NB Studio

The Year Ahead
5 January 2012
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Here at NB we’re always looking forward, so it’s only natural that after wading through our inbox’s and putting up our new Stendig Vignelli calendar we started to chat about the year ahead for NB. We’re entering our 15^th year of business and it’s a big one – some exciting projects lined up for our much loved clients, new and old.

We’re not just thinking about ourselves though, that would be rude. What does 2012 have in store for the wider world of branding and communication? With the Olympic games on the horizon will consumers finally reach breaking point, a saturation level after the incessant bombardment of Olympic tie-ins and special editions of everything, endorsed or otherwise?

There will be life after The Games, but what will it look like? Mind you, by the time the last firework in the closing ceremony fizzles into the clouds most businesses will be preparing their Christmas salvo.

Before all that of course we’ve got the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – 60 years of HRH and surely a prime opportunity for retailers and businesses to capitalise on. Whether it will spawn the same slew of illustrations, knick-knacks and things of beauty and humour from the design community as last year’s royal wedding remains to be seen.

On the subject of retail, December’s Portas Review highlighted the problems facing the High Street and perhaps an insight into it’s future, to quote Mary Portas; ‘…those who see high streets purely as a commercial retail mix need to think again.’ Interesting. The High Street could become a cross between The Tate Modern and Argos, with a Starbucks, obviously.

Will 2012 be the year of a revolutionary new product like Graphene or Sugru that changes our lives? Will 3D TV really take off? Will we keep everything in a cloud? Will we pay for biscuits with our mobiles?

As usual, there are more questions than answers. We’re looking forward to asking some more and answering a few in 2012. We wish you all a prosperous new year.

1 Sketch, 70 Countries, Millions of Tins.
16 November 2011
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For my very first project at art school I went straight up the stairs to the Illustration department and asked a new friend to draw something for me. I had the idea, but he was the better artist, so we worked together and produced a stronger, better result – plus it was finished on time! From then on I never looked back…

Some people call it lazy, but I have always believed in working with talented people, whether they’re Illustrators, photographers, writers, branding consultants, signage experts or other graphic designers. Nick and I are firm believers in the collaborative process and realised at an early stage that clients love to be part of this process too. 

We love the process of commissioning someone new who is perfect for the project, and sitting down with them to sketch, debate and eliminate. Slowly you see an idea coming to life. The bottom line is that everyone gets better results.

It’s like being in a band. You need specialists. Lead guitar, drummer, violinist, whatever. People who play their instrument in a way that is unique to them. Arranged in order and layered and blended to create a sound that is greater than the sum of its parts.

We commissioned Dan Funderburgh, a New York artist, who we had previously worked with on Soho House to work with us on the latest Gift Tin from Chivas Regal. We knew he was an incredible technical artist who loved ideas and worked quickly, which was essential as the job had to be completed in a couple of weeks. 

Here are a few of his thoughts and developments that went into producing the gift tin. He took our idea and produced a sketch. This one sketch grew and developed into something that exists across millions of tins, sold in 70 different countries.

AD

The Aesthetics of Protest
7 November 2011
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Wandering aimlessly through the City to NB’s home on the Southbank you’d be hard pressed not to stumble across this news item: 

Protesters, tents, tourists, policemen, ecclesiasts camping outside St. Paul’s cathedral.

Many who visit are drawn to the walls and pillars around Paternoster Square, which are adorned (or plastered) with witty and/or vitriolic protest ephemera. A gallery of occupation works varying from the ‘well-designed’ to the ‘thrown together’ with gaffer tape and a marker pen.

It got us thinking about protest graphics. The good. The bad. The ugly. The just plain funny. They cover everything from the immediacy of spray paint and marker pens to the more considered design of The Occupied Times. As Creative Review put it; ‘…effective protest depends upon… the distribution of a clear message, so designers have a vital role to play in the process.’

The Creative Resistance Research Network even ran an event entitled ‘How to Draw Capitalism’ at the Finsbury Square occupation last week. The Free to Protest site which has been cropping up all over the internet in recent days, and is a good example of how designers are starting to find a way to influence and organise the graphic stylings of mass protest.  

Big corporations have recognised the importance of building a brand and staying ‘on message’ for decades, so perhaps this is just the protest movement starting to fight fire with fire. Is David starting to behave like Goliath? 

One of the most interesting things about the signs around St Paul’s is that they have formed the basis for a dialogue. People have disputed, supported and added to the messages on display to create something new - everyone bringing something special to the mix. We’re a bit less ‘organic’ (read: disorganised) in our collaboration, but the same spirit led to our (very civil) comments on global economic issues and government cuts in last couple of years. Take a look here (just don’t try to write over them with a magic marker!)