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ISSUE 258 OCTOBER 2016 £6 • US$16.99 printed in the UK
ILLUSTRATOR
Pro advice to navigate your way to illustration success
best BRANDING The world’s
2016’s Brand Impact Award winners share the secrets of their success Featuring
Hulse & Durrell johnson banks NB North Purpose SB SomeOne The Partners Turner Duckworth And many more world-class studios...
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a b o u t t h e c ov e r
OCTOBER 2016
Now in their third year, Computer Arts’ very own Brand Impact Awards celebrate the very best branding from around the world. This issue’s cover feature reveals the winning and highly commended projects, and the secrets of their success. The four projects featured on the cover are all winners this year, and represent a broad range of different clients and market sectors – the common factor being, of course, that they are all world-class pieces of branding craft. Dear World... Yours, Cambridge (01) was victorious in the Education category, while SomeOne’s rebrand for skincare specialist D.Thomas (02) triumphed in Professional Services. In Culture, SB’s work for The Brutalist Playground (03) was praised by the judges, and North’s much-discussed rebrand of Co-op (04) picked up a coveted trophy in Retail. Full coverage of all the winners starts on page 47. Computer Arts regularly experiments with special finishes, with past covers featuring ‘scratch and sniff’ lemons, heat- and light-reactive ink, pearlescent varnish, transparent glitter foil and more. To see a selection of videos about these innovative treatments being applied at our print finishing partner Celloglas, visit www.bit.ly/ca-printfinishes
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W EL C OM E
october 2016
Featuring
Editor’s letter
bruce duckworth
How do you measure your success as a designer? There’s no set answer to this, although the feeling of delivering a project that exceeds all expectations and delights both the client and its target audience speaks for itself. For some, surviving and thriving through tough times and growing a business in the face of adversity might be the ultimate achievement, or if you’re a freelancer, balancing a steady cash flow with work you love is no mean feat. But for many studios, design awards are one of the best benchmarks to put a stamp of approval on a strong year’s work. In 2016, our very own Brand Impact Awards enters its third year and the core of this issue is dedicated to the projects that rose to the surface. It all starts on page 47, where we explore all the shortlisted, winning and highly commended projects. Elsewhere, we pay a visit to johnson banks, one of the most consistently successful agencies at the BIAs – and this year’s best of show – to explore the exhaustively thorough (and self-confessedly “ferocious”) creative process that produces such compelling work time and time again. The highlights from our video interviews start on page 76. Of course, some of the best-respected agencies choose not to enter awards on principle. Next month, we present another way to measure success, as the results of our thirdannual UK Studio Rankings are revealed. Following an extensive nationwide survey of 75 creative directors, our top 30 list is entirely based on peer reputation. It makes for an essential guide to the very best companies in the country, and as ever makes for an unmissable issue. See you then! nick carson Editor nick.carson@futurenet.com
tony pritchard Tony is a member of the ISTD and is course leader of the postgraduate certificate and diploma Design for Visual Communication courses at London College of Communications. He shares his wisdom on spacing in part three of our typography series on page 70. www.arts.ac.uk/lcc
sara Barnes Sara is a freelance writer specialising in arts, crafts and DIY. She has an MFA in Illustration Practice and documents the latest and greatest in the field via her blog. On page 40, Sara discovers how to succeed in illustration at ICON9. www.brwnpaperbag.com
lee young Lee is a digital designer, developer and producer currently based in Auckland, New Zealand. In his column on page 24, he explains why he thinks young creatives should follow his lead and up sticks and move abroad. www.leeyoung.co.nz
michael boswell
Keep in touch with…
@computerarts
Bruce is founder and joint creative director of Turner Duckworth. As of 22 September, he is the new president of D&AD, and on page 18, he shares the story of how design has moved up the agenda, and why he thinks now is a great time to be a designer. www.turnerduckworth.com
/computerarts
/computerarts
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Michael is an artist and designer currently living in Brooklyn, New York. He explains how he created a geographic-inspired identity for electronic musician Bonobo’s new Outlier project on page 82. www.michael-boswell.com
meet t h e t e am
october 2016
Colophon Editorial
Nick Carson
Advertising
Nick Carson Editor nick.carson@futurenet.com Jo Gulliver Art editor jo.gulliver@futurenet.com Rosie Hilder Operations editor rosie.hilder@futurenet.com Peter Gray and Gareth Jones Video producers peter.gray@futurenet.com gareth.jones@futurenet.com
Creative Bloq
Sasha Mcgregor Ad manager sasha.mcgregor@futurenet.com
editor After an enjoyable afternoon at johnson banks, Nick spent a long weekend camping in Cornwall to eke the last out of the summer sun. He also took his final British Sign Language exams, results pending.
