FREE GIFT worth £5.99!
100-page eBook: DESIGN CAREER handbook johnson banks presents:
ISSUE 243 august 2015 DIGITAL EDITION prODUCed in the UK
NEW T A L EN T
logo design secrets Craft a striking brand mark
Winner REVEALED! D&AD NEW BLOOD COVER CONTEST results
SPECIAL
Get noticed as a new graduate The best of 2015’s degree shows Get more from your internship And more...
DESIGN A RETRO ANIMATION
How Trunk achieved a lo-fi videogame vibe in its latest music video for Blur
BE A BETTER team PLAYER
Revealed: the secrets of the world’s most successful design teams
WEL CO M E
august 2015
editor’s letter Graduate show season is frantic and fantastic in equal measure for us here at CA. We’ve spent the last couple of months scouring the UK for the most inspiring, industry-ready design graduates, and have deliberated long and hard before presenting our carefully curated final selection to you in this, our second annual New Talent special. We’re also delighted to reveal the final cover design by Julia Frances, winner of our D&AD New Blood contest. Thanks to our print finishing partners Celloglas, we’ve enhanced her quirky, charming ‘talent terrarium’ with a combination of transparent glitter foil, satin silver foil and an emboss for good measure. On page 44, we explore the science of a successful creative team in an article that’s equally valuable whether you’re joining a studio environment in your first job, or the one running the team yourself. Next month, we go from raw inspiration to the realities of cold, hard cash with a Money special – which will cover everything from getting paid what you deserve to how to make any project budget go further, and guarantee top-notch work every time. Speaking of top-notch work, as we go to press we’ve just finished judging the phenomenal entries to the Brand Impact Awards 2015. Winners will be revealed on 16 September; book a seat at the awards ceremony at www.brandimpactawards.com – see you there!
keep in touch with…
twitter.com/ computerarts
facebook.com/ computerarts
Nick Carson Editor
nick.carson@futurenet.com
featuring
julia francEs
Winner of our D&AD New Blood cover design contest, Julia Frances is currently studying at Glasgow Clyde College. Having previously studied music, she returned to study graphic design in 2012 and is now in her third year. Read about the rest of our top 12 shortlisted entries on page 18. www.juliafrancesdesign.co.uk
miguel cano
Miguel is a freelance art director and designer based in Madrid, whose clients include fashion and lifestyle brands as well as cultural institutions. He was head of creative for the Barcelonabased Cotton House Hotel branding project – follow his working process in the Projects section on page 76. www.miguelcanodesign.com
Josh Patterson
Josh is an award-winning freelance illustrator and recent graduate from Birmingham City University. Josh illustrated this month’s extended feature on being a better team player. Whether you’re starting your first job or running a design team yourself, flip to page 44. www.joshpatterson.co.uk
kath tudball
Kath is a senior designer and team leader at johnson banks where she has worked for over a decade. Her awardwinning creative projects include stamps for Royal Mail and a rebrand of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Follow her process as she creates a cheeky brand logo for an adult ice cream on page 83. www.johnsonbanks.co.uk
computerarts.creativeb loq.com -4-
stephen simmonds
Creative director of awardwinning motion design studio weareseventeen, Stephen takes us behind the scenes on an ambitious recent foray into sci-fi CGI, including many hours spent on perfecting exploding rock particle effects. Turn to page 90 for more. www.weareseventeen.com
M EET T H E T E AM
august 2015
Meet the team Future Publishing Ltd, QUAY HOUSE, THE AMBURY, BATH BA1 1UA Phone 01225 442 244 Fax 01225 732 275 Email hello@computerarts.co.uk Web computerarts.creativebloq.com
Nick Carson
Editorial
Production & DISTRIBUTION
editor This month Nick was at the D&AD New Blood festival and also judged the Brand Impact Awards. The rest of the time he spent coming to terms with the fact that his girlfriend is so much better at go-karting than he is.
