Computer Arts - April 2018

V I D EO I N S I G H T H O W TO B U I L D A T R U LY M U LT I D I S C I P L I N A RY ST U D I O ISSUE 277 APRIL 2018 ‘%((“DB %(( PRINTED IN C74D: 5 WAYS TO CREATE BRAND PURPOSE LEVEL UP YOUR DESIGN SKILLS AND GET A BETTER JOB 10 MUST-READ INDIE MAGS CHOOSE STYLE OVER MONEY The best independent titles to Jonathan Zawada on why he refuses inspire you, according to Stack to compromise on a concept – ever



APRIL 2018 COVER ARTIST Making Early designs took Tishk’s initial concepts the cover inspiration from the featured mysterious, stairways and colours of floating discs. His The concept for our cover – a virtual Tishk’s solo exhibition in additions of floating career ladder, mixing equal parts M.C. Taiwan last year (below). clouds really added to Escher and videogame Monument The idea to emboss the the atmosphere, along Valley – was a specific and challenging route (highlighted in pink, with neat touches like brief, which had us browsing the right) was abandoned in figures reading maps portfolios of some of our most favour of the coins and and working on laptops. experienced illustrators. However, it headline being treated. was our eagle-eyed operations editor, Rosie, who identified the perfect man for the job: Tishk Barzanji, a featured artist from last month’s Illustrator Hotlist. Tishk’s surreal architectural constructions and beautiful colours felt totally right, and what better way for us to endorse our own recommendation? From our (very) vague initial sketch, Tishk tirelessly built (and rebuilt) our fictional Upgrade City, gradually adding more hazards and details and testing colour palettes until he came up with a construction that worked perfectly with our coverlines. Our initial plan to emboss a route from start to finish was discarded, and instead we added a path of foiled collectible coins to suggest gamification, and applied our emboss to the headline to enhance legibility. We love what Tishk came up with, and you can see the exquisite detail of his work even better on pages 42–48. TISHK BARZANJI Watch this month’s foil and emboss applied by our print finishing partner London-based artist Tishk Celloglas at www.bit.ly/ca-printfinishes caught industry attention with a commission for Wallpaper* last year, and after his selection for our Illustrator Hotlist last month, he has definitely started 2018 with a bang. www.tishkbarzanji.co.uk C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M -3-

WELCOME APRIL 2018 Editor’s letter FEATURING In some ways, the core skills required to be a great ROSHNI GOYATE designer haven’t changed. You still need to think creatively to solve problems – but the tools required to do Roshni is a copywriter and consultant, so are constantly evolving, whether it’s an incremental and co-founder of The Other Box, which tweak to the software you use, or a sea change such as the celebrates diversity in the creative rise of desktop publishing, or developments in AR or AI. industries. On page 23, she explains why inclusivity needs long-term action. Great designers weather it all, and adapt to survive. But www.roshnigoyate.com to do that, it may be necessary to be honest about where your skills fall short. This month’s cover feature explores JONATHAN ZAWADA various methods for doing something about it, whether you’re adding totally new strings to your creative bow, A cross-disciplinary artist, Jonathan or just ‘levelling up’ your proficiency. weaves together analogue and digital processes. On page 50, we chatted to Skills are a particularly hot topic at Here Design, the him about why he refuses to compromise subject of this issue’s video insight profile. Founded by his creative vision for a client. three designers with diverse yet complementary interests, www.zawada.art the East London-based studio has evolved into a truly multidisciplinary operation that’s equally at home creating STEVE WATSON books, brands or bespoke objects. Steven Watson is the founder of Stack, I’ve also been looking at my own skillset, and it’s now the subscription service that delivers a time for a change. This is my 72nd issue at the helm of CA, different independent magazine every and sadly it’s also my last. It’s been a genuine privilege to month. On page 58, he reveals his top collaborate with many of the world’s leading creatives over 10 indie magazines for 2018. the last nine years, and I’ve always been fortunate to have www.stackmagazines.com a passionate, dedicated and highly-skilled team around me to enable us to do some great things with the brand. KATE MARLOW What’s next? Well, I’ll be setting up as an independent Kate is one of three co-founders of Here content strategist and brand copywriter, working closely Design. As part of our Video Insight on with many of the design agencies I’ve had the privilege to page 78, she explains how Here has built get to know over my time on CA. its reputation for creating stunning work across a variety of disciplines. I’m also delighted to announce that I’ll still be heading www.heredesign.co.uk up the fifth-annual Brand Impact Awards, for which we are now accepting entries for 2018. Submit your best branding LOUISE KYME now at www.brandimpactawards.com. Good luck, and I hope to see you at the awards ceremony in September! Louise is a brand consultant who specialises in the charity sector, and NICK CARSON works with various brand agencies. Editor On page 98, she describes how her [email protected] Telecaster inspires her music. www.linkedin.com/in/louisekyme KEEP IN TOUCH WITH… @computerarts /computerarts @computerarts /computerartsmag C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M -4-



APRIL 2018 FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD INTERNATIONAL MEET THE TEAM Quay House, The Ambury, Bath,BA1 1UA Computer Arts is available for licensing. Contact the International department NICK CARSON EDITORIAL to discuss partnership opportunities. Matt Ellis International licensing director EDITOR Nick Carson [email protected] This is Nick’s last issue of CA (his 72nd!), and he’s sad Editor to leave such a great team behind. He’ll still be in the [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS design industry though, as a content strategist and Email: [email protected] copywriter: find him at www.nickcarson.agency Mark Wynne UK order line and enquiries: 0344 848 2852 Art editor International: +44 (0) 344 848 2852 MARK WYNNE [email protected] Online: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Sharon Todd Head of subscriptions ART EDITOR Rosie Hilder Mark enjoyed the jewels of the indie mag scene (page Operations editor CIRCULATION 58), especially Hotdog, a poetry zine for ‘women and [email protected] Tim Mathers Head of newstrade non-binary writers’. He was inspired to write a poem, [email protected] and will send it in if he finds out what ‘non-binary’ is... Gareth Jones Video producer PRODUCTION ROSIE HILDER [email protected] Mark Constance Head of production, US/UK Clare Scott Production project manager OPERATIONS EDITOR CREATIVE BLOQ Joanne Crosby Advertising project manager Rosie has given up trying to educate Mark on the www.creativebloq.com Jason Hudson Digital editions controller ins and outs of gender politics, though she is looking Steve Wright Digital edition coordinator forward to reading his latest poem. In other news, she Julia Sagar Vivienne Calvert Production manager went to Aardman Animations with Nick and Gareth. Acting editor SENIOR MANAGEMENT KEY CONTRIBUTORS Ruth Hamilton Aaron Asadi Managing director Associate editor Paul Newman Editorial director GARETH JONES Ross Andrews Art and design director Ella Taylor Greg Whittaker Head of art and design VIDEO PRODUCER Production editor Dan Jotcham Commercial finance director Gareth has been seeking therapy to cope with Nick’s departure, and will miss the many fun-filled CA Dom Carter Printed by: shoots they’ve been on together. Now that there’s Staff writer Wyndeham Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Road, space, he’s hoping for his own illustrated headshot. Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS MANAGEMENT Finishing partner: Celloglas Ltd TOM MAY Amy Hennessey Editor-in-chief Distributed by: FREELANCE WRITER Will Shum Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Tom has been spending most of his waking hours Senior art editor Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU writing freelance articles this month, trying to earn Dave Harfield www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 enough to settle his crippling tax bill. He’s kept Head of editorial operations himself going by binge listening to Iron Maiden. CONTRIBUTIONS We are committed to only using magazine Anne Henry, The AOP, Tishk Barzanji, Roshni paper which is derived from responsibly Goyate, Louise Kyme, Eleanor Shakespeare, managed, certified forestry and chlorine- Anna Higgie, Tom May, Julia Sagar, Steve free manufacture. The paper in this magazine Watson, Garrick Webster was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict All copyrights and trademarks are environmental and socioeconomic recognised and respected. standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship ADVERTISING Council) certification and accreditation. Media packs are available on request. Next issue on sale Claire Dove Commercial director [email protected] 29 March 2018 Mike Pyatt Advertising manager ISSN 1360-5372 01225 788204 [email protected] Want to work for Future? Chris Mitchell Account director Visit www.futurenet.com/jobs 01225 687832 [email protected] 'VUVSFJTBOBXBSEXJOOJOHJOUFSOBUJPOBMNFEJBHSPVQBOEMFBEJOHEJHJUBMCVTJOFTTø8FøSFBDI NPSFUIBONJMMJPOJOUFSOBUJPOBMDPOTVNFSTBNPOUIBOEøDSFBUFøXPSMEDMBTTDPOUFOUBOE BEWFSUJTJOHTPMVUJPOTGPSQBTTJPOBUFDPOTVNFSTøPOMJOF øPOUBCMFUTNBSUQIPOF BOEJOQSJOU Future plc is a public Chief executive;JMMBI#ZOH5IPSOF company quotes on the Non-executive chairman Peter Allen London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR). &KLHIÀQDQFLDORIÀFHU1FOOZ-BELJO#SBOE www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0) 1225 442 244 DISCLAIMER All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be Production notes PAPER used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company OVNCFS JTSFHJTUFSFEJO&OHMBOEBOE8BMFT3FHJTUFSFEPGmDF2VBZ)PVTF 5IF\"NCVSZ #BUI#\"6\"\"MMJOGPSNBUJPODPOUBJOFEJO PRINTERS COVER 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 Precision Special Gloss FSC 250gsm for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/ TEXT AND COVER CMYK, PLUS P3–74: Ultra Mag Plus Gloss 90gsm services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any PANTONE 806 (INTENSE) P75–98: GraphoInvent 70gsm PUIFSDIBOHFTPSVQEBUFTUPUIFN5IJTNBHB[JOFJTGVMMZJOEFQFOEFOUBOEOPUBGmMJBUFEJOBOZXBZXJUIUIFDPNQBOJFTNFOUJPOFEIFSFJO William Gibbons TYPEFACES If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply it, and automatically SATIN GOLD FOIL AND grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format FLUTED EMBOSS BY Trump Gothic West, Akkurat, S-L, published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own Simplo, Kondola and Calluna risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. 8FøBTTVNFBMMVOTPMJDJUFENBUFSJBMJTGPSQVCMJDBUJPOVOMFTTPUIFSXJTFTUBUFE BOESFTFSWFUIFSJHIUUPFEJU BNFOE BEBQUBMMTVCNJTTJPOT C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M -6-



