ENJIN 56

magazine for creative professionals number 56

R40

GOING PUNK

INSIDE: REVIEWS, PLATFORM AND MORE

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NOTED

editorial Just in time for the launch of the much anticipated Adobe

Creative Suite 6, Enjin

56 brings you

more of what you're used to. More creative profiles, more reviews of the latest happenings in the design world.

In the article 'Speaking in Tongues', Francois

Jonker makes a case for art in community – as opposed to art

in isolation, and how local design may benefit from such a viewpoint. Profiles on the latest ventures from

King

James – Punk – as well as Haas Collective, mean you are up to date with the latest on the agency scene. We follow up our review of the latest creative software suite for designers and artists with a host of technology and product reviews. Finally, I'm delighted to announce our media partnership with the premier digital awards in the country –

The Bookmark Awards. Watch this space for more.

– GREGOR NAUDé/EDITOR

Ink on paper You can’t beat it. Subscribe to Enjin Magazine and get six beautifully printed issues (a 1-year subscription) for only R175 IMMEdIatE bEnEfItS • Get your copy delivered straight to your front door or office • Save money (around R10 per copy) • never miss an issue – start (or continue) your collection immediately • Looks great on your coffee table Simply pay your cash into Softmachine, abSa, branch code 632005, account number 4055586968. then email proof of payment, together with your postal address and contact details, to subscribe@enjin.co.za

ENJIN 56 3 SubScription rateS

CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE 03 noteD EDITORIAL 07 WTF MYOPIA 09 ON TRAINED STAFF, HAPPY STAFF BOARD WALK LOVE, ANNUALLY BRAND NEW COUNCIL CONQUEROR BAMBOO 14 WANTED HP ENVY 114 WACOM INTUOS 5 PORSCHE DESIGN DRIVES LOMO LC-A+ 18 PLAKBOOK TINY DESIGN 20 design SPEAKING IN TONGUES 23 PLATFORM PUNK HAAS COLLECTIVE ADOBE SPOTLIGHT

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31 REVIEW MORE URBAN LESSONS CREATIVE FREEDOM CLASSIC GAMES 42 cover GRAPHICA TEXTILES 44 tech ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE 6 adobe mobile apps AJA IO XT QUARK IPAD GUIDE 51 ADVERTORIAL HP Z1 WORKSTATION 52 PRINT ARTY PRINTS PRINT THE FUTURE 56 read more WHERE IT'S AT 58 directory CREATIVE RESOURCES

coming soon to a screen near you...

www.locovfx.com

the small print COVER IMAGE Punk EDITOR Gregor Naudé CREATIVE DIRECTOR François Smit, QUBA Design & Motion CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Herman Manson EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Tau Tavengwa, Herman Manson, Francois Jonker, Fran Luckin, Arthur Goldstuck ADVERTISING SALES Gregor Naudé

PUBLISHER Softmachine, PO Box 521435, Saxonwold, 2132 Tel 084 445-5067; info@enjin.co.za COVER PAPER Cover printed on ArjoWiggins Cocoon Gloss 250 gsm supplied by Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Cocoon is a 100% recycled coated paper which is FSC certified with a high whiteness factor (CIE 12) and an exceptional surface finish. The recycled pulp undergoes multiple separate cleaning loops in an extremely environmentally friendly process designed to effectively de-ink the paper without the use of chlorine.

DISCLAIMER Neither this publication nor any part thereof may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor.

ENJIN 56 5

6 ENJIN 56 2012

wtf

myopia

brandon edmonds utterly fails to see the point

I’m myopic. This is, to use the diminishing language of faith, a blessing. A gift to self-consciousness. It keeps reality at bay. People are blurs. My surroundings are a pleasant Impressionist smudge.

Visual imprecision chimes with my pudgy romantic sensibility.

Everyday reality can be so ugly. South African built environments are a lot of things, beautiful isn’t one of them. Better not to take it all in. I’m fine with this typically inward and bookish affliction. I don’t see properly. It’s meant a lifetime in glasses. Looking back on the pairs I’ve worn, they become a kind of index of personality, material indicators of a changing self and the passages of life. My first pair at fourteen was functional and cheap. Style was not a consideration.

We were lower middle class. You accept what you’re given. It didn’t even occur to me to bring up how little they complimented my face.

By 16 I’d circle the frame racks in optometrists’ offices with the acquisitive discernment of Imelda Marcos. Assistants would cross their arms and tap their feet. I was obsessed with the perfect steel frame. It had to be slender and barely discernable. It meant reading glasses. Reading glasses worn as regular glasses.

This had the added benefit of adolescent disdain – I could look down my nose at people. Urgh. If I had a hot tub time machine, I’d go back and knee early me in the egg basket! That kind of prissiness fell away in my twenties. I could give a shit as long as they didn’t fall off while I was dancing (and other verbs). By now, a fully habituated adult, steeped in compromise, I’m mildly content with a pair that marries form and function. And doesn’t make me look like a child molester, Elton John or a belated hipster douche. A quick office poll sees me fail on all counts.

The best specs in movies are Michael Caine’s in the downbeat cold war espionage thriller The Ipcress File (1965). http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Ui5ec35Toc4 Amusingly called a ‘thinking man’s Goldfinger’ – the film sees Caine’s Harry Palmer, a jobbing spy, sport a now iconic pair of black plastic National Health glasses.

This early look is one of the cultural wellsprings of nerd chic.

Harry was himself a proto metrosexual. Obsessed with cuisine, bespoke suits and de trop home furnishings. The film’s conventional thriller aspects feel exhausted and lackluster today while Palmer’s insouciant, excessive self-styling is fascinating.

Dark glasses were clearly on trend in 1965 as both Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol rock them in this rare clip. http://www.youtube.

Illustration by Jason Bronkhorst

com/watch?v=sJCKou-shr8 I got my latest pair in Korea. They’ve been my favorite of all. Very Harry Palmer. But slenderer than his clunkers. More expertly designed. More in line with Swiss restraint.

They were lost last week. Either drunk in a taxi or distracted on the train. I miss them. They were scratched and gave me headaches.

But they felt perfect. They disappeared into my face. I forgot they were there. Like all intimately familiar things, they were natural to me. Somatically absorbed into my daily functioning. From an interface device they were habituated into that ongoing provisional sense you have of your own face. This object-disappearance through use is precisely the affect consumer technology strives after. It’s what design is. We must stop seeing the screen we’re looking at as a screen – a breakable thing that emits light – in order to use the screen as a screen – a platform for information. Objects well designed disappear into their functionality easily.

Badly designed ones don’t. But this experiential slipping away of the device into its functionality is disturbing. My housemate recently made me feel where our kitten’s SPCA injected tracking chip sits in its furry, vulnerable little neck. It doesn’t seem to bother the animal - it bothered me. The ‘useful’ infiltration of our physical bodies by information relaying devices is terrifying. In the future control, access, respect, acceptance, opportunity and separation won’t be a matter of traditions of civility, it’ll depend on the readout of the scanner run over our wrists. Or am I just short-sighted? _There is no information on Brandon Edmonds available at this time

"man has become a kind of prosthetic god. when he puts on all his auxiliary organs he is truly magnificent; but those organs have not grown on to him and they still give him much trouble at times." - freud ENJIN 56 7

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trained staff, happy staff why is it that one of the first things to get slashed in an economic downturn is staff training?

It's an unfortunate reality that trained and energised employees are just what an organisation needs to stimulate growth and apply creativity to old processes and products in the lean times. Training is vitally important, and we can acknowledge that well-trained and nurtured employees bring innovation, flexibility and dedication to truly dynamic businesses.

It is accepted across all industries that the best way to encourage and support individuals in a creative team is through professional development and training opportunities, amongst other things. Creatives such as layout artists, print or web designers, especially, dance for joy when stimulated with new tools and techniques.

Often just a day away from the daily grind is enough to jump-start energy and encourage a creative team to recommit to their jobs and the business in general, aside from the obvious benefits of increased creativity and productivity.

Training need not be expensive or last several days in order to be worthwhile. Besides, agencies and design departments simply cannot afford to have production and creative teams away from the office that long.

What if there were courses that could upskill and enthuse your people with high-end, cutting edge training that takes place over a day or two?

With great new skills attainable in just a few hours, even the strictest of designated 'traffic' controllers in an agency would reluctantly agree that it's worth it. You may even find your team entering into a new phase of innovation more easily, enthused with new facts around hot topics such as designing for mobile devices.

my design friends Now one of SA's most dynamic training organisations, Friends of Design, is tackling this issue with great enthusiasm. An accredited Adobe and Apple training centre, Friends of Design, sensing that foundational skills are readily available in the training field, has expanded its already impressive training portfolio to include regular advanced master classes and workshops, led by expert trainers and tailored specifically to the creative professional. "The key to these workshops is the fact they they are definitely not for beginners. We pitch them at an advanced level and address only the hottest trends in design and digital", says Training Director and founder Eva Csernyanszky. "We want the public to be confident that they

are getting value for money, so we focus on very relevant tools that are immediately useful, save time and show the potential of extending their products into exciting new areas."

Csernyanszky explains, "Publishers can no longer ignore the explosion of mobile technology in SA, never mind worldwide. Yes, whilst digital media feels highly disruptive to publishing right now, it forces you to rethink your products and how to create and deliver them. Our master classes in Electronic Publishing for Mobile devices will give you insights around the best practices, and how to easily extend your team's existing print layout skills into the tablet, applications and ebook arena. Advertisers would benefit hugely from our series of courses on print to screen migration."

"The major difference when designing for the web over print is that the constants you take for granted in print design – the exact control you have over all elements from layout, image placement, type choices, kerning and so on – simply no longer apply. While you have a certain degree of control over web page layouts, web browsers, monitor size and resolution, colour calibrations and availability of fonts, all affect how the pages might appear to your readers," says Csernyanszky.

She further explains that office administrators, educators and teachers would vastly improve their processes with quick workshops on Acrobat workflows for digital assessments, preparing lessons, plans and sharing PDF files. "We pride ourselves in our innovative training products, and judging by the response from our clients, including Woolworths, Old Mutual and Pearson Education SA, we know we are onto a good thing."

