Stuck on You

Just a quick post showcasing a couple of new wine labels designs from the studio. Two for Langdon, a label destined for the Chinese market, featuring foiling and a tinted highbuild varnish for some understated opulence. The second was a label for Good Templar – The Shield – another Marlborough wine that will be enjoyed by The UK market. The tinted highbuild makes another appearance on the horse and its passengers within the grape vine roundel. Both great efforts by the team at Rapid Labels – thanks to print consultant Stephen and the guys on the press for doing the business once again.

Silver foil for the Pinot Gris

Gold foil for the Merlot

Good Templar Pinot Noir

Some recent work…

True to my word, and for no reason in particular, here is some recent work that has made it out into the public eye.

The first is a series of photos that show the new signage for the recently rebranded Blenheim Testing Station – a facility that tests and certifies vehicles for their road worthiness. They had no real existing brand and were needing to introduce a more cohesive, professional public persona that accurately reflected the level of expertise and service that they offer – and have been offering Blenheim drivers for decades. A strong colour palette, teamed with bold, modern typography and a typographically based icon made for a striking new look that has been catching the eye and garnering positive comments from the locals. As part of the rebranding exercise, a tagline was introduced “you’re good to go” – which both conveyed the desired end result of a visit to BTS and succinctly reaffirmed drivers for their choice in using BTS. The team at BB Signs made a terrific job of the signage and install at following the proposed signage plan, while the team at BTS made it all possible by embracing the radical change so wholeheartedly. The biggest job was no doubt the enormous repaint of the once beige exterior to the bright, fresh ‘good to go’ green – something I unreservedly take my hat off to Neil and his crew for. It’s always nice to see your concept carried out with no reservations.

A Perfect Promo

Those of you familiar with Lloyd’s Graphic Design will know that each Christmas is the time of our annual end of year promotion. It’s a time when I am able to explore some of my very own ideas to no other end other than to create something memorable and sometimes functional. Our 2010 giveaway took the form of a simple card game that revolved around logos designed throughout the year by Lloyd’s Graphic Design. A simple child’s game of matching logo pairs was the main project; a set of two colour cards enclosed within a custom designed and printed case made from Kraft board. The resulting game and an accompanying booklet were enclosed within a calico bag tied with matching ribbon. In addition, the cards carried two more tiers of games for recipients – one being a font matching level in one corner, and in another corner, silhouettes of various bugs for an entomological matching game.

Of course the timeframe was excruciatingly tight and the pressure to perform was entirely self inflicted, but we made it in the end with little time to spare. And the end result was certainly worth the effort. Below are posted some images of the final game. We printed two versions – one green and black and the other orange and black. We have a heap left over to make up and give away… when I find the time!

It's an open and shut case.

Saatchi and Saatchi on a Budget

Been a long time between innings – I know, I know… but seriously, who’s interested in what I have to say anyway? It’s not that I have nothing to show and tell, in fact quite the opposite. I’ve seriously just been far too busy to even think about blogging. What with house renovations, growing family and more work than you can poke a sharp stick at, the idea of posting my latest work and inane ramblings has not made it on to my to do list for quite some time. But better late than never as they say… although my son likes to add… ‘but better never late’. Who knows, I might post a few images of the house reno in progress and final result if you’re lucky. There will definitely be some of my latest work being posted sometime soon too.

Today I was presenting some new branding concepts to a large group for their organisation. In light of the fiscally difficult times we find ourselves in the group was comforted with the fact that this was not Saatchi and Saatchi but a local designer who has helped create a new brand to see the organisation into the next decade. Kind of  ’Saatchi on a budget’ I began my presentation with… or a budget Saatchi. Or to put it in an abbreviated term… a Budgie.Which I actually kinda like. And if I ever rebrand, that would be a pretty cool name to hang the business hat on.

Anyway, the out tray has not been helped at all with this little diversion so I better get some paying work done and I’ll see what I can do about posting some of my favourite work from the past few months soon.

First Impressions Count

Sometimes the opportunity comes along to be involved in some memorable work – but often it’s not without the benefit of hindsight that you are able to see just how special that work is. Such is the case with the new Virginie Cuvee packaging for No1 Family Estate right here in Marlborough.

