Computer arts

BOOST YOUR

ISSUE

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MaRch 2014 Digital edition Produced in The UK

FREELANCE CAREER Why getting an agent could supercharge your design practice

v i d eo p re v i e w

Expert branding insights from our Impact Conference speakers

Typography in branding

Erik Spiekermann reveals how type can define a brand’s identity

also Featuring... • Pro workflow techniques • Design a premium comic collection • Behind the scenes on a stunning Toshiba ad • Toby & Pete • Add vibrant graphics to a live-streamed broadcast • Our critique of the Oscars 2014 branding • Design trends • And more...

WEL CO M E

MARCH 2014

editor’s letter As the inimitable Erik Spiekermann explains in this month’s Special Report, a brand’s choice of typography speaks volumes. In a saturated marketplace, a distinctive tone of voice can really cut through the noise and a recognisable typeface is a surefire way to achieve consistent branding across all media. We have branding on the brain this month, in the build-up to our Impact Conference in London on 6 March. You can read more in our event preview on page 18, including video chats with six of the expert speakers – we’d love to see you there. Back on the typography theme, many of you will have spotted Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones’ public legal spat in mid-January – a sign that even an agency with a towering global reputation like H&FJ can rip at the seams. With this in mind, in the Insight section we’ve asked Adrian Shaughnessy to give his take on what happens when creative partnerships go sour. You may also have spotted that the Projects section has got a little fatter this month. Interspersed with the ever-insightful project diaries, you’ll now find pro workflow advice to help make your day-to-day tasks easier – plus our take on the latest hardware, software and creative tech that your studio needs to know about. Hope you find them useful, and we welcome your feedback.

keep in touch with…

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Nick Carson Editor

[email protected]

featuring

Erik Spiekermann

Renowned type designer Erik is also creative director at Edenspiekermann. In our Special Report (page 46), he takes a look at how a custom typeface can tranform a brand’s presence and identity. www.edenspiekermann.com

Keith Rondinelli

The multi-talented Keith co-founded design studio Woodhouse with Rebecca Pritchard in 2006, and has also turned his hand to music production and film directing. He created this issue’s cover art using Erik Spiekermann’s Fira typeface. www.woodhousecreative.com

Louise Sloper

Head of design at BETC London, Typographic Circle committee member and D&AD 2014 juror Louise shares her thoughts on why designers need to be wary of pigeonholing themselves into a particular style – in work and in life (page 28). www.betc.co.uk

Angelo stitz

Angelo specialises in drawing and developing custom typefaces, designing books, logos and wordmarks in a style he describes as reduced and user-oriented. We found out the inspiration behind his numeral-based wrapping paper on page 98. www.metatype.de

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Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn

Shauna is a graphic designer, hand-letterer and illustrator with a penchant for digital chalk drawings. In this issue’s Industry Issues (page 68), she talks about the effect that getting an agent has had on her freelance career. www.shaunaparmesan.com

M EET T H E T E AM

MARCH 2014

Meet the team Future Publishing Ltd, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW Phone 01225 442 244 Fax 01225 732 275 Email [email protected] Web computerarts.creativebloq.com

Editorial

Nick Carson Editor [email protected] Julia Sagar Deputy editor [email protected] Jo Gulliver Art editor [email protected] Rich Carter Designer [email protected] Ruth Hamilton Production assistant [email protected] Jim McCauley & kerrie hughes creative bloq channel editors [email protected] [email protected]

Contributors

Zaneta Antosik, Michael Burns, Joshua Checkley, Rob Flowers, FranklinTill, Daniel Gray, Jayde Perkin, Graham Robson, Adrian Shaughnessy, Jeremy Shaw, Erik Spiekermann, Anne Wollenberg, Woodhouse Creative.

Advertising 0207 042 4122

Charlie Said Ad sales director [email protected] JAS RAI Ad sales manager [email protected] SUZANNE SMITH Account manager [email protected] victoria sanders Senior sales exec [email protected]

Next issue on sale

7 March 2014

Nick Carson

editor Aided by some new orange trainers, Nick’s halfmarathon training kicked into gear this month. He’s very pleased to have recruited another male to the team, and hopes the girls will stop bullying him now.

Marketing

Philippa Newman Group marketing manager [email protected] SAMantha BOOK Marketing manager [email protected]

Julia Sagar

Alexandra Geary Marketing executive [email protected]

Deputy editor Julia spent a fortnight hiking in the Himalayas, thus cementing her ambition to take on a job with ‘roaming’ somewhere in the title. Since her return, she’s been gearing up for the next CA Collection Annual.

Print & Production

Mark Constance Production manager Viv Turner Production co-ordinator Nola Cokely Ad production manager

Circulation

JAMES RYAN Direct marketing executive [email protected] Daniel Foley Trade marketing manager [email protected]

Jo Gulliver

Art editor Despite her birthday taking place quite a few weeks ago now, Jo’s been celebrating ever since. On the actual day, she bought a bike and cycled into a post. She’s also been imparting design wisdom onto Rich.

Richard Jefferies International account manager [email protected]

Licensing

Regina Erak Licensing director [email protected]

Future publishing LTD

Declan Gough Head of Creative and Design Nial Ferguson Managing director, Technology, Film and Games DAN OLIVER Editor-in-chief Steve Gotobed Group art director Robin Abbott Creative director Jim Douglas Editorial director

Ruth Hamilton

Production assistant Ruth took a trip up North, and watched the new Hobbit film at Manchester’s IMAX (she did not care for the spider scene). The highlight of her month was an incredible brownie gifted to CA by Studio Dumbar.

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Rich Carter Designer This month we welcomed Rich to the Computer Arts team, and he’s been busy learning the ropes from Jo. We know he’s committed because he has to cycle down (and back up) a massive hill to get into the office.

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Print + digital (Jan-Dec 2012)

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© Future Publishing Limited 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Future Publishing Limited is at Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All information contained in this magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

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production notes printers

text, cover CMYK + pantone blue 319 and fluorEscent orange 811 William Gibbons

paper

cover Precision Special Gloss FSC 250gsm P3-74: Galerie Fine FSC 115gsm P75-98: Solarispress 75gsm

Emboss, soft-touch varnish and spot uv by

typefaces

Trump Gothic West, Neutraface Text & Display, Calluna

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MARCH 2014

ISSUE 2 24 M A RCH 20 14

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Culture

Trends: Coralie Gourguechon’s DIY speaker takes the mystery out of electronics, while Hisham Akira Bharoocha’s Puma trainers have a rainforest vibe

14  People: We chat with Brian Bowman, whose career has taken a winding route to his new job at Spontaneous, and nose around Minimalist’s studio

Showcase

 16

P  laces: Our Places maps illustrator finally gets the chance to show off his own hometown of Sydney

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Events: A special preview of CA’s upcoming Impact Conference, complete with speaker video interviews

Our selection of the world’s best new graphic design, illustration and motion graphics work 32

Insight

24  When designers fall out: As H&FJ’s battle rages on, Adrian Shaughnessy reflects on what happens when creative partnerships go sour 28

A question of style: Louise Sloper on why having a unique style is all well and good, but not at the expense of staying receptive to new ideas

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Minimalism as visual clutter: With ever more ‘minimalist’ film posters clogging the design blogs, Craig Ward explains why the trend is missing the point

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Masks and selections: Luke O’Neill shares his best-practice advice for non-destructive techniques

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T  ouch Type Tool: CA’s own Jo Gulliver reveals how Illustrator CC helps you edit text on the fly

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web graphics: Combine Kuler with Illustrator to create pixel-perfect, scalable web graphics with Matt Hamm’s pro workflow advice

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workflow

Project diaries

We follow top creatives as they art direct a comic collection, explore fantasy worlds for a tablet spot and create an interactive festival experience 75

need to know Do you need a mac pro? What Apple’s shiny new flagship machine can really do for your studio

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C O N TE N TS

MARCH 2014

VIDEO PREVIEW: IMPACT CONFERENCE With CA’s first ever industry conference fast approaching, we caught up with six of the speakers to talk branding 20

Tesco’s Sunita Yeomans on FMGC branding

How AKQA built its relationship with Nike

S tu di o li fe

Toby & pete

The Sydney-based retouching duo discuss how a collaborative approach helped catapult their studio onto the world stage 58

Subscribe TO COMPUTER ARTS • UK readers: Save up to 38% 23 • US readers: Save up to 40% 67 More: computerarts.creativebloq.com

S P ECIAL R EP OR T

TYPE IS BRAND

Logos and colour palettes help build a brand, but as Erik Spiekermann argues, nothing communicates like custom type 46

INDU S TRY I S S UES

GET AN AGENT

From dealing with admin while you sleep to opening up your audience, why it’s worth finding the right representation 68

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try our award-winning iPad edition for free! page 45

CULTUR E Tren d s

T r e nds CULTURE To make Coralie Gourguechon’s speaker work, the owner curves a section of the design into a cone shape, linking the circuit

WE LOVE...

homemade Electronics French product designer Coralie Gourguechon’s simplified speaker takes the mystery out of electronics echnology is a fundamental part of our lives, from the smart phones in our pockets to our computers at home and work. Every day we use these gadgets and gizmos, but we are removed from their inner workings by their sleek metal cases. However, as people become more interested in how things are made, designers are creating simple kits that demystify electronic workings. French product designer Coralie Gourguechon’s Planche Anatomique de Haut-Parleur is a DIY paper speaker. A design is painted in conductive ink and glue to not only visually represent the speaker’s components, but physically act as a circuit board. When the speaker is popped out and constructed into a cone, the sound is amplified. When flattened, the speaker is turned off.

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Each month, our Trends section is curated by experienced creative consultancy FranklinTill (www.franklintill.com).

CULTUR E T rend s

March 2014

D E S I G N ED FOR LI FE

Brazilian style Hisham Akira Bharoocha updates Puma’s classic trainer with a fresh rainforest vibe hen artist, illustrator and sneaker fiend Hisham Akira Bharoocha was asked to design a new line of trainers for Puma, he jumped at the chance. All the more so as the person asking was musician and model Solange – the newly appointed creative consultant for Puma. “I’ve been friends with Solange for many years and this was the first time we were able to collaborate on a design project,” Bharoocha says. “She just called me up one day and asked me if I wanted to be involved. Of course I said yes.” Bharoocha was given a colour palette, a particular trainer to work on and a theme – ‘the sights and sounds of Brazil’ – and left to let his imagination run free. “The creative team at Puma truly trusted the designers’ visions,” he comments, “which always feels great.” Despite being a newbie to the world of footwear design, Bharoocha says his biggest challenge was narrowing

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product:

down fabric options: “It was amazing experimenting with the materials and how they would look when presented in different combinations.” The designs draw on elements of the rainforest and ocean, channelled through his collaborator’s own celebrated sense of style. “An inspiration was Solange’s amazing colour sense, which you can see in her fabulous outfits,” he smiles.

The Girls of Blaze Disc Collection by Hisham Akira Bharoocha for Puma www.bit.ly/HishamForPuma

COST:

$150

Stay one step ahead with our barometer of visual cool

CUTTING EDGE

Designers are collaborating with scientists to create unique printable inks grown from living bacteria.

S TILL FRESH

Tropical flowers reworked in synthetic brights on dark backgrounds create a psychedelic floral aesthetic.

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M ainstream

Photographic images capture  the moment pigment and paint is smashed and exploded.

Illustration: Joshua Checkley www.joshuacheckley.co.uk

TRENDING

CULTUR E PEO PL E

MARCH 2014

M y st y le I S ...

Big glasses and bleached hair

Graphic designer Denise Lai is known for her streetwear-inspired style, bubbly personality and renowned style blog www.deniselai.com Mona Mara necklace I’ve never seen anything as cool as this, and it’s so appropriate as I love doing the ‘Okay’ sign. I wish it was moulded from my real hand.

Illustration : Jayde Perkin, www.jaydeperkin.com

Nike Air Max 1 As a former sneakerhead, the latest glow-in-the-dark Nike Air Max range got me excited. I love the unexpected patterns that appear. Céline handbag This is one of the most expensive items I own. It’s an investment piece – it will last forever and isn’t confined to any trends (snakeprint is a neutral now, duh). I rarely dare use it.

Brian Bowman has joined Spontaneous with the simple aim of doing exceptional work for every project

beginning to end, the next it’s title design or creating visual effects for a specific shot sequence. Part of the excitement is not knowing what’s next. We’re currently working on a commercial campaign for a major brand alongside custom animation for a soon-to-be-released feature film. I like that variety.

N E W VE NTURE S

climbing Spontaneously Brian Bowman is taking on a new role as creative director at Spontaneous, bringing with him skills gleaned from a unique career rom livestock feed supplement assistant to architect to filmmaker, Brian Bowman’s career hasn’t taken the most conventional route. As he embarks on his latest challenge – creative director at NYC-based design studio Spontaneous – we find out what attracted him to the role, and how his unusual career history makes him the best man for the job.

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Tell us a bit about your career before you joined Spontaneous... After high school, I was a feed supplement assistant, testing food sources for various livestock. After all, cows don’t take too kindly to gummy vitamins. I mean they’ll eat them, but their complex quadratic stomachs don’t like them at all. The past seven years I’ve been a creative director. How did you get the job? It was love at first sight. Spontaneous was looking for a creative director who could work across multiple platforms and I was looking for a company that had the talent and resources to respond to challenges wherever and however they presented themselves. After a breakfast or two and a small dowry from me, I was hired. What does your new role entail? We get involved in every part of the creative process. One day we are conceptualising an entire project from computerarts.creativeb loq.com - 14 -

What are your aims for Spontaneous? I want us to create exceptional work, no matter what it is or who it’s for. The maximal desire of design is to conceptually drive a process, while conversely the minimal is to simply ‘make it better.’ Design can engage at any level during the process of creation. I enjoy that aspect very much. Your career has spanned a range of disciplines from architecture to filmmaking. What attracted you to this new position, and what do you think your past occupations bring to the role? Spontaneous has a wonderful and diverse team of artists. The collaboration in the creative process means everything to me. Architecture, believe it or not, is also very collaborative. It takes teams of contractors, engineers and interior designers to make a building a reality. I realised that filmmaking shares many of the same processes and it felt familiar to me. Ultimately, an idea is realised by the work of many people; each contributing to make it better. That kind of synergy propels me. What have your career highlights been so far? I would have to say the highlights have been the artists that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and the challenges put before us. Something special happens when people are personally invested and stay true to their vision. What advice would you give to someone looking to win a creative director role? I’m not sure if you win the role as much as you earn it. Every experience, whether you think it’s good or bad, moves you down the road. Patience and courage are always helpful. So is a periscope to see your way around problems. www.spon.com

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M Y D ESI G N SPA CE IS...

Anything but minimalist

With its sexy chairs, astroturf carpet and sombreros, the décor in Seoul-based boutique studio Minimalist’s workspace is nothing like its namesake hanks to Psy, Gangnam has risen to a dubious fame in the past year. However, the Seoul district isn’t only responsible for producing nimblelimbed pop stars: since May last year, Gangnam has also been home to boutique design studio Minimalist. The décor is the work of founder and creative director Wochan Lee, who transformed the residential space singlehandedly. And there’s not a white wall or Eames chair in sight: the studio sports black walls and an astroturf carpet. A red leather bar stool (1) sits next to the desk. On the shelves two sombreros are perched (2). Although the darkness helps Lee focus, having painted the walls he was worried the decoration was too solemn – which is where the astroturf came in. “Though

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it doesn’t actually photosynthesise, it is visually environmentally friendly,” he says. Lee’s most prized possessions – his camera equipment – are hidden in an unassuming case next to the bookshelf (3) . “This ain’t a 007 briefcase, but guess what, it’s even more powerful than that,” jokes Lee. “It’s always ready to transform the studio into a photography studio.”

“You don’t feel like you’re working when you’re sitting on this sexy stool”

This kind of adaptability is key, especially given the constant stream of deadlines Lee’s been juggling since the studio’s launch – the aforementioned sombreros are a reminder of his almost-forgotten holiday dreams. In the meantime, he’s kitted out the studio with some creature comforts. There’s a sofa-bed complete with pyjamas – Lee is no stranger to the all-nighter – and a portable gas stove (4) for snacks. “Design is energyconsuming as well as time-consuming,” says Lee. “Instant noodles, ramen, stew... you name it, I cook it.” As for that bar stool, Lee has an explanation that sits somewhere between bonkers and genius. “Too much comfort can often lead you into a sweet slumber,” he explains. “You don’t feel like you’re working when you’re sitting on this sexy stool.”

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When he launched Minimalist, creative director Wochan Lee transformed a residential flat into his quirky studio

CULTUR E PL A C E S

March 2014

C R E AT I V E quarters

Sydney, Australia Daniel Gray, the illustrator behind our Places maps, get his chance to share his own favourite hangouts and haunts in his hometown of Sydney

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King Street

Newtown Also known as Eat Street, this is the main thoroughfare in Newtown. Thai restaurants, cocktail bars, health food shops, vintage clothes, artists, students and the gay community all converge in this area. There’s always somewhere great to eat, drink and be merry.

