Inhoudsopgave van May 2019 - Computer Arts

As huge fans of Studio.Build’s graphic design and branding work, we were delighted when the Leeds-based studio approached us to ask if we’d like to work with its team on a Computer Arts cover. Apart from the sheer pleasure of collaborating with such an esteemed studio, we knew that its stunning design and unique typography would make a fantastic contrast to the previous issue’s hyper-realistic beach scene by Max Guther. And the cover theme – how to create the perfect portfolio – seemed a natural fit for Studio.Build’s high-impact, editorially direct aesthetic. “Our first approach to the brief was to explore how the magazine title would apply to us as a studio,” explains Studio.Build’s Ellie Polston. “Our portfolio has an immense breadth of work, so we used individual characters from…

BEREN NEALE EDITOR Beren hasn’t been sleeping well of late. Perhaps it’s the changing seasons, or the thrill of work… or that his cat Ester has decided it’s awesome to head-butt his face every 10 minutes from 4am onwards. Who knows! MARK WYNNE ART EDITOR Inspired by Garrick Webster’s ace Bauhaus feature (p62), our art ed gradually vanished beneath an ever-expanding stack of research books. Special thanks to Lars Müller for his stunning set of archival reprints. CLIFF HOPE OPERATIONS EDITOR Cliff was chuffed to find out that we were covering Faber & Faber’s 90th anniversary, and how its design team created the look of the special editions. Sometimes the journey is just as interesting as the destination.…

Although relatively new to design, Joseph Lebus has an impressively mature take on how he works. “It’s the imperfection of it all that excites me the most,” he reveals, “as that’s where the most unexpected and surprising results come from.” Initially studying languages at Durham University, he only switched to design through several short courses after university. Lebus has always had an eye for aesthetics though, having grown up using his photojournalist mother’s cameras, exploring the balance of composition and “learning through making”. Having interned and freelanced for studios including Bunch, Bond, Accept & Proceed and Socio for the past six months, he’s about to join Made Thought as a junior designer. “This is a new chapter for me,” he says, “and I can’t wait.” See more of Lebus’s work…

TIM BLEASDALE Creative Director, Ostmodern www.ostmodern.co.uk The over-the-top (OTT) video market has become saturated. There are over 200 OTT video services available in the US, while 40 per cent of UK households subscribe to services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Major players like Disney are getting into the on-demand industry, as content producers try to keep pace with shifting broadcast models. This means that consumers are faced with an almost overwhelming level of choice. In an era where there are more screens and services vying for viewers’ attention than ever before, having the best content is important. For a service to stand out, however, it’s crucial to have the right user experience. Because of this, a considered approach to design is essential. I believe that this should be driven…

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“Don’t show work that you feel doesn’t represent who you are and what you stand for. If you’re just starting out and finding yourself scraping your archive for materials, I would suggest to profile yourself with just one single project that you feel very strongly about. That may be enough to instil trust with the person on the other side of the table, and making them see your potential.” Thijs Remie, vice-president of product design, WeTransfer “There’s a trend at the moment where people give their skills a rating: Photoshop Skills 8/10, say. Why would I want to employ someone who isn’t amazing at it? It might be that it’s not your strongest skill, but don’t highlight it!” Paul Ray, creative director, Chapter “I value a clear demonstration of talent,…

ISSUE 290 THE HOTLIST ■ Revealed: the world’s leading illustrators ■ How creatives are pushing for gender equality in the industry ■ Morag Myerscough on her striking artworks ISSUE 289 BUSINESS Turn your business ideas into a success, Studio Dalton Maag reveals its type secrets, and we conclude our round-up of the leading lights in design. ISSUE 288 DISRUPTION Top creatives reveal why you should disrupt your design approach, we talk to Victoria Bee on her largerthan-life projects, and hear from industry game changers. ISSUE 287 NEW TRENDS Celebrate the hottest design trends and learn the best route to self-publishing. Also, Kate Dawkins speaks to her work as a live experience designer. ISSUE 286 LOGO DESIGN Uncover the secrets to creating logos equipped for the modern age, and we discuss…

Although the Bauhaus aimed to develop a visual language for the future, the school never had a logo. Arguably, the work spoke for itself and the Bauhaus identity was there to be seen in the geometric textiles (4) created by Anni Albers, the Wassily chair designed by Marcel Breuer (2) or Marianne Brandt’s semi-spherical teapot (5). Of course, there’s also the distinctive Dessau school building itself, designed by Walter Gropius (6). Perhaps the closest the school came to an emblem was the side-on face created by Oskar Schlemmer (3). It became the motif of the movement. “Like any good logo, Oskar Schlemmer’s ‘face emblem’ performed this remarkable gesture: he took something as ancient as the profile on a Roman coin and remade it as a modern archetype. He created an…

