornwall Marketing project, being run by the Cornwall Development Company.

Conran and Hamnett to address IP issues

Mon, 14 Sep 2009

Designer Sebastian Conran and fashion designer Katherine Hamnett will be advising entrepreneurs on intellectual property in a seminar next week as part of London Design Festival.

Design Museum picks 2009 Designers in Residence

Fri, 11 Sep 2009

The Design Museum has announced this year’s five young designers for its annual Designers in Residence programme.

US architect works on new Glasgow School of Art building

Tue, 8 Sep 2009

US architect Steven Holl Architects and Scotland-based JM Architects have been appointed to work on a new building opposite Glasgow School of Art’s Grade A-listed Mackintosh Building.

Elmwood and The Team top list of DBA award winners

Thu, 3 Sep 2009

Elmwood and The Team are leading the field in the Design Business Association’s Design Effectiveness Awards, with five wins each.The awards scheme seeks to measure the financial value that design adds to a particular product or service, rather than creativity or innovation.This year a total of 51 projects have been shortlisted, and are guaranteed either a gold, silver or bronze medal. These will be allocated on the night of the awards ceremony next month, as ...

Map of UK creative sector could inform Government policy

03rd September 2009

It comes as no surprise to hear that London and its surrounding counties are the UK’s creative epicentre. But a new mapping experiment - published last week by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts - also reveals which types of creative business cluster together and where.Nesta hopes that this fine-grained information could encourage the Government to tailor its creative industries policies to suit certain cluster types according to region.

LDA funds designer-maker collectives

Thu, 27 Aug 2009

London’s designer-makers could benefit from the London Development Agency’s latest £500 000 cash injection to ‘develop the creative skills of Londoners’ ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

Calls for code of practice on graduate internships

Wed, 26 Aug 2009

Creative & Cultural Skills has proposed that a code of practice on graduate placements in the creative industries be introduced, in a bid to end the practice of unpaid internships. The call comes after the organisation urged employers in the sector to do more to make it accessible to young people, by providing better information and guidance on finding work (www.designweek. co.uk, 21 August). C&CS also believes that it is up to employers to stamp out ...

Lighthouse goes into administration

Tue, 25 Aug 2009

The Lighthouse, Scotland’s centre of architecture, design and the city, has gone into administration.

Young people ‘need more information about creative industries’

Fri, 21 Aug 2009

Employers in the creative industries should do more to make sure the sector is accessible to young people who want to break into it, says organisation Creative & Cultural Skills.

Government move points to more open procurement

Thu, 20 Aug 2009

The Government’s decision to scrap the charge for online public contract portal Supply2.gov.uk is being hailed as the first step towards a more free and open public procurement system.Earlier this month the fee was dropped on searching for contracts worth under £100 000. This had previously cost businesses approximately £99-£180 a year. This may not seem much, but for business representation body the Forum of Private Business the decision is an important move towards allowing ...

Heatherwick to star at Irish Design Week

20th August 2009

Thomas Heatherwick will open this year’s Irish Design Week in Dublin on 2 November.After saying last year that he would ‘do anything to get [Heatherwick] over’, Barry Sheehan, immediate past president of the Institute of Designers of Ireland, one of the IDW’s key organisers, says he can ‘rest happy now’.The festival will also host the three-day Offset 2009 conference, taking place in Dublin from 6-8 October. Speakers at Offset will include graphic designers Leila ...

Art school head moves on

Tue, 18 Aug 2009

Gray’s School of Art’s search for a new head to replace Professor Stuart MacDonald is underway.

D&AD makes 12 job cuts as recession bite

Wed, 12 Aug 2009

D&AD has cut 12 jobs, a decision the organisation has put down to the economic downturn.Eight people, including two senior managers, are being laid off across D&AD’s operations, and four long-term vacancies will not be filled.Finance director Dara Lynch says the ‘restructuring’ was under discussion before Tim O’Kennedy joined as chief executive on 3 August, but that he was party to the decision ratified by the executive committee. She says ...

Onedotzero to cut across disciplines

Thu, 6 Aug 2009

Onedotzero’s education programme Cascade will begin on Friday, encouraging design graduates to collaborate with each other across disciplines.

Royal Society of Arts in consultation row

Wed, 5 Aug 2009

The Royal Designers for Industry are criticising parent body the Royal Society of Arts for the way it researched and launched its Design & Society manifesto.The RSA unveiled its new manifesto, written by director of design Emily Campbell, last month (DW 23 July). However, Master of the Faculty of RDIs Chris Wise complains that the RSA and its manifesto have failed to answer ‘the question that we put to them on 22 May - what does the RSA see as the role of excellent design ...

Christine Losecaat to unveil new venture at London Design Festival

August 2009 Online

London Design Embassy founder Christine Losecaat will unveil her new venture at the London Design Festival next month.The Elevator Lounge, to be hosted at 100% Design, will be a space for both exhibitors and visitors to do business and meet with experts specialising in business advice, international trade and intellectual property.Losecaat describes it as’a business-enabling space’, where people will be able to meet like-minded contacts and get advice from free ...

Sir Christopher Frayling talks about his RCA tenure

August 2009 Online

Christopher Frayling has left a worthy legacy for his successor at the RCA, Paul Thompson. Lynda Relph-Knight talks to him about his tenure

In-house management skills wanted for DME Awards

Mon, 27 Jul 2009

The Design Management Europe Awards 2009 are seeking entries from companies that procure and manage design.

Lodz Design Festival programme unveiled

Thu, 23 Jul 2009

Lodz Design Festival will take place for the third time this October, focusing on industrial design, graphics, architecture and fashion.

London Design Festival in funding talks

Wed, 22 Jul 2009

The London Design Festival is in discussions with the London Development Agency over the future of its funding. This year’s festival, which takes place in September, will be the last year that LDA funding - which totals £300 000 each year - is guaranteed under the current contract. In a statement, the LDF confirms that ‘the current funding support by the LDA runs to March 2010’. It adds that ‘additional income is derived through sponsorship and from other organisations’. ...

On a social mission

23rd July 2009

The Royal Society of Arts is becoming a real force for change, as borne out by its new Design & Society manifesto, says Lynda Relph-Knight

TSB report sets out creative industries strategy

Thu, 16 Jul 2009

If the words ‘convergence’, and ‘metadata’ don’t mean much to you at the moment, they will within the next three years - or so the Technology Strategy Board hopes.

Design Week Benchmarks awards judges named

Wed, 15 Jul 2009

Sainsbury’s former packaging head Kate Blandford, Michael Walton, head of trading at London’s Transport Museum, and David Delaney of banking group HSBC will be among the judges for the 2009 Benchmarks awards for effective brand communications.

Start-up boss finds public sector best for funding

Tue, 14 Jul 2009

Peter Glover, managing director of digital group CL5, reveals how to tap into public-sector investment schemes to fund new businesses, in the next edition of Design Week.

Bristol Media wins SWRDA skills brief

Fri, 10 Jul 2009

Creative industry network Bristol Media has been appointed by the South West Regional Development Agency in a £1.7m investment to ensure skills and talent are retained in the area.