CONTENTS ISSUE 277 APRIL 2018 CULTURE INSIGHT PROJECTS 10 TRENDS How the wavy forms of bold yet understated 2 0 CREATE BRAND PURPOSE products and furniture are suggestive of water CBA Paris’ Anne Henry shares how to achieve brand purpose 1 4 MY DESIGN SPACE Cinco’s Mariano Sigal explains how a cap helps 2 2 DESIGN MATTERS him draw the line between home and work What new skill are you planning on learning in 2018? 15 NEW VENTURES Paul Stafford, CEO of DesignStudio, reveals why 2 3 THE DIVERSITY PROBLEM the agency has branched out to Australia Roshni Goyate on why it’s not possible to ‘fix’ diversity quickly 16 EVENTS Rosie Hilder reports from an evening celebrating 24 MILLS & BOON REBRAND the 2017 class of D&AD New Blood Shift Three perspectives on Pentagram’s new identity for Mills & Boon 1 8 INSPIRATION FEED Annie Atkins takes us through her Instagram feed SHOWCASE 7 6 VIDEO INSIGHT How Here Design built a truly multidisciplinary studio that creates beautiful, useful things 8 2 INJECT COLOUR INTO LEARNING Baxter and Bailey explains how it introduced whimsical illustrations to OUP’s Education Division 8 8 CREATE STUNNING COLLAGE Eleanor Shakespeare gives tips on creating photomontage illustration to tight deadlines 9 2 A FRESH TWIST ON DATING Wieden+Kennedy New York shares how it helped OkCupid subvert the online dating acronym DTF 2 6 STAND ON QUALITY Hot new work, including solid branding for a flooring company C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M -8-

CONTENTS SPECIAL REPORT INDUSTRY ISSUES 42 UPGRADE YOURSELF 58 TOP 10 INDIE MAGS Discover how to identify your skills gap and assemble the ultimate Stack founder Steve Watson reveals toolkit of skills – whatever you want to do this year the 10 unmissable indie mags that are at the top of their game in 2018 IN CONVERSATION WITH BACK TO BASICS 50 JONATHAN ZAWADA 7 0 BETTER DIGITAL TYPOGRAPHY In the second of a new series on Why the cross- digital skills, Tom May reveals how disciplinary artist to improve your digital typography never compromises his creative vision REGULARS SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE UP TO 47% 9 6 PHOTOGRAPHY MEETS DESIGN Our new AOP series continues with Never miss an issue of Computer Arts. Subscribe today for pro advice and practical the value of teamwork insight every month, and save up to 47%! See page 40 for more details 98 DESIGN ICON Louise Kyme wonders whether she’ll ever be as good as her Telecaster C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M -9-

CULT UR E TRENDS PEOPLE EVENTS INSPIRATION MAX LAMB BENCH FOR REALLY AND KVADRAT  Each month, our Trends section is curated by experienced Max Lamb’s bench for Really and creative consultancy FranklinTill www.franklintill.com Kvadrat is cut from fibreboard up- cycled from waste textiles. The bench is composed of simple interlocking panels, with wavy edges that add decoration and create the illusion of more complex composition. www.maxlamb.org / www.reallycph.dk  DWELL BENCH BY VERA & KYTE  www.vera-kyte.com  C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 10 -

TRENDS TRENDS WAVE LENGTHS A restrained Memphis influence leads to the creation of bold yet understated furniture and products, constructed simply from elementary materials with wavy lines suggestive of water ALL WORK NO PLAY DESK ACCESSORIES BY HAEYOON CHOI  Designed to invite interaction, these cast-glass desk accessories by Haeyoon Choi are inspired by architectural playscapes. www.choihaeyoon.com  C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 11 -

CULTURE APRIL 2018 EN THRONE CHAIR BY ADAM WHITTAKER www.a-whitt.com ROXBURY CONSOLE FRANKLINTILL STUDIO BY KELLY WEARSTLER The surface of this solid wood unit Design Futures / Material Futures / Colour Futures by Kelly Wearstler is finished with hand-trowelled plaster. She plays FranklinTill Studio is a forecasting agency and creative consultancy that with the effects of negative space works with lifestyle brands across the disciplinary spectrum to provide by hand-carving deep arches in research-based insights that drive creative innovations in materials, the geometric shell.  colour and design. It creates reports, publications, exhibitions and events www.kellywearstler.com  with the aim of making its research both accessible and inspiring. It also edits and produces two magazines, published by View Publications, which you can buy from www.viewpoint-magazine.com. VIEWPOINT DESIGN Viewpoint delivers visual, editorial and statistical information to brands, designers, agencies and consumer insight teams determined to create lifestyle products, campaigns and environments that anticipate consumer demand. Written by professionals in the branding and design business, each issue explores how a significant trend will impact consumer behaviour and the global design landscape. VIEWPOINT COLOUR Launched December 2016, Viewpoint Colour offers visual inspiration, design direction and a global perspective on colour. The inaugural issue provides an in-depth analysis of the personality traits of emerging colour stories, explaining why they are relevant now and how they are currently being applied. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 12 -