Jo Gulliver Art editor jo.gulliver@futurenet.com
Printing: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Finishing partner: Celloglas Distribution: Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, Tel: 0207 429 4000 Overseas distribution: Seymour International
jo gulliver
Tim Hardwick OPERATIONS editor tim.hardwick@futurenet.com
Circulation
Rich Carter Designer richard.carter@futurenet.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Nick Carson Editor nick.carson@futurenet.com
Julia Sagar COMMISSIONING editor julia.sagar@futurenet.com SAMMY MAINE DEPUTY COMMISSIONING editor sammy.maine.@futurenet.com alice pattillo STAFF WRITER alice.pattillo@futurenet.com DOMINIC CARTER STAFF WRITER dominic.carter@futurenet.com
Contributors
Rob Alderson, Becca Allen, Miles Bullough, Miguel Cano, Kevin Cantrell, FranklinTill, Radim Malinic, Pete Mellor, Michael Molfetas, Shaw Nielsen, Josh Patterson, Jack Renwick, Adrian Shaughnessy, Dashiell Silva, Stephen Simmonds, Snask, Laura Snoad, Anna Richardson Taylor, Kath Tudball, Tom Woolley
Advertising
For all ad enquiries please contact: SUZANNE SMITH Client director suzanne.smith@futurenet.com
VivIENNE CALVERT Production controller Mark Constance Production manager
Art editor Jo got to attend a talk by veteran designer Margaret Calvert, whose work appears all over the country on the UK’s road signs. She also got shunted off the gokart track by former CA sub-editor Ruth Hamilton.
JULIETTE WINYARD Trade marketing manager: 07551 150 984
charlotte lloyd-williams Direct marketing executive charlotte.lloyd-williams@futurenet.com
Tim HarDwick
OPERATIONS editor Tim was also at D&AD New Blood and got to meet this year’s CA New Talent cover contest winner. Gokarting wise, he suffered a fair few spin-outs on the wet track but the rain couldn’t dampen his fun.
UK readers: 0844 848 2852 Overseas readers: +44 (0)1604 251045 Online enquiries: myfavouritemagazines.co.uk computerarts@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Licensing
Regina Erak International director regina.erak@futurenet.com
Rich Carter
Tel: +44 (0)1225 442244 Fax: +44 (0)1225 732275
Designer This month saw Rich pad around all the London grad shows searching for this issue’s new talent. Then he was back in the capital to man the Computer Arts stall at D&AD New Blood. He also started indoor climbing!
MANAGEMENT
Nial Ferguson Content & Marketing director MATT PIERCE Head of Content & Marketing, Photography, Creative & Design DAN OLIVER Group editor-in-chief, Creative & Design RODNEY DIVE Group art director, Photography, Creative & Design TOM MAY Group content editor
COMMISSIONING te am julia sagar
Next issue on sale
21 August 2015
COMMISSIONING EDITOR It was Julia’s 32nd birthday and the creative content team bought her a shoe voucher, which was much appreciated since she’s been walking round the office in flip-flops for the last month.
Want to work for Future? Visit www.futurenet.com/jobs
Future is an award-winning international media group and leading digital business. We reach more than 49 million international consumers a month and create world-class content and advertising solutions for passionate consumers online, on tablet and smartphone, and in print.
All contents copyright © 2015 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
sammy maine
deputy commissioning editor Sammy was delighted to get a dog this month, and she called it Pickle. It’s a cross between a pug/poodle and a griffon. She also joined Rich visiting this year’s grad shows around London, but Pickle stayed at home.
production notes printers
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
text and cover CMYK, pantone 304 LIGHT BLUE William Gibbons TRANSPARENT GLITTER FOIL, SATIN SILVER FOIL AND EMBOSSING BY
comp u terarts .creativeblo q.com -5-
paper
cover Precision Special Gloss FSC 250gsm P3–74: Galerie Fine FSC 115gsm P83–98: GraphoInvent 75gsm
typefaces
Trump Gothic West, Neutraface Text & Display, Calluna
august 2015
ISSUE 24 3 AUGUS T 20 15 Culture 8
Trends: Lose yourself in The Brutalist Playground, a foam installation by Assemble and Simon Terrill
12
P eople: Vault49’s Jonathan Kenyon on his agency’s expansion and a studio tour from LouLou and Tummie
14
P laces: Illustrator Shaw Nielsen takes us on a tour around America’s Mile High City: Denver, Colorado
16
vents SPECIAL: Adrian Shaughnessy reports from E Typographics in NYC, plus news from Here London
Showcase
Insight 24 branding with emotion: Designer and D&AD New Blood Black Pencil judge Jack Renwick considers what this year’s talented grads have to offer 28
Our selection of the world’s best new graphic design, illustration and motion graphics work 32
don’t panic, new graduates! Computer Arts’ very own Rich Carter shares his experience since his own graduation, and urges you all not to panic
kids animation is where it’s at: Wildseed 30 Studios’ Miles Bullough shares his advice for making an original, successful animation series for children
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH 83 craft a logo mark using negative space: Senior designer Kath Tudball reveals how johnson banks developed a novel, cheeky, eye-catching identity system for an adults-only ice cream brand, then explored its implementation
Project diaries
A visual language designed for a new Barcelona hotel, the making of a music video for Blur’s new single, and behind the scenes on an ambitious new sci-fi short 75
FREE £5.99 eBOOK !
