Rachel Wells - Graphic Communicator

Melissa Jenkins Photography Site by Carbon\

2011-08-02T03:46:00.001-07:00

This site for Melissa Jenkins is lovely! Definitely pushes the boundaries of web design and is playful yet easy to use. Designed by Carbon.

Think outside the box...

2011-08-02T03:08:00.000-07:00

The triangle notebook by Turkish artist Tan Mavitan. Exclusively at MoMA. Ingenious!

Rebrand for National Railway Magazine

2011-08-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

Really loving this rebrand for NRM by Thompson Brand Partners. Yes it's simple and "obvious" as some have been critiquing but sometimes the simple things work best!

Nandos

2011-08-02T02:23:00.000-07:00

New Nandos ad by Farm feat. Reggie. I love this, simple but funny! "Spicccyyy very spiccy"...need I say more...

And spot Reggie also in this YouTube video from New York which showcases "Free Beats", a new take on the "Free Hugs" craze...

Everything's better in Instagram

2011-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Paris!! Here's a few of my Instagram snaps below (I can't get enough of it)...will try and upload the rest at the weekend. Highlight was definitely the Pompidou - one of my fave art galleries in the world - it gets better every time!

Waitrose Brand Guidelines

2011-07-18T15:00:00.001-07:00

Spotted these BEAUTIFUL brand guidelines for Waitrose today by Mytton Williams. So lovely you could lick it off the page!

Type Specimen for iPad

2011-06-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful type apps around...described in the office as "type sex". But this also denotes an innovative new way of presenting type and is totally addictive to use.

Gavin Martin Associates and Colournet by Magpie Studio

2011-06-20T13:14:00.001-07:00

I'm always a fan of a bit of environmental graphics...these envelopes for GMAC are no exception...

Kate Forrester / Moonstruck

2011-06-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

Another lovely bit of work from Kate Forrester who's never afraid of a refreshing splash of colour!

Pictures

2011-06-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've seen two lovely photography projects recently:
Firstly, The Sartorialtwist, a random fashion generator which mashes together sections of photographs to create outfits. So simple and never has the refresh button been so addictive.

And the second project is Dear Photograph. Along the same lines of Post Secret, member of the public are invited to submit photographs of their photographs from the past, some of which have some beautiful and emotional outcomes. Here's a few of my favourites:

D&AD Professional Awards

2011-06-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Quick post just to say, I am so glad that Wieden+Kennedy's Old Spice spots have won in the D&AD Professional Awards TV advertising categories. I know it's been raved and blogged about loads, but still after months it makes me laugh out loud. I don't think there's enough humour in the world and this is a lovely example of a brand that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The full list of winners can be seen here: http://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2011/categories

The Fancy

2011-06-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm now on The Fancy - this great new fandangled thing that collects things you like on the internet. You can follow me at http://www.thefancy.com/rachelwells

Little Chef rebrand by Venture Three

2011-05-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

I am loving the new rebrand of Little Chef by Venture Three that's appeared across the web and design blogs this week. (Images from Creative Review Blog). So refreshing from the drab and desperately outdated design from before. I'm especially loving the colour palette - definitely a welcome break after driving for miles on grey motorways. It feels fun, clean and well considered and will hopefully give the brand a new lease of life.

Bookworm

2011-05-19T02:19:00.000-07:00

The daily commute to London has meant I've become a bit of a bookworm and thought I'd share the 3 most brilliant books I've read in the past month or so.

Firstly, One Day by David Nicholls. My favourite thing about the book was the level of great perception that Nicholls writes with. It's the little things in a relationship between two people that he picks up on that makes the characters totally believable. The sense of building power in the book is also captivating and I seriously recommend this, it'll have you hooked from the first chapter.

I also couldn't resist reading Guardian and Stylist columist, Lucy Mangan's, autobiographical story documenting the planning of her wedding. Lucy is my favourite columist and to true form, this was hilarious. I had to contain myself daily on the train to avoid looking like a complete weirdo, just giggling to myself in the corner of a packed carriage. Definitely recommend for ultimate pick-up!

And finally The Help by Kathryn Stockett. A totally different genre to the previous two, but again beautifully written and incredibly moving.

Lovely Honey

2011-04-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Loving Jamie Nash's identity for Lovely Honey. Effortlessy simple, clever and elegant. http://jamienashillustration.blogspot.com/2011/03/lovely-honey.html

Back baby...