Pork Roll 2 Marrickville 236a Illawarra Rd

This little hole-in-the-wall sells what many consider the best Vietnamese rolls (‘bánh mì’) in town. They’re delicious, cheap and on a Saturday morning, the queue can go down the street. Never mind, you won’t wait long – just go easy on the chilli.

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Park 3 Sydney Sydney Park Rd, St Peters

www.bit.ly/SydneyPark This is an inner-city oasis, full of gardens, hills and pathways. My husband and I love to come here with our Vietnamese rolls and watch everyone have picnics, walk their dogs or exercise. On a good day, you can smell fresh popcorn in the air from the popcorn factory nearby.

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Small Club 4 Goodgod 55 Liverpool St, Chinatown

www.goodgodgoodgod.com Over in Chinatown is this matryoshka doll of clubs. Don’t be fooled by the name, it packs a punch. In the front is The Dip canteen – famous for its excellent hot dogs. When you’re ready for a shimmy, head to the back of the club for the Danceteria.

Kinokuniya 5 Books 500 George St

www.kinokuniya.com.au Right in the middle of the CBD, this bookshop has terrific art, design and architecture sections, as well as lots of anime and graphic novels. They also have a café and an art gallery. If I’ve got some time to kill, I always head here.

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D  aniel Gray is an Australian illustrator based between London and Sydney. He has worked with clients including Graniph, Microsoft and The British Council. www.danielgray.com

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CULTUR E E VENT S

MARCH 2014

KEY INFO Location London Film Museum WhEN 6 March 2014 client-side speakers Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Tesco, Barclays, Rapha, Cineworld Group agency-side speakers Taxi Studio, AKQA, The Future Laboratory, Michael Wolff, johnson banks, Brand Union BOOK your place NOW www.impactconf.com

E v e nt p r evi e w: Impa ct C on feren ce

packed with branding insight

With Computer Arts’ first ever industry conference fast approaching, editor Nick Carson explains what’s in store in March hen this issue hits UK newsstands, Computer Arts’ very own Impact Conference will be just four weeks away. A one-day event dedicated to the craft of branding in all its forms, Impact will explore how to achieve excellence, consistency and as the name implies, genuine impact. Taking place on 6 March 2014 at the London Film Museum, the event is curated and introduced by independent design writer and consultant Lynda Relph-Knight, the former editor of Design Week. Besides branding, of course, the key theme that will tie it all together is the importance of collaboration in achieving world-class results. Speakers will also explore how to build strong, valuable and fruitful relationships with both clients and fellow designers alike. Impact contains a mixture of keynote talks and more focused sessions

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exploring the unique challenges, opportunities and rewards that can be found in particular branding sectors, such as FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), sports, charities, financial services, luxury, drinks, retail and more. The first session is titled Consuming Interest, in which a panel including CocaCola’s vice-president of global design James Sommerville, design writer John Simmons and Tesco’s head of creative Sunita Yeomans will debate the unique challenges facing the FMCG sector – from price wars to all-important shelf standout. In our first video preview (see page 20), Yeomans introduces some of the topics that she’ll be exploring. Design also plays a crucial role in the world of sport, and the Going the Distance session will span everything from the hugely competitive world of global brands to the design-savvy

niche independent market, with a panel featuring AKQA’s James Hilton – who discusses how his agency developed its relationship with Nike in our second video preview – and James Fairbank from indie cycle brand Rapha. Meanwhile, Design for Good will tackle the charity sector – well-known as a magnet for great design, but nonetheless under pressure from squeezing budgets that mean increasingly creative solutions are needed. Michael Johnson, founder of johnson banks, will set the world to rights with representatives from the British

Heart Foundation and ThinkPublic.

Renowned for its sense of fun, the drinks industry can really benefit from a strong and lively relationship between designer and client. In the Toasting Success session, Taxi Studio’s Spencer Buck and his long-term collaborator Jessica Felby at Carlsberg will explain

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E V E nT S CULTURE

MARCH 2014

johnson banks is renowned for its branding work in the cultural and non-profit sectors. Founder Michael Johnson will be sharing his experience at Impact

BRAND IMPACT AWARDS: SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED AKQA’s Nike+ Kinect app brings a virtual personal trainer to your pocket: co-founder and chief creative officer James Hilton will be discussing sports branding at the Impact Conference

Taxi Studio’s Spencer Buck and Jessica Felby at Carlsberg have a strong collaborative relationship, and enjoy a bit of creative one-upmanship – they will be discussing drinks branding at Impact

what works best for them – and we chat to them both about mutual respect and creative one-upmanship in our third and fourth video previews. In the Shop Talk session, a panel comprising Dilys Maltby, co-founder of Circus, Dalziel & Pow’s Ross Phillips and Peter Williams at Cineworld Group will explore how design can help lift the recession-hit high street out of the doldrums, and attempt to compete with

“Some parts of the industry can definitely be riskier than others” GARY ASPDEN, BRAND CONSULTANT, ADIDAS

the ever-increasing dominance of online retailers. Maltby gives a taster of what to expect in our fifth video preview. And that’s not all. Branding guru Michael Wolff will also consider how the art of branding can rebuild trust in the financial world, drawing on his extensive experience with the Russian banking sector; The Future Laboratory’s Tom Savigar will give his take on trends in the luxury market; and Decide’s Dee Cooper will discuss the importance of customer engagement in an increasingly connected world, as she explains in a bit more detail in our sixth and final video preview. It will be an inspiring, insightful event that gets to the heart of how to create branding with genuine impact, in any sector. D  on’t miss out. To book your place, visit the Impact website: www.impactconf.com comput erarts .cr eat ive bloq .co m - 19 -

The official shortlist for our Brand Impact Awards is out now, and the winners will be announced on 6 March After a long but productive day sifting through hundreds of world-class entries, we can now reveal the 50 shortlisted projects for the inaugural Brand Impact Awards, from 34 different agencies. Our hardworking expert panel included top creative directors from Wolff Olins and D&AD, client-side commissioners from brands as diverse as Carlsberg, Mars, Tesco and HSBC, and leading branding consultants who have worked with the likes of Adidas, Virgin and Selfridges. Entries were split into two streams – branding programmes and branded campaigns – and judged by market sector. These included culture, education, entertainment, FMCG, not-for-profit, sports and more – with special awards to recognise creative collaboration and social impact, as well as the obligatory Best of Show in both streams. “It’s about putting the work into the context of which sector it’s coming from. Some parts of the industry can definitely be riskier than others,” observes Adidas brand consultant Gary Aspden, one of the branded campaigns judges. “We’re putting the focus on what’s impactful and really cuts through, rather than on something that’s aesthetically pleasing, but isn’t actually doing anything to move people’s perception of a brand.” “Some of the winning projects are beautifully executed, across many touchpoints,” adds Sunita Yeomans, head of creative for Tesco and one of the branding programme’s judges. “That’s what we were looking for: it’s not only about applying a great idea to one part of a brand.” The final results will be revealed in a glittering ceremony on 6 March 2014 (tables are available to book at www.brandimpactawards.com), straight after the Impact Conference. Winners will be showcased in issue 225 of Computer Arts. C  heck out the official Brand Impact shortlist at: www.bit.ly/BrandImpactShortlist

CULTUR E E VENT S

MARCH 2014

impact conference

VIDEO PREVIEW Six speakers reveal some of the fascinating topics that they’ll be exploring in more depth at Impact: www.bit.ly/ImpactPreview

Bonus content! Get EVEN MORE EXCLUSIVE video AND IMAGERY in our iPad edition see p45

Speakers J ames Sommerville Coca-Cola J ames Hilton AKQA

p re v i e w o n e S U N ITA YEO MAN S

Part of a panel discussing FMCG branding at Impact, Tesco’s head of creative considers how design can help supermarkets cut through the noise.

p re v i e w t w o JAM E S H I LTO N

The founder and chief creative officer at AKQA recalls how a serendipitous initial meeting with Nike developed into a strong and fruitful relationship.

 pencer Buck S Taxi Studio Jessica Felby Carlsberg  ichael Johnson M johnson banks  lenn Tutssel G Brand Union  ichael Wolff M Michael Wolff & Company  live Grinyer C Barclays

p re v i e w t h ree S PEN C ER B U C K

Taxi Studio’s co-founder discusses the value of designer-client collaboration, and particularly his strong relationship with Carlsberg’s Jessica Felby.

p re v i e w f o ur J E S S I CA FELBY

Drinks branding is on the menu for Carlsberg’s head of design, not to mention her creative one-upmanship with long-term collaborator Spencer Buck.

 om Savigar T The Future Laboratory  unita Yeomans S Tesco  ee Cooper D Decide  ilys Maltby D Circus  ouise Kyme L British Heart Foundation J ames Fairbank Rapha

p re v i e w f i v e D I LYS MALTBY

With Selfridges, John Lewis and London’s Covent Garden amongst her client list, the co-founder of Circus delves into the world of retail branding.

p re v i e w s i x D EE COOPER

Having consulted on projects for Virgin and London 2012 Olympics, Decide’s creative director explores the future of customer engagement with brands.

Book your place now at www.impactconf.com comput erarts .cr eat ive bloq .co m - 20 -

 eter Williams P Cineworld  oss Phillips R Dalziel and Pow  eborah Szebeko D thinkpublic

IS COMING TO NEW YORK!

20 June 2014, New World Stages Brendan Dawes, Jenn Lukas, Ethan Marcotte, Karen McGrane and more to be announced

REGISTER NOW AT

www.generateconf.com

CULTUR E E V E N TS

March 2014

W h at ’s on

dates for your diary Hold on to your hats: we’re kicking off March with our very own Impact Conference, followed by the stellar Offset, Cheltenham Design Festival and much, much more

Talking digital

3 Mar 2014 D&AD, Britannia House, 68-80 Hanbury Street, London, UK www.bit.ly/talkingdigital Bo Hellberg – executive creative director at Tribal DDB Paris, and previously creative director at digital agencies like Lost Boys and Ogilvy – leads this D&AD session on digital environments in design, and how to work with an audience that’s no longer made up of consumers, but users.

Impact Conference

6 Mar 2014 London Film Museum, Riverside Building, County Hall, London, UK www.impactconf.com Impact marks a milestone in Computer Arts’ history – our firstever industry conference. We’ll be celebrating excellence in branding and looking at how to achieve it, with speakers including Michael Wolff and Michael Johnson. The Brand Impact Awards ceremony will take place afterwards. For more info, flick back to our event preview on page 18.

OFFSET

21-23 Mar 2014 Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Docklands, Dublin 2, Ireland www.iloveoffset.com Jessica Walsh, Tom Hingston, Geneviève Gauckler, ilovedust

and Mother London are among the 24 speakers lined up to present, impress and inspire at Offset, Dublin’s annual three-dayer at the end of March. Milton Glaser will also be appearing in an exclusively filmed interview with Steven Heller. It’s shaping up to be a corker.

Future Everything

27 Mar-1 Apr 2014 Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, Lancashire, UK futureeverything.org/festival Now in its 19th year, Manchester’s two-day Future Everything event brings together representatives from the worlds of design, urbanism, art, business and academia to explore the theme of ‘Tools for Unknown Futures’. The aim is to debate how tools can be used as a path to social change.

Advertising Week europe

31 Mar-4 Apr 2014 BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London, UK www.advertisingweek.eu Only in its second year in Europe, Advertising Week is, as you may imagine, a celebration of all things advertising. However, with 14,000 guests and over 150 events, it’s by no means a baby of the event scene. Plan ahead and work to a strict schedule to make the most of the mammoth programme on offer.

Dejando Huella

Fuse

Cheltenham Design Festival

design Lecture series: Ken Garland

3-5 April 2014 Alameda theatre, Calle 16 de Septiembre, Querétaro, Mexico www.dejandohuella.mx Marta Cerda and Serial Cut’s Sergio Harbor are among 11 creatives set to share their stories of success, failure, heartbreak and glory at this year’s Dejando Huella graphic design congress in Mexico.

4-5 April 2014 Across Cheltenham, UK cheltenhamdesignfestival.com The team behind the Cheltenham Design Festival is busy finalising a top speaker line-up of design luminaries for the event this year.

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7-9 April 2014 Radisson Blu Aqua, Chicago, USA www.iirusa.com/fuse The 18th annual Fuse conference promises provocative discussions on graphic design, brand strategy and more. This year, the three-day event celebrates brands built through a collaborative approach.

18 April 2014 Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, USA www.bit.ly/SPL_KenGarland Catch British graphic designer Ken Garland speaking as part of the Design Lecture Series.

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march 2014

Strong opinion and analysis from across the global design industry THIS MONTH Adrian Shaughnessy Graphic designer and writer www.uniteditions.com

Louise Sloper Head of design, BETC London www.betc.co.uk

Craig Ward Designer and art director www.wordsarepictures.co.uk

regular WRITERS LIZA ENEBEIS creative Director studio dumbar

laura jordan-bambach president, d&ad

HOSS GIFFORD digital strategist and animator

dawn hancock founder, firebelly design

craig ward designer and art director

louise sloper head of design, betc london

When designers fall out As H&FJ hits the headlines in a big way, Adrian Shaughnessy shares his thoughts on why some creative partnerships are doomed to fail

Adrian Sh aug hne ss y Insight

march 2014

about the writer Adrian Shaughnessy is a graphic designer and writer. In 1989 he co-founded design company Intro. Today he runs ShaughnessyWorks and is also founding partner of Unit Editions, producing books on design and visual culture. www.uniteditions.com

s a designer and former studio owner I’ve made many bad decisions over the years. One of my better ones, however, was to set up my studio in partnership with a non-designer. I didn’t realise it was a good idea at the time. The benefits only became clear later when I discovered the many advantages of going into business with a financially savvy partner rather than another designer with a similar outlook and skills to my own. Today, when students and young designers ask me for advice about starting a studio I always tell them to include at least one non-designer. Partnership with a non-designer worked well for me, but it’s no guarantee of a dispute-free working relationship, as illustrated by the recent legal wrangling between type designer Tobias Frere-Jones and his business associate Jonathan Hoefler. Widely acknowledged as the pre-eminent digital type foundry of the 21st century, Hoefler & Frere-Jones is a hugely successful company with numerous wealthy corporate clients and thousands of admirers among designers and type nuts. But as the old music business adage goes, where there’s a hit there’s a writ. It seems that the pair have fallen out over a disagreement concerning ownership of the company. The Quartz website gives this account of the quarrel: “The suit portrays Frere-Jones as the firm’s design genius, and Hoefler as the business and marketing man. In public, the pair have generally been regarded as equals. But the contract that made it so, according to the lawsuit, was never actually written down and signed. Frere-Jones claims he had an oral contract with Hoefler that entitles him to half the company.” There’s no need to dwell here on the rights and wrongs of this case – only the two participants know what really happened to cause one to sue the other. But what we can say is that disputes in creative enterprises always seem especially disheartening. Perhaps, as creative people, we feel we should be above toxic business squabbles and grubby legal battles. When you read that the brothers Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks loathe the sight of each other, it’s depressing to think of all that wonderful music underpinned by hate. How can this be? In design there are many celebrated examples of partnerships going down the S-bend. But it’s not often you get to hear the reasons why. One exception to this is the case of Wally Olins and Michael Wolff. In a highly entertaining talk at Designyatra 2009 (available on YouTube) the founders of branding agency Wolff Olins (Wolff, a designer; Olins, a non-designer) give a

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frank account of their famous partnership, which was formed in 1963 and came to an end in 1983 when Wolff was dumped out of the company. The combative and articulate Olins gives a good-natured (if somewhat acid-flavoured) account of what drove him mad about Wolff. According to Olins, Wolff lacked self-discipline and had a “total disregard” for time and money. Olins was also infuriated by his partner’s creative capriciousness and cites an example of a client presentation where Wolff suddenly announced the work he was showing was wrong and the client wasn’t allowed to have it. As Wolff describes in an interview with the designer Mike Dempsey on his blog Graphic Journey, he was eventually ousted from Wolff Olins in a “welldocumented boardroom coup”. Both those men are intelligent and sophisticated people. But like sugar lumps in hot tea, partnerships

“Partnerships are like tiny infants – if they’re to survive they have to be cosseted, protected and nurtured”

can dissolve in an instant when financial reality meets creative passion, and it’s usually the money that wins. Unfortunately, the creative ego can be as destructive as the financial motive. And while there are some wonderful and enduring creative partnerships – studios run by designers that have stayed together over many decades – there are others that have failed to survive the first quarrel. In truth, there is no foolproof system to avoid disputes among partners. Partnerships are like tiny infants – if they’re to survive they have to be constantly cosseted, protected and nurtured. Take your eye off any aspect of a partnership for a millisecond and you could be following Frere-Jones and Hoefler into the law courts. Got your own tale of a creative partnership gone sour? Share it with @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters

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Insight D ESI G N M AT TER S

MARCH 2014

“design partnerships can be tricky to manage. What’s the secret to success?” Six creatives share their views

Rob March Creative Director, Beard www.wearebeard.com “We once formed a collaboration with a marketing and PR company. We did a load of design work for them, for which we were told we would receive reciprocal work. Suffice to say this didn’t happen. When confronted, the conversation didn’t go well. In hindsight, we got into bed too soon, and didn’t have any kind of written arrangement in place if things went wrong. But you live and learn. We’re still happy to work with other businesses – we’re just a bit more savvy as a result.”

