Issue 23

DESIGNTIMES south africa’s monthly creative resource

www.designtimes.co.za

/02 INTERVIEW

BILL MOGGRIDGE

He designed the first laptop computer. What is this man up to at the moment? We take a brief look into his current and future projects.

/06 FASHION

CARLOS MIELE

Carlos Miele is a Brazilillian fashion designer and multidisciplinary creator who has become world famous with his fashion brand Carlos Miele.

our partners in alphabetical order

APRIL 2008 Issue No.23 ZA R5, EUR €2, UK £2, US $3

/10 BOOK

REBOUND BOOKS

Rebound Books find beautiful, neglected hardcover books and re-bind them with art paper. The result is a durable, totally unique journal, diary or sketchbook.

NEWS

PAGE 02

Young Guns

The remote Philips makes navigating the living room simple with the Prestigo universal remote control. The Prestigo can control up to 15 home entertainment devices, combining the features of multiple remotes and offering an elegant and slender design that complements stylish modern living.

DESIGNTIMES THE TEAM Mark Rosenberg mark@designtimes.co.za Steven Rosenberg steven@designtimes.co.za Zak King zac@designtimes.co.za Leigh King leigh@designtimes.co.za ADVERTISING Mark Rosenberg / Steven Rosenberg info@advertising.co.za CONTACT TELEPHONE +27 (0)21 424 3520 PRINTER Tandym Print print@tandym.co.za

The rules are simple. You must be under the age of 30, you must have two years’ experience in a creative profession, and you must produce high-caliber visual work that will seize the jury’s attention and knock ’em dead. On April 3, ADC Young Guns 6 opens its call for entries worldwide.

The competition kicks off with Disclosure, a same-day launch party that will unveil the results of The Undiscovered Letter, a contest in which past ADC Young Guns were invited to design the not-yet-existent twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet. This year the ADC has gathered a jury of past Young Guns from competition classes 1–5 to evaluate the diverse body of work submitted by contestants. Having once won the honor themselves, these jury members are uniquely suited to evaluate the creative daring, visual expression, and all-around talent of Young Guns hopefuls. As a growing community of the best and the brightest in cross-disciplinary creativity, the Young Guns’ endorsement adds special distinction to the award. (See below for a full list of jury members.)

Fifty new Young Guns will be chosen as this year’s competition class; they will be announced in September and presented with the ADC Cube at the opening party for the gallery exhibition of their work.

Selections of their work will be printed in a commemorative, limited edition volume published exclusively for the Art Directors Club by Moleskine. The ADC Young Guns 6 class will also have their work added to the ADC’s permanent collection online and receive one-year membership in the organization.

As in previous years, submissions need not conform to any specific media categories; entries may consist of one medium or as many as the contestant chooses to include.

Contestants are asked to submit 6–10 pieces, up to 3 of which can be personal work, and will be judged on the basis of this body of work. Eligibility requires only that the contestant is under 30 years of age and has at least two years of professional experience (both full-time and freelance work qualify). The competition is open internationally, and past entries have come from as far as Australia and South Africa. www.adcyoungguns.org

School silibus gets a whole lot more fun

New British coins The Royal Mint has revealed new designs for the reverse side of seven of the UK’s coins Familiar designs that have served for almost 40 years will be replaced by a new set of designs. Individually, the coins focus on details of the shield of the Royal arms and when placed together they reveal the complete shield. Matthew Dent 26, a professional graphic designer, had seen the competition advertised in one of the national newspapers. His designs are a a set of coins firmly rooted in the heraldic traditions of the British coinage yet beautifully contemporary.

Against the odds, a young artist has won a public competition and devised a

Scottish children are to be taught how to design and develop electronic games and to create computer animations and feature films at school level. It is hoped the scheme, part of the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence, will create programmers of the future who will ensure the continued success of Scotland’s games industry, which employs more than 500 people and generates R 310m a year.

A drop in enrolment for university computing courses has resulted in a lack of qualified computer experts when the government wants Scotland to be at the forefront of a knowledge economy.

Academics believe the fall is a result of the rise and fall of the dot com industries.

Curriculum for Excellence’s mission is “to ensure that all young people can be successful learners, effective contributors, confident and responsible citizens”.

stunningly original series that stands as an imaginative and clever solution. ‘I felt that the solution to the Royal Mint’s brief lay in a united design - united in terms of theme, execution and coverage over the surface of the coins. I thought the six coins could make up a shield by arranging the coins both horizontally, as with the landscape idea, as well as vertically, in a sort of jigsaw style. I liked the idea and symbolism of using the Royal Arms, where individually the coins could focus on specific elements and when placed together they reveal the complete Royal Arms. The coins will go into circulation later this year. www.royalmint.com

The Painter Factory.com

Portable DJ The Pacemaker is a portable digital DJ device. Developed by European company Tonium, the Pacemaker looks like a cross between an iPod and a compass but it operates like a handheld mobile disco. It features two digital decks that let you scratch, bend, and stretch your tunes.

Advanced options even exist for altering pitch, levels and BPMs with a tap and glide of the scroll wheel. It’s a very cool, expensive toy to play around with but to the hobbyist DJ it’s all you could want. www.ptacemaker.

The Painter Factory a online community open to all Corel Painter artists and enthusiasts. This global community site is the newest in a series that Corel is launching to support its various user communities.