51 THE DESIGN CAREER HANDBOOK 100 pages of advice to help you carve a successful career in design
computerarts.creativeb loq.com -8-
C O N TE N TS
august 2015
D &A D NE W B LOOD COVE R CONTES T
cover CONTEST TOP 12
S peci a l R ep or t
new stars of design
Find out first who’s going to set the creative industries on fire, with our exclusive pick of 2015’s most exciting new graduates 52
Discover which students and recent graduates made the final shortlist in our annual D&AD New Blood cover design contest, as well as further details on overall winner Julia Frances, whose cover adorns this issue. Plus, what CA got up to at this year’s D&AD New Blood festival 18
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE UP TO 59% Three great ways to subscribe to the world’s best design mag: Print Digital Both 42
•
ne ed t o kn o w i nd u stry i ss u es
Be a team player
Whether you’re part of a design team or running it yourself, here’s how to ensure everything goes smoothly every time 44
Get More from your internship
Anna Richardson Taylor explores what a studio internship can involve, and how to maximise your chances of getting employed afterwards 94
com puterarts.creativeb loq.com -9-
•
•
computerarts.creativeb loq.com -8-
WE LOVE...
soft concrete Lose yourself in The Brutalist Playground, a new foam installation by Assemble and Simon Terrill ncreasingly spatial design is being used to facilitate a new experience or set of interactions. Incorporating a sense of ‘play’ or productive discomfort within physical environments requires us to let go and trust our senses, challenging and subverting our perceptions of reality. The Brutalist Playground is a brand new commission by artist Simon Terrill and Turner Prize nominees Assemble at the RIBA Architectural Gallery, London. The conceptual installation encourages visitors to experience the world of Brutalist design of the mid-20th Century from another perspective. Full-size replicas of defunct Brutalist-style playgrounds fill the entire gallery space. However, there is no concrete to be found here. Sculptural forms that would have been originally constructed from concrete have been playfully re-interpreted into a climbable landscape of reconstituted foam. Large-scale geometric shapes, in various pastel shades, create an abstract immersive playground for children and adults alike.
i
On until the 16 August at RIBA Architecture Gallery, Portland Place, London www.architecture.com Each month, our Trends section is curated by experienced creative consultancy FranklinTill (www.franklintill.com). com puterarts.creativeb loq.com -9-
CULTUR E T rend s
2 1
5
D E S I G NED FOR LI FE
DESIGNER t-shirt special
6
These five designers and brands will help you express your creative edge while staying cool as we head into August
1 ALERNATIVE AESTHETICS
www.alternativeaesthetics.co.uk Alternative Aesthetics is the alias of Cardiff-based creative Colin Kersley, who creates tattoo designs, murals, T-shirts and more. This particular design showcases the logo of his personal studio. Price: £30
2 Yellow bird project #1
www.yellowbirdproject.com The Yellow Bird Project is a Montreal-based organisation that gets your favourite bands to design T-shirts for its chosen charity. This number was created for Little Boots by her go-to illustrator Chrissie Abbott. Price: $25
3 Tim Easley #1
www.timeasley.com London-based illustrator Tim Easley loves all things weird and wonderful. This T-shirt design sees him brightly illustrate the anatomy of a skull, which is firstly hand-drawn and then scanned and coloured in Photoshop. Price: £10
compute ra rts .creati vebloq.co m - 10 -
4 Yellow bird project #2
www.yellowbirdproject.com Dabbling mostly in indie rockstars, the Yellow Bird Project has recruited everyone from Bon Iver to Hot Chip to The National. This second design was created by The New Pornographers, with all proceeds going to ALS. Price: $30
T rend s CULTURE
Stay one step ahead with our barometer of visual cool
3
4
M ainstream
Marble is surely the texture of the moment, appearing across fashion, photography and graphics.
