Free font Aller

This blog regularly posts about free fonts - here is the latest in this series of must have finds:

Sans Serif font Aller comes in a very useful 7 weights. It has been designed by Dalton Maag Ltd and can be downloaded free here

New West Midlands Fire Service award

There will be a new Graduation Prize next September for one lucky student from the Visual Communication Division.

Due to the quality and profile of ongoing work with the West Midlands Fire Service Academy across the past two-and-a-half years, Jim Marriott and Mike DiBernardo (from the WMFS Emergency Response Training Support Team) will be presenting  the 'West Midlands Fire Service Prize for Live Projects with Social Impact'. 

Thanks must go to Jim and Mike for organising this graduation prize.

Junior Designer - Creative Lynx, Manchester

Junior Designer 

Creative Lynx is a leading digital design agency – ranked highly in both the Design Week and Marketing Week top 100, we’re multiple award winning and have a sociable, friendly and extremely talented creative team based in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Due to our continued success, we are looking for a Junior Designer to join our studio. We would love to hear from recent graduates with a good degree, or Designers who have already gained some experience in an agency environment.

Our existing team is made up of extremely strong creatives at a range of levels and we are looking for someone who is flexible and broad ranging in their approach to complement this dynamic. We are looking for a junior creative who is ideas led and who has either worked on digital projects, or who can demonstrate a passion to work within the sector – you need to show you can think of innovative concepts and apply these through various mediums. Here you will have the opportunity to apply your ideas across the full range of digital and print media; from iPad and smartphone applications, to websites and brochures.

We work with an extremely broad range of clients, from global pharmaceutical businesses through to public sector organisations, local restaurants and universities. What we would love to see in your portfolio are great ideas and an ability to hit the right tone in a variety of styles and approaches. It goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent mac skills and that you’re happy working as part of a fast paced, busy team.

In return, we offer an excellent working environment, we’re centrally located, extremely busy and your appointment will be part of planned expansion across the business as a whole. Interested applicants should apply to Sophie Jackson via sophie.jackson@creativelynx.co.uk; sending a copy of your CV, a covering letter and most importantly, your portfolio.

Creative Lynx is proud to be part of the Havas network www.havas.com

Graphic Design Intern - Motilo Ltd, London

Graphic Design intern

Launched in April 2011, Motilo.com is an online community where you can shop together in real time with your friends. Motilo offers an interactive fashion-focused social network fused with a unique e-commerce platform.

www.motilo.com

Motilo.com is looking for a Graphic Design intern with digital/web design skills. The main duty will be assisting senior designers and helping with day-to-day tasks in the studio. The candidate must be competent in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and have experience in creating web banners as well as a basic knowledge of HTML.

Whilst creativity and knowledge of the latest fashion and design trends are a must, good efficiency, organization skills and experience working in a design studio environment are essential.

The length of the placement is four weeks with a view to extend. This is an ideal opportunity for recent graduates living in London.

How to apply:
To apply for this position please email design@motilo.com, with your CV and examples of your work attached.

Design Intern - Sectorlight Marketing & Design Ltd, London

Design Intern

Sectorlight, an independent, multi award winning Marketing and Design agency offer a 3 month internship for graduates looking to gain solid creative agency experience with which to progress their careers.

Successful applicants should expect to work across a range of job requirements, assisting both artworkers and designers in our busy studio. The Studio intern is an integral part of our team, you will work on live accounts and pitches and learn to manage your time and work with the studio to produce creative campaigns from initial brief to final delivery.

The post is unpaid – but we do cover travel expenses (within London) and daily lunch.

Applicants should have a relevant design degree and be able to use InDesign and Photoshop.

Please send a covering email, CV and design portfolio & web links to: csideris@sectorlight.com

Junior Designers/paid placement - Meri Media, London

Junior Designer at Meri Media

Meri Media is a digital publishing company mainly working in the field of art and fashion. Alongside POST, our self initiated iPad magazine, we are working for clients including; Gucci, Lancôme, Comme Des Garçons, Stella McCartney, Purple.fr…

We are looking for a junior designer with a great attitude and attention to details to assist our creative team. This is a paid placement but this could eventually become a full time position if you fit the role.