Gormley named most influential art and design figure

Thu, 9 Jul 2009

Artist Antony Gormley, whose One & Other commission for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth launched this week, has been named the most influential and powerful person in art and design in an industry poll.

Cog director mounts Fourth Plinth

Tue, 7 Jul 2009

Cog Design director Michael Smith will appear on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth in central London this evening, as part of artist Antony Gormley’s One & Other project.

Consultancies advised to spend time on blogs

Tue, 7 Jul 2009

Consultancies should invest time in launching blogs, rather than creating a quick-fix effort, says Christian Barnett, planning director of Coley Porter Bell.

Former Landor designers move on with Family and Friends

Thu, 2 Jul 2009

Ex-Landor creative director Derek Johnston has set up a new consultancy, Family and Friends, with Alex Durbridge, and has contracts in place with several blue-chip companies.

Experts quizzed in design review by Parliamentary group

July 2009 Online

A Parliamentary team aiming to improve design buying in the Government is set to quiz high-level policy experts about their procurement practice.

Number 10 hosts Design Council talks

02 July 2009

The Design Council is set to hold an extraordinary meeting at Number 10 Downing Street tomorrow.

Rebecca Edge stands down at Audi

July 2009 Online

Rebecca Edge is leaving the Audi Design Foundation after seven years as manager.She will be replaced by Rebecca Myrie, who is being promoted from her position as grants manager.Edge leaves at the end of this month, but will continue to work for the charity’s Sustain Our Nation initiative, which encourages new designers to set up sustainable design-led social enterprises. She will also offer her services to the foundation as a consultant.The foundation ...

Unilever plans inspiring design book ahead of roster review

July 2009 Online

Unilever is assembling a book of ‘inspiring design’, ahead of an expected roster review at the end of the year, according to sources close to the manufacturer.‘Unilever is writing a book about design that will be distributed around its portfolio of brand managers,’ claims an unnamed source involved with the project.‘The book will feature inspiring work by groups that it hopes will inform the future direction of its branding and packaging design,’ the source continues.

Michael Peters given D&AD President’s Award

Fri, 12 Jun 2009

Four Black Pencils have been awarded at this year’s D&AD Awards, and Michael Peters has been recognised with the President’s Award.

Design Art London becomes Pavilion of Arts & Design

Thu, 11 Jun 2009

This year’s Design Art London fair has been renamed the Pavilion of Arts & Design London, and will feature a stronger decorative art element.

Mandelson’s new Government department to look after design

Mon, 8 Jun 2009

Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Cabinet reshuffle has led to the creation of the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which will be responsible for design policy at central Government level.

Innovation Secretary Denham likely to move in Cabinet reshuffle

Thu, 4 Jun 2009

Innovation Secretary John Denham looks likely to be promoted in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle.

Media Square announces profits surge and restructure

Tue, 2 Jun 2009

Marketing communications group Media Square has announced a huge jump in profits for the past 12 months.

Creatives have eight minutes to share their inspiration

Tue, 2 Jun 2009

Graphic designer Vaughan Oliver and Richard Hooker, designer and art director at Wieden & Kennedy, are among those taking part in the 8x8 London live design event next month.

Tayburn gets its teeth into Scottish meat work

Fri, 29 May 2009

Tayburn is working on a Scotch beef summer recipe booklet after being appointed to the Quality Meat Scotland design services roster.

Cardiff Design Festival details emerge

Fri, 22 May 2009

This year’s Cardiff Design Festival will feature speakers including typographer Bruno Maag and Andrew Shoben, founder of public art group Greyworld

WPP warns on 2009 as revenue falls

Tue, 28 Apr 2009

WPP has warned of a ‘very difficult’ first half of 2009 as it reported a like-for-like revenue fall of 5.8 per cent in the first quarter of the year.

Budget offers meagre pickings for design sector

Thu, 23 Apr 2009

The design industry has found little in this year’s Budget to protect it from the effects of what the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday called a ‘deepening world recession’.

Enterprising consultancies triumph in Queen's Awards

23 April 2009

JHP Design, Chapman Taylor, Paul Smith and a raft of furniture design groups have been honoured for their business achievements at The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

Symposium to explore design’s links with science

16 April 2009

The links between design and science have been highlighted recently by the Design Council’s formal tie-up with the Technology Strategy Board and Royal College of Art rector Professor Sir Christopher Frayling’s campaign to have design education recategorised in funding terms to bring it closer to science subjects.These links are being further emphasised by an international symposium organised by Kingston University’s Design Research Centre, Design Plus at Kingston University ...

Government considers New Deal of the Mind

9 April 2009

The New Deal of The Mind has a simple objective, but you could hardly accuse it of lacking ambition. Its aim is to boost employment in Britain’s creative sector - for the good of the entire nation.

The industry faces the university challenge

2 April 2009

A new report voices the design industry’s concern about universities encroaching on commercial territory. Gina Lovett investigates

Design stars feature in UKTI promotional film

Mon, 30 Mar 2009

UK Trade & Investment has commissioned a film to promote British design groups including Priestman Goode and Conran & Partners to design buyers around the world.

Eurostar set to appoint to refurbishment brief

Wed, 18 Mar 2009

Eurostar is understood to be on the brink of appointing a consultancy to redesign its train interiors, following a six-month tender process.

EU design policy 'will create jobs'

Wed, 18 Mar 2009

The formation of EU design policy will result in more jobs for designers, according to president of the Bureau of European Design Associations Jan Stavik.The newly elected Beda president, who last weekend replaced Michael Thomson (www.designweek.co.uk, 16 March), is convinced that the organisation's continued European political focus will result in more jobs for designers, 'lifting their ability and focus'.Stavik's comments come ahead of next month's Staff Working Paper ...

Design salaries slump amid recession

Tue, 17 Mar 2009

Salaries for creative design roles in London have declined across the board over the past year, according to Design Week’s 2008 salary survey.

Top 100 deadline is looming

Mon, 16 Mar 2009

The deadline for submissions to Design Week’s 2009 Top 100 design consultancy survey is 25 March.

Dott Cornwall can learn from the North East's festival

12 March 2009

The organisers of the second Designs of the Time can learn from the first programme in 2007. Angus Montgomery reports

Martin Sorrell says recession is key design issue

Wed, 11 Mar 2009

The only significant issue facing the design industry in the next two years will be 'recession, recession, recession', according to WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell.Speaking exclusively to Design Week last Friday - the day that WPP released its preliminary results for 2008 - Sorrell sounded under pressure, the global advertising and communications giant having reported a 5.8 per cent fall in profits.Sorrell famously described the last downturn as 'bath-shaped', ...

DSDHA bags Waterloo City Square project

Tue, 10 Mar 2009

Architect DSDHA has been named as the winning design team for the Waterloo City Square scheme in London.

Manchester design students revamp Gallery of Costume

Fri, 6 Mar 2009

MA design students at Manchester Metropolitan University have teamed up with the city’s Gallery of Costume to help reinvent the space ahead of its reopening in 2010.

Funding cut for design and art universities

Thu, 5 Mar 2009

Top design universities are dismayed at the news that they are to have their research funding cut by The Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Design Centre for the North wins planning permission

Mon, 2 Mar 2009

Gateshead Borough Council has approved plans for the £13m Design Centre for the North.