Karl Maier co-founder, Craig & Karl www.craigandkarl.com

“Our biggest disagreement was clearly about whose name got to go first when we set up Craig & Karl. Actually no, I lie. It was always going to be Craig & Karl because we didn’t want to get confused with a techno producer. Sadly we don’t really disagree on anything much of note. Good partnerships are a matter of trust and compromise, but compatibility above all else. Putting 3,500 miles between you may also help.”

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Mario Hugo Co-founder, Hugo & Marie www.hugoandmarie.com “A good partnership feels natural – even compromise should prove totally organic. Argue, be passionate about the work. Be honest and open with your ideas and feelings. The relationship won’t work if one party is too passive. You need to encourage discussion even if each may find they have separate roles.”

DESIG N M AT T E R S Insight

MARCH 2014

Jacob Kent-Ledger Managing director, kentledger www.kentledger.com “A few years ago, a friend and I joined forces for a creative mobile app concept, but the idea fell apart before launch because we had arguments over the ownership of the idea. Because it was a small idea and we wanted to get it off the ground, we hadn’t done any paperwork. So my advice is – go with your creative idea or project, but remember the paperwork and legal side.”

Yuko Shimizu Illustrator www.yukoart.com

“I usually don’t like to overstep the boundaries, but when something definitely isn’t working out with a client project, and I can explain why, I write an email to them. Firstly, I explain that I don’t, by any means, want to offend, and they can ignore me if they disagree. Then I offer what I think would be a better option. Usually, the client agrees and we get a much better result in the end.”

Your views Comment on Facebook, or tweet @ComputerArts with your thoughts using #DesignMatters

@EchoicAudio “When the sum of the parts is bigger than the individuals. Also when both parties have creative passion towards a common goal.”

nan na Hvass Co-founder, Hvass&Hannibal www.hvasshannibal.dk “We’ve never had an extremely serious disagreement where we’ve thrown things at each other or haven’t spoken for weeks, but of course smaller disagreements happen once in a while – and they should, as we are two different people. Sometimes we don’t agree on which direction to take an idea, and mostly the best solution is to find a third direction, because it’s much easier to complete a project if we both feel strongly for the concept. One secret to a successful partnership is to give each other space and positive feedback.”

@karlssonwilker “We made it a custom to go out for a night at the beginning of each year, where we ask each other if we want to do this one more year.”

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@steviec123 “By not competing with each other but learning and collaborating you’ll find creative success.”

Scott Birnie “Trust, delivering what you said you would, and honesty (no bullshitting). Also, personality, humour and professionality.”

I n s i g h t L o u i se Sl o per

March 2014

About the writer Louise Sloper is head of design at BETC London, last year picking up awards including a Campaign Outdoor Hall of Fame, an Epica and an ADC. She is a D&AD 2014 juror and a committee member of the Typographic Circle. www.betc.co.uk

A question of style Everyone has their favourite styles, but good designers need flexibility and an open mind: Louise Sloper on why it might be time to throw out your skinny trousers and thick-rimmed glasses

ast week I sat down next to a well-dressed man on the tube. He was reading a book. Nothing really different to normal. I was bored, so glanced over at the page he was on. What I didn’t expect was to see a big, bold letter ‘g’ set unmistakably in Gill Sans – he was reading a beautiful collector’s journal of typography. Original edition. A book that would not be out of place in my own library. I looked a little closer at the man reading this thing of beauty. Thick, angular glasses – check. Expensive, kooky, tailored jacket – check. Slim trousers. Hair and stubble carefully groomed. All in black. Check, check, check. Sitting beside me was the perfectly put-together stereotype of a graphic designer. Feeling inquisitive, I asked him about the book. What took me by surprise was that instead of the expected excitement at someone sharing their love of typography, I was met with a quizzical look up-anddown, followed by a dismissive grunt which implied, “You wouldn’t be interested”. Granted, that day I was not sporting the female equivalent of the ‘designer’s wardrobe’. In fact, I was wearing my usual attire, a colourful mishmash of styles that changes every day. I guess I didn’t fit the bill. When I arrived at my desk, this encounter got me thinking. As a profession we tend to live and breathe ‘design’. Not just in dressing the part, but also in how we decorate our homes, in the carefully chosen artwork adorning our walls and the music we listen to. Each and everything is considered, and so it should

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be – to an extent. Our profession is (luckily) in our lives and hearts 24 hours a day. But pigeonholing ourselves in to one style (and consequently being dismissive of other styles that do not fit this category) is potentially damaging. There’s nothing wrong with loving modernist forms or neon madness or classical elegance. But remember not to love one form to the distraction of the others. Good graphic design is not just about looking the part or forcing your personal style on a project, however fashionable it may be. Ultimately, we are employed to solve problems for other people. Design ‘dresses’ a subject, a brand, a product. And that design should fit that subject matter, brand or product perfectly. It comes in all forms, not just the one of the moment. As designers, we should ooze passion and exuberance and curiosity, whilst, of course, maintaining a degree of structure. It’s a new year. Let’s make sure we have fun in design, especially after a hard few years. Be inclusive rather than selective. Reference a variety of styles, cultures, age groups and fashions. Experiment and take chances. Keep our work as inspiring as it can be, and not define ourselves and our work by a narrow set of rules. We are, after all, the people who are lucky enough to make a living from creating, inspiring, and doing what we love. Do you agree, or is it important to have your own unique style? Tweet @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters

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I n s i g h t C r a i g wa rd

Mar ch 2014

About the writer Craig Ward is a British-born designer and art director currently based in New York. The 2008 ADC Young Gun is celebrated mainly for his pioneering typographic works, and he also contributes to various industry journals. www.wordsarepictures.co.uk

Minimalism as visual clutter As even more designers hop on the bandwagon, Craig Ward gets grumpy over the pointless trend for minimalist reworkings of movie posters

t started off so well. These things often do. I think we’re all in agreement that the majority of film posters one sees around are, let’s be honest, dross. Some riff on the well-trodden formula of a piece of slick, extruded 3D typography (extra points if it glows, is made of metal, or both) or distressed, faux-letterpress type over (choose one): image of face in shadow, two people standing back-to-back, guy looking moodily back over his shoulder. You know the ones. My favourite is when they add a shadow to the distressed type, like it’s been printed on something transparent and floating above the image – very nice. Tagline. Production logos. Small print. Sold. And then someone on the interweb – I’d be hard pushed to say who – hit upon the idea of reworking a film poster in a minimalist style. A worthy reaction to what a once-beautiful medium had become. What if we didn’t have to see ‘BRAD PITT’ in 140pt type, flanked by an ensemble cast list of dozens? What if we didn’t show the film company’s logo? And the production company. And the sound guys. And the Sundance Laurels and awards wreaths. And the names of the writers, technicians, and editors. What if – bear with me here – what if we didn’t even need to show who was in the film, just a jaunty, Saul Bass-style silhouette of some iconic moment? Wouldn’t that be a beautiful poster? The answer is yes. Yes, it would make for a very beautiful poster. For one film. What it wouldn’t make

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is a nice poster for every single film. And book cover. Ever. The internet and design community at large is so good at taking a nice idea and running with it until you’re absolutely sick of the sight of it. If I see one more collection of minimalist Harry Potter covers I swear I will break something.  My own personal taste preferences and limited patience for the industry at large aside, my argument is that the people who engage in this pastime are really missing the point. You can’t honestly imagine that the designer responsible for those terrible posters actually wants to put all that crap on their poster, can you? That they were thinking, “This poster is almost perfect, it just needs one more logo…”? By and large, the industry players mandate that Mr Pitt’s name be front and centre, at a certain percentage of the poster width. And yes, with a photo. And if you think the production company is paying for a poster without their logo displayed proudly on it then please think again. All of those elements are, sadly, there for a reason, designed by committee. And to pretend that you’re a better designer than someone else just because you can circumnavigate that whole process from the comfort of your laptop, is as good as saying that you’d be a better driver if there were fewer corners and no other cars on the road. What pointless trends wind you up? Share your pet peeves with @ComputerArts using #DesignMatters

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

— PROJECT REVIEW —

Branding in motion Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rebrand Unveiled 17 December 2013 (rollout ongoing) by 180LA www.180la.com

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tasked 180LA with devising a new brand identity system, the agency identified a simple but effective solution: move the light source, which previously came from behind the logo, and use a spotlight to create a triangular shape. “We simply changed the relationship and positioning between the spotlight and the Oscar statuette,” says Richard Harrington, 180LA’s head of design, who led the project. “By lifting the spotlight upwards and shining it down onto the statuette, an ‘A’ shape appears.” As a result, the marque now resembles the letter ‘A’ rather than ‘O’. The result is a neat transformation into a representation of the full Academy brand, in contrast to the previous logo, which placed the focus on the Oscars ceremony. “Our task was to represent the different parts of the Academy with a consistent and unifying look, and this felt like a very natural solution,” explains Harrington. “During the first briefings, I saw there was a spotlight behind the Oscar statuette and I had what was almost a gut reaction.” As he points out, the Academy has been very much overshadowed by the yearly awards ceremony, which is just one element of the brand as a whole. “There are many facets that aren’t currently showcased or celebrated to their fullest potential,” he explains.

The new design achieves a much broader focus. It also provides a visual constant that stands to work well across all entities of the Academy, which include a library, archive and a forthcoming museum, set to open in 2017. The core marque will also lend itself well to interpretation by others, both internally and externally, which is being actively encouraged. Creatives including artists, designers, writers and filmmakers are being commissioned to interpret the ‘A’ shape, which will be present in all areas of the brand’s communication. Type treatments – as demonstrated through prototype magazine covers and posters – have largely been inspired by the Academy’s archive. “We looked through loads of pages and folders of old type and came across all these unique, interesting type treatments and combinations,” says Harrington. “It’s quite loose at the moment. We’ll be trying different things out over the next six months.” Harrington is originally from Britain and moved to the US to set up the 180LA design team four years ago, after a four-year stint in the agency’s Amsterdam office – a background that he believes informed his approach to the project. “I think being British allowed me to bring a slightly unconventional approach to a traditional branding assignment,” he says. “We never intended this to be a traditional piece of identity design,” he adds. “It’s more of a mentality and creative direction we want the Academy to adopt.”

S ho w c a s e

March 2014

As the new Academy and Oscars logos show, the letter ‘A’ is both effective and subtle as a unifying element. “The Academy wanted a system that would keep them relevant, present and true to what the brand stands for,” explains 180LA’s head of design, Richard Harrington. The cover of the new brand book is an effective iteration of the new marque. The project was about encouraging an approach that will enable the Academy to tap into its own pool of creative resources. As well as introducing a logo for the whole organisation for the very first time, the rebrand explores the Academy’s philosophy and approach to its driving force: imagination. Prototype covers for the Academy’s magazine explore the ‘A’ motif, part of an ongoing process of experimenting with different type treatments. It’s a glimpse of the potential for creative interpretations of the new marque. Richard Harrington enjoyed immersing himself in the Academy’s history during many hours spent in the archive. “It was lovely to sit down there and meet people who are so passionate about their work,” he says.

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Th e very b e s t ne w de si g n

March 2014

the rest of the industry says… Armin Vit

UnderConsideration underconsideration.com

“Establishing a clear logo, one that doesn’t just try to ride the coat-tails of the Oscars but integrates the renowned event with the Academy, is a welcome step. In application the ‘A’-interpretation device seen in the magazine prototypes looks like it could be plenty of fun. Everything is elegant and without any unnecessary decoration.”

Becky Barker Landor www.landor.com

“Whilst I’m not a huge fan of some of the letterforms supporting this identity, the strong lines, flat colour and use of space give it an assertive and modern quality. The idea is clear, which will allow the marque to become a platform for artist expression and interpretation.”

Chris Moody Wolff Olins www.wolffolins.com

“For me it’s a winner. Simple, elegant and a little understated. Taking a familiar (but awkward) icon and giving it greater presence and usability as a tool for communications is a smart move. However, just like the film industry as a whole, its future success will be judged on how well it translates into a digital world.” com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 35 -

S ho w c a s e

March 2014

Suspended light Misty Traffic Lights by Lucas Zimmermann www.behance.net/lucasz2005

Visual communication student Lucas Zimmermann was driving past some traffic lights one foggy December evening near Weimar, Germany, when he noticed the atmosphere created by the light hitting the water droplets in the air. “I just had to stop and take pictures of it,” he recalls. Using shutter speeds between 8 and 30 seconds, Zimmermann adjusted the temperature and brightness settings to achieve images as close to the original sight as possible. “Incoming cars were a big pain,” he laughs. “And I was surprised to see the green lights came out very blue.”

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Th e very b e s t ne w de si g n

March 2014

READ me Handmade Book cover by Louise Hamer www.louisehamer.co.uk

In response to a student brief, recent Shillington graduate Louise Hamer designed an engaging handmade book cover for the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She stacked layers of card to build a 3D design with a feeling of depth: “I wanted to create a sense of curiosity and make people feel like they were being pulled into the rabbit hole, just like Alice,” Hamer explains. “Accuracy and precision was key. Making mockups during the process really helped with creating the final pieces,” she adds.

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March 2014

Let’s get physical Digital Natives Amsterdam Identity by Soon www.coming-soon.be

When Digital Natives Amsterdam needed a new identity, it called on Belgium-based identity specialist Soon to create a system based on the infinity symbol. So far, so straightforward, but the project took an unusually practical turn. Soon hand-painted hundreds of triangles to form a giant, apaptable version of the logo. The project is typical of the kind of work Soon likes best. “It is nice when we finish a design to be able to walk in, see it and touch it,” says creative director Jim Van Raemdonck. “We don’t like to work constantly behind the computer, but combine modern techniques with handcrafting.”

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Th e very b e s t ne w de si g n

March 2014

A splash of Port Port Vintage typeface by Onrepeat www.onrepeat.net

When reinventing his Port typeface, type designer João Oliveira of Onrepeat studio had a specific client in mind. “My main focus was always the editorial world, especially in areas such as fashion and luxury,” he says. For Port Vintage, Oliveira adapted the blueprint for Port, making it softer by changing the transitions between the stems and serifs, converting the unbracketed serifs into serifs with deep brackets and adding terminals to the swashes. “It feels less funky than the original version and more elegant and curvy,” Oliveira says.

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S ho w c a s e

March 2014

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Th e very b e s t ne w de si g n

March 2014

Creature comforts studio Identity by Creature Seattle www.welcometocreature.com

Back in 2002, creative agency Creature launched with a rather unusual philosophy: “We expect to be a slightly different company tomorrow than we are today.” As such, come 2014, Creature found that its identity no longer fitted the company it had become. “While the rest of the world wants to get rid of problems, Creature wants to collect them and shape them into beautiful creative solutions,” explains creative director Clara Mulligan, who worked on the refresh project alongside chief creative officer Jim Haven. This approach is reflected in Creature’s new identity, which draws on the visual language of the hospitality world, but includes purposeful glitches and smeared typography.

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Th e very b e s t ne w de si g n

March 2014

— MOTION HIGHLIGHT —

On the ball Animated magazine cover by Raúl González www.behance.net/rulascalaca

In the run up to the 2014 World Cup, travel magazine Bleu & Blanc created a special issue entitled Brasil tiene el balón (‘Brazil has the ball’), celebrating this year’s host country. To design illustrations and a motion piece for the digital edition it turned to designer and motion graphics specialist Raúl González. “I wanted something fun, full of colours and lots of movement,” he says of his approach. The brief was to capture the best of Brazil, from Oscar Niemeyer’s architecture in Brasilia to the contemporary art galleries in Belo Horizonte, as well as giving readers an insight into the preparations going on for the World Cup. “The biggest challenge was to reflect all that in just 30 seconds,” says González. “Well, 31 actually.”

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March 2014

— FEATURED SHOWREEL —

I only have eyes for you Personal showreel by Tom Darracott www.tomdarracott.com

In a motion design scene swimming with accomplished showreels, how do you make yours stand apart from the crowd? In the case of designer and art director Tom Darracott, it was all about the right music. For his latest showreel, he shunned the typical electronic beats for something more unexpected – I Only Have Eyes for You, by The Flamingos. “It’s a track I’ve always loved. It has that strange, other-worldly, timeless feel about it,” he explains. The song provides the perfect foil to Darracott’s slick design work for cultural and fashion clients, and has the added bonus of containing a hidden message for its viewers: “It’s another way of saying I only have eyes for my clients,” Darracott jokes. “It is, of course, tongue-in-cheek, but I like that element of humour to it.”

