27.4.09

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This is going to be short and sweet, I'm tired, it's late and I've got to be up early!

First up, I've been busy over the last week putting together a website for bicycle circumnavigation world record challenger Julian Emre Sayarer, it's just gone live this evening although it still has a few things to be added to it.



His bike ride essentially a protest against so many things in todays society which he feels are sliding away from us as individuals and losing their meaning. He has written a great manifesto on the site and if you have time please give it a read!



The visual style for the whole thing was influenced heavily by this quote (from creative review I think) describing last years climate camp visual identity by UHC.

"The crisp design produced by the Climate Camp is removed from the typical anarchist/Marxist/revolutionary visual codes of earlier activists movements. The Climate Camp’s graphic identity aims to be attractive to everyday people; it is accessible and asks everyone to participate. Gone are the stencilled or dirty grunge fonts that are identified with your counter-cultures. In an era when our rebellion has been sold back to us for so long that the aesthetics of rebellion are virtually meaningless, the Climate Camp has avoided positioning itself with any of the counter-culture based identity politics of earlier activists movements that could never escape the anarchist ghetto. So far, the camp has stayed clear of old ideology-based rhetoric and imagery, but is a constant battle to maintain a fresh perspective and communications strategy."



ThisIsNotForCharity

In other news I've also been developing the visual identity for the Leeds College of art end of year show. Here's a sneaky glimpse at a print ad for Kult Magazine. Also working on adverts for creative review, freize magazine as well as VIP invites, posters, on site signage, window graphics and exhibition guides. More soon!



I've also been playing with my camera a little bit which has been a fun break from working.



Took this snap of a squirrel outside my house eating a chicken leg, my first official steps into wildlife photography!

It also earned photo of the day over on the DIG Magazine website, ace!



I also took this a few weeks back during the WWF (wildlife not wrestling) earth hour.



I think that about does it, I'm off to bed!

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Merlin x

The Rozza's!

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The police have been in the news quite a lot this week in regards to their reaction to the G20 protests in London. Beating the general public simply because they disagree with the government is a touch heavy handed, and about as unforgivable as the shoddy design work they've been pumping out!

This is the poster in question, it is a national campaign commissioned by the Home Office.



Firstly, the law changed quite significantly back in 1994 and this version of rights is 15 years out of date. More importantly though, the typographic hierarchy completely changes the message; it creates a lack of clarity that suggests the mumbling of somebody's rights and potentially gives the impression that the police are misleading people. It could also be seen as threatening, the police at the best of times are seen as a bit imposing, and a poster that suggests it's arresting you (badly) doesn't really help their public relations. More importantly the actual message that they want to talk to the community is completely lost while you try to work out what the hell is going on for the 2 seconds that it has your attention.

This one was positioned on a main road and would mainly be seen by passing traffic.



Even at this distance any hope of getting the message is lost.

The format of the poster is fairly well known and originates from this second world war poster.



The difference between the two posters is the original poster is a simple straight forward message, not a poor piece of copy writing that requires reading the small print to make sense. Secondly the small 'and' on the original is an unnecessary part of the message, if read from a distance it still makes sense.

This was parodied quite nicely recently by Howies, and again, the small part of the type is unessential to the message.



Another poster in the same police series, again with the same problem.



Oh well, I graduate in a few months and have the joy of council tax to look forward to again, hopefully mine will be spent on something a bit more constructive.

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Merlin x