To highlight a particular product meeting industry demands, Friends of Design has launched a full-time Game Design & Technology course, the first of its kind in SA. Although the course is full time, the public has the opportunity to 'hop on' to particular course modules to gain insight into this exciting new platform. This means that busy creatives have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in an intense, classroom based module for a short but focused time, and return to work with some serious insight and skill. Modules include Game Scripting Basics, educational games, online games, Games & Marketing and more.

So, before cutting your training budget when times are hard, think twice about implementing regular training opportunities for your team. info@friendsofdesign.net

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board walk classic packaging board gets a refresh Antalis has partnered with Finnish paper maker Stora Enso to relaunch Performa Alto packaging board into the local market.

This partnership makes Antalis the largest local merchant stocking packaging boards of all strengths.

According to Antalis Marketing Manager Caroline Coughlan, "Performa Alto is the perfect fit for high-quality folding cartons.

The board has a bright surface and offers excellent print results, making it ideal for cosmetics and luxury packaging. Performa Alto also has excellent brightness, brightness stability and whiteness, while the smoothness of the reverse side allows for attractive print."

Packaging board that makes you want to taste, touch, smell.

new look Commissioned with crafting the look for the relaunch, Breinstorm Brand Architects were inspired by the idea of engaging all of the senses – of being enveloped by sensation. The floral pattern on the cover of the Performa folder was inspired by vintage wallpaper, and evokes luxurious associations of days-gone-by – days when things were exquisitely crafted instead of thoughtlessly mass-produced.

Says owner Eben Keun, "The concept was to convey the richness of an opulent interior (with a modern colour palette), as well as referring to the beauty of the natural world...a vintage floral design evokes both of these environments."

"The different flowers were first hand-painted in Indian ink on paper, and then refined in Illustrator before being screen-printed onto the Performa Alto board. The screen-printing technique used also contributes its own textural quality to the final piece.

Holding the folder, one feels an appreciation for the physicality of both the ink and the paper; instead of them just becoming invisible tools, the user appreciates the beauty of the materials themselves," says Keun.

Performa Alto can be litho and screen printed using a screen ruling of 150+ with conventional drying inks; UV and IR inks are preferred for the coated side, while the use of ink formulated for matt coated papers and boards is preferred for the reverse. It can be successfully embossed, varnished, sealed, hot foil blocked, film laminated and should be pre-creased using a creasing matrix.

Exports +27 11 688 6000 BFN 051 4472S, 8681 The product family now comprises Performa Alto, Performa CT 021 959 9600 DBN 031 714 Performa White, Performa Cream and Performa Natura.

It4000is JHB 011 688 6000 available in grammages from 200-350 gsm.

For more information or printed samples see www.antalis.co.za.

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Double coating Top layer (bleached chemical pulp) Middle layer (bleached ctmp + bleached chemical pulp) Back-layer (bleached chemical pulp) Coating

Performa Alto celebrates sensory indulgence, multi-use functionality, exclusive quality and design excellence.

Performa Alto’s high-yield, multi-layer CTMP structure combines the purity of SBS boards with the toughness, bulk and runnability of folding boxboards. Fully coated with a white reverse and superb brightness, Performa Alto’s smooth side introduces exciting printing possibilities. It’s crafted for high ink and varnish holdout; is a thrilling board for high-definition offset printing, high-quality embossing and foil stamping; and responds elegantly to litho, screen printing and film lamination. As a dynamic packing board, Performa Alto is perfect for blister packing books, brochures, catalogues, cartons, luxury packaging, product posters, tags or labels.

Its environment-friendliness, unbridled performance and rare ingenuity make Performa Alto a designer’s delight. www.antalis.co.za email: marketing.print@antalis.co.za

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on

love, annually the 33rd loeries annual showcases country's best creative work The new Loeries Annual has hit the shelves, and within its pages lay some hidden treasures – since the book is the only place you will find The Loerie Awards Official Rankings. The Official Rankings include individual creative rankings, such as executive creative directors, copywriters, designers and photographers, plus rankings for brands, agencies and production companies, as well as a breakdown by category and size – all contributing to making this annual an essential tool for anyone involved in the brand communication industry.

All the best work from the past year is beautifully showcased, including all areas of brand communication – from Grand Prix to Crafts, special awards and student work. Designed by Grid Worldwide Branding, the annual is the second in the new format, adding to the indispensable set of reference books, which every creative and marketing director should have close at hand. The book also includes an extensive index of the winning agencies, brands, production companies and individual creative credits, so readers can search easily to find the best talent across a multitude of disciplines.

The annual can be purchased for R595 (excluding VAT) at selected Exclusive Books stores, from Pulp Books (www.pulpbooks.co.za) or via the Loeries online store. www.theloerieawards.co.za

brand new council new design council launched The launch of The Brand Council of South Africa (BCSA) follows years of planning and is a major stride forward in uniting and developing the industry around a common purpose and direction. Similar to what the UK Design Council did following its formation in 2011, the BCSA has set its first 100 days as a timeframe for measurable achievements. The BCSA’s new identity was also unveiled – a bold stylised ‘zig zag’ emblem designed by Grid Worldwide Branding.

According to BCSA chairman, Sean McCoy of the HKLM Group, targeted interventions include launching a brand barometer and educational initiative, meeting with relevant government departments, securing funding and holding events and workshops including supporting the hosting of the Icograda Annual Congress to coincide with WDC2014 in Cape Town.

In making the BCSA’s framework for delivery public, McCoy emphasised their commitment to action, saying that a key driver was the need to change from an industry body that had been focused on protecting its member base to an industry that had a higher purpose based on the benefits of its collective work. "This requires focused energy,” he added, “and it will materialise in various business and social initiatives, including the development of intellectual property, supporting and guiding industry education, industry regulation and defining quality standards for excellence and compliance.”

The BCSA incorporates the Brand Design Council (formerly known as THINK) and has board representation from ACA, Brand Leadership Group, The Brand Union, Grid, HKLM, Interbrand Sampson, It’s a Go, The Switch Design Company and Yellowwood. www.brandcouncilsa.org

ENJIN 56 11

Dance | Drama | Fashion Design | Film & TV Production | Fine & Applied Arts Graphic Design | Interior Design | Jewellery Design & Manufacture | Music Musical Theatre | Multimedia (Visual Arts Based) | Performing Arts Technology Photography | Textile Design & Technology | Vocal Art

Faculty of the Arts e

12 ENJIN 56 2012

artsinfo@tut.ac.za | www.tut.ac.za

on

tread softly new paper takes power from bamboo

Antalis South Africa has launched a promotion for Arjowiggins Conqueror Bamboo – callled Your Gift to the Earth – to make designers more aware of paper and board made from this fast-growing and renewable resource. Your Gift to the Earth is a celebration of green design and creativity as the unique feel of natural pigments creates a union of innovation and sustainability.

The promotion consists of a double sided wrapping paper printed on Conqueror Bamboo Crema, as well as a greeting card printed on Conqueror Bamboo Natural White. It further includes a paper swatch designed to showcase the rest of the Bamboo colour range.

Conqueror Bamboo is designed to accommodate all printing techniques such as lithography, letterpress, silk screening, spot varnish, foil blocking, embossing, debossing, creasing and die-cuts.

Responsibly sourced and manufactured without optical brightener additives, Conqueror Bamboo treads lightly. It is ISO 14001 compliant and FSC certified mixed source.

As part of its green offering, Arjowiggins has also launched its Environmental Calculator, which allows designers to see the precise savings that can be made by using Arjowiggins recycled paper compared to virgin fibre paper. For example, you can see how much waste paper is diverted from landfill, how much less water, energy and wood are used and CO2 emissions reduced – in detail, per job.

Access the calculator at www.arjowigginsgraphic.com.

www.antalis.co.za

ENJIN 56 13

WANTED

hp envy the hp envy 114 is an all-in-one printer and scanner with airprint support for ios

During set-up, you discover just how highly engineered and designed the HP Envy 114e has been to fit everything in. The integral touchscreen pulls out and can be readjusted to a more comfortable angle.

The paper tray fits flush into the unit, sliding out when you need to load or reload paper. Set up was interesting. We went for the wireless approach, as that’s a main selling point of the unit. As promised, when you switch the printer on for the first time, the touchscreen guides you through setting date and time, fitting cartridges and – crucially – connecting to the local network. We found the workflow easy to follow.

The only issue we ran into was a touchscreen that could have been more responsive. It made entering the current date a bit fiddly and the software wouldn’t allow us to proceed without it. We were soon up and running though, with an ink charging cycle that took seconds rather minutes and almost ready to print. We say almost because on

14 ENJIN 56 2012

your PC there’s a final software installation stage required. iPad and other iOS users can skip that because the Envy 114 includes AirPrint support. Use the print dialogue with your iPad and it’ll seamlessly locate the printer with no extra installation required.

That said, we don’t really think HP is after the crowd that prints a large number of documents. It’s more of a home printer that you can use to print documents and pictures a few times a week. It’s also priced high – but then so is anything associated with being fashionable and cool.

Platform PC, Mac Price R2 999 Contact HP Website www.hp.co.za

WANTED

wacom intuos 5 the wacom intuos5 is more ergonomic, slimmer and arguably better looking than the intuos 4

There are four models in the Intuos5 range: three Intuos5 touch models across different sizes – Small, Medium, Large – and a penonly Medium model. The addition of multi-touch to the Intuos5 provides an additional input method to the pen that aims to be natural to use in the creative process. Supported gestures include zoom, scroll, pan and the ability to rotate digital content.

Standard Windows and Mac controls can be accessed by gestures, and customisable gestures can be created in supported applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Maya, 3DS Max and more.

As with the Intuos4, there are customisable ExpressKeys (six on the Small and eight on both Medium and Large sizes) and one Touch Ring with four-function toggle. These features allow users to place commonly used shortcuts and modifiers right at their fingertips. The ambidextrous design allows right-handed and left-handed users to simply rotate the tablet 180 degrees for easy access to the ExpressKeys and Touch Ring.

With Intuos5 Wacom also introduces Express View, a new HeadsUp Display (HUD) feature that displays the current settings on the computer screen.

The Intuos5 Grip Pen offers the same 2 048 levels of pen pressure and up to 60 degrees of pen tilt as the Intuos4. All sizes of Intuos5 can be converted to a wireless tablet by installing an optional Wireless Accessory Kit. This includes a rechargeable battery that charges through USB, an RF module that plugs into the tablet and a receiver that plugs into a USB port on the computer.

