Based in Beijing, Khaki Creative & Design co-founder and creative director, Nod Young, is a prolific artist whose passion lies in typography and graphic design. He draws heavily on Chinese culture and tradition to inform his working process, and has continuously pushed the boundaries of creativity in China, a country in which art and design are still in their nascent stages of development. Nod’s hope is to see a world in which every person will appreciate and demand great creativity and design in every aspect of life.

Notes on Design: Where are you originally from?

Nod: I was born and raised in northeast China, but now I live in Beijing. I have been here for about 10 years now, and feel as though I understand Beijing better than any other city. Beijing is both crazy and lazy, ash and snow.

Notes on Design: Why did you choose a career in graphic design/illustration?

Nod: As a child, I loved to draw, and I think the habit just stuck. Art helped me to better understand the world, as the creative way of thinking entails a very different process. Now I use this process to make a living.

Notes on Design: How important has it been to draw on Chinese culture and tradition to inform your design process?

Nod: Chinese culture is very important to me. I derive inspiration from Chinese paper cuts, paintings and characters to inform my design work. They involve simple shapes, but the content is usually very detailed; they look soft, but the spirit is very strong. I like traditional Chinese culture, as tradition symbolizes purity for me. I hate the hypocrisy and excessiveness associated with modern Chinese culture.

Notes on Design: How has this helped to build your graphic identity?

Nod: I would say that I have built a unique graphic identity with a 70% Chinese influence, 20% international style, plus 10% digital.

Notes on Design: Tell us more about your design journey. How did you get to where you are now?

Nod: I have practiced design for over 10 years now, and have completed work for clients from the entertainment sector and sportswear companies, to charitable organisations and NGOs; from very personal projects to huge corporate clients. In China, it is difficult to come across a client who is willing to pay a high commission rate so, when I was starting out, I had to complete as many jobs as possible in order to get by. To date, I have designed over 130 logos!

More recently, however, the situation has changed. With the experience gained over the last few years, I have built a reputation. Now, there is no need to complete so many commissions because clients are aware of my experience and the offers are getting better.

Notes on Design: What advice would you offer other young graphic designers working in China?

Nod: I would say that you are lucky to be a designer in China! But my advice would be to remember to use your head to design, as well as your hands. Many young designers, especially in China, depend on computers; they forget that 80% of good design is idea formulation and the concept behind the design itself.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Nod: I am doing some art direction for a film, including work for the characters, the set and makeup. This is the first time I am doing something like this, so I am very motivated to learn about all the processes involved.

Notes on Design: Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

Nod: I would like to expand and work out of both Beijing and San Francisco.

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See more of Nod Youngs work at KhakiCreative.com and on Flickr.

Founded and run by Steve Price, Plan-B Studio is a design consultancy specialising in design and art direction spanning an array of media for the fashion, music, PR, film, corporate, NGO and mobile communications sectors as well as design strategy and planning. We caught up with Steve this month to uncover a little more about his career and recent projects.

Notes on Design: Can you give us a brief insight into who you are and what you do? How did your career start?

Steve: Even though (after twelve years) I think they understand what it is I do I am very lucky that I have a very supportive family first and foremost. I also have to credit the beginning of my career to my art teacher. I was fifteen when she pulled me in to her store room to give me a bollocking. Told me that if I actually applied myself I could make something of this. I often think about her and that moment, it was pivotal in my life.

Ever since that day I have applied myself 100%. How my career has gone since then is like everyone elses – like a roller coaster with highs and lows. Working for yourself is incredibly stressful, tiring, stressful (did I already say that?) but more importantly rewarding and it offers me the flexibility I need in my life.

Notes on Design: How and why did you choose a career in graphic design?

Steve: I chose graphic design whilst on my foundation course at Maidstone Art School. I barely knew what it was, but it seemed the most logical path for me. I was (still am) crap at practical building or spatial design; interiors, products, etc.

I found I really jelled with the approach of graphic design, and the commercial element made sense to me; I could see the value of good design. I loved the array of media that was seemingly available to play with; working on letterpress, printmaking and hand-rendering 8pt/12pt type just seemed to click with me. It still does; I start every project with my moleskin and a pencil, and sketching. Even if the idea is already formulated in my head I like to force myself to make a note, to sketch the idea out. With the digital era firmly in place it is easy to be complacent and to sit in front of the computer some more, but using a pencil and book helps me at least feel like I’ve created something by hand to begin with.

Notes on Design: What led you to go it alone and set up the Plan-B Studio?

Steve: The dot com crash. I was reveling in the sunshine that was the dot com boom like most. But when it went tits-up I wasn’t too concerned for some reason. being made redundant always felt like a challenge to me; a good one. Like being forced to do something new, for the better. Within six months I’d been made redundant twice so finally in July 2000 I promised myself that if I was going to be made redundant it would be my responsibility. So on a piece of paper I wrote ‘Plan-A: get another job | Plan-B go it alone’.

Notes on Design: What would you say was your creative break, and what has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Steve: To be honest I don’t think I’ve had a ‘creative break’. I’m expecting one along any time soon. But I realise that it takes a lot of hard work, a pinch of luck and a dash of ‘right time, right place’.

There are lots of pieces of work that I am proud of. The projects I was involved with for Friends of the Earth were great. I used to want to do record sleeves because you get to go in the HMV and see it. But I soon realised that the music industry was not for me; too many people wanting to go in to HMV to see their work!

Project10, is something that I am really proud of. Last week I launched the first of many projects, this one in particular is a poster I designed that was printed by Generation Press (who donated their time) on GF Smith paper in order to raise money for a boy called Jack who has autism. Your readers can donate £25 (+P&P) to Jack by buying one of the 100 limited editions here.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us more about Project 10 – the motivations for undertaking it and what you’ve learnt during the last 6 months?

Steve: This is the tenth year of operation for Plan-B Studio. To celebrate it I decided that apart from having a party and getting drunk I would try to do something more substantial.

So, in January of this year, I set out to find ten NGO/NFP’s (or ‘fun’) projects to work with to launch ten projects by October 10th 2010 (10.10.10). It soon dawned on me that it was simply not possible to do ten projects in ten months, not least because some take time to organise, others are just slow burners and (as with everything else in life) it is more important to focus on quality, not quantity.

What is great about Project10 is that i have been introduced to some truly remarkable people who are all for collaboration. And that has become a word that really captivates the true essence of Project10; collaboration. Most of the projects I am working on wouldn’t or will not exist without the involvement of one or many people. But it is hugely inspiring and it is helping motivate me to focus and do more work. Okay, it’s not paid work, but it’s it has much greater rewards.

As part of the process I have also produced a monthly newspaper promoting the projects, but mainly promoting other forms of collaboration going on out there; indeed the newspaper is a collaboration of people kindly contributing the content. It is a lot of work but it’s one reason why I like getting out of bed in the morning.

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To see more of Steve’s work visit plan-bstudio.com, visit his blog at www.designweak.com and follow him on twitter @planbstudio.
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David McCandless turns complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut — and it may just change the way we see the world.

After spending 7 years living, studying and working in Tokyo, Japan, Graphic Designer Trevor Embury set up his design company aftermodern.lab in Toronto, Canada in 2009. He has been working in design for 10 years both as a creative director and lecturer. His enthusiasm and knowledge for design, architecture and photography comes from his extensive world travels and cultural exchanges. He has exhibited his work in Canada, Japan and the U.S.A. He is a graduate from the University of Calgary, a member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada and an Alumni of Sessions College for Professional Design. We are really pleased to announce Trevor is joining the Notes on Design writing team this month, so we thought we would uncover a little more about his journey to introduce you to him!

Notes on Design: Hi Trevor, and welcome to NoD! Can you tell us a little about yourself, what you do and how your career in design began?

Trevor: Put simply, I’m a Canadian graphic designer based out of Toronto. I grew up in Southern Alberta in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, went to the University of Calgary to study Environmental Science and oddly found photography. I later went on to do a Fine Arts minor in photography. I think it was my academic understanding of the physical world that drew me closer to try to capture the beauty of the natural landscape on film. Subsequently, I studied Art & Design at Sessions College for Professional Design. After graduating. I moved to Tokyo, Japan and found work in both fields (science and design).

Notes on Design: Can you tell us about working in Japan?

Trevor: Japan was amazing. I lived in Tokyo for 7 years and truly did as much as I could. I had studied some Japanese photographers notably, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Daido Moriyama, Kenro Izu and Nobuyoshi Araki. I wanted to experience Japanese culture, language, life and mostly the landscape. I was very fortunate to be able to work there in an environment where I was required to use both of my academic disciplines. I worked on projects with The International Standards Organization, Mitsubishi, Dai Nippon Printing and Keio University.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about your motivations to set up aftermodern.lab?

Trevor: The reason why I started aftermodern.lab was to do work that I wanted to do and that I felt passionate about. To be honest, I was tired of working for other people and wanted to work with people. I had the right amount of experience and I felt that I knew enough people that needed some design work done so I said “why not, lets try this”. I asked my friend, partner and fantastic web designer Daniel Orellana if he was up to the challenge, he said sure, so we started aftermodern.lab. Since then we have joined forces with Karran Finlay of Karran Finlay Marketing out of Vancouver, which has been a perfect marriage, mutually beneficial in so many ways.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Trevor: At the moment, we are working on all kinds of projects. We are re-branding a Vancouver retail store, branding a social enterprise organization and consulting with a few Toronto based companies on the future of their design strategies. We are also responsible for creative for PechaKucha Toronto.

Notes on Design: What is it about design that motivates you?

Trevor: I think it’s the infinite possibilities of what design can do. It’s amazing to see businesses grow and become successful through great design both in tangible and intangible ways. To give you an example, we recently finished a website for an academic institute and within months of its launch date they recorded a 300% increase in registered students from the same quarter in the previous year. This campaign successfully increased international student interest and created a stronger bridge with transferring students. It was an extreme departure from what they originally had from its look and feel to the way everything communicated.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self initiated projects on at the moment?

Trevor: Yes, I’m working with a few friends of mine designing graphics for interior spaces. These will be used in retail spaces in Toronto and Vancouver. I can’t say much more because we are still in the planning stages! I am also heading up the creative department for PechaKucha Toronto and we have just confirmed that we will be presenting at The Interior Design Show Toronto. This is our second year in at IDS. We also work with the wonderful Toronto Harbourfront Art Centre and are preparing our second presentation series with this organization.

Notes on Design: So, what’s next for you?

Trevor: I have a trip coming up to visit Daniel in São Paulo. He is heading up our studio there and taking care of all our web design/development projects.

Notes on Design: Based on your experiences, do you have any advice for this years design graduates?

Trevor: Learn from the great designers of the past, and be inspired by them. There is a reason why they are great and that their work is timeless. I am particularly inspired by architecture and the works of Toyo Ito, Ando Tadao and Marcio Kogan. As for graphic design, I have always been enamored by the records covers of Joy Division and New Order designed by Peter Saville as well as the rigid grid system of Jan Tschichold. I also have great respect for Alexander Gelman from Design Machine.

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Find out more about Trevor and aftermodern.lab at aftermodernlab.com and follow the studio on twitter @aftermodernlab.
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When it came to deciding what he wanted to be when he grew up, Clinton Stringer had two choices in mind: Contemporary Dancer or Graphic Designer. The dice were cast and he was accepted to study dance at P.A.R.T.S. (Belgium) under the director Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker – also the choreographer of the internationally-acclaimed company Rosas. After school, Clinton worked as a dancer for Rosas for 9 years and then decided to find out what the other path had in store for him. He has spent the last three years studying Graphic Design at Kunsthogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel, in Belgium and is about to start a 3 month internship with De Designpolitie in Amsterdam. His work is strongly concept-based with a passion for the handmade. We caught up with Clinton this week to find out more about his academic experiences.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about yourself, and your academic and professional journey to date?

Clinton: After a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in English Literature, Theatre Studies and Journalism) in South Africa, I was a little lost as to which direction I wanted to take. I had enjoyed both my contemporary dance classes in Theatre Studies and the layout course as part of my Journalism course, but neither qualified me to start as a professional. A few months later I was given an amazing opportunity: a scholarship to study in Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s newly established contemporary dance school in Brussels – P.A.R.T.S. I packed everything into an enormous suitcase and left for my big career… as a dancer! Ten years later, after joining Rosas, de Keermaeker’s company, and performing all over the world, my creative needs longed for new challenges and other outlets. I quit the company to begin my second big career… as a graphic designer!

When deciding where to study, I looked to Britain and Belgium. In Britain I would be able to speak my mother-tongue and get a good education. In Belgium, I would have to study in Dutch (my second language is Afrikaans – the baby sister of Dutch), but I could earn money using my dance contacts and still get a good education. The clincher was that the Belgian education was exactly 10% of the cost of its British counterpart – €500 as opposed to €5000 per year. A no-brainer.

Notes on Design: What is it about design that motivates you?

Clinton: As a daily activity, there are a number of moments in the design process that give me a kick. That moment when your brain is looking at the problem from all angles, 24/7 and then things click into place and an interesting, clever, funny or apt solution steps forward and knocks you over. Wham! That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I get really excited to try it out.

Another thing I love is to work with my hands. There’s no getting away from the fact that the computer will come into the process at some point, so I try to invent ways to step away from the keyboard and get my hands dirty. This often ends up with me, my cutting-knife and piles of paper – some things I’ll never tire of. This part of the process is also, I think, the most closely connected to my dance experience. The freedom of play and experimentation is essential to both creative activities. Lastly, it is motivating when you take a final step back and are satisfied with what you’ve made. Nothing will ever be perfect, but when a project comes to an end and I’m happy with the result, that motivates me to continue.

Notes on Design: What was life at university like for you?

Clinton: The first half was pretty tiring – my first career was finishing and my second career beginning. During my first year and a half at Sint-Lukas Hogeschool in Brussels I was still touring as a freelancer with Rosas. This made my bank balance feel comfy, but my life was upside-down trying to deal with the steep learning-curve and the enormous workload. Things went in reverse for the second half of my studies, and it was great to loosen my collar behind my desk, even if I had to tighten my belt at the same time.

I was also a good deal older than most of my classmates, but we were learning together about things that were new for all of us so we had plenty of common ground. Some were brilliant at drawing, others were computer geniuses, so I enjoyed learning from them as well as from my teachers. Thankfully, I didn’t feel the pressure to keep up with the all night parties!

Notes on Design: What will you always remember about studying design at university?

Clinton: University has taught me that play and experimentation keep your interest and passion alive. This includes allowing yourself to go through stages in your process where things lead to a dead-end, or are interesting, but not appropriate for the design problem at hand. Or perhaps the result is just a complete failure. If these options weren’t possible, things tend to stagnate.

Notes on Design: So, what’s next for you?

Clinton: Most of my schoolmates are going onto their Masters course next year – a large chunk of which is taken up by an internship. I decided that, at my age and 9 years of education behind my back, I could learn a lot from an internship, but then I wanted to get back into the professional world as soon as possible. Soon I will be moving to Amsterdam for 3 months to intern with De Designpolitie, a champion of “Dutch Design”. I think that my experience there will determine my path and choices in the future.

Notes on Design: Based on your experiences do you have any advice for next years graduates?