How to Apply
If you are interested, please send us your work to:jobs@merimedia.com

Berlin trip

We are organising a trip to Berlin in March next year, family and friends are also welcome.
The total cost is £315, this includes the following;

• 3 nights / 4 days bed and breakfast hotel accommodation (multi-bedded rooms with private facilities, twin and single available at £60 supplement)
• flights from Luton
• Transport from University to airport and return
• Transport from airport to Berlin hotel and return
• Insurance

We will be travelling on Saturday 9th March, returning on Tuesday 12th March 2013.
The total cost may go down slightly depending on flight costs, these cannot be confirmed until we make the payment.
Berlin is an exciting city with lots of culture and art to explore. This trip will not impact on your studies and it would be great if you could come with us!
Places are limited to 40, however, if there is enough interest I may be able to book more.
Deposits of £120 will be due in 3 weeks time, on or before 16th November and the remainder due by the end of December. Details of how to make payments will be issued early next week.
If you are interested in coming then please can you email me, just put BERLIN in the subject, 
If you have any questions then please get in touch.
louise.fenton@wlv.ac.uk

The iF Concept Design Award

The iF Concept Design Award is one of the world’s most important design competitions for young design talent - with approx. 11,000 entries in 2012 alone.

To reflect the range of contributions, the iF concept design award accepts entries in four categories with several sub-categories. The main categories are:

• product design / industrial design
• communication design / multimedia design
• fashion design
• architecture / interior design

Furthermore there are five fields of change, the trend roots:

• Social Change
• Cultural Change
• Economic Change
• Ecological Change
• Technological Change

They indicate a change in society that the entry is most likely to achieve. When registering, every entry has to be assigned to one category and to one trend root. The jury reserves the right to assign the entry to a different category or trend root.

Moreover, for the third time there will be a special prize as part of the iF Concept Design Award: the "Hansgrohe Preis 2013: Efficient Water Design", calling for entries on the theme of "My Open Shower Space".

All entries to the iF concept design award 2013 that relate to this theme, can also be submitted to the Hansgrohe Preis.

The intellectual property rights of all submitted designs remain with the participants. The organizers will not implement any concepts submitted to the iF Concept Design Award.

There is no entry fee.

Eligibility

The competition is open to students and graduates in the fields of design, architecture, marketing and engineering from all over the world.

Prize

The iF Concept Design Award has a total prize money of EUR 30,000 (approx. 38,500 USD).

The Hansgrohe Preis 2013 comes with a total prize money of 5,000 EUR (approx. 6,500 USD).

For more information visit:

http://www.ifdesign.de/talents_home_e

Compost Awareness Week Poster Contest 2013

The International Compost Awareness Week Committee of the US Composting Council invites you to get involved in ICAW 2013 Poster Contest.

Compost is the recycling of organic materials to create a valuable soil amendment. Using it provides plants with essential nutrients, protects soil against the threat of erosion, and increases soil health without the use of chemicals and reduces water pollution.

The poster must include the words "International Compost Awareness Week May 6 – 12, 2013" along with the poster theme "Compost: Nature’s way to grow!". The concept and images of the poster should be based on "compost use" or address the "benefits of recycling organic residuals". We will especially look for images that demonstrate that compost is not limited to a specific use, but has many uses. Compost is used for both commercial and residential applications and in a variety of industries such as landscape, nursery, agriculture and horticulture. For example, compost can be used in vegetable and flower gardens, for tree and shrub planting, for sod production and roadside projects, in wetlands creation, soil remediation and land reclamation, sports fields and golf courses, and for erosion control and stormwater management. When creating your poster, please remember that the winning poster will be reproduced and distributed nationally.