Chris Mitchell chris.mitchell@futurenet.com Matt Bailey matt.bailey@futurenet.com George Lucas george.lucas@futurenet.com Account directors
Production & DISTRIBUTION
Vivienne Calvert Production controller Mark Constance Production manager
jo gulliver
Printing: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Finishing partner: Celloglas Distribution: Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT. Tel: 0207 429 4000 Overseas distribution: Seymour International
Art editor As well as finally finishing decorating her bedroom, Jo also went to Rotterdam, watched Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet at an outdoor cinema and saw The Rolling Stones exhibition in London.
Circulation
Dan Oliver Global editor-in-chief dan.oliver@futurenet.com Craig Stewart Managing editor craig.stewart@futurenet.com Kerrie Hughes Content manager kerrie.hughes@futurenet.com Dom Carter Staff writer dominic.carter@futurenet.com
Contributors
Sara Barnes, Andrew Cottle, Bruce Duckworth, Ian Evenden, FranklinTill, Freddie Öst, Louise Pomeroy, Tony Pritchard, Laura Snoad, Kai Wood, Lee Young
Contact
Meet the team
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This month, Rosie has entertained an almost constant stream of visitors. She’s now gearing herself up for the next set of guests, her boyfriend’s mother and brother, who are visiting from Argentina.
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MANAGEMENT
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Contributors peter gray video producer
Next issue on sale
Pete took his family on holiday to Cornwall this month, so while Gareth Jones was filming at johnson banks, he was cycling on the Camel Trail. He arrived back to work just in time for the edit.
14 October 2016
Want to work for Future? Visit www.futurenet.com/jobs
andrew cottle
Future is an award-winning international media group and leading digital business. We reach more than 49 million international consumers a month and create world-class content and advertising solutions for passionate consumers online, on tablet and smartphone, and in print.
freelance art editor Andrew has enjoyed being taught full-contact trampoline by his godson, somehow missing out on the synchro garden Olympic gold. He has also been delving into the family history with Mr C senior.
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Contents
ISSUE 258 Oc t ober 20 16
Culture
Insight
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Trends The potential of human hair as a design resource is tapped, along with primary colours and strong diagonals
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my design space We take a look at the bold and bright Montreal space of graffiti-inspired design duo Scien and Klor, aka 123KLAN
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new ventures Gavin Strange opens up about the shop he now runs with his jewellery designer wife
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Designed for life Pantone’s new app puts a river of colours at your fingertips, enabling a whole spectrum of colour play
Projects
why design is important Incoming D&AD president Bruce Duckworth talks about design’s journey to the top of the agenda
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Design matters How do you judge your success as a designer?