Platform PC, Mac Price Small R2 890; Medium R3 640; Large R5 890; Wireless Accessory Kit R500 Contact Direct Distribution Services Website www.directservices.co.za

ENJIN 56 15

WANTED

porsche design drive look good while doing critical stuff

We know you’re tempted to hit the comments and argue how the vast majority of Apple users are the creative, fashion-conscious types anyway and that might just as well be true. But as a rule of thumb, when Porsche Design teams up with gadget makers the resulting toys and accessories carry a hefty premium. In the case of the LaCie Porsche Design mobile and desktop drives, the Mac tax is bearable. You’re paying R1 730/R2 155/R2 975 for the 1TB/2TB/3TB desktop drives. That isn’t so bad, but isn’t fab either.

The aesthetic appeal stems from the puristic design (obviously) while its solid aluminum frame will blend nicely with your new MacBook Air. Plus, aluminum is apparently eco-friendly and it regulates heat for better performance. The good looks come with some brains, too: The drives ship with backup software (like you need any with Time Machine) and 10GB of Wuala secure online storage.

Platform Mac, PC Price R1 730(1TB); R2 155(2TB); R2 975 (3TB) Contact Direct Distribution Services Website www.directservices.co.za

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WANTED

Lomo LC-A+ limited edition of the camera that started a movement

The Lomo LC-A has been a reliable and robust travel companion, and its resurfacing some years ago reaffirmed for thousands of Lomographers that the perfect tool for artistic, everyday life photography was here to stay.

Limited to just 1 000 pieces, the Lomo LC-A+ Silver Lake edition celebrates the heritage behind the Lomo LC-A+, the little camera credited with starting the analogue 'toy' camera movement. It comes adorned in genuine brown leather and packaged in a specially designed wooden collector’s box.Featuring a Minitar 32mm f/2.8 lens, a hot-shoe for an external flash and a multiple exposure switch, the Lomo LC-A+ Silver Lake takes standard 35mm film cartridges.

The Lomo LC-A was the first member of an ever-growing circle

of Lomographic cameras built for creative exploration. In 1984, the production of this smart little camera started in a factory in Saint Petersburg. Seven years later the Soviet Union was crumbling and the fate of the Lomo LC-A seemed sealed – but then a group of Viennese students rediscovered this little gem while travelling through Prague. The rest, as they say, is history. Every camera is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Platform Mac, PC Price N/A Contact Exposure Gallery Website www.exposuregallery.co.za

ENJIN 56 17

tiny design

plakbook

Ant 'looking' at a microchip (200 Âľm) (Opensource Handbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Wikimedia Commons)

Cantilevers on a microchip touch a carbon nanotube substrate (100 Âľm) (Opensource Handbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Wikimedia Commons)

Much nanoart is serendipitous, discovered when the real world is magnified until belief is suspended. Others choose to manipulate these extremes in a creative collaboration between art and science. For Cris Orfescu, curator of NanoArt exhibits all over the world since 2006, it is "an appealing and effective way to communicate with the general public and to inform people about the new technologies of the 21st Century."

A microfabricated electrostatic gripper inside a scanning electron microscope where it has picked up some silicon nanowires. (Opensource Handbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Wikimedia Commons)

NanoPearls. German Center for Research Innovation 18 ENJIN 56 2012

plakbook

Probation, nanosculpture by Alessandro Scali and Robin Goode (Wikimedia Commons)

Tip of tulip stamen, JJ Harrison www.noodlesnacks.com

A 'tunnel' connects two identical spaces in which images of the audience are projected and distorted. The visitor swipes a finger over a specified surface, leaving a genetic trace. While doing so, the visitor’s image is captured and presented in conglomeration with the face of another visitor. http://nano.arts.ucla.edu

Grains of sand. Exhibition at Nanomandala, an installation by media artist Victoria Vesna, in collaboration with nanoscience pioneer James Gimzewski. The installation consists of a video projected onto a disk of sand, 8 feet in diameter. Visitors can touch the sand as images are projected in evolving scale from the molecular structure of a single grain of sand – achieved my means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM)to the recognisable image of the complete mandala, and then back again.

ENJIN 56 19

design

speaking in tongues francois jonker examines traditional african art practice as a model for the societal role of contemporary designers More often than not, contemporary design disciplines are taught from a foundation in a traditional history of Art – Western, mostly European art to be exact. Students are referred to timelines filled with Masters, movements and ‘isms’ as a contextualizing exercise aimed at providing them with a sense of location within a vocational environment.

Even though I in no way aim to contest this notion, I would like to propose an addition to this method, which might in fact serve as a much more appropriate consideration in providing young designers with a point of reference to the societal role and responsibility of the design profession.

For many of us, African art often eludes our understanding. The term merely evokes images of wooden masks hanging on walls of residential homes and a plethora of curio objects available from flea markets. Yet, the fact remains that this contemporary phenomena is completely de-contextualized from the original practice and intent of traditional African art-making. It is this, almost forgotten, tradition that I would like to propose as a model for designers to describe their position or role within the world around them.

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Our post-colonial condition makes it difficult for one to remember that the concept of Art as a category of objects and practices arrived in Africa not that long ago, at the time when the West made its so-called ‘discovery’ of the continent and its peoples. The English language quite forcefully claimed what it perceived as ‘Art’ even though the definition of the term completely fails to describe the practice of Nka that was established centuries before the arrival of the first explorer ships.

spirit of nka The Ibo word ‘Nka’ seems to be the closest term that one can find when attempting to translate ‘Art’ into an African context. In his well known thesis "The African View of Art and Some Problems Facing the African Artist" published in 1968, the Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu points out the incapability of the term art to describe the meaning of Nka. Illustrations by Maaike Bekker

design While Art relates to the skillful execution of an aesthetic object, such as a painting or drawing, Nka in turn relates more to the identification with the nature of execution (or doing) itself. In the tradition of Nka, the Shaman-artist analytically responds to the current conditions of his tribe by creating objects such as masks. These artifacts are in no way indented as decorative pieces but rather as functional objects.

The masks are meant to be worn as mechanisms that transform the Shaman-artist into a mystical character from the realm of spirits. This allows him the potential to give concrete form to a transcendent realm in order to provide healing, or give clarity by allowing viewers of the masquerade access to the infinite wisdom of the beyond.

Within the example of the masquerade, Nka does not allow for a distinction between the maker of the mask, the wearer of the mask or the spectators of the ritual performance. Each individual becomes a minor cog in a process that supersedes the object, and all meaning results from a state of co-creation that includes the entire tribe.

As opposed to Art as an objectcentric practice, Nka is therefore completely process-driven and encapsulates the sourcing of materials, the making of objects, the performance of those objects, the viewing of the performance and the consequential effects that occurs as a result of the practice.

Even though my description of Nka might be slightly over simplified and condensed, it aims to point out the actual role of African art: not as decorative but communicative functional objects that form part of a larger process of co-creation, in service of a community.

It is with this in mind that I would like to propose that more time and effort should be invested in providing design students with an understanding of the tradition of Nka, as it might serve as a much more informative and relevant model for the process of design than Western notions of Art, which in much of its history has served as a subjective, emotive and autonomous objectdriven practice.

speechless In an interview with well-known Indonesian designer Hanny Kardinata, he describes design as "inseparable from the social dynamic around us". It is within this sense of responsibility and

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design

"in an interview with well-known indonesian designer hanny kardinata, he describes design as "inseparable from the social dynamic around us". it is here that i find the core correlation between nka and design." awareness, shared by the Shaman-artist and the designer, that I find the core correlation between Nka and design. Without a deep-rooted connection and understanding of the natural (or environmental), cultural, political and economic conditions that surrounds his/her tribe or audience, both the Shaman-artist and designer are rendered quite ‘speechless’.

Within design this ‘speechlessness’ is often amplified by designers who chase a type of celebrity-stardom, opting first and foremost for commercial success. It is important to remember that the designer’s role is not one of personal expression but rather one of service. Similar to the Shamanartist’s portal position in between the realm of spirits and the physical world, the designer should also always be placed at the pivotal point between the values and goals of his client and the values and needs of their audience.

The other similarity between Nka and design lies within the object or artifact of production, which is never regarded as the end-goal but as a mere channel for meaning. In the same way the designer’s craft can by no means be the end or conclusion of his responsibility. The focus should always remain on the transferred meaning that ignites in the viewer's mind and lingers there, infiltrating perception and understanding.

I would like to agree with John Page, the former chairman of the British Design Research Council, that there is a risk involved when designers start living in a world of 'design isolation' and effectively separate themselves from the world of their audience. Looking towards Nka as a model for their role and responsibility might help designers to prevent this risk, and allow design to fulfill its true purpose.

_Francois Jonker is an artist, designer and educator. Maaike Bakker is an artist and lecturer in illustration at The Open Window School of Visual Communication

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platform people doing things

• p unk • haas collective • creative spotlight

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ENJIN 56 Illustration: Tukisa Oliphant

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platform

Punk'd out of alt funk King, group creative director of the King James Group, wants to further define its offering in a competitive market – where budgets are shifting from above-the-line to integrated campaigns and what was traditionally considered below-the-line work. King recently introduced Michael Udell, formerly deputy MD at DDB South Africa, and Matt Ross, a former ECD from the same agency, to King James Group, where they will be responsible for positioning the agency group’s strategic and creative offering somewhere between ‘traditional’ and ‘digital’ advertising – the spot King believes modern communications needs to be.

Udell was the founder and MD of Tribal DDB SA before it merged with its affiliate DDB South Africa in 2011, while Ross was the ECD. Ross becomes ECD at King James, while Udell becomes integration officer for the group.

break down silos Their brief is to break down any silos in the creative and strategic thinking of the agency, and to bridge gaps between the various divisions within in the group. They will also be heading the digital busi-

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alistair king doesn't bother to hide his enthusiasm for his latest, possibly bravest move. by herman manson

ness, formerly Mnemonic, with Bruce Wright.

