Table of contents for June 2015 in Computer Arts

Our cover stars Jake and Finn will need no introduction to many of you. Since its premiere on Cartoon Network in 2010, Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time has grown into something of a global cult, spawning a dizzying range of merchandise – and it’s largely down to its wonderfully surreal and utterly unmistakable cast of characters. The show’s award-winning character designer and storyboard artist Andy Ristaino is just one of the experts contributing to this month’s special report on page 44, which reveals the secrets of creating commercially successful characters. June is the peak of graduate show season, and for many design students that last-minute panic of getting a final show together will no doubt be setting in. Don’t worry, take a deep breath and soak up the wisdom of our…

Having found a shared passion after speaking together at Computer Arts’ very own Impact Conference last year, design industry veteran Glenn Tutssel and Taxi Studio’s Spencer Buck have now taken their collaboration to the next level. After his departure as co-founder and chairman of The Brand Union in November, Tutssel is now taking the reins as Taxi Studio’s executive creative director, alongside co-founders Buck and Ryan Wills. In this interview, Tutssel discusses what initially drew him to Taxi Studio, with Buck explaining how the award-winning creative’s decades of experience will help shape the studio’s future. Glenn, can you talk us through what your new role entails? GT: Working with the two creative partners and the team to add spark, and invigorate the creative work with a focus and freshness. What…

KEY INFO LOCATION Old Truman Brewery, London www.dandad.org WHEN 19–23 April 2015 KEY JURY FOREMEN Harriet Devoy (branding); Leigh Chandler (crafts for design); Eike König (graphic design); Matt Willey (magazine and newspaper design); Natalie Chung (packaging); Daljit Singh (digital design) On Sunday 19 April, over 200 of the world’s finest creative minds gathered at The Old Truman Brewery in East London to debate who should – and shouldn’t – receive a highly coveted Pencil at the 2015 D&AD Professional Awards. Judging week was different this year. Under the direction of President Mark Bonner, the organisation also staged a packed programme of talks and workshops, culminating in an exhibition of winning work on the final day. For anyone with an interest in design and advertising, it was a valuable event. So…

If you could give the next generation of creative trailblazers one skill to turbocharge their careers, what would it be? In June, thousands of students will graduate into the real world; a fastpaced, cross-disciplinary environment characterised by two certainties: rapid innovation and a volatile job market. For creative veteran Fred Deakin, that skill would be collaboration. In April, he led an intensive two-week workshop, Collabology, in which 20 University of the Arts London students, from a range of disciplines, worked together to conceive and deliver a cross-media project aimed at creating positive change in society. A further 24 students from Falmouth University and Manchester School of Art also participated in the initiative, linking remotely to the London hub – where they could participate in lectures and critical sessions – using…

1 DARREN DUBICKI DESIGNER & DIRECTOR, AARDMAN ANIMATIONS www.aardman.com “Many ingredients make a character memorable, but a strong sense of personality and emotional depth are integral to make them engaging. A drastic change in their behaviour can also be intriguing, as is an ability to surprise or shock the audience.” 2 SERGIO SALEH CREATIVE DIRECTOR, LUMBRE www.lumbre.tv “I feel the secret to memorable character design is conflict. There needs to be some sort of excitement in the broadest sense of the word that comes from a contradiction or conflict within the character. This can be generated from an internal source like their personality/motivation or from an external source. Loving monsters and childlike adults are examples. It’s exciting to watch animals behave like humans and vice versa. It’s interesting to see…

Create a set of rules. Define the graphical elements present in each character and apply this to developing a character family. Play with size and proportion to create different characters within this family. Try to incorporate a little experimentation into every project. Make everything you create personal, and you will naturally invest more in developing your skills at every opportunity. Observation is key. Be aware of your surroundings and watch how people interact with each other and how this affects things like body language and expression. Try to capture these things on paper when developing characters – it can lead to unique and unusual results. Don’t wait for your dream project to land at your feet. Create self-initiated work that crosses over between the stuff you really want to be…

GAVINLUCAS CO - FOUNDER, OUTLINE ARTISTS Writer and editor Gavin joined with Camilla Parsons to co-found Outline Editions in 2009. They launched Outline Artists, an illustration agency and consultancy, in 2013. www.outlineartists.com CHARLIE HOOD CO - FOUNDER, BEACH LONDON Charlie co-owns Beach London, a gallery, café and bookshop in London’s Shoreditch, exhibiting everything from vintage arcade machines to lapel pin badges. www.beach.london JON COCKLEY CO - FOUNDER, HANDSOME FRANK Jon formed boutique illustration agency Handsome Frank with his cousin Tom in 2010. They now work with 30 illustrators in five countries for clients such as Adobe and Vogue. www.handsomefrank.com SARAH MAYCOCK FREE LANCE ILLUSTRATOR After studying illustration and animation at Kingston University, Sarah landed a spot at Pick Me Up Selects in 2012, where she caught the attention of agency…