All entries will be reviewed by the judges and the best three identified in each division. The divisions are:
• Grades 3 to 7
• Grades 8 to 12
• College students and adults

There is no entry fee.

Eligibility

The contest is open worldwide to anyone who would like to help celebrate composting and promote the benefits of composting and compost use.

Prize

The Poster Contest Winner will have his/her poster reproduced and distributed nationwide. It will be the official 2013 International Compost Awareness Week poster and featured on the US Composting Council Web site. The winning “poster artist” will have his/her name posted on the USCC website and will be included on all print material and in any USCC press releases in association with our Annual ICAW Celebration.

Moreover, the successful poster winner will receive a $500 savings bond prize. The winners of the other two divisions will each receive a $100 savings bond prize. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

For more information see:

http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/jump.php?contest=compost-awareness-week-poster-contest-2013

Free box and envelope template generator

Take a look at Ideogram box template maker. Choose the box design or envelope you want and type in your own dimensions. A PDF template will be generated specially using the measurements you chose. Download the file and print it out. The PDF can be edited in Illustrator too.

http://www.ideogram.nl/boxmaker/

Savvas Georgiades - Sandwich Placement

Savvas Georgiades has just returned from a years sandwich placement at Majestic-12 Ltd - the company behind MajesticSEO.com - a global leader specialising in providing internet map data to internet marketing specialists. He was employed as a Web designer, His role consisted of producing designs for others to implement. He worked in a team to introduce a consistent look and feel to the company website, and associated channels, such as the blog, Youtube page, and facebook page. He was also involved in other aspects of advertising and branding, including T-shirts, key rings, voucher cards and banners for conferences around the world. 

" I feel really proud and fortunate that I had the chance to experience being part of a company in a nice environment and work within a group of professionals. says Savvas. "It is obvious that being a part of a working team, you rely on them and they rely on you and it is very important to keep this balance. I believe, a sandwich placement is an excellent opportunity for every student to gain good experience and get an understanding of the real world outside the University. It gives you the chance to learn how professionals work - I would definitely suggest other students apply for a placement because it is a challenge and a great experience to expand learning."

The DRN Conference took place on 11th and 12th of September and was attended by academics, researchers and practitioners from all over the world, from Australia to the United States to Loughborough University.

Wolverhampton Visual Communication lecturers participated - The work of Howard Reid was exhibited and Jessica Glaser presented a paper entitled 'The role of drawing within the development and realisation of designing with type'.

Andrew Selby Head of School of The Arts at Loughborough University, said: "This conference was well attended by a rich variety of practicioners and academics. We knew Drawing Knowledge would both attract attention and provide a great talking point for presentations and it has delivered on this."

View the original call for papers for Drawing Knowledge at the DRN Conference this year by clicking the link below:
http://www.drawing-research-network.org.uk/drn-conference-2012/

A number of fascinating drawing research sites and blogs are linked to the DRN, including:

Reportager which exists in order to support, initiate, and showcase projects involving drawing as reportage, visual journalism, documentary drawing and illustration as visual essay. http://reportager.uwe.ac.uk

Antarctic Time-Lapse Drawings established by Nicholas Hutcheson who has created an ongoing series of short time-lapse drawings of the Antarctic landscape.
http://nicholashutcheson.com/antarctic/flash_content/overview.html

Drawing Research as a Comic, A drawing research blog by Nick Sousanis taking the form of a comic. It approaches drawing research using a metaphor of seeing, and seeing through drawing,
http://spinweaveandcut.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/mind-gaps-narrative-research-as-drawing.html

 

Frauke Mester - graduate success

The work of visual communication MA graduate Frauke Mester has just been featured on Packaging of the World - Creative Packaging Design Gallery. Her innovative design for Break Up cereal, is founded on an 1859 quote from Charles Darwin:

"It it not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change.“

"The quote is not only applicable to nature, but also to packaging design" says Frauke "Due to changing consumer demands, packaging has to adapt to these changes in order to stay competitive." she continues
Read more about Break Up here

onedotzero - freelance opportunities

onedotzero are on the lookout for creative freelancers
onedotzero are looking for talented freelancers from various disciplines for future work and also some specific skills for our partners who are looking to collaborate with some exceptional talent from our network. We'd like to hear from the following people:

- Photoshop Artists/Matte painters
- Graphic designers/illustrators
- 2D Animators, especially After Effects and Flash
- 3D Max generalists
- Character Animators [ideally 3D studio Max and Flash]
- Creative Directors
- Live action directors
- Unity programmers
- Digital/interactive creatives/programmers
- Producers

If you think you may fit the bill, please email us (info@onedotzero.com) with examples of your work, and be sure to let us know which category you feel that you fit into to. Freelancers should be available to work in the London region.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Arjun Rull - Sandwich placement

Graphics student Arjun Rull has just returned from a years sandwich placement with Capgemini organised by Hilary Price in the Creative Employability Studio. His role within the team allowed him to use and develop diverse skills linked to technology, the work environment plus solution objects for rapid design, prototyping and implementation.

While at the company, Arjun was involved in the running of events for clients including HMRC.

"Truthfully, this placement was the best opportunity and risk I've ever under-taken" Says Arjun "It has allowed me to first hand experience the business/corporate world that awaits me after I graduate. I say risk, because I knew it would mean a year out of the University, and taking extra time to complete my degree. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong, as it just meant I would be a year ahead of everyone at graduation. Knowing this, I have gained so much more awareness of the necessary requirements of my profession. 

Through this placement I've dealt with clients, moved around to various locations of Capgemini (London, Worthing, Newcastle). I've learnt how to push my abilities to breaking point and how to develop myself and my confidence in every area. But most of all I've learnt how to ask the right question. There is no such question is a wrong or stupid question and being able to ask the right question will allow me to visualise an answer from a completely different perspective. I've not just gained new skills in using software, hardware or programmes but most importantly, I've learnt how to approach the world of work, gaining advanced skills in communication; talking, listening, documenting, editing, and self-awareness. So many new skills come to mind that have transformed me into a completely different person, than I was a year ago.”

To find out more about Sandwich Placements for Visual Communication Students contact Hilary Price at: h.price@wlv.ac.uk or phone 01902 322433

Trip to Warner Bros Studios

A trip to Warner Bros Studios, London is taking place on November 7th. Tickets are £21.00 each and can be purchased by visual communication students from:

http://www.estore.wlv.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?modid=1&prodid=1204&deptid=124&compid=1&prodvarid=0&catid=5

This visit has been organised by Digital Media. If you have any questions please contact Steve Arnott Course Leader, Animation Digital Media School s.p.arnott@wlv.ac.uk

Design Internship - YouView,London

Design Internship

About the Role:
We’re looking for an ambitious intern with a focus on UI design. You’ll feel comfortable with a hands on role designing and updating interfaces in Photoshop and helping out on the general graphic design duties.

Essential Skills:
Genuine proven interest in UI, digital and print design. Knowledge of Adobe CS Suite and Microsoft Office programs. Attention to detail and ability to produce high-quality work. Loves challenges and comes up with creative solutions.

Requirements:
While work experience is not required, a portfolio is absolutely essential.

To apply, please fill out our online application found here:

http://bit.ly/Vbq3n0

Executive/Studio Support – 6 month internship, JPCreative, South London

Executive/Studio Support – 6 month internship

Creative communications agency seeks friendly, dexterous and super organised team player!

Does a, misplaced comma annoy you?
Have you planned your to-do list before you’ve finished your breakfast?
Do you dream about Powerpoint presentations?
Have you answered yes to all the above?
Then this role might just be your ‘cup of tea’!

We have a fantastic opportunity for a young and enthusiastic intern to join and support our exceptionally busy team. Working within a lively, creative environment you will be responsible for executive support duties to the client accounts team whilst juggling a whole host of admin adventures! It will be your challenge to get the best quotes from the best suppliers for the best prices, to research on a whole variety of projects, and to provide top quality service to our clients.