2011-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

So it has been an AGE since I last blogged, mainly owing to getting settled in my first job post degree. I'm now working (and loving it!) at Oil Studios, London.

One thing did catch my eye today. My last post was for the new IKEA cook book. Since posting this has now won in the graphics category of the Brit Insurance Design Awards 2011. (See here)

As a follow up, Carl Kleiner in collaboration with Eric Severin & Evelina Bratell for IKEA (and Forsman & Bodenfors) have created the Art of Cooking video series. It's weird and wonderful and oddly humorous which is partly what makes them so captivating. This is my favourite video (on Vimeo).

New IKEA Recipe Book in collaboration with Carl Kleiner

2010-09-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

Some beautiful shots (courtesy of notcot.org) of the new IKEA recipe book coming out in Sweden. I am LOVING this unusual food photography! Some lovely playful compositions here...

A beautiful advert...but a rip off!

2010-07-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've seen the flake advert all over the place at the moment. And it's beautiful...on true Flake form. But my view of it got completely ruined once I'd seen this. I'm all for taking inspiration...but surely this is beyond that and is just a blatent copy? Or maybe it was deliberate in homage to Alexander?! But then who's ever heard of McQueen's passionate obsession with Flake? hmmm...I'm suspicious!

The famous new Flake advert:

The original Kate Moss for Alexander McQueen:

Graduation

2010-07-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

So after a few weeks holiday I'm back on the scene! Last week I graduated from Loughborough University with First Class Honours in Graphic Communication and I'm now ready to hit the industry! I'm really looking forward to the exciting times that lie ahead and can't wait for the next few months!

Art school cliches...

2010-06-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

So right, and so funny! I'm going to play spot the cliche on Monday at D&AD! Prizes may be awarded....See the cliches here.

Science Museum rebrand

2010-06-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Caught a glimpse of this rebrand for the Science Museum by Johnson Banks on the way home....love love love it! It feels very modern, and gives a great sense of innovation and inventiveness so perfect for the nature of the science museum. I even like the digital feeling which not only matches the huge trend at the moment for all things digital but makes it bang up to date and relevant to much of the science developments happening now!

I'd like to see how it would work on a small format, but clearly works large scale!

My favourite brand...

2010-05-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

I love John Lewis...this is why...need I say anything?

Pick Me Up Graphics Art Fair @ Somerset House

2010-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to see the very amazing Graphics art fair entitled "Pick Me Up" at Somerset House. Here's some photos of some of the best bits:

James Joyce - so bright and fun!

and I even had time to 'pick me up' a print by Telegramme Studio. Pick Me Up is definitely worth a visit!

NEW PROJECT

2010-04-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

It's the final countdown! I've now started the final project of my degree. This project will span until graduation and is based on helping those with mental health issues to find support.

The Time For Change visual pledge launched yesterday with a lovely interactive website...

Through the letterbox

2010-03-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I've had some pretty cool things come through my letterbox this morning! First of all was this beautiful sample pack from sofa.com. (designed by Big Fish) It came complete with the samples that I'd ordered and even a free mini book to curl up and read once my new sofa arrives! The typography gives a great sense of personality - informal and friendly and the craft of the box gives a personal touch and a sense of it being something special! Even the samples had been cut with pinking sheers and had matching labels attached to the back...

The second thing to arrive through the letterbox was my NHS Quit Kit which I'm using as research for my IKEA project. It opens with a great big bright message - "Well Done" - instantly giving the recipient a positive feeling. It's packed with inspiring and fun leaflets and freebies, and although I'm not a smoker, I can see how this would encourage someone to give up. Another lovely bit of direct mailing out at the moment. (And I can't stop playing with the free tangler...it's addictive!)

A very odd advert...

2010-03-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so this did make me stop and stare at the TV...but I'm not sure whether it was for such good reason! It's just a bit odd!...make of it what you will...

Staydrenched

2010-03-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

I love this! It's still making me laugh. Great humour, a brilliant brand personality promotion and loving the sound track too. Just bonkers!

Marmite

2010-03-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Always one of my favourite brands. British humour visualised!

National Trust - A breath of fresh air

2010-03-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Love this quirky campaign for The National Trust. 'Stressed' workers in London were handed jars of fresh air to promote visits to National Trust parks and buildings to relieve some of the stress. Simple, humorous and uplifting!