CULTURE APRIL 2018 Cinco is a multidisciplinary studio based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which aims to strike a balance between commercial work and more artistic, independent projects. www.nosotroscinco.com MY DESIGN SPACE IS... A DREAM COME TRUE Mariano Sigal, creative director of Argentine studio Cinco, explains how a cap helps him achieve work-life balance oused in a former same time as we experiment with The team’s ‘living room’ More games come in the form different techniques,” says Cinco’s (pictured) is where their meetings of the pinball machine (4). “This is H chemical factory, Cinco’s creative director, Mariano Sigal. “It’s take place. It contains a ShapeMaker part of a side project we´ve been studio in Buenos Aires, the space we’ve always dreamed of, wooden puzzle (2), which the team doing for about one or two years. Argentina, is a reminder of the we are really happy here.” use to loosen up while discussing We love it, and it works!” country’s post-industrial revolution projects, and end up putting “golden period,” and is flexible One object that helps keep the together funny shapes without But it’s not all fun and games at enough to allow the agency to team happy is their eight ball (1). “It realising it. “The same as the eight Cinco, and Sigal uses this cap (5) work on a variety of tasks across is really important to us because in ball, this has a therapeutic role for to separate his work and home life. multiple media. our daily routine, presentations and us,” explains Sigal. “I don’t wear caps in general, I hate “We have a workshop where clients dye our days in grey, but the them in fact, but when I arrive at we can work comfortably with eight ball replies to our questions Keeping things spicy is Mexican the studio I put the cap on, and paper, wood, tools of all kinds; we with ridiculously stupid answers,” condiment, Tajin (3) which is made I leave it when I leave. This helps have the study space where we can says Sigal, adding that the eight from salt, lemon and bell pepper. me draw a line between inside take pictures and film freely, at the ball never fails to bring a smile. “We are big fans of it,” says Sigal. and outside of the studio.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 14 -

APRIL 2018 PEOPLE 1 DesignStudio’s new 2 Sydney office. 3 4 NEW VENTURES 5 DOWN UNDER Paul Stafford, co-founder and CEO of DesignStudio, discusses the decision to open a new branch in sunny Australia esignStudio aims to work with the past we have had a number of clients based in Australia, however the time difference and D world’s most ambitious leaders, distance has always been an issue. brands and teams, wherever they are in the world. With offices already How are you staffing the new studio?  in London and San Francisco, it has now It is important to us that James Gilmore expanded to Sydney. We chatted to co- (DesignStudio Sydney creative director) founder and CEO Paul Stafford to find out fully understands the DesignStudio process more about the agency’s Australian plans... and culture required. James worked in our London studio for over four years and will Why did you choose Sydney? therefore ensure that the Sydney office is We have created an agency with a culture built on the right foundations. to push brands to be pioneers, innovators and brands that people love. In 2009, Although we want the new office to we started our journey in London and have all of the DNA of DesignStudio, it also focused on building relationships. In 2014, needs to be right for the Australian market. we opened our San Francisco studio to Sydney has a high level of design talent, and be on the doorstep of more brands who we will purposely work with local design are as ambitious as we are, and Sydney organisations and schools to find the most is the natural next location. Sydney is an exceptional local talent to build the team. incredible city with a fantastic culture.  Do you have any advice for studios looking Will the studios collaborate on projects? to expand overseas?  When we open a new office, it is important There are a lot of things to consider, it is a to us that it fully represents the DesignStudio risk. You need to be clear on what you’re product. We do not want to build ‘shop willing to invest and where the line is, and be windows’ for our main office, nor do we assured that if all doesn’t go as planned, you want to create offices that carry our name, aren’t jeopardising what you’ve already built. yet are disconnected from the way we work. It makes you question whether it’s worth it. Therefore, it is incredibly important that all Ultimately, it is. But it takes time, focus, due of our offices collaborate very closely. We diligence and some really trusted partners. share work, processes, learnings and culture to ensure that our work and employee What were the biggest challenges in experience represents DesignStudio. opening the new studio? The biggest challenge is ensuring that the Are there any particular Australian clients office is fully representative of DesignStudio you’re working with or want to work with?  and the offer we have become known for. We’re sector agnostic and always have been. It’s a big enough challenge to ensure we What aligns our clients is a shared belief and deliver in a single office – each new office desire to make meaningful change. In the demands exponential effort. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 15 -

CULTURE APRIL 2018 EVENT REPORT: D&AD SHIFT SHOWCASE SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS Rosie Hilder discovers how D&AD New Blood Shift is encouraging creative diversity Main image: Shifters and friends view hat do you do when Steve Vranakis reflected: “Through priceless as you have someone some of the work at the showcase. diverse eyes and ears, we see who you can talk to who has first- Below: Leanne Blossom, a Shifter from W you want to shake up things from perspectives that we hand experience,” she added. the class of 2016, who is now working the industry? Take 19 were never looking for and we as a copywriter at Havas, interviewing people with raw creative talent do things to ensure those benefits One such mentor is Chloe Steve Vranakis, D&AD President and but no formal arts education, are shared to a broader audience,” Templeman, creative director at ECD of Google Creative Lab. and put them through a gruelling he said. “That way, everyone Design Bridge. “I like to think of five-month night course, benefits. Shift is, in my view, what Shift as a condensed version of consisting of workshops, talks, the whole industry should be doing university,” she said. “When you’re briefs and mentoring from some on a macro scale.” working in the industry, you have of the industry’s biggest names. a creative director who is there to That industry can be daunting mentor you, and when you’re a That’s the premise behind D&AD to those not part of it. “At first, student at university you have tutors New Blood Shift, which celebrated I honestly didn’t even know what to help, so it’s really no different.”  its class of 2017 with a showcase at D&AD was – I was totally out its Shoreditch headquarters, inviting of my comfort zone,” said Krissi Kieran Ahmed landed a industry professionals to view the Boakye, who was working at a placement with Design Bridge as work, meet the ‘Shifters’ and ideally, chocolate shop before starting Shift, a result of the evening, and had invite them to do placements. and is now on a placement with plenty of positive things to say about Iris. “Having a mentor has been Shift: “D&AD has clearly recognised Shift aims to encourage diversity a problem with the industry when in the industry, as D&AD President C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 16 -

APRIL 2018 EVENTS it comes to diversity and is giving Shift currently runs in both Clockwise from top left: Industry a platform to those who probably London and New York, and Hilary professionals suss out the work would not get a chance based on Chittenden, foundation manager of the Shifters; work created their background,” he said. of D&AD, is both proud of the by Charlie McQuade, Kieran programme’s success rate and Ahmed, Krissi Boakye and For Charlie McQuade, who hopeful for the future. “We hope Lucy Jackson (bottom two); the applied for Shift after doing his Shift will continue to grow both in showcase was held on a January A-Levels, it was the contacts London, New York and eventually evening at D&AD’s headquarters he made that were invaluable. other key creative hubs. We’re in Shoreditch, London. “I’m able to have conversations hoping to run the two programmes with agencies that I’d never have simultaneously in both cities in dreamt of at my age. I’m extremely 2018, which opens up a lot of grateful for the introductions that exciting potential for cross-continent D&AD has facilitated,” he said. collaboration,” she said. Other Shifters, such as Lucy “I’d love to see it become a Jackson, who had previously nationwide programme, providing dropped out of university, felt that opportunities to people in other the programme had helped grow parts of the UK as well as in their confidence: “It has empowered London,” said Templeman. “As me to create work that I never an agency, we are 100 per cent knew I could create, growing my behind the programme and confidence and comforting me I can’t wait to see what – and on the path of blossoming into who – comes next.” my true self,” she explained. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 17 -

