What is the largest thing you have ever designed?

Calling Brands has developed the branding for the world’s longest aircraft. What is the largest thing you have ever designed?

Richard Seymour

‘The InterCity 250 High Speed Train for British Rail, which got to full-scale model just as the Government flogged-off the network. As long as a cathedral is tall, it was the first product we’d designed with a “vanishing point”. Broke my heart when they canned it.’

Richard Seymour, co-founder, SeymourPowell

Alasdair Lennox

‘When my mum asks me what I am designing at the moment, it’s a pretty simple answer – the British High Street. My canvas is the supermarket, coffee shop, retail bank that we pop into every day. It’s even the Ann Summers store we pop into for those (ahem) less everyday occasions. This canvas is constantly shape-shifting as shoppers increasingly research and buy more online and use the physical spaces for different purposes. Can’t ask for a bigger canvas then that.’

Alasdair Lennox, creative director, Fitch

Jack Renwick

‘I don’t have any big claims to fame on creating any particularly large items. Hoardings for a property development is probably the largest canvas I’ve worked on – where I created an orchard of trees made from lamps, wine glasses and various cooking utensils. A big thing that sticks in my mind from a scarier instance was creating a giant typographic tree ring telling the story of the history of Clerkenwell. It was being engraved 3m high into a concrete wall and two hours before it was finished the researcher emailed to say they had sent a wrong historic date… “SH*T!!!!” Fortunately the concrete hadn’t set or that would have been one very large and very permanent typo.’

Jack Renwick, founder, Jack Renwick Studio

Simon Manchipp

‘Having a large canvas is exciting, over the past nine years we’ve seen SomeOne’s work in national train stations, Olympic stadia, football teams, wrapped around buildings, used to navigate districts and cities — but the most exciting thing is to see the spread of ideas work their way across sectors. I love to hear phrases that we have coined used by other people — particularly if we are separated by oceans and language. We recently had a pitch meeting in a far-flung location where English was a second language and the sun was shining while Britain shivered. The potential clients recited three or four of our mantras in exactly the way we describe them. After the meeting we quizzed them, “where did they hear those ideas?” They swore they had not heard them from us or read them from our website. But after another chat we deducted that they were part of the seven stages of separation and we traced the ideas journey from drinks party to dinner soirée to watercooler moment. Ideas really are the most exciting thing on the planet, and the most powerful.’

Simon Manchipp, executive creative director, SomeOne

Hungry Castle

‘Hungry Castle’s biggest creation so far is Laser Cat. A giant cat head with “lasers” for eyes that uses high-powered projectors to beam the personal art projects of the global community onto public buildings. At 5.5m-high, this interactive installation forms part of the ADC Festival of Art + Craft in Advertising and Design in Miami Beach. On 9 April, Laser Cat will project art by Stefan Sagmeister, Milton Glaser, Banksy and YOU (if you feed him in time).’

Killian Cooper and Dave Glass, co-founders, Hungry Castle

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  • Matt - November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    How Boastfully True!

    (with regard the Fitch comment – A bit of Gestalt Psychology methinks).

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