Hat trick design

2010-03-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

I've liked this company for a while now. Nice work and now even nicer website! http://www.hat-trickdesign.co.uk/

I'm back!

2010-03-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

So after a quick break I'm back in action! Starting off with this lovely bit of work by James Greenfield! Yummy composition and colours! http://gradiate.tumblr.com/

Cadbury

2010-01-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

With the take over from Kraft there's oodles of articles on Cadbury at the moment! There's some lovely examples of their past branding and advertising here on the BBC Magazine.

Final Piece - D&AD The Body Shop

2010-01-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished off my Body Shop project and below you can see the print campaign! I'll post this soon on my website so it can be seen properly. The project was an investigation into copywriting and combined language with the artists that Anita Roddick was originally inspired by. Each composition is designed to be presented in a gold frame and represents one of the Body Shop's 5 core values: Activate Self Esteem, Protect Our Planet, Defend Human Rights, Support Community Trade and Against Animal Testing.

all content (c) copyright Rachel Wells 2010

FInal Piece - RSA Resourceful Supermarket

2010-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've also finished now my project for RSA entitled Resourceful Supermarket. My campaign "The Big Community Wall" uses digital projection to showcase photographs uploaded to the supermarket's Twitter account. Members of the community, farmers and suppliers and the supermarkets themselves are all encouraged to participate to promote and strengthen community relationships. I'll add this project too to rachel-wells.co.uk soon for a more detailed look!

LiteWrite

2009-12-19T17:34:00.001-08:00

Just come across this application you can download to create your own 'lite-writing'. This is amazing! I love the interactivity and it's so much fun, you could play on it for hours!! Here's a few of my tests...although I'm thinking this could create something a whole lot bigger and better once I'm a more accomplished lite writer! The application can be downloaded here.

It's been created by Tangible Interaction (see image below) who've got some pretty cool stuff too. I'm into interactivity at the moment big time...as you'll soon see with the outcome of my supermarkets brief soon to be posted up on here!

Going back to the old days! LEGO and ACUURIST

2009-12-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

It seems the 'in' thing at the moment is to remake and reinvigorate adverts from the past. Perhaps it reminds us of the old times? There's something reminiscent about both these adverts, the first for watch maker Accurist featuring John Cleese, and the second for lego. Both originally made in the 80's they stand out on TV against and amongst all the commercial giants' adverts at the moment. And both bring a bit of vintage humour too!

The Sun iPhone Parody

2009-12-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Just seen this advert for The Sun, and whilst I wouldn't particularly endorse the newspaper, this ad made me laugh! It's a brilliant parody, which has obviously been created after scrutinizing the Apple ads...and whilst the Apple ads communicate perfectly the brand, let's face it, it's about time Apple came up with something new! It's a refreshing bit of humour in amongst the endless pricewar and Christmas adverts at the moment!

I'm on Twitter!

2009-12-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

I've now joined the Twitter revolution! You can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/rachelgoestweet and tweet me at @rachelgoestweet

Work featured...

2009-12-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Work featured on ColourLovers, BuzzPulse and Penguin Australia! Very exciting...thank you!

See above feature here

Design Police - Bring Bad Design to Justice

2009-12-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

The Design Police (here) have produced a downloadable pack of stickers to 'Bring Bad Design to Justice'...I love these! Some are very funny...my personal favourite - "Comic Sans is illegal".

I love John Lewis...

2009-12-03T18:34:00.001-08:00

I really do! They always manage to capture the magical feeling of Christmas and shopping beautifully! I've already blogged about the ad campaign on TV this Christmas, well this has now been added to with this print campaign by Kate Forrester

The Resourceful Supermarket - Community Wall

2009-12-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Blog posts have been slower than usual recently (sorry!) as life as a finalist is in full swing and dissapearing very fast! It's been a busy week in the studio this week, prepping, animating and filming my video installation for the RSA Resourceful Supermarket. Here's a quick look at what I've been doing, and i'll update with the final work when it's finished next week!

