Tag Archives: Graphic design

Jack McKeon, Limerick School of Art and Design

23/09/2022

Jack McKeon’s portfolio is impressive in its breadth of media (packaging design, branding, illustration, animation) as well as its range of themes. At times, it’s commercially astute and slickly professional, at others, it’s using animation to explore ideas around community and societal division, or examining Irish cultural idiosyncrasies and the country’s deepening housing crisis.

Although his work started out with an illustrative bias, relying almost solely on imagemaking, his skill with typography emerged over time and is shown across a wealth of both speculative and real life projects, from soft drink branding, to a concept for a non-alcoholic events company, to theatre posters. The Project Arts Centre in Dublin recently commissioned McKeon to create a billboard reflecting on the current state of Ireland’s capital and what it means to those living there.

Morag Myerscough’s artwork in the sky

30/08/2022

Her colourful set of banners marks the first time the flags along London’s Oxford Street have been handed over to an artist.

The installation consists of 105 individual four-metre flags, which have been created using recycled marine plastics. Stretching from Tottenham Court Road on the east side of Oxford Street to Marble Arch in the west, the rows of overhanging flags reveal the message ‘Time for Clean Power’. It’s the first time the flags have been curated by an artist, and the first time they’ve been used to champion an environmental cause.

“My work is synonymous with bold colours and powerful positive messaging. It is so wonderful to see Europe’s busiest street filled with colour and hope,” Myerscough said of the project.

“With this work I wanted to put out an optimistic approach towards our future, if we work together we can help make the changes we need to happen. The oranges, greens and blues represent the sun, sea and air that we need to power ourselves to a renewable future.”

OpenWeb rebrand

15/03/2022

OpenWeb’s mission is to build an ‘open, healthier web’ by providing publishers with a framework for productive – and moderated – commenting and conversation. Or, as Collins describe it, to “de-troll digital discourse”.

The platform, which launched in 2012 and was previously known as Spot.IM, is used by the likes of Hearst, News Corp and Yahoo!

OpenWeb’s new identity is the latest example of a company to adopting a purposefully less ‘techy’ approach to branding – Mailchimp, which also worked with Collins in 2018, being another obvious example – signalling that branding’s reliance on the geometric sans serif might finally be tapering off.

United Nations issues a call to arms for creatives to help tackle coronavirus

06/04/2020

The brief, which is being managed by Talenthouse, calls on agencies, creative communities and individuals to come up with “iconic and visually arresting” content spanning illustration, audio, video and copy. The content can be related to any of the UN’s key messages around the actions that the public can take to help combat the virus, which include personal hygiene; physical distancing; knowing the symptoms; kindness contagion; myth busting and do more, donate.

“This is the first time that we are fighting a war where everyone is on the same side,” says Clare McKeeve, CEO of Talenthouse’s parent company, TLNT. “Looking back at how the famous Rosie the Riveter and Your Country Needs You posters galvanised the public into action during wartime, we believe the creative community can create today’s iconic posters, images and artwork to impact all communities across the world as part of this global mission to help save lives.”

DEA26A41-78BA-4DC9-9511-AD42A80DFCED Image by Kaiq

The open brief is running until 9 April, and submissions will be made available for local authorities, organisations, brands and the public to download from Talenthouse’s website. A panel of industry experts will also be selecting a number of winning submissions to be shared more widely across a range of media channels.

To read the full brief and submit your work, head here

31/01/2020

The exhibition, at the Crypt Gallery in Norwich, features the work of five design agencies – Spin, A Practice for Everyday Life, North, Muir McNeil and Graphic Thought Facility – that have each contributed a poster design for the show, as well as a piece of graphic design work that best illustrates each agency’s individual practice. The exhibition was organised by Andy Campbell of Norwich School.

Spin poster for Share

A Practice for Everyday Life poster for Share

North poster for Share

Muir McNeil poster for Share

Graphic Thought Facility poster for Share

Share is something of a rarity by placing graphic design in an exhibition format. While such shows do sometimes crop up at design-focused galleries, graphic design all too often only makes the walls of an exhibition space in the form of promotion or wayfinding. Campbell suggests that because graphic design is commonly set to a brief, it tends to remain framed within that context, rather than as a standalone piece of creative work.

However, he believes graphic design is worthy of an exhibition in how it slows it down and makes us look at the work with a different focus. “I think this is true of all the design-based subjects,” Campbell says. “Some work better than others in the exhibition format. [It] allows one to cherish the design of the work, in a way it takes the viewer closer to the creative part of the process, so they can take time looking at the use of colour, the feel and form of the typography, the format and the material, the things that the designers will have cared for and about.”

Jake Newbury

29/10/2019

Jake Newbury’s interests are broad, though it’s clear he’s naturally inclined towards underground scenes. Having recently graduated from the Design for Publishing course at Norwich University of the Arts – where he specialised in editorial design and illustration – the designer has created eye-catching spreads based on streetwear brands like Carhartt WIP and Stone Island, as well as experimental producer Aphex Twin.

Newbury’s penchant for distressed visuals comes through in these projects, but his wider portfolio demonstrates an eye for sleeker styles.

Just over 8 weeks to Christmas Eve!

25/10/2019

This year I’m bringing you 4 brand new Christmas cards designs. For only 60p each you can get any amount or combination. They’re only 75 cards of each design available, so get your while you can. Send me a message to get your today, postage is available but message for rate.

joy manger.jpg type santa.jpg merry CHRISTmas.jpg

Love is in the air

14/05/2019

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A set of vintage wedding invitations I designed last year.
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Flower colour was changed to suit colour scheme

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New Year, New Start!

02/01/2019

Are you thinking about setting up a business or going freelance? If the answer is yes then I can help your dream become reality.

“Don’t judge a business by its cover” however we all do. First impression can make or break the success of a business, I’m trained to help businesses make a great first impression.

I can create a business logo, business cards, flyers/leaflets, booklets, posters, signage, packaging labels, uniforms, vehicle signage, menus/price list, websites, social media accounts or any other written material you need.

You can hire me to do one or all of the above and you can continue to develop your business. Please PM me for a bespoke quote based on your needs.

Design Trends for 2019

28/12/2018

Now that 2019 is 4 days away, we are absolutely thrilled to find out if we’ll be witnessing a total apocalypse in the world of graphic design or everything will just stay the same old, same old. We are definitely seeing designers taking several directions. We’ve found out that…