Clinton: Enjoy the freedom that university allows. Do things with your computer, but also try as many materials and techniques as you can. It’s all useful. Experiment. Do crazy stuff. It’s up to you to have fun (and by this I mean “serious hard-working fun”). If you’re not enjoying working on your assignments, then try something else.

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See more of Clinton’s work on his portfolio website clintonstringer.net.
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Live Interactive Presentation and Conversation with two Online Design Education Experts

Join Andrew Shalat (Contributor to MacWeek, Inside Mac Radio, MacCentral, and MacWorld) and Gordon Drummond (Chief Learning Officer, Sessions College for Professional Design) in a Live discussion on the merits of teaching design online.

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Graphic, Web, Multimedia Design and Game Art are increasingly available to be learned online, both with and without instructors. One school has been doing it the longest: Sessions College for Professional Design.

Sessions College was the first fully-online school of design having opened its doors in 1999. The depth of curriculum has grown as it continues to challenge the limits of teaching in what is still a relatively new medium.

The college also manages to appeal to an amazing faculty of instructors, many of whom have published best selling book in their respective fields of design and have taught at other more traditional and renowned brink and mortar colleges.

One such instructor is Andrew Shalat, and on Tuesday, August 10th Scott Chappell of NoD will ask both Andrew Shalat and Sessions College Chief Learning Office Gordon Drummond to demystify the process of learning design online.

The details of this live online conversation are available here. Reserve your spot for the tour and you might also win one of Andrews books which include

Greennovate is a broad network of sustainability-consulting veterans, marketers, designers, engineers, and educators working on “green” initiatives that will assist in the growth of China-based companies. Believing that end-of-pipe solutions are a false way of doing business, Greennovate aspire to create a fundamental shift in the way that businesses in China think about sustainability: while many businesses consider sustainable practices a liability, Greennovate aims to demonstrate how they can be a valuable asset to any firm, and how they will be an essential part of the business future for everyone.

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Find out more about at Greennovate.net and follow Greennovate founder, Mihela Hladin, on twitter @greennovate. You can also see a video of Mihela Hladin, speaking at TEDxShanghai here.
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Born in the rural town of Frome in the West Country of England, Charlotte Knibbs is a freelance graphic designer. Upon graduating with a First Class Honours degree from Portsmouth University, Charlotte started to work with Aardman Animations designing the product and packaging range to accompany the release of Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death. Charlotte is now undertaking a Masters in Graphic Design at London College of Communication. Notes on Design spoke to Charlotte this week to find out about her academic journey.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about your academic and professional journey to date?

Charlotte: I studied a BTEC in Graphic Design but found the west country far too sleepy and craved something different… but at the time, I wasn’t sure what. I moved south to Portsmouth Uni to do my BA in Communication Design. Bachelors degrees are certainly different for everyone, but for me I found the new found freedom quite addictive, and quite honestly I slacked off playing World of Warcraft until the sun came up. Eventually, by the end of first year something clicked and the real possibility of being kicked out of uni scared me into pulling my socks up, and subsequently I graduated with a First Class in 2007.

I was lucky enough to start freelancing during my second year at University, and got my first major job with the brilliant Aardman Animations upon graduating. I’ve been freelancing for Aardman for 2 and a half years this month and it’s a perfect job for me, as a freelancer. On top of my freelance work I’m also studying my Masters at London College of Communication (LCC), which I’m due to finish towards to the end of the year.

Notes on Design: What is it about design that motivates you?

Charlotte: As the majority of my time is spent designing products and packaging I always find myself at trade shows. Seeing my designs in situ, stacked on the shelves, was a huge reality check. Prior to that, I’d found it difficult to comprehend how the artwork created on screen would eventually become a tangible object. Production time lines are obviously so much longer than print, and you end up forgetting what you’ve worked on until you see it in the shops or in someone’s home.

Seeing the products together as an entirety was quite indescribable, it immediately made me want to go off and create more! I love overviews, sets and collections… doesn’t really matter what it is. I like seeing how designers tie these things together visually. It could be a range of pasta sauces, a collection of magazine spreads or even swing tags for a clothing range. Their similarities and also their differences are what inspire me most of all. 

At London College of Communication it’s these little details that make the difference. The immediate attention to detail was one of the first things that solidified my faith in my MA. The tutors encourage you to submit “a body” of work, and really this is an exercise in branding, something you should always be aware of.

Notes on Design: Why did you decide to do an MA, and is it something you would recommend?

Charlotte: Deciding to start an MA was, for me, a bit of an emotional versus practical battle. I had wanted to do an MA ever since I graduated, but the security of my job with Aardman, knowing there were probably a thousand other creatives aching to take my place, and simply because it was the perfect job, were all reasons that postponed me from pursuing an MA.

Despite this very logical reason not to apply, I decided to go against logic, and chose to follow what I really wanted to do. I applied, and kept it a secret from all my freelance clients until I knew I could cope. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t managed to handle the workload, it was a risky decision but it was something I knew I had to do it for myself. In the end the course proved to be brilliant and it was definitely the right choice for me.

 I had thought I’d have to cut back on freelance work, and in a way I have, but really I just changed the way I work. Truthfully, I’ve become more ‘switched on’, more productive and efficient. You could say like a well oiled design machine!

Notes on Design: How does it differ to an undergraduate degree?

Charlotte: In short, the workload is huge. I had expected this, so thankfully it wasn’t a huge surprise. In fact it was one of the first things our tutors told us. I haven’t missed any deadlines, even with my freelance work. Quite frankly I’ve worked my ass off achieving distinctions in the last two units, which on top of working 30hours a week has been a mammoth task. I wouldn’t advise anyone to start a full time MA unless they plan on becoming an owl and working well into the night.

A lot of people I’ve spoken to chose to do a full time instead of part time MA because they say you ‘get it over with quicker’ but at the risk of upsetting a few people, I believe it’s the wrong attitude to have. Why rush? Dashing through it won’t automatically make you a good designer. You are there to learn and explore, therefore the only factor I would take into account when choosing full or part time should be, can you learn quickly? A full time MA is intense at times and if you prefer to take your time (and still get 8 hours sleep every night) then part time is for you.

Notes on Design: If you can remember, what was the hardest thing you had to overcome as a graduate?

Charlotte: Being a graduate (especially in design) is super competitive, a bit heart breaking and frustrating, but also completely fulfilling. To begin with you are expected to sell your soul a bit, and take on absolutely any work in order to get “out there”. If you turn down jobs or clients, you are almost looked upon as ungrateful, as if they are doing you a favour because you are ‘simply’ a graduate. Don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t be too fussy, but not every client is a good client and it is especially important that you know your price. You’re more valuable than you might think.

Notes on Design: What has been your key to success?

Charlotte: Going with my heart. Most of the decisions I’ve made during my career so far have been nearly entirely based on gut feelings rather than practical solutions. You have to do what makes you happy. I wanted to do an MA, despite my better judgment and the possible risks, deep down I knew I would still want to do it in the future, be it 2 years or 10 years time. Most of all I knew I would feel regret, so really, I had to give in.

Notes on Design: What’s next for you?

Charlotte: I have been surprised by the amount of work I have been able to manage while at the LCC. That’s another thing about undertaking an MA, it challenges the way you originally work, so you can’t help but learn more about yourself. I don’t know if I ever see myself working full time in-house, I like how freelancing and contractual work allows me to work with a range of studios and a variety of clients, it’s always challenging and diverse, which means it’s never dull. Eventually I imagine I will start my own studio with like-minded designers, allowing me to widen the scope and size of projects that I’d be able to work on.

Notes on Design: Based on your experiences do you have any advice for this years graduates and those considering taking an MA?

Charlotte: The job market sucks for graduates at the moment and as simple as it sounds, to get noticed you have to make yourself stand out. You know if you are supposed to be a designer. If you are disheartened by a couple of bad interviews then it’s not for you. Keep up-to-date with the industry, it’s always changing so it’s important to be aware of what’s going on. Blog, do self initiated projects and be a little bit pushy if you have to! Some employers appreciate tenacity.

The most frustrating thing to hear when applying for jobs is “you don’t have enough experience” It’s a huge catch-22, because you find yourself asking “how will I ever get experience if I don’t get a job?” If you find yourself in that position then don’t let your lack of experience get the better of you. When you send out your CV, 90% of the time potential employers will skip the cover letter and go straight to your website or portfolio, they’re concerned more about your ideas and the potential you could offer, employers will Google you, so make sure what they see matters and will make the impression a good one, and remember they might come across your Facebook profile too!

If you are considering an MA in design, I do recommend it, though in some circumstances it wont directly boost career opportunities, but it will create a focus in your work and you will learn more about your own creative process, only making you a stronger designer. By understanding how you work you can figure out how to improve yourself… and really that’s what design is all about: striving for creative perfection!

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See more of Charlotte’s work on her website and blog likeyougiveadamn.com, and follow her regular tweets @lygd.
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Graphic Design graduate Gareth Dunt has studied art and design for most of his academic life. Three years ago he moved to Wales to study an honours degree in Graphic Communication at the Cardiff School of Art and Design. Gareth is also the founder of design blog Black Maths and since graduating this summer has moved to London to work for design consultancy Elmwood. As part of our Graduate Season, Notes on Design spoke to Gareth this month to uncover more about his academic experience and plans for his future career.

Notes on Design: When did you first realise you wanted to be a part of the creative industry?

Gareth: I think it was when I realised that you can make an equally respectable career from art and design, as you can with anything else they teach you at school. Until this point I was under the misguided impression that art and design was something you do in your spare time, a release from the day job if you will. How wrong I was.

Notes on Design: What is it about design that motivates and excites you?

Gareth: It’s how good design can make people feel. How they interact with it, and how it interacts with them. It’s relationships I’m fascinated with. Whether it be a book, chair, brand identity or installation we can’t help but be affected by the messages it gives out. I suppose it boils down to the notion that good design makes people feel good, bad design makes people feel stupid. I am excited and motivated by the first notion.

Notes on Design: What was life at university like for you?

Gareth: University was a great experience. From start to finish I constantly developed both academically and socially. University teaches you things that you can’t be taught. The mere fact of living away from home is a massive learning curve that I personally enjoyed, however I know some people don’t. As for the design side of things, university heightened my sensitivity toward creative communication and further developed my passion for graphic design.

Notes on Design: What will you always remember about university?

Gareth: Well it has to be the first couple of weeks. Things seemed so different to what I’d become used to at home. Now I was living in a flat with people I luckily got along with, but had never seen before. It was the feeling of nerves, excitement, confusion and cheap cider that I think has ingrained that period of time in my memory.

Notes on Design: Are you optimistic about your future as a 2010 graduate?

Gareth: Yes I am. I can see evidence of studios hiring again and the creative industry climate regulating. It is extremely easy to look for excuses about the recession and graduating now, but I feel it’s a matter of time, not luck, that will get myself and my peers a job in the design industry.

Notes on Design: So, what’s next for you?

Gareth: Well I’ve recently moved down to London to start work so I’d like to think I will stay down here for the next few years. London is largely uncharted territory for me so the thought of living, working and exploring really appeals to me at the minute.

Notes on Design: What sets you apart from every other graduate?

Gareth: Now that’s an awkward question. I guess it is my obsession with looking over the horizon. Seeing things before they happen and ensuring I get a head start on my competitors. In this economic climate, anything you can do to ensure you make contacts with professionals, get interviews, and get your work into the public domain you should really think about doing. I guess I’ve never had trouble with that.

Notes on Design: Based on your experiences do you have any advice for next years graduates?

Gareth: My main points of advice are largely concerned with seeing what you study at university as a way of life, not a chore. There is an old saying that reads “If you like what you do, you will never work a day”, I think that says it all. The creative industries is one of the most dynamic, fun and inspiring professional spheres to be a part of, so welcome it and never see work as work. I’d also strongly recommend blogging. I soon discovered the promotional power of blogging during my second year at university. It is the fastest, cheapest and most direct way of making your mark in the creative industries.

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See more of Gareth’s work at www.garethdunt.com, read his blog at www.blackmaths.com and follow him on twitter @blackmaths.
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A good friend of NoD and Flash guru Chris Georgenes has just authored another of the super popular “How to Cheat” series. We are giving away a copy of his new book How To Cheat In Adobe Flash CS5. To win the book, post a link below to your favorite example of flash animation. The animation does not have to be yours, just one you like.

We’ll pick a winner on Monday and announce it here.

Also, check out this interesting video interview with Chris Georgenes over at the Sessions College website where he teaches Flash Animation.

Greening the Beige (GtB) is an eco-minded arts collective and not-for-profit community network based in Beijing. The organisation acts as a public platform to promote environmental awareness through the arts, frequently collaborating with other organisations and artists dedicated to sustainable development. After signing up to the 10:10 campaign, GtB is now focusing on their annual event – 10/10/10 – which will take place later on in the year. We sat down with founder, Carissa Welton, to unearth more.

Where are you originally from, and what brought you to Beijing?

Carissa: I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, one of the top 10 greenest places to live in the USA. I then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1999, and received a BA from San Francisco State University in 2003. Whilst I was there, I focused my thesis on the contemporary cultural representation of Xi’an through the Tang Dynasty and studied Chinese for 2 semesters. Eventually, in the summer of 2002, I found myself in China taking a boat tour up the Yangtze River to see the Three Gorges Dam.

Can you give us a brief insight into Greening the Beige (GtB) and what you do?

Carissa: I founded Greening the Beige in 2007. The focus is to promote environmental awareness through art, cultural, and communal activities – in other words, an eco-minded artist collective. I run the show as the director, and the platform operates 100% on volunteerism.

Bohai or Bust: China Charity Challenge

How did the concept for GtB come about?

Carissa: In December 2006, I started looking for 5,000 used plastic bags. I was building an art installation with my friends back in the SF Bay Area, and needed the bags as material. We designed an interactive installation called “Refoliation,” consisting of 5 life-sized tree sculptures made out of recycled junk. The leaves of the trees were going to be made of plastic bags from China. We were selected as featured artists for the 2007 Burning Man Festival, and “Refoliation” premiered there. The project was funded through the Black Rock Arts Foundation.

After meeting with a few different volunteer groups, designers and artists whilst in Beijing, I formulated the idea for Greening the Beige. I came across various people that were interested in providing creative solutions to environmental problems, so we decided to get together and have a party. Consequently, we held the first GtB event in May 2007, which was a great way to attract more attention to my plastic bag gathering.

Ines Brunn, trick cyclist from a 2008 GtB event

What have been your experiences of “going green” in Beijing?

Carissa: Much to my surprise, I’ve found that going green in Beijing isn’t really that difficult. It should definitely be noted that, overall, Chinese people have a much lower negative impact on the environment than your average US citizen. Simple things like not having dryers, pre-paying for utilities, and not owning a car reduces the carbon footprint of (most of) China’s nationals. But then, there are some aspects of green life that I became very accustomed to back home, like shopping for organic produce, and breathing clean air!

It’s funny because I would never have classified myself as an environmentalist before I came to China. In a lot of ways, this country has made me become more and more green, simply out of necessity. When you’re living in one of the world’s most polluted places, you cannot ignore or deny the problem. It definitely encourages you to act on solutions.

Tell us about some of your recent projects.

Carissa: GtB only focuses on 2 projects: the website and events. Our most recent event featured 4-5 different eco-installations at the INTRO 2010 Electronic Music Festival. Carbon-Free Graffiti Artists, for example, saw local Beijing artists experimenting with reverse-graffiti in a live exhibition. Reverse graffiti is a method of street art that uses negative space to create images by “cleaning” residue-ridden surfaces; the aim of our own installation was to inspire green ingenuity and creative technique that was earth friendly, urban and radical.