Design Week Top 100 deadline looms

Fri, 27 Feb 2009

The deadline for entries to Design Week’s 2009 Top 100 survey is next Wednesday (4 March).

Design course applications rise despite jobs gloom

26 February 2009

The number of applications to design courses has soared this year, despite the recession and a growing consensus in the design industry that positions for graduates are drying up.Figures released by university admissions organisation Ucas last week show that applications for undergraduate design courses have risen by 11.5 per cent since last year, with 40 732 people seeking to study.This compares to a rise in applications to all courses of just 7.8 per cent, while fine ...

Design community ‘slow to boost its skills’

Tue, 24 Feb 2009

The UK design community is apathetic about boosting its skills, according to research by Design Week and independent research group YouGov.

Design Indaba brings design community to South Africa

Tue, 24 Feb 2009

South Africa’s Design Indaba conference kicks off tomorrow at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Creative industries ‘could outstrip financial sector’

Fri, 20 Feb 2009

Britain’s creative industries could soon employ more people than the financial sector, according to new figures.

A new wave of start-ups is turning the recession into an opportunity

19 February 2009

A new wave of agile and market-aware start-ups, keen to target challenger brands, is turning the recession into an opportunity, says Gina Lovett

Environment Agency prepares design briefs

Wed, 18 Feb 2009

The Environment Agency is set to brief consultancies appointed to its newly formed roster on internal and external communications projects concerned with the move of its headquarters next year.

Design Museum opens Brit Insurance prize show

Thu, 12 Feb 2009

The Design Museum’s second Brit Insurance Designs of the Year exhibition opens to the public today at its Shad Thames home in London.

The Public Gallery closes before it opens

Fri, 6 Feb 2009

The Public Gallery has announced it is to cease trading and pull out of West Bromwich arts centre The Public.

Brighton conference to look at future of education

5 February 2009

With controversy continuing to swirl around former Landor Europe and Fitch managing director Ian Cochrane's recommendation in Design Week that design students 'get out' of a sector that 'does not need' them,the University of Brighton is to address the iss

R&D&Co ceases trading

Wed, 4 Feb 2009

R&D&Co has this week closed its doors and ceased trading.

Deadline approaches for European Design Awards

Fri, 30 Jan 2009

Entries are being sought for this year’s European Design Awards. The deadline to enter the awards is 14 February.

Students urged to avoid design

Tue, 27 Jan 2009

Industry heavyweight Ian Cochrane is recommending design students to ‘get out’ of the sector, which ‘does not need you’, as the recession bites.

Arts Council appoints 16 groups to roster

Tue, 13 Jan 2009

Arts Council England has created a marketing and design roster featuring 16 consultancies.

Get trained in cultural leadership

Fri, 9 Jan 2009

Bangalore the ‘design city’ of the future

8 January 2009

Asked to imagine the design city of the future, you might have visions of glittering, iconic towers, sleek hover bikes and elegantly minimal white uniforms.You probably wouldn't think of the busy flower market in Bangalore, India. Yet Bangalore was heralded as a future design city in Design Cities: Where Next?, a debate held at the Design Museum in London last month.The debate followed the Design Museum's current Design Cities 1851-2008 exhibition, which argues that seven ...

Design Centre North plans go before Gateshead Council

Thu, 18 Dec 2008

Plans for a £13m design facility, Design Centre North, have been submitted to Gateshead Borough Council.

Experts to name design city of the future

Mon, 15 Dec 2008

An international panel of experts will battle it out to name the design city of the future in a debate at the Design Museum tonight.

Founder Tom Lovett leaves Vibrandt

Thu, 11 Dec 2008

One of Vibrandt’s founding members, Tom Lovett, is leaving the consultancy, Design Week can reveal.

Not all designers are happy about the British Standard draft on Web design

11 December 2008

A British Standard draft on Web design should improve online accessibility for the disabled, but not all designers are happy, says Tom Banks

Peter Mandelson is ‘design champion-in-waiting’

Tue, 9 Dec 2008

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson has been identified as the Government’s design champion-in-waiting by prominent activists in the industry.

Design Week Benchmarks awards - full winners list

Thu, 4 Dec 2008

Eight consultancies picked up Design Week Benchmarks awards at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Tuesday night.

Boris Johnson’s SME support package will boost design

Tue, 2 Dec 2008

London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced a range of measures to help support small businesses in the capital through the current economic downturn, which include encouraging them to use design.

Five awarded Royal Designers for Industry accolade

Thu, 27 Nov 2008

Product designer Sam Hecht and design duo Pearson Lloyd are among the five designers chosen as this year’s Royal Designers for Industry.

Digital show to mark opening of Metropolitan Works

27 November 2008

The new building for Metropolitan Works, London's first creative industries centre, is set to open next February with an exhibition featuring artists including Antony Gormley, Tord Boontje and Timorous Beasties.The £4.5m building on Commercial Road, E1, has been designed by Cartwright Pickard Architects and will feature fully equipped workshops, CAD desks and meeting rooms. It will house state-of-the-art digital design and production technology worth £2m, with water-jet cutting, ...

Pre-Budget report ‘will make no difference’

Tue, 25 Nov 2008

Financial experts say the effect of Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-Budget report on the design industry will be ‘negligible’.

Designersblock opens pre-Christmas shop

Mon, 24 Nov 2008

Designersblock is opening a temporary shop in London’s Covent Garden.

CSD enters university consultancy debate

Thu, 20 Nov 2008

The Chartered Society of Designers is planning to host a conference in the new year to discuss the issue of universities offering design services.

Support for creative sector in Coventry 'lacks co-ordination'

20 November 2008

A lack of co-ordination across projects and initiatives to support the creative industries is hampering growth in the Coventry region, according to a report produced by Coventry University for Coventry City Council.The document, Creative Industries in Coventry and Warwickshire, pinpoints a lack of co-ordination between public agencies working across the Coventry Local Enterprise Growth Area to support the creative industries, which is creating a weakly developed sense of creative ...

Boris Johnson names his design advisory panel

Mon, 17 Nov 2008

Boris Johnson set to unveil design advisory panel

Thu, 13 Nov 2008

London Mayor Boris Johnson is set to name architect Lord Rogers and Sunand Prasad, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, on his design advisory panel, Design Week can reveal.But contrary to recent press reports, there will be no place for architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell.The Mayor's office is expected to unveil the panel at the end of this week, and confirmed Farrell would not be on it.The naming of the panel will be among Johnson's ...

Turin design conference sets global agenda

13 November 2008

The first-ever conference on global design policy has set an unprecedented macro approach in raising awareness of the worldwide design industry.It sounds lofty, but according to delegates and organisers of last week's event - Shaping the Global Design Agenda: The International Conference on Design Policy Opens Up - sharing best design practice and knowledge internationally is the best way to tackle issues affecting all countries, such as sustainability and economic recession. 'It's ...

Max Fordham wins Prince Philip Designers Prize

Thu, 6 Nov 2008

Engineer Max Fordham has won the 2008 Prince Philip Designers Prize.

