Join the Revolution

Our end-of-year promotion for 2006 was based around the theme of a design revolution with obvious visual references to the people’s revolution of the USSR. The ‘revolution in a tin’ comprised a two colour poster, chocolate cigar, candle and screenprinted tea towel – all calling the masses to reject poor quality design and to not rest until we are rid of this blight on the visual landscape. This design was featured in the excellent Russian design publication KAK as part of their focus on self promotions from around the world. For those design studios wanting to invigorate the troops to new heights of creativity copies of the two colour poster are still available for purchase for just $5 plus postage. For your personally signed copy email me at lloydgraphics@xtra.co.nz

The revolution in a tin - 2006's end of year promotion.

Brand Spotting Becomes Fashionable

Every year, with much assistance from Linda and the kids, I put together an end-of-year promotion as a thankyou to existing clients and an introduction to new clients for the upcoming year. Since we started the business we have completed 17 of these annual promotional projects – each one with a different theme, but all designed to showcase the work that is done here and give recipients an insight into my particular niche of the design world. The last 12 months being such a busy year meant that work on the 2009 promotion began A LOT later than is comfortable… so late that we came perilously close to defaulting for the first time since we began this self-inflicted madness. But thanks to the Lord for his inspiration and helping me squeeze in a few extra hours we were able to put together the Brand Spotter 2009 pack – a custom designed poster / wrapping paper, set of 4 button badges, screen printed calico carry bag and a notebook style Brand Spotter Field Guide. The underlying theme was to liken the spotting of brands and logos to the pastime of bird watching – where new identities can be catalogued and referenced much like those involved in the ornithological pursuit of previously undiscovered varieties. Much gratitude must go to the businesses that I put some unneeded end of year pressure to meet my deadline – namely Verboom for the badges, Verve Digital Printing for field guide, Jigsaw Promotions for the bags and Blenheim Print for the poster. Below are some images of the promotional items including one of Phil and a staff member from Verboom Badges that we visited in Wellington at the time they were in mid-production of our order.

If anyone out there is interested, you can purchase one of these limited edition packs by contacting me direct on lloydgraphics@xtra.co.nz. Stocks are strictly limited – there were just 200 units produced with just 50 or so left. Price is just $25 plus postage each. A neatly folded or rolled example of the poster will be included as part of the package and the bag will carry three of the four badges designed.

Phil cracking the whip at Verboom as they work on our order.

The 2 colour screenprinted bag with 3 badges attached.

The 2 colour poster that doubles as wrapping paper.

Pictured above, three of the four badges fabricated by Verboom badges.

COver of the Field Guide notebook.

One of the featured brands in the Field Guide - Aquanort Pools.

CPR Coffee Reaches for the Sky

Mid December 2009 saw the opening of CPR Coffee’s latest venture – CPR Airshop – an enormously franchisable concept that introduces visitors to this province to the delicious flavours of CPR’s boutique roasted coffee and gives those leaving an opportunity to purchase locally made artwork, award winning wines and books. CPR is a longtime client and one that is continually discovering new and imaginative ways to introduce the public to its range of products. Design work for this new venture included the creation of the Airshop identity which is an adaptation of the master CPR brand. CPR Airshop is yet another of their innovative ways to fight the recessionary woes with perfectly roasted and brewed coffee. If I had my way there’d be a CPR Airshop of some description in every provincial and major airport around the country – if not the globe. But until that day, you’re just gonna have to jump a flight to Marlborough and discover what all the fuss is all about.

CPR Airshop - legal addictive stimulants never looked so slick and sophisticated.

Talking Business

Been too long between posts with the extreme workload this year. So much for the recession! Anyway, this project was the creation of an identity for a local woman whose skills include mentoring business and the people who run them, business systems analysis and motivational input into these businesses. Her work is based in NZ but also stretches to the UK where she travels to regularly, so an identity that wasn’t necessarily tied to a location was important. A number of initial options were investigated which included the naming of the proposed business. Some options included ‘BizHum’ – getting your business humming, ‘Flourish’, ‘Focus’, ‘Engauge’ and ‘Bizpep’. In the end the company name was something that was mooted at our initial meeting and was a combination of the client’s surname (Peplar) and the word ‘talk’ – ‘Peptalk’ being the result. It was an obvious fit and summed up the business focus so succinctly. Below are the various concepts that were proposed along with the final design which utilised the hummingbird image first proposed with the BizHum idea. The hummingbird so clearly communicated the concept of how the client probed a business’s structure and operation, moved rapidly to get things done, and was agile in working with the different areas of a business and the people who work there bringing ’sweet’ results for the business owner much like the nectar the hummingbird collects. The wings of the bird formed a subtle, stylised letter ‘P’ for the business name. The typography was a customised redraw of Avant Garde.

BizHum introduced the hummingbird concept

 

The proposed BizHum business card design

Flourish was a more organic approach with potential

 

Focus had a lens-like concept

 

A stylised 'e' and gauge in one... monitoring your business efficiency

The electric speech bubble - powerful input to your business

Bizpep - and adaptation of the Peptalk concept

The final, approved identity - watch your business take off

 

 

 

 

 

Powerful Identity

This is one from the archives. I was approached to create an identity for an entirely new business for Tyrone Burney, an electrician with expertise in cool store work. As part of the usual design process a number of designs were considered, but the final concept was definitely the one with the most impact and meaning. The resulting icon combined the symbology of three phase wiring together with a snow flake thereby bringing into one image the electrical and chiller storage aspects of the business. Shown below is that final design along with the van signage and business card concept. The client provided what must be one of the better tag lines for someone in this line of business… ’switched on. chilled out.’ – brilliant, succinct and memorable.