Reverse Graffiti Street Art

The Carbon Cube, on the other hand, communicated the average amount of carbon dioxide produced on a daily basis by each Chinese and US citizen. Each attendee was invited to step inside the cube and feel the space and volume of it in order to help them understand what it represented. The interactive installation also allowed each festival-goer to write an expression of “Green Love” on two faces of the cube. The other two sides were reserved for GtB artists to perform live mural demonstrations. More details can be found here.

INTRO 2010 Electronic Music Festival

What are you working on at the moment?

Carissa: We’ve just entered the third year of Greening the Beige. It’s become an ongoing movement, with a growing volunteer database. It’s still work in progress though; right now, we’re focused on 2 major events coming up this autumn: our annual event series, called “Plant Your Seed,” and a 10/10/10 Global Work Party inspired by the UK’s 10:10 campaign.

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date?

Carissa: I’m pretty happy with everything we’ve accomplished to date. It’s been an amazing “green learning” experience. Definitely challenging, but completely worth it. I feel that all of our events and activities have steadily been building, improving, and marvelously accumulating. So I’m really hoping we can maintain this momentum; hopefully each event is better and more successful than the one before it.

The Hutong School celebrating Earth Hour 2010

Where do you see the organisation in 3-5 years time?

Carissa: Our long-term goals are to continue cultivating an eco-conscious community and foster a sense of personal responsibility to the environment. We also want to promote public education focused on environmental concerns in Beijing, and act as a conduit between academics, companies, organizations and the creative community in this area. Finally, we want to establish an annual fund for Beijing-based interactive art projects that further the goals of GtB in the greener years to come.

That time of year is upon us again, as thousands of creatives leave the confines and relative comfort of academia and head towards industry. For those of us who have already been through this process, we are reminded that the transition from graduate to professional is not always an easy one.

Recent UK figures, published by The Guardian warn graduates that for every application they make there could be up to 70 other graduate applicants.

At a time when competition is fiercer than ever, knowing how to react and what to do next can often be the difference between “Sorry we haven’t got any positions available…” or “Would you like to come in for an interview?”

For those of us who have already been through the process this is a chance to see how four years of study has turned design students into creative individuals. We know this is a major transition in the life of a designer and for some it’ll be a pretty scary time, so we’ve decided to give a little bit back and try and impart some wisdom and insight for those beginning their journey this summer.

To coincide with the industries newest recruits, Notes On Design will be running a special series over the next four weeks dedicated to graduates. We will be featuring some of the most promising design graduates, finding out what happened to last years graduates and talking to design professionals to find out how to kick start your career in the creative sector.

Are you a design graduate of 2010?

We are looking to feature some of the best design graduates of 2010 from around the world. If you would like to be considered for a feature or interview, please email kate@notesondesign.net with the following information:

1. Full name, University name and full course name
2. A short biography (150 words max)
3. A maximum of 4 projects (3 images + a brief description / project)
4. All relevant links to personal websites or blogs

Much of China’s rich cultural heritage is at risk. This is mainly due to lack of awareness and poor enforcement of Chinese heritage-protection laws, which are well conceived but poorly implemented. In a time of extreme economic development and social change, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) – a non-profit organisation – helps to support local communities and fights to protect their cultural heritage.

Beijing’s landscape is dramatically changing. Gone are the small hutongs, once characteristic of the city, as well as the way of life associated with courtyard lifestyle. Now, ubiquitous towering skyscrapers dominate instead. To highlight the importance of preserving Beijing’s unique cultural heritage, CHP celebrates old Beijing with Do You Hutong? – a cocktail party featuring a collection of individually commissioned siheyuan (courtyard) gate artworks.

On 16-17th July, in the heart of London, newly founded organisation Mindapples joins forces with Courvoisier’s two-week summer extravaganza to present The Big Treat, a pop-up urban health farm that invites you to treat yourself better.

Over the weekend, Courvoisier’s London home at The Future Gallery will be transformed into an experiential treatment room with radical exhibitions and installations to stimulate the mind, body and soul. Working with a host of health conscious enterprises, The Big Treat presents a kaleidoscope of revolutionary approaches to give you your 5-a-day for the mind. In the words of fellow NoD writer, Mark Brereton, ‘From little acorns grow mental, physical and visual health.’
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To find out more about The Big Treat, join the event on Facebook. You can also keep up to date with Mindapples on twitter @mindapples.

At his Stanford University commencement speech in 2005, Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, tells a heart-warming tale of some of pivotal moments in his life. Told in three stories – the first about connecting the dots, second on love and loss and the third on death itself, Steve urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks.

“I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

‘The ethical issues and paranoia surrounding the laws of photographing children in today’s society are confusing and somewhat farcical. But at what point will the photography of children be completely forbidden?’ This is the question posed by Class Portrait, a collaborative photographic project by Kingston University graduate designers Anna Brooks and Samantha Harvey. Class Portrait was awarded Best in New Blood and a 2nd prize pencil in this year’s D&AD student awards in London.

(via It’s Nice That)

In graphic design, Marian Bantjes says, throwing your individuality into a project is heresy. In a recent talk given at TED, Bantjes describes how she has built her career doing just that. Describing how she has brought her signature illustrative style to commercial storefronts and personalized valentines messages, she also discusses her ambition to challenge the lack of visual wealth in adult literature. A refreshing and humble talk Marian, thank you.

Watch Marian Bantjes’ talk on TED.com

If you want to network with other NoD readers, add your twitter link in the comments of this post!

Instigating a discourse on “the process of designing for real people”, 52 Weeks of UX is a well-designed blog bringing you weekly insights into better user experience design practices. Run by Joshua Porter and Joshua Brewer, the 52 week blog is currently in its 24th week so there’s plenty of content to dig through already and plenty more to come too. Definitely worth a read!

“Smart and Mini Architecture for Local communities and Low income,” or SMALL Architecture, was founded by architect, Li Ye, and is the Beijing chapter of Architecture for Humanity. Barely a year old, SMALL have undertaken a number of socially-led projects to offer design as a service to the often forgotten local Chinese communities. We met with Li Ye this month to discover more about the organization and working as an NGO in China.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us about SMALL Architecture. When was it founded and why?

Li Ye: SMALL was formally founded in July 2009. We provide an architectural service to those who require non-commercial work, and our clients are usually local communities who do not have much money (i.e. low income). In this context, we consider design as a social service.

The concept for SMALL was actually formulated in the summer of 2008 when I was ready to graduate from Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture. Most of my classmates chose paths like real estate or architectural firms for quick money or fame, but I felt I wanted to do something different. I took a break between university and “starting a career”, and tried to do something non-profit; I wanted to see what I would learn this way.

Fortunately, I found my partner, Xiao Zhen, who works in real estate. Also in our team are Hao Xue (law background), Rong Xiao and Huang Zheng (architecture) and Zara Arshad (design). We are currently focusing on small projects to fulfill SMALL’s vision.

Tulou Housing project, Fujian province.

Notes on Design: What is your relationship to Architecture for Humanity (AfH)?

Li Ye: SMALL was registered as AfH’s financially independent Beijing chapter. Chinese regulation, however, enforces very strict control over border cash flow. If you operate as a branch of a foreign firm or NGO, you cannot accept local donations or investment. This severely limits our work, so we decided to run the financial aspect of our organization independently. Our aim, however, definitely remains the same as AfH – bringing design services to communities in need.

Notes on Design: Why did you get involved with Architecture for Humanity?

Li Ye: When I graduated, I developed an interest in AfH and the work that they do. Initially, I wanted to join their volunteer project; after reading about their work and watching a speech by Cameron Sinclair, I was really touched. I felt that we shared the same goal – to use architecture to help communities left behind by development and capital investment. This is especially appropriate for China since our government is obsessed with new cities and real estate.

Notes on Design: Why did you choose a career in Architecture?

Li Ye: I love design, that’s all. Architecture can change the lifestyle of users for, perhaps, 50 or more years. Architects have a great responsibility in this respect.

Tsinghua University Dormitory Renovation

Notes on Design: How have your experiences so far helped shape your vision?

Li Ye: When I was a child, my family lived on the city fringe. We even grew crops and fruits. Now, 20 years later, I am using a MacBook and connecting with people from all over the world. This is China, a country in which you can experience a huge shift in lifestyle. I am fortunate to have witnessed this great renaissance in the past 25 years in China that has accompanied the economic boom. I have also lived through a period of rapid urbanization and globalization that has completely altered behaviour. The impact of this rapid social and economic development has helped to shape my mind.

Tsinghua University Dormitory Renovation – Bookbar

Notes on Design: What are your views about public space in China?

Li Ye: China is an introspective society, as it has a history of over 3000 years under monarchy. The needs of the common people were never considered as important; Confucius said that “people can be forced, but not told why.” The masses have never been encouraged to get involved with politics; therefore, open space in Chinese cities are mostly spaces of ritual (temples) or iconographic.

On a small scale, people prefer to build walls around their private spaces, for instance, Beijing courtyards, Suzhou gardens, Fujian tulou dwellings. They have very good inner spaces, sometimes quite large and green. However, they are kept private, resulting in 2 different systems: private-build and public-build. Privately, we have done too much. Publicly, we do too little.

Notes on Design: Tell us about some of your recent projects.

Li Ye: We recently completed a project based on tulou housing in a remote village in Fujian province (south China). Tsinghua professor, Li Xiaodong, initiated this project, and I was involved in the design group. The project proposed “acupuncture therapy,” to cure the disease of lack of public space by inserting a new building into the heart of the village. This solution not only introduced a new, functional building into the area, but also changed the lifestyle of the villagers. The space we developed became a place for social gathering, and has also, on occasion, been converted to a classroom. The project has recently been listed for an Aga Khan award.

Tulou Housing project, Fujian province.

Our latest project involved renovating Tsinghua University dormitories. Previously existing as only corridors and rooms, the idea of public space did not exist here. Our work exploited unused space on each floor and transformed it into a book bar or common room etc – places to stimulate social dialogue. The furniture we introduced into the space also had to offer a multitude of functions; to be used in different ways by different people and offer an element of flexibility. We explored new materials, like stretchable paper adobe, one-way mirror vinyl, and even recycled old books as bricks.

Tsinghua University Dormitory Renovation

It is interesting to note that operation in China is much easier in a top-down dynamic. Students at Tsinghua had actually highlighted the need for renovation many times before, but there had been no response. As soon as we had obtained the agreement to reinvent the unused space from above, the process flowed quite easily. I always look to create democratic instances in a non-democratic way; what matters most is the result and how people can enjoy the changes we implement. This is what we stand for.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Li Ye: After finalising the Tsinghua project, the next goal is to complete a proposal for an education center in Inner Mongolia. The education center is located in the desert, and is intended for exhibitions and to educate local primary and middle school students about desert forestation.

Education Center Proposal, Inner Mongolia

Notes on Design: What work are you most proud of so far?

Li Ye: I am most proud of the Tsinghua project so far because, from concept proposal to construction, from spatial design to material application, we were involved in the entire process. Architects always seek a bigger say in a project, and the Tsinghua dorms allowed just that; it is full of creative materials, furniture and graphic design and other customised elements. Furthermore, the university wants to set an example via their “reform” of dormitory space. Through this project, I believe that they have developed a new understanding of both architectural work and public space. This is a very good sign, not only for SMALL, but also for Chinese society in general.

Tsinghua University Dormitory Renovation

Notes on Design: What does the future hold for SMALL?

Li Ye: The problem for SMALL, like any other NGO or NPO, is finding sustainable project resources. At the moment, the projects come about sporadically, but Chinese society is also not ready for this kind of work. Our clients often expect us to finish the design quickly, and quality is not always enforced. Most clients want efficiency, and the designing part is considered very light in a project.

I think the focus for SMALL in the next 3-5 years is accumulation: gathering a good database of architecture for low-income and local people. Creating architecture carefully, continuously and with dedication. I am not worrying about the future.

As thousands of creatives leave the confines of academia and get ready to embark on their careers, we are reminded that the transition from graduate to professional designer/creative is not an easy one. To support this years graduates London College of Communication are launching Futurising, the UK’s very first two day festival dedicated to supporting and guiding all creative students and graduates across the UK. Pitched as a one-stop shop of opportunities, advice and information it is sure to be an exciting event.

Futurising takes place over 29th-30th June 2010, in London’s Shoreditch High Street. To find out about the event and to register your place, visit Futurising.org and follow the live updates on twitter @Futurising.

Communication Arts, the leading professional journal for visual communications, has launched a new Typography competition to celebrate the best use of typography as the primary visual element in design and advertising, plus new typeface designs, calligraphy and handlettering.

Jurors include Stephen Coles, type director at the FontShop and editor of Typographica; Allan Haley, director of Words & Letters at Monotype Imaging and past president of the New York Type Directors Club; and Ellen Lupton, designer, curator, critic and author of Thinking with Type. Their selections will be showcased on www.commarts.com and reproduced in the January/February 2011 issue of Communication Arts. More than 50,000 copies of the issue will be distributed worldwide assuring important exposure to the creators and publishers of these award-winning projects.

Entry deadline: September 10, 2010.
Submission requirements and FAQs can be found at CommArts.com/competitions/typography

Good 50×70, the social communications project is back for 2010 for its fourth edition. Asking the communication design community to support social issues the project is definitely one of the most prominent social oriented activities in the industry. Good 50×70 asks communication designers to respond to a series of creative briefs that support the issues of a number of NGOs and charities. Poster submissions will be judged online by a jury including Jonathan Barnbrook, Lars Müller, David Berman, Woody Pirtle and Massimo Vignelli.

For more information about the briefs and the project, visit Good50x70.org. The deadline has been extended until Tuesday 22nd June at 00.00 GMT time.

Take-Less by MSLK.

Next weekend “Take-Less,” an eco-art installation designed to bring awareness to society’s mass consumption of plastic take-out food containers, will be unveiled in NYC. 

As the popularity of take-out meals increases, so does its waste. New York design firm, MSLK is dedicated to raising awareness on the rampant consumption of single-use plastic that has become an unfortunate societal norm in the US. None of the plastic waste from take-out containers is currently being recycled and only a few options are biodegradable. They are building the number “2629” out of plastic take-out containers to demonstrate the number of take-out meals consumed in the US each second and the ramifications of that waste. Plastic is polluting our oceans, filling our landfills, and compromising our health.

“Take-less” will be displayed at the Figment Art Festival on Governors Island in New York City from June 11th-13th.

MSLK presents the following facts:

- 2629 take-out meals are consumed in the U.S. every second
- In 1 second the U.S. produces enough take-out waste to cover half of a football field
- Plastic is made from oil, a non-renewable resource
- Plastic does not biodegrade
- Take-out plastics are currently not recyclable
- Paper, metal, and reusable containers are better for the environment

For more information, please call me at 718-545-0075 or sheri@mslk.com

London based Illustrator and Creative Facilitator Emily Wilkinson, works with visual concepts, language and narrative to provide an empathy with information through an interdisciplinary practice, within which she places an emphasis on catalyzing creativity and education for positive change. With an MA in Design Futures from Goldsmiths and previous experience working as a designer at Futerra Sustainability Communications, Emily is currently working as an Associate of Reos Partners. We spoke to Emily this month to uncover more about her everyday motivations, creative practice and responses to designing futures.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?