8
STILL FRESH
Oversized house plants have become synonymous with the 1970s and are many stylists’ choice of floral prop.
5 LAzy oaf
www.lazyoaf.com Founded by graphic designer Gemma Shiel, Lazy Oaf produces the kind of playful garments you won’t find anywhere else. This Eyes and Teeth crop showcases a bold candy-stripe pattern and scallop hem teeth. Price: £20
6 Tim easley #2
www.timeasley.com As well as experimenting with colour, Easley is a dab-hand when it comes to type. In this second design, he shows off his skills with Fuck Shit Up! – a motto we’re sure every designer has tried to live by in some way. Price: £10
7 Peter judson
www.paom.com/collections/p-j A designer and printmaker in London, Peter Judson has worked with Monocle, Yahoo, Esquire and more. This T-shirt design is a brilliant example of his playful work, using repeated patterns in vibrant colours. Price: $38
compute ra rts .creati vebloq.co m - 11 -
emer ging
Spray paint creates the perfect contrast between controlled graphics and spontaneous mark making.
Illustration: Michael Molfetas, www.michaelmolfetas.com
7
CULTUR E PEO PL E M y s t yle I S ...
London bus driver steez
Vault49 co-founder and executive creative director Jonathan Kenyon on why his studio’s branching out
Kyle Platts is a South London based illustrator and artist who creates visual mind melts for big brands. www.kyleplatts.com
ACAB Tattoo A few years ago I got stopped by the police for cycling on the pavement, I was so pissed off I went home and gave myself an ‘All Coppers Are Bastards’ tattoo.
Nike Golf Cap I got this in the airport on the way to Marbella; I had the most relaxing holiday eating ice-cream and drinking beers by a pool. The hat has a blood stain on the peak now, I don’t know where this is from.
N E W VE NTURE S
VAULT49 GOES TOTALLY GLOBAL Vault49 co-founder and executive creative director Jonathan Kenyon explains why the agency is tripling its number of offices this year ward-winning agency Vault49 is branching out. Born in Britain and then moving to the Big Apple, the team has created campaigns for the likes of Adobe, Fiat, Vodafone and Oreo. The agency’s next venture sees it heading south and opening up a new office in Brazil as well as going back to its roots with a new opening in London. Here, founder and creative executive director Jonathan Kenyon explains the reasoning behind the new studios and what it means for the future of Vault49.
A
Illustration: Dashiell Silva, www.dashiellsilva.com
Why a new office in Brazil?
Ear Plugs I hate these things, but I got tinnitus from going to a techno night in Berlin, and now this is part of my look whenever I go to clubs or gigs.
Over the years we’ve met some very talented people in Rio and São Paulo and in true Vault49-fashion, we’ve established a partnership with people who make us smile, doing work we enjoy. A São Paulo office is the perfect fit for Vault49. Brazilian clients have a lot to bring in terms of great creative briefs, while we’ve also been able to add really talented local designers to our team.
Have you noticed any big cultural differences yet?
What’s most striking are the similarities: the passion for design innovation and computerarts.creativeb loq.com - 12 -
high-calibre creative output matches that of New York and London, so it’s a great fit for Vault49 and our mission to create world-class design wherever we are. A few of us have been learning Portuguese for the last few years too, which certainly helps!
What made you open up an office back in London?
It’s a hugely positive opportunity both for our clients and Vault49’s growth. Our existing European clients will greatly benefit from having Vault49 representatives in their time zone: it will be good for their business and ultimately it will help client retention and generate more creative briefs for Vault49. It’s a win-win!
How did you decide the time was right to open up these new offices?
Our expansion is driven by existing client opportunities, and reinforced by the potential of new business. It’s really important to us that we can hit the ground running and we have strong commitments from existing clients in both London and Brazil that their investment in our studio will only increase by having a local presence.
What do these office openings mean for the future of Vault49?
Later this year we’re also moving into a new 7,000 square-foot studio in Soho, New York City. I think we have all the pieces in place to create the agency and studio culture of our dreams. Most importantly we’re enjoying the journey, and I think it shows in our team and in our work. www.vault49.com
ENJOYED READING THIS MAGAZINE? Subscribe and make great savings at www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk