Month: March 2018

Offset 2018 – 5 reasons to attend a design conference

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In 2009 Dublin opened it’s doors to a new and exciting conference for design creatives. Starting out in the Liberty Hall, with 411 seats to fill, the Offset festival has significantly grown. The conference now takes over the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre for one weekend every year. Filling around 2,500 seats, two stages, workshops and activities, making Offset one of the world’s most inspirational, educational and vocational conferences for the design and creative industries. A weekend we would suggest – not to be missed. 

Each year the studio makes the best efforts to get down to the festival. This year was no exception. Here is why we find Offset to be such a beneficial part of a designers calendar.

1. To Learn

In the design industry, we believe that we are learning every day. This is true. However, to hear from the leading creatives in the industry, you are likely to learn a little more than the average day at the studio. From the first talk of the weekend, we are gathering information and not always from the particular field that we work in. We can learn from the thought processes of any creative, illustrators, fashion designers or even photographers. Offset provides a range of workshops, this year they were run by Facebook’s Creative Shop. Workshops are run at a much smaller scale and provide a more personal learning experience. We attended a workshop ‘Create Fast’. Showing how the industry leaders advertise and how anyone can apply their techniques to a scale that suits best. 

2. To get the Inspirational Hit

The weekend at Offset flies in every year, but what is evident is the boost and lift you feel after the conference. It could be down to a range of things. The dance moves thrown at the delegate party, the work shown on anything other than a Pinterest board or maybe the array of talent displayed by creatives. Designers that started off just like us. The conference is a constant reminder with every talk that ordinary talented people are creating the work we look up to and aspire to. A lot of the talks, give us a personal insight into the speaker’s journey taken, to where they are now. Then the background to some of their projects, reviewing what they have learned along the way. Adam Brimm from Adam & Eve/ DDB highlighted that the smallest and most random of ideas can turn into some of the most effective advertisements. Then, on the other hand, Frith Kerr discussed how all of her projects stem from one Truth, every project develops from one simple truth. Both small tips that can go a long way and can be forgotten or overlooked in our usual routine. 

3. To be Surrounded by Your People

Offset has grown a lot over the years, it still fascinates us just how many creatives we are surrounded by at the conference, speakers and audience members. The conference is a friendly reminder and celebration of the size of the creative industry. There is something to be said about a 2,500 person group of people that can empathise exactly with you. After a stressful or successful week in the studio, there will be at least one speaker that you can identify with from your own experiences. This year Irish design studio Red Dog discussed their 25 years in business, their ups and downs, many of which we could feel exactly, and provided us all with a good laugh along the way. 

4. To Treat Yourself

Maybe not the most important reason to attend a conference, but let’s not forget the goodies. The drinks, the food, the prints. What’s even better at offset all the treats and freebies look great.

5. To Appreciate the Industry

65% of Offset attendees are professionals working in the industry. Like many others, our studio is a happy, creative and very busy one. As creatives, we can often forget to appreciate what we do, forget to enjoy our work and appreciate that we are getting paid to do what we love. Taking a break from the computer screen, the meeting room, the studio and getting out of town to celebrate the industry and the people we work with is exactly what we would recommend. Hearing everyone’s stories and remembering your own, catching up with friends at one of the after parties and meeting people with jobs you would never have imagined helps remind us to appreciate this exciting industry we are in.

Whether it be Offset, or any other design festival or conference, we would suggest making the effort to attend. We are back to the studio with a spring in our step, a drive to do more and lots of prints that will need framing. 

Poppogoblin

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Poppogoblin are a healthy focussed café/juice bar situated on Alfred St, Belfast. They have garnered a reputation for fantastic, delicious healthy alternatives for lunch and for having warm friendly staff that make the entire experience with Poppogoblin one to remember. The owners approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to re-position the branding for plans to refresh the business alongside an interior fit out and a unique Poppogoblin juice range. The businesses reputation an integral part of their offering, which became apparent in our own research into customer, reviews on trip advisor and the broad social media landscape. One thing that was reoccurring was the focus on how the customers where blown away by how friendly and lovely the staff were in Poppogoblin, which immediately set them apart from competitors and highlights their brand purpose. With the brand purpose in mind we made sure to include hints to the unique offering in their brand identity, narrative and tone of voice.

The brand mark itself reveals a smile in the typography, which is paired alongside a re-draw of their infamous lotus flower. The ‘smile’ in the typography immediately triggers a sense of positivity and the experience that Poppogoblin offers as a destination – you’re going to leave smiling. To balance the re-enforce the logo mark we introduced the strapline ‘eat smart, smile more’ – a strapline that sets the tone for the entire re-brand. You can now see as the brand launches in their signage, on their menus and even on their newly launched food truck – ‘eat smart, smile more’ is as dominant in the design as the logo itself, highlighting the power language can play on your brand.

Colour choice was a delight for Poppogoblin, healthy modern pastels we’ll call them help extend the brand reach to the modern diner without isolated a particular gender or mind-set. You can dine in Poppogoblin if you are vegan, veggie, and carnivore – any palette really so we kept the colour scheme open and friendly as to represent the brand purpose fully. Photography plays a role in telling the brand story of Poppogoblin to which we called upon one of our favourite Architectural, interior and food photographers Donal McCann. Donal’s shots extend the brand direction fantastically, capturing the warmth and friendly atmosphere as well as the beautiful food and drinks on offer.