The final brand.

Business card concept.

Mid Winter Break

Contrary to popular belief, I do get a little time to myself to spend with the fam when I’m not desperately trying to meet the onslaught of never ending deadlines. One such time was a few weeks back when we all headed off to Kaikoura for a long mid Winter weekend. Kaikoura lies around 120km south of Blenheim on the State Highway to Christchurch. It is famous for its whale watching and crayfish… neither of which we enjoyed while we were there. Instead we spent one wet day mostly sitting around the rental cottage we were staying at – which was on an animal farm park. Of course the kids loved that – feeding the pigs, llamas, horse and donkeys – not to mention catching guinea pigs and rabbits all the while trying to avoid being gored by the aggro goat with an attitude. And other than a nail through the foot, the aforementioned wet day and  poor mobile coverage we had a great time.

On our way there we stopped at Ohau Point where there is a seal colony and observation area – but it was up a short walk to a waterfall where the real action was. There, up a rocky creek, the seal pups climb each morning to play in a swimming hole under the waterfall before heading back to sea in the late afternoon. And let me tell you, this was an impressive sight. Up to 40 seal pups swimming and diving around this hole, lying around on rocks and generally having lots of fun – all up close and touchable for the public. Unbelievable – and FREE! Kids loved it, so we visited on our way home also. We left the seals a tennis ball to play with which they loved tossing around amongst themselves.

While in Kaikoura, we also visited the Maori Leap Caves – which I have driven past for years and never thought of visiting, but they were pretty impressive. Stalactites and stalagmites and ’straws’ all over the place. We also drove to Mt Lyford, a small scale ski area, and let the kids do some sledding while Linda and I just watched in amazement at their fearlessness, hurtling down the snow covered roads at break neck speed – while also tossing the odd snowball at them.

Our last day started with breakfast at the Beach House Café – wow that was great food. We’ll be back there for bagels and hot chocolates again. Toby polished off an entire cooked breakfast on his own which was pretty impressive. Back home on the Tuesday to greet the mountain of emails and messages, leaving me just a little more behind than I already was the Friday before. Ah well… back  to the grindstone!

Seal pups up close and personal.

Dozens of seal pups doing their thing.

Road sledding - not recommended in heavy traffic.

Two up tobogganning - twice the speed, twice the danger.

Girls don't need to be taught to love horses.

Cave dwelling families are rare these days. Having visited one I now know why.

FastBooks Means Business

A recent project has been the creation of an identity for an online bookkeeping / accounting service  called FastBooks. Three initial concepts were submitted and after some further self-inflicted tweaking and adjustments, the final design was definitely one of my recent favourites. Simple, understated with an icon that has more than one level of message… something I love to be able to incorporate into any of my designs where appropriate. Below is pictured some of my early sketches… which I cannot emphasise the importance of enough, followed by the final design and a business card concept.

Initial sketches, a crucial part of the process.

Final concept... is it an 'F' or a couple of open books? Which do you see first?

Business card concept.

A Better Roof Design

Last year I was given the task to create a new identity for a local roofing contractor, Nigel Washer of Quality Roofing Marlborough. A few ideas were initially submitted that centered around using the company initials as the basis of a fresh new logo for this long established company. In the end the chosen concept was my preferred favourite, using a large letter ‘Q’ that held the shape of a roofline within its centre. Below are shown a couple of the other concepts along with the final design and how it was applied to stationery etc.

Concept 1.

Concept 2

Approved concept.

Stationery and card.

Designs on Nature

Earlier this year a good friend of mine was looking for an identity for her new business that centered around environmental care and protection of an area of land under Maori guardianship. The name was Ongarahu Environment Care,which was the inspiration for the customised logotype that was the final solution. The name – Onga (meaning many) and rahu (meaning ferns) resulted in a typeface comprised of many unfurling punga fronds or koru. Below is the final logo plus letterhead and business card along with an ad concept.

The final logotype in black and two colour options.

Stationery and business card.

Advertising concept.

Diving into a whole new look

I have recently been involved in the rebranding of a local swimming pool construction and servicing company that has had a long time reputation in Marlborough for providing premium quality pool design, build and service. Greg and Nicola Norton had been using the same identity for a number of years and the time was right to refresh their look and re-invigorate their marketing strategy. A number of potential ideas were investigated but the final concept was one of visual clarity, clean, professional and contemporary – all things that we felt were important attributes to convey. Below is the old identity that had served them well for a dozen years or more and below that a visual mood board, stationery design and advertising concepts that were launched in time for the local annual Home Show. Further implementation of the identity will be on vehicles, uniforms and building signage.

The old identity had worked well in the past but needed a refresh.

A mood board was part of the initial presentation.

The new identity creates a fresh, modern look with clarity.

Business cards and compliments slip designs.