Marmite

2009-11-29T08:25:00.001-08:00

I love Marmite! It's one of my favourite brands. It's bold, inventive, and brilliantly British! Last year saw an award winning print campaign for the brand (bottom) which repositioned Marmite at the front of brand communication. This year, I think they've done it again! The brand has created the 'Marmite Pop Up Shop' in London, packed with Marmite and Marmite merchandise for Christmas. The interior design and visual merchandising gives customers an interactive and 'hands on' feel giving an approachable and fun feel to the brand. And of course, in true style, the whole shop is yellow and black creating a bold and memorable brand touchpoint! I love it!

Swine flu masks!

2009-11-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Ah i love how design comes up with something for everything! You can now purchase specially designed swine flu masks which are printed with thermocratic inks to detect when the temperature of your breath changes.....whatever next! More here.

John Lewis Christmas Ad - "Remember How Christmas Used to Feel?"

2009-11-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Another rather beautiful Christmas advert, again from the John Lewis Partnership is the one for their John Lewis department stores. Again I love this for the colour, there's something more subtle about non-Christmasy colours that creates atmosphere and makes you think about the feelings around Christmas not the commercialism! But I love most the concept behind this ad - the endline explains all - "Remember how Christmas used to feel?"...a very simple idea that everyone can relate to and captures perfectly the essence of Christmas! The quirky vocal version of Guns and Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" also adds a twist!

NEW PROJECT and Waitrose Christmas Ad 09

2009-11-17T05:51:00.000-08:00

Last week I started my new project on the RSA Design Directions Brief: The resourceful supermarket. The aim is to design a way for supermarkets to become engaged in the local community and use the resources they can offer to promote positive relationships between the shop and the local area.

For research, I've been looking at a lot of supermarket ads! But the one that stands out the most is Waitrose's Christmas advert this year...it's beautiful! The ad focuses on the stories of different people coming home for Christmas - a simple but charming narrative all can relate to. Firstly...i love the colours used. It's not the usual red, green and sparkle as ads would normally offer at Christmas. Instead it uses cold colours, mirroring the season and the feeling when away from home. This then changes to warming golds, yellows and oranges as the characters gradually arrive home - depicting 'home' at Christmas as a warm, hopeful place (with a bit of yummy food from Waitrose chucked in too!). But also intelligently and caringly, the advert makes reference to the troops coming home f0r Christmas - relating the ad to current issues makes the brand appear deep-seated, vocal, thoughtful and current. Oh and there's some nice quirky vocal music over the top too! All round...a lovely advert!

Samsung Blue Earth

2009-11-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

Our video has also been completed for Current TV VCams for Samsung Blue Earth and has been uploaded onto the website. You can see it here! So if you like it, comment away!

Work featured on notcot.org

2009-11-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

Today was very exciting as my work was featured on the notcot.org blog! See here:http://www.notcot.org Thank you!

The Body Shop

2009-11-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

One more week left on this project! Updates on final outcomes soon!

Video Painting

2009-11-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

There's been lots of project around light and making images with light for example the Talk Talk advert below, currently screened as idents before Xfactor.

This new TalkTalk advert does have a nice take on the standard 'sparkler/slow shutter speed' style as the angles and viewpoints change and the viewer is cast into a 3D environment.

The advert has also been translated into a viral. Consumers are encouraged to create their own light art and upload to the website to then potentially broadcast on TV. Some, naturally, are better than others....

But this project takes it further. Design Collective 'SweatShoppe' have come up with a way of painting with video! I have no idea how this has been done, but I love that it adds another dimension to the images and think this notion of watching a video in a video is fascinating!

SWEATSHOPPE, 4spots, the landing extras from SWEATSHOPPE on Vimeo.

My Parents Are Awesome

2009-11-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Just come across this very cool project entitled "My Parents are Awesome". Visitors to the website here are encouraged to upload photos of their parents which builds an amazing insight into different lifestyles, fashions and hobbies from the past...

Samsung Blue Earth Brief

2009-11-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

Project Complete. Here's a little preview...once we hear back from the judging the full video will of course be uploaded to my website.

Samsung Blue Earth Brief

2009-10-29T05:11:00.000-07:00

As a quick break from The Body Shop D&AD project, I'm currently working on a group project (along with Katrina Cheeseman, Ben Lloyd, Dean Wilkinson and Alicia Mackay) for the Samsung Blue Earth Competition.

We're completing the project over three days and you can catch up with our progress here http://digital-blue-sketchbook.blogspot.com/ on our digital sketchbook!