Mnemonic has been rebranded as Punk, a reference to challenging convention and an acknowledgement that brands no longer control every aspect of their message. Punk, while a division within King James, will play a larger strategic role across the group and its clients, influencing all aspects of King James’ work, says King, and will only be separate from the rest of the agency via its outward ID. King believes Punk will help transform his agency group and gives it and its clients a real advantage over competitors. Ross says their strategy has been informed by the media-agnostic nature of modern advertising. While ATL advertising still sets many local and global brand strategies, to the benefit of their agencies, clients are losing out and their brands will suffer long-term consequences.

focus on conceptual Digital agencies have traditionally focused on tactical work, says Udell, whereas Punk will focus on the conceptual and outsource production to knowledgeable specialists. Punk will stand on three pillars, namely, strategy, creativity and knowledge of technology. Technol-

platform

ogy is changing too fast to ensure every single skill can be honed in-house, says Udell. Udell says digital evangelists have lost sight of where consumers are leading communication. The solutions offered by these evangelists have been technology-led, rather than being based on consumer insights.

The balances between the various aspects of marketing keep changing – and will continue to do so, based on consumer behaviour. Wright, meanwhile, describes a lot of digital work as reactionary – like creating an app (because everyone has an app) without a sound strategy.

Punk will instead position digital as the glue that binds together communication strategies. Experiences are more powerful than being told something, says Udell, and technology provides multiple tools with which to create experiences, but they need to be strategically sound and based on consumer insights to be effective.

Brands are also now competing with consumer-generated content, which is why some, such as Coca-Cola and Red Bull, are increasingly moving budget towards creating great and engaging content.

In terms of his job as integration officer, Udell says he will use digital to link all the companies in the group, and aims to ensure strategic thinking is aligned across all of them, keeping in mind that great ideas has multiple consumer touchpoints, from PR to eventing.

In short, he hopes to facilitate a ‘meeting of minds’ across divisions on strategic solutions for King James’ clients. It will mean looking at incoming briefs holistically and then picking appropriate teams to implement touchpoints. All the creative, digital and social media teams will be sitting together to ensure ideas flow freely through the King James Group.

Punk is supposed to be more than a King James agency division – it will challenge conventional thinking across the group’s agencies and aims to ensure a meeting of minds that breaks through all those agency silos.

"punk will position digital as the glue that binds together communication strategies."

as punks do If it works, it’s because the two new faces tasked with transforming the way the agency thinks strategically has senior management buy-in, and buy in from the multiple entrepreneurs that operates the various communication agencies that make up the integrated company.

Step on toes they will, inevitably, as punks must, but on their success depends the sustainability of the good times King James is experiencing at the moment. King and his business partner James Barty are following the money, and it’s leading them away from ATL, and the success they have enjoyed there, into a much more interesting and relevant, not to mention challenging, communications environment. Punk indeed.

Opposite page: Michael Udell, Matt Ross Above: Matt Ross

_This article first appeared on BizCommunity.com. Manson is an independent media and marketing journalist. He blogs @marklives. com and Tweets @marklives

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platform

HAAStig

running down that elusive white rabbit Haas Collective is a creative collective run by Mike Orrey, one of the founders of Orrey, Rightford & Drysdale Advertising (ORD Advertising) and Glynn Venter, a former ECD of the Draftfcb through-theline studio. Recently the pair brought on board the former executive creative director of Draftfcb, Francois de Villiers.

Haas Collective launched in 2011 and consists of a concept store, a design gallery and a high-end coffee house and roastery, as well as the agency, all tucked into two buildings across from one another in Rose Street in the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town. It quite literally is a collective of small creative spaces and businesses that collaborate when need be.

Wallpaper magazine voted the space one of the top 20 reasons to be in South Africa. Different people are involved in different aspects of the collective. For example, the gallery is managed by Francois Irvine and Vanessa Berlein, while the agency consists of Venter and Orrey and now de Villiers. Venter helped start the various businesses as the right partners came along and didn’t initially plan for them to feed off one another to the extent that they do – but, today, the

26 ENJIN 56 2012

platform

concept store readily ties in with the gallery which ties in again with the agency – all in all, the design collective represents 50-60 up-andcoming designers and illustrators which any of the businesses can call on as required.

While the other parts of the business have attracted considerable media attention, Venter says the agency has kept a low profile while it built up its business.

of coffee and bean counters Its clients include the Whisky Live Festival, Aegis Media (which includes trigger/isobar, Full Circle Media, Vizeum, Carat and Clickthinking), Fancourt, Katjes, the Compass Bakery, Act II Popcorn, Hipp organic baby food (Germany), Bebivita Baby Food (Germany), WOSA (wines of south africa) and Boland Cellars. Haas Collective also collaborates with Draftfcb in Johannesburg on parts of the Old Mutual account.

For the rest, the agency works on a collaborative model, bringing in a wide range of experts as and when required. De Villiers says the collaborative model allows Haas to step around the numerous mid-

dlemen big-agency operations layer between the creative decisionmakers and the client decision-makers.

The specialists the agency use, be they photographers, CRM specialists or directors and producers, include the best in their areas. Those collaborators have their own trusted suppliers, and so the model ripples out to the advantage of the agency and its client, with best-ofbreed relationships in place all along the production chain. Venter says the other businesses in the collective keep the agency close to consumers. For Orrey, the advantage of shared space is keeping a lid on costs in a tough economy – something that ultimately benefits clients as well.

And the roastery holds other benefits, too – the agency has picked up work just from Venter getting to chatting with customers downstairs. Which lets the customers upgrade from the coffee shop to the plush lounge style room upstairs from where the agency operates – of course, with some great coffee to go.

_This article first appeared on BizCommunity.com. Manson is an independent media and marketing journalist. He blogs @marklives. com and Tweets @marklives

ENJIN 56 27

platform

creative spotlight with adobe ruan vermeulen/amicollective What do you love about your job?

Mostly the people I get to work with every day. My best friend, Christo, is also my business partner and the other CD of Am I, and that makes work feel like varsity days.

What’s your all-time favourite project?

The project we are working on now is really getting me going. It's called Verstikland – an animated Afrikaans series with a 2-12 age restriction (obviously). It has so many personal issues in that Christo and I can use this medium as a platform to work out all the shit we had to endure as Afrikaans teenagers. It's special...being able to put down on paper what's deep down making you befok, or made you even more befok as a laatie.

What kind of impact has social media had on your work?

Made us realize how many spin-offs there are of great artists/illustrators work out there, and that the creative community copies and pastes a hell of a lot. Finding your own unique voice has never been as crucial as now.

Above: Holbrand Right: Vinger

Aside from talent, what do you think has contributed to your success?

Forming a business with friends that you appreciate and admire, makes it more than just a small company, but an entity that creeps into everything you do every day, making you responsible not just for your own but your partners' respect and reputations as well.

What book are you reading right now?

Die Bike Boek by Tobie Wiese...Afrikaans short stories about old ballies on bikes.

What do you do to stay creative?

Create new playlists on a weekly basis. I just let that small idea that pops up now and then from nowhere overwhelm me...if it's random noise, or just pure blabber, I let it out, it sparks other ideas from the peeps in the studio and that then grows and grows. Most important, the Am I space is def an environment that the most random crap will exist somewhere, or at least be heard by someone that will give it 5 min of their time. That's all I need to get the juices flowing.

What advice do you have for people just entering the profession?

Find a partner that you trust and understands your headspace. Working in groups are very fulfilling and supportive. Don't use FFFound as inspiration.

What’s your most unusual source of inspiration?

Facebook.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?

Ride my bike around the Atlantic Seaboard. Ride my bike around the city. Ride my bike.

What are your favourite Adobe CS design tools? How are you using them?

Photoshop and After Effects. Great to create scamps and animatics.

What do you do when you’re just not feeling it?

I'll go have a chat with Christo.

Share one tip or secret you’ve discovered using an Adobe CS design tool.

Drag and drop.

What music are you listening to right now?

There seems to be lot of music that sounds like the Drive soundtrack that keeps popping up on the studio playlist. I like that.

www.verstikland.co.za www.facebook.com/AmICollective

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ENJIN 56 29

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REVIEW A CULTURAL REVIEW OF SORTS • URBAN LESSONS • CREATIVE FREEDOM • CL ASSIC GAMES

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ENJIN 56 31

32 ENJIN 56 2012

REVIEW

urban

lessons

design indaba 2012 emphasised the shared future of the planet's cities, writes tau tavengwa

Design Indaba this year, some might argue, started a day earlier, with an invitation only discussion on Cape Town’s World Design Capital (WDC) 2014 plans, held at the Cape Town Convention Centre on 28 February. Patricia de Lille, the Mayor of Cape Town, as well as other notables from the city’s design sector – including the Indaba’s founder Ravi Naidoo and architect Luyanda Mpahlwa – came together with countless other design practitioners to attempt to define what the legacy of WDC 2014 could be. A lot of the themes touched on at this event were present in the actual conference that began the following day.

At the moment, there is a lot of buzz around the idea of urbanism – and trying to define what the future of cities in emerging economies, under-resourced financially, but rich in human capital, can be. A lot of the questions have to do with how to re-think these ever expanding places, and how to address the various levels of poverty and informality that the new reality of having more people living in cities worldwide than at any other point in history brings. While a lot of the African continent is still to go past the 50% mark in terms of urbanisation, cities and towns often account for about 60% of economic activity. This places them at the heart of any development agenda.

In various forms a few speakers at the Indaba tackled this issue, often looking beyond the continent to issues relating to some key

Previous and opposite page: Urban Think Tank (UTT)

Images: Design Indaba

themes affecting it. Three highlights in this regard were Alfredo Brillembourg of Caracas/Zurich-based interdisciplinary design practice Urban Think Tank; South Africa’s own Heinrich Wolff, award-winning architect and one of the principals at Neoro Wolff Architects; and, in different form, documentary film director Gary Hurstwit whose final film in his influential Design Trilogy, Urbanized, was screened as part of the DI Film Fest.

urban think tank Brillembourg’s activism-oriented practice provides an inspiring alternative to how most architects operate. Conceived as half research office and half architectural practice, Urban Think Tank (UTT) seeks to understand informality in the developing world, and come up with well-informed design responses that address various issues associated with informal urbanism.

Great examples of UTT’s work include Caracas's Barrio La Cruz vertical gym constructed in 2003 and the Caracas Metro Cable, an elegant transport solution for the San Agustin slum that prevented the clearance of valuable community infrastructure while providing a service that ferries about 3 000 people an hour from

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REVIEW

the top to the bottom of this mountainside informal community.