CULTURE APRIL 2018 INSPIRATION FEED Annie Atkins Annie Atkins specialises in graphics for filmmaking, creating graphic pieces outlined by a period film script, such as prison escape maps to help create Wes Anderson’s fictional State of Zubrowka, or neon shopfront signs and fake passports for Steven Spielberg. Her Instagram account showcases pictures of these props, and life behind the scenes on a movie set. “It’s an area of film people don’t get to see much of really, so the little details can be quite interesting,” says Atkins. “I also like photographing my workshop students as they work on their graphic props. Some of their work is really beautiful!” Atkins says she “immediately took to Instagram.” She loves simple editing software and being able to publish images without fuss, to a “really great interactive community”. She describes her feed as consisting of: “props, movie sets, graphic design, the Welsh landscape, and the occasional baby shot.” www.instagram.com/annieatkins C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 18 -



INSIGHT APRIL 2018 INSIGHT ESSAY Strong opinion and analysis from across the global design industry ANNE HENRY HEAD OF STRATEGIC DESIGN, CBA PARIS www.cba-design.com At CBA Paris, Anne ensures that the designs created and deployed by the creative teams are aligned with the strategic vision of each project. Anne began her career at Extreme agency, before joining Saguez & Partners in 2008, and CBA in 2011. ROSHNI GOYATE CO-FOUNDER THE OTHER BOX www.theotherbox.org Roshni is a freelance copywriter and consultant, and co-founder of The Other Box, which celebrates people of colour and other minorities in the creative industries. On page 23, she explains why diversity is not a problem with a quick fix. DESIGN MATTERS: What new skill are you How to create planning to learn this year? – page 22 brand purpose PLUS: We critique Pentagram’s rebrand of Use design to forge new links with today’s romance series Mills & Boon – page 24 socially conscious consumers, says CBA Paris’ Illustrations: head of rategic design, Anne Henry Anna Higgie www.annahiggie.co.uk C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 20 -

APRIL 2018 ANNE HENRY randing was originally about labelling and identity. Now, their typography alone plays the role of a destroyer of global warming by featuring on B distinguishing one product from another, placards and signage at climate change protests. but today it has lost sight of this mission. Brands are now seen as instruments of a consumer ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION society, and much of the new generation denounces this system of commercial self-interest. As designers, Engage in an intimate conversation that speaks it’s now urgent to question and realise the purpose of a brand in order to avoid obsolescence and remain to individuals’ social consciousness. Despite some desirable to today’s consumer. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 69 notable environmental and civic initiatives by big per cent of the world’s consumers trust businesses to change the world, while only 47 per cent trust brands, such as the Nestlé ‘Engagement Plan’, the governments to do the same. Consumers both look for and expect brands to take a proactive role in DanoneWave initiative in the United States, and making wider society better. Signals of this consumer shift can be seen in the the Heineken Group’s position on a borderless world, rise of the sharing economy in the States with car pooling via sites such as BlaBlaCar, or Thredup, a site large companies still struggle to be credible in the for buying and selling secondhand clothing. There’s also the rise in popularity of farmer’s markets; and an market when compared to smaller ones, which are ever-increasing awareness of using and buying goods made from more sustainable materials. much better at occupying a purposeful ‘activist’ The rise in the number of creative briefs about brand purpose, or the need ‘to embody an alternative’, stance on global issues. Faced with this distrust, attests to the urgency that brands from all sectors are placing on these ideological upheavals and new it’s necessary for big brands to use their influence consumer aspirations. Here are my tips on how to create successful and tangible brand purpose and to educate consumers about engage today’s consumer: important issues, and in turn Large companies ill CREATE FLEXIBLE DESIGNS help improve perceptions of Conceive a flexible brand design that allows you as a brand, or your consumers, to appropriate or play their own brand. ruggle to be credible in the with the brand elements, bringing people closer to your values and purpose. For example, cult streetwear MAKE A MARK market when compared to brand Supreme create limited edition T-shirts Create a unique stylistic featuring new versions of their iconic red box logo to celebrate each new store opening. This allows fingerprint to communicate smaller ones, which are them to constantly reinvent their brand and links the brand’s purpose in line back to a key characterstic of streetwear fashion: playfully appropriating other brands and parts of with the company’s DNA. For much better at occupying a culture to forge a new sense of identity. example, the Australian drinks PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT brand Sparkke Change purposeful a ivi ance Dare to extrapolate the design codes to take a stand promotes social progress by and promote meaningful engagement, perhaps through semiotics. Sustainability and environmental printing societal aspirations concerns have long been a part of Ben & Jerry’s brand such as ‘Consent can’t come after you do’ or ‘What’s planet B?’ on white packaging. Method, which sells green cleaning products, through transparency of all its brand assets and vocabulary, brings respect for the planet at the heart of its value proposition. When they get it right, these bold brands are all examples of memorable design footprints. For them, branding is the expression of a commitment that aims to transmit a new collective imagination. At the dawn of a new world, which is more conscious and experiential than ever before, we need to reconnect brands to people by using design beyond its functional or aesthetic aspect, and focus on promoting sustainable progress instead. Do brands need to be sustainable to be successful? Tweet your thoughts to @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 21 -

INSIGHT APRIL 2018 DISCUSSION What new skill are you planning to learn in 2018, and why? CHLOE HOLDEN DANIELLA SHIN RONA MARIN MILLER Junior designer, Product designer, Adaptive Lab Lead creative, Kindred www.ronamarinmiller.com Conran Design Group www.adaptivelab.com www.conrandesigngroup.com “In 2018, I plan to learn a skill that “Should designers learn to code? If takes me away from my computer. For “As a junior designer, this year will be so, why and how? I’d like to get some the last 15 years I’ve been perfecting my all about growing and developing my answers by personally exploring all skills on this amazing tool, but I think the many new prototyping tools that skill set and moving up the career help designers produce useful code. it is about time we all spend a little ladder. One of my key goals is to build time away from it. So the skill I am I want to make use of them in taking on this year is spoon whittling, my confidence with the ‘designer’s real projects, assess the process It’s a skill that seems to be emerging toolkit’, taking my understanding of and outcome critically, and come with new talented craftspeople. From programmes like After Effects and back to the debate more informed. New York to East London, it’s amazing Animate to the next level, so when As a product designer, I’m more how creative making such a utilitarian I have an idea I can quickly mock it up. inclined to fight for the user than for object can be. I hope this new skill I will also be working on my verbal the technology. And despite my web doesn’t just mean I will never have to presentation skills. You can be a great and mobile development skills buy a wooden spoon ever again, but designer, but if you can’t articulate this makes me a fairly inefficient that it brings me a bit of mental peace.” your idea in front of a team it cripples programmer. However, when I use problem-solving skills and technical your confidence. So I am giving a understanding as a tool to voice design, speech about my career to date at I enhance my practice and gain more my former university. I am nervous, but learning how to speak in front confidence to be creative.” of and engage with an audience is a skill I want to master.” TWEET @COMPUTERARTS OR FIND US ON FACEBOOK RAMZ SHERWOOD ELOISE EFFIE NIKOLAS KARAMPELAS @LAURADREWTHIS @LJ_SEDGWICK Character rigging, not I’m going to look into VR Silkscreen printing. It’s Hand lettering, so that How to use Premiere Pro just in After Effects but technologies. The concept I can introduce more properly. Because I want in Cinema 4D as well. of VR scares me but I know harder than most styles but hand-drawn elements and to. Too often, we focus on Characters are a great you can print on almost styles into my design work. learning skills to progress at assistant in storytelling. it will become more every surface and use work: we don’t always learn integrated into everyday life things for pure enjoyment. colours that are impossible so I’m facing it head on. with modern printers. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 22 -