HATTIE NEWMAN, SET DESIGNER AND IMAGE MAKER “It was important to show real 3D models in my area because all of my images are photographs of 3D sets. I wish I had shown more models, as people responded really well to them and they help people understand how my 3D images are made. “My model house on stilts had an LED fire flickering inside but the battery ran out halfway through and it was difficult to change it. In hindsight, I should have had the LEDs connected to the mains. Make sure you plan ahead (I was in a rush to get my prints framed by the end) and keep framing simple and consistent.” www.hattienewman.co.uk MIKALA TAI, DIRECTOR OF SUPERGRAPH “We created a cardboard tepee to house our Design Tarot,…

PAULA SCHER Paula is an American graphic designer, painter and art educator in design, and the first female principal at Pentagram, which she joined in 1991. She has been at the forefront of graphic design for more than three decades. On page 76, she reveals the process behind her recent identity for The New School. www.pentagram.com VERONICA FUERTE After graduating in design and working in various design studios around Barcelona, Veronica founded Hey Studio in 2007, which has since won global acclaim thanks to its uplifting fusion of bold shapes, colours and characters. Check out our Hey Studio profile over on page 56 to learn more. www.heystudio.es GAVIN LUCAS Writer and editor Gavin joined with Camilla Parsons to co-found Outline Editions in 2009. They launched Outline Artists, an illustration agency…

MATT WILLEY NEW YORK TIMES Editorial design maestro Willey led a Magazine & Newspaper Design jury that included creative directors from Wired, Wallpaper* and It’s Nice That. LEIGH CHANDLER VAULT49 Heading up Crafts for Design, Chandler was assisted by illustrators, designers and typographers from Build, Making Pictures and more. EIKE KÖNIG HORT Graphic Design is one of the largest categories at D&AD, and foreman König was joined by the likes of Anagrama, Jack Renwick Studio and Mucho. DALJIT SINGH HAPPINESS As foreman of the Digital Design category, Singh oversaw a large and diverse panel that included R/GA, Google, ustwo and Dentsu Tokyo. JAMES BULL MOVING BRANDS Moving Brands cofounder Bull joined representatives from Apple, Landor, NB Studio and more to judge this year’s Branding category. WATCH HERE: www.bit.ly/ca241-dandad…

MAKING MUSIC MODERN: DESIGN FOR EAR AND EYE NOW - 01 NOVEMBER Museum of Modern Art, New York www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions Drawn from the MoMA’s archives, this exhibition collects designs for auditoriums, instruments, record sleeves, sheet music and animation from throughout the twentieth century. Celebrating the connection between design and the music industry, Making Music Modern examines how design shaped the ‘cool’ aesthetic of mid-century jazz and hi-fidelity culture, as well as its roll in counterculture music scenes from pop to punk. KERNING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TYPOGRAPHY 03-05 JUNE Faenza, Italy http://2015.kerning.it Italy’s first international conference dedicated to typography. For the first two days, expect a range of workshops and then unite for an all-day conference on 5 June with top-notch speakers from the world of digital and web typography including Indra…

Craig Oldham Designer and creative consultant, The Office Of Craig Oldham www.craigoldham.co.uk “It’s a good exercise for both the mind and money to take one element and see how far you can run with it. Taking a line for a walk as they say. And this installation is certainly that, manipulating the IKEA Lack table. Used for display, curation and navigation, it takes what is a modular element but makes it feel interesting, succeeding against the risk of monotony – and very well.” Tommy Taylor Graphic designer, Alpabetical www.alphabeticalstudio.com “The ‘Lack’ table is the equivalent of £5 per unit, so the exhibition system seems both economically resourceful and time efficient. “Extending the shelving framework to information panels is also really smart. Info panels are often a more recessive element of…

www.roccanals.com AT A GLANCE: HEY DATE FOUNDED: 2007 NUMBER OF STAFF: 5 LOCATION: Barcelona, Spain DISCIPLINES: Brand identity, editorial design and illustration FEATURED PROJECTS: San Miguel, ArtFad URL: www.heystudio.es Hey is an attitude, not just a particular style of design or illustration. The studio’s work transmits positivity that runs like a thread throughout its eye-catching portfolio. Specialising in brand identity, editorial design and illustration, its output is defined by clever use of geometry, together with clean typography and a lively colour palette, summed up by studio founder Verònica Fuerte as ‘works that transform ideas into communicative graphics’. Fuerte set up the studio in 2007 after several years spent as a post-graduate working for a variety of design studios in Barcelona. Within a year she was joined by fellow Elisava graduate…