Through The Painter Factory, artists, designers, and photographers can share their ideas and projects, find solutions to design challenges, and provide feedback on Painter to the product’s design, development and marketing teams. The site provides members with a centralised location where they can access community news, participate in discussions in the Painter Discussion section and download content from the Painter Resources area. In addition, members can learn from some of Corel’s Painter Masters by reading their blogs or latest works on the Factory Wall.

“We are thrilled to offer a forum where Corel Painter artists and those who simply love Painter can share their artwork, experiences and ideas with one another ,” said Chris Boba, Product Manager, Corel Painter. “The Painter Factory has already attracted hundreds of members and we anticipate that this forum will continue to grow as members realise the benefits of communicating with other digital artists.”

Corel Painter X is the world’s most powerful natural media painting and illustration software. Working closely with photographers and other design professionals, the Painter X team explored the relationship between the artist’s hand and the canvas. As a result, Corel Painter X has become the industry standard for digital painting and illustration, with the introduction of new composition tools and the RealBristle Painting System. www.corel.com/painterx.

Sampod?

The Samsung F490’s debut comes amid rising popularity of touch screen technology.

With a 3.2 inch 16:9 wide screen, the F490 provides a panoramic view of pictures or videos as well as a larger screen space for Internet surfing. To make Internet browsing easy and enjoyable, the F490 also features the Google search engine optimised for mobile use and full Internet browser for viewing web pages both vertically and horizontally. The stylish and intuitive ‘Croix UI’ user interface, recently won the iF Communication Design Award 2007. It includes all the standard features of other products such as the iPhone, however you may want to try snapping photos and video with our favourite feature it’s 5 megapixel digital camera. www.samsungmobile.com

Cash cow iTunes Store this month surpassed WalMart to become the number one music retailer in the USA. With over 50 million customers, iTunes has to date sold over four billion songs and features catalog of over six million songs.

“We launched iTunes less than five years ago, and it has now become the number one music retailer in the world,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We are thrilled.” We’re sure you are. www.itunes.com

DESIGN

He designed the first laptop computer whats he up to now?

Bill Moggridge, designer of the first laptop computer (the GRiD Compass, 1981) and a founder of the design firm IDEO, coined the phrase “interaction design” in the mideighties and since then it has broken through the frontiers and crossed into playing fields as vast as aviation, the medical and retail industries, the consumer marketplace and services. It’s not just about superior products or shopfronts anymore, but how you get people to interact with them, the user experience.

IDEO focuses on people, human interactions and creating experiences.

Their 5 Step approach to designing better consumer experience (Observation, Brainstorming, Rapid Prototyping, Refining, Implementation) and their policy on including the client in the design process is what really sets them apart. This is evident when you see the outcome of their interventions. Take for example their work in the field of aviation.

Very light jets (VLJs) are the newest addition to the aviation industry. With such innovative capabilities as short runway take-offs and a 370-knot cruising speed, VLJs are expected to significantly change the way people travel. Eclipse Aviation approached IDEO to design a cockpit and cabin for the Eclipse 500 jet.

Challenged by such constraints as the small size of the jet’s pressurized cabin, IDEO’s team of human factors specialists, industrial designers, and mechanical engineers began looking at ways to maximize the space and provide intuitive interactions for pilots and passengers. The Eclipse 500’s cockpit features a harmonized instrument panel to reduce complexity, with controls grouped and labeled according to flow, reach and handedness considerations. The result is an overall look of simplicity and purpose.

A military-style sidestick control offers the pilot a more natural feel and easier operation. LED lighting illuminates the cockpit with a serene, glare-free glow.

Using full-scale prototypes and real flight times, IDEO utilized a number of methods to design the configuration of the cabin.

Designers leveraged the interior geometry, a variety of materials, and clever lighting to create a feel bigger than the actual size.

Eclipse Aviation has sold more than 2,500 jets, worth a record-breaking $3.8 billion.

In his book, Designing Interactions, Bill Moggridge introduces us to 40 influential designers who have shaped our interaction with technology. The introduction and final chapter combine to describe the approach to designing interactions that has evolved at IDEO. The 800 page book is illustrated with 700 color images. With the book is a DVD of 37 interviews, intercut with examples of interactions. You can pick up a copy at Biblioteq www.biblioteqbooks.co.za.

Digital Technology has changed the way we interact with everything from the games we play to the tools we use at work.

Designers of digital technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical object -beautiful or utilitarian - but as designing our interactions with it. But it doesn’t stop with digital technology.

PAGE 03

Adobe TV Adobe TV is a free online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products, including the company’s Creative Suite 3. With multiple channels, original series programming, and content from Adobe, leading training organizations and the world’s leading subject matter experts, Adobe TV delivers a virtual library of entertaining and instructional videos. Designers, photographers, video professionals, and developers will find product deep-dives, innovative tips, techniques from luminaries, and behindthe-scenes tours of the hottest creative shops and Adobe product teams.

Designed to educate, inspire, and entertain the creative community, Adobe TV is immediately available online from the Adobe web site at http://tv.adobe.com, or as a network with multiple shows in the new Adobe Media Player 1.0 software.

Adobe Media Player offers a broad range of television programming and entertaining video content from major television broadcasters and leading content publishers, including CBS, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, PBS, CondéNet, and Scripps Networks.