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T h e Awa rd - winning

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brand Type is

T ypogr a p hy i n b r a ndi ng

S p e c i a l Re p o r t

A striking logo and distinctive colour palette might contribute to a brand’s personality, but Erik Spiekermann argues that nothing communicates quite like a custom typeface

E r i k S p i e k e r m a n n Current creative director and managing partner at Edenspiekermann, Erik is an art historian, printer, type designer, information architect and author. He has picked up numerous prestigous awards during his career, including the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry Britain, TDC Medal and the National German Lifetime Achievement Award. www.edenspiekermann.com

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W

ithout language there is nothing. Communication is language and type is its visible form. One of mankind’s greatest achievements. It wasn’t until the invention of writing that action and thought were separated – reading slows down reaction. Hearing means believing, without facts, without proof. It is only when we read about something that we can form an opinion and express objection. The magic world of hearing is at odds with the neutral world of the eye. As Marshall McLuhan wrote in his book, The Medium is the Massage: “Until writing was invented, man lived in acoustic space: boundless, directionless, horizonless, in the dark of the mind, in the world of emotion, by primordial intuition, by terror. Speech is a social chart of this bog.” Censoring literature or – worse still – burning books destroys one of the foundations of our civilisation. Writing means keeping a presence. Today we read more than ever, regardless of what many false prophets of progress through electronic media say. While homemade cat videos might top the charts on YouTube, most of the internet consists of text. Corporations and brands speak to their customers, employees, the press. To the public, in public. They do so mainly in writing, regardless of the medium. Even a TV spot cannot exist without showing the brand name or the claim: both are writing. In other words, most of what we know about a brand or a product is what we’ve read about it. If these messages have not been designed to communicate with the target audience, if they don’t agree with the brand’s

essence (or, worse, if the brand doesn’t have an essence in the first place) and if they ignore the specifics of each medium, money and effort are wasted by the sender, while taking precious time away from the recipients.

Building an identity It is thus not surprising that the communication industry spends billions designing these messages in order for them to reach their audiences, from packaging to annual reports, from TV spots to banner ads. Every brand strives to shape its communication in order for it to be memorable, authentic, believable, and attributable. The identity of the message has to be in line with the identity of the sender. These days, even an accountant knows that a brand needs a logo, like a badge on the corporate cap. A logo alone, however, doesn’t make a brand. How a brand speaks, how it presents itself, cannot be left to the unpredictable mood of the marketplace or some design trend. It has to fit – the content, the times, the medium. Some brands have managed to achieve uniqueness by owning a colour. While seemingly unsubtle and even annoying at first, the colour magenta is now equated with T-Mobile in its markets in Europe and the US. Turquoise stands for either Tiffany’s the jeweller or Bianchi, the bicycle makers. Those can coexist under one colour because they have no overlap. Red is Vodafone, Manchester United (as well as Bayern Munich and dozens of other football clubs), Audi or – once upon a time – Marlboro. British brands tend to favour British racing green and other subtle tones, and even non-smokers know that

“ Som e b r and s ac hi e v e uniqu eness by owning a c olour ... If t his is join ed by a uniqu e typ ef ac e, a  br and’ s iden tity be c om es m uc h easier to ex p ress and m ain t ain”

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Bosch Sans & Serif for Bosch I worked with type designer Christian Schwartz to develop Bosch Sans and Serif as part of a new creative direction for the brand. People tend to prefer serif typefaces for long text, while technical information and advertising headlines from a high-tech company like Bosch are expected to be more ‘modern’ looking, which for most still implies a contemporary sans serif. Bosch Serif and Sans share similar metrics, but one was not simply generated from the other. Christian’s version of Scheltersche Grotesk, released as FF Bau, informed the new typeface, as did Akzidenz Grotesk, previously the Bosch houseface. Bosch Serif renders a sharp and precise version of the traditional model and replaces Baskerville as the second corporate typeface.

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purple stands for Silk Cut. BMW needs two colours: white and blue, a combination it shares with Ford, VW, GM and many other brands. There simply aren’t enough distinguishable colours around for all the brands in the world.

Matters of familiarity If a distinctive colour is joined by a unique typeface, however, a brand’s identity becomes much easier to express and maintain. We know Facebook not only by its (boring and predictable) blue, but also by its typeface. It’s called Klavika and was designed by Eric Olson. It takes its place slightly to the left of Helvetica. It is a little different from other typefaces and that small ‘f’ alone is enough to recognise the brand by. It does, of course, help when a logo is seen by billions of people every day, but at the beginning even Facebook was an unknown name. That combination of blue and a slightly odd letter helped build the brand. Every country has those combinations: what would British motorways be without its combination of blue signs with the Transport typeface on them? It always takes me a while to get used to green signs in Switzerland or France because my local German Autobahn also sports blue. And the DIN typeface on our signs has also become the standard typographic expression of engineering neutrality and solid construction. Approaching a newsstand, we recognise our favourite newspaper well before we’ve read the masthead. In fact, we do not read mastheads, we recognise them. As we do the faces of our friends, regardless of changes in

haircuts or glasses. If the ‘Gaurdian’ appeared thus one day, I bet most readers would not notice, as long as that word was set in the right typeface (designed exclusively for the relaunch by Christian Schwartz and Paul Barnes, but now commercially available) and printed dark blue. Type is more than an alphanumeric message, it is an image, a code. If you take a train in Germany, you quickly learn that regional trains are red with white stripes while the national (and faster) trains are white with a red stripe. What the public calls white here is actually a very light grey, but in contrast to another colour it appears lighter than it really is. What they see may not be what they get, but nobody goes around with a Pantone chart, except the worst design nerds. The Deutsche Bahn’s printed matter echoes that colour combination. Every timetable, leaflet and web page shows a red stripe, a white background and the occasional light grey area, signalling its pedigree. But what no lay person knows (but would recognise if told about it), is the fact that every word, every headline, every number is set in one member of the large family of typefaces that were designed for that particular corporation.

“ w e do no t r e ad m ast heads , we rec og nise them . If th e ‘ Gaur dian’ ap p ear ed thus  on e day, I bet m ost readers would no t notic e, as long a s IT wa s th e r ig ht t ypef ac e”

Variety and Legibility DB Type was introduced in 2008 and gradually replaced the dozens of faces used until then. A timetable, the menu in the dining car, the headline in an ad, a poster on the station wall, the house magazine and the annual report could not all be set in the identical typeface. Just like the Guardian needs dozens of weights and versions for its columns, headlines, subheads, intros, bylines, small ads

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Firefox FiraSans Regular & Italic aAbBcCdDeEfFgGhHiIjJkKlLmMnN oOpPqQrRsStTuUvVwWxXyYzZß* {œŒæÆåÅäÄöÖüÜØØçÇñÑ&§№} abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz [$€£¥¢1234567890+1234567890%] (.,;:‘=’#„/·|!?“@”'©ª®™°÷±«-–») αΑβΒγΓδΔεΕζΖηΗθΘιΙκΚλΛμΜνΝ ξΞοΟπΠρΡςςΣστΤυΥφΦχΧψΨωώΩ аАбВгГдДеЕжЖзЗиИкКлЛмМнН оОпПрРсСтТуУфФхХцЦЧЧщЩьЬ эЭюЮяЯ aAbBcCdDeEfFgGhHiIjJkKlLmMnN oOpPqQrRsStTuUvVwWxXyYzZß* {œŒæÆåÅäÄöÖüÜØØçÇñÑ&§№} [$€£¥¢1234567890+1234567890%] (.,;:‘=’#„/·|!?“@”’©ª®™°÷±«-–»)

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Fira for Firefox Fira was originally called Moz and designed for Telefonica in Spain for a project it was doing with the Mozilla Foundation in 2012. One year later, Mozilla started work on its own operating system, and we were asked to expand the face into a proper family, renaming it Fira, after the new Firefox browser. The type was designed mostly to be seen on small screens. Type designer Ralph Du Carrois and myself based Fira on the Mozilla Foundation’s own house face, FF Meta. We made it wider – thus a little more legible on the smaller screens – and with less ‘noise’ in the details. High resolution screens allow for subtle grades, so Fira has four weights, from Light to Bold. Even lighter and bolder weights may follow, all with Italics. Coders use monospaced fonts and they get Fira Mono, Regular and Bold. Fira is available under an Open Source license.

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S te p- by-step: Designing a Ho use fa ce

DBType for Deutsche Bahn As DB expanded into new markets, Erik Spiekermann teamed up with Christian Schwartz to develop a system of faces that would bring coherence to the brand’s visual communication. Here, Spiekermann walks through their process 1. With DB, the briefing for the corporate design was pretty much given by the house colours with their distinction of regional red and white express trains. The first manual for the corporate literature still showed Helvetica as the corporate face.

2. For a 2005 campaign introducing a controversial new price structure, normal Helvetica was deemed too boring. The agency suggested a wide weight of it (below left), while we proposed a new face that we had been working on. Luckily, the client didn’t pick our design, so we continued to develop that proposal into what is now FF Unit (below right). But that gave rise to the brief for an exclusive typeface which would be used for the plethora of printed matter that an international brand like DB needs.

3. My first sketches were based on the idea of a company with a strong engineering background, all constructed and teutoniclooking. That concept quickly proved too limiting, and my next sketches (below) show a slightly more relaxed approach to the letterforms. As the advertising people had the most urgent demands, I dealt with the heavy headline weight first. We actually generated a whole family of these geometric sans faces and even showed them to the client, but we weren’t convinced ourselves that this typeface would be appropriate for the demands of a growing brand, so we started over.

4. Christian Schwartz and myself decided to develop a comprehensive system of related faces that would be able to cover all of Deutsche Bahn’s needs, from a traditional serif for magazines, reports and other reading matter, to a contemporary sans which could cover advertising headlines as well as critical information on timetables. I sketched some Antiqua letters based on my memory of Sabon, a typeface DB had been using for its annual reports.

5. Christian turned up with a serif face that he had drawn for a newspaper in the US but which had never been used. We took that as the model for our family, drawing the sans after the serif and bringing some of the characteristics across, like the cupped serif on the top left.

6. DB Sans has a headline version, a text version and two narrower versions and there is a normal serif as well as a slightly heavier one, almost a slab, for less-than-delicate printing on office printers. We also made an office version of the sans which runs to the same widths as Arial, so it could be replaced by that system font in case the user failed to install the proper DB Sans Office. This was something that convinced the IT people who considered anything not supplied by Microsoft to be a virus. 12

DB Sans stands for Sans Serif typefaces. Condensed are the narrower cuts, while Compressed explains itself.

14

DB Head is the version for big headlines and short messages. From designing to hard work

DB Serif for continuous copy. DB News for newspapers & magazines.

The Antiqua typefaces are DBSerif & DB News. DB Sans for short copy.

DB Head for headlines & advertising copy. DB Sans Condensed for legible small print. DB Sans Compressed for saving space.

aAbBeEgGiI aAbBeEgGiI aAbBeEgGiI aAbBeEgGiI aAbBeEgGiI aAbBeEgGiI

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7. Digital production meant that we could make the computer do some of the work, like interpolating weights and adding accents. The different versions can be mixed together to express a wide range of communication, with lots of alternates allowing designers to make wordmarks and other logo-like applications within the system.

8. DBType was introduced without making any changes to the corporate design standards that existed. The new faces were simply exchanged for the existing Helveticas and other typefaces that had been sneaking in over time.

and information graphics, the range of communication published by a large business like the German railways required more than a Regular weight and its Italic. We expect long text to be set in a typeface as we know it from books or magazines, while advertising headlines need to be simple and bold. Vital information like train times need to be legible under adverse conditions (outside in bad weather, bad lighting, or if you’re in a hurry), so numbers and letters need to be very clear and not prone to be confused with each other. Try reading Helvetica in small sizes – or on a smartphone for that matter – and you may miss your train. It does make a difference whether a train leaves from platform 3 or 8, at 22:00 or at 23:00, on Sa or on Su. ‘1’, ‘l’ and ‘I’ are also frequent victims of confusion, as anybody who has tried to enter a password that sports those characters will know. We may not have to spell out every letter in the Guardian’s masthead because we recognise rather than read it, but mixing up vital information can have consequences that might even make information design play an important role, for once. When Deutsche Bahn expanded its reach beyond running trains and became the world’s fourth-largest logistics company with business units across the globe (amongst them, the Arriva bus franchise in London), it realised that it wasn’t one target group it was trying to reach. Now, its audience was essentially everybody, everywhere. It had to speak with one voice to be seen as one brand. And the typographic expression of that voice was to be a family of some 30 typefaces, from a serif for long text to a compressed sans for lots of information in a small space. These typefaces are not only available for external communications but are also installed on every computer across the company, albeit as a reduced set, as necessary for internal communication. As the company expands across the globe, DB Type is now also available for the Cyrillic and Greek alphabets. Type has thus become the common denominator, joined by red, grey and white to shape a brand environment that

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can incorporate every medium and every purpose without losing face, so to speak.

A unique approach An exclusive typographic system of this complexity used to be the exception. While it was possible, financially and technically, to design and produce a typeface exclusively for the use of one company, it was not really feasible. Once, however, the same personal computer that was used to design typefaces and produce fonts was also used as the main communication tool inside companies, it became easier to convince marketing and technical people alike that fonts were meant for more than the occasional campaign headline, and easier to implement than new versions of Windows. But even as late as the 90s, marketing folk didn’t understand that an exclusive typeface not only created an exclusive look for their brand, but also saved money in its implementation, compared to having to license whatever new stuff the advertising agency would suggest from season to season. When Christian Schwartz and I were asked to design a house typeface for Bosch in 2004, the initiative didn’t stem from its desire to communicate with one voice, but actually from the procurement people who were fed up having to spend lots of money as soon as they had to license their existing fonts for yet another market or language system. Baskerville and Akzidenz Grotesk were its existing faces, as the communication people at Bosch already understood that just a few weights of a sans were not enough to cover the width and breadth of the brand which

supplies anything from drill bits and spark plugs to packaging plants and turnkey power stations. But those faces were not available in compatible versions for all the necessary platforms, there weren’t enough weights and versions, and what was available didn’t really fit together. Over time, a well-meant concept had become a legacy, expensive and impractical. The new family of faces for Bosch comprises a sans as well as a serif version, each with sufficient weights to serve all purposes, internally and externally. Bosch Sans is also available for non-Latin writing systems. The fonts are supplied free of charge to printers, agencies and other services. The investment in the house faces has already paid off in terms of money saved on licenses and logistics, not to mention improved internal communications and brand recognition.

“ Th e hou se f ac es hav e p aid of f in te r ms of  m oney sav ed on lic en ses and log i st ic s , no t to m en tion im p r oved inte r nal c om m unic ation s and br and r ec og nit ion”

Saving face

Not every company gives away its fonts for free. The bean counters at Daimler Benz wanted to get some of the money back they had paid to Kurt Weidemann for the work on his trilogy of faces for them. Only a few months after Corporate A (for Antiqua), S (for Sans) and E (for Egyptienne) had been released, they made a deal with a distributor to release the fonts commercially. While Daimler Benz was the first brand to commission such an extensive family of typefaces back in 1990, it squandered its advantage by enabling every backstreet garage to appear – at least typographically – like the inventor of the automobile. When a premium brand such as Leica uses Corporate S as its house face, I am not quite sure whether its agency knew it was the Daimler

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ITC Officina for The Economist I redesigned The Economist newspaper with Ben Acornley from MetaDesign London, bringing in type designer Ole Schäfer in Berlin to help me with the redesign of the Economist text face. It was felt that readers found the text too dense and offputting, so before we started work on the new layout, we redesigned the text face (two weights plus italics only), making it simpler and less dense. While actually set smaller than before, more leading and open tracking make it more pleasant to read. Information graphics are set in ITC Officina Sans. As the heavy weights were considered too “goofy”, we made a special display version for the cover, now available as ITC Officina Display.

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Benz typeface and tried to jump onto that bandwagon, or whether it was simply unaware of that heritage and just used it because it seemed suitable. Naming the face for the original client might have prevented that. Deutsche Bahn had a better idea: it made every supplier pay for the fonts. They get it from a distributor who makes sure every buyer signs the agreement of exclusivity, before shipping the latest version. The client doesn’t have to deal with the logistics of shipping or version maintenance (fonts are software and can be updated, expanded or improved) and has already had more than its original investment back. Suppliers who have paid a market price for the privilege of working for DB are also less likely to use the fonts for other purposes or clients. Corporate fonts – like other fonts – are not restricted to alphanumeric glyphs. They can incorporate logos, special characters, pictograms, bullets, icons. Fonts are easier to distribute and use than other formats. IT people used to be afraid of anything but system fonts and considered anything from the outside as dangerous as a virus. Now that OpenType has become the standard font format, albeit in different ‘flavours’, and can be used across platforms, those arguments count for even less than they did back in the 90s. Fonts don’t care whether they run on a Mac or a PC, they can be distributed

and installed easily, and the files are much smaller than even the smallest images. As brands communicate across media they need to make sure that their online presence doesn’t deviate from the standards used for print. While colour has been free on screens for a long time, type used to be expensive or difficult to get. Today, however, there is no excuse not to use proper typefaces on the web, in apps and even for that little screen on your microwave oven.