As the project is focused on being environmentally friendly, we thought it would be a little bit hypocritical if we did all our work on paper, so we've ventured into digital sketchbooks. We're filming tomorrow so look forward to some pics of the shoot!

Creative Review Magazine Packaging

2009-10-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

I love this!! In my current project for The Body Shop, I've been looking at alternative packaging techniques. Could this be the answer for the future?...It's packaging that dissolves in water! OK, so this might not be great to package bubble bath in or we might have a few problems if it rains, but I think essentially this is the start of some interesting packaging developments to come! More info and images taken from here.

Food in a box!

2009-10-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

So it seems like the latest craze is food in boxes! The first by a company called Universal Picnic who have come up with yummy lunches and dinners in London you can take away and enjoy in the parks or maybe even at home! I even like the packaging...ok so it's simple, but it evokes the feeling of being environmentally friendly and stylish minimalism!

But the company I'm most impressed with is graze. (www.graze.com) The company deliver delicious snacks to your door once a week for about £3. All the snacks in the box are totally natural and healthy. But here's the best bit!...the packaging! Next time I get my delivery I'll upload some photos...but imagine recycled cardboard beautifully printed with high resolution photgraphs. Even the bottom of the box is printed with grass so when you lift the tubs up you get a little bit of nature! And the package has been especially designed to fit through letterboxes so you don't even have to be at home to accept the delivery! A very clever design from a very clever little company!

New project!

2009-10-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

To kick start the new academic year off I'm starting with a D&AD brief from the Brand Communication category. The task is to produce an unconventional brand campaign to re-instate The Body Shop as the original pioneer of ethical beauty....very excited about this brief!

The September Issue

2009-09-25T07:38:00.001-07:00

I've just seen recently R.J.Cutler's new film 'The September Issue" a feature length documentary about the life and work of Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue. The film was brilliantly put together; witty, cultural and intelligent and gave an amazing insight into the inners of the creative industries. It was particularly interesting to see the real working way of a 'crit' and Anna's harsh and brutal appraisal of her team's work. It offered a real look at the expectations of the industry but also the power it has over the world. I also found it really interesting to see the way the team mapped out a magazine and how the spreads were shot and planned, often requiring endless reworks. A very inspiring and motivating film well worth a watch!

London - 18/09/09 - Mariscal Drawing Life @ Design Museum

2009-09-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Aaaand the final exhibition of the day was Mariscal Drawing at the Design Museum. I'd never seen the work of this artist before but really enjoyed his use of colour and fusion of typography and illustration. Again there were some interesting ways of displaying his work, particularly the entry room, with hundreds of Mariscal's drawings hung from the ceiling. The artist is clearly heavily influenced by his heritage and culture, deeply rooted in Spain. More of Javier Mariscal's work can be seen here.

London - 18/09/09 - Show Studio Fashion Revolution @ Somerset House Continued

2009-09-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

The exhibition at Somerset House also had some really inspiring ways of displaying work as seen in the photos below...

These all provide good ideas for our degree show coming up in 2010!

London - 18/09/09 - Show Studio Fashion Revolution @ Somerset House

2009-09-25T06:51:00.001-07:00

The next exhibition I saw was ShowStudio's Fashion Revolution to kick off London Fashion Week at Somerset House. The exhibition explored the different ways which fashion is communicated to us and how the new digital age has expanded the way fashion is communicated to us. The exhibition included theatre, performance, installation, photography and film and included many recognisable faces in fashion, including designers such as Galliano and Alexander McQueen and models such as Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor.

The first piece in the exhibition was a giant mirrored room (see photos above), which suitably suggested the issues surrounding fashion such as vanity, glamour, self image, etc etc.

London - 18/09/09 - Anthony Gormley One and Other @ Trafalgar Square

2009-09-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

As I was just around the corner, I had a quick look at the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, currently holding Anthony Gormley's experiment One and Other. If you haven't heard about it then you can find out all about it and watch the live stream here. I think the idea of letting the public do whatever they want is fascinating, and what struck me was the insight it gave us into who makes up the British population. I saw two people on the plinth, documented below, one not so entertaining, the other a bit more lively!

London - 18/09/09 - British Portrait Awards 09 @ British Portrait Gallery

2009-09-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Next on the list of places I visited was the British Portrait Awards at the British Portrait Gallery. One piece has stuck in my mind since the visit entitled 'Maggie' by Sue Rubira (below). The detail was gobsmacking and the painting was literally photographic. The artist was clearly hugely talented and I liked the simplicity of the composition, laying all focus on the technique and tiny brushstrokes used to created such a scarily realistic painting.