“Adobe TV is the online video source for anyone with wants to see how Adobe tools are being used to create stunning work,” said Bob Donlon, executive producer for Adobe TV. “It brings together experts from Adobe and the creative community to teach how to get the most from the software that is empowering the delivery of highimpact print, online, video and mobile communications. It’s also the perfect showcase for Adobe’s broadcast video technologies in action.”

When viewed through Adobe Media Player, Adobe TV allows customers to watch programs at their convenience, save content for offline viewing, and subscribe to favorite channels to get the latest episodes as soon as they are released.

Viewers can easily share their favorite programs with others by posting them to their blogs or Web sites, or e-mailing links to friends. Adobe TV videos come with lightweight links that make it easy to spread the word about interesting content.

Adobe TV features four channels, each targeting a specific audience: Photographers, Designers, Video Professionals, and Developers. Each channel features programming from Adobe evangelists, leading trainers, subject matter experts, and luminaries who pull in the crowds at industry events around the world. More than 200 videos are currently available on Adobe TV, with programming that mixes how-to information, case studies, personality-driven shows, and workflow deep-dives. The first set of videos offers secrets about Photoshop software, podcasts and design tips for Creative Suite, techniques for Photoshop Lightroom, tips on Adobe Flash Professional software for beginners, approaches to taming the Web, and information about video and audio production.

“The creative community instinctively turns to the Web as a primary resource for tutorials and information on how to use Adobe products, but before now this content was scattered and difficult to find,” said Joseph Princz, CEO of the interactive agency, Wrecking Ball Media Group.

“Adobe TV makes it easier than ever to search for and subscribe to Adobe video content that not only inspires new creative ideas, but also helps us to refine our skill sets and dive further into the essential tools our business depends on every day.”

Will this threaten South African Adobe training institutes? Thanks to Telkom probably not http://tv.adobe.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

PAGE 04

Design spotlight Above is a advert created for Bellezza a beauty salon and the image used from iStockphoto to create the advert. The advert took a couple of minutes to put together and

when you dealing with tight budgets and time constraints it is very easy to download good quality images and make use of them in your designs.

iStocker Eric Vega Eric Vega was born near the foothills of North Carolina in a small town named Eden which is situated at the southern tip of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

How did you get started in photography?

I started on an Olympus OM-1, a fully manual 35 mm camera. I loved that camera; very well built and served as a fantastic first camera that forced me to learn the technical aspects of this art. Anyway, one thing that I would do a lot in Greenville, NC (where I went to college) would be to frequent a 18th century graveyard. There was just something about it that I have never seen nor experienced nor experienced before.

One day I took my camera with me and because of the interesting tombstones and landscape, I was actually impressed with a few of my photos. This was really the first time I ever thought anything that I had done through a camera came out looking like I intended which meant that I was learning… growing. On that same day, I had a epiphany – I now understood that photographers have a unique, almost supernatural ability to freeze a second of time... of history, trapping that instant of light and time forever… an immutable principle that everything within the universe

had to obey. It was at that moment I knew that I was going to be a photographer for the rest of my life.

What do you do now?

Mostly, I am an architectural photographer.

However, lately I have become more interested in fashion and glamour photography.

Tell us about your style or approach to photography?

Architecture (home interiors) is a game of problem solving. No house is ever the same as another. Negating shadows as well as attempting to not make the scene look “lit” is a huge challenge. So honestly, there really is no style I go for other than possibly me liking a very high contrast image as opposed to a lighter, low contrast feel to the scene.

My love however, lies with a unique style of ‘photography’ that has been dubbed everything from haunting to even disturbing. While there are many reasons for this interest, I think the main reason stems from me coming across a book of post-mortem photography a long time ago (a common Victorian-era practice for wealthier families); there was something so peaceful yet, numb about these photographs.

I knew however that this practice was not considered morbid at the time. Photography was considered a luxury and for many, especially children, no photograph had ever been taken. When a loved one passed away, photography now allowed for the visual record and showed that this person had in fact been here. This really affected me emotionally in so many ways hence, I attempt to explore this emotion on many different levels. I also love a good ghost story so I produce haunting imagery in that regard as well. Children are fantastic for this (my kids can really creep me out sometimes when we do these kind of shoots Why iStockphoto?

I’ve been a contributor to two other microstocks and in all honesty, they were a complete joke. One thing that is completely unique to istock is their willingness and uncompromising attitude of taking care of their contributors! There is a bonding amongst istockers that is surreal and eternal in so many ways. Hard to describe really.

Do you make good money from iStock?

I never thought I’d be making as much as I am. It is truly an income at this point. This only motivates me further. www.istockphoto.com/ericvega

iStockphoto.com | Jazzy royalty-free stock for as low as $1

PAGE 06

PHOTOGRAPHY

Get in line The human eye likes to follow lines.

We feel comfortable when we look at symmetrical things. This is something well worth considering when shooting and processing pictures. Horizons, buildings and backgrounds – it’s so easy to get all those lines a little crooked. However, straightening the lines in your images can enhance them more than you might think.

It’s all about composition and how people ”read” images.

All the well-known rules of thumb when it comes to composition - the golden mean, the rule of thirds - are based on straight lines and balance. When you’re shooting, you often don’t stop and think about composition. It’s meant to be in your sub-conscious, which in turn is supposed to guide your hand. This obviously takes practice, and often you end up with images that are almost perfect. If only you could go back and adjust things a bit.