Who we are?
A dynamic team of 15, based in a fantastic studio in Brixton, London. Friendly, ambitious and passionate about what we do. No egos, just lots of cake.

Who are we looking for?
• Excellent and confident communicator at all levels
• Can demonstrate exceptional attention to detail
• Able to manage time effectively
• Highly competent using the full Office suite
• Knows their way around a Mac and a thing
• Flexible, friendly, super organised and dependable.

This is a 6-month unpaid role initially. All travel expenses will be covered.
If this sounds like you, then we very much look forward to hearing from you.

What to do next?
1. Please email your current CV to studio@jpcreative.co.uk
2. Please give us three reasons why you think you would be perfect for this role.
3. Please tell us what your favourite type of cake is…

Illustrator - Vitra—London EC1M5PG

Illustrator for showroom window
The Vitra showroom team is looking for a young illustrator who would like the chance to help design this year’s Christmas window at the Clerkenwell showroom.

The chosen illustrator must be able to work free-hand and at a large-scale.

Please send examples of your work to valerie.droulers@vitra.com by the 19th of October.

Digital designer - Wish Want Wear,London

Digital designer – 2 days a week

Wish Want Wear is seeking a digital designer to join our talented team in a part time position. You will be responsible for conceptualising and designing all branding and marketing communications for the company.

2 days a week
This position is a unique opportunity for someone who is keen to take on lots of responsibility and shape the look and feel of a luxury website. Its a great role for someone who is interested in graphic design and web design for the fashion industry. Its perfect for someone who likes to have creative license and would like to work in an open environment which fuels creativity

Responsibilities include:
-Taking ownership of the branding and designing of websites and micro-sites
- Production of weekly newsletters, marketing material and ongoing website enhancement
- Projects also include occasional identity design, photography shoots, creating collateral for events

Required Skills
- A relevant online portfolio which demonstrates at least two years experience in a retail field – preferably fashion based.
- Knowledge of current e-commerce best practice and trends.
- Strong computer skills with your own MacBook Pro and your own copy of Adobe CS5
- Proven experience in a fashion/ editorial digital space and must be well versed with designing for the web and email newsletters
- Ability to seamlessly switch between print and digital
- An interest in graphics, photography and typography
- Organized and reliable with attention to detail – can handle multiple simultaneous tasks and work in a fast-paced environment
- Some HTML coding would be an advantage but not a pre-requisite.

If you feel this is for you, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your CV and few relevant samples of your work to careers@wishwantwear.com.

Graphic Design Placement - The Network, London, Turnham Green

Graphic Design Placement

The Network is one of the top 10 field marketing and events companies in the UK. We are currently looking for a graphic designer to work in-house on a range of projects within the events and marketing team. A good knowledge of photoshop, illustrator, indesign, power-point/keynote is required.

Please submit your CV and portfolio to jaquline.murphy@thenetwork-uk.com

Damien Hirst - Artist Rooms

Readers of this blog may remember Artist Rooms Ed Ruscha exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery (if not click here). One of the latest shows in this series is now on at The New Art Gallery Walsall.

This ground-breaking, new display will feature Damien’s sculptures, paintings and prints presented within the Garman Ryan Galleries. The display will be accompanied by a series of inspired satellite exhibitions, events and activities through the course of the year.

ARTIST ROOMS On Tour is an inspired partnership with the Art Fund - the fundraising charity for works of art, making the ARTIST ROOMS collection of international contemporary art available to galleries throughout the UK. ARTIST ROOMS is jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland and was established through The d’Offay Donation in 2008, with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.

The exhibition is free and on until 27 October 2013. For more information visit:
http://www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/whats-on/exhibition/damien-hirst

Design Matters with Debbie Millman

This time last year we highlighted Design Matters with Debbie Millman - a fantastic archive of interviews with notable individuals from the design world.

