Table of contents for May 2016 in Computer Arts

The way in which we consume and connect with brands is evolving rapidly. It isn’t just to do with new technology and a rise in consumer touchpoints: social and cultural changes, too, present designers with a new set of challenges – and exciting opportunities. With this in mind, our special report on page 58 takes a close look at one of the most important touchpoints for many brands: packaging design. Pearlfisher’s Natalie Chung – who was foreman of D&AD’s 2015 Packaging Design jury – discusses the evolving role of packaging and predicts which trends will make the biggest impact creatively, culturally and commercially over the next 12 months. As Chung points out, brands across every sector now have to find new, creative ways to foster emotional relationships with consumers. That’s…

With his deeply personal debut book Champagne and Wax Crayons charting what happens when you try to make a living from your passion in the creative industries, art director Ben Tallon is perfectly placed to explain the importance of creativity. He has since run a charity campaign for CALM detailing creativity’s emotional benefits, and has now created originalthinking podcast Arrest All Mimics with the support of Illustration Ltd to share open conversations from the most interesting talent across the arts. Did Champagne and Wax Crayons prompt you to make Arrest All Mimics? CaWC was the result of the frustrations of freelancing. I would rant on a blog about the ‘reality’ of it all, then I got to write about a few highs. Surprisingly, people related to the subjects I covered…

ABOUT THE WRITER Naresh Ramchandani is co-founder and creative director of environmental charity Do The Green Thing and a partner at Pentagram in London. He spoke at this year’s Design Indaba. www.dothegreenthing.com THIS MONTH NARESH RAMCHANDANI CO-FOUNDER, DO THE GREEN THING www.dothegreenthing.com MARK BONNER CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR, GBH www.gbh.london ALEX DONNE-JOHNSON CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DAZZLE SHIP www.dazzleship.com REGULAR WRITERS ADRIAN SHAUGHNESSY DESIGNER & WRITER SABRINA SMELKO ILLUSTRATOR AND ART DIRECTOR CRAIG WARD DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR MARK BONNER CO-CREATIVE DIREC TOR, GBH BEN TALLON FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR LOUISE SLOPER HEAD OF DESIGN, CHI & PARTNERS In 2007, Andy Hobsbawm and I co-founded Do The Green Thing, a public service to inspire people to be greener in their everyday lives. We were roused by Al Gore and appalled that humanity seemed to walking blindfolded…

01 I t’sn ota boutt ryingt og raba ttentionw ithl ouderm essagesp romisingm ore and better. Designers need to cut through the crowd with clean, clear and concise packaging communication. 02 Knowy ouro wnm inda ndk nowy ourb rand– t ruec reativityc omesf romb eing fearless, original, diverse and determined in your vision. 03 Wen eedt ot hinka boutp ackagingd esigna st hea rtofd esire, a nds imple, straightforward and single-minded is often (surprisingly) the most desirable. 04 Don’tb ea fraidt od isruptt hen orm. D on’tg ivei nt ot hes tylea nde xpectation of others. Be bold and resolute in your design approach. 05 T hem oste xcitingp ackagingd esignfi ndsn ewa ndc reativew ayst od eliver something that will exceed the expectation of a unique experience time and…

1 Listen to the client “The first stage of the process is about listening. It’s a chance to use your empathy,” begins Tom Moloney. “Hear everything, understand the client’s ambitions and aims, and leave room for a bit of: ‘Forget everything you’ve told me. What does it make me feel?’” 2 Articulate your aims Once the client has explained its goals, come up with a logical series of steps leading to the achievement of those goals. “Try to match what they tell you they want – what they’re saying they’re trying to do – and articulate it into a programme of work,” says Moloney. 3 Roll in a hand grenade “We try and get creative work started soon, and roll hand grenades into the room,” says Dan Radley. “‘You’re a…

1 Coastal connection The client hadn’t quite settled on a name when we started the project. They were considering Francis (after Francis Drake), or Muir (after Muir Woods). Fort Point came up during the second meeting. It’s a historic site located close to the brewery. It’s iconic and ownable, and very San Francisco. 2 Architectural grid Very early on in the design process, we landed upon a simple, grid-based, modular illustration style inspired by the architecture of the Golden Gate Bridge – the arches and the trusses, which form these crosses and diagonals – and also Fort Point itself, with its many arches. 3 Graphic lines We also took inspiration from the mid-century designer Alexander Girard, and the German designer Otl Aicher and his series of posters for the town…