Raw Rotation The Raw Converter is an awesome tool.

Many times you get almost everything that needs doing to an image right there, without even using Photoshop. It even lets you edit multiple images at a time, cutting down on the total time it takes to process the shots you have waiting.

When it comes to rotating an image, the Raw Converter offers a very simple tool: It’s called the ”Straighten Tool”, and that’s what it does. It’s only available in CS2, so if you can’t find it in your older version, skip ahead to the Photoshop method.

To use the Straighten Tool, start by zooming in or out in the view of your image, depending on how fine or rough you need the rotation to be. The closer you go, the finer the control. Next, find a crooked line that you’d like straightened, like the horizon for instance. Select the Straighten tool and drag it along the line. As soon as you let go, the Raw converter will suggest a rotation. Now, it won’t actually rotate the image, but it will show you outlines of how it’s going to get cropped. You might need to zoom out to see it.

If you’re happy with the crop, just press Enter. Otherwise, escape and try again.

Rotating like this does crop your image, but the advantage of doing it in the Raw file

is the data isn’t lost. If you later decide to make a new, uncropped version of the file, you can always get your data back.

Spinning it - Photoshop Method There’s a similar way of doing the same thing as described above inside Photoshop.

This also works for older software versions and for those who still shoot in JPG. The tool to use is the ”Measure Tool”. Basically, it works the same way as before: Find a view of the image where you can be as precise as you need. Next, select the tool and draw a line along the crooked one in the image. Now, this is where things get different. When you’ve drawn the line with the Measure Tool, you’ll see it on your image, but no rotation has been done yet.

To finish the procedure, you must go to the menu: Image > Rotate canvas > Arbitrary. A small window will now appear, suggesting an angle based on the line you just drew.

All you have to do is click OK, sit back and watch the magic happen. Of course, you can undo the whole thing if you’re not happy with the result. The only downside to this way of doing it, is that you manually have to crop the image afterwards.

Lets skew Apart from simple rotation, there are other ways to straighten the lines in your image.

I’m talking about skewing.

This is a great tool for architectural shots especially, but one that must be used in moderation. You cannot skew an extremely crooked shot straight without seriously damaging the quality of your file. But if used in moderation, you can get some extremely nice results..

Walk the line Rotating and skewing is not limited to architecture or panoramas either. By consciously using straight lines, you can make your texture shots stand out too, or the objects in your still life. The lines and proportions in a portrait follow all the same rules as well. Now, by no means should all photographs be symmetric or have straight lines. But sometimes the added symmetry can just that little extra edge, that will set your image apart from the many others like it. Even an unsymmetrical image should be aware of symmetry to look good.

Rasmus Rasmussen

Mohammad Rasoul

Mohammad Rasoul, 23, grew up in Dubai, where he currently resides. He studied Design at the Sheridan College and York University in Canada. A year ago he started Moko Studio focusing on both artistic and commercial photographic projects.

Tell us about your style of photography?

Everything is centered around a concept or a theme, which determines the style. I

would say there are two separate ideation processes for each project, - conceptual and stylistic. I prefer to work with natural light.

You mainly focus on models. Are there other forms of photography you enjoy?

Yes, documentary, cultural and nature photography. I publish those on a separate flickr photoblog.

Tell us about some of your clients?

I am currently collaborating with GTQ, a boutique Dubai lifestyle magazine on their next issue. I am also ideating on several projects with various types artists.

Who are your photographic influences?

Most of my influences come from cinema, from cinematographers and directors of photography. Memento, Solaris, In The Mood For Love are some of the contemporary films that have influenced my relationship with the image. I can study them frame by frame.

What camera and lenses do you use?

I use a Canon 20D and 5D with a 17-40mm lens. It allows me to work quickly and

intuitively, while being but not too close to the subject..

What photographic books do you have?

Magnum compilations, Communication Arts, Applied Arts and Lurzer’s Archives.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a photographer?

Establishing a level of comfort and trust with the people you work with, especially the models. I think it is the most important time investment you can make in any photoshoot.

What is the part you enjoy most?

The intuitive part. Even though I go to a shoot armed with a concept and a strategy, I let a lot of things be determined on the spot.

The light, the weather, the location will always introduce some new and unexpected elements, and your ability to react to them could really work to your advantage. After a while you develop a sense of trust in yourself to deal with the expected. It’s a great feeling. www.moko-studio.com

LET’S PLAY

PAGE 09

Guilherme Guilherme Marconi, 26, lives in Nova Friburgo, a small town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a full time illustrator he’s faced all the problems inherent in building a good reputation in the industry. “I love cartoons and tv series too,” he says “I can’t miss a chapter of Heroes, Lost, Smallville, Naruto and Avatar.” He is also passionate about Japanese food and movies. Guilherme spent his childhood with a piece of paper and pencil in his hand. He started in the design industry working mostly with websites, from there he started to migrate to full time illustration.

“My idea is to create images like graphic deliriums. I like to get rid of all my colours, forms and repetition compulsion, leaving aside the right and the wrong ideas.”

He begins his commissioned projects by carefully studying the brief and determining what the customer is trying to produce. Once he has clear understanding he researches the theme of the project, looking for historic references and any other useful information before choosing the technique. After some initial sketches, and once he achieves something he really likes he then finishes the process by coloring and repairing the small details. www.brain.marconi.nu

PAGE 11

FASHION

Brazilian superstar and social philanthropist Carlos Miele

Carlos Miele is a multi-disciplinary creator who has an informal artistic background.