APRIL 2018 ROSHNI GOYATE COLUMN Diversity isn’t a quick fix Copywriter Roshni Goyate on why ack in 2014, I was inclusivity needs long-term a ion awards juries and invite-only networking events. It’s kind B overcome by a funny of understandable – you want feeling that I couldn’t quite shake. I was working at an to put forward the people you agency as their only copywriter. Like all other agencies I had worked trust, because your reputation is on the line too. But it means people like at, I was the only brown person on the creative team. And, like most me from minority backgrounds are still being excluded. Many of us drop other agencies, the one other woman of colour in the office was the out and move on, having faced too many barriers, and because there’s one making the teas and answering the phone. only so much we can take before exhaustion takes over. No wonder we That funny feeling was a crisis of confidence in my abilities as a struggle to make it even halfway to those high-profile positions. writer; it was the growing sense that the industry in which I was carving There’s a vicious cycle here that needs to be broken. That crisis of a career had no interest in keeping me. I couldn’t see others like me in confidence stemmed from a lack of representation and role models. creative leadership positions. Was I stepping out of line, daring to be To combat that, the empty rhetoric around diversity needs to be a creative? Was I meant to be the one making the teas and answering transformed into concrete, sustained action towards inclusion at every doors? (More than once, new colleagues had assumed that’s what I was single level. From education, to hiring juniors, to creating inclusive there for.) When your livelihood depends on your own belief in your workplace cultures that will allow people from minority backgrounds creativity, the consequences of such a crisis can be devastating. to feel like they belong, and that their work and ideas are valued. Fast-forward to today, and diversity is suddenly the word on Better inclusion and representation equals the capacity to stretch everyone’s lips. There’s a feverish desire to fix this diversity problem, to our imaginations wider, and reach the forgotten corners of creativity recruit more diverse talent, create more diverse campaigns. Many have that aren’t being given the chance to shine. So look beyond your usual been quick to put people of different ethnicities in front of the camera. networks. Uplift others who are less like you. Pass the mic. And stop But behind the scenes, something’s gone a bit wonky. Despite all the thinking of diversity as some kind of Holy Grail that, once attained, will initiatives, the dial has barely moved on the sorrowful statistics. be over. Diversity needs ongoing work, with long-term change in sight. As much as we hate to admit it, ours is still a who-you-know What are you doing to increase inclusivity in the industry? Is it enough? industry. Nowhere is that clearer than with conference panels, industry Tweet your thoughts @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 23 -

INSIGHT APRIL 2018 REBRAND FOCUS Focus on: Mills & Boon We critique Pentagram’s new visual identity, graphic sy em and series concepts for the romance novel publishers ANGUS HYLAND KERRY ELLIS MEG REID Partner, Pentagram Freelance book designer Head book designer and art www.pentagram.com www.coveredbykerry.com director, Hub City Press www.bit.ly/megreid “The new identity takes emphasis away “As a cover designer, I tend to shy away “It’s a big challenge to totally overhaul the from the supersized ampersand that had from the romance/erotica genre. Not for brand identity of a publisher like Mills & Boon. previously dominated, reducing its scale and any priggish reason, but because the designs Not only have they been around for over a shifting the focus to the whole Mills & Boon are often too cheesy. Mills & Boon suffered century, but they also release a mindblowing name, which is where the brand equity lies the same epidemic, resulting in a cacophony quantity of books each year. That said, according to a consumer insights study. of oversaturated imagery and competing Pentagram’s designs offer a long-established typography and branding elements. It’s no brand a modern, clean reboot. The ampersand’s rose has been replaced wonder their target audience felt overwhelmed with subtle heart-shaped geometry, a more and assaulted by the previous aesthetic. Riding the seemingly unending coattails universal signifier of romance. Pentagram of Fifty Shades of Grey (and its iconic, stark has devised a graphic system that can deliver Pentagram’s new branding elevates cover design), the tight-cropped images and cover artwork for the high turnover of titles the genre with sexy, clean typography and combination of both bold geometric and – which rely on stock imagery – yet focused strategic pops of bright colour. It leaves more romantic serif fonts make the covers feel enough to ensure the brand communicates to the imagination, while still promising much more ‘of the moment’. its core proposition to consumers. a rollicking good time between the pages. They’ve cleared the clutter of too many Die-hard readers can still easily locate the The system and resulting style guide overlays and branding elements, such as the publisher they know and love thanks to the use a combination of tight crops and filters ornate ampersand and rose, giving the covers prominent redesigned logomark. But more for the imagery, alongside considered more breathing room and elegance. Within importantly, for a millennial reader who feels typography and flexible colour palettes. This this overarching new direction, they’ve hesitant to dip her toes in the hot and heavy removes unnecessary and trite elements managed to brand each subgenre to help new world of romance, these covers might make from the composition, focusing instead on readers find exactly what they’re looking for her more inclined to pick up a title and see the characters. The resulting covers allow quickly; be it historical, Western, or modern if it sparks any excitement.” readers to project their own fantasies onto kink. The result is a brand that’s more the Mills & Boon promise, and are more approachable, accessible and intriguing.” appealing in a today’s retail environment.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 24 -

APRIL 2018 MILLS & BOON REBRAND Mills & Boon’s own research found that its multiplicity of series, titles and categories were disorientating consumers, so Pentagram devised a new, flexible design system to simplify matters and refocus attention on the book titles and characters. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 25 -

SHOWCASE Computer Arts selects the hottest new design, illustration and motion work from the global design scene

STAND ON QUALITY REZULT BRANDING by Fedoriv www.fedoriv.com When Ukraine-based MDF flooring manufacturer Rezult a thorough remodelling job, applying effort to extend needed a new identity, it turned to Kiev-based agency the lifetime of their house. They aren’t against paying Fedoriv. Challenged to help the plant shift from Russian more, as they believe that cheap cannot be good.” to European and Asian markets, Fedoriv focused on elevating the quality of the product in the new branding.  Fedoriv intended the company’s new name, Rezult, to have a Germanic twang of efficiency, a theme “Our research made it clear that some people treat emphasised by the red-and-black colour scheme. A witty renovation very seriously, regardless of what part of the tagline – ‘Stand On Quality’ – completes the package. world they live in,” explain the team. “These people do

SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 28 -

APRIL 2018 SHOWCASE “We developed an efficient brand identity system, using a consistent combination of red, black and red colours,” say the team. The new Rezult uniforms wouldn’t look out of place in a fashion store. Rezult’s print collateral makes sharp use of the brand colours.  The new tagline is short and witty, offering a masterclass is brand writing. COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 29 -

SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 30 -

APRIL 2018 SHOWCASE STANDING APART HALO BRANDING AND PACKAGING by Underline Studio www.underlinestudio.com Halo is an adventurous brewery that takes the traditional recipes of rare styles of beer and experiments with the ingredients. With a taproom and bottle shop that welcome inquisitive visitors, the brewery needed an approachable brand that matched its unconventional sensibilities. “We created a logo, labels, packaging and promotional items that use geometric patterns in unexpected colours, resulting in a look that’s energetic, modern and a bit rebellious,” explains creative director Claire Dawson. “This direction was very intentionally chosen as a way for Halo to stand apart visually in the craft beer space.” Dawson admits it was a challenge to keep each label unique while still being recognisable as part of a larger system. “But finding abstract ways to graphically represent each of the beers was our favourite part of the project,” she adds. BRAVE VISUALS THE FEARLESS ARE HERE by Smith & Foulkes, Nexus Studios www.nexusstudios.com Nexus Studios director duo Smith & Foulkes teamed up with Y&R London to create a bold and exhilarating 2D animated commercial for the BBC’s The Fearless Are Here campaign. Marking the arrival of the 2018 Winter Olympics, the spot was drawn and animated in a virtual environment using emerging VR cinematography software. “We wanted a visual style and colour palette that was in harmony with the Korean tradition, without being too obvious. But it also had to be logistically achievable, and not overly complex,” recalls Alan Smith. “This is a story about the very real fears that everyone can recognise,” adds Adam Foulkes. “But we couldn’t go all out horror. We had to walk a tightrope between our desire to show dramatic and occasionally disturbing images of fear, and keep things within the realms of decent family viewing.” COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 31 -

SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 32 -

APRIL 2018 SHOWCASE SOLE SEARCHING FOOT LOCKER ROME IN-STORE ILLUSTRATIONS by Tim Easley www.timeasley.com Foot Locker emailed illustrator and designer Tim Easley after seeing illustrative projects he’d done for Nike. Commissioned to create some artwork for the retail chain’s new flagship store in Rome, Easley decided to feature all the brands and different styles of sneakers sold by Foot Locker, alongside elements from Roman and Italian culture. “The artwork had to completely cover the walls of the stairwell up to the first floor,” he recalls. “It needed to be fun and cool, but at the same time appeal to a broad range of people – not just young men. The characters are based on laces from the sneakers, and they’re interacting with all the different items, almost as if they’re in the store looking for stuff to buy.” The space was challenging, and there were a lot of cut-outs for doors and signs, which made making the walls look full – but not cluttered – challenging. “My favourite part was visiting the piece in person and seeing how big it was. It’s hard to envisage on your laptop when you’re designing something that’s over 20ft tall,” he adds. COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 33 -

SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 A LITTLE LIFT HABITO BRANDING by MultiAdaptor www.multiadaptor.com Driven by an ambition to become a household name in mortgages, new service Habito asked London-based agency MultiAdaptor to create a brand that would appeal to a mainstream audience and take the company to the next level. With consumer trust in financial services at an all-time low, Habito needed a fresh, authentic, empathetic brand to cut through and connect with people.  “We created a distinctive anti-gravity graphic language and calming visual world for Habito,” explains MultiAdaptor co-founder Andy West. “Seemingly heavy forms are lifted up to give them an unexpected floating feeling, reflecting the big idea at the heart of the brand: lift away your mortgage worries.” COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 34 -



SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 MINIMAL JUICE JUICE SOCIETY by Ryan Hicks www.ryanshicks.com Third-year design student Ryan Hicks was tasked with revamping the visual identity of Austin-based juice bar Juice Society as it expanded into the wholesale market. “They felt that their previous identity was too rustic and gave an outdated reflection of their upbeat spirit,” explains Hicks, adding that the company has a philosophy of promoting realistic balance when it comes to wellness. “I decided to convey this playful attitude through an ecosystem of whimsical, somewhat scientific iconography that hinted at the juice’s benefits, but provided some element of optimism,” he says. “I also wanted to convey the brand’s unconventional approach to the health realm, so to stand out on refrigerator shelves and catch shoppers’ eyes, I chose to design the labels to be as minimal as possible.” COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 36 -

APRIL 2018 SHOWCASE DANCING CS COLUMBUS COMMUNITY BRANDING by Thirst  www.3st.com In 2017, the Columbus Area Visitor’s Centre initiated a project Rodecker, referring to the motif designed in the 1970s by the to connect four neighbourhoods with design. The goal was designer, which features on the cover of his book about the city’s to develop graphics that would provide visible connections architecture. “Our design solution was to restore the ‘Dancing Cs’ throughout the city, while also giving form to the unique and adapt them for the neighbourhood brands.” personalities of each neighborhood. The biggest challenge, he adds, was keeping the community Working in collaboration with Greater Good Studio, Thirst engaged and remaining responsive to their input. “It was an undertook a series of community engagement presentations honour to work in the same space as Paul Rand… and to work and interviews. “Many vibrant exchanges revealed that the with the community in restoring this work. Our hope is that community had a keen awareness of design, and a strong affinity the resulting guidelines document serves as inspiration and for Paul Rand’s ‘Dancing C’ graphic,” explains Thirst partner Bud permission for the community to be creative.” COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 37 -

SHOWCASE APRIL 2018 UNLOCKING CRIME MARK SPENCER BRANDING by Fieldwork Facility www.fieldworkfacility.com Mark Spencer is a forensic botanist: he consults with police departments and forensic services on cases where plant- based evidence can unlock crimes. Fieldwork Facility was asked to create an identity for Spencer that was intelligent, simple and memorably executed.  The logo – a skeletonised leaf that resembles an eye – represents Spencer’s observational skills and vast botanical knowledge. The tagline ‘Plants Hold Secrets’ tells the story of his forensic work, while ‘Plants Tell Stories’ is used for his public- facing work, such as TV. “We created imagery for these two worlds by commissioning Robin Friend, a British landscape photographer, to join us on a simulation of a forensics investigation with Mark,” explains Fieldwork Facility creative director Robin Howie. COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 38 -

APRIL 2018 SHOWCASE COM PU T ER A R T S .CR E AT I V EB LO Q .COM - 39 -

THREE GREAT OFFERS! SUBSCRIBE TO COMPUTER ARTS Read CA when and where you want. There are three great subs options to choose from – choose your package today! PRINT ONLY DIGITAL ONLY Our premium print edition experiments with CA’s digital edition comes complete with streaming video content, bonus image innovative cover finishes, and is packed with galleries and more. Print replica available for iPhone and Android devices creative insight and inspiration from the global design community FROM £16 SAVE FROM £11.25 SAVE QUARTERLY PAYMENT UP TO QUARTERLY PAYMENT UP TO BY DIRECT DEBIT BY DIRECT DEBIT 18% 31%

PRINT & DIGITAL BEST VALUE Enjoy the tactile beauty of our print edition and the bonus media content of our digital edition in one package, and get behind-the- scenes access to top studios, pro analysis of the latest trends and inspiration that lasts all year FROM £19 QUARTERLY PAYMENT BY DIRECT DEBIT SAVE UK PRINT DIGITAL PRINT & DIGITAL EUROPE £16.00 £11.25 £19.00 UP TO US €28.00 €15.00 €35.00 REST OF WORLD $37.00 $15.00 $44.00 47% $39.00 $15.00 $47.00 SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TODAY: myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/COAPQ17 OR CALL NOW – UK: 0344 848 2852 OVERSEAS: +44 344 848 2852 Prices and savings are compared to buying full priced issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription within 14 days of purchase. Payment is non-refundable after the 14 day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. Your statutory rights are not affected. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. Full details of the Direct Debit guarantee are available upon request. UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) or are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). For full terms and conditions please visit: bit.ly/magtandc. Offer ends 30th April 2018.



