Creative Generation

08/11/2022

12/04/2022

Big agency professionalism but affordable value for local small businesses!

Find Local Deals on Nextdoor, the neighbourhood hub.

21/03/2022

Just thought my promotional video is overdue an airing...

A showcase of some sample projects but through a fun 'homage' to the great Saul Bass and other 60s art directors – the influence of whom is still everywhere around us today.

Through Creative Generations!

I create brand power and deliver marketing communications through impactful graphic design.

Thanks to Adam Young and FineYoungFilms. It was a joy to work with you. You get it!

21/03/2022

A legend and graphic design hero, Saul Bass.

To me his work particularly defined an era of posters and movie title sequence graphics that strongly contributed to the visual identity of many classic movies.

He pretty much ushered in animated film titles – graphics that actually moved! Setting the scene and being an engaging taster of the film to come.

Working with legendary Directors from Preminger, through Hitchcock to Scorsese, he was perhaps... almost... as important a member of the creative team as the writer, director and leading actors... In fact supposedly he even directed the shower scene in Psyco! (Though Hitchcock denied this, the Bass storyboard was pretty close to the final sequence!)

I don't claim to be an expert film critic, I just love his graphic style. Invariably coupled with a dramatic jazz soundtrack, it's so evocative of a cool, progressive, and creative genre and/or time in American Cinema.

Is there a movie title sequence or visual style that stands out in your memory?

25/03/2021

A Mindmap for Mindshare!

There's an art to placing your brand in your target audience's mind.

Getting your message right is of course essential in the drive to achieve 'mindshare'; i.e. to become the only brand your customer thinks of in your market, for your product or service. The aim being to become the 'go to', leading brand they think of first.

However finding and reaching your audience in the most effective and efficient way is crucial.

Choosing and putting together the best value, integrated channel-mix and tools to deliver your marketing campaign message (including measuring tools) will achieve best return on investment (ROI) too.

And interestingly, while there's a growing multitude of marketing channels, new ones (e.g. digital) don't generally replace old ones (e.g. print) but just add more options to the available mix! Getting the best value combination from your budget is a challenge.

With over 20 years in the industry, I’ve pretty much designed for them all!

You'd need to zoom in to see which of these channels you have used or neglected. In fact, are there any others missing from this 'mindmap'?

18/03/2021

Gestalt

"The whole is other [greater] than the sum of the parts."
- Kurt Koffka

What is Gestalt?

Humans group similar elements, recognise patterns and simplify complex images when perceiving objects. Designers use the principles to organise graphic imagery/content so it is aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand.

“Gestalt” is German for “unified whole”.

Gestalt principles were initially defined in the 1920s by German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler. (There are around seven main principles but there's not enough room here to describe them but it's worth further reading!)

Graphic Designers adopted these principles, and you'll particularly see Gestalt employed in logos.

The Dropbox icon is a brilliant, perfectly designed and executed example. Just five diamond shapes – but we see more, through their positioning, arrangement, proportions and pattern.

Are there other examples of Gestalt that come to mind?

11/03/2021

Is your brand holding you back?

Your brand identity should be lifting your profile, making you memorable, and boosting your reputation and credibility. Marketing your offer and ultimately Generating business. However if it's not consistent and true to your message, it could actually be working against you.

Good branding boosts your business, helping not hindering.

Don’t let it give the wrong impression of your business. Business is tough anyway, you don’t need another thing you are battling against.

Perhaps consider whether your visual identity positions you where you want to be.

I can help you 'audit' your brand identity and marketing to gauge whether it accurately reflects your 'personality' and how you would like to be seen by your audience.

From that review, you may decide to refresh your identity or make your messaging and imagery consistent across your customers' touchpoints to not only achieve reach but clarity and therefore better ROI.

Does your logo, wider identity and marketing collateral accurately reflect what you offer and convey what you aspire to be?

04/03/2021

Passports to Success...

Last summer I worked on a great project for a South London Secondary School. Obviously London needs some Creative Generation from Bristol so this project was just up my street!

From content supplied I designed and produced a piece of – what I believed to be – an appropriate quality, (with gold foil blocking and matt laminated cover) but also at a reasonable cost. So not for a client's immediate commercial ROI, but hopefully this will achieve great results of another kind for the pupils and school!

I was excited to be working on a creative project that was ultimately for a good social cause. These passports aim to engage pupils and motivate them to achieve.

Obviously it was and continues to be challenging times for schools and students so we are happy to play any part (no matter how tiny) in the continuity of kids education.

Big respect to the teachers, staff and pupils of John Roan School!

25/02/2021

MARTY NEUMEIER:
"Your brand isn’t what YOU say it is. It’s what THEY say it is."

I always say that you don't have the ultimate control of your brand as it only really exists in the mind of your audience/customer. (In fact in graphic design and brand identity terms I could say only in the eye of the beholder!).

You can influence how your brand is communicated though.

Let's chat about how we can work together – with your audience – to visually communicate your brand and build recognition.

Do you agree with the above quote?

18/02/2021

Is everyone in your business on 'the same page?

Printed or downloaded, I love a good book – in this case, 'The Brand Gap' by Marty Neumeier – one of the most highly regarded experts on brand.

This well known, essential book really explains what a brand is and isn't (i.e. it's not a logo!), helps companies close the gap between business strategy and brand ex*****on and hopefully teams business owners, Directors and managers together with designers, brand and marketing agencies.

Succinct and to the point, Marty communicates quite deep concepts but in a light way. There's no fluff but powerful insights communicated with humour, large type and lots of clear graphic diagrams!

This book was certainly revelatory to me some ten years ago and has certainly informed my creative practice ever since.

Do you have a favourite, inspirational book that inspired your chosen career or business, or perhaps a day to day reference/manual that you run your business by?

11/02/2021

Truffled...

It was really enjoyable to work with Truffled of Totterdown in creating a brand identity and signage for the bistro's 'shopfront'.

A great project that allowed collaboration with the best signage company in Bristol, who produced and installed this fabulous frontage.

A great addition to this popular area.

Is your brand in need of a relaunch post-lockdown?