His creations and experimental art have been presented in museums and art centers such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The John Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts USA, the Contemporary Art Museum Rio, the International Biennial of Architecture New York, and the Museum of Design and Modern Art. Carlos creates stage and street art performances, art videos and photographic series and shows.

More recently he has built a following in the fashion world, having released his own label “Carlos Miele” and opened two flagship stores, in New York and Paris.

All his garments are produced in Brazil in under priveledged communities, he has done so much for these comunities over the years employing hundreds of people.

It was his unique approach to design and social responsibility that caught our attention. We managed to get an interview with Carlos in Amsterdam during the Creative Companies Conference.

Tell us a bit about yourself, where you come from?

I’m from Sao Paulo so my roots are in the richness and diversity of Brazil, a very exuberant country. It has a richness in culture and colour that I try to express in all aspects of my work.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

My culture influences me a lot, the pulse and rhythm of Brazilian music and dance, nature, life, I find inspiration everywhere and I try to bring my experiences from life into my work. I have found great inspiration in architecture, so I try to bring architecture to a micro-scale, the scale of the human body. I think of clothes so that bodies in motion will create casual forms.

Can you tell us about your design process?

Ah, yes, mollage. I don’t like to start with a preconceived idea or a drawing. I begin with a mollage, it’s similar to making a collage, but a 3 dimensional one. I like to cut up different fabrics and pin them to a mannequin, allowing it to grow and take on shape and life. Once it has come to life, then I draw it.

You’ve been very successful, what would you attribute it to? Talent, innovative ideas, your creative process?

That all plays a part. But the most important thing for me is life, to be open to life. You have to allow inspiration to come to you through different avenues if you want to be creative and successfull. www.carlosmiele.com.br

Audi Joburg Fochini fashion week design award Audi Joburg Fashion Week South Africa’s first annual Autumn, Winter Fashion Week proved a huge success. The four day event is hosted at The Pavilion Room at the Sandton Convention Centre, featuring a line-up of prominent established and exciting emerging designers.

Launched in a pioneering move by African Fashion International, Audi Joburg Fashion Week closed a long-standing gap in the South African fashion calendar, giving the country’s top design talent the first opportunity to showcase Autumn, Winter collections locally on a platform in line with global standards. African Fashion International also recently welcomed the introduction of newly appointed Creative Director, Deon Redman.

African Fashion International Chairperson, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe said “The launch of the Autumn, Winter Audi Joburg Fashion Week was indicative of a maturing local fashion industry and is another step closer to ensuring that South Africa emerges strongly in international fashion circles.”

Confirming their commitment to the 2008 Autumn, Winter Collections, Rudi Venter, Audi Marketing Communications Manager, said: “This is our second season as sponsor of Joburg Fashion Week Autumn, Winter and it has been very exciting to be able to see the best South African designers bring new ideas to life in a world where there is very little originality. And we too place great store on leading the way. At Audi we call it vorsprung.“ www.joburgfashionweek.co.za

The Foschini Annual Design Awards was first launched in 2002 and is the only design competition that offers entrants the opportunity to design reality fashion. The Foschini Annual Design Awards is one of Foschini’s biggest social investment projects aiming to develop design talent at tertiary education levels. In the cut-throat design industry, Foschini Annual Design Awards provides its finalists with a platform to get recognised, and an opportunity to get a taste of the world of reality fashion.

The Foschini Annual Design Awards competition is only open to fashion design students from recognised design schools, and is bigger and more exciting than ever before. This year, Foschini Annual Design will have competitions for first-year, second-year and final-year students, thus creating an opportunity for unleashing talent in different stages of the students’ careers. With multiple challenges making up the competition, it promises to be both educational and challenging. What starts out as a team competition will evolve with each challenge and reveal one Star Designer for 2008. The competition will be judged on the following criteria, overall level of creativity, garment design, use of colour, fabric choice, trim and accessory choice, summer 2008 trend relevance, commercial appeal, execution of brief. The judges are Craig Native, Kathryn Sakalis, Janet Norman and Karen Brumfield. First prize is R20000, second prize R5000 and third prize R3000. www.foschini.co.za

Craig Native Craig Native is in high demand working on Collections for London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Stockholm and Paris Fashion Week. He proudly takes part in SAFW in his home country with the Woolworths SA Designers taking place in Johannesburg this July.

“My clothes always have, and always will, reflect an African cultural identity.

I work and create from my heart. I’m not interested in what the fashion is in ID or Face magazine. How can SA designers ignore what is happening, socially and politically?” asks Native, who designed the t-shirts for the Khomanani “caring together” Aids awareness campaign.

Native says his plan is simple. “To keep people thinking.” He is concerned about the environment too, having made t-shirts with images of endangered cheetahs pleading to

fashionistas to “Protect South Africa”.

Craig Native, a designer known for his strong allegiance to an African aesthetic, lived in the Cape Flats during the ‘80s when there was lots of what they called, “unrest”.

