Open wide...

Market day

I bobbed into Roast this morning for the launch of this 68 page book that I've designed for Borough Market. The content includes the fascinating history of London's oldest food market, interviews with traders and retailers and a look at what the future holds for Borough. The lovely landscape illustration of the market by Karen Neale, great portrait photography by Dominik Gigler and the reassuring print expertise of Tom at Square all helped make for a very happy client.

FRANK experience

I recently returned from an inspiring two week trip to India with charity and pro bono client FRANK Water Projects. We visited some of the sustainable clean water facilities that FRANK have helped install with the Indian NGO Naandi and also saw two villages in need of clean drinking water that have been earmarked for FRANK funded facilities. FRANK began as a social enterprise donating all profits from the sale of FRANK Water (their ethical brand of bottled spring water) to help build sustainable clean water facilities around the world. They have since set up a charity to maximise their donations and now also raise funds by selling water coolers and tap filtering systems, sponsoring marathons and organising their own 'Thirsty Expeditions'. Lots of pictures from the trip here.

Signs of depression #2

Suit yourself.

Seesaw jaw-jaw

I love this idea by Swedish designer Martin Nicolausson. A seesaw bench to encourage interaction and conversation in public spaces.

Via It's Nice That

You beauty...

Since moving studios last year I've been cycling past this great mosaic on my way to work each day. I'd assumed it was part of the old public baths building that it adorns but after a bit of a rummage on t'internet I discovered that it has a much more interesting history...

The Camberwell Beauty butterfly once thrived in the area and was first caught in the UK on Coldharbour Lane in 1748. (Haven't seen many down there recently. Seen a few Camberwell carrots though...)

This mosaic Camberwell Beauty is a version of the logo adopted by Samuel Jones and Co a Victorian gummed paper manufacturer based in Peckham. It was apparently chosen to demonstrate the range of colours that their 'Butterfly Brand' papers could achieve. Samuel Jones and Co made the gum for British postage stamps in the 1920s and in the 60's, produced the first self-adhesive labels in the UK.

This mosaic was originally on the front of their factory in Peckham and was moved to its current location when the factory was demolished in 1982.

Wrington Greens, an organic market garden in Somerset briefed me a while back to create the identity and packaging for their new 'Wrington Press' hand pressed drinks range. I've just received these test prints in time for the launch this weekend at Bristol Organic Festival.

The aim was to express their handcrafted, traditional approach by screen printing a two-colour design onto kraft paper. Printing opaque inks onto kraft labels proved tricky but in the end Anglia Labels solved it using their digital(!) Indigo press and achieved a great result.

Just received these discs and sleeves that I designed for Borough Market a few months back. Inspired by the flexo printed boxes knocking around at the end of market day, the branded sleeve is printed single colour onto unsealed board with six different disc designs to help hint at the variety of produce on offer at Borough Market. I originally winced when asked to add a white-out block to the discs to allow for the contents to be written, but thankfully managed to turn it into a positive addition...

Anarchy, Regents Park

Air bear

Fantastic. Watch the video. By New York artist Joshua Allen Harris.

Derek Stroup

US artist Derek Stroup produces really interesting work. His Candy project helps reinforce how substrates, colour and shape can all contribute to a brand's visual identity as much as the logo does. He has used American snacks but some are international - see how many you can recognise...

Signs of depression

Saw a very sad looking road sign in Putney this week. I guess if you spend your entire life saying 'no' to people you'll end up feeling pretty miserable.

Because she's worth it...

Andre, Putney.

I spotted these recently fly-posted Andre The Giant posters on Putney Bridge Road this week. Shepard Fairey's Andre is nearly twenty years old now and still going strong. Download and print your own at obeygiant.com. Fairey's recent Barack Obama poster is worth a look too.

Urban elephant, Herne Hill.

New ID for SPOV

Multi-talented motion graphics company SPOV have just updated their online showreel with the new identity that I designed for them last year...

Type hero

I've recently had the pleasure of working with letterpress printmaker extraordinaire and thoroughly nice chap, Alan Kitching. I was lucky enough to visit Alan's workshop, where racks of lovely wood and metal letterpress type surround working presses, and see his studio full of original prints. We've been working on some 48 sheet posters for Borough Market - results above.

Thought provoking poster by Timm Kekeritz

Virtual Water - a double-sided poster visualizing the water footprint of products and nations found on excellent design blog The Serif

LogoLounge Volume 4

The latest LogoLounge book has just been published by Rotovision and, hurrah, I've had a couple of logos chosen for inclusion by a star-studded panel of judges:

"The judging for LogoLounge Volume 4, has been completed. We are excited with the exceptional quality level of work selected for this fourth volume.

We are also very pleased to inform you that your work has been chosen for inclusion in the new book by an international panel of judges, including Louis Lygo of Wolff Olins, Jerry Kuyper of Jerry Kuyper Partners, Jason Schulte of Jason Schulte Design, Gaby de Abreu of Switch Branding & Design, Haley Johnson of Haley Johnson Design, Neville Brody of Research Studios, Janet Martin of Communication Arts, Inc., and Chris Campbell of Interbrand."

Autographed copies available on request.

Check out www.logolounge.com for an ever-growing collection of identities from around the globe.

Hot off the press

Just received this test print of a die-cut tie pack. The pack is part of an ongoing re-branding project for corporate clothing and workwear specialists Mathias.