Emily: I’m currently working as an Illustrator and Facilitator, although within those areas of interest I also design, art-direct, design, write and research. I originally trained and worked as a graphic designer which was a valuable starting point, but I wanted to be more interdisciplinary and work face-to-face with people rather than be stuck behind a screen. Studying again last year helped me to define what I’m really passionate about; the way that we are all creative and how everyday creativity in education and society ultimately makes for a better world. My first love was illustration and image-making, which combined with new interests in writing and facilitation continues to shape my practice.

Notes on Design: How did your career start?

Emily: I originally trained as a Graphic Designer at Cardiff School of Art and Design. Following that I worked in a Welsh studio as a junior designer. Following that I made the move to London, to work as a designer for sustainability communications agency Futerra. Designing for Futerra was a great learning experience; I loved working in sustainability and worked with some very inspiring and energetic people. Around the time I began to realise that a traditional graphic designer’s role wasn’t right for me, I met Professor John Wood who runs the MA Design Futures course at Goldsmiths, University of London. Instantly I knew what I needed to do was study again and I applied for the course straight away. While that was finishing last summer I met Reos Partners, and working with them whilst writing my thesis about the work we were doing together.

Notes on Design: Can you tell me a little about your experience working with Futerra?

Emily: I’d always been interested in ecology and anything ‘green’. Working with Futerra gave me some concrete knowledge about sustainability which allowed me to apply those interests to a wider perspective. I value the experience many reasons, but mostly because it taught me that you really do have a choice how you apply your skills, the type of work you do and who you do it for. I was lucky to get that job early on in my career because it saved me from working in full time roles for companies whose ethics I don’t believe in.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us more about working at Reos Partners? What is your role there?

Emily: I met Reos last Summer as I was finishing off my MA when freelancing. We did some design and illustration for materials used in workshops for The Finance Lab, and also did some ‘live‘ visual facilitation; creating materials in the workshops from the output generated by the participants. Other projects I’ve worked on since with Reos include Metropolitan Agriculture and The Sustainable Food Lab.

Images copyright: Reos Partners

My role at Reos evolves constantly; we try not to be constrained by job titles but I could currently be described as an interdisciplinary visual communicator which currently involves illustration, graphic design, copy writing, art direction, marketing and adding visual elements to workshop and other processes. What they are doing is cross-sector and truly breaks boundaries; not working for a company specifically in the ‘design’ or ‘communications’ industry has broadened my perspective. In meeting the team at Reos I found myself in this incredibly open-minded group of people where everyone genuinely wanted to do things differently.

Reos have strong academic and research elements to their work, and in the future I hope to be contributing to the research and knowledge generation side of Reos by integrating some of my research on visual design and creativity with their knowledge of social change to write papers and design workshops. It would also be wonderful to build up the creative and design side of Reos by working with more creative practitioners.

Image copyright: Reos Partners

Notes on Design: You evidently have an interest in social responsibility and sustainability, how do you think the design industry is facing up to these challenges?

Emily: I think it’s facing the challenges well. There are a growing number of design agencies which are devoting themselves purely to social and ecological responsibility, often using the language of public affairs and engagement. The design industry may actually be responding better than many other industries; there’s a lot of companies out there who think that publishing a CSR report is creating change and it’s not. Personally I take an interest in what we all think of as “the design industry” but prefer to think of it all as one thing, as an interdisciplinary, cross-industry approach to response(ability) is what’s going to help us face up to challenges as interdependent human beings rather than components of individual industries. I’m equally (sometimes more) inspired by small groups of people and individuals who want to create change; grassroots efforts are just as important as large-scale ones. Of course now it’s possible for grassroots activities to organically grow and have wider impact because of things like social media.

My thesis was called ‘Illuminating Ourselves: Understanding and Communicating Response(ability) in Creative Practice and Everyday Life’. In it I question our response(ability) to ‘sustainability’, and in the research make the general point that meaningful response(ability) is being able to respond to the wider context, our environments, other people and ourselves. The research takes creative practice as the interface for this, and asks as practitioners how we can sustain our ability to respond in our practice and everyday life. It’s about social responsibility but also about happiness, work-life balance and the interaction between these. I also used the thesis to explore my own practice and interests, including illustration, facilitation, language, fiction, therapy and communication. In framing this practice I used my work with Reos as practical examples in the theory.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Emily: I don’t have any entirely self-led projects on the go but am collaborating on several voluntary projects. I’m currently working with The Healing Arts Team at a local mental heath hospital, run by Jagat Joti Kaur, a Kundalini yogi and healing arts practitioner. Joti runs a group there which we’re going to do some visual facilitation work with. I’m also involved in a couple of projects in the recently revived Granville Arcade in Brixton (twitter: #brixvill) organised by Spacemakers and some pop-up activities for Saturdays involving drawing, mapping (with designer & artist Laura Sorvala) and facilitation. I also am occasionally involved in metadesign research projects run by the M21 team (which includes some Goldsmiths staff), such as this the ‘Maiden Voyage’ workshop, taking place later this month.

My solo project is really developing my illustration and fiction / creative writing ideas. I’d like to write a graphic novel one day, or the kind of children’s books that are really for adults. These are also ideas I’d love to collaborate on.

Notes on Design: What was 2009 like for you and what does the future hold?

Emily: 2009 was an extraordinary year of discovery, learning, change and transformation. It was also pretty tough due to a combination of introspective study, change in direction and massive personal change. It was intense, but earlier this year I was able to take some time out and now have heaps of energy for doors that keep on opening. 2010 is all about creative practice, well-being, relationships and is pretty joyful so far.

Professionally I hope the future holds collaboration, opportunities to continue applying and developing my ideas in practice. My co-writer and collaborator, Ivan Nascimento and I have been accepted for the 4th International Conference on Typography and Visual Communication (ICTVC) in June this year which we’re immensely excited about, so until then we’ll be researching and writing our paper; Complexing Utopias; Communicating Complex Concepts by Expanding the Role of the Designer.

I’m also hoping that 2010 will bring more facilitation work. I’ve recently trained as a graphic recorder, which in summary is live illustration and visual recording for an event or process. I’m working on being able to integrate this offering with other types of work.

Space is also something I’d like the future to hold; I’m currently looking at sharing studio space with friends and collaborators. Ideally I’d like to work in a calm space that feels like a kind of design/art research/education studio not too far from home so I could integrate paid work with local projects and everyday life. This feels important for a sustainable and happy career; to have meaningful work, community and friendships as part of a creative practice. I need to believe in a future that isn’t just something I do, but a way of living.
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To find out more about Emily Wilkinson’s work, visit her journal and portfolio at www.empathi.info, and follow her tweets @_empathi. Find out more about Reos Partners at www.reospartners.com.
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With a uniquely playful and colourful approach to both two and three dimensional work, London based Illustrator and Set Maker Hattie Newman has spent her first two graduate years working for an array of high profile clients, including; AMV BBDO, Cadbury, Sony, Fedrigoni UK, Grafik Magazine, The Guardian, Macmillan Publishers, Make A Wish Foundation, Royal Mail and Universal Records. Notes on Design caught up with Hattie this month for a quick glimpse into her world.

Notes on Design: Can you give us a brief insight into who you are and what you do?

Hattie: I am an illustrator and set maker working in London. My background includes a first class degree in Illustration from UWE, Bristol and a breadth of projects for a range of clients. Combining my two and three dimensional imaginations, I enjoy making work inspired by all things charming and strange.

Notes on Design: So, how did your career start?

Hattie: I am originally from the quiet countryside of West Devon, but I studied my degree in Illustration at Bristol UWE. Although I enjoyed my degree, I never got complete satisfaction out of creating static 2D work so therefore I started to work in the 3D realm – building and animating cardboard sets.

After graduating with a First in 2008 I then made the leap to London to start work with ‘Makestuff’, a studio that creates exciting sets and window displays. Six months later, after saving up enough money, I set up a studio in Stoke Newington where I now work as a full time freelance illustrator and set maker.

Notes on Design: How and why did you choose a career in Illustration?

Hattie: I have natural compulsion and passion (even an obsession) for creating things and I’ll never get bored of it!

Notes on Design: What has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Hattie: I don’t think I’ve made my most pivotal piece of work yet and I always change my mind over what work I’m proud of. Saying that, out of all my projects, I put the most time into The Fedrigoni Mountains so I was very happy when they were complete! It was also really fun working with Alex Ostrowski, Fedrigoni and all that amazing paper!

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Hattie: Last month I co-art directed the successful ‘Cafe Du Pique-Nique’, a pop-up picnic cafe in London’s Leicester Square where we brought the countryside to central London! I’m currently working on a number of commercial projects now – paper sets for websites and brochures, for clients such as Honda and Sony. I’m also really excited about starting a series of ‘paper worlds’ for environmental charity, Adventure Ecology.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Hattie: I’ve recently returned from a trip to Poland where I was completely inspired by the Polish folk paper cuts. I was lucky enough to meet a marvelous, eccentric lady (with lots of cats), who has spent many years of her life perfecting the art of paper cutting. My next personal project is to make a series of colourful paper cuts inspired by her and my trip around Poland.

Notes on Design: What was 2009 like for you, and what does 2010 hold?

Hattie: 2009 was an amazing year, it was really exciting to embark on my career as an Illustrator – and I learnt so much! 2010 will be just as good, if not better – seven talented illustrators including Rachel Lattimore and Sarah Parker have moved into my studio space and I’ve just started working with illustration agency Pickled Ink. I’m excited to make more 2D illustration, illustration for kids and charities, and build up my personal work for an exhibition at the end of the year!

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To see more of Hattie’s work, visit HattieNewman.co.uk
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Earlier this month Notes on Design made a studio visit to UK based graphic designer – Lucy Brown. I was welcomed just in time for a quaint essential 4pm cup of tea and chat. Lucy Brown studio is situated in the leafy rural setting of North West England and within this studio snapshot Lucy talks about her studio build, inspirations and passion for the country life.

Notes on Design: Lucy, please enlighten us a little about where your studio is located, and how it came to fruition?

Lucy: The studio is in Cheshire surrounded by fields and cows. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place to work. I renovated the building, with help from family and friends, between November ’09 and March of this year. Much blood, sweat, paint and tears went into it, all hours of the day and night, and in the middle of winter it was testing on the finger tips at times! It was originally a stable building, then an office, and now a typographic curiosity shop of sorts.

The studio came into being over 5 years of experiences that taught me to know myself and how I work. It takes time to learn who you are, and time to build the courage to accept it in this industry. I studied graphic design/typography over 4 years at the London College of Communication. In first year, I thought I knew everything. In second year, I realised I didn’t but didn’t understand how I would ever get to a point where I did. In third year, I realised I knew nothing and wanting to learn just a portion of what would be a lifetime of learning. Throughout the course I worked very hard both in the studio at LCC and outside of college on work placements and occasionally longer jobs. 3 years ago, I was finishing my second year and about to begin a year of working in industry. That was when I really started to question my work, and my drive for what I was doing in design. I had worked in-house as a designer for the ICA and the Guardian that year and while I loved it, I was aware that something was missing.

Throughout 2008 I worked in Sydney as an art director at M&C Saatchi. My days were divided between working closely with creative director, Michael Andrews, and design director, Simon Hong. There was a stark difference. Within each role there was little time (unless you worked through the night, which I did several times with Simon) for the depth of craft and process that makes me tick. I should maybe have read Shaughnessy’s, “How to be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul,” before I left, because I was losing mine rapidly. I returned to London in the October to begin my final year at LCC and was determined to try and understand why my year in Sydney had been such a shock. My 4 final year projects subsequently all reflected the kind of questions I was asking myself. I was desperately trying to link my conceptual LCC education, my philosophical approach and my placement within commercial design, the result of which was a range of art-based, conceptual, typographic works.

During the final weeks of my course I came across the work of Oded Ezer during some research into Hebrew typography. I read his book, “The Typographer’s Guide to the Galaxy,” and it made my heart beat far too fast. I could see that this man had worked out all of the questions I was trying to answer. Oded is a wonderfully talented designer. Whilst he makes a living through commercial graphic design, at the same time he dedicates time to an experimental art-based practice which keeps him creatively alive. I emailed him to ask if he would be willing for me to come and learn from him for some time. Subsequently between September and November of last year, I worked alongside him in Givatayim, Israel. They were possible the most valuable 3 months of my education to date. Oded taught me to respect myself and my process, and to similarly not be afraid to not conform to the city. Before I left for Israel I was beginning to consider setting the studio up in the country but was obviously concerned that it might be a bad move.

He taught me then when you are content within yourself, you are content within your work. Hence, I made the decision to do what I am doing now, to set up on my own, in the country, and do what I love. So far, all is very well and I’m only half an hour from Liverpool and Manchester and only a 2 hour train journey to London. Throughout my time working alongside Oded I kept a diary of the process. Jotta.com is currently publishing the diary in installments, so the full process of our work together can be read there.

Notes on Design: Do you feel that your environment has a large influence on your daily work?

Lucy: I touched on it a little above but my environment is more than an influence, it supports my process and dictates my output. That is why it is so crucially important to me to have built this space. It is not for show, it is for myself, to primarily enable me to work well.

Yesterday I cycled to a meeting with a client and passed a field full of Rapeseed. There was such an incredible covering of yellow, so vibrantly strong and rich. Sights like that are not seen in the city but here remind me daily where my creativity derives from. I feel like my priorities are straight here. In the city I was soullessly working commercially. Here, I am content and therefore I’m happy doing either commercial or personal work.

Notes on Design: The studio and relocation is a significant new move for you, how do you envisage gaining new clients, contacts and networks from a rural location?

Lucy: As above, I’m very close to Manchester and Liverpool and not far from London on the train but I’m also enjoying working remotely. I did a small job for eBay last month which was not at all restricted by my location. Skype is very helpful in seeing someone’s face, too. I think that location rarely hinders these days. To date, things have crossed my path at different times that have led to other things and people and led to other work and other conversations, etc. Everything informs everything else, day by day.

A lot of the work I do is through word of mouth and I hope to always maintain a healthy reputation. The people I have known and worked with in London over 5 years has given me a relatively good foundation, and I’m currently getting to know people and studios in Manchester and around the North West. Thoughtful, a studio based in Stockport, have been an incredible support to me over the past 6 months. I’m very grateful to them for their encouragement and belief in my ideals.

I have done some teaching at LCC and CSM in the last year and I’m sure I’ll continue to build further connections with London. I’m currently doing a lot of work with a local bakery which is wonderful. For me, this is no lesser a job than working for M&C Saatchi. I simply aim to work well, regardless of the client. Yesterday I had a cup of tea with an artist, Emily Speed, who lives and works in the same small village as the studio. She has letterpress, screen printing and bookbinding facilities, all just up the road – who would have thought it in the middle of ‘nowhere’.

Notes on Design: Trends and fashions revolve within the graphic design industry the same as many other visual disciplines. What typographic styles and designs do you find interesting at the moment?