Brand launch began some months ago in the background of the shop façade. Behind the scenes our team were building the full responsive website for Poppogoblin as well as preparing the social media channels for launch. The website utilises Donal McCann’s photo-shoot alongside beautiful typography, layout and brand placement. The full screen imagery on the site play a hug roll in telling the brand story and giving you a taste of the Poppogoblin experience on your desktop, on your mobile, anywhere really. We ensured that the brand roll out kept on track with the vision from the branding exercise. This extended into quality control with signage companies, interior fit out teams, vehicle wrap companies and juice bottle label manufacturers. We always like to keep a close eye on things as roll out happens, acting as full brand guardians as a brand starts to launch. This process and relationship with a brand extends our reach and expertise in the branding process and ensures that your investment in the brand is realised and achieved correctly as agreed.

Poppogoblin is a fantastic case study for us a brand designers, the brand itself highlights how every aspect of your brand can be considered for maximum purpose. The Poppogoblin brand identity, language and brand guidelines are all set in place for a bright future.

Meet our evolutionaries – Ciara

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1. What has working in Kaizen Brand Evolution taught you about the design industry?

Other than all the practical do’s and don’ts, form and function.  Working in Kaizen Brand Evolution has taught me a lot about the customer focus, everyone has a different eye, therefor, see’s things differently, something you have to always keep in mind.

2. Desert Island Design Studio, which typeface would you bring with you?

Brandon Grotesque is hot. It would totally be my sidekick. So versatile, friendly, strong…

3. What do you use for motivation inside the studio? 

I find working in a studio with a group of talented designers motivational. I can look around the room at any time and be impressed, interested and motivated by all the amazing work going on around me. That and some heavy tunes.

4. Any designers you have been stalking online recently?

I am always stalking every designer. Recently I have been obsessing over Young Jerks. I’d recommend anyone to check out their work.

5. What are you listening to in work today?

I hate to admit it, but DJ Ryan Stanfield has usually got the best mix on. If I need to focus, I will usually listen to some small angsty band or Little Mix.

6. Any exhibitions in Belfast recently that are worth checking out? 

I am so proud of Belfast and how well the creative scene has blossomed the last few years, there is a beautiful new mural every few months. The Black box puts on a walking tour and exhibition of Belfast street art, I’d love to go.

7. What’s your pet called? Tell us about them.

My favourite thing in the world is my cat Kitty. She is small, black, and very noisy. She always has her tongue out, unless she is drinking milk or giving kisses.

ISTD 2018

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Founded in 1928 by Vincent Steer, ISTD has pioneering roots. From as early as 1911 Steer described himself as an ‘advertising typographer’ on his business card. His background in printing had given him the opportunity to observe the trade in America, and he astutely recognised the need for creative typographer’s skill in a world where most ‘design’ was carried out through compositors’ layouts. He determined to develop the profession of typography in the UK and, to that end, brought together six other like-minded colleagues, for the first meeting of the British Typographers Guild, held at an Italian restaurant in Holborn London.

A new host for the 2018 ISTD assessments, which took place in the glorious Dublin Institute of Design – the longest established specialised design private third level college in the Republic of Ireland. There were 68 Irish ISTD entrants this year, with an incredible standard of work. The level of dedication from the students on reaching the submission is incredible and inspiring. The work this year raised the bar for Irish typographic design, the ideas, concepts and typographic craft proves the future of design in Ireland is bright.

ISTD board member Jonathan Doney FISTD joined the 2018 Irish Assessment. Jonathan Doney is an award winning book designer and educator; Jonathan was ISTD Education officer from 1995-2002 when he initiated the international development of the Student Assessment Scheme. He was ISTD Chair from 1004-2009 before taking up the role again in 2016. Jonathan is hugely passionate about typography – something which he hopes rubs off on to other people.

I was paired with Peter Maybury for the day’s assessments. Peter works as an artist, graphic designer, musician and educator. With formal training in visual communications in Dublin and London, his practice-based research has expanded to encompass design for print and screen, wayfinding systems, film, sound, artworks for exhibition, and curation. With a track record from more than 20 years working to the highest degree of excellence in visual communication and design for print and screen, his broad experience has developed into extensive knowledge taking in all aspects of design, editorial, pre-press and printing. It was great to get to know and work with Peter during the assessments; we found common ground in design, type and notably music – which made the assessments even more enjoyable. Also worth noting Peter’s former St Martin’s educator Jonathan Barnbrook, who made just as many appearances in the students research as Peter’s work did – fantastic for his ego – only joking!

Peter and I assessed nine submissions from the whole of Ireland with a fantastic range of typographic design, sparking debate and intrigue. Membership to the society is a fantastic achievement for any student in their final year of University and we had the pleasure of awarding membership to some outstanding submissions. The effort and dedication of the students was incredible, from the research to the final piece we assessed some beautifully finished books, abstract printed pieces, exhibition pieces, immersive and ambient projects. It’s incredibly exciting opening a students submission for the first time and finding out how they go to their final piece, going on the journey with them is as rewarding as examining the finer details in the end product.

As usual the hospitality and craic was excellent, meeting old friends and new, catching up and reviewing some excellent work. The location of the Dublin Institute of Design was perfect for a lunchtime stroll to view the Book of Kells at Trinity College and see the hoards of Rugby fans and tourists around the streets of Dublin. My fourth year running as an ISTD Assessor and I look forward to many more, especially with the 100th birthday looming. Long may it continue.