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Rebrand focus A trio of perspectives on the recent rebranding of Subway
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why you should fly the nest Digital designer Lee Young tells us how now is the perfect time to try working abroad
snaskified Snask gives advice on how to get ahead as an illustrator
98
design icon Non-Format’s Jon Forss fondly recalls his family car from the 70s
Outlier identity Michael Boswell explains how he created an identity reflecting the experimental nature of Outlier, Bonobo’s latest project
89
Animate in After Effects Sara Barnes shares tips from Richard Borge’s icoN9 workshop, where she learned to animate in AE
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INKS pINball app State of Play’s new app with an artistic twist sees players create unique splat art while playing pinball
Video Insight
76
REGUL ARS
96
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johnson banks We visit this year’s Brand Impact Awards best of show winner to discuss the power of copywriting, and why it pays to take your time in design
c o n te n ts
Industry Issues
Special Report
40 Illustration secrets A career in illustration isn’t just about drawing. Sara Barnes talks to industry professionals about the secrets to freelance success
back to basics
47 Brand impact awardS
he world’s best branding is revealed as the winners of Computer Arts’ very T own Brand Impact Awards share insights into their working processes
Showcase
A Series of Visual Conversations 12 December 2012 10:00 – 18:00
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the best new design work This month’s showcase includes Anagrama’s rebranding of a beauty supply company, and illustrative musings on the fear of flying
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE UP TO 47% Three great ways to subscribe to the world’s best design mag! PRINT • DIGITAL • OR BOTH – see page 38 for great offers Or join Computer Arts Pro – see page 88 for details
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Main Lecture Theatre London College of Communication
Hong Chong Ip Chao Sioleong Helmut Schmid Kenya Hara Phillipe Apeloig April Greiman David McCandless Edward Tufte
70 typography focus To book email: t.pritchard@lcc.arts.ac.uk
Tony Pritchard from the London College of Communication shares his advice on tracking and kerning
PLUS! Save an incredible 20% on the Adobe CC Photography Pack when you subscribe
CULTURE
TR EN DS : Em er g i n g
hair raising:
Trends
While the world's finite resources rapidly dwindle, designers look to the ultimate renewable material
People Events
arth Overshoot Day – the date when humanity exhausted nature’s 'budget' for the year – fell on 8 August this year. As the Earth’s finite resources continue to deplete, designers are increasingly turning to the abundance of waste materials in order to reinvent them, creating new precious artefacts and useful products. One such waste material proving to be an extraordinary resource is human hair. With the population expected to exceed nine billion by 2050, hair is one of the few materials that is increasing globally. Hair Highway by Studio Swine explores hair as a natural composite. By combining hair with natural resin, Studio Swine has created beautiful solid surfaces with an aesthetic evoking tortoiseshell palettes and a grain resembling exotic hardwoods. Growing at a rate sixteen times faster than the trees used for tropical hardwood, which can take up to 300 years to reach maturity, Asian hair generates the fastest. And with the planet’s natural resources diminished by relentless deforestation, hair holds the potential to
E
become a sustainable alternative to the paper and hardwood industries. It's no longer being used in design simply for its shock factor, either. Not only are the traditional aesthetics of hair being challenged to create new solid surfaces, patterns and textiles, designers are also harnessing the potential of its tensile strength, lightweight and recyclable qualities to produce innovative and useful products. Hair has also been used as a visual tool to create type. In Hair Typography by Monique Goossens, for instance, characters are formed using hair's natural curl and springiness. The New Age of Trichology by Material Futures graduate Sanne Visser (featured here) explores the potential of human hair as a design resource, utilising the inherent properties of the material to create an array of utilitarian products such as rope, bungee cord and netting. By using hair instead of more traditional non-renewable materials, Visser relieves the pressure on the world's finite resources and reduces the levels of harmful waste entering the environment. www.sannevisser.com
INSPIRATION Each month, our Trends section is curated by experienced creative consultancy FranklinTill www.franklintill.com
cu lt u r e
october 2016
TREN DS : st i ll f res h
Primary PALETTES se of colour in packaging and branding has been widely simplified to the most basic colours on the colour wheel – red, yellow and blue. Primary colours have long been used to attract attention and create impact, and as they are traditionally used in children’s toys, these colours create a sense of play, familiarity and honesty.
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Cannes Lion Survival Kit by Phoenix (www.phoenix.cool/project-cannes-lions)
Hernesaaren Ranta by Werklig (www.werklig.com/solutions/hernesaaren-ranta)
Mercht branding by Robot Food (www.robot-food.com/work/mercht)
TRE N D S: M A IN STRE A M
Diagonal DIVIDES he use of diagonal colour in packaging, styling and still life photography brings a fresh, bold and clean aesthetic to graphic communication. The kinetic energy and apparent movement of a diagonal divide creates a sense of action and excitement, and gives brands a dynamic and modern look and feel.
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Elements branding by dn&co (www.dnco.com)
Amperian branding by Büro Ufho (www.ufho.com/work#/amperian)
Timeless graphic design and branding by Laura Gordon (www.time-less.org)
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