Living in New Zealand’s largest wine producing region, it’s hard not be involved to some degree or another in the wine industry or related fields – even for a hardened teetotaller like me. In fact, label design and associated branding and packaging for small to medium sized wineries has become a large portion of the work undertaken here at Lloyds Graphic Design. One recent project was for the new Virginie Cuvee for No1 Family Estate. Like most design projects, the work began with an initial briefing with Adele Le Brun and Heidi Bulfin from No 1 – which, like most projects for No1 was an open creative brief with style, sophistication and quality being the theme. Adele and Heidi are great to work with – they know exactly what they like, but they also appreciate the importance of letting creativity have free reign if the best solution is to be arrived at. From the first meeting a few concepts were presented with a couple of rounds of revisions and tweaks until the final label was settled upon. The final label was expertly printed by Rapid Labels and included an intricate die line, gold foil and a highbuild varnish on textured stock.

From there, the project expanded into the need for a very special presentation box in which to showcase this premium quality vintage. Our ever-obliging packaging contact went about producing a superb single bottle display box from the artwork conceptualised and completed here at LGD to tie in seamlessly with the unique label design. The result was outstanding and has met with much critical acclaim within the industry both here and internationally – as seen on the site http://www.boutiquewines.com.au/  Look under the Excellence in Packaging link.

Below are some images of the new packaging, released late 2010.

So You Think You’re a Designer with Only This Miserable Blog as Your Sole Online Presence?

It may seem more than a little odd for a person who calls himself a visual communicator in this day and age, to have no more than this cursory, non-flash, ultra bargain basement set up as his online shop window. Well, you’d get no argument from me… odd it is. Seems every man and his dog has got their own e-commerce site these days, and many of the dogs make for more interesting subjects than me. Not that I’m trying to make excuses – not at all. In fact, I’m kinda quietly pleased with myself, in a self-effacing way, that I have managed to maintain the last shreds of ludite-ness in this highly digitised life, refusing to bow to the expectation that as a designer you MUST have a website. My clients all have one, their children have them, my elderly relatives have them, even our gold fish have one – but not me. I stand apart, with no ‘www’ to plaster all over the place, no hyperlink to my latest work, no desperate ‘Follow me on Facebook and Twitter’ pleas. Just this bog standard, run-of-the-mill, nothing-to-write-home-about blog.

And that’s just how I like it.

See, for me, I’d rather spend all my creative efforts creating memorable and effective design solutions for my large base of loyal clients – making sure I don’t short change them in order to make sure my website, tweets and microblogs were optimised and getting enough results on Google. My clients deserve way better than that – and they get it. This ho hum website is testament to that.

To put it plainly, my work’s average so yours won’t be.

So now you know the truth. But before you write me off as some lazy half wit, who couldn’t design his way out of a paper bag, take a look around this blog. The effort I’ve put into it’s layout and construction might be average – the work showcased certainly isn’t. At least that’s what the clients tell me.

See for yourself and enjoy the trip.

Poster Bonanza

Over the last couple of years I have been asked to create the marketing material for the Upper Clutha A & P Association (that’s ‘Agricultural and Pastoral’ to the non-kiwis reading). Each year I submit a couple or so ideas for the upcoming event for their flyers, posters and programme cover. Sadly, only one idea can ever go to print each year while the rejected concepts sit forlornly, never to be seen by the public and do what they were intended for. Until now. Below I have posted the two published concepts from the last two shows, along with the other ideas that never went further than the committee meeting. Shame, but that’s how it goes. Hope you like at least a little of what you see.

One of my favourites - but perhaps a little 'art house' for the target market

This one got the nod for the 2010 event - a natural follow up to 2009's design

I loved the old tractor... but this one was a no go

The dramatic cropping, the toy bull, the oversized ear tag... what's not to love here?

Probably still my all time fave... with it's ultra retro, circus poster influences. Would love to get this one published.

And the winner from 2009... the sheep mimicking the shepherd ticked the right boxes that year.