Speaking from Cape Town, which has a large population that lacks basic services, while at the same time grappling with how it resolves some apartheid-era spatial inequities, Brillembourg’s lecture was incisive in three ways. His argument that informality is not a binary of the formal; that it is its own thing that is not a problem to be solved from the top down, but whose energies and potentials need to be harnessed, is a worthy lesson for the city.

His advocacy for social rather than population density, as well as providing good services and allowing people to build their own houses, instead of making it the purview of the state to perform this task, also resonates with a lot of the conversations taking place throughout the country on how to address our epic housing problems. Coming from Caracas, a city that has a shortfall of 2 million houses, Brillembourg’s insights cannot be ignored in the South African, better yet, African context. Whether or not one agrees with his ideas, it is worthwhile looking at some of the inspiring work happening on that continent as a starting point to address some of our own problems.

noero wolff Noero Wolff Architects have created some of the most interesting, challenging architecture in post-apartheid South Africa. It was unfortunate then that a lot of Heinrich Wolff’s presentation was spent

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looking at what amounted to domestic architecture for wealthy clients. While these projects explored and revealed the firm’s approach and understanding of landscape and was of the crowd pleasing variety, it did not do justice to the firm’s general practice and to Wolff’s own work that straddles research and practice.

Wolff’s work on owner-built rental housing, the Red Location Museum and other groundbreaking work were nowhere to be seen.

At a later point of the presentation, some work that directly addresses the South African spatial complexity made its way into the presentation. Usasazo Secondary School in Khayelitsha and Vredenburg Hospital came back to the theme of socially aware design and architecture, and showcased South Africa’s capacity to produce work as thought-provoking as some of what UTT was to show later. It also provided an insight into the inadequate showmanship of the South African cohort of speakers in presenting groundbreaking ideas.

urbanized While the lack of showmanship is refreshing, at an event like Design Indaba this can sometimes be a handicap, as the audience is easily lost – and some important ideas not presented with the expected flourishes can also be lost.

Gary Hurstwit has become famous for his Design Trilogy, a series of documentaries looking at various aspects of design. 2007’s Helvetica

REVIEW

noero wolff architects have created some of the most interesting, challenging architecture in post-apartheid south africa. it was unfortunate then that a lot of [heinrich] wolff’s presentation was spent looking at what amounted to domestic architecture for wealthy clients.

was a groundbreaking film in its ability to take the seemingly mundane story of a single typeface and making it come alive by telling its rich history and meaning in a previously unseen fashion. He pulls this off again in the third, and last, of the series, Urbanised.

Screened as one of fifteen films that were part of this year’s DI Film Fest, Urbanised provides a comprehensible history of modernism, how it played itself out in cities in the 21st century and how some of the damage of this era is still to be (and can be) undone. Urbanised is a well traveled exploration of cities and the humanity that creates and gives them character across 5 continents, featuring insightful conversations with the top urbanists in the world as well as exploring good, transformative ideas.

Which brings us back to the gathering on the 28th of February. A lot

has been said about the potential for design to change the world in the context of the subject of the meeting – the World Design Capital 2014 honour that Cape Town won in 2011. As the city tries to brand itself as a design capital, it is important to take some cues from what impact design can make on society beyond the hype. As Grover Mouton, a planner in the city of New Orleans says in Hurstwit’s Urbanised, "Just because the architecture is divinely wonderful isn’t going to make the place wonderful".

_Tau Tavengwa is attached to the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town

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review

Creative Freedom it's time to celebrate creative freedom, writes fran luckin

For people like me, who work in an industry whose life-blood is creativity, freedom is no less a serious business than it is for anyone else.

Don’t get me wrong when I talk about the desire for more creative freedom. Parenting manuals (and, probably, more than a few parents) will tell you that total freedom is not a good thing. There need to be boundaries. A misconception I encounter often, and that never seems to die, is that great creative people are free-spirited, mercurial, bong-toting beings, as hard to pin down as tiny bashful woodland creatures who detest rules and discipline, and need to be given enormous rein and scope to ramble about, chasing the Muse.

most disciplined This is, frankly, rubbish. The best creative people I know are also the most disciplined people I know, with the focus and commitment of endurance athletes. They know that coming up with a great creative solution requires hours of being chained to a desk, and that having an idea is only the start of a long, arduous process in which the idea has to be hammered out, torture-tested, translated into every possible medium – sometimes only to be dropped, after all that, in favour of

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another, completely new, idea. The creative freedom that I – and all of the really good creative people I know – crave, is simply this: the freedom to think about the problem differently.

It can be enormously frustrating to be given a business problem to solve, only to find out the media agency has already solved it by buying 30 second radio ads and quarter-page magazine ads. Fortunately, there is a strategic shift taking place in the world, in which creative thinking is beginning to rise to the top of the marketing hierarchy.

the right thinking Design thinking, as it’s called, has emerged from the fringes and been embraced by P&G, Kimberley-Clark, Kraft and Johnson & Johnson.

It is what happens when companies realize that not only could they benefit from better product design, but that they might also gain competitive advantage from using the methodology of designers and creative people themselves. "Historically, design has been treated as a downstream step in the (product) development process – the "pretty wrapper at the end,” according to Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO,

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TJDR51613

review

the Palo Alto design company that is arguably the most influential in this movement, and the godfather of design thinking.

According to Brown, by around 2000 marketers started to recognize that competition was resulting in parity of quality between every major brand in a given category. This left only three options: compete on price, innovate faster than the competition or create more unique experiences that consumers could have with brands. Since price wars are ultimately unwinnable, focus naturally fell on the latter two.

And that’s where the window of opportunity is for designers and creative people. Where marketers emphasise charts and data, and generally practise inductive thinking (if x then y), designers and creative people employ a method that Todd Wasserman, business editor of Mashable, calls 'abductive thinking' – taking a creative leap that attempts to solve a problem in previously unforeseen ways.

real world But enough already with the theory. Here’s a concrete example. In 2002, Coca-Cola increased its sales by 10% – a significant figure in any industry, and even more so in an industry where a CEO’s career can be made or lost over one or two share points. This sales increase was achieved, not through a massive media blitz, nor through the introduction of Vanilla Coke – but through package design. Specifically, the Fridge Pack: a package that stacks 12 cans in a way that takes up minimal room on the fridge shelf, with an opening that dispenses one can at a time.

How did Coca-Cola come by this innovation, which it calls "the greatest innovation since the contoured plastic bottle was introduced twenty years ago"? The solution came from outside: from Alcoa, manufacturer of the aluminium used to make cans, and Riverwood International, a company that designs and manufactures cardboard packaging.

These two companies organized a brainstorm with engineers, researchers and marketers, where they literally spent a day huddled around a refrigerator, looking for the best way to fit a 12-pack into it.

They were practicing 'abductive thinking.' As outsiders, they had license to think about the problem of selling more Coca-Cola in a different way. They put themselves into the consumers’ lives and asked: what is the consumer’s experience of the product beyond the store shelf, beyond the taste of the product? Their investigations revealed that the 12-pack that the industry had been using up until then was like a suitcase – it was too bulky to fit into a refrigerator, so people would put a couple of cans in the fridge, then put the pack, with the remaining cans, in the cupboard. When all the cold cans were used, people would choose another cold drink from the refrigerator instead of getting out another Coke from the package in the cupboard. The Fridge Pack meant that all twelve cans could fit neatly in the fridge.

The dispenser was easy to use and convenient. And there you have it: a 10% increase in sales. The Coca Cola example is one demonstration of the fact that people outside of a company are ideally positioned to see the company’s challenges in a unique way.

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"the creative freedom that i – and all of the really good creative people i know – crave, is simply this: the freedom to think about the problem differently."

power inside and out Creative agencies and design companies, who have the benefit of an intimate relationship with a company without the potential hindrance of being located within it, have the power to see the problem from the inside and the outside.

And they have the methodologies that enable them to think disruptively, 'abductively' – to use insight to take a leap beyond the problem to a solution no one had seen before. In short, it’s time creative people were given the freedom to act as the disruptive innovators they all have the potential to be. So I’ll pass on the bong, thanks. I’ll get my highs from being given the freedom to be a co-creator.

_Fran Luckin is Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy Johannesburg

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review

classic games the classic arcade games are making a comeback – on smartphones. arthur goldstuck unpacks the new era in gaming

Who remembers playing Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-man or Galaxian at games arcades and in the back of corner cafés? That would be a sign of a misspent youth somewhere between the late 1970s and early 1990s, before the Internet began its own great invasion.

I blame those games for the extra year or two it took to finish my university degree, but also for guiding me down the path to a fascination with computers. And they were a pointer to what social networking would become a few decades later: immersive, interactive and addictive. And now, even as new games arrive to offer just that terrible trio of attractions, the old games are back, this time in the form of miniapplications, or apps, for phones.

You can blame Wayne Irving II, who labels himself "Chief Gamer and Pinball Wizard" at an app developer called Iconosys. He still bears the scars of his own misspent childhood: "My first real date was at an arcade in the bowling alley in Kissimmee, Florida. I guess my plan to impress my date with my arcade gaming skills backfired; I was so nervous that all I could do was play Centepede and Galaxian to show off my stuff, and the girl I was with ended feeling ignored and left out."

Decades later, Irving has found closure. His company has created versions of Galaxian, Space Invaders and Asteroids for the mobile phone.

The versions of the latter two created for Android phones and tablets are called Android Invaders and Anderoids (See gameplay samples at http://www.youtube.com/iconosysgames). However, the games have also been repurposed for the iPhone and iPad. The significance of these three games lies in the fact that they sparked the global video game industry when they were launched in 1978 and 1979 by Atari and Namco. While pinball machines survived the onslaught, they were never able to match the popularity of those games.

In Japan, they caused a shortage of 100-yen coins. In my university residence, you could sell 20c coins at a rate of four for a Rand.

We may not see that kind of frenzy physically today, as the gaming model has moved from per-play to per-download and to buying virtual goods inside games. But that means far more people playing the games, and a far larger population of gamers than at any time in history.

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Angry Birds, possibly the most popular game in history, is played by an estimated 30-million people a day. The latest episode in the tale of the annoyed avians, Angry Birds Space, was downloaded 10-million times in the three days following its release last month. In total, the franchise has had more than 700-million downloads.