In this month’s behemoth ode to the perennial optimism and influence of Bauhaus in design, Pentagram partner Sascha Lobe comments, “In the beginning, everything was done by artists. Then they basically invented graphic design.” I love that sentiment, because it hints at the interlinked nature of all creative endeavours – a principle at the core of the early 20th century German movement, which threw away stuffy hierarchies, and elevated all forms of creativity with the goal of finding how best to communicate with people. As the feature notes, ideals about transparency of thought and purpose, and any real desire for meaningful communication, often come about in response to the shittier side of humanity. For Bauhaus it was a Europe imploding on itself. Is today’s divisive political circus and its murky…

Everyone loves a drink after a long day’s work, right? That’s something that digital creative agency Waste Creative definitely believes to be true, so much so it’s started brewing its own Bottomless Beer: a beer that never runs out (at least to prospective clients). The Waste Pale Ale has been lovingly brewed by Waste’s creative partner Mike Petricevic and strategy director Christian Perrins, and is now the centre of a merry marketing push to work with likeminded creatives. “We’ve sent bottles out to potential new clients with the promise that when they need a refill, we’ll pop by with more beers, talk shop and hopefully leave with a new brief,” says Waste’s Sarah Ollington. The team has been making the beer for a few years, but with a new website…

Strong opinion and analysis from across the global design industry ANDREW GELLER Executive producer, 1stAveMachine www.1stavemachine.com Everybody these days loves storytelling. Brands love stories that enable them to connect to their audiences in more meaningful ways. People just love to be entertained. And now, with an unlimited amount of apps, sites, social media platforms and formats for content, from GIFs and spots, to short web films and branded content, it’s become much easier to do just that. So then, why are we seeing the same old types of content created and shared in basically the same ways? Why aren’t the stories on these platforms concepted, created and distributed in ways that reflect the diverse and different tastes of the people that watch them? It’s because most brands and creatives telling…

“JOBS ARE SO FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, YOU NEED TO BE OPEN MINDED”PAUL RAY CREATIVE D IRECTOR Whether you’re on the hunt for your next design job, or moving into the world of freelancing after working in-house, as a creative professional you’ll live or die on the strength of your portfolio. You may think you’re pretty talented in the design department or know Photoshop like the back of your hand, but if your portfolio isn’t up to scratch then nobody will care. Yet, when consumed by the day-to-day hustle of managing multiple design projects and clients it’s easy to neglect your portfolio, and instead focus your energies on social media to promote your work. Once you’ve landed a full-time role you may get comfortable and forget updating it altogether. This could…

How did the idea for this book come about, and what was your aim? I wanted to create a picture book for my son that focused on the power of the imagination. I had intended for it to only be a few pages long, but over time it grew until it became a 30-page book. I was inspired by a beautiful book called Along a Long Road by Frank Viva, which is a simple story about taking a bike ride. For my book I plotted a quick structure that focused on going into dreamlike scenes where time on the outside didn’t change. While creating it, I realised this could be a unique way of promoting myself as an illustrator. Having a product to send out to current and future clients…

I often find my best designs happen when I allow my subconscious to take the wheel. In the same way that dreams offer our minds a way of processing our lived experiences, design enables a story’s elements to be recontextualised and bring forth new meanings. There’s a temptation in the graphic design world to see a response to a brief as a ‘solution’, and this is probably useful if you’re designing airport signage, but designing for works of fiction requires a different mode of thinking and, as any writer knows, nothing ruins a good question quite like an answer.…

JOSEPH LEBUS When so many people are encouraging you to do the best you can, it’s refreshing to see how Joseph Lebus is embracing imperfections in his type-led designs. Find out why on page 14. www.josephlebus.co.uk LISA HASSEL So, you’re seeking that dream job, but your portfolio is lacking a certain je ne sais quoi? Then Lisa Hassel’s feature on page 42 is required reading – she finds out what top recruiters want to see. www.inkygoodness.com ERIK KESSELS Step inside the mindspace of the irreverent creative Erik Kessels, and maybe you’ll be inspired to change your approach to design. Our interview with the Dutch artist begins on page 52. www.kesselskramer.com GARRICK WEBSTER It’s a double whammy for Garrick Webster this month, as he talks to agency SomeOne about its rebrand…