“I was about nine-years old, familiar with the smell of teargas and army patrolling our streets. So for me, considering our history, it IS vitally important that we commerorate the powerful and infuential people as icons through fashion,” says he taking a new batch of Madiba t-shirts fresh out the designer oven. Cape Townbased Native says through fashion he aims to give honour to the true unseen heroes of SA. “I honour the nurses, the teachers and the refuse collectors. I pay tribute to the oppressed and abused women of South Africa. Liberate, don’t discriminate!” www.craignative.co.za

Obbligato Decor cc

T: +27 31 701 6565 F: +27 31 702 0753 E: info@obbligato.co.za W: www.obbligato.co.za PO Box 190, Pinetown 3600, South Africa

NEWS / EVENTS

PAGE 13

Megamedia Media and advertising spend is on the increase in South Africa. Total ad spend in 2006 was R20 billion a 9% increase on the 2005 figures. This figure is expected to increase rapidly towards the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mega Media is a trade exhibition on the entire media, advertising & promotional industry.

The expo 7, 8 May at the CTICC will strengthen the roots of the industry, put forward the best front of every media & assist buyers to plan and buy their advertising and promotions for the year ahead. The event will become one of the most important dates on the media industry’s calendar will be a true showcase of the South Africa’s media scene. This is the platform where media owners can market their products and interact with media buyers. The expo is presented early in the year to enable media buyers to plan and buy for the year ahead. This is a great opportunity to boost your sales and find new clients. The expo will focus on print, TV, radio, outdoor, cinema, electronic and other media. Some of the speakers include Robin Parker of Biz Community and Mike Abel of Ogilvy. www.cadek.co.za/megamedia

Silverware

Champs der Mars The Eiffel Tower in Paris suffers from its success. Since its creation the amount of visitors coming to reach its top has increased to reach its limit capacity. 6.5 million people wait between 35 minutes to an hour to reach the elevators. The floor area of each level decreases with the height because of the tower geometry resulting in very long waiting lines and crowd management problems.

In celebration of the 120th birthday of the tower, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel decided to restructure the public reception and access areas of the tower.

The proposal of Serero Architects aims to create a temporary horizontal extension of the third floor of the tower in order to increase the quality of the access of the public as well as experiencing the fantastic 360 degree view of Paris.

When Gustave Eiffel designed the tower, he imagined that the tower would become the support of a great variety of scientific devices and experimentations to study gravity and wind pressure. The structure of the tower was therefore designed for increase of its weight. During World War I, the tower was holding antennas to retransmit radio wave to the whole country. Structural simulation of the Eiffel tower indicates that it is a highly hyperstatic structure, which is

dimensioned for a weight higher than what it is supporting today.

Our project will extend the top floor plate of the tower by grafting a high performance carbon kevlar structure on it. The structure will be temporarily bolted to the slab without requiring any modification of the existing structure. It will expand the usable floor area from 280m2 to 580m2. The extension is composed of two slabs connected to the third floor deck as well as the upper level used as an apartment of Mister Eiffel.

The design is based on a generative script, creating branches out of the primary structure of the tower. Inspired by the structural concept of Eiffel of threedimensional cross bracing beams, the script unfolds along curved lines the “DNA” of the tower. The script used the existing structure at the top of the tower ( a 10 by 10 meters cube) to generate 3 structural weaves, which are interconnected. These layers are combined to create a woven complex, which is based on the redundancy and the non-repetition of patterns to increase its structural performance. In opposition with modern engineering (based on the concept of repetition and optimization), the project for the Eiffel tower extension is based on an alternative model of high performance. www.serero.com

The true mettle of an agency is judged by its silverware. The Loerie Awards, the Oscars of the brand communication industry, opens for entries next week. Agencies from across Africa, the Middle-East and surrounding island states will have two months to put together their submissions. Entries open 17 March and close 16 May 2008.

The Loeries judge creativity across every area of brand communication including television, radio and print advertising, design, architecture, direct marketing, promotions, public relations, non-broadcast video, live event and digital media. Students are also encouraged to enter their work.

“Loeries time is always a very exciting period for the industry because the awards are a great benchmark to assess the innovation, execution and the creativity around branding in the region,” says Loeries MD, Andrew Human.

Last year over 3 000 entries were received with 243 of these receiving awards. Five winners received the highest accolade, the Grand Prix, 49 walked away with Gold, 64 won Silver and 125 got Bronze.

The Young Creative’s Award, launched last year is also a highlight this year. This award, open to anyone 27 years or under, recognises outstanding achievement by individuals working in any area of brand communication including advertising, communication design and experiential. www.loeries.co.za

Rebound books If you’re anything like us you appreciate the power and elegance of the written word. We love doodling and writing and we love books! Especially grand old books. The idea of having a beautifully hand-crafted diary made from an old book is an awesome one, calm down we are in no way advocating the destruction of classics so that we can scribble in them.

The idea is simple really, Rebound Books find beautiful, neglected hardcover books and re-bind them with a creamy, matt, environmentally friendly paper. The result is a durable, totally unique journal, diary or sketchbook. You get to keep the original insides if you want (so take it easy all you militant book freaks out there!), or Rebound will donate them to a school with zero library resources. Rebound Books shares our love for unique, handmade things.

They make their books in limited quantities

because it’s very time consuming to source the covers and bind the insides properly.

The binding is done by a master book binder, and he thread-sews sections by hand. The blank “book-block” is then glued to the cover to make a durable book that will last for decades. They can also bind a ribbon bookmarker in the book, or even original sections and picture from the book with the blank paper if it feels right.

Their paper stock is known for its excellent environmental standards. It’s a light cream in colour and has a matt feel that’s nice on the hand and the eye.