Lucy: Architecturally graphic typography fascinates me. I love to see letters take on a physical, tangible form that can be experienced by all the senses. This is why Oded’s work was such a strong influence on me. I also admire the work of Morag Myerscough for her consistent integration of typography into large-scale works. Last week I came across the Facade Printer (by Martin Fussenegger, Michael Sebastian and Julian Adenauera), a software controlled inkjet printer that creates images on an architectural scale. Have a look at it on Vimeo, it’s wonderful. In terms of work on more on a less architectural scale, Marian Bantjes… Jessica Hische… Alex Trochut. I find their talents inspirational.

Now that I’m in the studio and working commercially on my own I’m learning how to integrate my experimental practice with the demands of earning a living. I think the balance will come with time. Oded has taught me well and my environment will almost certainly help me along the way.

Notes on Design: I find your Work & Play project that you have on your website of interest. What does work & play mean to you?

Lucy: My interest in ‘work & play’ developed while working with Oded. He taught me that, to him, work is play and play is work. This was one of the concepts that helped me bridge the difference between my commercial ‘design’ work and my experimental ‘art-based’ work. I am training my brain to understand that they are one. It was interesting to see that in almost all of the submissions, work and play were portrayed as two separate, different things. The project is on the contemplating shelf at the moment, it will develop with time no doubt.

Notes on Design: Do you have any personal projects that you would like to develop in the near future, and do you think that your current environment will inspire your project or further thinking?

Lucy: During my time in Sydney I did a lot of research into the characteristics of autism and how it relates to the working process of designers. This informed my dissertation and several pieces of experimental work [Framework of Language, Visualthought and Typotherapy] last year. All of these will develop in the future, experimental work should never cease. Evolution is in its nature. ’26 clocks’, another project from my final year at LCC is something that I’d like to work on shortly too.

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Find out more about Lucy Brown’s work and studio at lucybrownstudio.com, and follow her live updates on twitter @lucybrownstudio.
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Sean Gallagher is a British photographer based in China. He has lived and worked across the world, spending extended periods of time in locations as diverse as Japan, Brazil, New Zealand, the UAE and Europe. His most recent work focuses on social and environmental issues, such as desertification and its effects across China, and has recently been published in National Geographic China and The New York Times, and screened at the COP15 Climate Change summit in Copenhagen as part of the Earth Journalism Awards. We spoke with Sean, upon his most recent return to Beijing from Inner Mongolia, to discover more.

Notes on Design: What brought you to Beijing?

Sean: In 2004, I was chosen to undertake a 1-year paid internship at the London office of photojournalism agency, Magnum Photos. At the end of this internship (in 2005), I was awarded a grant, which allowed me to buy a plane ticket to pretty much anywhere I wanted to go. At that time, it seemed obvious to me that China was the story of the moment. Within a few weeks of finishing the internship, I booked a ticket to Beijing.

Notes on Design: How did you get into photography?

Sean: I’m completely self-taught, having first picked up a camera during my studies in Zoology at university in England. Upon completing my degree, I worked various part-time jobs; during my free time, I built my own darkroom and taught myself how to print black and white photos from books loaned from the local library. It’s a cliché, but seeing those images appear in front of me really got me hooked. I then took a photography workshop in Italy in 2003 – the first time I was surrounded by other photographers. This was an important moment for me, to find other people who saw and thought about the world in the same way as I did. I knew that this was what I wanted to do as a career.

Notes on Design: Have you always focused on environmental issues in your photography work?

Sean: As I studied Zoology at university, my studies obviously focused heavily on environmental issues. I have always had a natural interest in science and the natural world, so it seemed a logical step to try and focus my photography on the environmental issues that I had previously studied and genuinely cared about.

Notes on Design: You recently received a grant from The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. Why did you decide to apply?

Sean: I decided to apply to the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to seek further funding to continue my work on desertification in China – “Growing Sands” – which I had already been photographing for some time. After starting the work on my own in 2007, I received the David Alan Harvey Fund for Emerging Photographer’s in 2008, which helped me to continue my coverage of environmental issues in Asia. I wanted to push deeper into the issues surrounding desertification, so I applied for and received a grant from the Pulitzer Center in 2009.

Notes on Design: What exactly is desertification?

Sean: Desertification is one of the most important environmental challenges facing the world today; arguably, it is probably also the most under-reported. I traveled over 4000km in 2009 on China’s “desertification train” (that dissects Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu and Xinjiang provinces), to bring light to this issue. Desertification is the gradual transformation of arable and habitable land into desert, usually caused a fuelled by the improper use of land. Each year, desertification and drought account for US$42 billion loss in food productivity worldwide.

In China, nearly 20% of land area is desert. As a result of factors such as overgrazing, overpopulation, drought and increased demand for groundwater, desertification has become one of China’s most important environmental challenges. As the effects of desertification increasingly appear, farmers are forced to abandon their land, levels of rural poverty rise and the intensity of sandstorms, which batter northern and western China each year, continue to intensify.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a bit more about your experiences of crisis reporting in China? For example, have you come across anything particularly difficult or unexpected?

Sean: I haven’t had too many difficulties with crisis reporting so far. The biggest challenge is being prepared for the unexpected. Reporting on desertification meant going to some pretty remote parts of China. During my travels in western Xinjiang, for example, we visited an ancient city in the middle of the desert, which had been abandoned. To get to the site we had to drive nearly 3 hours off-road into the desert. Two hours in, we experienced two flat tyres within the space of 10 minutes. We had no mobile phone reception and were completely cut off from the outside world. Our driver hitched a ride back to the town we came from with a passing farmer. We waited for 7 hours in the middle of the desert not knowing if and when he would return. Luckily, he made it back just before it got dark and we were able to continue our journey.

Notes on Design: “Growing Sands” has received a lot of attention lately. What has been the most shocking aspect of this project so far?

Sean: For me, the most shocking aspect of this issue is the scale and general lack of awareness about the problem. Many other global climate change issues seem to gain much more attention than desertification, even though it is one of the world’s most serious environmental crises. This body of work has recently been published in National Geographic China, which has been a great opportunity to reach out to the Chinese public about a crisis that is affecting their country.

Notes on Design: What was it like to photograph North Korea?

Sean: Working in North Korea was a very surreal experience. Most of the time, we were not allowed to take pictures, which obviously made my job a little difficult. We were chaperoned by a government-appointed minder and translator at all times, which meant we had no freedom to wander and explore on our own. Many of my subsequent images from North Korea give the sense of isolation and distance from my subjects. Many are set against the vast communist-era architecture, giving the architecture a feeling of dominance.

Notes on Design: You have also ventured into video work. Can you tell us more about this?

Sean: My first serious work with video came up during my trip to North Korea last year too. The Globe & Mail asked me if I was able to shoot a video with stills; I jumped at the chance, even though we were just working with a small, entry-level camcorder. To be honest, though, this was all we wanted as anything bigger or more professional looking would have drawn unwanted attention. Sitting down with Mark Mackinnon, a Globe & Mail correspondent, after our trip, we edited the footage into 3 short videos. The whole process of shooting and collaborating with someone else in the editing and post-production process was a new experience for me, but one I really enjoyed. I knew it was something I wanted to continue.

Blog post: Earth Hour: In One Minute

Notes on Design: What do videos allow you to do that photography does not?

Sean: For me, video is just another outlet for the stories I want to tell. As the old models of photojournalism have changed in the past few years, more and more photographers are thinking about video and how they can use it to expand the way they tell stories. If done in the right way, we can start to explore more interactive, powerful and compelling narratives by using video, not in competition with stills or photographs, but in a way to complement them.

I’m very excited about the possibilities that video offers. The progression from stills to video is quite a natural one, and photographers have an advantage since they already have an acute awareness of essential concepts such as framing, light, colour and visual narratives. Being able to produce high quality visuals for editorial and corporate clients is very exciting, and offers both parties great creative possibilities for new projects.

Notes on Design: Do you have a particular body of work that you are most proud of?

Sean: I’m most proud of my recent work on desertification; to see the work begin from a self-initiated project to receiving grants, a number of acknowledgments in international awards and to be recently published has been tremendously satisfying. I hope I have played a small part in informing people about an issue of significant environmental importance, something that, perhaps, they were previously unaware of.

Notes on Design: What inspires you?

Sean: Well, number one, on a personal level, is my family. Number two, would be science and the natural world. There is such amazing complexity and wonder in all these processes that have evolved naturally over millennia, that it is a continual source of inspiration. Photography is a way for me to try and understand the world. Number three would have to be other photographers and documentary/film makers. Seeing great work from people who care so much about social and environmental issues really makes me want to be part of this group who are trying to see the world for what it really is, and who feel a compulsion to inform others about what they witness.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Sean: At the moment, I am looking to shape this body of work on desertification into a book. It is such a vast and multi-layered issue, that it I believe it deserves a book to fully explain the many issues that make up the problem, whilst also presenting it in a visually exciting way. I am also looking into new, under-reported environmental issues that I’d like to begin covering in Asia.

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To find out more about Sean Gallagher and see his work visit gallagher-photo.com, and find him on twitter @gallagher_photo.
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Are you a 2010 graduate designer? Plan-B Studio founder Steve Price has a challenge for you! Since the beginning of 2010 Steve has been undertaking a rather intriguing challenge, Project 10; 10 projects in 10 months working with 10 NFP/NGO organisations or projects. Rather than sending out press releases to promote the endeavor, he has been using the London Newspaper Club to create a limited-edition mail-out to 100 industry leaders and press contacts. The content is contributed to by writers, designers, artists, illustrators and other generous people, who team up and work collaboratively on the content itself.

For the June issue, Steve’s picking ten graduate designers for a carefully created issue that celebrates the best of the design industries newbies. To get yourself and your work in to the paper you must source, organise and interview your design industry hero/heroine for the paper SPECIFICALLY about the notion of collaboration in today’s industry. Contact Steve with your plan/idea, and then you’ll be asked to supply up to 500 words for the interview, images to support the interview and/or examples of your own work.

Deadline is Tuesday 8th June 2010.
For more information contact: project10@plan-bstudio.com

In autumn 2009 the UK Design Council conducted its second comprehensive survey of the UK design industry. Published in March 2010, the survey covered 2,200 design businesses including in-house design teams, design consultancies and freelance designers working across communications, digital & multimedia, interior & exhibition, product & industrial, fashion and service design disciplines. Read more about the survey and the results at Design Council – Design Industry Research 2010.

NoD interviewee Delphine Perrot of Studio Myerscough shares her NoD Creative Countdown below. Creative Countdowns are top designers sharing their top websites, movies, bands, magazines and books.

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– Top 5 Websites –

1. de zeen
2. ffffound!
3. Last.fm
4. inhabitat
5. Manystuff

– Top 4 Movies –

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
2. The gleaners and I
3. Edward Scissorhands
4. The Science of Sleep

– Top 3 Bands –

1. The books
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Bonobo

– Top 2 Magazines –

1. Pinupmagazine
2. Blueprint

– Top 1 Book –

1. No One Belongs Here More Than You, by Miranda July.

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NoD interviewee Rob Gonzalez of Sawdust shares his NoD Creative Countdown below. Creative Countdowns are the favorite websites, movies, bands, magazines and books that top designers turn to for inspiration.

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– Top 5 Websites –

1. http://www.last.fm/
2. http://www.wikipedia.org/
3. http://www.creativereview.co.uk/
4. http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
5. http://www.google.com/analytics/

– Top 4 Movies –

1. Back to the Future (part one)
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Stand By Me
4. Léon

– Top 3 Bands –

1. Jon Hopkins
2. Fabrice Lig (we’re working on his new album artwork)
3. Boards of Canada

– Top 2 Magazines –

1. Wired
2. Grafik

– Top 1 Book –

1. Designers Don’t Read ­ Austin Howe (highly recommended)

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Based in North West England, Because Studio is the independent graphic design practice of Loz Ives, a young chap with a keen eye for detail, simplicity and relevance within the work he produces. Working across a varied range of disciplines, from branding, print and website design, Loz has worked for clients including: The New Economics Foundation, Co-operatives UK, NHS and Urbed. We caught up with Loz this month to find out how the second year of running the Because Studio is panning out.

Notes on Design: Can you give us a brief insight into who you are and what you do? How did your career start?

Loz: I’m a Graphic Designer based in the North of England. After graduating from Loughborough University with a BA (Hons) in Visual Communication I began working as a designer at Multidisciplinary Art & Design Studio the Ultimate Holding Company (UHC) in Manchester. I spent just under two very exciting years there as a new graduate where I got to work on some amazingly creative briefs for clients such as Greenpeace, New Economics Foundation & DEFRA. For example, a week into the job, I found myself sanding out a map of the world from three 8x4ft paint peeling boards!

Notes on Design: How and why did you choose a career in design?

Loz: I realised at an early age that I was not cut out for anything where numbers or copious amounts of writing were involved. I enjoy everything about the design process and all the challenges it throws up along the way. I cannot think of many other professions where one finds themselves working with an architectural firm and a tribal fusion belly dancer at the same time!

Notes on Design: What led you to go it alone and set up the Because Studio?

Loz: The chance to do exciting work under my own name, to make my own decisions and be in control of every aspect of the creative process. It definitely works both ways though, as much as I love having that control but I also find it really hard as I get busier that I’m not able to focus on just one thing at a time, and then just end up drowning in emails!

Notes on Design: What would you say was your creative break, and what has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Loz: Because Studio is only 2 years old this coming July, so that is a tough one! Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had a ‘creative break’ yet. But If I had to choose one project, it would have to be the campaign for the New Economic Foundation’s (NEF) event The Bigger Picture: Festival of Interdependence that happened on London’s Southbank last year. It was such an amazing event and project to be a part of, great to work with the NEF team, and frankly was a huge undertaking for a one man design studio! My role involved the entire branding, print output and location design for both the main event and fringe events for the festival.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Loz: Lately I’ve been working closely with The Carbon Co-op on their branding. We’ve just finished a Manual they’ve written that gives people in the Moss Side community of Manchester advice on climate change issues and how they can work together to save energy. I’ve also recently completed another project with Single Cell Collective called ‘Finding Zion’, which was a month long series of events based in Hulme revolving around the Zion Arts Centre.

Current projects include branding and plenty of other fun stuff for a software company called Adaptavist and I’m also working on a new project for Growing Our Future called ‘Who grows what where?’

Notes on Design: Do you actively seek out new business or do you find it comes to you? Do you have any preferences on the kinds of clients you like to work for?

Loz: So far I’ve rather luckily found new business has come to me, but it is something I’ve been putting a lot of thought into lately, along with the growth of Because Studio. I will be looking at producing a follow up to the portfolio mailer that I produced last year and from there will certainly be making a more conscious effort to target the kind of people I’d love to work with/for.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Loz: I do always try and produce self initiated work. In the past this kind of work has gone really well – projects such as the hard times postcards and optimism/pessimism posters. Admittedly though, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time.

Saying that however, I’ve just set up a website with a group of close friends Rob Birchall, Claire Walls and Emma Smart called Flock. There isn’t much information on there just yet, but it’s definitely work in progress. The main aim of Flock is to provide each of us with a unique outlet to produce work from, without the restrictions of client led work. One of the first projects we’re working on is going to be a limited run publication working with a small number of illustrators to create a colouring book of sorts and using London’s wonderful Newspaper Club to print it.

Notes on Design: What was 2009 like for you, and what does 2010 hold?