Typographic choices We have never had better typographic choices, with more typefaces being added into the mix every day by great type designers from all over the world. And if you haven’t got the budget, the expertise or the guts to design an exclusive typeface for your clients, you can easily find the right face for the job and make it your own by using it properly. A good compromise would be to license an existing face and have it renamed for the particular job or the client. Most foundries do that for a small fee. This way you can make sure that other suppliers or the people in-house have no more excuses not to use the proper face. A brand that doesn’t pull out all the typographic stops will not communicate properly. Only those that do know how to speak to their audiences will survive. Type is visible language.

“ F on ts don’ t c ar e wh et h er th ey r un on a  Mac or a PC, they c an  be dist r ibute d and inst all ed ea sily and t he f iles ar e m uc h s m all er than even s m all im ag es ”

Design and music: still a match made in heaven? In next issue’s Special Report, Adrian Shaughnessy explores how designers’ longstanding love affair with the music industry has evolved to cater to an increasingly demanding market – and presents his selection of inspiring examples from around the world.

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impact.

Introducing the…

Impact Conference A one day event on how to achieve excellence and consistency in branding across all formats and market sectors.

Exclusive insights from client-side commissioners at the world’s biggest brands, including: Jessica Felby Head of Design for Carlsberg Group James Sommerville VP Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company Sunita Yeomans Head of Creative at Tesco Joe Ferry Head of Global Design at Mars

06 March 2014 LONDON FILM MUSEUM SE1 7BP www.impactconf.com @Impact_conf

With thanks to our partner

Presented by

At A gl ance: Toby & Pete D a t e f o u n d e d : 2010 N u m b e r o f s t a f f : Three, plus freelancers  L o c a t i o n : Sydney, Australia  D i s c i p l i n e s : Print, motion and interactive FEATURE D PRO J ECT s : Flume Infinity, Steve Back, Daily Juice UR L : www.tobyandpete.com

Defying definition Toby Pike and Pete Stopniak excel in print, but last year a custom light installation catapulted their studio onto the world stage. They tell us why canny collaboration is the way forward Words: Julia Sagar Photography: Jeremy Shaw www.jeremyshaw.com.au

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Toby Pike and Pete Stopniak in their third studio space – an old warehouse built circa 1926, complete with dog, two-tonne cranes and concrete floors

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n the evening of Saturday 13 April 2013, a young Australian musician stepped up to the stage in front of a sell-out crowd in Dubbo, New South Wales. Drenching the 18,000 revellers in cascading layers of cooing synths, chopped-up vocals and electro beats, he bobbed and weaved over his laptop as a pulsing light show whipped the crowd into a rave-fuelled frenzy. From their homes, thousands more Australians joined in as a huge, hexagonal light installation made its debut to the world. The musician was Harley Streten, better known as breakthrough electro artist Flume – Sydney’s latest superstar producer – and the show-stopping visuals came courtesy of Toby & Pete, an eclectic design duo rooted in print craft. “I think we were more nervous than Flume,” laughs studio co-founder Toby Pike. “We’d rehearsed the show dozens of times, but a massive crowd of eager fans definitely makes you question every technical connection several times over.” It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for the Sydneybased studio. Flume didn’t have a platinum album when his record label, Future Classic, first contacted the team, looking for a unique visual icon to represent the producer on stage. Toby & Pete, meanwhile – then, more famous for the studio’s innovative photo-illustration and CGI work – had never built an interactive light installation. But that didn’t stop them. As the hype around Flume exploded, the design crew kept their heads down, drawing on the DJ’s kaleidoscopic album artwork to create an ‘infinity

prism’ – a six-sided device embedded with LED lights and mirrors, connecting directly to Flume’s live set. With the help of an extended team, Toby & Pete also created over two hours of mesmerising multi-screen visuals for the producer to control during his set. “It was three months of doubt and fear,” confirms fellow studio founder Pete Stopniak. “From a technical standpoint, Lukasz [Karluk], the interactive programmer we work with, is no stranger to generative animation. 3D for print is fairly close to motion work and Angus [Forbes], our director has been shooting live action for years. “We were, however, building custom LED panels out of glorified fairy lights to be displayed in front of thousands, and then loaded onto a truck and carted around the country.” Stopniak continues: “Everything was ok until we started meeting with the tour production people. Hundreds of ‘random tour disaster’ stories of tried and tested equipment failing for no apparent reason didn’t help us at all,” he laughs. Fortunately, the debut show went off without hitch. Since then, the infinity prism has toured with Flume through his sold-out Australian tour, across the UK and Europe, and around the US, picking up ‘best live act’ in the 2013 InTheMix awards and propelling Toby & Pete firmly onto the world stage. “The attention we’ve received has been phenomenal,” says Stopniak. “We’d struggled with breaking out of the purely print studio category, but now I think people realise we’re much more than that.” In fact, the studio has always been more than that. Toby & Pete is bigger than the name implies, with a third designer – Lachie McDonald – permanently on the books, and a large team of freelancers (currently between eight and 10) who share the huge warehouse space on Cleveland Street, in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Between them, they make up a unique, ever-changing collective of talent and

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One of a pair of images, Rub Me is an exploration into photographic typography. Selfinitiated work is an important aspect of studio life

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Project focus Flume infinit y prism and visuals The studio’s biggest project spans live action, motion graphics, CGI, generative animation and more Toby & Pete’s ongoing work with Australian electro artist Flume is a celebration in creative collaboration, demonstrating exactly what can be achieved when talented craftspeople pool their skills together. Consisting of a custom LED installation – including bespoke hardware and software – and just under two hours of motion content, all seamlessly integrated and controlled through Flume’s performance laptop, the infinity prism and accompanying visuals were a first for the studio and required additional expertise to bring them to life. “It was challenging across every field,” admits Pike. “Individually, each element going into the project was fairly straightforward, but the sheer multitude of parts – and the fact they all had to interact with one another – was at times overwhelming. Electronics developer Nick Clarke created the prism’s control box, while Toby & Pete’s interactive developer Lukasz Karluk designed the prism software, and tour manager Lynden Gare handled everything from lighting design to shipping the prism around the world. But the whole team played a part in producing the project. “We were given so much freedom that everyone had a section they could express themselves in,” says Stopniak. “The first show had 18,000 people and a live national broadcast. No biggie! The best bit? Seeing people losing their minds at the premiere. It’s been great.”

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The creatives in Toby & Pete’s shared studio space sit in one, long desk arrangement. “There’s always someone doing something cool,” says Stopniak

have a diverse span of work – and awards – to prove it. Cadbury, the New York Lottery, MasterCard, Greenpeace, Rolling Stone magazine and Sony are just some of the bigname clients that have come calling in the three years that have passed since Toby & Pete launched. Stopniak and Pike first met a decade ago at Sydney-based retouching studio Electric Art. Having suspected that “some form of digital imaging” was the way to go, Stopniak – who had been playing a lot of games and was beginning to experiment in 3D – studied visual communication: photography and digital imaging at the University of Western Sydney. In 2004 he was offered a job at EA, after covering for a friend who had taken time off. “Toby did a degree in digital media and joined me at Electric Art a few months later,” Stopniak recalls. Six years passed before the designers started Toby & Pete. During that time Stopniak honed his 3D and CGI skills, while Pike accepted an art director job at Saatchi & Saatchi. It would be another two years before the pair reconvened on the freelance circuit, but by the time they did their first job – a set of three landscapes with 3D type for The Age newspaper in Melbourne – a creative partnership had become inevitable.

“3D and retouching are now combined by default, so it was kind of understood that we’d be collaborating on most projects,” explains Pike. “The plan was to share a space for six months and, if things continued on an upward trend, we’d set up a company. Two months later, we were sitting down with lawyers and accountants signing contracts.” Toby & Pete was born.

modern surre alism Both Stopniak and Pike are highly skilled retouchers in their own right. Their photographic-illustration work is exquisite, screaming attention to craft and commanding more than a handful of industry awards in recent years. Earth Hour, for instance – a stunning print campaign showing moths flocking to a lit lamp to highlight the global event – picked up a bronze award for digital manipulation and silver for photography from the Australasian Writers and Art Directors Association during the studio’s early days. And after just 12 months in business, Toby & Pete was named at the forefront of the Australian retouching field by Capture magazine. When asked, Stopniak defines the studio’s aesthetic as “some kind of modern surrealism”.

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Don’t leave the lights on is the message behind Earth Hour. The piece won Toby & Pete two awards

T oby & P e t e

March 2014

Project focus Daily Juice Toby & Pete specialises in CGI, but sometimes there’s just no substitute for model-making One of the biggest misconceptions around Toby & Pete’s stunning artwork for The Daily Juice Company is that it was created in CGI. In fact, the piece represents a painstaking combination of model-making, photography and the team’s trademark hyperreal photo-illustration skills. “The brief was to use CGI,” says Pike, “but we didn’t think it was right for the natural and appetising feel you want a food product to have.” Tasked to build a “fantastical juicing machine”, the pair took inspiration from cartoonist Rube Goldberg and projects like the Coca-Cola Happiness Factory to create a surreal world, dense with fun and action. After constructing catapults, water mills and more, the studio worked with photographer and long-standing collaborator Andreas Smetana – who shot orange splashes and captured the landscape – before combining the different elements in Photoshop. “Planning was really intense,” says Pike. “There were so many elements we ran the risk of not shooting enough, or shooting things in the wrong way. The post work was incredibly complex and tedious. It was like making dozens of images stitched together to create the one image.” He smiles: “We wanted people to discover lots of scenarios buried within it.”

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Stu d i o L i f e

March 2014

The warehouse boasts a mezzanine, where studio members can take time out. “We have some props left over, like the Wookie suit from the Parklife job, and lots of bikes,” says Pike

He explains: “We started our professional careers trying to make everything as real as possible, but now we’re trying to get into a space somewhere between real and graphic. We often try to use implausible shapes assembled photorealistically, whether by photography, retouching or CGI.” But it isn’t just the level of craft that characterises Stopniak and Pike’s work: innovative concepts streak throughout their diverse portfolio, and there’s more than a touch of typographic genius in some of their projects. Take their logo for creative director Steve Back. Briefed, simply, to make the client’s name ‘fun and playful’, the pair transformed the type into a huge inflatable castle, weaving vibrant, oversized 3D lettering into an alluring vision of softplay mastery. It looks good enough to bounce on – indeed, the project quickly caught the attention of the design media and preschool children alike. So how did a partnership that’s so good at print end up working across film, interactive, live visuals and more? The evolution, Stopniak reflects, was part restlessness, part accident: “We knew from the get-go we didn’t want to be retouchers forever. Motion was a logical step, but we actually got asked to pitch on an installation before our first motion job. I still think the installation job came to us by accident,” he confesses, “because there was no mention of such work on our website at the time, but we’re glad they did – we got to know Lukasz in the process of putting the pitch together for that.” And therein lies the crux: central to the studio’s ethos is a huge emphasis on collaboration. From the

moment Stopniak and Pike began sharing a space with fellow freelancers, they saw an exciting opportunity to pool their skills and break new creative ground. “We formed the wider collective with the view that a good creative can work with a good craftsman to create amazing work. That’s our reasoning for branching out into so many different mediums,” Pike explains.

Bet ter together “It’s interesting,” he continues. “We know some people who are a little wary of the whole Jack-of-all-trades thing, but generally we find our clients really respond to that, as we can offer a better, more complete solution. They can come for the print but stay for the interactive.” These days, all new projects start with Stopniak and Pike. The pair tried bringing everyone onboard early on, but it became tricky to manage – so now the co-founders work out a rough creative direction before a new project begins. Stopniak tends to take the lead on the 3D and CGI work, while Pike gravitates towards the photographic side of things. “On most projects we start off at opposite ends creatively and end up streaming down to a place we’re

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T oby & P e t e

March 2014

Project focus Steve Back Good enough to jump on: Toby & Pete’s nostalgia-inducing inflatable type treatment could, Stopniak reckons, work in real-life Before finding fame with Flume, Stopniak and Pike were busy making a name for themselves with their eye-catching type treatments. One of the best-known is a playful logo for Australian creative director Steve Back. “Steve wanted something personal for his folio,” Stopniak begins. “We wanted to make the bouncy castle plausible, so there was a lot of sketching to figure out how all the letters could co-exist in space without crashing into one another.” Stopniak modelled the piece in Modo and rendered it in Maya with Mental Ray, before

“adding wrinkles and seams” and pulling it together in Photoshop. His favourite part? “Definitely the gorilla. Steve was affectionately known as ‘The Silverback’ at Saatchi and Saatchi. We put it in after the initial sketches were approved – and it stayed.” Aside from generating industry attention, the piece also resulted in unexpected feedback: “A few months later we got an email from a K-5 Fine Arts Academy in San Diego,” says Stopniak. “The art teacher’s first grade kids had drawn their own jumping castles using the Steve Back piece as inspiration. We were blown away by the results.”

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Stu d i o L i f e

March 2014

A host of bars, cafés and restaurants have popped up on Cleveland Street since Toby & Pete set up shop. “Minus the occasional car break-in or local eccentrics screaming at traffic, it’s generally a pretty cool spot,” says Pike

both happy with,” says Stopniak. “If the job calls for skills beyond our own, then we call the experts.” The beauty of their setup is that feedback is always on hand. The creatives sit in one, long desk arrangement, and while freelancers rent their desks and are free to work on their own projects, the environment facilitates a constant, invaluable feedback loop, with designers swapping input and opinion – whether they’re directly involved in a project or not. “It’s a fun place to work,” Stopniak adds. “There’s always music playing and someone doing something cool. It can be hard to concentrate at times, but you also get that life-saving feedback when you hit a wall. There’s generally one or two people who come and go each month as well, which keeps it interesting.” He laughs: “We’re down the block from the local pub so we’re always hanging out there together – perhaps a little too much at times. Long hours in the studio can bring on the cabin fever.” McDonald, Toby & Pete’s third full-time designer, joined the team 18 months ago: “Lachie rang up from Melbourne one day looking for work experience, but we thought he sounded weird on the phone,” Stopniak recalls. “We told him to send us some work anyway. As soon as we saw his book, we told him to pack his bags and head up to Sydney. There was photography, 3D, painting, sculptures in Blu-Tac and a general sense of good fun. He’s doing some amazing work in 3D, but he really is capable of anything.” Currently, there are no plans to bring in any other designers full-time. As Stopniak points out, with the studio’s

portfolio continuing to broaden into the “field of doing everything”, it’s tough to predict which skills the team might need long-term. More importantly, Toby & Pete’s blend of collaboration works. Right now, the team is busy putting together two more clips for Flume’s next show: “We’re always planning on evolving it, so as long as he’s touring we’ll keep adding to it,” says Stopniak. The pair are also working on a book cover and a project for a US-based lottery, via their US agent Levine/Leavitt, and are considering whether to do another exhibition. (“I want to get this down on record,” he laughs, “so now we’re really committed.”) If there is a plan, moving forward, it’s to stay relevant, skilled-up and surrounded by “good people”. Exactly where that will take Toby & Pete is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: the studio is likely to continue to evade convention for quite some time to come. “If you look throughout history, there have always been characters that defy definition,” Stopniak asserts. “Starting with Leonardo Da Vinci, for example, or Eames, Rennie Mackintosh, Raymond Loewy and William Morris – such prolific output across so many different disciplines. We’d like to be even 1 per cent of what they’ve been.