1. EXHIBITION ESSENTIALS The first rule of take-aways: they’re not optional. “Don’t think for one minute that scribbling your mobile number on a napkin will do. It won’t,” warns Professor Lawrence Zeegan at the London College of Communication. 2. BOLD IMAGE “The simplest and best way: have an image on the front and your name, email and number on the back,” says Outline Artists’ Gavin Lucas. “Choose one of your boldest images. If a card just has some contact details, I end up trying to scribble down descriptions of the work on the back.” 3. accurate info Make sure you include all relevant contact details. Yes to your email, phone number, website and active blogs or social media accounts. No to misspelt links or tweet-less Twitter accounts. Get someone else…

During his second year studying graphic design and photography at Kingston University, Luke Evans received a life-changing email. It was from the Saatchi Gallery. The gallery manager saw his Forge series – miniature landscapes made from household objects – on It’s Nice That, and Evans believes his previous project, which involved swallowing camera film, also caught their attention. “People like to see a continuous production of work,” he says. They asked to see his portfolio. One problem: he didn’t have one. “It was around Christmas, a strange time for students as you’re partway through the year. I scrambled around ridiculously for the next few weeks.” The meeting was a success and Saatchi snapped up Forge for its New Order III: British Art Today exhibition. Evans also appeared in Pick Me…

TRIPPY BEGINNINGS When I started the artwork I listened to Travis Scott, a rap hip hop artist whose beats feel trippy. That’s why there’s so much colour and psychedelic elements in the artwork. I started with Illustrator and then switched to Photoshop, because it has effects that you can’t do in Illustrator, like adding textures. PSYCHEDELIC LANDSCAPE At first I created a face, then I built elements and shapes around it, to create a psychedelic landscape. At some point I got tired of the face, so I switched it for a Virgin Mary. I didn’t have much notice to create the artwork, so I did it in seven hours. I then had to send it to Converse and everyone had to approve it. WALL AMENDS After it had been approved,…

By law, employers must ensure that workplaces are safe. In low-risk workplaces such as agencies that’s largely open to interpretation – the law says your employer must do what’s ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure employee safety – but the Health and Safety Executive says that the employer must provide good ventilation, a reasonable working temperature, suitable lighting for the work being carried out and ‘suitable workstations and seating’. There are specific regulations about the use of computers and tablets under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Your employer must assess all workstations to ensure they meet the legal requirements, plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity, and provide eye testing and corrective glasses if necessary. The Working Time Directive limits the working week to 48…

NICK CARSON EDITOR After much toil and the occasional headache, Nick has finally sold his house. Other highlights this month included handling some newborn chicks at an Exeter farm and attending D&AD Judging Week in London. JO GULLIVER ART EDITOR Jo has been proving her worth on the court after team CA donned their shorts for some regular badminton. Over-arm returns at the net are her strongpoint, but her footwork has proven a bit of a banana skin. TIM HARDWICK OPERATIONS EDITOR Tim is preparing to say a sad farewell to the flat he’s called home for the last eight years. The clear-out of clutter and the search for new digs has already begun – a reminder that moving house can be so much fun! RICH CARTER DESIGNER With spring…

Jack Taylor is a London-based illustrator who uses carefully considered colours and composition to tell his stories. www.jack-taylor.co.uk FIELD NOTES I took these on a trip to America a few years back. They fit perfectly in your pocket so they’re great for impromptu drawing, and they look cool now they’re worn in. MAIDSTONE UNITE D SC ARF The only good thing about the winter in London is getting to wear this scarf and representing my home town’s team. PLAID SHIRT It’s important to me that my clothes are going to stand the test of time. I bought this shirt in Philly two years ago, I think the pattern is really interesting and it’s still standing strong.…

WHOSIT & WHATSIT 46 Sandhill whositandwhatsit.com Founded by Naomi Atkinson, W&W showcases independent designers from all over the world and ensures designers take 100 per cent of all sales. Furniture, clothing, prints, magazines, wallpaper – everything you see can be bought. Wares from AnyForty, Jessica Hische, Ugmonk and more abound. THE BALTIC Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road www.balticmill.com The Baltic is a vast old converted mill which is now one of the premium locations in the North for contemporary art and events. Much of the stuff they call ‘art’ doesn’t exactly float my boat, but there’s the occasional gem, the building is beautiful and the top floor has an incredible view of the Toon. CAPOLOGY 14 High Bridge Street www.capology.co.uk This is Newcastle’s premium streetwear stop-off; their selection of headwear…