Loz: 2009 was an exciting but tough year, one of the things I’ve had to learn fast as an independent designer is that whenever you think your busy it is nothing compared to what it will be like in two months time! In terms of my aims for Because Studio, I’m really keen to start looking for some help, most likely in the form of an intern or placement. Excitingly, I’m moving into a slightly bigger studio soon so that will offer the room to bring someone in. As for the future, I just want to carry on creating nice projects for nice people, and if that means growth then I’ll tackle that when I come to it!

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See more of Loz Ives’ work at becausestudio.co.uk and follow his live updates on twitter @becausestudio.
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NLGX is a Beijing-based design community and brand founded by Ed Hung and Michel Sutyadi in 2008. After witnessing first-hand the changes taking place in China’s ancient capital city, Michel and Ed decided to capture the new spirit of the city with a fresh and unique lifestyle brand. Inspired by Beijing’s development into a multicultural melting pot of artists, entrepreneurs, travelers and global-minded individuals, together as NLGX they create original designed apparel. Notes on Design spoke to Ed and Michel this week to uncover more about the NLGX journey.

Notes on Design: Where are you both from, and how did you meet?

NLGX: Ed was born and raised in San Francisco, USA whilst I was born and raised in Germany. Both of us, however, are of Chinese descent, which makes our move to China a bit of a homecoming (albeit, a generation or two later). We actually met in Beijing back in 2005, after each having spent some time at Wudaokou (Beijing’s “student central”) studying Mandarin.

Notes on Design: Why did you decide to set up NLGX?

NLGX: The sequence of events that led to the birth of NLGX were quite random and opportunistic, like many new ventures; from a friend’s Christmas party, Ed deciding to “rough it” by living in the hutongs (the Old City of Beijing), a blog about a trendy hutong neighbourhood in Beijing called Nanluoguxiang, a lunch at a backpackers café, to a small “For Rent” sign on a dusty window. Our flagship store, subsequently, opened in March 2008 on Nanluoguxiang.

When we opened NLGX, our goal was to create a space to promote independent fashion and product designers from China. Most of the world sees factories, assembly lines, and cheap labour with “Made in China,” but we see ourselves as an up-and-coming brand that represent the thriving local art and design scene in Beijing, carrying products that are uniquely “Designed in China”.

Notes on Design: How do you go about collaborating with other local artists and designers

NLGX: We are always very open to working with other creatives. In fact, last year, we collaborated with Beijing-based designer Zhijun Wang: to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, we came up with two t-shirt lines celebrating the special event. One line was strictly limited edition, with just 60 individually numbered t-shirts printed. We also created a matching army bag and a poster, which was part of the 60th anniversary gift package. Working together with different designers and artists helps us to add new ideas to our lines and keeps us fresh.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us more about your overarching theme “Preserve…Create”? What does it signify, and how did it come about?

NLGX: Our design philosophy “Preserve…Create” refers to preserving the past whilst creating new; NLGX creates original designs inspired by colours, patterns and icons that exemplify traditional Chinese elements.

We have chosen “Preserve…Create” as our principal theme because it represents what we love most about living in modern Beijing: history and future, culture and commerce, traditional and contemporary. The fusion of two different eras in China, and the delicate tension between them, has created a unique energy in the Beijing of today. NLGX is our interpretation and expression of feelings towards this.

Notes on Design: What inspires an NLGX product or collection?

NLGX: There are many places we look to for inspiration for our products. Most are right in front of our eyes; all the ideas are out there, but they just need to be discovered. Living in a rapidly developing city, where so many different cultures and backgrounds come together also helps. Beijing is the perfect environment for inspiration.

Notes on Design: Michel, you design most of the t-shirts yourself. What does your creative process entail?

NLGX: My creative process varies all the time but, mostly, if I come across something very interesting, I take a picture of it or sketch it down and write out a concept. I guess this process is still with me from my old days in advertising. Before I execute any idea, I try to think of an exciting way of translating the raw concept into something visual. I ask myself “What would catch people’s eyes and look interesting or cool on a t-shirt?”

We love to tell stories through our products. We look at all the different ideas we have and always think about how to turn them into something interesting; something that would or could connect to people. Not every good idea can be transformed into a good graphic. At the end of the day, the t-shirt design needs to be interesting and convincing enough to make somebody want to buy and wear it. So, it is also very important that the design entails the right message, and an inspiring story.

Notes on Design: Why did you decide to venture into eco products?

NLGX: Our NLGX RECYCLED collection, consisting of eco bags and accessories, uses a more literal interpretation of “Preserve…Create.” Pollution and waste management has been a well-publicized problem for the quickly growing Chinese cities. NLGX RECYCLED is our statement to support a greener lifestyle, whilst looking stylish at the same time!

Notes on Design: Has it been difficult realising your eco range?

NLGX: The early adopters and fashionistas in Beijing have certainly shown an interest in our NLGX RECYCLED collection, but the green lifestyle is not as embedded into mass culture here yet. However, we are confident that, in time, this will change, especially since the adoption of eco products is now more widely embraced in Europe and North America. Our NLGX RECYCLED line has, however, attracted much interest with local “green” NGOs and corporations looking to portray a greener image. We are definitely open to working with other like-minded organizations to promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Notes on Design: What is your most popular product or collection?

NLGX: Our most popular products are the “不拆” (meaning “do not destroy” and refers to the destruction of local neighbourhoods called hutongs) and the “Beijing Bicycle” design. They have been with us from the very beginning. People like the simple messages behind them. As for the “不拆” design, we recently started a partnership with the local NGO, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP), where part of the proceeds of sales go to CHP to fund future activities for hutong and cultural preservation.

Notes on Design: Ed is no stranger to living in hutong neighborhoods. How do you both feel towards the destruction of hutongs widely taking place in Beijing right now?

NLGX: To maintain any semblance of the remaining culture and neighborhoods in the old city areas of Beijing – the “hutong” areas – there needs to be a balance between development and preservation. I am certainly not against modernizing 800-year old neighborhoods – running water, central heating systems, more sanitary bathrooms, safer electricity wiring (underground, rather than hanging them with telephone lines above), and even re-building certain structures that are no longer safe for habitation. However, I see a problem when the old residents of these neighborhoods (sometimes spanning generations) are kicked out of their homes and sent out to live in residences provided to them outside the city. When this happens, these old neighborhoods lose their soul and become gentrified. Buildings are built and re-built all the time. Neighborhoods, and the culture that thrives in them, take time to nurture. Over 90% of these original hutong neighborhoods have already been demolished to make way for apartment buildings, office high-rises, shopping malls, and wider roads. Countless numbers of old Beijingers now live in the outskirts of the city after their homes were taken over for re-development.

Notes on Design: Beijing is constantly changing. Do you find it hard to keep up?

NLGX: The constantly changing dynamics of Beijing (and China as a whole) provide us with endless content and inspiration for new stories to tell via new products. We actually see this constant change as a benefit, as it keeps our ideas new and forces us see things from different angles. As our surroundings are developing, we need to absorb what is happening around us; our products will always be a reflection of this change.

Notes on Design: Nanluoguxiang has become vogue for new start-up boutiques, cafes and bars. How do you make yourselves unique?

NLGX: When Nanluoguxiang started becoming popular for local hipsters, the neighborhood was ripe with start-up boutiques, cafes, and bars. It was a neighborhood that attracted artists for its cheap rent, historical charm, and location at the center of Old Beijing. With increasing rents, the stores are becoming more homogeneous, like most tourist shopping sites in China. To stay unique, we simply stay original. We pride ourselves on original Chinese design, and we will maintain this identity as the local scene matures.

Notes on Design: As entrepreneurs, what is your biggest obstacle?

NLGX: In China’s fast-paced and ever-changing environment, long-term partnerships with any organization are a challenge. This is especially true for start-ups and entrepreneurs looking to build a long-term, sustainable company. For us, the constant temptation of quick money versus long-term brand building is one of the biggest challenges we deal with everyday.

Notes on Design: What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date?

NLGX: I guess we haven’t really thought about that yet, since we still consider ourselves a very young company with our best creations yet to come. We take a lot of pride in what we are doing, so it always makes us very happy to see people wearing our t-shirts or carrying our bags out on the streets of Beijing. This keeps us going!

Notes on Design: What does the future hold for NLGX?

NLGX: In two years of NLGX, we have established a strong local presence for innovative t-shirts design and fashion bags made from recycled materials. Our identity, as demonstrated via our designs, has been very much inspired by the city in which we started. As we expand to other cities across Asia, we aim to localize first and sell second. This means that we’ll be looking for new design talent as we grow to maintain a localized feel for each market NLGX enters. NLGX will be unique in each, but maintain a common identity via original Chinese design.

With strong ethical and social motivations and an awe-inspiring work schedule, Amisha Ghadiali is a Jewellery Designer working in London. Alongside running her own label Amisha: Elegance.Rebellion, Amisha is also the Associate Director of the Ethical Fashion Forum and Founder of political fashion campaign, Think Act Vote. We caught up with Amisha this week to find out exactly what she’s up to.

Notes on Design: Can you give us a brief insight into who you are and what you do?

Amisha: I am one of those people that doesn’t easily fit into a box. I am an activist for positive social change, a designer, a campaigner, an entrepreneur, a writer, and a connector. My favourite eco-fashion designer Mark Liu recently did a “Unicorn” collection, which is inspired by the idea that, in an unpredictable world, attempting the seemingly impossible is not only the most exciting, but also the safest thing to do. Liu says that the key to the future lies with those who have the imagination, courage, and will to chase seemingly impossible “unicorn” ideas. I like to think that I am one of those people.

Notes on Design: So, how did your career start?

Amisha: I studied Politics at Leeds University. It was really interesting to have that time and space to learn about the world and theories of change and growth. I worked in Politics and International Development for a while including for Congressman Cardin in DC, John Battle MP and on the Make Poverty History campaign.

I had a crazy accident in the midst of all that, I got run over by a four wheel drive pick up truck in Honduras six years ago. It was in many ways the most amazing thing that has happened to me, as it led to my creative revolution and taught me to be brave and do the work I love. In my recovery I started painting, writing, making clothes, making jewellery, and playing the guitar again. I hadn’t done anything like that for about eight years before that, after having a very creative childhood. All of this had happened before I left University in 2006, so when I graduated I knew that I wanted to do my own thing.

“Salient Assuage” – bracelet from Amisha Ghadiali’s ‘Elegant Rebellion’ collection.

Notes on Design: How and why did you choose a career in Jewellery/Fashion Design?

Amisha: The jewellery design just stuck, I had made some things and given them to friends and they wore them all the time. So I decided that was what I was going to do. I stayed in Leeds so that I could get my collection together, and travelled to India to set up a supply chain as ethically as I could. It was only ever meant to be a little side project, but it turned into a real label. Whilst working on my first real collection, I realised that I had a natural ability to design, and without formal training had the freedom to create without rules.

I was interested in the power of consumption, as I had written my dissertation on “Youth Engagement in Politics: The Consumer Citizen”. It explored the interrelation between two features of the neo-liberal British political landscape: the rise of consumerism and the demise of youth participation.

I saw the potential in fashion to really effect peoples lives. My jewellery design carefully combines the colours and properties of the stones and crystals used to produce jewellery that complements and enhances the natural beauty of the wearer. It is about creating fashionable timeless pieces in the spirit of vitality and radiant positivity, at the same time raising awareness of the work of important charities that work with both a UK and Global focus.

“Moon Fall” – Silver earrings from Amisha Ghadiali’s ‘Elegant Rebellion’ collection.

Notes on Design: You mentioned you travelled to India to set up an ethical supply chain. How did you go about doing this?

Amisha: Although I was born in England, my family are from India. So, it was always important for me to spend time there and learn about the culture. I spend time with family there, but to work there without that protection is totally different! I travelled around and asked questions. One person leads you to another, and then I found my workshop, Silverline in Delhi. They get really great quality Gemstones and are a family business. I felt that I had found a place where I was happy to work, and have learnt a great deal from working with them.

Notes on Design: There has been a lot of controversy about international brands setting up supply chains in countries like India. What makes your supply chain different/ethical?

Amisha: This is a difficult topic. People do make assumptions about producing in countries like India and China, but we live in a very global world now. It is sad what is happening to manufacture in the UK, and I think we should be more about this. That said, it is also important to recognise the growing industries in the East, and the amazing traditional skills when it comes to things like hand made jewellery.

I don’t feel that my supply chain is a role-model one. Actually there have been significant developments in ethical jewellery over the years since I started with the work of people like Cred, Leblas and Fifi Bijoux. It is now possible to get accredited fair trade silver, gold and gemstones. I am talking to all of these designers about working with some of their suppliers on my next collections.

At the same time, I don’t want to just leave the workshop I have been partnering with and building a relationship with over the years. When I found my workshop, I felt that I trusted the people I was working with, and enjoy working there, especially with Atul who overseas my collection, and Kishan who actually makes my jewellery. But your ethics and supply chain are something that you should always look at going further with, step by step.

At present, my work is made from silver that is 70% recycled, and obviously I know exactly who makes it and have a personal relationship with them. I also give 10% of my profits to charity. However I don’t currently know enough about where my stones comes from, but as I said before it is about perfecting this bit by bit. It is also important to create the collection that you want. For example, I could just not use gem stones, but I think the energy created by the stones is really important. You also need to be economically sustainable as if you don’t sell anything, you are not doing good for anyone, yourself, the market or your suppliers!

Notes on Design: What has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Amisha: This is a difficult question to answer as I feel proud of every piece of work I have done mainly due to all I have learnt along the way. Nevertheless if I had to pick one, I think it would have to be my first collection “Elegant Rebellion” as I really surprised myself with what I had created.

I also did a special collection in January this year for a project called ‘Pavement to Catwalk’, which is about inspiring homeless people to be creative and raising awareness of their experience. I was asked to design three show pieces on the themes of Homelessness, Mental Health and Substance Misuse. I tried to get in the mindset of each of these conditions and think about how they felt and what they needed. I only had two days to do the pieces as I had to fit it into the time in my workshop in India. The challenge was to make them interesting fashion pieces that would stand out on the catwalk. The show and exhibition will take place later this year.

My Homeless piece is a necklace that is more like body armour, many lines of chain cover the body, with a big piece of Labradorite to protect the wearer. My Mental Health piece is a glamorous head piece, to signify your head being in a cage. My Substance Misuse piece is a beautiful long necklace that turns into hand cuffs, to show the restrictions on the wearer. It was really interesting to take jewellery to that next level, and use it to really show emotion and difficult circumstances that millions of people around the world experience.

Notes on Design: How do you go about designing each collection? Can you tell us a little about your design process. Do you draw? What inspires the theme of a collection? How do your ideas translate into real products?

Amisha: To tell you the truth, I can’t really draw. I changed schools at 14, and ended up not even doing Art GCSE, and with Maths, History and Economics as my A-Levels. But I think creative ideas can come into your head, and you can express them without perfect life drawings.

As I said, I work without rules. Some collections have been more thought through, for example when I studied the Five Elements, I knew I had to do a collection around it to help raise awareness. Other collections have been more organic. I look at the materials in front of me, think about what I want to create, what stones I want to use due to their energy, and then set about explaining it to my makers. This is always pretty funny, as their English isn’t great, and my Hindi is pretty much non existence. I draw line diagrams, and then measure out the pieces of chain, string, and we lay it out and build it as we go. It sounds like a comedy sketch, but it works!

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about The Ethical Fashion Forum and your involvement with the initiative?