Red Bee Media wins top Design Effectiveness Award

6 November 2008

Red Bee Media has won the Grand Prix prize at the Design Business Association's DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for its campaign for digital TV channel Dave.Joe Ferry, head of design at Virgin Atlantic and a member of the judging panel, describes the campaign, which saw the channel's name changed from UKTV G2, as 'pure genius'.Before Red Bee Media took on the rebrand, the channel was recording just 2 per cent spontaneous awareness. It also had the highest misattribution ...

£1.6m for Designing Out Crime

Tue, 4 Nov 2008

The Design Council, the Home Office and the Design and Technology Alliance have unveiled a major expansion of the Designing Out Crime initiative.

The Lighthouse jobs at risk in funding shortfall

Mon, 3 Nov 2008

The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City in Glasgow, could be forced to make up to ten redundancies as it seeks emergency council funding.

Deadgood to promote British designers

Mon, 3 Nov 2008

Newcastle-based design group Deadgood has won a £150 000 investment which it plans to use for developing an internationally recognised brand and commercialising the work of young British designers.

Mayor unveils support plan for London

30 October 2008

London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans to revamp the international promotion of London, as part of his Economic Recovery Action Plan for the capital.A spokesman for the mayor's office says Johnson was consulting business leaders about the proposals, and that more concrete plans are expected at the end of November. The announcement came as part of a package of measures unveiled by Johnson on Monday to help support Londoners through the expected economic hardships ahead.Other ...

Royal Parks creates first-ever roster

Wed, 29 Oct 2008

The Royal Parks is putting together its first-ever marketing services roster, which will draw on a range of external design skills.

RCA gains more space in campus expansion

23 October 2008

Royal College of Art rector Sir Christopher Frayling says the college's expansion to a new Battersea campus will give the design school 'room to breathe'.The proposed £33m new campus (pictured) on Battersea Bridge Road, London SW11, which will house the schools of fine art and applied art, was granted planning permission by Wandsworth Council last week.Frayling told Design Week the move would free up space at the RCA's Kensington campus equal to 'about half of the Darwin ...

Liverpool Design Symposium kicks off

Wed, 22 Oct 2008

More and better debate is crucial if the UK is to be seen as the design capital of the world, says an industry insider following the demise of Scotland's Six Cities Design Festival (DW 16 October).'Talk of the UK's global design status is meaningless if people aren't engaging in proper debate,' says Nico Macdonald, director of design research consultancy Spy and programmer of last year's Designs of the Time conference segment Intersections. 'It is a shame that the Six Cities ...

Six Cities design festival cancelled

Wed, 15 Oct 2008

The 2010 Six Cities Design Festival has been suspended, and the five full-time staff who were managing it have been made redundant, after the Scottish government refused to provide funding.The 2010 festival was to be the follow-up to 2007’s inaugural event - held across six Scottish cities - which attracted some 300 000 people to more than 300 exhibitions, lectures and workshops.It received £3m from the Scottish government and the backing of former First Minister ...

The Dutch set up show

9 October 2008

Design from The Netherlands has just got its own trade showcase. Clare Dowdy looks at what newcomer Freedesigndom has to offer

LDA reassures on design centre fears

2 October 2008

The London Development Agency is pouring cold water on rumours that the International Design Centre planned for London will be scrapped due to lack of funding.'We have no reason to assume this won't go ahead,' an LDA spokeswoman says. 'The IDX programme is going through our approvals process, and the next phase of the business case is being prepared.'A source close to the LDA told Design Week in August he suspected it would back out of funding the centre, and Boris Johnson's ...

Design Embassy to go overseas

Wed, 1 Oct 2008

The London Design Embassy is to travel overseas to bring designers together with greater numbers of foreign buyers. LDE project director Christine Losecaat is also considering making the embassy a permanent fixture in London.'A permanent embassy could be useful to telecom companies such as LG and Nokia, which are opening design studios in London,' argues Losecaat. 'We should have a healthy debate over the merits of a permanent LDE.'The UK Trade & Industry's creative ...

Dutch police coin it in Sagmeister raid

Thu, 25 Sep 2008

An installation created by graphic design guru Stefan Sagmeister for Droog has been confiscated by Dutch police as a ‘precautionary’ measure to safeguard the artwork from being stolen.

Bichard to lobby for design at Institute for Government

18 September 2008

Sir Michael Bichard is to become executive director of the Institute for Government, where he aims to lobby for solutions to Govern mental problems through inclusive design.

Ecodesign Centre Wales reports on sustainability drive

18 September 2008

Ecodesign Centre Wales this week reports back to the Welsh Assembly on its programme to embed sustainable design in business, with the ultimate aim of establishing Wales as an eco design-led nation.

BAA design director joins London 2012

Wed, 17 Sep 2008

BAA's design director David Bartlett is to join the London 2012 team as head of design for the Olympic Village. He is leaving BAA following the completion of his major project, Heathrow Terminal 5.In Design Week's Interaction Design supplement, published today, Bartlett reveals the planned interactive design elements for T5 yet to be realised. These include the Human Mosaic, an installation which allows passengers to send messages and pictures to people waiting in the arrivals ...

Government makes design central to manufacturing strategy

11 September 2008

The Government is looking to knowledge assets, including design, software and brand building to improve the global competitiveness of UK manufacturers.Its manufacturing strategy – New Challenges, New Opportunities – set out earlier this week by the Department for Business and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, outlines plans to improve perceptions of the manufacturing sector, and aims to place the UK as a forerunner in the development of low-carbon ...

Product design calls on universities to stop undermining them

Wed, 10 Sep 2008

The Design Council concurs with product designers that universities that offer commercial product design services must clearly define their offer if the reputation of design is not to suffer.In a letter published today in Design Week, product designers signal their growing impatience with higher education providers running consultancies.Signed by 19 designers from across the UK, the letter argues that some academic institutions are undercutting design professionals ...

Get set for cultural Olympics

Thu, 4 Sep 2008

Revival of the fittest

4 September 2008

Companies frequently draw on their heritage and revisit archive designs.But as Claire Dowdy discovers, old doesn’t have to mean old-fashioned

ICAD celebrates jubilee with eco book

Tue, 2 Sep 2008

Ireland’s Institute of Creative Advertising and Design kicks off its golden jubilee year celebrations this Thursday with the launch of a showcase book of the best of Irish design talent from the past five years.

Design vision for Covent Garden

14 August 2008

Covent Garden London is looking to the power of design as part of wider plans to help it reconnect the area with a London audience, ahead of the 2012 Olympics.The developer, part of Liberty International Capital & Counties, will set out a multimillion pound vision involving the 'improvement of the public realm', and an overhaul of the current Covent Garden retail tenant mix. 'It will not be a case of knocking down buildings, but a repurposing,' says CGL brand director Beverley ...

London design festival goes sustainable

7 August 2008

This year's London Design Festival will host a creative space that will reach out to the design community, its clients and the wider political arena on the key issues around the role of design in sustainability.It is the first time that the LDF has hosted a major dedicated sustainable design event, backed by such a breadth of industry, political, academic and client supporters, according to an LDF spokesperson. Greengaged will be held on weekdays throughout the festival, which ...

IPA reports fall in media marketing spend

Mon, 14 Jul 2008

New Designer of the Year crowned

Mon, 7 Jul 2008

Textiles graduate Abigail Borg has been named the Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year.