If you have an old hardcover that you’d love to see reincarnated as a blank book get in touch with them on the website.

The books are available at Biblioteq book shop in Kloof Street, Cape Town or via the website. Time to replace your Molskine. www.reboundbooks.co.za

Sign Africa

Sign Africa is a unique opportunity to visit suppliers and manufacturers of signage, screenprint, graphics, point-of-sale, large format digital print and to see exciting new products, live demonstrations and all the latest industry developments and trends.

With the looming 2010 World Cup Soccer event, the demand for signage covering every aspect of the industry is already on the rise. All the Sign Africa shows offer the added opportunity to investigate the various business ventures available to sharp entrepreneurs.

So to all sign makers, digital printers, screenprinters, architects, advertising agencies, marketing companies, franchise companies, government corporates, the media and anybody interested in the signage industry, nationally and internationally, diarise these dates and don’t miss out!

Drain of progress The exhibition comprises a set of one off photographs, drawings, paintings and prints and includes the launch of Zander’s first book, The Drain of Progress - A Catalogue Raisonné that provides a unique view of a stage set upon which Blom’s ongoing modernist experiment occurs.

With the highest degree of sincerity Zander Blom questions the personal relevance and motives of the modernist visual artists before him. How did it feel to be the true “avant-garde”? Moreover, of what personal relevance is Modernism when viewed as a

series of cultural movements that stretch back as far as the 1890’s? His investigation of modernism is much like a child being presented with a watch, and in order to understand it he immediately takes it apart.

Working as an artist since 2002, Zander Blom’s physical output includes painting, drawing, printmaking, installation and photography (as a means to document the development of his physical works).

Zander Blom appears at Whatiftheworld Gallery as part of a collaboration with the Rooke Gallery, Johannesburg.

Subscribe to Designtimes

for R100 and get 10 issues posted to your address Log onto www.designtimes.co.za for details

A sample of our work?

You’re looking at it!

We’ve printed this paper from the very first issue. And it’s not because we’re on a contract – It’s because we know that ‘you’re only as good as your last campaign’. The reasons we’ve kept this account are because we’re passionate about print, we’ve built and maintained a valuable relationship with our client and we’re committed to meeting their deadlines. And like the paper, we’re getting better all the time.

Driven by the latest in print technology, we produce top quality brochures, magazines, corporate folders, posters and point of sale material.

Tandym Print

Corner of Park Road and Mail Street, Western Province Park, Epping

T: 021 505 4200

F: 021 505 4280

Email: print@tandym.co.za

DIRECTORY ANIMATION Atomic Visual Effect Last year we built 3 cars, 2 trucks, 2 helicopters, 2 factories, 4 skyscrapers and landed a space shuttle in the heart of Cape Town, and we never left our office.

Contact: Amira Quinlan Tel: +27 (0)21 461 4995 Fax: +27 (0)21 461 5411 Email: amira@atomic-vfx.com www.atomic-vfx.com SolidPDA Post-production, design and animation. Specializing in character animation!

Contact: Brad Tel: +27 (0)83 456 3098 Email: brad@solidpda.com www.solidpda.com

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Incepta Online One of the UK’s largest online marketing agencies. Specialists in online advertising, digital relationship marketing, web design and online investor relations.

Contact: Sarah Kelly Tel: 0207 535 9805 Fax: 0207 535 9801 Email: sarah.kelly@inceptaonline. com www.inceptaonline.com

CD AND DVD DUPLICATION AND REPLICATION Avomedia Specialises in the supply and production of cd-rom and cd-r media.

We offer cd-roms, 8cm round minicd’s, cd-business cards and more.

Contact: Avomedia Tel: +27 (0)21 422 2227 Fax: +27 (0)21 422 2223 Email: capetown@avomedia.co.za www.avomedia.co.za Digital Direct Digital Direct has been providing high quality duplication and replication services to countless South African businesses and professionals.

Contact: Burger Tel: +27 (0)21 554 2577 Fax: 086 502 9840 Email: burger@digitaldirect.co.za www.digitaldirect.co.za VNG Bulk cd and dvd duplications.

Bulk video and audio duplications.

Showreel editing. Transfer of all formats. Standards conversions.

Contact: Noel Tel: +27 (0)21 424 7501 Fax: +27 (0)21 426 2285 Email: noel@vng.co.za www.vng.co.za

COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

Mindscape Advertising Graphic Design, Events, Promotions, Web Development and Strategic Planning.

Contact: Carien Kruger Tel: +27 (0)51 436 8266 Fax: +27 (0)51 436 8260 Email: info@mindscapeonline.com www.mindscapeonline.com

Access International Authorized Apple reseller, Authorized Adobe reseller, specialist sales and support for the design, advertising & photographic industries.

Contact: Maggie Smith Tel: +27 (0)21 424 0772 Email: mail@accessint.co.za www.accessint.co.za

Purpleberry Advertising, graphic design, magazine design, web/internet and intranet design, annual reports, corporate communications, product launches, packaging and promotional campaigns.

Contact: Vanessa Bolton Tel: +27 (021) 424 2330 Fax: +27 (021) 424 4297 Email: boltonv@purpleberry.co.za www.purpleberry.co.za

Frontosa Suppliers of PC Hardware, wholesale prices direct to the public.