APRIL 2018 UPGRADE YOURSELF HOW TO UPGRADE YOURSELF Julia Sagar finds out how to assemble the ultimate toolkit of skills – whatever you want to do ILLUSTRATIONS: Tishk Barzanji www.tishkbarzanji.co.uk A nyone can fall into a skills gap. chosen area, we can help. Here, leading Sure, it’s an issue often faced by designers and educators explain how to new graduates or older workers identify your personal skills gap, where facing redundancy – but even if the corresponding opportunities are in you’ve dedicated a decade to the industry, and how to bridge the gap. following your design passion, Read on to find out how to assemble the the technology, techniques and thinking ultimate toolkit of skills. driving a field can evolve dramatically (Flash, anyone?). And that’s before we KNOW YOUR WHY throw in the seismic shift currently being A skills gap happens when there’s a delivered by AI and machine learning. difference between the skills required by an employer, project or field generally, Across the creative industries, and the skills offered by the workforce. changing skill requirements are already Conducting a skills gap analysis enables creating major pinch points – both in you to identify what you need to meet traditional areas, such as art direction, your personal goals – and the good news and newer areas like motion capture. In is they’re easy to do. a 2017 report by the Creative Industries Federation, nearly 60 per cent of those However, before starting you need surveyed said they were facing skills to “know your why”, points out Benji shortages when employing new people. Holroyd, founder and creative director of SB Studio. “At a time when ‘purpose’ So how can you make sure you’re is such a buzzword, finding your purpose investing in the right skills to achieve early on is invaluable,” he says. your creative goals? Whether you’ve fallen into a skills gap in your current Ragged Edge co-founder Max position, or you’re actively looking to Ottignon agrees. He says that it’s propel yourself to the next level in your important to follow your passion: C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 43 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES APRIL 2018 FEATURED “We talk a lot about T-shaped people The final step is to analyse the data. CREATIVES – those with a broad range of knowledge Using the numerical rating system, you and skills, and an in-depth specialism. can quickly see where your skills gaps MAX The latter needs to be something you’re are – and because you know which OTTIGNON really passionate about,” he explains. requirements are most important, you Max is co-founder and creative know where to start your development. director of London-based studio It’s good advice. Passion is what sets Ragged Edge. He has over 14 you aside from everyone else: it keeps you There’s another way, too. “Take time years’ experience working in motivated, makes your work better, and to reflect on your portfolio and ask others design and branding. attracts employers and clients. In a to give you constructive feedback on your www.raggededge.com rapidly changing industry – where work,” advises Robyn Dooley. She’s the software skills, particularly, can quickly founder of OH, an alternative education ADRIAN become outdated – following your company designed to connect creative SHAUGHNESSY passion is a savvy way to navigate your talent with industry, and bridge the gap Adrian is a graphic designer and creative path, helping you choose which between education and employment. writer. In 1989, he co-founded skills to invest in at which time. “Don’t let the feedback dictate your design company Intro. Today, he entire approach to design, but do let runs Shaughessy Works and is DO A SKILLS GAP ANALYSIS it support you in your endeavour to founding partner of Unit Editions. Whatever your end goal, once you know improve your skills,” she continues. www.uniteditions.com what it is, you can plot your course with a skills gap analysis. The first step is to WHAT’S NEEDED IN 2018 ANTHONY identify the skills needed in the position When it comes to deciding which skills WOOD or project you’re looking at, and list them to focus on first, it helps to know which Anthony is managing director in a spreadsheet. Aside from reading job skills are most needed – and least in of Shillington. With 15 years’ adverts and design blogs, the best way to demand – in the industry. At Ragged experience in design, he relished determine what you need is to speak to Edge, two of the most in-demand the challenge of joining the people who are already doing what you additional skills for designers are motion design school in New York. want to do, whether it’s your boss, design and 3D. This isn’t new: we’ve been www.shillingtoneducation.com somebody at another studio, or a talking about these skills for a decade designer you follow on social media. – and yet today they’re more valuable BONNIE than ever for designers. SIEGLER There are also hundreds of online Bonnie is the founder of design communities you can ask to join “Brands designed for screens need multi-disciplinary design studio – not least the excellent The Designers to be built with motion in mind. So Eight and a Half, whose clients League Facebook group. The rules are designers who can bring some movement include HBO, The New Yorker simple: don’t be rude, and don’t harass into their work are worth their weight in and Criterion Collection. people when asking for career advice. gold,” Ottignon explains. “The most www.8point5.com obvious example would be bringing a Once you start listing the skills logo to life with an animation. Even the ROBYN needed, it can help to categorise them simplest movement gives it so much DOOLEY into different sections, such as more impact when you present it.” Robyn founded Liverpool responsibilities, tasks and knowledge education company OH in 2015, required. It’s wise, too, to consider skills He says that After Effects tends to be in order to connect emerging that might be necessary in the future. the starting point here. “A number of talent with opportunities within designers at Ragged Edge have added this the creative industries. Step two: next to each skill, create to their armoury,” he adds, “and it’s really www.ohthisway.co.uk a scale of measurement to show how helped them sell their ideas.” important each one is (low, moderate, high) and mark the skill level required The ability to apply your work across (a scale of one to five, for instance, could 3D objects or spaces is also invaluable – range from inexperienced to expert). and Ottignon has great advice here. “In the rush to go digital, the physical The next step is to measure your world sometimes gets neglected. A current skills against this scale, assigning designer who has good conceptual skills, the same numerical rating to your actual alongside the ability to bring these to life skill level. For example, your table might in 3D, will have a real point of difference.” read: Skill: leadership. Importance: high. Skill level required: 5. Current level: 3. Take Ragged Edge’s recent brand Be honest. What are you good at, and guidelines for Grey Goose vodka. “We what are you not so good at? incorporated a whole section on C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 44 -

APRIL 2018 UPGRADE YOURSELF “A DESIGNER WITH GOOD CONCEPTUAL FOUR IN-DEMAND SKILLS THAT THEY CAN BRING TO LIFE IN SKILLS IN 2018 3D HAS A REAL POINT OF DIFFERENCE” AND WHY LEARNING THEM IS MAX OTTIGNON SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M Traditional graphic design techniques built - 45 - around communicating a message are slowly being replaced by skills that shape how consumers will use a product. 013D AND PRODUCT DESIGN As demand rises for product designers – with responsibility for everything from aesthetics and design to the overall user experience and development of a product – D skills which have long been sought a er are gaining new importance Cinema D offers a relatively easy-to-learn toolset for product visualisation and graphic design but new simplified so ware programs like Adobe Dimension CC and Maxon’s free Cineware for Illustrator plugin make it easier than ever for D designers to operate and innovate inside a D workflow 02 STORYTELLING WITH MOTION GRAPHICS Motion design and animation are firmly entrenched as a major part of how brands tell their story, ensuring a seamless brand experience across multiple channels, and providing a more memorable – and shareable – experience for consumers. As clients continue to require more moving content, from animated logos, GIFs and dynamic typography through to sophisticated video content, traditional branding and design agencies are restructuring to accommodate new motion skills. A er Effects and Cinema D lead the way on a so ware front. 03 DYNAMIC UX AND UI SKILLS Designers with both UI and UX skills are in high demand. As larger amounts of content become absorbed online, personalisation and user experiences that change based on behaviour continue to drive the design of websites, apps and interactive experiences. Beyond this, AI, VR and AR are rapidly opening up mind-blowing new ways of interacting with users. A new level of sensitivity is required when it comes to creating meaningful interaction and experiences, and designers who have worked at the cross-section of UX and new tech are increasingly valuable. 04 AI, VR AND AR: MIXED REALITY Museums are already experimenting with using AI and VR to tell unique stories, while companies like Google are bringing the intelligence into homes, cars and workplaces. Designers who have experience within the AI and machine learning space have a head start, so it pays to get stuck in. There are some fantastic VR talks on the Game Developers Conference’s YouTube channel, and you’ll also find resources on Creative Bloq.

INDUSTRY ISSUES APRIL 2018 FIVE RESOURCES FOR LEARNING A NEW SKILL CHOOSE FROM THESE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS 01UDEMY “A DESIGNER’S MOST IMPORTANT Online learning and teaching marketplace SKILL IS RESEARCH, COMBINED WITH Udemy hosts over courses, covering CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY” everything from logo design to so ware, business ANTHONY WOOD and technical skills. Courses are affordable – C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 46 - some are free – and there are regular discounts. Expert tutors teach Udemy’s 15 million students, and it isn’t just for individuals – companies around the world use Udemy for employee development. www.udemy.com 02 SKILLSHARE A subscription-based online learning platform, Skillshare offers hundreds of design courses taught by industry professionals like Jessica Hische, Aaron Draplin and Gemma O’Brien. As well as promising to keep you ahead of the curve with classes on emerging trends and topics, Skillshare lets you sort classes by popularity – so you can see which skills are in demand now. From a month. www.skillshare.com 03 LYNDA Online education company Lynda offers video courses taught by industry experts in so ware, creative and business skills. You can browse by ‘top courses’, and can also choose a ‘learning path’ – programmes that teach you the skills you need to achieve your wider goal, whether that’s to become a graphic designer, project coordinator or more. Subs start from a month and there’s a -day free trial. www.lynda.com 04 OH OH – Oh This Way – is a Liverpool- based platform that bridges the gap between design talent and industry through alternative education, local opportunities and inspiration. Its -day creative and digital programme, Catalyst, helps students build both a toolbox of core skills – across everything from UX and design, project management, data analysis, personal and business branding – and their own network. Patrons include digital product studio ustwo, and graduates include SB founder Benji Holroyd. www.ohthisway.co.uk 05 SHILLINGTON COLLEGE For a classroom-based learning experience, Shillington College offers two pathways to becoming a graphic designer: study full-time for three months; or part-time for nine. As well as graduating with a solid understanding of design theory and so ware, students also gain experience of following clear processes and meeting tight deadlines – and leave with a cracking design portfolio. From www.shillingtoneducation.com