New Blood sought at Earls Court

Mon, 23 Jun 2008

D&AD’s international graduate recruitment show New Blood kicks off tonight at Earls Court, London SW5.

Urbis is calling for entries

8 May 2008

Urbis is calling for entries to its Best of Manchester competition for Manchesterbased graphics, art, music and fashion designers. It will be judged by luminaries including Peter Saville and will form the basis of an exhibition at Urbis in August. For more details, visit www.urbis.org.uk.

DBA appoints membership director

Tue, 18 Mar 2008

The Design Business Association has appointed Jacqueline Rose as its membership and communications director in a bid to boost the number of people joining.

DIUS to unveil Government innovation strategy

Thu, 13 Mar 2008

The Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills is set to publish its innovation strategy today.

Media Square shares tumble

Fri, 7 Mar 2008

The share price of beleaguered marketing and communications group Media Square dropped 14 per cent yesterday following revelations by its executive chairman, Roger Parry, that the AIM-listed company was held together with ‘string and Blu-Tack’ before he j

Design Week Awards podcast goes live

Thu, 6 Mar 2008

Design Week Award winners were queuing to be featured on our awards podcast on Tuesday at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

Design Week Top 100 survey

Fri, 29 Feb 2008

The deadline for entry to Design Week’s Top 100 Consultancy Survey 2008 has been extended to 10 March.

The recruiters' view: time to stay or go?

Wed, 20 Feb 2008

It isn’t always easy for costly senior designers to move on – especially not in tougher economic climates. But experienced staff who can help in the battle to win and retain clients should stand a good chance, says Emily Pacey

Hot fifty - Apple

14 February 2008

If design head Jonathan Ive's proven creative prowess isn't enough, the launch of the iPhone last autumn guarantees Apple a place among the 2008 Hot 50. Its touch-screen technology has changed the way in which we expect to communicate, and brought new hand gestures into international sign language.The early models of the iPhone are not without their problems, and the West Coast company has been accused of cynicism in the way it dropped the price dramatically a couple of months ...

Hot fifty - Beck's Fusions

14 February 2008

Public music events aren't new, but the concept behind Beck's Fusions takes them into a different dimension. The brainchild of lager brand Beck's and London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, this series of multimedia events, held in a temporary performance pod during September last year, combined music with visual art at prominent venues across the UK and Ireland.

Hot Fifty - Blogging

14 February 2008

There are times when a phenomenon, rather than a person or organisation, merits a mention for the influence it exerts on design and related creative media. One such phenomenon is blogging, the vogue for running Internet diaries that encourage comment and criticism from anyone who happens by.

Hot fifty - Gordon Brown

14 February 2008

Controversy surrounds Gordon Brown's Government as we go to press, but design still has much to thank the Prime Minister for.

Hot fifty - Sheridan Coakley

14 February 2008

Sheridan Coakley has long been a champion of great design. Through his SCP stores he has promoted and commissioned largely British or UK-trained furniture and accessories designers, creating a number of modern classics in the process.

Hot fifty - Comme des Garçons

14 February 2008

Last December, fashion brand Comme des Garçons delighted the Mayfair set with a guerrilla store in London's Burlington Arcade to promote the launch of its Comme des Garçons 8 88 perfume.

Hot fifty - Professor Martin Darbyshire

14 February 2008

While he glories in the title of professor, Martin Darbyshire is a practising product designer and also chief executive of seminal London design consultancy Tangerine.

Hot fifty - Tom Dixon

14 February 2008

If an overseas design aficionado was asked to put a face on British design, you can guarantee that Tom Dixon would be in the running.

Hot fifty - The Drawbridge

14 February 2008

In this age of on-line blogs, it is refreshing to see an independent magazine that gives good copy on a mix of cultural and social issues and blends it with great art direction.

Hot fifty - Martino Gamper

14 February 2008

The highly inventive designer Martino Gamper has a wonderfully mixed background, which shows through in his eclectic work. This was evident in the exhibition A 100 chairs for 100 days, which was held in London last autumn to coincide with the publication of his book, which bears the same title. For the show he made a chair a day in a bid to make 100 chairs in 100 days.

Hot fifty - Helen Hamlyn Centre

14 February 2008

It is often hard for an organisation to redefine itself once it is established. This is particularly the case in academia, where habits tend to stick more easily than they do in the commercial world and change can be slow.

Hot fifty - Gary Hustwit

14 February 2008

It is rare for design of any kind to make it on to the entertainments circuit, let alone a specialist area such as typography. But the documentary Helvetica, directed by Gary Hustwit, had showings in several major cities across the world, not least at Oxford's BritDoc festival and London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, and even made it on to national TV in the UK.

Hot fifty - Nick Jones

14 February 2008

Members' club supremo Nick Jones has long catered for the creative community at work and play, with venues such as Soho House in London and New York, Electric House in west London and a 'country hotel', Babington House near Frome in Somerset.

Hot fifty - Land Securities

14 February 2008

For the second year running, property developer Land Securities has made it into the Hot 50. It is here again for the consistency of its design management process and commitment to great creativity, of which there has been even greater evidence over the past 12 months.

Hot fifty - Robin Levien

14 February 2008

Robin Levien has long been acknowledged as an expert in industrial ceramics. His taps and toilets are legendary, particularly for UK bathrooms company Ideal Standard, for which he became non-executive design director in 2003.

Hot fifty - John McAslan Family Trust

14 February 2008

Architect John McAslan is behind the John McAslan Family Trust, which supports projects largely relating to young people in the arts and education, as well as film, TV, music, dance, drama and sport.

Hot fifty - Sophie Murray and Jane Wood

14 February 2008

It is rare to see a mother and daughter combination featuring in a listing such as this. But in this instance it is justified, given that both were involved in commissioning Thomas Heatherwick's first building in the UK - the East Beach Café at Littlehampton on the South Coast.

Hot fifty - Nokia

14 February 2008

In February, Nokia finally opened its long-awaited flagship store, designed by Eight Inc, in London's Regent Street, after some three months' delay. But you have to applaud the Finnish telecoms giant for its plans to take the West End by storm and consolidate its UK design team at the new central London offices.

Hot fifty - Royal College of Art

14 February 2008

The Royal College of Art hasn't made it into the Hot 50 previously. Its high-profile rector Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, now also chairman of the beleaguered Arts Council, made the listing when he was chairman of the Design Council, and its inclusive design arm, the Helen Hamlyn Centre, features this year . But though it fulfils its remit admirably, the London postgraduate art and design college wasn't deemed to have gone beyond the brief before.

Hot fifty - At Six Cities Design Festival

14 February 2008

Organisers of Scotland's Six Cities Design Festival are still considering how to take the venture forward, but they should be applauded on what they achieved first time round. It ran from 17 May to 3 June 2007 and the programme included a host of business, design and learning activities as well as public events.

Hot fifty - Sir John Sorrell

14 February 2008

If a knighthood doesn't qualify you for a place in the Hot 50, it would be difficult to know what does. An award in the New Year's Honours List therefore puts Sir John Sorrell here as an untiring champion of design.

Hot fifty - Peter Spence

14 February 2008

Peter Spence is an unlikely champion of design. But the former business advisor set up the South Coast Design Forum in May 2006 as a response to local designers who had moved out of London for family and other reasons, but missed the buzz of the capital.