LET IT HAPPEN SOULWAX REMIX BY TAME IMPALA It’s difficult to remember exactly what was playing in the studio during the project, but a couple of songs are somewhat relevant, conceptually. This track, for example – psychedelic pop with a heavy dose of bass. EL ECTRIC COUNTERPOINT III FAST BY STEVE REICH Another track that springs to mind is this minimalist composition by American composer Steve Reich. It has repetitive melodic patterns within an underlying structure, pulsing rhythmically and harmoniously. SAN FRANCISCO BY FOXYGEN No explanation is needed. I don’t know what the song is about, but this catchy tune draws out a sense of 1960s nostalgia with a twist of quirkiness and humour. For example, “I left my love in San Francisco. That’s okay, I was bored anyway.”…

Due to the nature of the medium, it can be hard to be spontaneous in animation. That’s why I love short animated formats. My ideas usually come from the process of drawing. I generate ideas faster by sketching, and I can quickly transform mundane objects into fun visual metaphors or unusual animated choreographies. For example, in this project, I realised that the glasses could turn into a pair of windows or doors, or become a character. I spend a lot of time on design in my work process, and since I’m very picky about it, I tweak my illustrations a lot – the lines of the characters, the way the characters are positioned, the composition and the colours. In graphic design, you learn how to work with grids and make…

1 FREEDOM CAN OVERWHELM We were given so much freedom and space to create [while working on Tom Clancy’s The Division], it was kind of overwhelming. But once we’d realised how big an opportunity this was, we quickly formulated a plan to get the project over the line. 2 TIME ZONES ARE A CHALLENGE Our 22 artists were spread right across the world, Ubisoft Massive is based in Sweden, and we’re in Los Angeles. That meant there were a lot of time zones to consider, which made it tough to deliver under tight deadlines. 3 WORKING CULTURE IS DIFFERENT FOR GAMES Game companies work in different ways to other clients, but since completing this project I feel more knowledgeable about the ways they operate on all levels, including design. We…

SNAS K This issue’s cover was created by Snask, an internationally renowned agency that makes kickass branding, design and film. Based in Stockholm, they strive to challenge industry norms and promote unconventional ideas, charming smiles and real emotions. www.snask.com NATA LIE CHUNG Creative director at Pearlfisher, where she’s worked for 16 years, Natalie has actively developed an energetic and collaborative studio environment where imagination and bold ideas are encouraged to grow. Her report on what the future of packaging design looks like begins on page 58. www.pearlfisher.com AL EX TROCHUT Barcelona-born, Brooklynbased artist, graphic designer, illustrator and typographer Alex ranked fourth in our poll of the 20 most influential designers of the last 20 years. On page 98 he explains why creatives can be fluent in both art and design…

1 TOM EMIL OLSEN CEO, CREATIVE DIREC TOR AND FOUNDER, KIND www.kindnorway.com We always try to design packaging that’s a product of its own. When the packaging itself is something others will value as a piece of the product, that’s when you really have made the design sustainable. At Kind, we focus on creating sustainable solutions that bring added value for our clients. This is important both from an economic and an environmental perspective. If the sustainable solution reinforces the concept we want to emphasise, it’s an added benefit. 2 MAT BOGUST CARDBOARD ENGINEE R, THINK PACKAGING www.thinkpack.co.nz Be sustainable by putting the sexy back into packaging. With many sustainable materials now available, it’s easy to go green. But to stay truly sustainable, you must make packaging worthy of making.…

KIRST Y M INNS CREATIVE D IRECTOR, THE F UTURE LABORATORY Kirsty is a British designer with more than 10 years’ experience in product design, development, art direction and curation. She is a member of the D&AD Awards 2016 Branding Jury. www.kirstyminns.com KEVI N B RADY EXECUT IVE CREAT IVE DIRECTOR, D ROGA5 Kevin is executive creative director at global ad agency Droga5. He tries to create “honest unique work with a purpose” and is most proud of his work to promote milk, Honey Maid and Prudential. www.droga5.com ADRIAN BURTON EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, LAMBIE-NAIRN Since moving to Lambie-Nairn in 1997, Adrian has worked with clients including the BB C, FIFA , EA Games and Expedia. He is a member of the D&AD Awards 2016 Branding Jury. www.lambie-nairn.com ANDY P AYNE GLOBAL CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER,…

1. DEMOGRAPHICS NOT MINDSET “You see brands isolating groups of people based on a demographic, whereas actually a huge breadth of people now buy products based on mindset, cutting across all that,” says The Future Laboratory’s Kirsty Minns. 2. OVERUSE OF ‘HERITAGE’ Relying on a brand’s heritage is lazy, says Minns. “It’s better to find something that feels more truthful and appropriate. Being ‘authentic’ isn’t an excuse for not having original ideas.” 3. GLOBAL BLINKERS “[Despite branding being] so international these days, you always need to be aware of local sensitivities,” explains Studio Sutherl&’s Jim Sutherland. “A one-size-fits-all, global look means you’re not really understanding the people you’re talking to in those countries.” 4. BLAND BRANDS “There’s a lot more branding going on than there was perhaps five or ten…

