Letters to the Editor should be sent to Design Week, 50 Poland Street, London W1V 4AX. Fax: 0171-970 6730. e-mail lyndark@centaur.co.uk

Yorkshire Water launched its inaugural website on Tuesday, designed by Leeds consultancy Elmwood. – Freelance illustrator Jon Stuart worked up the site’s 3D visuals, and Planet On-Line developed its technical side.

Of interest to anyone keen to learn more about digital TV is the two-day UK Digital TV conference being held in London on 28-30 April 1999. An impressive line-up of speakers includes Marc Sands, director of brand marketing at ONdigital, James Ackerman, chief executive of BiB, and Adam Singer, chairman and chief executive at Flextech. […]

Retailer Books Etc has introduced its own coffee shop format, Coffee Etc, to its Finchley Road store in North London. The concept was created and developed by design group Ergo (pictured). A Books Etc spokeswoman says the opening represents a trial, and there are no plans to replace existing coffee shop concessions in Books Etc […]

The free pitching debate has kept me amused for years. – In my previous life as commercial director of Wood and Wood Signs, I used to turn straight to your Letters page each week to see which of our graphic or interior design clients would be writing eloq

Wagstaffs has brought in Mike Jessop, previously with structural packaging consultancy Innovators as new business director. He replaces Michael Graham, who left to join Landor in the autumn (DW 30 October). Managing director Clare Anderson expects Jessop to develop the role, and now considers all the key roles at Wagstaffs are in place. Meanwhile, Debenhams […]

Lynda Relph-Knight rightly suggests that designers would be well advised to forge partnerships with good shopfitters (Comment, DW 13 November). The lack of realistic lead-in periods is a constant gripe shared by shopfitters and the more conscientious designers. However, the fact that unworkable schemes are being pursued beyond the outline development stage indicates that there […]

Oxfordshire-based independent publisher of the award-winning History of the Universe, Ransom Publishing, has released a new CD-ROM entitled Mia, The Search for Grandma’s Remedy. Aimed at four to nine-year-olds, the two-CD set developed and designed by Kutoka Interactive uses impressive 3D graphics and animation in a learning adventure which incorporates puzzles, literacy tests and problem-solving […]

Sports-themed bar Shoeless Joe’s has opened a second venue above London’s Temple Tube station, with interiors by Hugh Owen Architects. Interiors for the original Shoeless Joe’s were by Din Associates. This latest site is nearly 2000m2 including a roof area overlooking the Thames. Further venues are planned, in Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds. Hugh Owen Architects […]

Steve Wright (Letters, DW 30 October) makes important and welcome comments on the industry’s grasp of design law, with which we entirely agree. The Design Business Association has, for over ten years, run its highly acclaimed Professional Practice Programmes. The courses cover management skills such as time management, communications skills, contractual negotiations and understanding the […]

The first appeal judgement concerning unregistered design rights for a decade, made this month at the Royal Courts of Justice, has set an important precedent for designers who fear their work has been copied. The case, between appellant Farmers Build and Carier Bulk Materials Handling, concerned a piece of agricultural machinery, a rotary screen slurry […]

A Christmas exhibition and auction New Beginnings are in the Offing, displays 70 works by international artists. The exhibition will take place from 21-23 December and the auction will be on 23 December at 7pm. Contact: Ros Lambert on 0131-467 5050. Venue: Ingleby Gallery, 6 Carlton Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 6DD.