Hot fifty - Michael Thomson

14 February 2008

Regular conference-goers in design will be aware of Michael Thomson. The self-effacing Irishman may seem an unlikely champion of design, but for years he has battled on the international scene to gain greater recognition for design among European governments.

Hot fifty - Thorsten van Elten

14 February 2008

Promoting emerging talent can be a thankless task - and not always commercially successful. This has been the experience of Thorsten van Elten, who closed his wonderfully quirky London shop in January to promote independent designers in a different way.

Hot fifty - Wally Yachts

14 February 2008

If you ask any sailing fanatic to name the best in yacht design, chances are they'll cite Wally Yachts.

Wordily wise

8 November 2007

People are going ape for the Cadbury's gorilla commercial. A reported 500 000 watched it on YouTube the week after it was released, it's being tirelessly blogged about and gabbed about, and Phil Collins - Lord help us - is looking ripe for resurrection. Not so much the reassuring 'Hello, I Must be Going', as a rather worrying 'Hello, I'm Back'. Meanwhile, 90 seconds of creative brilliance from ad agency Fallon seems to have rescued Cadbury from all the negative publicity of last year's ...

Cause and effect

8 November 2007

Would that life were always like this, with groups upheld as icons of creativity scoring high in the charts for commercially effective design as well.The message isn't quite as clear this year as it was last, when Williams Murray Hamm held pole position both for its DBA Design Effectiveness Award wins and its overall success in creative awards. But with it and the likes of Pearlfisher, Lewis Moberly and Elmwood ranking high in this chart, we can be sure that the Design Business ...

Michael wolff

8 November 2007

'Congratulations' is the first thing I want to say to anyone whose work is honoured by being in this supplement.It's an achievement to win recognition for the quality of your work from juries or judges made up of people whose work you admire. People with whom you may normally compete.I was always excited to have my work and my name included with respect, and sometimes envy, in any selection of excellence by my peers. It always felt like having climbed to some sort of summit ...

Start right

8 November 2007

Design industry perceived wisdom dictates that, to be really creative, you're much better off being small and independent. Certainly, that's how consultancies tend to start life, and what start-up wouldn't also at least consider itself creative?After all, last year's Creative Survey chart topper Williams Murray Hamm was once small and independent, as were Turner Duckworth, Lewis Moberly, Johnson Banks and The Partners. It helps in these matters if, like Johnson Banks, you have ...

Winning Work

8 November 2007

From Apple’s iPod Shuffle to GBH’s charity tram with DJ and table football, a wealth of great design has been created over the past year by brave and innovative consultancies. Emma Germain presents some of the work

Made in Denmark tops 100%

Mon, 24 Sep 2007

Nesta calls for business - design links

30 August 2007

Nesta chief executive Jonathan Kestenbaum (pictured) is calling for a concerted effort to better align academia with industry.Writing in this week's Business Insight column of Design Week, Kestenbaum seeks to dispel the myth that 'creative types' lack business acumen and asserts that this needn't be the case if steps are taken by higher education institutions to redress the situation.'Many students complain that academics are out of touch with how the creative industries ...

BAA eyes more consultancies for Heathrow East terminal

30 August 2007

BAA is seeking design consultancies to work on Heathrow East, the facility that will eventually replace Terminal 2. T2 will be demolished in spring 2008 to make way for the new £1.5bn terminal.The project is being co-ordinated by BAA's small in-house design team of about six people, led by director of design David Bartlett.Besides drafting in architect Foster & Partners to design the terminal, BAA plans to use a core roster of consultancies currently engaged on Terminal ...

Margaret Parkes

30 August 2007

The educationist Margaret Parkes, who brought design to the National Curriculum, has died aged 81. In the late 1980s. Parkes pioneered the craft, design and technology subject for school-age children.

Broadening horizons

30 August 2007

Working as an illustrator today can be a solitary life, often confined to a studio and working alone. Consequences, a new show by the Central Illustration Agency, has challenged that ideal by inviting 63 of the international illustrators it represents to work together on a wall-based installation. An A2 panel marked with a section of curving horizon was given to each illustrator to adorn however they wished. Participants were asked to communicate with the artist designing the panel either ...

Schools deserve better than mere quick-fix Portakabins

23 August 2007

It is encouraging to read that the Design Council (among others) is voicing its concern that consideration needs to be given to the design process in the Building Schools for the Future programme. To adapt in order to accommodate a changing curriculum, or to specialise in specific areas and meet an increase in pupil numbers, it appears that schools have had to continually ship in Portakabins or extend certain bits of their buildings on an ad-hoc basis. How many times does ...

Concrete 2 Canvas: More Skateboarder's Art

23 August 2007

Concrete 2 Canvas: More Skateboarder's Art, by Jo Waterhouse, is a collection of artwork by skateboarders from around the world, together with pieces by artists such as Mike Grant and Jeremy Fish. From marker pen sketches on skateboards to a documented performance of a wooden chair sanded down to dust, this second volume straddles the worlds of skateboarding, art and contemporary design.

Fat chance

9 August 2007

Fat faces are moving out of 19th-century textbooks and into the 21st century, taking a stand against the monotony of modern typography, says Simon Loxley. We also ask three designers if sans serifs have dominated for too long

Acid demands tougher measures against IP theft

9 August 2007

Describing an object or someone's taste as 'cheap' used to be an insult, but bragging about budget store bargains now counts as status-raising small talk. The less it cost, the more savvy a consumer you are.But cheap could soon mean nasty once again. A recent spate of high-profile design theft cases has tarnished the image of cheap chic. Last month, Philip Green paid out £12 000 to Chloe for a ripped-off dress design, and in September last year, New Look paid £80 000 damages to ...

Profile: Kate Astbury

9 August 2007

She is the third generation of her family to become a photographer. Kate Astbury's speciality is wide-angle photomontages of the epic and the domestic. Paula Carson finds the only thing holding her back is print size

Wolffe & Co buys up rival Scottish consultancy Pointsize

2 August 2007

Last Friday, Dumfries-based design consultancy Wolffe & Co completed its acquisition of Glasgow design consultancy Pointsize Associates.

Internal comms vital for design, says Radley Yeldar

26 July 2007

If cries from staff of 'nobody tells me anything' are becoming familiar then you could be in need of a shake-up of your internal communications strategy.According to the authors of a new report from Radley Yeldar - Goodbye Staff Numbers 5357 and 76 583, Hello Aisha and Dave - comments such as these are among the signs to look out for to measure staff satisfaction (or the lack of it), while the findings aim to help organisations implement and improve internal communications.The ...

Guided by voices

19 July 2007

In this age of ever more elaborate multimedia exhibitions, how do you strike the right balance between offering an in-depth museum experience and avoiding information overkill? Scott Billings looks at the latest technologies for guided tours

Cook Yourself Thin

19 July 2007

Mr & Mrs Smith has designed the title sequence for Tiger Aspect's new television programme, Cook Yourself Thin

The Summer Party

12 July 2007

Zaha Hadid and Patrik Shumacher of Zaha Hadid Architects have designed a temporary installation for the Serpentine Gallery's fundraiser The Summer Party, which started yesterday in London's Kensington Gardens. The installation will be sited on the lawn next to the gallery in W2 for one week. It is an open-air structure, 5.5m high, which consists of three identical fabric structures, or parasols, around a central point.

