Oak challenge
Faced with a 15cm long branch from a dead oak tree, not everyone has the imagination or skills to turn it into a piece of art or a functional design
Help! i’m not sure what design means
Every design practitioner seems to have their own idea of how to define the discipline. Nick Sunderland is on a mission to pin it down
Independent touch
As big, high street brands and smaller retailers alike are embracing more unconventional store design, cultivating that ’one-off’, local look for their latest outlets, Anna Richardson takes the measure of
In the dark
While traditional video games rely heavily on visuals to create exciting worlds, a few brave pioneers are foregrounding sound as the key – and sometimes only – element. Scott Billings
Profile: Judith Schalansky
Designing her own books has allowed Judith Schalansky to explore theories about matching form and content, and build on a childhood fascination with atlases. The German-born author and graphics specialist
Voxpop
What do you think can be done to raise the standard of design education in the UK?
Don’t let the grass grow under the feet of this idea
Bin 2 Bin – what a fantastic collaboration (The Art of Plastic, www.designweek. co.uk, 25 August). Love the Nature Step (pictured).Perhaps this should kick off a series of mash-up exercises
We’re creatives, we’re a team – why bother with titles?
In 21 years of working in this industry I have never officially been given a job title (Voxpop, DW 26 August). When I worked at my previous consultancy there were
UK plc needs train designs as sexy as this
I was interested to read Jim Davies’ lament about the state of rail in the UK (Private View, DW 19 August). I agree that there are some much better rail
Inspired: Jesse Boyce – Lethal
Not everyone loves a rubber stamp, but I’m hooked – there’s no better way to set foot on new soil than with a freshly inked passport. It sets the scene
Best of the Web
http///verynearlyalmost.com/blog/?p=2901Very Nearly Almost is a blog that documents street art and graffiti. A recent post displays WWF’s latest campaign, which has been created by Ogilvy Paris. It features Photoshopped images
Crowd dynamics
Finding work is difficult, but graduates should still be wary of crowdsourcing, says Caroline Roberts. What sort of client would commission design services using this phenomenon?
Latest articles
Design inspiration: our favourite projects from July
From a playful zine, to a “tribal” title sequence and “tongue-in-cheek” wine brand, these are the design projects that caught our eye in July.
Climate crisis campaign Zero Hour!’s identity designed for cross-party appeal
London studio Among Equals has crafted the campaign, which takes inspiration from 1940s propaganda and reframes Churchillian language.
Ikea and Deliveroo design leaders call out “old fashioned” portfolios
In-house design experts question the utility of portfolios when applying for jobs, instead preferring a more narrative approach with case studies where possible.
Picks of the month: the best design events to catch in August
We’re rounded up the best things to see and do this month, from disability-friendly museum visits to navigating the post-grad years of design.