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From the furry suit to the print and video media, Toby & Pete designed the entire campaign for 2012’s Parklife festival

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g e t a n a g e nt

March 2014

Sign and deliver

From bringing in big-name clients to taking care of admin headaches and championing your rights, agent representation could supercharge your design practice

Words: Anne Wollenberg Illustration: Graham Robson www.grahamrobson.com

W

hen illustrator and graphic designer Eirian Chapman joined Australian agency The Jacky Winter Group, it gave her a foot into doors that were previously firmly closed. “The volume of illustration work that I do has doubled,” says Chapman, who quit a full-time job in corporate design in 2009 to pursue a career in freelance illustration. Her recent work includes a series of illustrations for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, commissioned by M&C Saatchi. “I don’t know how I would have landed that project without my agent’s help and guidance – from flying me to Sydney for meetings with M&C Saatchi to helping with the nitty gritty,” she explains. “Advertising agencies often won’t work with illustrators who don’t have an agent,” adds Mathieu Julien of Paris-based illustration collective Les JeanClode, which is signed to Pocko in London, French agency Lezilus and

Eirian Chapman Ill u s t r a t o r and designer Melbourne illustrator and graphic designer Eirian is represented by The Jacky Winter Group. She works for clients in advertising, editorial, digital and retail. www.eirianchapman.com

Joris Op r i n s Job, Joris & Marieke Joris met Job Roggeveen and Marieke Blaauw at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Signed to Jelly London, they work across animation, character design and illustration. www.jobjorisenmarieke.nl

Jakata-based Verve Reps. “Even if you’re finding jobs by yourself, having an agent abroad helps with getting commissions from clients you can’t reach. We’re able to work for the UK market because Pocko supports us there.” Similarly, Utrecht-based studio collective Job, Joris & Marieke was well-known in the Netherlands when it signed up with Jelly London, but had “no idea” how to go about getting jobs abroad. “We’ve worked on projects we could never have landed without them,” says producer Joris Oprins. “They’re always promoting clients, on and offline, and we benefit from that. We recently made a short film called #Mute, and Jelly really helped with promoting it internationally.” Arranging commissions is only part of what agents do. “I get to spend more time drawing and less time looking, billing and quoting for work,” says Melbournebased illustrator and designer Guy Shield, who, like

S h a u n a Ly n n Panczyszyn H a n d l e tt e r e r & i ll u s t r a t o r Based in Orlando, Florida, Shauna is a graphic designer, hand-letterer and illustrator with a penchant for digital chalk drawings. She is represented by Illustration Ltd. www.shaunaparmesan.com

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Jeremy Wortsman The Jacky Winter Group As head of Australian creative agency The Jacky Winter Group, Jeremy’s role includes directing bricks-and-mortar gallery space Lamington Drive. www.jackywinter.com

industry issues

March 2014

Deciphering contracts Victoria Pearce, senior agent at Illustration Ltd, explains how to ensure your contract’s sound 1 How much commission will the agent get? Agencies are free to set their own commission rates, so check what is being proposed before signing any contract. As a broad rule of thumb, 25 to 35 per cent agency commission is industry standard. Whatever the calculation, however, the contract should specify the structure clearly. 2 Break down promotional costs Advertising, marketing and promotional costs should be specified and clear up-front. Some agents will ask you to pay a portion – usually in the region of 25 per cent – to cover certain costs. Larger agencies may operate an efficient, collective promotional spend, and charge a shared nominal annual cost when you have established a workflow. On the other hand, smaller agencies might be more limited and require promotional costs from you, but the types of promotion they do might be more tailored to your style and market. 3 Specify territorial agreements Your contract should clearly outline the territories in which your agent will represent you. For example: worldwide, UK and USA, UK and Europe, or any other combination of countries and regions where the agent might have satellite offices or sister agencies. Your contract can also exclude territories where you are represented by another agent. 4 Retain copyright Under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988, the creator should always retain ownership of the original artwork, unless a change is agreed in writing between the agent and client, and with your prior agreement. The client is normally granted a licence to reproduce the artwork solely for the purposes negotiated and detailed on the order confirmation. Pay very close attention to this part of your contract – don’t blindly sign away your copyright to your client, or to your agent for that matter. 5 Acknowledge house clients A good agent will appreciate that you have invested time, effort and money in developing a number of your own clients. These are deemed ‘house clients’, and you’ll be able to supply a list of them. When you work for house clients, you won’t have to pay your agent commission. Or, the agent might offer to run these clients for you through the agency, for a reduced commission, and absolve you of the responsibility of paperwork, chasing money and so.   6 Breaking up is never easy... ...But having the terms clearly laid out will help to make the process as pain-free as possible. As with a marriage, you might not wish to think about splitting up before your honeymoon, but should things not work out for either party, it’ll help enormously to have already agreed the terms. These should cover the notice period required for either party to say goodbye and how the process is managed. 7 pick up the freelance handbook For more tips on how to get the most from your agent – plus all the advice you need to be your own boss – don’t miss The Freelance Handbook, updated for 2014 and on sale now (www.bit.ly/1jiDMnX).

Chapman, is represented by Jacky Winter. “They also manage the legal side of things with licensing, which is a whole extra headache I don’t have.” Sean Freeman, a designer and illustrator working in East London, says it’s a relief not to worry about chasing payments. He is represented by three agents, including Levine/Leavitt in New York and Los Angeles. “Agents are there to negotiate, which is probably their best feature,” he reasons. “They discuss money, usage and timings, and they’ll have your back if you run into problems.” For example, agents can intervene if clients try to exceed the scope of a project. They can also be helpful if you’re working across a significant time difference. “Some of our creatives have big US client bases,” says Chris Page, founder and director of Jelly London. “Any comments, changes or commercial variations tend to happen in the evenings. I’m available at these times, so they can focus on the creative aspect of the job by day, and leave me to sort out their admin at night.” Australian typographer and illustrator Gemma O’Brien has been with Jacky Winter for just over a year. Her first agency commission was a typographic Christmas illustration for Australian grocery chain Woolworths. “The scale and usage were extensive and it helped to have the agency manage quoting for the job,” she says. Plus they provide an extra level of motivation, she adds: “Working freelance can get lonely. Having the team on hand to offer projects and advice gives me extra drive.” Jacky Winter maintains a gallery space, Lamington Drive, and has created its own social network. “We have lots of opportunities for physical gatherings – we’re like a big family and that can be a pretty nice thing,” says the agency’s director Jeremy Wortsman. Wortsman recommends checking out an agency’s blog, philosophy and social media presence to get a feel for its tone and marketing strategies. “Look at its other artists – is there a sympathetic aesthetic? If you specialise in a certain medium or approach, is there another artist you’ll be competing with?”

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g e t a n a g e nt

March 2014

When it comes to making your approach, it’s vital to show respect for the agent’s time. Find and read their submission guidelines – and keep to them. “It still shocks me to see how some people submit their work,” Wortsman says. “Your approach should represent you at your absolute best. If it’s a one-line email as part of a blast to 10 other agencies, it’s probably going straight to the bin.” However, don’t give up if your first approach isn’t successful. Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, a hand-letterer and illustrator located in Orlando, Florida, was in contact with international agent Illustration Ltd for several months before a cover for Jacksonville Magazine finally clinched the deal in May 2013.

Keeping up with contracts Joining an agency will involve signing a legally binding agreement, so don’t rush into anything. “Agents can operate in different ways, so your written – not verbal – contract should clearly define your business relationship,” advises Matthew Shearer, membership manager at the Association of Illustrators, who checks contracts for members. “This should include commission on any achieved fees, what territories they represent you in, whether you can keep your existing clients, how they will promote you, how you will be expected to contribute to that financially and what happens if either party wishes to end the relationship,” he continues. While the contract may start with a trial period, you will be legally committed once you sign. “Be clear about what the agent is charging commission for. Otherwise, something might be implied in the contract,” says Simon Portman, managing associate at leading intellectual property practice Marks & Clerk Solicitors. This might cover creative disciplines, geographical territories and services provided by the agent, such as promotion. If you’re signing up with multiple agents, you need to check there’s no overlap – give copies of previous agreements to anyone checking the newest one.

Q&A: Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn The Florida-based illustrator and hand-letterer explains how she snagged herself a top agency – Illustration Ltd – and what’s happened since Why was signing up with Illustration Ltd the right decision for you? Having an agent was something I really wanted, so I could focus on what I do best and know that the agency would be there to navigate the rest of what goes along with being freelance – such as dealing with contracts and pricing. I had been in contact with Illustration Ltd for a while, but it wasn’t until I did a chalk art piece for Jacksonville Magazine that they said: “That’s it, that’s what we’re looking for,” took me on and marketed me as a chalk artist. How has your career improved as a result? In the last six months with Illustration Ltd, I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects all over the world – from here in the USA to London and most recently South Korea. It has really opened up my work to a new set of eyes and opportunities that I wouldn’t have had previously, including the chance to create a book cover for Scholastic and a full-page illustration for craft magazine Mollie Makes. How can you get the most out of your relationship with your agent? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re confused about something and need clarification, the agents can help get you that. I’ve also found that just really being myself helps with communication. I write to my agents in the same way that I talk. Remember that your agents are nice people and they are there to help you be the best you can be. If you’re excited about a project, they’ll be excited about it.

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OC Weekly image – one of the commissions Panczyszyn has won since joining Illustration Ltd

industry issues

March 2014

“Don’t assume the contract isn’t negotiable,” adds Portman. “Nobody is going to take it personally if you try to get the terms changed.” However, it really is vital to get contracts checked: “Getting someone to give it a onceover could save you a lot of money in the long run.” The contract should specify exactly what you’re paying commission on. Another sticking point is a tricky piece of law called the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993. “If you terminate an agreement for any reason other than the agent being in breach [of it], they’re entitled to compensation,” Portman explains. The regulations don’t always apply, but if they do, you can’t contract out of them – so your contract needs to define and limit this liability. Portman says you should also pay attention to when the agent expects to be paid. If they collect the money and pass on your share, check proper accounting procedures are in place.

Decisions, decisions When it comes to picking the right agency for you, Portman advises asking around for word-of-mouth recommendations before making any decisions. Consider size too, as a large agency may have greater resources or access to bigger clients, while you might get more individual attention, and even more opportunities, from a boutique agency. This very much depends on the agency, which is why it’s so important to ask around about their reputation. A good agent will act as a bridge between you and the client, says Mathieu Julien of Les JeanClode. “They

shouldn’t be a creative filter, deciding when the work is good enough to send to the client – they should let the project happen and reappear if there’s an issue.” For Oprins, the most important part of the agent-artist relationship is an awareness and understanding of each other’s goals. “The agent needs to know what kind of projects you’re looking for and you need to understand what’s important to them,” he says. After all, representation is a relationship just like any other. “It’s very much a two-way street, not a ticket to automatic and regular work,” says Wortsman. He recommends regularly emailing new personal pieces and fodder for social media updates – and letting your agents know when work is slow. “There are traits that put some people above the rest, and in most cases it’s not about your work,” he says. “It’s really simple stuff like being easy to work with, promptly returning any phone calls and emails, and being available to work.” “Just don’t depend solely on your agent to get projects,” advises illustrator and character designer Muxxi, from Guatemala City, who is signed to Illustration Ltd. “A good agent can put your work in front of thousands of clients, but the tricky part is still getting attention from those clients. You always need to keep working and giving it your absolute best.”

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“There are traits that put some people above the rest, and in most cases it’s not about your work” Jeremy Wortsman

I NT R O P RO J E C TS

MARCH 2014

Computer Arts goes behind the scenes with world-leading designers as they reveal their working processes…

20-PAGE EXTENDED SECTION! Now with pro workflow advice, plus the latest creative tech

zero collected edition: unity and discord

How helloMuller blended fluoro shades, ripped pages and print glitches to create a special comic collection 76

TOMORROWWORLD TV: PSYCHEDELIC PARTICLE PARTY

ENDLESS PERFORMANCE: Brave new worlds

Toronto-based agency Jam3 reveals the secrets behind its ambitious live-streaming, 90 interactive concert experience

How illustrator Chris Martin created 85 a strange land for a Toshiba spot

WORKFLOW TIPS

SELECTIONS AND MASKS

SCALABLE web graphics

THE TOUCH type tool

Luke O’Neill’s non-destructive techniques for cutting out complex 82 images in Photoshop

Matt Hamm’s advice for creating pixel-perfect web graphics with a 88 harmonious colour palette

Jo Gulliver reveals the easy way to manipulate live text on the fly  94 in Illustrator CC

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PROJECTS

March 2014

Zero collected edition: Unity and discord Designer helloMuller experimented with ripped pages, fluoro paper and deliberate print errors to create a raw, dissonant aesthetic for a special collected edition of spy comic Zero

PROJECT FACTFILE Brief Already responsible for the covers and brand design direction of Zero, a monthly spy comic from writer Ales Kot, helloMuller was tasked with creating a cohesive design for a special collected edition of the first five issues. Clients Ales Kot www.aleskot.tumblr.com Image Comics www.imagecomics.com Studio helloMuller www.hellomuller.com Project Duration Ongoing Collected edition lIve date February 2014

 om Muller in his studio, where T he creates the design concepts for each issue of Zero, a spy comic from writer Ales Kot

The Design Brief Tom Muller

Tom Muller Designer, HelloMuller Designer and art director Tom runs his own studio, helloMuller, in London. He designs comics, culture, entertainment and technology, and has done so for the likes of Image Comics, Wired, DC Comics, Universal Studios, Zonza, Paramount Pictures and Samsung.

Zero is published by Image Comics and written by Ales Kot, who created and owns the series. I started working on Zero around March last year, after Ales had got in touch to ask if I was interested in working with him on the series and creating the covers. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to combine our talents. The brief was fairly straightforward: to create a comic with covers like nothing else on the shelves. As the series has progressed, my work has expanded to not only designing the covers, but all interior pages that aren’t comic story – synopsis and character bio pages, prose text, chapter titles, and so on. What intrigued me most about Ales’ proposition on Zero was that I was given the opportunity to create full publication designs on an ongoing basis. Rather than com putera rts.creat iveb loq.com - 76 -

just supplying a logo, I’d be helping to shape the look and feel of the series, with the freedom to experiment and push the boundaries of cover design in comics. One thing that sets Zero apart from other ongoing series is that each issue is drawn by a different artist. As such there was a need to have the covers as a constant; tying the series together. Even though each cover is designed differently, the visual discord and a few constant elements link the books together. Aside from myself and Ales, the only regular collaborators on the series are Jordie Bellaire, the colourist, and Clayton Cowles, who letters the books. The Zero series was initially scheduled for May 2013, but we pushed it back to September, giving Ales time to flesh out the story and lock down artists. The first issue finally launched in the third week of September 2013. The collected edition encompasses the first five issues, and went on sale in February 2014.

Diar Y˚ 1 : he llo m ulle r

March 2014

Project at a glance Tom Muller gives a step-by-step guide to how the Zero covers typically take shape

1 Finding themes

2 A typographic take

3 Keeping consistent

4 Font options

5 End titles

6 A quick turnaround

7 Doing the series justice

8 Collection teaser

9 Off to print

A unique aspect of Zero is that each single issue features a different artist, as well as focusing on different themes and locations (for example: Gaza Strip, Dublin, Shanghai, Rio). As such, we decided from the start to create a unique cover-to-cover design for each issue.

The choice of ITC Machine Medium as the font for the Zero logo is deliberate. It references action and spy movies and its distinctive machine-like design allows it to be interpreted graphically for each issue without losing its character, thus maintaining brand uniformity on the covers.

Usually when a comic series is collected in a paperback edition, the cover of the first issue gets re-appropriated or a new image is created. However, since Zero’s individual covers are so distinct, I felt that a single or pre-existing image wouldn’t do the series justice.

Initially, the Zero covers were purely typographic and weren’t going to feature artwork, aiming to create comics that looked like nothing else on the shelves. After we reviewed initial designs, we decided to incorporate artwork to complement the graphics and make the overall cover image stronger.

The design doesn’t stop at the front cover. The back covers are a continuation of the issue’s ‘look’ and designed to act as the end titles of an episode. All interior and back matter pages are also consistent with the issue’s theme – the idea being that the whole issue works together as a coherent whole.

I made a mockup to illustrate the collage of the collection cover that references a wall of torn propaganda posters constructed from layering fragments of the first five covers. Once Ales had agreed on the concept, the mockup was used to advertise the book.

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For each cover, the artist creates a black and white key art illustration, which will be incorporated into the cover design. While many issues feature multiple covers and printings, the overall design stays consistent, incorporating the various art styles and creating a recognisable look per issue.

Comics are pre-ordered by stores three months in advance of the publication date, so initial cover designs have a very short turnaround. Between the initial solicitation and publication of the full comic, the cover design is refined while the other elements for the issue are created.

With the collection teaser out there, the publication design was further developed. This involved refining and rebuilding the main collage visual, expanding it to create a wraparound image for the cover whilst creating the type design treatment, before all print-ready files were sent to the publisher.

PROJECTS

March 2014

Work in progress

The collection cover at initial sketch stage

The Zero team is located all over the world. Ales and Clayton, who letters the books, are in New York, colourist Jordie is in Ireland, I’m in London, and Image Comics is in California. Then we have the artists, who are spread internationally. Ales wanted each issue as a stand-alone story within the wider narrative, with each set in a different location and point in time of the lead character Edward Zero’s life. So the theme of each issue already informs the direction the design will take. The difference in narrative and artist for each issue gave me the opportunity to experiment and play with different approaches. I started with concept sketches, even just thumbnail-sized to gauge proportions, then designed the work in the CS6 suite. I used Illustrator and Photoshop for the type design and image creation. For the collected edition, the main challenge was to create a design that distilled the first five issues. I wanted to show that the book was made from the single issues, and hint at the multi-layered, fragmented storyline that runs through them. We agreed on the torn collage concept to represent that idea. Initially I wanted to tear up the actual comic covers but since I had to create the design before issue 5 was printed, I created multiple prints of the individual covers and used those to assemble the cover. To form the end product I experimented with printing on fluoro papers, scanning and assembling printed elements, including deliberate print errors in the design to add an extra layer of tactility to the book, in keeping with the off-kilter theme of the series. I used InDesign to assemble it all and output it for print as prepress PDFs. All of those files were then uploaded to the Image Comics FTP for final proofing and assembly before going to print.

Ripped-up prints of individual issue covers were combined

As the design progressed, a handmade, photocopied aesthetic became more prominent

initial cover ideas The concepts that got discarded as the collected edition cover developed

Before we settled on incorporating artwork taken from the issue covers, we were planning to use abstract, typography-based cover designs for the collected series, focused on the ‘Zero’ logo.