Amisha: I got involved with the Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) in 2008. I started as production manager for the RE:Fashion Awards which was the first ever award ceremony held to celebrate the achievements of Ethical Fashion. Following that I started working as a Project Manager for the Ethical Fashion Forum, where I am now Associate Director. The EFF is the industry body for Ethical Fashion. We promote and celebrate social and environmental responsibility. We are the source for inspiration and collaboration for ethical fashion.

It is great to be in the centre of a growing industry, through my role at EFF I get to work with farmers and suppliers on the ground all over the world, right through to designers and consumers. It is such an important industry as we are all part of it, we all wear clothes. Fashion is also such a global industry, that covers agriculture, manufacture, design and retail, so many people are affected along the way. Our aim is that within a decade there will be no such thing as ethical fashion, but instead things will be marked as unethical if there are any.

It is great to work with pioneering small designers and producers, right through to giant retailers who are all showing an interest in cleaning up their supply chains. The challenge is not only in making this happen, but in making consumers see the importance of buying more slowly and carefully. In addition to making people really see being green as sexy!

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Amisha: Right now, my focus is Think Act Vote. It is a campaign I started mid February because of a frustration about the negative view of politics held by so many people in the UK today, and an ambition to do something about it – to create a community around our relationship with the political system and the choices we make for our future.

Think Act Vote artwork by Holly Berry

Politics isn’t just something that happens in the Houses of Parliament and voting doesn’t just happen every four years. Everyday we make choices that shape our world. Think Act Vote is a campaign to inspire us to think positively about our future and the votes we cast, today, tomorrow and forever.

The idea behind Think Act Vote is to use creative energy to challenge the negative perception about politics held by so many people today. It’s a ‘Rock the Vote’ for personal agency, politics with a small ‘p’ if you like, focusing on the future we choose (and can create) through the daily decisions we make. The focus of the campaign is to create a beautiful lifestyle book to give to the Prime Minister and party leaders in June, which is a creative anthology of “The Future I Choose…”

I launched a design competition that was judged by a panel including including ethical hero Katharine Hamnett, celebrated illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve and the original ‘anti-preneur’, Cyndi Rhoades. The winning design was turned into an eco t-shirt, and we are launching limited edition underwear too. The winner Jesson Yip, turned each word into a symbol, and then we added the words inside in different fonts to represent different voices.

To really make this a fashion campaign, I then got 14 ethical designers including Ada Zandition, Junky Styling and Beautiful Soul to create show pieces from a t-shirt and off cuts from their current collections. The point of this is to show people how you can be creative with what you have, or make your Think Act Vote t-shirt unique. The book will consist of fashion photography of people wearing the t-shirts, the show pieces, and the underwear! We are holding open photo shoots, so members of the public can come and take part too.

Then for the words, we are asking people to answer the question “What Future Do You Choose?” You can do this online. We are also taking our Think Act Vote ballot box to different events and public spaces, asking people to fill in our ballot cards with their answers. We are also holding a poetry competition on the same “What Future Do You Choose” theme, and then we will be celebrating “Our Future” on the evening of May 5th, the night before the general election.

Notes on Design: Do you have any other self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Amisha: My new jewellery collection is coming out in the summer, and is inspired by something so natural and part of our life that we are almost unaware of it. The world is unthinkable without Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space, which together are the Five Elements. The balance of these elements both within ourselves and in the world shape our lives and our world. The deeper we contemplate each Element, the more we can relate to each other and understand our place in this world.

A sneak preview of two of Amisha’s Five Element collection.

Notes on Design: And, you are writing a book too!?

Amisha: I have ideas for books all the time, but this one I am determined to make happen. I have written the story, but need to find a publisher, and have it illustrated and edited for the correct age range. It is a children’s book, without telling you the whole story, it is about a courageous cow. It is about following your dreams when everyone is telling you that you are crazy, and how we can treat the same thing so differently in different spaces, places and countries around the world.

Notes on Design: What are your plans for the future?

Amisha: I don’t really make plans, life just always throws too much at me that I wasn’t expecting. But I have ideas, so many ideas! With work, it’s all about finding new ways to express the ideas of sustainable living, self expression, and a type of politics that we can engage with. With life stuff, I want to travel more, and have a family that I move to the seaside or the countryside with. I am going to East Timor in May with my brother, he is a film maker. I guess that is one definitive plan for the future!

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To find out more about Amisha Ghadiali and her jewellery collections, visit www.amisha.co.uk, and to follow the Think Act Vote campaign visit www.thinkactvote.org. You can also follow Amisha’s tweets @amishaghadiali.
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Notes on Design recently spoke to London based Graphic Designer Fraser Muggeridge about his current venture – the Typography Summer School. Held over the duration of one week progammes, designers can apply to attend the course and study typography to enhance their practical skills and theory. This introductory interview is part 1, with part 2 consisting of a studio visit and further conversation with the programme participants.

Notes on Design: Hello Fraser, I know of your work through your design studio and understand that typography is of great importance in your work. Please can you tell us how and when you first got into typography and graphic design?

Fraser: I have always been drawn to letters. As a schoolboy my parents asked me if I wanted to play a musical instrument. I said I would prefer to be taught calligraphy, so once a week I would sit at the kitchen table with the only graphic designer in the town, drawing letters. This was the start of my study of typography, a process which still continues today. Everywhere I go, I am fascinated by what I can learn through my obsessive observations of typography: from paper bags in Kolkata, to haulage trucks on the M1 motorway.

Notes on Design: When you work with a client on a typographic project how do you communicate the best direction or outcome?

Fraser: This will depend on many factors. Sometimes we might want to be big and bold and sometimes not. Typography can be a very subtle thing – A lot of it is in the detail – clients will notice when something isn’t right but they don’t know why.

Notes on Design: I must admit, when I first heard of the Typography Summer School I was intrigued to learn more. Where did the idea come from?

Fraser: I’ve been thinking about it for a while, as I see lots of students (both through teaching and students wanting internships) who lack experience in designing to a real brief with an actual client – which I believe is one of the main roles of a designer. I’ve also noticed that there is a general misunderstanding of what typography actually is – and at the same time a real explosion of designers who are working typographically.

Notes on Design: Just as graphic design is often overlooked by the everyday person, typography is often overlooked by Graphic Designers. What are the current positive and negative issues that affect typography in contemporary design?

Fraser: Positive: So much choice and availability in good well designed fonts. Negative: Designers don’t understand how to use them, or fully understand what typography actually is. Typography can be many things but essentially it is the placement of type on an area. I attach an article I wrote for Eye Magazine recently, where I listed my typographic principles: Fraser Muggeridge_Typography Without Words [PDF].

Notes on Design: The different mix of designers contributing to the summer school and the various inclusions of real clients and budgets sound very exciting. What are the other unique aspects of this course? Can you tell us about the briefs and collaborators on the programme?

Fraser: The school is unique due to the fact that we have real projects with real briefs, budgets and clients. Briefs are to include an art gallery identity, bookshop material, a cinema programme, record cover and song lyric publication.

Ken Garland was a tutor of mine at the University of Reading and is a living legend – who has so much enthusiasm for typography. He is going to teach a one day project similar to what he used to do at Reading. All of the other visiting practitioners have been chosen for their interest within the broad area of typography, and each bring something unique and different to the school.

Notes on Design: You state on the Typography Summer School website that the school is independent from any college or educational organisation. Is this a conscious choice or would you like to collaborate at a later date?

Fraser: We discussed the summer school with design institutions who were keen to include it in their programme, but we felt that being independent will create a unique presence, working methodology and experience for each participant. By being independent we are free from any educational or funding constraints. We have also been asked to develop a one off event for the V&A this summer.

Notes on Design: You also mention that, the school will also act as a think tank encouraging research and dialogue. How would you like to see the summer school develop this and what are your aspirations for the next few summer schools?

Fraser: I would like the summer school to be held in other countries, applying the theories, models and practices to different cultures and environments. We plan to run more programmes in the future based on deeper research within typography, and aim to publish these as teaching and learning models.

Notes on Design: Many creative disciplines stress the importance of continual professional development but sometimes I feel that the transition between student and professional could be developed further. Would you advise other designers/studios to offer their skills and experience with learning programmes such as yours?

Fraser: Yes, trying to bridge the gap between student and professional life is one of the key aims of the summer school.

Notes on Design: I’d like to end by asking, what or whom do you find inspiring throughout typographic history and what typographic designs excite you at the moment?

Fraser: I find everyone and everything inspiring that deals with typography in any form.
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Find out more about Fraser Muggeridge at his studio website Pleasedonotbend.co.uk and TypographySummerSchool.org
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Halldór Gíslason, known by most as Dori, is a project leader and teacher in the Faculty of Design at KHiO, Oslo’s National Academy of the Arts, Norway. With an extensive career in Architecture and teaching, Dori is currently located in Maputo, on a special mission to support both the establishment of the first higher education academy of art and design in the country, the Institute Superiore de Artes e Cultura [ISAC], and a number of social design action projects, both directed at innovation, entrepreneurship, design and gender equality. We spoke to Dori this week as he lands back in Maputo again.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Dori: I am an Architect originally, but have worked for design in various forms over the years. I was a senior lecturer in Architecture in the UK during the Nineties, moved to Iceland to become the first dean and establish the first Faculty of Design and Architecture at the Iceland Academy of the Arts 10 years ago and then moved to take over as the Dean of the Faculty of Design in Oslo National Academy of the Arts in Norway, where I worked until a year ago. I also worked in the Norsk Form design centre – a Foundation for Design and Architecture in Norway – focusing on projects directed at making the everyday simpler, easier and more beautiful. There is an active institution working there named Design Without Borders that I’ve worked with, they run a number of international development projects.

Notes on Design: Where and how did your career start?

Dori: In the beginning I worked as an architect and design consultant in Iceland after education in UK and Italy. I ran an architectural practice and still do – designing various buildings, private houses, companies etc. It was and still is enjoyable, but Iceland is not very big, so I had to move abroad again to enjoy bigger and broader stimulus and dialogue about design, and its function in society.

Notes on Design: Why did you choose a teaching career?

Dori: Because of the stimulation of the dialogue that you have in education, there is more time for research and experimentation than when one is busy with every day practice. Students do fantastic work in their projects and stimulate new ideas and possibilities for design and architecture. Education continually opens up new avenues that practice does not have time nor money to address. And, it also evaluates and criticizes practice, which is great.

Notes on Design: Whilst there is a great deal of emphasis on evaluation and critical thinking within education, do you think there is a need for established design criticism at industry level?

Dori: Wow! Yes. It is our responsibility to be critical to industry and business. It is our role, both as singular designers and the whole of education. But we also need this the other way around. I just returned from a meeting in Geneva where we were planning a workshop for Senegal, Zambia and Mozambique. This is going to be about the creative industries and economy and is part of the UN program for that field. We discussed both education and development extensively, but I also insisted on the inclusion of delegates that are in practice now, often with no education but long term experience. We often forget to listen to them.

In the other direction, I am the leader of the Cirrus Network – a network of design schools in Northern Europe. There we have discussed lots about our cooperation and collaboration with industry and business. We’ve held conferences about the matter and it has been great to see how the Scandinavian countries are developing this cooperation under the political strategies of ‘innovation’ – something that governments have loved during the last 5 years. I have participated in various projects researching innovation, which have often looked at the more business orientated ‘make profit’ aspect from industry and the ‘social response’ aspect from design. These two aspects have to work together if the world is to be better.

First Day of School in ISAC, Maputo

Notes on Design: You’ve been in Africa for the past year, can you tell us why you went there and what you’ve been doing?

Dori: In my last position as Dean, I became increasingly interested in how design should be integrated into all activities: in business, industry and services, for example. In Oslo, we did various research and student projects in that direction in my faculty.
 But I had decided before I took the Dean’s position, that I would not do more of those basic administrative jobs and I should go somewhere where my network and experience could be of use. I did evaluate various places and came to the conclusion that there is less need for designers in Asia since industry and design is really growing there greatly during the last two decades. 
In Africa however, design is much less active and has to be developed as an integral part of their cultural and industrial development.
 I also came to the conclusion that there are enough designers in Scandinavia and quite frankly I would not be missed!

Notes on Design: What have been the most surprising and most challenging aspects of teaching design in Maputo?

Dori: Apart from learning Portuguese, I have had to use a completely different mindset about dialogue and evaluation in Maputo. The wins are many but very small. My own challenge has really been to look out for the fundamentals in design that we often do not discuss in European schools. We just start. I have loved discussing the curriculum, the procedures and the pedagogical advice that I can offer to the very promising staff in the new school.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us a little about one of the designers in Africa that’s stood out for you?

Dori: There are actually so many. I, for example, live in a 1954 modernist block by Pancho Guedes, but he is really Portuguese. The Zimbabwean architect Mick Pearce is also a great architect and environmentally driven. For example, his Eastgate Center in Harare is based on termite mounds. There are many great people working in textiles and fashion too, like the Senegalese Oumou Sy. She is much more than a couturiere – she is a poet, a playwright, an activist, and a cyber pioneer who opened West Africa’s first internet café, in Dakar.

There are many people here that kind of do not fit the ‘designer’ mould, which is great in my opinion. This situation is more similar to my home country of Iceland. With almost no industry, people have to create their own work somehow, and sometimes it is some kind of a fusion of music, art and design that is activist based and focused on the better good of society. Of course there are also many that are in it for the money (or to survive actually).

Mozambique has much weaker design culture than in art, music and dance. It is great to be in an academy developing design as part of that culture. It is possible to use the other art forms to support design based activity. You can see an example of this with a project named ‘Without Balance’ that is based on an exhibition held during the build up to the COP15 summit in Copenhagen. The name is: Sem Balança (Out of balance); Dance and visual communication about global warming and the environment.

Notes on Design: What are you currently working on right now?

Dori: I am working on many development projects, but the largest one and most important has been supporting the establishment of the first higher education Art and Design Academy in Mozambique, named INSTITUTE SUPERIORE DE ARTES E CULTURA [ISAC]. 
I have spent good time supporting the locals in developing the program and various other practical issues. I have also been teaching design theory, the relevance of design and then mentoring the teachers.
 The school is a state school, opened formally on September 3rd by the Minister of Culture and Education.
 I am also doing research on the integration of design in development projects and also gender balance in development and service design work.

Notes on Design: Alice Rawsthorn confirmed last year that the ‘new breed’ of social designers have proven design as ‘more than a creator of things’. What are your thoughts on where we go now? How do we ensure a sustainable social role for design?

Dori: I have always been of the opinion that she promotes. But I am initially educated as an architect (and they are makers of societies often) and then as a semiologican and in philosophy that is really about how society functions and interacts. Therefore this is never new to me. At the same time I understand the dialogue in design because some of design comes from exploration in material and form, while society takes second place. So we see here a convergence of architecture and design with the support of anthropology (now we have a number of anthropologists in design faculties, I did set up one in my faculty in Oslo) ethnography, politics etc. This is great because it opens up different motivation in the design field.

Workshop in photography and lighting, Maputo

Notes on Design: How would you assess the state of design right now? What and where are the opportunities?

Dori: My opinion is that designers and design knowledge (notably, I hate the term ‘design thinking’ that comes from USA business schools) is fundamental for the functioning of the society of the future. There are so many things in the mundane everyday life that we really hate because they have been wrongly executed, the problem definition was wrong etc. You find this in the health sector, transport sector and of course where I am currently very active, in the development sector, both in our western part of the world and in the developing world.