London - 18/09/09 - Future Fashion Now @ V&A

2009-09-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

The final exhibition I saw at the V&A was Future Fashion Now, a collaborative exhibition from MA Fashion students at the Royal College of Art. There were some incredible pieces on show, but what I found most interesting was the sketchbooks and development drawings on display which allowed a real insight into the workings of the students.

London - 18/09/09 - Illustration Awards and Book Cover Design @ V&A

2009-09-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Also at the V&A I saw the Faber and Faber Book Cover Design Exhibtion which although was a disappointingly small collection did have a couple of gems! Below is my favourite from the collection. The V&A are hoping to hold a larger exhibition in 2010 so will be keeping my eye out for that!

I also then saw the Illustration Awards and although again a small exhibition a couple of pieces caught my eye. In particular the work of student illustrator Lydia Wong (above). Although it wouldn't usually be my style, I did find something captivating about the work and liked 'painted' feel of the digitally produced work.

London - 18/09/09 - Telling Tales @ V&A

2009-09-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I took a much needed trip to London to see the latest exhibitions to soak up some culture before starting the next year at uni. The first exhibition I saw was Telling Tales at the V&A...an exploration into the ideas of fantasy and fear across various design disciplines including interiors, furniture, product design and fashion.

Although the exhibiton didn't include much graphics (slightly to my disappointment!)...it did include some amazing pieces of design. Many of the furniture pieces were created by Tord Boontje, a designer I've admired and followed for quite a while. (See previous posts on paper design) so I particularly enjoyed some of his most recent work. This included this incredible chair below made from laser cut steel which evokes a sense of nature and fairytales.

The exhibiton is split into three sections; The Forest Glade, The Enchanted Castle and Heaven and Hell all showing a weird and wonderful collection of objects that are well worth a visit.

New (academic) Year, New Starts, New Website, New Blog!

2009-09-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Loughborough now ready to start the final year of my degree. To coincide with starting as a finalist, today I'll be relaunching rachel-wells.co.uk. The blog has also had an overhaul with a new colour scheme, and so you know what's the most recent, any posts following the new black/ochre colour scheme have been posted since the relaunch. I've got lots to blog about today including a recent trip to London where I saw very inspiring exhibitions so it's new things all round!

2009-09-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

New website coming soon!

rachel-wells.co.uk is about to have a massive revamp so keep your eyes peeled! here's a sneak preview of the homepage!

2009-09-03T02:42:00.000-07:00

Learn Something New Everyday

Just come across this pretty cool website LearnSomethingNewEveryday.co.uk ...loving the illustrations and bright colours!

2009-08-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Type Neu!

Lots of cool bits of typography and type projects on here! And love the automatically refreshing website! Link here.

2009-08-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

More work by Gregoire Alexandre

I'm just loving this designer's work at the moment. Simple, imaginative and captivating! See the full portfolio here

2009-08-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Bela Borsodi's Alphabet of Everyday Objects

I absolutely love this project by Bela Borsodi. I think we've seen a lot of typography created from objects laid out and arranged before but this one has a big difference that stands out from the rest - the use of perspective and space to form the letters. I also think there are some great examples of use of colour here - particularly in the picture below of the letter A where the clashing reds and greens form a satisfyingly bold and daring palette.

2009-08-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

New Packaging for Help Remedies

Just found this new packaging for Help Remedies' range of pharmaceutical products. Really like the clean and clinical feel - very suitable for the product! It's simple and easy to read and the bright colours add a bit of cheeriness for people that are probably buying it whilst not feeling very well!

2009-08-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

www.typographicposters.com

Just found this amazing resource website full of typographic and graphic poster design. There's some absolutely incredible work on here and I found myself stuck on the site for hours! Enjoy! Here's a few of my favourite posters I came across:

2009-07-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Beck's Collaboration with Artists

Beck's are soon to be bringing out a new set of labels for their iconic bottles. In the past, labels have been designed by world famous artist such as Gilbert and George and Tatsuo Miyajima. This time Beck's are aiming for a fusion of music and art and are asking acts such as Ladyhawke and Hard-Fi to design labels. The image seen here is an initial sketch by Ladyhawke and her collaborating artist Sarah Larnach.