The cover treatment of issue two was too flat, so I updated the logo, giving it a solid shadow and increasing saturation to make it much punchier when set next to the other covers.

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Initial design concepts were very unstructured, deliberately setting wide gaps in the text and relying on gradients. However, it lacked focus, and wasn’t that legible from a distance.

Diar Y˚ 1 : he llo m ulle r

March 2014

Creating a cover Tom Muller on how he created the raw look of the collected edition cover Step 1 With the proof of the concept mockup as a guide, I created the collection cover by mounting the torn cover prints on foam board, making sure the fragments spelled out Zero, and that the key elements of each single issue were shown in the final assembled cover piece. Step 2 After scanning the back and front cover images at 400dpi, I edited them in Photoshop to create the wraparound design. I started laying out the cover elements, using a title lockup that I had previously designed to keep the visual language and messaging consistent and recognisable.

Step 1

Step 3 The collection also needed new title and chapter pages. Torn covers were mounted on coloured papers and scanned as text, resulting in a uniform, rough, photocopied look that degrades further as you read the book. This balance of handmade assets and digital manipulation became the aesthetic running through the collection. Step 4 I laid out the cover content, including the book title, press quotes and synopsis in a separate document and printed that out on bright orange paper. This was subsequently scanned and edited to make sure everything was legible, but keeping that subtle print effect that slightly degrades the type, adding to the overall look of the cover.

Step 2

Step 4 Step 3

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PROJECTS

M AR CH 2014

Conclusion The Zero series was announced in June 2013 and the first issue launched on the third week of September 2013. This was followed by the first collection (issues one to five) on 19 February 2014. I think the collection design is another step up on the Zero ladder. The beauty of this project is that we can reinvent the comic every single issue, and in the process refine the ‘there is no formula’ formula. My main goal for the collected edition was to capture the idea that the book is made from the pieces of the single stories, within a striking design, and I think we achieved that. The way the series, and each issue, is created is – deadlines permitting – a very open, collaborative process that allows for creative experimentation. The intent has always been to make a statement with this and we’re doing just that. And if I wanted to do anything differently, there’s always the next issue of Zero. Image Comics offers massive support in terms of marketing, sales and production. The team will comb through the final design deliverables, assist with production cost estimates and make sure the books get printed and shipped. They’re great champions of creatorowned comics and a good partner to have in your corner. Ales Kot said every single person involved in this project was a great artist, adding: “I hired everyone to collaborate in an open space, putting our creativity and our will together to reach a new destination in contemporary fiction. We succeeded.” Zero has been incredibly well received by press and readers alike, with the cover designs helping to create a buzz and awareness in a marketplace – and industry – where design and designers are largely invisible. Personally, its very gratifying to make a dent in the perception of comics and how they’re designed.

PROJECT SOUNDTRACK Tom Muller shares the tracks that were on repeat in his studio while working on Zero

Bold colours were intended to allow for stronger graphics and, most importantly, stand out on the bookshelves in stores

The printed and bound collection of Zero Volume 1: An Emergency

The final wraparound cover of the collection, incorporating deliberate print errors to add an extra tactile element

 Demdike Stare: Test Pressings 001-004 I’ve had these EPs from the Manchester-based duo on loop many times while working on Zero. The broken, haunted industrial soundscape is perfect to submerge yourself in the world of Zero.

 Machinedrum: Vapor City A fantastic album mixing upbeat rhythm with desolate, ambient soundscapes that could be from a film soundtrack. There’s a variety of more pop-oriented tracks and darker club-style sounds.

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Slugabed: DO U C ME THO / U RIGHT This two-track single from Slugabed includes some trapbaselines to keep the adrenaline flowing. These tracks are my party music for when I need a bit of a break from the usual droning soundscapes.

ANNUAL 2014 SEE COMPUTERARTS .CREATIVEBLOQ.COM FOR DETAILS

OO S ING M CO

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PROJECTS

March 2014

P HO T O S HOP BE S T P R A C T ICE

GET MORE FROM MASKS AND SELECTIONS Whether you’re a junior designer or a creative director, at some point you’ll need to cut out selections in Photoshop. Graphic designer Luke O’Neill shares his tips for taking your skills to the next level

The brief Luke O’Neill

luke o’neill Art Editor T3 magazine Currently art editor at T3 magazine, graphic designer and illustrator Luke launched and designed the original Computer Arts Collection series. His illustration work can also be found gracing the covers of our Presents series. www.lukeoneill.co.uk

I n this example from T3, the background graphics were added in post using various different masking techniques

PHOTOGRAPHY: Richard Grassie, www.richardgrassie.com

Creating selections and masks in Photoshop is a fundamental part of any professional creative workflow. Whether you’re a junior designer, illustrator, animator, or even a creative director, at some point you will have to create a mask and cut something out in Photoshop – even if it’s only because you’re working late and the repro department has all gone home. There are many varied ways to create selections in Photoshop, ranging from the quick and easy techniques that we’re all familiar with – such as using the the Magic Wand tool to cut out objects from a high-contrast, flat background, or switching to the Pen tool for greater accuracy – through to more precise, time-consuming techniques that take a while to master. In this workflow guide I’ll walk through some more advanced, nondestructive ways of creating masks.

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Workflow: Se l e c t ions & M a s k s

March 2014

1 Non-destructive layer mask tricks

2 Working with clipping masks

3 Easy type masking

4 Using channels for areas of detail

5 Using adjustment layers

6 Brushing in detail

7 Highlighting detail with the Burn tool

8 Inverting the image

9 Alpha channels in InDesign layouts

Add a layer mask to any Photoshop layer, and click on the white linked thumbnail to edit it. For fine adjustments, a white or black brush adds or removes areas (toggle using Shift+X), or use the Magic Wand for large areas. Shift+click on the mask background to toggle effects on and off.

Channels are particularly useful for working with high levels of detail like hair or bike spokes, as seen here. Open the Channels panel, pick the channel with the highest level of contrast and duplicate it by dragging it to the Create New Channel icon.

The Burn tool is useful for picking out details. Select it, making sure that Shadows is selected in the drop-down menu. Brush over the areas you want to pick out, adjusting the exposure as you go. If you want to preview the mask overlaid on the original image, hit the tilde (~) key.

Clipping masks are another invaluable nondestructive technique. Set up a document with a solid background, add a new layer with a shape in it, and paste in a new, detailed layer above it. In the Layers panel, select Create Clipping Mask to mask out areas based on the layer below.

With only the duplicated channel selected, go to Image>Adjustments>Levels and increase the levels to punch up the black and white. Be careful not to go too far and create jagged edges. You can also experiment with the curves to a achieve a similar result.

Once you’ve filled in all the areas of the mask, hit Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert the image. Alpha channels work in much the same way as layer masks so, here, the black area will be masked off. In this case, it’s the background that we want to remove from the model and the bicycle.

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Clipping masks can also be used in conjunction with type. Paste in a texture layer above your word, and go to Create Clipping Path. You can resize and rotate the top image within the bounds of the clipping path, and the type layer will also remain editable.

As with layer masks, you can use Photoshop’s Brush tool to add or subtract detail to the mask. When doing this, work carefully around the channel, brushing on black and white to create your mask. This is where a Wacom tablet really comes into its own.

This is where alpha channels really come into their own. When placing an image in InDesign, select Show Import Options and chose the alpha channel from the image menu. The image will be imported with the alpha channel applied, so you can run it over the top of text and images.

awards 2014

VOTE NOW

VOTING NOW OPEN Game Changer of the Year

Grassroots event of the Year

Best New Web Technology

Entrepreneur of the Year

Open Source Project of the Year

Emerging Talent of the Year

App of the Year

Young Developer of the Year

Best Online Portfolio

Young Designer of the Year

Side Project of the Year

New Agency of the Year

Demo of the Year

Developer of the Year

Best collaborative project

Designer of the Year

Redesign of the Year

Outstanding contribution

Podcast of the Year

Team of the Year

Conference Talk of the Year

Agency of the Year

www.thenetawards.com

Diar Y˚ 2 : C HRI S M ART I N

March 2014

Endless Performance: BRave new worlds Illustrator Chris Martin created strange worlds and the curious characters that inhabit them to help Psyop deliver a magical spot for Toshiba’s latest tablet

PROJECT FACTFILE Brief When Psyop was asked to explore the features of Toshiba’s new tablet in a spot entited Endless Performance, it turned to illustrator Chris Martin to design a range of different worlds and the characters that inhabit them. Clients Psyop www.psyop.tv Toshiba Europe www.toshiba.eu Creative Chris Martin www.mrchrismartin.co.uk Agency McCann Enterprise www.mccannenterprise.com Project duration Two days Live date December 2013

Chris Martin Illustrator Chris is a D&AD award-winning illustrator, concept artist and character designer hailing from North London. His clients include the Guardian, Nokia, Umbro, Nike, Dazed & Confused, Nexus Productions, Love, RSPB, Orange and Ray-Ban. com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 85 -

PROJECTS

March 2014

The Design Brief Chris Martin

Pysop was asked by Toshiba Europe to visually represent the four main areas of tablet use (film and music, productivity, gaming, and connectivity) for a new ad. The agency wanted to create a unique cast of characters, objects and environments to best characterise these elements within a story. I’d worked with Fletcher Moules (one of the Psyop directors on this project) when he was in the UK at another production studio. He thought my illustration and design style would fit the concept for Endless Performance perfectly, and so I joined the team. My brief was to design several different worlds that the viewer would zoom through, as well as the fun, crazy characters that exist within them. Psyop wanted a level of sophistication, and an approach that was obviously vibrant and inventive, but not veering over into being overly cartoony. The team had an idea of what each world was to look like and it was up to me to bring these ideas to life. We started out with characters and smaller elements, then moved on to the massive illustrations of the worlds. Because I was working remotely from London I mainly communicated with Psyop in the US over email. At times it felt like the night shift in my studio.

STAGE ONE I started by sketching out lots of different ideas for characters, in line with Psyop’s initial concept for the spot.

sTAGE TWO I was basically thinking out loud on paper – some of the designs at this stage were too strange, and got discarded.

STAGE FIVE These went to Psyop to add the fractal zoom – some objects needed to be repositioned to allow this to work effectively.

 

PROJECT evolution Chris martin reveals how he created and populated Toshiba’s tablet world

The initial concept

Psyop nailed down the look and feel for the spot before we started work on the characters and the environments. The outline involved the viewer whizzing through each main area of tablet use, taking in all the sights through the use of fractal zoom and the camera moving past images in a 3D space.

Ideas and Sketches

The team at Psyop worked with McCann Enterprise to determine what would best represent the key functions of the tablet within each theme, then I started working up thumbnail sketches, just thinking out loud on paper. I designed a lot — some was too much on the weird side, and not all of it was used.

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Developing characters

After creating the thumbnails for the characters and episodic ‘moments’, I sent everything to Fletch and Kylie at Psyop so they could sort out what worked best in the worlds they were creating. In the meantime I took my small sketches, enlarged them in Photoshop and then worked over them on the Wacom 5 Tablet.

Diar Y˚ 2 : C HRI S M ART I N

March 2014

How I work Chris Martin explains how his piles of initial sketches turned into a final product

sTAGE tHREE I took my sketches, enlarged them in Photoshop and then began to work over them on the Wacom 5 Tablet.

STAGE FOUR Next, I started work on the worlds in Photoshop. These illustrations had to be around 6,000 pixels across.

STAGE SIX After compositing, the material was colour-graded and music added, to give the final spot.

building worlds

Next came the main illustrations. Once the thumbnails had been signed off, I start creating the worlds in Photoshop. They all had to be extremely big (6,000 pixels across), and they also had to support layered elements. As soon as each one was completed, it was delivered to Psyop for the painters to work their magic.

Building on the designs

Once they had the illustrations, Psyop added a fractal zoom, which is when the camera moves through a 3D space past the illustrations while their proportions scale up. However, because anything near the edge of frame was throwing off this camera move, we had to reposition a lot of the elements nearer the centre.

Getting animated

Next, Psyop added 3D cameras and built scenes for the 3D animators while the 2D animators and designers were feeding their material into the Nuke software for compositing. There is a lot to see in the spot, and the directors needed to be sure to strike the balance between content and viewing speed.

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I always approach any job by first working it out on paper. My methods and workflow change depending on what sort of job I’m doing, but everything starts on paper first. I’ll have an idea, or have discussed an idea over email, and then I’ll start by sketching on paper or doing thumbnails to figure what is best to use. When something gets approval, I’ll take it into Photoshop and enlarge the image. Then, using my Wacom 5 tablet, I’ll work over the pencil sketches and add definition. For Endless Performance, I sent my sketches over to the Psyop directors, Kylie Matulick and Fletcher Moules. Only one or two ideas made the final cut in the first round. But in my experience, having your first designs accepted is never the case. There’s a lot more tweaking and changing that goes on. During the visual development of an animation, directors will constantly get new ideas and change their minds. It’s actually what I like most about my job — developing ideas and drawings into something even better.

Time to Deliver

After compositing, the material was colour-graded and music added. In the final spot, the camera moves forward through the characters and detailed environments as they dissolve and reveal all four intertwining themes. I just find it amazing that my concept art actually became the final image.

PROJECTS

MARCH 2014

W OR K FL O W BEST- PRACTICE

create pixel-perfect web graphics Web designer and illustrator Matt Hamm reveals how to combine Kuler with Illustrator to create harmonious web graphics that scale crisply every time

Kuler is a great tool for creating and browsing harmonious colour palettes, ideal for vector work

the brief Matt Hamm

Nailing the colour palette in your design or illustration is naturally a key part of any project. A crisp vector graphic, properly prepared for the screen and coupled with a carefully considered colour palette, can really make your website sing. With the introduction of HiDPI screens for tablets and notebooks, it’s increasingly important to provide graphics that scale smoothly but still provide filesizes suitable for low bandwidths. Icons saved as double-size bitmaps to serve high-density screens are not always the best option.

Opting for vector graphics from the outset gives you a more flexible set of assets that can be scaled quickly, and exported as SVG files or PNG fallbacks. In this guide, I’ll explain how to create scalable, web-ready graphics with harmonious colour schemes. I won’t literally show you how to recreate the graphics here – think of this as a best-practice checklist rather than a conventional walkthrough. Along the way, I’ll be using Adobe’s Kuler iPhone app in a slick colour workflow, and Illustrator to create crisp, pixel-perfect graphics. The two applications make a great combination, and using your mobile as part of your workflow can break you free from your desk, too, which almost certainly helps creativity.

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Matt Hamm creative director, supereight studio Co-founder of Guildford-based web design studio Supereight, Matt is passionate about all fields of design – from typography to user experience. He specialises in logos and icons, and has been designing websites since 1998. www.matthamm.com

WORKFL OW : w e b g r a p h i c s

MARCH 2014

1 Ditch the defaults

2  U se the Kuler app

3 Saving palettes

4 Create square graphics

5 Pixel Preview

6 Trouble-free pixels

7 Snap happy

8 Group alignment

9 A nd finally…

Whatever you do, never use those default colours in the Illustrator Swatches panel. Thanks to Kuler, Adobe’s colour-scheme generator (kuler.adobe.com), gorgeous colour palettes are only a few clicks away. You can sign up for a Kuler account at the address above, or just log in with your Adobe ID.

To ensure your Illustrator artwork appears pixelsharp on the web, it really helps to create perfectly square artboards – that way, the exact centre of the artboard will always fall at the corner of a pixel, and not in the middle of one. Of course, this won’t always be possible, but is always worth bearing in mind.

Open up the View menu, and make sure that Pixel Preview is ticked. As you’ll notice, the option further down the menu will then automatically change from Snap to Grid to Snap to Pixel for pin-point accuracy. This setting can be toggled, depending on the view.

Download the free Kuler iOS app from the App Store (currently not available for Android). Log in and capture colour inspiration from anywhere with your iPhone or iPad camera. The app provides live colour palettes from anything you point the camera at, with often unexpected and inspiring results.

Ensure Color Mode is set to RGB, and Raster Effects to Screen (72ppi). If you set Preview Mode to Pixel, when you zoom into the artwork you see pixels rather than smooth vector shapes. Checking Align New Objects to Pixel Grid can cause display issues, but you can turn it off in the Transform panel.

Check Align to Pixel Grid in the Transform panel to ensure that your artwork can be nudged in precise increments. To save time when lining up any stray objects, simply click Select>Object> Not Aligned to Pixel Grid, and then edit those objects as a group.

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Save any of your colour palettes on your iPhone or iPad, and they appear in the Kuler panel in Illustrator. You can sync, search and add colour palettes from Kuler directly into your swatches. Using the web interface you can browse the most popular or most used colour themes and mark your favourites.

With the Artboard tool selected, click the Reference Point icon (the grid of squares). Select the top-left square, and the artboard will always resize from the top-left corner and stop the pixels shifting. Double check the X and Y values have no decimal places – values of 0.5px can cause artwork to miss the grid.