Glasgow School of Art set to restore Mackintosh vision

Wed, 11 Jul 2007

Glasgow School of Art’s iconic Mackintosh building is set for an £8.7m transformation that will see it restored to Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s original design.

Steers McGillan circles round Poole Museum identity

5 July 2007

The waterfront museum on Poole harbour is set to unveil its transformation this weekend, with a new glass and steel atrium and contemporary displays that tell the story of Poole.Bath-based design consultancy Steers McGillan, which was appointed following a three-way credentials pitch, has devised the branding, exhibition space and interior graphics for Poole Museum, which was designed by architect Horden Cherry Lee.The venue's glass atrium creates a new entrance, with a ...

Mixed signals

28 June 2007

The Lost O, a public art project to commemorate the replacement of a ring road with quality public space in Ashford, coincides with the arrival of the Tour de France. But will the peloton be able to find its way through the chaos, wonders Fiona Sibley

Bums on courts

28 June 2007

Milan-based Paulo Araldi has been going to the Wimbledon Championships for the past seven years. During that time, he's been multi-skilling, as a tennis correspondent for the Italian daily La Repubblica and as a photographer. His exhibition Time, Please: History and Mood of Wimbledon, charts the crowds, the grounds, the officials and the players, mainly in reportage-style black and white. He also presents a few pictures of that natural, but somehow hilarious phenomenon: rain. He's quite ...

University lecturing: do it for the love, not the money

28 June 2007

Adrian Shaughnessy's kvetching about university bureaucracy deserves a dismissive riposte; it's a soft target. Welcome to the world of academic teaching pay. You mention 'miniscule fees' once too often. What do you pay junior designers? Does your group offer unpaid placements? How often have you made a free business pitch? These are all issues that are probably not our business, because it's your small, private business. Universities are large and publicly accountable. ...

City maze

21 June 2007

To make a city truly legible, as well as a great place to visit, live and work, Colette Jeffrey suggests that councils take a more holistic approach and look beyond installing yet more signage

Design plans for Cutty Sark back on track

Wed, 20 Jun 2007

The Cutty Sark’s architectural and design plans have been given the go-ahead once more, following the fire last month.

Benchmarks award scheme honours clients

7 June 2007

A new category, Client of the Year, has been added to Design Week's Benchmarks awards scheme, the call for entries for which went out this week.Nominations are invited free of charge from entrants to the Benchmarks, for individuals or client companies whose passion and commitment has led to branding work of a consistently high standard. Evidence of risk-taking will score highly with the judges.The Benchmarks scheme covers branding that works consistently across three or ...

Failure to measure innovation damages value, says ESRC

7 June 2007

If innovation is not properly quantified, companies risk being undervalued, according to a report by the Economic and Social Research Council, published this week.The report - entitled 'Facilitating Innovation through the Measurement and Management of Intangibles' - highlights ESRC-funded research carried out by Professors Chris Hendry and David Citron of the City University's Cass Business School. It claims that the success of companies and the future of the UK economy is increasingly ...

Dolphin Square targets young professionals

Wed, 13 Jun 2007

The newly modernised Dolphin Square development in London’s Pimlico, which has housed MPs, spies and members of the Royal family, opens its doors today to reveal a complete renovation.

Galaxy Radio's Solar Sessions

31 May 2007

Manchester consultancy Love has commissioned London-based illustrator Nolan Cadogan-Sealey to create an illustration for this year's Galaxy Radio's Solar Sessions. As part of the music sessions, Galaxy will broadcast from festivals, tours and club nights throughout the year, including the Galaxy Weekender in Ibiza in July. The illustration will be used across the promotional campaign.

Profile: Luke Prowse

31 May 2007

Type designer Luke Prowse took on the daunting task of condensing the Times font when the newspaper turned tabloid, a success that has brought a variety of work to Research Studios, says Simon Loxley

Wallace & Gromit front innovation drive

31 May 2007

A new Government initiative to promote creativity and innovation in primary schools is being fronted by 'Britain's foremost inventors', Wallace & Gromit

Opening doors to the real world

31 May 2007

Cross-fertilisation between business and design education is a core function of the growing network of centres of excellence, explains Gina Lovett

Fees up 10% in latest Top 100 survey

Wed, 30 May 2007

Optimism has returned to design with fees up and prospects looking good for consultancies ranked in Design Week’s 2007 Top 100.

US potential leads Poke to set up NY studio

Wed, 30 May 2007

Interactive design group Poke is embarking on an ambitious foray into the US digital market with the appointment of two partners to run its new studio in New York.

Anarchy lures, OK?

24 May 2007

An easy facility with wordplay is one of the best skills a creative can have, and the surest way to puncture the pomposity of 'suits', argues David Bernstein

Sugar and spice

24 May 2007

Just how many 1980s revivals can youth culture sustain right now? While the nu-rave movement shows no signs of fading from England's sticky dancefloors, over in Japan the kids have been in thrall to the fashion craziness of the somewhat ridiculed New Romantic movement for well over a decade now, if a new book, Gothic and Lolita, is to be believed. Photographer Masayuki Yoshinaga, who has worked for Dazed & Confused and The Face, travelled through Osaka and Tokyo, documenting this homage ...

Elevation

17 May 2007

Artist Michael Pinsky has designed Elevation, a permanent, multi-screen animation that reveals a 'parallel world', visible through holes in the walls of University Hospital Lewisham's new Riverside building, which opens on 24 May. Pinsky filmed activities in the neighbouring Ladywell Fields from the roof of the hospital and edited footage to create 15 individual animations. The installation is intended to aid the recuperation process, as well as patients' natural thought processes.

Profile: Geneviève Gauckler

17 May 2007

Illustrator Geneviève Gauckler combines photomontage and graphic design in her comic, poster and film work. Paula Carson talks to the French artist and sci-fi fan who likes to work fast, stay curious and keep things simple

Taking the Mickey

17 May 2007

Philatelists of the British Isles unite: there's a new stamp album on the market. Only this one is going to be pretty difficult to get hold of, and the paperwork certainly isn't available in back copies from the Royal Mail. The collectables in question are a series of subversive stamps which have been appearing on the art market since 2005, entitled Stamps of Mass Destruction and released by the Cautese Nationál Postal Disservice. The fictitious organisation is run by art-prankster Jim ...

Ami Brophy

17 May 2007

The New York Art Directors Club has named Ami Brophy, previously at the Clio Awards, as executive director. She replaces Myrna Davis, who steps down after 14 years.

Inspired

17 May 2007

As that Martini ad once famously intoned, 'anytime, any place, anywhere', inspiration is a slippery beast waiting to creep up and slap you when you least expect it

Richard Finmore

17 May 2007

Richard Finmore, finance director of 35 Communications, passed away last Wednesday, 9 May, after a year-long fight against leukaemia. His colleagues at 35 paid tribute to him last week, describing him as 'an ever-present support; Richard was bullish and direct, but was always completely honest and dependable'. He is survived by his wife Ann, and two daughters, Hayley and Alex.