That dwarfs the popularity of Farmville, the Facebook game that at its height probably destroyed more productivity than real-world traffic. Farmville’s creator, Zynga, raised $1-billion when it went public late last year, valuing the company at $9-billion. It makes four of the five most popular games on Facebook, including CityVille and Texas HoldEm Poker. Around 200-million people play their games a month.

So, when they saw a new gaming app called Draw Something catch fire in the Apple App Store, with 35-million downloads in its first six weeks – not to mention a billion drawings made with the app in one week – the were quick on the draw. They bought the game’s creator, OMGPOP, for $200-million.

Facebook doesn’t buy games, but took Zynga’s lead barely two weeks later. They bought the photo-sharing app, Instagram, for $1-billion.

There is little doubt they were spurred on by the fact that Instagram had 30-million users at a time when it was only available for iPhones, and that it had just been released for Android phones. That made it a potential threat on Facebook’s home turf, photo sharing. Instagram also strengthens their position in the mobile arena, where they already have a massive presence with mobile apps for chat and general usage. For them, gaming is more of an add-on, to keep the anti-social coming back to the social network.

Last year, in South Africa, 59% of cellphone users said they played games on their phone, a figure expected to grow to 71% this year.

Those were mostly basic, free games, and they were hardly as addictive as the new generation making its way onto phones. So we can expect the figure to rise, especially when the newcomers are also the games that started it all a generation ago.

_Arthur Goldstuck heads up World Wide Worx and is editor-in-chief of Gadget. Follow him on Twitter on @art2gee

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cover

graphica textiles cover up this winter with graphica textile's range of exquisite cover materials Graphica, a leading supplier of cover materials for the packaging and publishing markets, recently launched Graphica Textiles into the South African market. Graphica Textiles is a member of the international Winter Group, an independent third-generation family company, which has played an important role in the European leather business since its foundation in 1892.

These textiles provide exemplary tactile finishes. Characteristics include breathability, great wear-resistance, stain-resistance and ease of maintenance. They are also fire retardant and are regulated according to the health and safety standards mandatory in Europe and the UK. A large number of colours, grains and qualities are available and the collection is up to date with global trends.

like leather, only better

winter home

In the beginning there was only genuine leather for a variety of applications. Graphica Textiles now offers leather-like products that have been developed and refined as to be almost identical to the real thing. These products offer major advantages for those involved in furniture design and interior decoration, thanks to their wide range and innovative technical properties. "Our focus is to supply the highest quality leather and leather-like materials to the hospitality, leisure, retail, corporate, medical and outdoor industries," says Simon Grose, managing director at Graphica.

To boost its offering even further, Graphica has also introduced unique home accessories under the 'Winter Home' label. The collection consists of sophisticated fur throws and cushions that offer the highest manufacturing standards. Made of high-tech modacrylic fibres, these Fur4Fun furs are particularly easy to

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cover

care for, offer light- and colour fastness and are hardly flammable.

Fur4Fun furs are soft, hard to distinguish from genuine fur and no animal has had to suffer.

"With Winter approaching fast, we feel that the time is absolutely right to introduce these magnificent must-have décor accessories to local buyers. Not only do our throws and cushions bring that little bit of fun to any room, the quality is world-class," says Grose.

graphica introduces unique home accessories under the 'winter home' label. fur4fun furs are soft, hard to distinguish from genuine fur and no animal has had to suffer.

winter creation Products of Winter Creation, Micropore and Decovin are visually hard to distinguish from genuine leather. Soft, supple and elegant, they are abrasion resistant, easy to clean and handle.

Micropore is an exclusive selection of synthetics that correspond to the current zeitgeist while embodying a certain lifestyle. Refined surface structures and a mix of velvety-soft-to-paint-smooth textures result in a unique collection for designers who like bringing aesthetics to the fore.

Decovin has been specifically designed and manufactured according to the highest safety standards, particularly fire protection. Nevertheless, it feels surprisingly soft and pleasant to touch. A range of carefully selected colours correspond to the latest trends.

The materials are further enhanced by their broad spectrum and availability, and can be used in almost all interior design applications such as pillows, small furniture and accessories. Features include: n Flame retardant n Extremely durable n Resistant to disinfectants n High tear resistance n Robust n Easy-to-handle (stick, pin, sew)

Decovin Nova – Synthetic leather with a novel, grippy surface.

Secure, robust and pleasant. Flame retardant, water-repellent and ideally suited for all heavily stressed interior areas such as restaurants, canteens, hospitals and children's homes. Decovin Nova is ideal for benches, armchairs, stools and covers.

Decovin Trend – The cheerfully coloured artificial leather is available in 34 colours and has a high quality Nappa finish. Decovin Trend is robust and abrasion-resistant, elastic, hygienic and easy to clean, resistant to disinfectants, sweat and waterproof.

contact The Graphica Textiles showroom is at Progress Décor Centre, 14 Appel Road, Kramerville, Johannesburg. Call Delmaine Blignault on (082) 922-0469; delmaine@graphica.co.za.

For more information and a better view of the product ranges Graphica Textiles has on offer, visit: www.winter-creation.com; www.winter-home.ch

Decovin Metallics – Whether mystical, magical or just trendy, Decovin Metallics is the latest generation of pigments and leatherlike coverings to embody the current design zeitgeist. They are very well suited for all applications in the field of interior design – and are made for those who demand the highest levels of durability and ease of maintenance.

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tech

creative suite 6 adobe unveils latest suite of artistic software tools

Adobe Systems has announced the next version of its professional design software suite, Creative Suite 6 (CS6), along with a new online offering called Creative Cloud. The company said the suite will be available from the end of May, with pre-ordering starting in April.

Anchored by the groundbreaking image editor Photoshop, the suite is a big bundle of software including the Illustrator drawing app, InDesign for layout, Premiere Pro for video editing and Flash and Dreamweaver for Web programming.

The fullest version of the suite, CS6 Master Collection, will offer twelve major applications, while Creative Cloud (not yet available in South Africa) offers a new subscription model including all the new Adobe mobile apps for $49 per month.

The best-known member of the suite, Photoshop CS6, gets a notable update, with new, content-aware moving and patching tools and the ability to edit video. A new Camera Raw module more powerfully handles native files from all popular digital SLRs, automatically correcting photos based on lens characteristics. New drawing, text and perspective tools, as well as uprated performance make Photoshop CS6 a far-from-insignificant upgrade.

value Adobe said that not only will Creative Cloud make all of the CS6 apps available to subscribers for download, it also has online services for sharing and publishing content created with the suite.

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Subscribers will receive updates with new features periodically, and also get all of Adobe's related mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Creative Cloud will include 20GB of online storage and sync CS6 files between the user's devices. In addition, users will get access to a large online library of typefaces and training materials.

not skin deep The major Creative Suite apps all get some degree of updated design and features. One theme running through a few of them is the ability to create one project that will work on multiple displays: computer, tablet and smartphone. InDesign, for example, offers the new 'liquid layouts' feature for this, along with new content collector tools.

Many of the apps benefit from redesigned user interfaces, often with darker options that put the focus on your content rather than the program's interface.

Many of the apps also benefit from Adobe's Mercury graphic engine, which takes advantage of the graphics processors found within today's PCs and Macs to speed up image processing. Illustrator CS6 uses this, and also gets new image tracing and pattern creation tools.

Premiere Pro gets a similar speedup, along with expanded multicam capability, new trimming tools and native support for new digital cinema cameras.

The After Effects video post-production effect tool gets even more performance from a global cache that eliminates redundant processing, and adds a 3D camera tracker that can calculate 3D space from

tech

2D footage and ray-traced extruded 3D text.

The Web development tools also get boosts with CS6. The Dreamweaver website builder adds fluid grid layouts to accommodate the various screen sizes mentioned earlier, and adds support for HTML5 CSS Transitions and jQuery mobile support. Flash Professional gets new 'sprite sheets' for game development, the ability to build hardware-accelerated 2D content with the Starling framework, and to build apps prepackaged with the Adobe AIR runtime.

Adobe Edge, available to Creative Cloud members only (not within the boxed versions of CS6) allows for the creation of animations and simple interactive elements (such as website banners and menus) in HTML 5.

top choice: cs6 production premium Redesigned by and for video editors, with major performance enhancements, the tools included in the new CS6 Production Premium set a new standard in professional video. The powerful Mercury Playback Engine now supports OpenCL on MacBook Pros.

After Effects CS6 is faster and more responsive than ever, according to Adobe. With Global Performance Cache, previews are saved and ready to go— cutting the time spent bouncing between projects.

New features include: n Prelude CS6, which streamlines logging and ingest workflows in post-production n SpeedGrade, which contains powerful finishing tools for film finishing and colour grading n Audition CS6 accelerates audio post-production: real-time clip stretching makes it simple to stretch clips to fit an edit n and Automatic Speech Alignment introduces a powerful new engine for automated dialogue analysis. A new 3rd party API for hardware integration – Adobe Mercury Transmit – allows broadcast video monitoring to connect directly into the Mercury Playback Engine via third-party cards from AJA, Blackmagic Design and Matrox.

choices Upgrade pricing has been a contentious issue among longtime Creative Suite users, but Adobe is offering tiered upgrade pricing, depending on how long you've had your current version. The full price list is too long to publish here; readers are urged to visit the web site at www.adobe.com/africa for full and upgrade pricing. As a reference, Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard costs in the region of R16 000; student pricing brings the cost way down. The applications are also available as standalone offerings.

photoshop cs 6 Photoshop has long been a staple in Adobe's line of creative programs. Now, with Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CS6 Extended, Adobe has added some key new features, including: n Mercury Graphics Engine, which speeds up imaging and editing tasks via a graphics processing unit in modern hardware n Content-Aware Patch, which allows users to select sample areas used to make a patch more easily n Blur Gallery, which is a new interface that allows users to make photographic blur effects via on-image and in-context controls; n Intuitive Video Creation, which provides new video tools.

"Creativity is at the very centre of our efforts – both in developing exceptional tools, and enabling our users to create beautiful imagery that stands out from the visual clutter around us," said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. "Photoshop CS6 is unrivalled in capabilities and power and – as we have seen from the astonishing reception of our public beta – has once again captured the imagination of the worldwide creative community." Watch out for more on the new Adobe Creative Suite 6 in upcoming issues of Enjin.

