A BIT OF RETROSPECTIVE

Can't believe the year is coming to an end already! Time goes quickly when you're having fun I guess. It's been an interesting and diverse experience, I tried to experience as many different areas of design as poss as I wasn't really sure what I'm good at. Initially I was really into branding design but it's really intense work if you wanna come up with something amazing. I still love it though. I tried things I usually wouldn't go for such as catalogue/brochure design and I found it quite relaxing in comparison to intense branding. I do need to improve my knowledge of grids and layout in general, this is one thing I'm gonna focus on next. I have also established that I am more of a crafty designer closer to being an illustrator rather than clean cut Swiss style typographer. This what I figured so far but I would like to try designing some more clean/minimal style in the future. I would also like to spend as much time as I can in the printing studio in the future as it's such and amazing experience.

PROFILE: DELICIOUS DESIGN LEAGUE

I have found some prints by Delicious Design League that have similar style as Eric Nyffeler.

Thumbs up for their printing skills as well.

All printed by Billy Baumann.

PROFILE: Eric Nyffeler

This guy is a screen printing wizard. I really want to produce some work similar to his in the near future.

I even e-mailed him and he seems like a really nice guy. Check it out here

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK

I had a quick look around Clerkenwell design week today. A bit confusing where to find locations but in a way cool as there's lots of people walking around the area as opposed to being concentrated in just one area.

SOMETHING I FOUND TODAY

London is amazing. No matter how many times I've visited places there is always an undiscovered little alley hiding something interesting. Anyways, it was somewhere around Covent Garden and I really like this old newspaper I found.

SCREEN PRINT: MODS 1st layer

I have finally got my act together and

started printing the Mod poster.

This is the first layer which I think came out perfect. I need to do 3 more layers on top so things can still go wrong.

But negative thinking never got anyone anywhere so I think the whole thing is going to come out amazing!

CAMOUFLAGE workshop

I started thinking of different ways of camouflaging things. Practically, to camouflage means to blend into your surrounding and when you go to different areas in London you can easily look like you don't fit in as they can be very specific. I developed this for Hackney.

PATTERNS workshop

Just a little teaser.

I started walking around and became obsessed with the patterns. I entered the pattern dimension. I see my surrounding differently nowadays.

So many, all shapes and forms, where you least expect them. From my book Urban Lush.

PROFILE: KAI & SUNNY

A load of cool stuff from design duo Kai and Sunny. Mega lush. Beautiful colour palettes and patterns.

KEW GARDENS COLLAGE

I went to Kew Gardens for the first time the other day and got amazingly inspired. These are the results

MOVING LONDON

http://themanwhofellasleep.com/

there should be some recorded conversations here

MOVING LONDON WORKSHOP: Clockwork Orange

I might use this for Moving London workshop.

3D WORKSHOP

At the beginning of the workshop I just dug into materials and started cutting out Battersea Power Station not really knowing where that's gonna take me. After that I drew an evil rat with a crown and stuck it on the background next to the Battersea Power Station. Soon after it all started making sense and a potential story appeared in my mind. Can't give it out yet but check out the visuals. It is work in progress.

KEMISTRY EXHIBITION

Interesting that this exhibition came up just when we are working on London book. Funny, there was no London map there, maybe I need to create it.

5TH WORKSHOP: MAP

Now this was really cool! Each of us have created a piece of London map using only type (Helvetica). Pretty much self explanatory but the effect is fab.

Need to think how I'll use this in my book, maybe do a map of my daily walk around the area and write the things I see and do around. Big maybe.

3RD WORKSHOP: CHARACTER DESIGN

The interesting part of this workshop was that we were designing a character based on the info we have gathered about the borough and not by observing the people that live in it. We have chosen to work on Islington and created this bad boy!

I know it looks like a big mess but don't worry, it all makes sense. It's got wings and a crown as Angel and King's Cross are one of Islington's most known areas. Most of Islington is situated in North London hence the "N". Camouflage pattern represents the endless differences between the areas in Islington and the spikes at the bottom show a lot of Islington is still pretty dodgy. It actually reminds me of the Mighty Boosh "Coconut Nightmare" characters.

2ND WORKSHOP: RESEARCH BOOK

This workshop gave us a better insight on what the final project book is really about. It reminded me to think about the elements of graphic design and apply them to appropriate subject in the book. I need to start thinking about the grid which I think will be based on the old London telephone box. Need to try and see if it works but I think it might. Also, I need to think about the quality of paper (maybe different for each chapter) and what to do with the inside of the pages - it's french fold so you can peek in and (hopefully) see something interesting. Back to work.