Notes on Design: What advice would you offer to young design graduates looking to use their skills for social purposes? How can they get started and involved?

Dori: It has been decided now by the leaders of my faculty in Oslo, that no student can graduate from the program without participating in development projects. In my mind this is what all young designers have to look out for. For example: more than 50% of the users of design today are not users of ‘good design’ but people living in the developing world. But I also really, really advise people not to start up another ‘action based development socially responsive project. Far too many exist already and they just compete for the same pot of support. But there are great opportunities all around. Go to the socially focused websites, or even my site or Kate’s site and find them in the links sections. And join them.

Pin-hole photography project, Maputo

Notes on Design: So, what are your next steps and future plans?

Dori: After the establishment of ISAC here in Maputo we are (in Oslo) developing a ‘change of knowledge’ program, at the moment projected for the next 3 years, where Norwegian designers, and design students and teachers, meet the designers in Maputo. Ideas are to run various common projects, developing transfer of knowledge in both directions. I have got most of the funding for this work from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, but also some research funds for evaluation and report.
The strategy of the KHiO design faculty in Oslo is that no student in the faculty graduates without some experience working in development areas, working on service solutions or product development with local craftsmen or industries.

The world of design is so much more open today and the profession is quite international. 
Also, more than half of the users of design today do not live in Western type economies and we need our designers to gain better understanding of the conditions. And, not just move in with Western pre-conceived ideas and sometimes strange design solutions (or problem definitions). 
We also want to address the ‘design for the other 90%’ issue and integrate design in all development or industrial projects, at a much earlier stage than just coming in at the end to decorate or do the logo. Designers can and have to be involved in all manner of areas and sectors; health programs, agriculture, sanitation solutions and so on.

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Find out more about Dori at DoriGislason.com, follow his experience in Mozambique at NordicDogs.com and follow Dori’s live tweets @dorigislason
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Born and raised on a Suffolk farm in East England, Richard Sanderson moved to Bristol to study Illustration. After graduating last year he moved to London to embark on his career in the UK capital. Since then he’s worked with, amongst others, YCN, Zizzi’s, The Ride Journal, The Newspaper Club & Form Fifty Five and exhibited in London, Bristol, Amsterdam and Glasgow. We spoke to Richard this week to find out how his graduate year is unfolding.

Notes on Design: So, how did your career start?

Richard: I’ve been drawing all my life and thanks to the positive encouragement from my family it’s never stopped! After an unhappy experience doing Art A-Level, I reveled in my Foundation course at Suffolk College, Ipswich. All the freedom and encouragement to experiment, particularly in the screen printing, illustration and design modules, really put me on the right path. I ended up going to Bristol UWE (University of the West of England) to study a degree in BA (Hons) Illustration, where I met a wide variety of different people carrying out different practices. Living with graphic designers and spending a lot of time with textile designers was really inspiring, and has had a big impact on the way I approach my own practice. Since graduating, I’ve been living in London and things have been working out really well so far. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a number of really exciting projects.

Notes on Design: Can you tell us more detail about those exciting projects?

Richard: Obviously some of the projects have to be kept quiet until they’re out, but I’ve had the pleasure of working with The Ride Journal for editorial work, working collaboratively with my good friend William Davis on a newspaper produced by the Newspaper Club. I’ve worked on a couple of things with London’s creative network YCN and exhibited work on London’s Hanbury Street (just off Brick Lane), and in Amsterdam and Glasgow. I’ve also got a few prospective projects/shows in the pipeline, but nothing’s confirmed yet …so, afraid they’re under wraps for the time being!

Notes on Design: How and why did you choose a career in Illustration?

Richard: I just love the challenge of interpreting a brief in my own way, using my own visual language to communicate an idea or message. Creating a response to an idea, or concept. But, if you’d asked me 4 years ago what I wanted to do, I’d be drawing for skateboard companies. Actually, that’s still totally true.

Notes on Design: Do you feel your degree prepared you for what the industry expects from professional illustrators, can you tell us more about your degree and the education you had?

Richard: My degree offered me everything I could of asked for really, we had 24 hour access to studios in my third year which was a great help. Our tutors were always on hand for advice and tutorials too, and we had some really informative guest lectures from Paul Blow, Peepshow, Paul Davis – to name but a few of the highlights.

I did teach myself a lot during my degree, but only through using the facilities at hand from UWE. The print facilities at UWE are excellent, I spent many hours there. There was a lot of fun to be had experimenting with different print techniques. Plus, Bristol is a lovely place and holds a special place in my heart now.

Notes on Design: What has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Richard: I was recently commissioned by Zizzi’s Italian restaurants to do a 6x3metre mural at their Clifton Village restaurant in Bristol along with 4 different wallpapers. I’ve never worked on such a big scale before or done any repeat patterns so it was a great learning process. Adapting my predominantly fine pencil line to a larger scale with paint was particularly hard! The entire process was really satisfying in the end, and I’ve learnt two new ways of working that I really enjoy. After staring at this massive piece for days on end I can finally look back at it and be proud of what I achieved! I’m about to start working on another restaurant commission in Birmingham on a similar scale, which I’m looking forward to.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Richard: I’m working on a series of original pieces for a small show I’m having at a café, The Fat Cat, on London’s Stoke Newington Church Street, I’m working on a number of collaborative projects with Esme Winter, Thomas Ormonde and Lizzy Stewart and as mentioned earlier I’m doing another large mural in Birmingham for Zizzi’s.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Richard: At the moment I’m exploring the nature of my self led work, I’m obviously still drawing for my own pleasure, but in terms of actual self directed ’study’ I’m really keen to work as an illustrator of my own ideas and concepts, instead of drawing for myself. I intend to get a lot more depth and justified concept behind my work, challenging myself to communicate concepts rather than solely focusing on the visual aesthetic.

Notes on Design: Right now, what would be a dream project or collaboration for you?

Richard: So very hard to answer! I’m an admirer of many other illustrators and designers, but I’d love to do something out the ordinary, working with something entirely different from illustration in it’s traditional sense. I’d like to collaborate with a designer like Enzo Mari, or Dieter Rams. I’d have no inkling as to how to approach such a project, apart from an open mind to experimentation. That is what would make it so interesting!

Notes on Design: What was 2009 like for you, and what does 2010 hold?

Richard: 2009 was a life-changing year! I graduated from university, and moved to London from Bristol. 2010 has been and is promising to be really exciting. I moved into a shared studio in my home borough of Stoke Newington with nine other illustrators / designers including fellow UWE Bristol types; Hattie Newman and Pete Locke, along with Vicky Smith, Martin Wollerstam, Sophie Kern, Rachel Lattimore and Sarah Parker earlier in the year, and it’s been growing and evolving into something very special indeed. We have a great bunch of motivated people working here, each specializing in their own disciplines and approaches. I think having somewhere to come and work is really important, informative and inspiring.

To put it simply, I’m really enjoying living here and doing the job I do. I want to constantly challenge myself with new and interesting projects, and on that tip 2010 is going pretty well so far!

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See more of Richard’s work at rjsanderson.co.uk and follow him on twitter @richardjrichard
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Converging art, design and engineering, Haberdasherylondon is a next level design agency whose portfolio of work range from art and sculpture, film and media to industral and product design solutions. Run by creative trio Daniel Siden, Ben Rigby and Mac Cox, Haberdasherylondon fuel research and development for a range of clients including Selfridges, Sony, The British Film Institure, Nokia and light artist Chris Levine. We spoke to Ben Rigby this week to delve a little deeper into the multidisciplinary world of Haberdasherylondon.

Notes on Design: Hi Ben! So firstly, can you give us a brief insight into who you are and what you do?

Ben: I am one of three founding partners at Haberdasherylondon, a design agency converging art, design and technology, frequently specialising in light related projects. Our work is fuelled by R&D from ‘Hablab’, our in house programme which develops new materials, techniques and technologies into workable creative solutions for ambitious brands.

Notes on Design: How did your career start?

Ben: My background is in fine art and editorial photography, which carried me into the film industry and onto cinematography and art direction. Within Haberdashery these skills help to bind together the ideas developed with partners Mac Cox (Production Design/Product Design) and Daniel Siden (Engineering/Industrial Design).

Notes on Design: How did HaberdasheryLondon come about?

Ben: Mac, Dan and myself shared a studio as freelancers, and whilst learning about how each others disciplines crossed over, we identified a strong benefit in working together from an early stage on projects. For instance, why does a director of photography only chat with an art director just before a shoot? Surely it makes sense to work closely to develop a set design in conjunction with a camera methodology. This approach to creativity leads to more ‘play time’ and thus far superior creative results. We value a fine art approach underpinned with good design theory, process, and practice, solid engineering and project management.

Notes on Design: What is the driving focus behind the work of Haberdasherylondon?

Ben: We aim to push for creative results which help to strengthen our client’s brands position. Our designs are often bespoke, using new materials and technologies to create a bold statement of intent. By creating these works inhouse, we are becoming known as an agency capable of more unusual and abstract solutions.

Notes on Design: What would you say was your creative break?

Ben: We were lucky enough to be given an open brief by Selfridges&Co within the first couple of months of our companies life. Four window sculptures were created for the concept store on London’s Oxford Street which received good press and laid down a mark of intent for Haberdashery.

As well, our company has always had an excellent relationship with the revolutionary light artist Chris Levine. We design and engineer all his technical and sculptural works. We share a common appreciation of light with Chris, and although we have a different approach to design and aesthetics, we work very well together, to know Chris as well as we do is to be inspired and uplifted.

Notes on Design: What has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Ben: Last year we collaborated with Softroom Architects, Freeform Engineering, KLH, Atelier One and BBC sound designer Chris Watson to create the Termite Pavilion for the Pestival event on Southbank. The pavilion was a 6m x 6m x 6m replica of the internal area of a giant Namibian termite mound. It was filled with vibrating light and sound to create an immersive environment illustrating the energy and air movement within the space used by termites for communication via the transfer of pheromones.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Ben: Currently we are working on several exciting bespoke light sculptures for client Candy&Candy. Working with C&C is a great match for us as they produce 100% bespoke interiors and architecture for an extremely elite cliental. We’ve just completed on two designs for their the ONE Hyde Park Corner development. We’re extremely proud of these projects and we feel that they have taken us to a new level. And, with world leading artist James Turrell also providing works for the site, the pressure was on.

HabLab is taking off as well, with several fascinating ongoing research projects on behalf of two major international materials manufacturers that we are not yet at liberty to name. Stay tuned!

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Ben: We each have our own areas we push within the company. Mine has been researching potential projects for Wellcome Trust funding. Currently I am looking into the problem of awareness about long term pain sufferers, and how through light and sound we can communicate to families and the wider public the often hidden problems of cyclical pain management.

Notes on Design: What was 2009 like for you, and what does 2010 hold?

Ben: 2009 was a tough year for the design industry. Through hard work, we managed to grow during this difficult time. Projects had more challenging budgets, and clients suffered from cold feet! However by the end of the year we started to notice a real shift in the industry; a strong awareness of the strength in collaboration which has led to more open minded thinking about a how a project team can be assembled. This approach is exactly how we work within Haberdashery, so we are now seeing several new partnerships paying off and we are extremely positive about 2010 and the many new projects on our horizon.

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The new Haberdasherylondon website goes live later this month, but find out more about the team here: Haberdasherylondon.com
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As Founder of London-based web design and development agency, kulör, digital guy at YCN, and founder/curator at siteInspire, Daniel Howells has been building quite a name for himself over the past few years. Notes on Design spoke to Daniel this week to find out how a Psychology degree, jobs in account managing and investment banking led him to a finding his feet in web design and the creative industry!

Notes on Design: How did your career start?

Daniel: I actually did my degree in Psychology, at Manchester University. When I graduated, I had no idea what I wanted to do so I blindly entered the world of advertising, after joining the agency J Walter Thompson (now JWT) as an intern. I progressed as an account manager on various accounts, until I realised advertising wasn’t quite for me. I then pursued a career in management consulting, and then investment banking, before realising that none of these things genuinely interested me.

Notes on Design: So, how and why did you choose a career in web design?

Daniel: All the while during these stints in various industries, I had a keen interest in web design and development, which started at University where I created a website with two friends whose purpose was to host photo galleries from various student nightclubs and bars, before digital camera were ubiquitous. At that time, I also had met Nick Defty – the founder of YCN – who was looking for some help with the organisation’s website. I worked on the first version of the YCN website about 9 years ago, and working in evenings and weekends I continued to help design and develop the website. It was when I realised that I enjoyed my “hobby” far more than my actual job that I actually made the break, and joined YCN full-time to look after its digital projects. Making the break away from my previous career(s) and moving to YCN was wonderful; discovering a world which revolved around creativity rather than Excel spreadsheets.

Notes on Design: How has running your own company effected your creative practice?

Daniel: I wouldn’t say it has affected my practice a great deal, other than new business development can often take over your life since suddenly you’re in a situation where work doesn’t automatically appear for you. I’ll admit that it was terrifying at first and the stress levels were pretty high! But now I feel a lot more comfortable and enjoy meeting new clients and collaborators to work on a much more diverse range of projects.

Notes on Design: What has been the pivotal piece of work you are most proud of?

Daniel: Probably siteInspire, since it has become a tool used by thousands of people every day. I get some very kind emails from its users, and since I don’t make a penny from it that makes it all worthwhile, and has opened up doors to allow me to meet some interesting people from the design and web community. Secondly, the YCN site, since it has gone through a huge number of iterations, leading up to the latest version which went live very recently, which I think captures the unique nature of the organisation in a way that is more clear than before.

Notes on Design: Site Inspire has become quite a revolution for showcasing good web design online. What were the incentives for launching the site and how has it been received?

Daniel: It was launched just over a year ago, simply as a way for me to catalogue and bookmark what were my favourite websites. The weakness of browser bookmarks and Delicious is that it wasn’t a visual way to browse work. Further, I didn’t like many of the hundreds of other websites that serve precisely the same purpose. So I created the website from scratch, told a few people about it and it snowballed from there, now serving between 3000 and 4000 visitors a day. As per my answer above, people seem to really enjoy the uniqueness and breadth of the sites it showcases. I started a blog on it to showcase some longer form articles about the people and studios that I find interesting, but that’s soon to change.

Notes on Design: What are you working on at the moment?

Daniel: At the moment I have a lot of different projects on the go – working on a website for an Actor with Nation Studio; a website for an illustration team with Ah Studio; a website for a new drinks brand; an online jewellery shop; and also the new version of Three Trees Don’t Make A Forest: so the projects are hugely varied.

Notes on Design: Do you have any self-led projects you’d like to tell us about?

Daniel: Forming a new business means I have the time to dedicate to starting quite a few self-initiated projects. I’m currently creating a new website specifically to house the siteInspire blog; a curated creative events directory/magazine called Creative Everyone; and an interesting tourism project whose details we’re currently fleshing out; and a design blog which simply houses all the non-web design I like discovering. Of course I’d love to turn these into profit-making enterprises in their own right, but they are mainly all bourne out of my own needs and enjoyment.

• kulor.net
• siteinspire.net
• Follow Daniel on twitter @hellokulor, @siteinspire and @daniel_howells