Right: Photoshop CS6 interface

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tech

touch apps adobe touch apps arrive for ipad

Top and right: Photoshop Touch interface

Adobe's Photoshop Touch app for iPad not only allows you to grab images from your camera roll, but you also can paint special effects onto images and add your own text. The $9.99 app has core features found in the desktop version of the software, as well as tablet-specific capabilities such as Facebook and Google Image Search integration, and cloud image storage. The app joins the company's suite of iOS apps Color Lava, Eazel and Nav, among others.

The iPad version of Adobe Photoshop Touch goes further in functionality compared to the pretty basic (and free) Photoshop Express app. Photoshop Touch can combine multiple photos into layered images, and you can use selection tools, adjustments and filters to create your artwork. The Scribble Select feature makes it easy to select and remove elements of an image.

The new app has popular Photoshop effects and filters, but you can also paint special effects onto your images with filter brushes. Once you are done creating your masterwork, you can email or share your image on social networks or upload it to Adobe's Creative Cloud, from where you can download and open it as a layered file in Photoshop. Just note that the output file has a 1600 by 1600 pixel resolution, which should just be enough for a medium-sized printout.

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ideas Adobe Ideas is the ideal touch app for your favourite Adobe Creative Suite software. Design almost anywhere using vectors, layers and colour themes, and then easily share for further refinement in Illustrator or Photoshop. With a free Creative Cloud membership, easily sync Adobe Ideas projects to the Creative Cloud and open for further work in Illustrator.

coming soon A few new iPad apps are coming up soon, Adobe said, including Collage for moodboards, Debut for presenting and reviewing creative work, Ideas for sketching, Kuler for exploring colour themes and Proto for website and mobile app prototyping.

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tech

io xt

aja releases its first thunderboltpowered video device

New from AJA Video Systems is Io XT – the company's first Thunderbolt inspired device. Io XT connects to a Thunderbolt-enabled Apple computer via a single cable. An additional Thunderbolt port is provided, allowing daisy-chaining to other Thunderbolt peripherals like high bandwidth storage and high-resolution displays through a single interface; simplifying the connection of multiple devices and creating a very portable package.

Io XT supports many capture and playback formats, unifying them through its 10-bit hardware up-, down- and cross-conversion capability. There are also two 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs. The included HDMI input and output support 3D, while a single-link SDI has 4:2:2 support and the single- and dual-link SDI has 4:4:4 support. A 10-bit analogue HD/SD component and composite output is also there. A nine-pin RS422 connector allows hooking up professional video cameras. Users can capture, monitor and master uncompressed video content to Apple ProRes, DVCProHD, CineForm, Avid DNxHD and other programs. The front panel houses LED VU meters.

The hardware ships with the equally new AJA Control Room software that allows controlling AJA and other equipment to allow configuration, audio and video capture, conversion, playback and output through a graphically rich interface.

As the only Thunderbolt-enabled video I/O device on the market with dual Thunderbolt ports, Io XT opens up a host of new workflow capabilities to video professionals. Io XT is available immediately through local AJA reseller Touchvision Digital Media Solutions and retails for R12 950 VAT inclusive.

www.touchvision.co.za

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tech

lightroom 4 improved shadow and highlight recovery and digital photography workflows mark new release The new release of Adobe Lightroom – Version 4 – is an essential digital photography workflow solution – helping amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase their images.

Lightroom 4 is a big release, adding significant new capabilities and innovations. Among new features are new shadow and highlight recovery capabilities, the ability to soft-proof images, improved auto adjustments to dynamically set values for exposure and contrast, and added local adjustment controls, such as noise reduction, moire and white balance. The new Books and Map modules let you order photo books and display geotagged images on a world map with reverse geo-tagging controls, respectively. You also get new video controls to play, trim and extract frames from video clips and export in H.264 to Facebook and Flickr.

Lightroom 4 provides photographers the tools to create beautiful photo books with text controls and a variety of easy-to-use templates, as well as a direct link for photo book creation from within the new Book module. A new intuitive Map module displays images already assigned a location, provides location tagging and reverse geo-tagging controls and saved locations for easy assignment of a photographer’s common locations. Native video support gives

photographers the capability to play, trim and extract frames from video clips shot on DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones. Video-specific presets and many standard Lightroom image adjustment controls can be applied to video clips, and adjusted videos can be exported as a H.264 file or published directly to Facebook or Flickr.

The addition of soft proofing helps photographers tune images in a destination colour space to ensure content looks its best.

In addition, customers can now email images directly from Lightroom using an email account of their choice.

Lightroom has been growing in popularity across the education sector in schools, colleges and universities. It is easy to see why as it allows users to easily manage the workflow process from image capture to final publication.

publishing guide quark outputs publishing guide Quark has announced the free availability on the App Store of QuarkXPress 9: The New Publishing, an indepth guide on how to use the award-winning layout software to create print designs, as well as eBooks and iPad apps. First published as a special supplement to the UK's biweekly Mac magazine MacUser, the guide provides information on QuarkXPress 9's new print features, including videos, sideshows and audio files on Linkster, Image Grid, Cloner, Story Editor and Conditional Styles. It also explains how creative professionals can produce outstanding eBooks with Reflow View and Relfow tag mapping. A special section is dedicated to digital publishing with App Studio and iPad publishing

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economics.

Keith Martin, technical editor at MacUser, said, "Putting the iPad version of the XPress 9 supplement together was a great experience and a wonderful way to test the software. Building next-generation layouts in such a mature publishing tool was straightforward and enjoyable. Managing the layout – multiple orientations, scrolling content and all – was impressively simple.

This is a product that's made for designers, not technicians." http://itunes.apple.com/app/macuser-guide/ id508563724?ls=1&mt=8

advertorial

HP Z1 Workstation power without the tower

In an age where smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks get the lion’s share of attention, power-users are often neglected. After all, imagine a world without movies like Avatar, Kung Fu Panda, Slumdog Millionaire and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Enter HP's workstation range for the most demanding power user. No compromises were made with the new HP Z1 workstation: It combines the awesome capabilities of a workstation with the elegance of an all-in-one to meet the demanding visualisation and computing needs of power users.

HP workstations are designed to meet the needs of some of the most computer-intensive industries, including animation, film/video editing, graphic design, CAD, architecture, photography, high-definition video, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, scientific imaging and oil and gas exploration.

designed for work

processors. Your work can further be enhanced with the HD Webcom, SRS Premium Sound processing and whisper-quiet acoustics.

The Z1 workstation gives you all the customisability options you need. You have a choice of optical drives, like the slot-load Blu-ray Writer, not to mention a variety of storage types including 7.2K and 10K SATA, SSD options, and optional RAID configurations. Easily add a hard-drive, upgrade memory or access the graphics card by snapping it open and enjoy the control of easily swapping out parts on your own.

Starting from R18 999, the Z1 features a 27-inch LED-backlit display that has an impressive 178 degree-viewing angle. It features professional NVIDIA Quadro graphics for blazing fast renders and performance so you can give your creativity free reign. So what are you waiting for? Come and flex the Z1 workstation’s impressive computing muscle and see what you are capable of doing in front of this creative powerhouse.

More information is available at www.hp.co.za/workstation.

HP Z workstations are being used to design everything from running shoes and race cars to animated characters and deep-sea submersibles. They are also used to manage research labs, mission-critical IT environments and billions of Rands of tradable securities.

The Z1 is the only all-in-one workstation with quad-core Intel Xeon

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print

arty prints

the practice of fine art photography is constantly evolving For decades, many photographers have been taking photos with artistic intent, carefully processing and printing them, and then displaying their works in art galleries alongside revered paintings and sculptures. In fact, according to Wikipedia, one of history’s most notable figures who first introduced fine art photography into museum collections was Alfred Stieglitz, whose 1907 photograph – The Steerage – was one of the first works of artistic modernism.

What sets fine art photography apart from normal photography or even photo journalism is exactly what sets a painting apart from a

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photograph – the composition and elements, and the medium. The photographer is the artist and the photo serves a greater purpose than to support a story or fill a gap on a printed page.

Just like a painter would carefully select a subject, consider the story or emotion he/she intends to portray, and then compose the work of art, so would a fine art photographer do the same. However, the only difference is that the camera is the photographer’s paint and brush, and the paper used to print on is the canvas.

Until recently, fine art photography was only the domain of photog-

print

raphers who had the resources, expertise and patience to take an inspired photograph, manipulate the various elements in the processing lab or in a high-end expensive photo-editing suite, and then print their work on a canvas or piece of fine art paper before framing and mounting it for personal use or resale. The difference today is that almost anyone has the ability to turn their photographs into 'fine art' because technology has made it accessible and relatively affordable to do so.

right toolset The first step is to make sure you have decent photo editing software (much of which is freely available on the Internet). Once you’ve edited your image to your satisfaction, you can print it using a decent photo printer that is capable of handling fine art media – like the Epson Stylus Pro R3000 – or you can make use of the services of a professional printing company.

Please keep in mind that there’s so much more choice in photo paper nowadays than just matte or glossy paper when printing photos. A number of new innovations in printers and printing media mean that you can print eye-catching images on different surfaces such as canvas, fine art or textured painting paper.

Epson in particular has made major strides in the fine art printing market – making it affordable for amateurs and semi-professionals to invest in a good fine art-capable photo printer, and for professional printing companies to offer affordable fine art printing services.

mad about the medium Fine art photographers really are spoilt for choice when it comes to the types of paper that they can print on. And just as in conventional fine art, the medium on which your art is placed plays a big role in the success of the final product.

South African photographers and artists, such as Ginny Fletcher, Mike Castello, Merwelene van der Merwe and students from the Johannesburg School of Photography, have recognised this, and have specified Epson paper products to show off their art to the best possible advantage.

Artists and photographers require a variety of media surfaces for their professional work. Epson recently introduced its first cotton paper for the desktop market, Velvet Fine Art Paper. With a base that is 100% cotton rag, buffered and acid free, this paper is coated with Epson's popular Enhanced Matte coating, giving exceptional colour gamut and high D-Max. The velvet surface is a favourite of photographers and artists alike, offering a unique museum quality feel. Combining impressive fine art cotton with proven technology has created a paper that will be a classic for years to come.

rewarding Many people have flipped through their photo collection at some point and thought to themselves, "That would make a very nice painting." Whether you’re a consummate professional or someone who wants to start playing around with printing your photos on fine art media, it’s a great time to dive into what can be a very rewarding and, yes, potentially lucrative hobby. It may even become a profession.