By default, Illustrator aligns the path of any stroke with an odd width (1px, 3px, 5px etc) on a sub-pixel level. If you change the alignment to outside, inside or centre in the Stroke panel, the shape will try to compensate, but bear in mind that if you’re using SVG format, it will only support centre alignment.

PROJECTS

MARCH 2014

TomorrowWorld TV: Psychedelic particle party Toronto-based Jam3 provided a live-streamed, interactive concert experience for electronica music festival TomorrowWorld, bringing the event to fans at home

PROJECT FACTFILE Brief Toronto-based Jam3 brought the three-day TomorrowWorld music festival to interactive life and into the reach of millions of viewers worldwide, by deploying skills in interactive design, motion graphics and particle physics to create a stimulating visualisation of the event. Client Google www.google.com studio Jam3 www.jam3.com Project duration Six weeks Live date September 2013

The Design Brief Pablo Vio

The brief for this project was to create a stimulating visualisation of the TomorrowWorld event, while showcasing the diversity of options available on the Moto X. The aim was to bring the music festival direct to millions of users at home, in a live stream experience encompassing three themes: madness, unity and love. The pitch process was surprisingly simple. Google called us, we gave them a range of case studies as well as creative thought starters, and they fell in love with our particle engine prototypes. We had a vision of what computerarts.creativeb loq.com - 92 -

could be done with the Google technology – and our style, design and technical capabilities were perfect for what Google was looking to do. We wanted the experience to link the user from their own home to the music festival using a fun, interactive video player. Viewers would be able to connect to the live feed through their phones, using it as a remote control to customise particles, physics and colours. The concepts were inspired by the TomorrowWorld brand, taking the form of a crazy, happy planet. Daily themes – including madness, love and unity – would play a big part in developing the elements. We were asked to create a different particle engine

Di a r Y˚ 3: J A M 3

MARCH 2014

Pablo Vio Partner and creative director, Jam3 Pablo’s visionary approach has been key to Jam3’s multiple award-winning projects, including the interactive documentary Bear 71, the Cannes Lions’ Gold Cyber Lion, FWA Site of the Year, One Show Interactive’s Gold Pencil, and Communication Arts awards.

Mike Dobell Executive producer, Jam3 Michael arrived at Jam3 with immediate impact just over a year ago, producing award-winning work for both Skittles and Norwegian Cruise Lines. He currently oversees all production for the company’s agency and direct-to-brand clients and leads US new business strategy and development.

for each theme, as well as five ‘headlining’ versions for day and night. The brief required us to create something fresh and fluid throughout the whole eight hours of performance on each day of the festival, while maintaining a powerful sense of being alive and unique.

WORK IN PROGRESs

Different particle engines were created for each daily theme, as well as ‘headlining’ versions for day and night

An early prototype of the desktop interface, incorporating footage from the Belgian TomorrowLand event

KEEPING the FOCUS Jam3’s Executive producer Michael Dobell explains how the team established an efficient workflow

Users were able to customise particles, physics and colours within the engine

We had to launch phase one (Countdown) only two weeks into the project, at the same time as ramping up to the actual event and developing phase three (the Gallery) – so there was not a lot of breathing room. We put the designers and developers into a single area, with a closed door, which kept them within shouting distance and removed other studio distractions. An unexpected side benefit was developers and designers ‘encountering’ each other’s prototypes and designs, causing many fruitful brainstorms.

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The project had a comparatively short duration of only six weeks. That encompassed three phases: countdown, live event and post event, the last of which is ongoing. Our strategy was to build a code-based tool to enable our creatives to design within a code-based environment and publish in real time. We had a team of 10, comprising five developers, two producers and three creatives. While we would usually start with design and then move on to development, on this occasion both had to begin at the same time. Our modellers used 3ds Max and Maya to generate models and texture them. Our built-in proprietary tool allowed artists to skin and modify models in the context of the website. Changes to materials and physics were done via our collaborative WYSIWYG tool written in JavaScript. One creative challenge was managing the style of design between three very different brands – each brand has their own design aesthetic and we had to strike a balance between all three. Another challenge was the amount of themes we needed to create. We wanted 30 to 40 different themes that could be played eight hours a day. There was constant tweaking of the theme colours and structures – the engine required us to import different models, and we were constantly readjusting so that the poly count was low enough for the models to be efficient and to maximise performance. Models, textures and physics presets were combined thematically in our real-time engine to create dozens

PROJECTS

MARCH 2014

Tomasz Dysinski Senior Developer, Jam3 Tomasz is a visual artist, animator, developer and technologist. A creative coding master, he created an in-browser tool to customise and live preview a WebGL playground where creatives are able to upload models, configure physics and layer effects to save JSON data used directly in production.

The final branded result, which connected users to the music festival using an interactive video player

of interactive themes. We went over the themes that emerged, optimising them, making creative adjustments and cutting them down to our final 30 themes. Every member of the team had access to a shared asset Dropbox and everybody was working on the same theme database. Our database had full revision history so there was no real harm in experimenting. Another challenge was adapting to the fluctuating concert schedule throughout the weekend. Using Google Calendar, spreadsheets and other Google apps, we built a schedule manager that enabled us to keep up with the broadcast editorial schedule, to ensure that the website and broadcast were always in sync.

Models, textures and physics presets were combined thematically in a real-time engine to create interactive themes

Conclusion The client was pleased and we were extremely satisfied with our work, so all round it was a pretty awesome job. We exceeded all expectations, especially considering the short timeline for the project. The themes and designs we created were so unique that it really kept the experience fresh and interesting. The tool we built for the project enabled changes to occur throughout, so the experience would feel completely different every half hour.

Lessons learned Senior developer Tomasz Dysinski shares what he took from the project

Users could customise their festival experience by using their mobile phone as a remote control

Think on an abstract level When dealing with dynamic visualisation, don’t waste time designing in Photoshop, as compositions might not translate to a code environment. Think on an abstract level and develop tools which allow designers to design within code.

Changes to the materials and physics could be made via Jam3’s collaborative tool

Mix creative and front end Include the artists early, and build tools that put as little space between creative and front end as possible. Artists seeing their work in context enables them to catch mistakes early on, at the design stage.

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Get cosy with other teams When working to short deadlines with a large team, close proximity seating is the most efficient way to do things. Our designers and developers were collaborating on this project on a daily basis.

PROJECTS

March 2014

Il l u s t r at or c c t o ol t ip s

make the most of the Touch type tool

Jo Gulliver Art editor, Computer Arts Jo is Computer Arts’ art editor. When she’s not designing the print and (award-winning) digital editions of the mag, she spends her time tracking down and commissioning work from top illustrators and art directing photoshoots with the biggest names in design.

Computer Arts’ very own Jo Gulliver reveals how to edit and manipulate live text on the fly, using Illustrator CC’s new Touch Type tool

1 First, find it

2 Moving and rotating

3 Scaling

4 Quick character changes

5 Selecting characters

6 On a path…

Roughly style up some text in Illustrator CC. Open the Touch Type tool, in the Tools panel under the Type tool or via the Character panel (Window>Type). With the tool selected, click on a character in your text frame and a bounding box will appear around that character. All of the corners will have a handle and there is an additional handle above the box, each of which has a different function for editing the character.

The Touch Type tool doesn’t enable you to make changes to multiple letters in one go, but that’s not a problem as you can easily use the Eyedropper tool to duplicate styles. Alternatively, you can cut and paste letters and the applied formatting will remain – then, because the text is live you can simply change the character. Another option is to create a character style that you can then apply to individual characters.

The bottom left handle is the move function. You can also move the character by clicking inside the bounding box. The character’s new position will be shown in blue with the original visible behind. Centrally above the bounding box is the rotate handle. Hover over this and a rotation icon will appear. Click-and-drag to rotate the character. Remember, as you move one character it will affect the position of the next.

You will find at times certain characters can be difficult to select with the Touch Type tool – especially when you have characters stacked or a mixture of different sized characters. A really simple way around this is to change the size of your text frame so you’re focusing just on the characters you need to work on at any one time. Alternatively, adding a soft-return might create the space you need. computerarts.creativeb loq.com - 94 -

The top-left handle controls the proportional scaling of your character. After you’ve dragged the handle and scaled your character, have a look in the Character panel. The percentage increase or decrease will be shown in the vertical and horizontal scale fields of the panel, and will be displayed by your cursor. The final two handles control the vertical (top left) and horizontal (bottom right) scaling.

Finally, you can use the Touch Type tool with type on a path. Draw a path with the Pen tool and add your text to it using the Type on a Path tool found under the Type tool in the Tools panel. To refine the look of the type, open the type on the Path Options panel found under Type>Type on a Path>Type on a Path Options. Here you will find a number of different effects options and positions for aligning your text.

NEXT MONTH

better self promo for less SPECIAL REPORT

Adrian Shaughnessy explores designers’ long-standing love affair with the music industry BR AND IMPACT AWARDS

We reveal the inspiring winners of our branding awards in a special extended supplement Plus: inspiring work, current issues and expert analysis from the global design scene

ON SALE 7 MAR com puterarts.creativeb loq.com - 95 -

N e ed t o k n ow

need to know

march 2014

Do you really need a Mac Pro? Kicking off a new series on key hardware, software and other tech for creative professionals, we explore whether Apple’s recently released flagship machine is worth its eye-watering price tag s 2013 drew to a close, our sister title MacFormat got a much-anticipated delivery: that brooding Vader-like cylinder that piqued the world’s interest back in October. The Mac Pro is unquestionably a beautiful machine, but the blow to the wallet would make any creative professional think twice. So putting the alluring black shell to one side for a moment, the question is: does your studio really need that much horsepower? Put simply, if you don’t work in 4K video or high-end 3D, you’ll struggle to make it break a sweat. Within that diminutive cylinder you get a multi-core processor and dual graphics cards as standard, neatly arranged around a central core that sucks out heat with the utmost efficiency. The good news for those of you who maintain compact, minimalist studios is that all this comes in a 25x17cm package, which operates almost silently.

A

To make the most of all that, you need software that knows exactly what to do. Unsurprisingly, Apple’s own Final Cut Pro X is neatly set-up to take full advantage. By drawing heavily on both graphics cards with comparatively light processor use, it enables you to comfortably edit and apply effects to multiple 4K resolution videos simultaneously, in real-time, without stuttering. The question is, how often do you need to flex that kind of creative muscle? If you’re a Creative Cloud user, the bad news is Premiere (currently) relies much more on processor power than Final Cut, so you won’t notice anywhere near the same level of difference compared to the previous iteration of the Mac Pro, when working on a super-demanding task like this. Don’t get us wrong – with up to 12 cores, that processor is still immensely powerful. But when you’re forking out that much cash, you deserve to see a game-changing difference.

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Mac Pro

march 2014

In a twist of genius, the Mac Pro’s superfast components are arranged in a circle around a central cooling chamber. Despite resembling a jet engine, it operates almost silently

Your perfect Mac Pro If you’ve made up your mind and have your credit card primed and ready, here’s how to assemble the ideal machine for your needs

Besides 4K, the other likely reason to consider an upgrade is if your studio produces a lot of demanding 3D rendering and animation. The bad news is there’s currently no software support for harnessing both graphics cards simultaneously in OSX – although you could always run Windows on your Mac Pro using Boot Camp. Of course, the likes of Autodesk and Maxon are likely to respond quickly to set the record straight. There’s no doubt that the Mac Pro can muster plenty of power out of the box, but should you feel the need to upgrade its RAM, at present you’re restricted to a maximum of 64GB by the number of slots – despite the fact that its predecessor supported up to 128GB. Restricted, that is, until 32GB RAM sticks are available, which is surely only a matter of time. So for creative tasks that lean heavily on the dual graphics cards, you’re laughing – it’s only extremely RAM-heavy processes such as working with gigantic,

multi-layered Photoshop files that could outflank this beast of a machine. You would have to be an extremely high-end Photoshop user, of course. Another big plus-point of the new Mac Pro is its blisteringly quick internal SSD drive, which again you’re most likely to notice when rendering huge 3D files or editing 4K video. Bear in mind that it only currently supports two particular 4K displays to their maximum potential, however – MacFormat’s extensive testing found that others work only at 30Hz, rather than the optimum 60Hz. These are teething problems that, once again, are likely to be fixed at a software level before long, but if you’re stumping up that much cash it’s all worth taking into account. So, does your studio need the new Mac Pro? The simple answer is: when this amount of money is involved, you need to consider the actual difference it will make to your day-to-day workflow. As we’ve set out here, 4K editing and high-end 3D are likely to be the main power-drains on your current machine if you’re even considering investing in one. Complex Photoshop work might be just as quick on a top-spec old Mac Pro, given the RAM limitations. As is often the case with next-gen hardware, software developers still need to catch up to avoid all those superpowers going to waste. Next month: We put the new MakerBot Mini through its paces and ask whether it’ll finally put 3D printing within the reach of even the smallest design studio

You have two off-the-shelf versions of the Mac Pro to choose from: the (ahem) ‘basic’ £2,499 ($2,999) model, and the more mid-range £3,299 ($3,999) model. But that’s only the beginning. Picking a processor is probably the trickiest bit. There are quad-core, six-core, eight-core and even 12-core options to choose from, but bear in mind that this will only benefit you for complex tasks that the software can split across multiple cores. Otherwise, it might actually be slower if it can only use one of them at a time. Our friends at MacFormat argue that six-core is a happy middle-ground for a modest £400 upgrade fee whereas eight-core will set you back £1,200 ($1,500) and for 12-core you can double that. You have three choices of graphics card and the nature of your work should help you choose. Highspec 3D effects and rendering will benefit from the mid-range D500 (6GB of VRAM) or top-end D700 (12GB), and it’s a better-value upgrade than the CPU in terms of the actual difference it makes. In terms of RAM and flash storage capacity, the mid-range model’s 16GB should handle most creative tasks with ease, but 4K video-editing and very complex Photoshop work will definitely benefit from more. Buying RAM from Apple is notoriously pricey, though, so if you’re comfortable installing it yourself it’s a cheaper option. The same is true of the SSD capacity: the 256GB starting point is very low for the kind of high-end, filesize-heavy work we’re discussing here, so shop around for Mac Pro-compatible third-party options, or just make use of one of the six Thunderbolt ports to hook up an external drive instead. If you have more money than sense, or just a morbid curiosity, the top-spec Mac Pro with 12-core processor, 64GB RAM, 1TB flash storage, dual D700 graphic cards and a 4K display (let’s assume you have a keyboard and mouse) will set you back a stomach-churning £11k ($13k).

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CR E AT I V E I N S P I R AT I ONS

MARCH 2014

Angelo Stitz

This graphic designer came up with an ingenious way to reinvent the Advent calendar hen asked by a friend to help create an Advent calendar, designer Angelo Stitz came up with a plan to streamline concept, by transforming numerals into graphic patterns to be printed onto wrapping paper for each day’s gift.

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What inspired this project? The main idea came from a colleague, who asked me to draw some figures for her Advent calendar. We thought, why not use numerals themselves to design wrapping paper for your Advent calendar gifts? This way you don’t need tiny boxes. How did you develop the designs? All the numerals were specially drawn for the paper, so that they are each shown off to their best advantage in the specific pattern. The idea was to create a journey through different typographic ages like classicism or baroque. I got inspiration from old specimen textbooks for pen and brush lettering like The Speedball Textbooks, and books like Meisterbuch der Schrift by Jan Tschichold. What was the most challenging aspect? I spent a lot of time designing the patterns for eight and 18. During the process I noticed that figures with closed shapes usually don’t fit very well in patterns. Open shapes are easier because the shape interacts more with its surrounding white space. The design doesn’t depend on legibility, but more on a harmonic interplay of patterns. The main object was to create an ornamental pattern, separate from the actual number. Which is your favourite design? The arrangement of numerals poses different challenges to usual typeface design. For example, the figure ‘1’ in number 14 has the same edge-gated shape as the diagonal corner of the ‘4’. That’s the reason why the design for number 14 is one of my favourites, because the numerals meld together perfectly to form a pattern. You don’t realise the number immediately, only at second appearance. And I love the 23, just because I like fat type which uses deep black printing ink. Angelo Stitz, graphic designer

Based in Germany, Angelo specialises in drawing and developing custom typefaces, designing books, logos and wordmarks. He has worked for FontFont and Gestalten Verlag, among others. www.metatype.de computerarts.creativeb loq.com - 98 -

Celloglas is the UK’s leading specialist in decorative print finishing. Decorative print finishes can be used to deliver innovation and added value, increase user interaction, demonstrate brand category leadership, enhance sensory experience and even stimulate debate in social media circles. Publishing / Packaging / Multimedia / Promotional / Greetings Ask us about: Silkscreen applications Gloss UV / Matt UV / Tinted UV Textured / Cellotex Water based varnish Pealescent Varnishes Re-moist Gumming Fragrance burst / scratch and sniff Thermochromic Ink / Rub and Reveal Photochromic / Light reactive Fluorescent Inks / Glow in the dark Silver and gold latex / Rub and remove Hi-build UV Glitter varnish

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