ABOUT THE WRITER Sevra Davis is the manager of the RSA Student Design Awards. She has consulted on design education and social innovation for a variety of international government clients. sda.thersa.org Britain is excellent at design. From the Clifton Suspension Bridge to the internet, we’re exceptionally adept at creating new, top-end, creative stuff. The value of British design endures abroad too. Last year, the University of the Arts London attracted 7,700 international students. Celebrated British designers (such as Sir Jonathan Ive, Thomas Heatherwick and many more) and design agencies (including Pentagram, Wolff Olins and The Partners) shine bright on the world stage. Computer Arts’ list of the top 50 UK design agencies last year highlighted that 25 per cent of them have international offices. And yet I fear that, unless…

Putting an exhibition together can be a race against time, whether you’re polishing your final-year projects or juggling commercial commissions. For exhibitors preparing for this year’s Pick Me Up graphics festival, things got even more hectic when the venue was evacuated following an electrical fire at a nearby tube station and thousands of people had to leave the whole area. Pick Me Up opened on time in spite of the earlier disruption. Now into its sixth year, the festival regularly features the best emerging and established artists and designers. While most exhibitions aren’t hindered by electrical fires, there are still plenty of practicalities to consider. Get the basics covered and you’ll be better prepared to cope if something does go awry. From graduate shows to commercial galleries, the underlying principles…

1. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT You don’t work in a vacuum. People are going to look at what you do. Learning to navigate and negotiate that curation experience is crucial – it’s about understanding that touchpoint of engagement. 2. EMBRACE FAILURE A tutor’s advice is just that. You could grow more by not following advice and learning from a mistake. It’s fine if you try something that doesn’t work. Failure is a very important part of this process. 3. SHOWS AREN’T EXAMS A show and an exam are two different things. With a show, you won’t be doing the same introduction and explanation for every passer-by. It has a very different function. 4. POWERFUL PRESENCE Being by your work is a small sacrifice that makes a big difference. If someone wants to…

VIDEO CONTENT WATCH THE VIDEO AT BIT.LY/CA241-wolffolins OR IN OUR IPAD EDITION See page 42 WOLFF OLINS Wolff Olins is a global creative consultancy with offices in London, New York, Dubai and San Francisco. It acts as a creative partner for leaders who want to act on the opportunities that matter. Its clients are leaders in all categories including technology, culture and media. PROJECT FACTFILE BRIEF Some 20 years after creating the original branding for UK telecommunications provider Orange, Wolff Olins won the pitch to reinvent the brand once more. At the end of the two-year project, the agency faced a new challenge: to convey the new branding rules to Orange’s 170,000 employees in a straightforward, engaging way. AGENCY Wolff Olins www.wolffolins.com DESIGNER Gabriel Weichert STUDIO SKILLS • Simplify complex…

I start designing my artwork by freestyling. I use the 21-inch Wacom Cintiq tablet, connected to my Mac, and work in Illustrator and Photoshop, going back and forth between the two. I also scan in things that I draw by hand, just to mix it up and add another dimension and a new vibe. I can draw well, but I’m never sure that when I draw things I might mess it up; so I mainly do things digitally. Most of the time – when I work for Nike, for example – the client comes to me with a brief. They tell me what they want me to draw and usually give me a sketch of theirs. I then freestyle it in my own style. Typically, what inspires me the most…

1 PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE Don’t spend all your time just theorising about what something could look like, just get in there and try it out. For the pitch, we did a test to show the client how the ad would work. You don’t always have the time, but if you do, go for it. 2 PICK YOUR TEAM WISELY Make sure you set up a really great team. Then a lot of the elements you thought were going to be an issue are solved instantly. Putting care into who will work on a project, and what level of expertise they will bring right from the beginning, is crucial. 3 CULTIVATE A TEAM ETHIC A lot of animators, because of the nature of the form, are far more used to…

Griffin Elevator Stand If you’re a laptop user we’d strongly advise a stand when you’re in the office: it raises the screen to a level that won’t leave you with a sore neck and has the happy side-effect of keeping your hardware cool too. The Griffin costs around £27. Apple Watch Still trying to justify splashing out on Apple’s wearable? It can nag you to get up every hour, tracks the steps you take and stairs you climb, and can help you set, monitor and achieve your fitness targets. Plus, it looks nice. Standing desk If you’re convinced that a standing desk is a good idea but still like to sit from time to time, the adjustable Rebel Desk range supports a range of configurations including dual monitor setups and…