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print

print the future hp unveils breakthrough colour inkjet web press technology, showcases new indigo portfolio at drupa

Taking high-speed inkjet capabilities to the next level, at drupa 2012 HP demonstrated its metre-wide full-colour HP Inkjet Web Press operating at 244 metres per minute, featuring new inks, printheads and glossy coated paper that support faster print speeds without compromising image quality. The higher-speed colour capability will be available in select systems or as an optional upgrade next year.

HP also announced strong market acceptance of its new portfolio, including 5 beta customers for the HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press, the first B2-format sheet-fed HP press on the market and one of six new HP Indigo presses introduced in March.

HP also signed agreements with more than 70 print service providers (PSPs) for the new HP Indigo 5600 and 7600 Digital Presses. In addition, it said it has already received orders for its first complete high-speed mono and colour imprinting solutions and its new series of higher-speed inkjet web presses. The company now has installed more than 70 HP Inkjet Web Presses worldwide, which have produced a cumulative total of more than eleven billion pages.

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digital is it At drupa 2012, HP demonstrated its new digital portfolio running real-world applications, including label and packaging, publishing, direct mail and sign and display. The company also launched: n A solution-development relationship for folding cartons with Stora Enso to integrate an in-line coating unit with the new HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press n An expansion of the ColorPRO Technology licensing programme to a broader range of products, technologies and applications n Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for a range of HP photo and technical papers n A new accessory for HP Designjet L26500 and L28500 that improves loading on textile media n A version of the cloud-based HP Hiflex Web-To-Print Solution for sign and display printing applications, under the HP SmartStream Workflow Solutions umbrella.

print

inkjet drives new applications HP Inkjet Web Press technologies – first unveiled at drupa 2008 – have helped customers achieve significant advancements in publishing, production mail and other applications. The new HP T410, T360 and T230 Color Inkjet Web Presses feature new advanced inkjet printhead technology and nanotechnology pigment inks, supporting higher speeds without compromising image quality. "With the improved productivity and quality of HP printing systems, we see inkjet presses now extending beyond direct mail and publishing applications to penetrate the market for high-volume general commercial print,"said Christopher Morgan, Senior Vice President, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. To provide customers with greater access to HP Exstream Customer Communications Management, HP also announced new, specially priced bundles for HP Inkjet Web Press customers.

HP is working with leading suppliers to expand the range of HP Inkjet Web Press-compatible coated and glossy papers. This includes the first glossy paper with ColorPRO Technology, available from Appleton Coated, as well as new papers in development from Arjowiggins Graphic, Metsä Board and Sappi.

new opportunities in large format New solutions and media offerings for HP Designjet and Scitex large format printing customers extend beyond traditional signage to décor, textiles, traffic signage and packaging. At drupa HP showcased a white ink kit and an automatic loader for the HP Scitex FB7500 and FB7600 industrial presses, and a new cloud-based version of HP SmartStream Production Analyzer for automatic monitoring of HP Scitex production operations.

According to HP, its latex technologies have helped PSPs enter new markets, such as wall coverings, textiles and traffic signage. Finally, HP showcased a platen cover for the newest HP Designjet L26500 and L28500 latex printers to improve loading of textile media.

www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts; www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts

indigo world The first beta installations for the HP Indigo 10000 will be made in late 2012, with commercial availability scheduled for early next year. Beta users will include Consolidated Graphics (United States), Elanders (Germany), Old City Press (Israel), Precision Printing (UK) and Wing Hung Group (Hong Kong). "Having the B2-format size opens up many more opportunities for us in terms of efficiencies and new jobs that presently cannot be produced on digital presses," said John Lau, chairman, Wing Hung Group.

HP also announced a new solution-development relationship for folding cartons with packaging board and solutions provider Stora Enso to integrate an in-line coating unit with the new HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press. This will maximise productivity, streamline the workflow and deliver printed and coated finished sheets ready for die cutting and folding – similar to the output of current offset printed cartons.

PSPs already are taking advantage of the higher productivity, increased automation and expanded versatility of HP's new flagship commercial sheet-fed Indigo 7600 Digital Press. Available now, the press offers unique high-value effects that help PSPs create highervalue decoration for invitations, greeting cards, luxury product brochures and other print materials. "We have a number of customers that are looking to add value to products," said Nick White, product development director, Mimeo CLE, UK. "Anything we can do to add new features and benefits to the products, such as the textured effects available on the HP Indigo 7600, is something we are keen to take to market."

"we're driving an unstoppable transformation from analogue to digital printing, where our broad portfolio of digital solutions is reshaping the products and services psps can offer their customers." – christopher morgan, senior vice president, graphics solutions business, hp

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read more

where it's at guest edited by richard hart and designed by disturbance, where it's at is the first in a series of limited editions inspired by the erstwhile design indaba magazine

Billed as a survey of SA creativity, the magazine, entitled Where It's At, consists of 84 text pages, 28 gatefold posters and a cover that folds out as a colourfully large map of Africa. According to Design Indaba, it has come to realise that other people's voices – and more specifically, Design Indaba alumni – are far more interesting than their own. Future projects could be produced as DVDs, a documentary, a coffee table book or a poster collection. A veritable manual to South African design, Where It’s At features articles that include:

two-colour, gatefold poster adds a tangible, illustrative quality to the ideas and debates under discussion. The publication’s dust cover is an intricate full-colour, folded design which opens up to reveal a map of Africa. Where It’s At is an important publication as it serves to take stock of where South African design is at today.

We spoke to Hart about the project:

n An overview of the South African creative community, including a directory of key players and an overview of prevailing trends n A series of profiles of emerging designers as nominated by established industry leaders n Conversations between leading South Africa creatives who have taken their talents to the world stage n Opinions on Africa from international design commentators including Julie Lasky and Lynda Relph-Knight n Proposals from leading South African designers on creating a better Africa.

In addition to this compilation of intriguing reading material, Hart also commissioned 28 South African artists and designers to create posters that are included within the pages of the publication. Each

Richard Hart: Well, firstly the intention was for it to be something more than a magazine...not quite a book but not quite a mag either (Ravi [Naidoo, founder of Interactive Africa, the organisers of Design Indaba] calls it a mook. I'm partial to boogazine!) so it is immediate, it's about the moment and therefore has the periodical nature of a mag – while perhaps being bookish in its presentation and its ambition. Secondly, I think it's important because it makes a very earnest (though subjective and highly debatable) attempt at documenting the state of design in SA right now.

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Enjin: Why publish the magazine?

E: How did you decide who to feature? How did you decide on the content and design?

read more

RH: That's where the subjective bit comes in...I covered friends, people who interest me. I wanted something deeper than the usual glossy design mag shtick where smoke is ceremoniously blown up the arses of all the usual suspects. So I was pretty blatant in finding some angles and stories that interested me personally and that hopefully gave a refreshingly skewed take on things...Although representative too, I hope.

E: How do you see the role of SA design in a global context? Can a publication like this help get the word out?

RH: The publishers [Design Indaba] imagine South Africa as becoming a world design hub. Being to creativity what India is to call centers. I'm a bit more circumspect. But what I'm hugely encouraged by in the last few years is our collective sense of self worth and self confidence. It seems we are increasingly happy with ourselves as an audience – and I think ultimately that becomes quite sexy to the rest of the world. Which I think is a healthy place to be.

E: How long did the project take?

RH: Two very long months.

E: Tell us more about the printing.

RH: The dust jacket is a huge, full colour die cut-map of Africa that folds down. Very lavish. By contrast the inside is all printed in two colours – black and a spot grey. I wanted it to go against the grain of conventional design publishing which is slick and glossy. The paper was intended to be a cheap and cheerful 'cartridge' type stock – but it actually turned out to be pretty pricey and, eventually, a compromise had to be made. We finally printed it on coated paper which, ironically, printed way nicer than the cartridge paper would have.

ENJIN 56 57

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Vega Orbit Vega Orbit is the Continuing Professional Development division of Vega. Specialists in Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Creative Communications and Innovation, Vega Orbit offers innovative parttime qualifications and short learning programmes. Orbit provides you with new levels of awareness, creativity and skill, preparing you for a future when great ideas will be the only global currency. t: 011 521-4600/012 342-4770 t: 031 266-2595/021 425-7491 www.facebook.com/vegaschool

The Training School Learn2 Learn2 Digital Media Academy can help you to transform your artistry into a rewarding and profitable career in animation, visualisation or visual effects when you earn your Autodesk certification.  Autodesk Authorised Training Centre  Full-time courses  Part-time courses

The Training School offers creative training solutions to enable you to master the skills needed to get the most out of your Adobe software. Their mission is to empower you.  Adobe Authorised Training Centre  Adobe Photoshop  Adobe Illustrator  Adobe InDesign

t: 021 421-5501 info@learn2.co.za www.learn2.co.za

t: 011 442-5136 pam@thetrainingschool.co.za www.thetrainingschool.co.za

Friends of Design

Concept Interactive

Friends of Design offers full time certificate, part time evening and customised digital courses in Print, Web and Motion Graphic design. Recognised as a trendsetter in the industry, students immerse themselves in a unique blend of art and digital, where technology and creativity come together under one roof and ultimately prepare themselves for a fulfilling career in digital graphics through practical, live projects and exposure to international trainers.  Adobe Authorised Training Centre  Apple Authorised Training Centre  MAPPP-SETA accredited  Provisionally recognised by the Department of Education as a centre of Higher Education (until 2013).

Concept Interactive is a leading digital design school situated in Cape Town. We have been providing internationally accredited training since 1992 in areas such as print and web design and, more recently, new media and programming for design. Our students receive expert, personalised attention from industry professional lecturers within a creative and stimulating environment.

This means that they're highly skilled when they graduate. And highly employable.

Provisionally registered with the Department of Education as a Private Higher Education Institution and as a Private FET College.  SAQA Registered 3-year Diploma  SAQA registered 1-year National Certificate

t: 21 461-0971 info@friendsofdesign.net friendsofdesign.net

 Adobe Authorised Training Center  MAPPP-SETA Accredited t: 021 461 3371 info@conceptinteractive.net/www.conceptinteractive.net

ENJIN 56 59

60 ENJIN 56 2012