2009-07-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Royal Mail Website for Direct Mailing Solutions

Royal Mail have launched a beautiful new website at http://www.add-a-dimension.co.uk/ to promote the services and solutions they offer for businesses in terms of direct marketing. I'm a big fan of anything with 3D glasses! There's something charming about it which uses a simple technique but with an engaging and exciting effect. You might think it's a bit odd that they use a digital format to promote a non-digital service! Well...think again! Businesses were posted a pack (see top image) including the website address and an individual pair of 3D glasses. The pack demonstrates beautifully how more traditional communication methods can still be equally effective as digital methods. Business clients are instantly grabbed by an unusual piece of snail mail that's very different from the normal post an office would receive. It hooks the client in and intrigues, spurring them on to visit the website which has been booming with hits from those who received the packs. Once on the website, the film launches into a full screen demo, making an all round enjoyable and captivating experience. At the end, clients can browse the various pros of direct mailing and discover how it could help their business! Altogether, a very lovely piece of work!

2009-07-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Studio for Oxfam

Love this campaign for Oxfam by Hey Studio! Completely moves away from everything you would usually associate or expect from Oxfam. Particularly like the choice of vibrant colours and graphic feel which appeals instantly to a younger audience and will hopefully involve young people in charity!

2009-07-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hula Hula!

I love the new Hula Hoops adverts!...so much fun! The party anthems used as the sound tracks and humorous dance moves mean a lighthearted and cheeful brand association is formed. Also plays on that lovely childhood memory of putting hula hoops on the ends of your fingers!

2009-07-20T03:17:00.000-07:00

Colour Palette Selector

Just found a rather nifty little tool, a colour palette generator! OK, so most creatives will be able to pick their own schemes, but I still think this throws a few choices in you might not have thought of! See it here

2009-07-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

Tone Matrix by Andre Michelle

Oh my word, this is so addictive! Click here for a link to Andre Michelle's Tone Matrix. Simple, interactive, and pro-procrastination!

2009-07-08T14:32:00.001-07:00

Underwater Photography by Elena Kalis

Some lovely shots amongst the bunch....very inspiring, idea provoking and imaginative. See more here.

2009-07-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

On a final note...Eager for Juice!

Saw this in Tesco this evening...new branding for Fruit Juice range Eager. It's nice and simple and the white background makes the packaging stand out on the shelf. But the thing that's perhaps most clever....the format of the packaging! The type of juice box is what would be expected for a chilled fruit juice, but this range is in fact long life. The customer immediately associates this format with fresh juices and you could see this would make this product very appealing, as the box suggests the superior taste of a chilled drink but with the added bonus of being long-life. The colours are also very bright immediately drawing in the customer and using the letter 'e' for the fruit is a nice bit of attention to detail to round it off!

2009-07-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

MORE NEW WORK! Style in the City Birmingham Eco Shopper Design

I've also just completed another brief for the Sunday Times Style in the City event to be held in Birmingham later this year. Students were invited to submit artwork to appear on eco canvas bags which will be used as promo goody bags at the event. I decided to use a handrawn style to create a friendly and creative feel and highlighted key areas in pink and yellow, stereotypically feminine colours which seemed appropriate for an event based on pampering and shopping!

2009-07-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

NEW WORK! Timberland TreeShirt Competition

With a bit of spare time off for the summer I've been busy doing little competitions as well as working on the revamp for my site. First on the list was a competition set by Timberland to design artwork for a new men's T-Shirt range. Below are my submissions. I've become a bit of a fan of geometric prints and work recently and particularly have taken influence from MWM: Parallel Universe here.

Main design:

Reduced to one colour print option:

Reduced to 3 colour print option:

3 colour print option 2:

2009-07-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Loughborough Graphics Students 09

Exhibiting at the D&AD show were my good old friends that are graduating this year from our course, including their lovely promo campaign panographic...see www.pano-graphic.co.uk for more details!

2009-07-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

D&AD New Blood 09

Finally I saw this years D&AD New Blood exhibition at Olympia, well worth a visit if you can get down before it finishes. There was some inspiring stuff coming out of the unis, but I think what was the most interesting was seeing what had been nominated for the Student Awards...

Exhibiting at the show were also the third years from my graphics course at Loughborough University. This year the guys have created an awesome group promotional campaign called Panographic...see next post!