MILA SPASOVA Graphic designer, Dtail Studio www.dtailstudio.com JONATHAN PERUCHO Marketing designer www.jaytenstudio.com MONA NOUR Freelance illustrator and designer www.monanour.com “I enjoy watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. It features unique, over-the-top characters that take a lot of imagination, creativity and big personality to bring to life. The majority of people on the show are extremely gifted – not in just one category, but in a vast plethora of artistic activities such as theatrical makeup, sewing, acting and dancing. The race inspires me to strive to constantly enrich my personality and to develop interests outside of my comfort zone. The lesson I take from the show is that to stand out from all of your peers you need to be ultimately an interesting being as a whole – a rich character, not just…

“Go outside of your comfortable circle of peers and like-minded people. Try to get a different perspective on your work from, for example, someone who regularly recruits designers or even someone with a completely different background. Your neighbour should be able to understand your portfolio. See how that works out for you.” Thijs Remie, vice-president of product design, WeTransfer “For freelancers, a portfolio should represent the type of work that you’re looking for to get more of. Be very selective. Show just enough for someone to grasp a sense of your style, approach, signature… whatever. However, be careful not to distract by including too much, or completely different kinds of work.” Emma Hopton, associate creative director, Taxi “Ask someone to grade your projects as good, better or best. This takes…

“Rehearse and prepare, and get used to talking about yourself and your work. Don’t rush talking, or be scared to pause and take a deep breath if you lose your chain of thought. Confidence is built over time and, for junior creatives, this is just the start of your design journey.” Johanna Drewe, associate creative director, Output Group “Treat it as a piece of communication: what’s the most engaging way to present the work? What will another designer or agency find interesting about the work? Remember to end on a high note – no interviewer wants to be left deflated!” Laura Hussey, creative director, SomeOne “You need to have a good narrative, delivered with passion. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the brief, the insight or direction that was chosen and…

Austerity, trade wars, Brexit, that orange guy… with so much uncertainty around these days, there doesn’t seem much room for optimism. But hold that thought. 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, the German design school where a desire for change and free-thinking creativity led to a revolutionary new approach to architecture, art and design. Could it happen all over again? The Bauhaus was formed at a tumultuous point in European history in Weimar, the capital of the new German republic in 1919. Just to the east, in Moscow, the Bolsheviks were following a Marxist road towards a new society. Across Europe there was rejection of the old ways of thinking that led to the cataclysm of World War I. A fragile democracy was emerging in Germany and with…

The Bauhaus-Archiv in Berlin carries on the tradition of the original school and is a destination for millions of design students and tourists every year. In 2019, it will unveil a new, larger building, constructed adjacent to the original, which was designed by Walter Gropius and is an icon in the city. With such terrific architecture, the custodians of the Bauhaus tradition had never considered the lack of a brand identity a hindrance, but in 2014 commissioned Sascha Lobe of L2M2 to create its branding. While he didn’t create a logo, he did design a 555-character typeface that plays on the purity and functionality of geometry. “When we started to design for the Bauhaus-Archiv, we did visual research on every phase of it. In the beginning, everything was done by…

1. DISSECT THE OFFER “Our process always begins with getting to grips with the problem,” says designer Susie McGowan. “We dissect the client’s offer, their ambitions, their aesthetics – and that of their competitors – once we’re familiar with the world surrounding the client, the insights become easier to spot, and helps clear a path for the interesting directions you can take a project.” 2. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS You should always ask lots of questions, says McGowan, “even the ones you think you know the answer to. Getting a comprehensive overview of the problem always pays off later in the process.” 3. BE AWARE OF YOUR AUDIENCE “Try to think like the end user of the project, not a designer,” says senior designer Ash Watkins. “If you can always…

Faber & Faber runs a series of events called Faber Social, which bring people together with music and literature. Faber Social Greatest Hits is a series of music-related books, and its cover designs draw inspiration from the marketing materials used for Faber Social events. The event marketing is copy-rich. I felt the boxes/modules were a good way of separating all this information, and it meant I was able to create a clear design hierarchy. It also enables endless layout combinations. Because the books would be copy-rich too, this framework made possible a fairly simple transition from printed event literature into a paperback book cover format. The diagonal rules and areas of texture break up the space and give balance. So much information can be messy if it isn’t balanced with…

Not only did we communicate closely with SomeOne, but the team here worked in parallel with them to ensure we got the best results possible. We were able to offer insight into how the brand would be applied. It was crucial that the bigger picture with Xe as an information hub for 280 million users and the international nature of our business and consumer clients were recognised. Having a font that supported multiple languages and was accessible across the globe was a high priority. Furthermore, a colour palette that worked for all the different aspects of the business was essential, and we spent a lot of time researching this. Another example that springs to mind is our consumer and business offerings. We wanted to make these distinct for different audiences,…