APRIL 2018 UPAGRADE YOURSELF in-store activation,” he says. “That Shillington, the curriculum is constantly HOW TO GET MORE meant lots of 3D renders of retail updated to ensure courses don’t teach FROM A SHORT COURSE environments and displays, all brought outdated software, skills or trends. to life in Cinema 4D.” “In the past five years, we’ve scrapped SB STUDIO DESIGNER VICKY HARDMAN a lot of print projects to concentrate EXPLAINS THE VALUE OF OH’S “Increasingly, I find that the projects on design thinking, UX and UI, as a CATALYST TRAINING PROGRAMME I get involved in require coding skills,” plan to create designers that are better says graphic designer, author and RCA prepared to work in collaborative teams When did realise you needed visiting lecturer Adrian Shaughnessy. and have the problem-solving skills to to up-skill to progress in the “I’m a Neanderthal when it comes to adapt in a fast-changing environment,” creative industry?  code, so I rely on people with coding says Anthony Wood, Shillington’s Before joining SB Studio, skills. I’m never happy bluffing or faking managing director. I worked in-house at a charity. I quickly it. If you haven’t got the skills, it shows.” realised my skills were becoming very brand “Being aware of digital trends and specific and lacking variation. Not feeling “The demand for UX designers has having a confident grasp of UI design confident, I started looking for alternatives gone up,” agrees Dooley. “If you’re will inevitably become increasingly and that’s when Robyn’s invite to Catalyst looking to further develop your design important, as will competency of AR and landed in my inbox. It was just the push skills, I’d suggest getting your head VR,” he continues. “But it’s important to I needed to leave the charity and start around the concept of it and the remember that a designer’s strongest and something new.  language of UX,” she continues. most important skill is research – both for the client and user – with a creative What did you learn through doing Designers who have dabbled with problem-solving ability to back it up.” Catalyst’s -day programme? HTML and CSS are also in demand, she It’s really impressive how much [founder] adds. “You certainly don’t have to become BRIDGE YOUR SKILLS GAP Robyn managed to squeeze into Catalyst. an expert, but understanding what’s So what’s the best way to acquire the One of my favourite workshops was about under the bonnet of front-end skills you’ve identified? Online learning our own ‘why’. Everyone realised they are development will support your designs.” platforms like Skillshare, Udemy and able to spend every day doing something Lynda are packed with short, affordable they love and enjoy. The course helped However, Dooley says the real skills courses on everything from creative to develop my skills in so many areas, from gap in the creative industry is soft skills. business skills. Brooke Young, digital on-the-spot idea thinking to personal “The ask from designers now appears to marketing manager at Skillshare, says it’s confidence. I’ve not looked back.  be less focused on the technical skills of less about learning one specific skill to design, and more so on communication make you a better designer, and more You’re working as a designer at SB and ways of thinking. It sounds like a about continually improving your skills. now. What does that involve?  cliche, but it’s essential, and will be more “That’s why we give our members The role is so varied: one day, ideas so over the coming years.” unlimited access to classes for a low generation for identities; the next, animating monthly or annual price,” she explains. for huge screens. Every project is worked She continues: “Having the ability to “It makes it easier and more affordable on, at some point, by the whole team.  communicate ideas confidently – and in to take many classes over time.” a way that’s digestible for everyone in Did Catalyst prepare you for the role? your team to understand and visualise Don’t feel that you have to commit For me, a lot of the course was about – is a sought-after quality. There’s a skill to completing a class in one sitting. personal development. It helped me find within being able to articulate the “Watching 10 minutes of a class every my voice within a team and learn how to creative process behind your ideas, the day is a lot less intimidating and makes work on ideas as one unit. ‘why’ behind designs and how you got it easier to complete,” Young points out. from A to B. We’re also increasingly With Skillshare’s mobile app, you can What’s the one biggest takeaway you speaking to studios who are asking for also download classes to your device and received from the Catalyst programme? designers that have a background or watch them offline – meaning you can The need to be honest – not just with interest in psychology,” she says. learn from anywhere. everyone else, but yourself. You can figure out what makes you happy, and if you aren’t WHAT TO AVOID Being able to learn wherever you are happy in what you do every day, then you Are there any skills to avoid learning? doesn’t mean that learning shouldn’t have the power to change that.  The top-level consensus is no. “Anything be structured. Time perimeters are you can bring that’s a bit out of the paramount, says Wood. While there’s What advice would you give to another ordinary is worth having,” says Ottignon. a time and place for unstructured designer for ge ing the most from a “You never know how you might be able “play”, he says that if you want to truly short course like Catalyst? to apply it with a bit of creative thinking.” master a new skill, treat it like a college Turn up and get involved. It sounds simple, but commi ing your time and energy That said, software and new trends is so important. And go in with an open can quickly become obsolete. At mind: some of the workshops might seem abstract, but there is always a goal. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 47 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES APRIL 2018 “ACQUIRING SKILLS IS A LIFETIME assignment or client project. “Set strict EXERCISE, SO YOU’D BETTER LEARN timelines, identify a deadline and create HOW TO BE A CONSTANT LEARNER” incentives to stay on track,” he advises. ADRIAN SHAUGHNESSY “Accountability is also key,” says Wood. “Create your own classroom. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M Don’t be afraid to connect with fellow - 48 - designers – whether that’s in person or online – who want to upskill too. This is why we have special graduate partnerships with RookieUp, an on- demand mentorship platform, and Briefbox, a library of practice briefs and helpful resources, to keep challenging our students, even after graduation.” Also, don’t be afraid to learn on the job – it’s probably how you acquired many of the skills you already have. “If there’s a brief that requires a skill you don’t have, can you take it on and learn at the same time? It will probably mean a few late nights and early mornings,” says Ottignon, “but it will be worth it.” And if you can’t learn on the job? Invent a project incorporating whatever it is you need to learn. “I’ve always found the best, easiest way to learn a new skill is to invent a project for yourself,” reflects Bonnie Siegler, founder of design studio Eight and a Half. “Then you have to solve all the problems that appear before you. For retention purposes, nothing beats figuring it out yourself.” For Shaughnessy, learning from your peers is the most effective way to up-skill. His experience, both in working life and education, is that designers learn best from each other. “I don’t know many designers who use software manuals – instead they immerse themselves in the subject and then look for someone to help them,” he says. “Online tutorials can be helpful. But ultimately, peer learning is the best way forward.” He encourages students to learn new skills as well as enhance existing ones. “But my emphasis is always on learning how to learn,” he explains. “Many skills will be redundant by the time students have perfected them. Acquiring skills is a lifetime exercise – so you’d better know how to be a constant learner.” NEXT PERFECT YOUR PORTFOLIO MONTH Four world-class creative directors share their advice for pitching your folio to the right audience.

The number one destination for graphic design news, views and how-tos EcrApc_rgtc @jmobgpcarrm wmspgl`mvugrf mspuccijw ep_nfgabcqgel lcuqjcrrcp Graphic design Art Web design 3D Digital art www.creativebloq.com

IN CONVERSATION APRIL 2018