Contact: Eddie Pio Tel: +27 (0)21 551 4411 Fax: +27 (0)21 552 6172 Email: ftlp@telkomsa.net www.frontosa.co.za

DESIGN STUDIOS Aerspacestudios Print and multimedia design.

Contact: Mark Rosenberg Tel: +27 (0)72 229 4136 Fax: +27 (0)21 423 7165 www.aerspacestudios.com Blank Design Studio* Web and graphic design.

Contact: Steven Rosenberg Tel: +27 (0)83 662 8345 Fax: +27 (0)21 423 7165 Email: steve@blankds.com www.blankds.com Electric Fire Graphic design and marketing.

Contact: Nadeem Petersen Tel: +27 (0)21 422 0842 Fax: +27 (0)21 422 0940 Email: nadeem@electricfire.co.za www.electricfire.co.za Kreatif - Code and Design Kreatif Code & Design is a full-service design studio offering creative, professional graphic design, website design and development services.

Contact: Kristoph Kunze Tel: +27 (0)21 555 2371 Email: studio@kreatif.co.za www.kreatif.co.za Morrisons Locally designed and fashioned fine jewellery.

Contact: Peta Morrison Tel: +27 (0)82 4616 100 Email: info@morrisons.co.za www.morrisons.co.za

OFFICE SPACE Creative professional tenants wanted.

Offices from 12m2 to 100m2, or “Hot desks”. Rent Includes communal receptionist, boardrooms, kitchens, printers, fax, copier, ADSL, VoIP.1/2Gig of bandwidth, phone rental, electricity.

Contact: Mika Email: miki@rafikis.co.za

PRINTING Digital Colour Centre 62 Strand St, Cape Town colour/b&w laser printing/copying; encapsulation/mounting; scanning;

PAGE 15

binding; business cards; large format printing; typesetting/design/finishing; Contact: Shane Tel: +27 (0)21 425 0990 Fax: +27 (0)21 425 0992 Email: info@digitalcolour.biz Print Active Copy Centre We offer the following services: colour/ b&w high volume copying, scanning, binding, design, and finishing. We offer business packages consisting of letterheads, business cards and compliment slips. Free delivery and collection. Free quotations.

Contact: Jo-Anne Tel: +27 (0)21 419 0734 Fax: +27 (0)21 419 0800 Email: jvmuller@theactivegroup. co.za

FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION Media Movers, Inc Full service localization company offering services in dubbing, subtitling, voiceovers & production in Asian, Indian & European languages.

Contact: Lawrence Vishnu Tel: +27 (0)11 866 2008 Fax: +27 (0)11 866 2008 Email: info@media-movers.com www.media-movers.com

MULTIMEDIA Dieter Fourie Multimedia Design-Web, Flash, CD Rom’s, Print.

Contact: Dieter Fourie Tel: +27 (0)73 1713 029 Email: drone_74@hotmail.com www.go.to/Drone_74 Eiledon Solutions Professional & affordable Web Design & Development solutions. Free Quote online at www.eiledon.co.za!

Contact: Simms Tel: +27 (0)21 701 8060 Fax: +27 (0)21 976 7530 Email: info@eiledon.co.za www.eiledon.co.za

PHOTOGRAPHERS Guy Stubbs Photography Stock library with over 50 000 social and environmental images.

Contact: Bev Griffiths Tel: +27 (0)21 667 3939 Fax: 086 672 2273 Email: marketing@guystubbs.co.za www.guystubbs.co.za Neko-Lime Photography, photo retouching, graphic design & DTP Contact: Anthea Davison Tel: +27 (0)21 434 0704 Email: anthea@neko-lime.co.za www.neko-lime.co.za

TRAINING Access International Apple Mac / OSX Training.

Certified Adobe Training Centre: Photoshop / InDesign / Illustrator / Acrobat.

Macromedia: Dreamweaver / Flash.

Final Cut Pro (video editing).

Contact: Maggie Smith Tel: +27 (0)21 424 0772 Email: mail@accessint.co.za www.accessint.co.za Vega Cape Town Vega delivers a new breed of communicators whose expertise is to generate sustainable brand ideas that can build businesses.

Contact: Gail Tel: +27 (0)21 425 7591 Fax: +27 (0)21 425 7592 Email: gail@vegaschool.com www.vegaschool.com Vega Johannesburg Vega delivers a new breed of communicators whose expertise is to generate sustainable brand ideas that can build businesses.

Tel: +27 (0)11 326 3486 Fax: +27 (0)11 326 2069 www.vegaschool.com If you would like to advertise in our design directory it costs R1000 for 10 issues, that includes your listing and a free subscription to Designtimes each month delivered to your home or office. www.designtimes.co.za

Not moving forward is sliding backwards Vega Orbit, the continued professional development unit of Vega The School of Branding offers a variety of workshops, part-time courses and customised corporate training in different aspects of the business of branding:

BRAND-CENTRIC BUSINESS

CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS

CREATIVE SOFTWARE

PHOTOGRAPHY

BREINSTORM 210408

Contact our Vega Orbit Navigators to learn more about our career-enhancing training programmes.

With The National College of Photography

JHB s DBN s CT 021 425 7591 or visit us at vegaschool.com wisdomwithmagic

Vega The School of Branding is a division of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd., Reg. no. 1987/004754/07 which is registered with the Department of Education as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997. Registration CertiďŹ cate no. 2007/HE07/002.