2009-07-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Tues: Design Museum, Super Contemporary

The second thing I saw was Super Contemporary at the Design Museum. The exhibition told the story of culture, design and communication in Britain and particularly featured work from the great creatives in London. Perhaps the best thing though was the presentation of the exhibition. 3 lines of wood ran around the entire perimeter of the room, each representing a different aspect of design. Boards, artefacts, video screens and images were then propped and hung creating a long, engaging and beautifully composed presentation. The exhibition included designs for the future, as well as key items from the history of design for example the Dyson hoover and the "I'm not a plastic bag" eco-bag....a very inspiring and memorable exhibition well worth a visit!

2009-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Culture Vulture: Tuesday in London

The first thing I visited was the 2009 Fresh Faced and Wild Eyed Exhibition at the Photographers Gallery just off Oxford Street. There were some odd pieces of gold amongst the bunch. One series of work which especially stood out to me was that entitled 'Bibliography' by Kathryn Faulkner:

The series looks at a selection of artists and the relationship they have with books. Faulkner asked the artists to compile the most important twenty books in their lives and photographed the piles each just with the spines visible. Not only is the work aesthetically pleasing in terms of the colours and patterns of the spines and the range of the typography shown, but it also begins to serve a social purpose. Through the different photographs we begin to understand how people use books and the importance and significance of books in society.

2009-06-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

New campaign for Arjowiggins the Paper Manufacturer

These screen shots are taken from www.curiousstory.com, the website at the forefront of Arjowiggins' new rebrand to push their latest paper collections. The photography was shot by French fashion photographer Gregoire Alexandre and includes some stunning set design with the paper from Arjowiggins. The full story can be seen in an amazing website/flash design at www.curiousstory.com where visitors are also encouraged to interact with the story. A great example of beautiful photography but also very intelligent and engaging web design. The making of can also be seen here.

2009-06-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

D&AD New Blood

Tuesday I'm planning on heading to London to see D&AD New Blood...I really like the "I Pledge to Visit" campaign they've got for the exhibition, it gives a great sense of community in the art and design world. Visitors can also upload a photo of themselves which gives a nice interactive element too! See it here including a lovely picture of my face!!

2009-06-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

CR Graduate Article

Just found a nice article on Creative Review on advice for graduates...although I'm a year away from finishing uni thought there were some good ideas...Click here.

2009-06-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

Whilst on the subject of Coca Cola...

Love these old vintage Coke cans...I know red and silver is iconic for Coca Cola but I like the fact that different colours are used here, it gives it a brighter and more fun appearance whilst the logo and typefaces mean the brand image is still projected.

2009-06-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Coca Cola Encourages Recycling

New campaign by Coca Cola to both push their product but also the green ethics associated with the company. In the latest stunt, Coca Cola have produced an "Art Attack" style ad based on an original print campaign but this time out of old coke cans, suitably for the recycling message. It's a shame you need to be in the air to see it, it sort of limits who can read the message unless it's through a photography, but still a nice use of material and eye catching piece.

2009-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Kleenex Slice of Summer Packaging

Some nice new packaging here for Kleenex for this summer, thought this was particularly imaginative as it doesn't relate tissues to colds and sneezing for once and gives tissues a new fresh take, sparking thoughts of hot summers and juicy fruit! Lovely!

2009-06-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Armin Morbach

Really nice website for Armin Morbach's online portfolio here. Movement and composition gives an interactive feel and entices the viewer in. Some nice work too!

2009-06-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

Reminders

Following on from my post on Alex Ostrowski, another nice project on reminders this time by Erin Hanson. I like the typography as it gives that sense of home and the comfort from home-made craft objects.

2009-06-09T04:06:00.001-07:00

Oasis - RubberDuckZilla

Oasis have launched a pretty wacky new ad still along the lines of their "for people who don't like water" concept. It's a step in the complete opposite direction from cactus man, but I think I prefer this one, it's a bit more fun and the interactive games controlled by your webcam are a really nice way of engaging the audience. I also like the reference to retro gaming and the link to Japanese culture. See the ad here and play the game here.

2009-06-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

James Joyce

Also really love the work of James Joyce at www.one-fine-day.co.uk especially his use of colour and bold shapes and type which screams what he wants to communicate in a simple and energetic way.