It's good to talk

10 May 2007

Blogs and other user-generated content are creating a mass of hard-to-navigate debate on the Web. Scott Billings takes a look at how digital designers could be meeting these challenges, particularly the design of effective interfaces for discussion

Walker Jansseune in city academy push

3 May 2007

City Academy Bristol, one of the 40 UK institutions set up under the Government's city academies initiative, today launches a branding scheme to help raise the profile of vocational education at a national level.The scheme, devised by Bath-based design consultancy Walker Jansseune, features a series of panels that will be used as part of the academy's interior, and will be dedicated to honouring students who have excelled in career pathways through a vocational education.Walker ...

Japanese underbelly

3 May 2007

In a culture renowned for its pulsating urban districts, emblazoned with imagery selling lifestyles of every sort, it's strange that it has taken this long for the first book dedicated to Japan's graffiti movement to surface. The argument, say the writers, is that graffiti arrived relatively late - only by the early 1990s when young people headed to the US and encountered hip hop did this global subculture start transforming the sprawling suburbs of Tokyo and Osaka. The book's title, RackGaki, .

A rocky road to market

26 April 2007

Designers must invest in intellectual property if they want to retain control of their ideas and see them through to production

Profile: Johanna Basford

26 April 2007

Working from a fish farm in Aberdeenshire, Johanna Basford designs textiles and wallpapers for companies such as Heal's, exploring botanical motifs, insects and evolution. Fiona Nicolson speaks to her

Formidastic student design competition sparks ethics debate

19 April 2007

A student and graduate design competition organised by Dutch company Formidastic in conjunction with sports brand Asics (pictured) has reignited the debate about the ethics of competitions in the design industry.Formidastic specialises in the conception and organisation of competitions aimed at design students, recent graduates and emerging designers. It is organising an unpaid competition - Fill the Box - to design a pair of Asics-branded trainers. The designer behind the winning ...

Designers scoop Queen’s Awards

Mon, 23 Apr 2007

Monochrome chroniclers

19 April 2007

Never mind Flickr, when it comes to the crunch the finest photography is still reliant on the alchemy of the darkroom. Ilford Photo is taking an opportunity to promote the importance of the developing process, with a display of seminal, black-and-white photographs that chart 150 years of this craft. Powerful, contemporary documentary work sits alongside historic cityscapes from the 19th century, and further examples chart the 20th-century proliferation of the photographic image, through ...

Southbank ‘hub’ for London Design Festival

Wed, 4 Apr 2007

Mark Tildesley

29 March 2007

Production designer Mark Tildesley has created spaceship interiors and exteriors for director Danny Boyle's latest film, Sunshine, released on 5 April. Boyle sought advice from scientist Dr Brian Cox and Seymour Powell director Richard Seymour, who has also worked with Virgin Galactic. They adopted a 'more Nasa than Star Wars' approach, says Seymour. Boyle briefed Tildesley to make the film's Icarus II craft an 'organic, living thing that could break down and need to be fixed'.

Design Council spins off Designing Demand initiative

8 March 2007

The Design Council is to spin off Designing Demand, its recently launched design for business programme, to become a separate standalone operation.Design Council head of partners and programmes Ceri Willmott has been named as Designing Demand national programme director. She will oversee the programme from the council's offices in London's Bow Street, but it will now become a separate cost centre. Willmott says that funding for the initiative, which aims to encourage businesses ...

Moggridge to lead interaction design forum

8 March 2007

Ideo co-founder Bill Moggridge is to head a forum on interaction design in products and services, as part of a series of multidisciplinary discussions about design and innovation.The Innovation Forum aims to bring together key figures from a range of disciplines to discuss how effectively, or how poorly, they are collaborating on innovation across various industries. Event panels will gather people from design, business, academia, content production and technology, says the founder ...

Shedding light on the future

1 March 2007

Public and commercial awareness of lighting design is growing, but the sector can also take a lead on energy consumption

1991 Intercity rail map

1 March 2007

A sculpture of the 1991 Intercity rail map, designed to look like a tree, has been shortlisted for the £25 000 Jerwood Sculpture Prize 2007. Designed by Jonathan Parsons, the Terminator sculpture is one of eight works competing for the top prize. Other works include a sculpture you can walk into which uses moving light, and a skeleton of a house. For full details, see www.jerwoodsculpture.org.

The Course sculpture

1 March 2007

A permanent, new media 'archisculpture' designed by Michael Pinsky enables passers-by to pedal on stationary bikes at high speed through a semi-virtual race. Launched by Sustrans, the British engineering charity for sustainable transportation, The Course sculpture features along the cycle network in Luton. It is part of the charity's Art & the Travelling Landscape programme to create public artworks along the National Cycle Network.

Inclusivity is key to differentiation

22 February 2007

A less fragmented approach, involvinig all departments at every stage, can help you stand out from the crowd, says Jon Davies

Voxpop

22 February 2007

London is turning its attention to Fashion Week again, but is fashion valued enough by other types of designers? With more and more fashion labels launching products, should other design disciplines pay more than a fleeting attention to the fashion industry?

LDF deal leads to cessation of design show hostilities

Wed, 21 Feb 2007

Tom Dixon is calling for a bit of calm and unity. It’s time for some sense to prevail. He’s been doing a lot of thinking recently about the design show scene in London, not least because of his appointment last week as creative director of 100% Design.

Bloom co-founder quits group

Tue, 20 Feb 2007

Bloom co-founder Gavin Blake is to leave the consultancy, it has emerged this week. He is the second of three founders to move on in the past year.

Clarke takes over from Alsop

Mon, 19 Feb 2007

Dream on

15 February 2007

The Science of Sleep, Michael Gondry's latest feature film about the power of dreams and a love of creativity, is as gorgeous to watch as it was enjoyable to make. Charles Gant discovers how the relinquising of control can yield great results

Inspired

8 February 2007

I can come across as winging it at work, but, in my down time, I like to concentrate on intricate detail. For the past three years, I've opened my back garden for charity - it's a superlative effort of pruning, coaxing and balancing. There's colour and spatial issues… and, oops, a bit of panic buying at Columbia Road Flower Market, in east London, to fill in bald patches.Alas, you won't find me in the Yellow Book this year, as ...

Celebrity sell

1 February 2007

The use of famous faces shot by well-known photographers in the store environment has changed the fashion retail experience beyond recognition

Olympic site opens with signage by Westmorland

25 January 2007

The roll-out of the UK’s 2012 Olympic training sites has begun, with the opening of the £16m Lee Valley Athletics Centre, featuring signage and wayfinding by Westmorland Signs International.

Light meal

18 January 2007

After the food, lighting plays a crucial part in the whole eating-out experience. Trish Lorenz picks three new restaurants that use it to maximum effect

Profile: Sara Fanelli

30 November 2006

Sara Fanelli’s energetic and characterful illustrations have led to her becoming the first female illustrator to be made an Honorary Royal Designer. She talks to Paula Carson about inspiration, success and surprises

British Airways Club World relaunch to roll out from restructured team

Thu, 16 Nov 2006

British Airways this week reveals the final project from its dedicated design management team, which was controversially dismantled earlier this year.