NB STUDIO 11 NB is an award-winning branding and communication studio based in London, with a reputation for wit and stunning design work underpinned by sharp insight. Launched in 1997 by co-founders Alan Dye and Nick Finney, the studio took 11th place in our 2015 UK Studio Rankings. SS omething quite unexpected happened during Cape Town’s annual creative conference, Design Indaba, this spring. After a mid-morning break, the 1,500-strong audience took to their seats to watch Nick Finney and Alan Dye, co-founders of London-based design studio NB, talk through their work – and found themselves thrust into something else entirely: a play. A revolving floor transformed the stage into different environments, while two actors brought the script to life with some clever props and swift costume changes. Entitled ‘Turntables’, the…

1 Develop good working habits “We’re a small team and everyone’s getting pulled in a million different directions, so it’s important to have habits you repeat every week,” says Tom Moloney. “It’s easy to put [client acquisition] on the back burner whilst you’re busy, so get some good systems in place.” 2 Look at the clients you already have Building relationships with people is central, Moloney adds. “You get the most work from people you’re already working with, so spend time looking at businesses and trying to see where things might go. Make suggestions; help people with their jobs.” 3 Work your contacts Making good use of your contacts is vital for getting new business, adds Radley. “It’s having the discipline of a contact strategy: who do we know, who…

VICTORIAN FRONTAGE We wanted to take inspiration from local architecture so we initially explored San Francisco’s iconic Victorian houses – particularly the shapes of the roofs and gables. But we abandoned that approach. The Victorian house reference felt a bit trite, and it was too obvious. LURE OF THE SEA Initially we explored some simpler typographically led designs using centred typography and a small motif of the Fort Point lighthouse. However, the result wasn’t very inspiring and was quickly moving into nautical territory – something that we definitely wanted to avoid. COMPLEX CARTONS When designing the six-pack carton, our first instinct was to be different about everything, including the card structure. We looked at different materials and structures and made some prototypes, but we all agreed that the result was…

JULIA SAGAR ACTING CO-EDITOR Nick being on sabbatical meant Julia finally got to go to Design Indaba – hooray! She had a week’s adventure in Cape Town, met some brilliant designers and drank a lot of wine. A perfect trip. JIM THACKER AC TING CO-EDITOR Jim spent part of his last month on CA at the Museum of East Asian Art, looking at classic designs from thousands of years ago. Will anything from issue 252 be preserved in the year 5000? We can but dream. JO GULLIVER ART EDITOR This month, Jo helped out a friend in need of someone to dress as a bee for a fancy dress party (a surprisingly common problem). She also made a buzz with her bowling skills at a team evening out in Bristol.…

Babeth Lafon is a beauty/lifestyle illustrator based in Berlin. She illustrates monthly columns for Marie Claire and Annabelle, and just completed her second book for Bloomsbury UK. www.babethlafon.com CARVEN BAG My favourite bag in the world, designed by my best friend when he used to work for Carven. It’s based on a vintage bag we spotted together during one of his research trips in Berlin. WHITE TURTLE NECK This is my everyday top. I have several in different shapes and colours. I find it elegant, comfy to draw in for hours, and warm. All you need is a great pair of earrings to go with it! ACNE STUDIOS JENSEN BOOTS They make any outfit look instantly pulled-together and chic.…

MUSEO DE ARTE DEL BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA Cl. 11 #4-21, Bogotá www.banrepcultural.org There’s a beautiful colonial neighbourhood in Bogotá called La Candelaria, and one of my favourite places there is this museum. It hosts exhibitions from international artists and the building has beautiful surroundings. CINE TONALÁ Cra. 6 #35-37, Bogotá www.cinetonala.co Cine Tonalá is located in an old house at La Merced. It showcases independent national and international movies, and is a cosy place to go with friends, have a drink, watch a film or see some art. PIZZERIA MADRE Cl. 12 #583, Bogotá www.madre.la This rustic restaurant is hidden in a commercial area beneath emerald shops. There’s a big patio with a great food on offer, but the speciality is pizza made in a stone oven. SIMÓN BOLÍVAR…

99U 05-06 MAY New York, USA www.99u.com Ideas are the main focus at 99U, organised by the team behind Behance. Its packed programme of talks is action-oriented – designed to get you inspired, awake and engaged. Pick up your event badge a day early and enjoy a pre-party with fellow attendees before diving into two days of talks and interactive masterclasses. TYPO: BEYOND DES IGN 12-14 MAY Berlin, Germany www.typotalks.com/berlin This year’s TYPO focuses on graphic design as communication, planned responsibly with an eye to the future. What is the outlook for the field beyond cheap trends, outmoded forms and flash-in-thepan sensations? As you’d expect, there’s a focus on typography, but speakers also step back to look at design more broadly. HOW DESIGN LIVE 19-23 MAY Atlanta, USA www.howdesignlive.com How…

