Wednesday 7 March 2012

25 years down the tube


I was flattered to be contacted late last year by the curator of the Collections Department of The London Transport Museum, who wanted to interview me on the inspiration and motivation behind the 'Tate by Tube' poster which will be featuring in their major 2012 exhibition - Mind the Map.

Reaping a number of industry awards and accolades back in the days of its first issue, 'Tate by Tube' is reportedly the best selling poster in The London Transport Museum Shop. A great testament to a simple witty idea, well executed and created the year after I graduated in my first job at The Fine White Line, (happy days).

My 'Old Faithful' has always been a great door opener, conversation starter, (and job getter) and I'm proud and delighted it's appeal has not dwindled over the years as it approaches its 25th anniversary. The curator informed me that it had even been a major influence on a second, more recently commissioned poster, the Rorschach Test map by the artist Cornelia Parker.

Mind the Map opens 18th May - 28th October 2012 at The London Transport Museum where the original three dimensional map model will be on display as part of what will be a fascinating exhibition. Try to squeeze in a visit.


Friday 24 February 2012

Lost in navigation

I had the great pleasure last night to attend a talk by Tristan Gooley, (explorer, writer and navigator) on the subject of 'natural navigation'. This was the first event organised by the new SEGD, (Society for Environmental Graphic Designers) branch for Edinburgh, chaired by my friend Lucy and sponsored by Napier University who provided the wonderful 'Egg' lecture theatre as venue.

And what better subject to kick-start the series of talks, than taking us back to the very roots of wayfinding, literally in some instances, and to the navigational techniques that our ancestors used for millennia but are sadly now a dying art across all cultures. In our increasingly satellite guided GPS world, he took us back to nature and showed how to interpret the wealth of information around us in the landscape.

Tristan Gooley is on a one man mission to keep these skills alive, though I think he may have gained some willing new disciples from within the auditorium. He unpretentiously introduced the simple art of looking. The clever bit is then translating what we see into navigational clues that can accrue into practical directional knowledge. Using a crescent moon to find south, what asymmetry in the countryside is saying and what the timing and flight paths of certain seabirds can tell us on the open sea regarding land. This was fascinating, inspiring stuff and will I'm sure feed intuitively into the design of future wayfinding projects.

Gooley has a couple of books out, both now on my reading list, The Natural Navigator and The Natural Explorer. Now I know what I'm looking for, a walk in the country will never be the same again - especially for the kids as I casually introduce my new found expertise.



Wednesday 22 February 2012

Let sleeping blogs lie - not anymore!

Well it's been a while - I admit it - but the return heralds news of a couple of new identities for the local market and a branding presentation to a Scottish Enterprise networking event. This latter occasion gave me a valuable snapshot into the entrepreneurial ambitions of a cross-section of young businesses and a useful insight into the very mixed levels of brand appreciation and investment expectations of start-ups. A good experience and a friendly bunch of people - I wish them luck in their ventures and hope they consider my words of branding wisdom as they pursue their business dreams.

As a proud holder of a DBA Design Effectiveness Award, it still strikes me as a great shame that design seems increasingly reduced to a commodity in a race to find the cheapest supplier and where true originality, ideas and quality have been left by the wayside. Great design should not become the preserve of the Apples and matching megabrands of this world but be a demand of every creative brief issued. It must however, be justly rewarded when delivered.

Almost sounded grumpy then. To lighten things up a little, here's the new North Berwick Kayak Club identity, soon to be appearing on the rash vests and vessels of East Lothian's paddling finest.