@CARLOSG_M Stop packaging stuff all together! Come up with innovative ways where nothing is wasted. @LUKASENGQVIST Actually much packaging saves waste. Much food is spoilt because lack of or badly designed packaging. @SAMUELBOOTHGD For the packaging product I’m working on, I’m aiming to produce something that can have other uses so it can be kept. @THINK_OF_DAN Packaging that is multifunctional is always a hit with me. @TRACESUTTON Good sustainable design is desirable, works effortlessly, and is simple. Less is more. @LUKASENGQVIST Designers must think of their role as a part of a whole. This means being humble and including logistics and production people. @TRACESUTTON Manufacturers must distinguish between home and industrially compostable materials.…

1. MEET PEOPLE HALFWAY “It’s important to be singled-minded. You need to have a point of view. You need to be brave and take a chance,” says Kevin Brady, executive creative director of Droga5. “But you also need to remember that consumers are lazy and they probably don’t care about your product or your message, so it’s important to make it easy for them and meet them halfway. Ask yourself what they are interested in. What will they want to share? Then try to keep it short.” 2. BE CHANNEL-AGNOSTIC “You should be able to talk about your brand in almost any channel,” says Richard Beer of Don’t Panic London. “For example, for a campaign for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Channel 4, we put yellow boards around London and…

AUTHOR NATALIE CHUNG Creative director at leading strategic creative and brand design agency Pearlfisher, Natalie Chung was foreman of the 2015 D&AD Awards Packaging Design Jury. www.pearlfisher.com Today’s world is all about making connections. Packaging design as an immediate and physical point of connection and a communicator of the big idea is more relevant than ever, particularly now we have a greater abundance of choice – and competition – than ever before. Overall, the design industry is rising to the challenges presented by this new landscape. Brands are definitely bolder and more forceful about where they belong in the marketplace and in consumers’ lives. They want to speak directly to people to foster a closer and more emotional relationship, and when it comes to packaging design, there is a definite…

GET PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY RIGHT Images are really important when selling on Etsy – or anywhere else online. It’s the only way your customers are able to see what you’re selling, so make sure your photos are clear, well-lit and appealing. In particular, make sure your backgrounds are plain and neutral – keep the focus on your products. USE SEARCH TERMS IN PRODUCT TITLES On Etsy, you need to provide each listing with a title. This is a great place to add keywords and search terms that your buyers will use to find your item. Some sellers mistake this as a place to title a work with a collection or item name – for example, calling a handbag ‘the Julia’ and leaving out important words that help search engines recognise the…

1 Involve the client early “When you’ve got a new client, it’s all about earning trust,” says NB co-founder Alan Dye. “We like to get clients on board very early on so they’re part of the creative process. You get a better result than you would just presenting a concept to them. It makes it their concept as well as your concept.” 2 Problem-solve together Throughout the project, work collaboratively through the issue, problem or question set out by the client. “We’ll start with a workshop, or several workshops,” says NB co-founder Nick Finney. “Whereas in the past we might have been able to sketch something and think, ‘It’s going to be that,’ nowadays, you have to keep an open mind and work with your client towards an end goal.”…

SKETCHES TO STORY BOARDS I have an A2 paper pad on my desk, and usually start projects by drawing a lot. That’s how I get my ideas. With this project, I took the best ideas from the sketches and put them together to make a storyboard. The process is a bit like a LEGO construction – you create idea blocks, then see how they would fit together. FAITHFUL ACCURACY At the beginning we had to render the Ray-Ban glasses in 3D because we needed them to always look exactly like the actual product, down to the little Ray-Ban logo. Michal Firkowski at Nexus Productions modelled the glasses, and we rendered them with cartoon shading to make them look hand-drawn. PALETTE PICKING A client will often dictate the colour palette, but…

Alex Trochut Barcelona-born, Brooklyn-based artist, graphic designer, illustrator and typographer Alex ranked fourth in our poll of the 20 most influential designers of the last 20 years. He’s won a devoted fan base thanks to his unique brand of illustrated typography and geometric flair. www.alextrochut.com Art and design are two different languages, argues Alex Trochut in the latest of our new series of articles exploring designers’ personal passions. Creatives can be fluent in both, but the most important factor is intent Like many creatives, I often find myself debating the perpetual question of whether design can be art. I’m going to use this opportunity to say that I don’t think that design is art. I see art and design as two different languages. However, I think designers can speak ‘art…