This post highlights a broadcast from earlier this year of an interview with Erik Spiekermann.

Erik Spiekermann is author, information architect, type designer (FF Meta, ITC Officina, FF Unit et al) and author of books and articles on type and typography. He was founder (1979) of MetaDesign, Germany’s largest design firm. He is responsible for corporate design programmes for Audi, Skoda, Volkswagen, Lexus, Heidelberg Printing, Bosch and way-finding projects like Berlin Transit, Düsseldorf Airport and many others. In 1988 he started FontShop, a company for production and distribution of electronic fonts. He is board member of the German Design Council and Past President of the ISTD International Society of Typographic Designers, as well as the IIID International Institute for Information design. 

Listen to Debbie Millman's wonderful discussion with Erik Spiekermann at

http://observermedia2.designobserver.com/audio/erik-spiekermann/32368/

One Plain One Fancy - update

Readers of this blog may remember earlier posts about 'One Plain One Fancy' a competition from Mat Dolphin - if not, take look at selected entries for from graphics alumni Louise Carrier and final year student Loren Russel Ahern. One of the most recent entries to be featured and shown here, is by graphics student Haydn Ellis. To find out more about One Plain One Fancy and to enter visit http://www.matdolphin.com/play/illustrations/one-plain-one-fancy/

Congratulations Haydn

Embracing Our Differences competition

Embracing Our Differences invites artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, teachers and students to participate in its new visual art exhibit celebrating diversity. 45 artists will be selected for the exhibit. Since 2004, the exhibit has been viewed by more than 850,000 visitors. The exhibit will contain 39 billboard-sized images of the selected artworks. In the judges’ discretion, an additional six honorable mention selections may be made.

Final selections will be chosen based on artistic excellence in reflection of the theme “Embracing Our Differences”. The art-work will also be evaluated on how effectively it will read outdoors when enlarged to billboard size – 16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high. Artists are encouraged to use bold saturated colors and strong lines. Final selections will be made by a 3-judge panel of professional artists, curators and art professionals.

The mission of Embracing Our Differences is to use art as a catalyst for creating awareness and promoting the value of diversity, the benefits of inclusion and the significance of the active rejection of hatred and prejudice.

There is no entry fee and there is no limit on the number of entries. for more information click here

Eligibility

Artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, teachers and students are eligible. National and international submissions are encouraged.

Prize

A total of $3,000 in awards will be presented.

Do you love what you see when you look in the mirror? Love Your Body: 2013 Poster Contest

Deadline: Postmarked December 3, 2012

The National Organization for Women Foundation hosts an annual poster contest to celebrate the Love Your Body Campaign. Winning posters will be chosen based on how well they counteract the media’s use of narrow, unrealistic, negative images of women and/or challenge advertisers that profit from women’s dissatisfaction with their bodies.

Posters should be graphically attractive and use a dynamic message. We especially look for images that demonstrate beauty is not limited by body size, body type, ethnicity, age or physical appearance. The winning posters will be displayed in schools and other public settings, so please consider this when designing your poster.

Poster should be no larger than 9" x 12". Artists may submit multiple posters in the same category, but may not submit posters in different categories. Category is determined by the age of the designer/artist. Only original artwork will be considered.

There is no entry fee.

For more information click here

Previous winning entries by Lisa champ and Marie Bushbaum

Artists in Residence in Visual Communication

2 visual communication graduates, Blair Frame and Sangita Kumari have recently been made Artists in Residence within the School of Art and Design during 2012/2013. The roles involve supporting students, whilst also continuing to develop their own practice within the School.
To see more of Blairs work click here

Design Culture module visit to the Icon Gallery

As part of the module 'Design Culture', final year students have enjoyed visiting the Icon Gallery to see  'Arefin & Arefin - The graphic design of Tony Arefin'. The exhibition on until 4th November, is a comprehensive survey of work by Tony Arefin (1962–2000), a graphic designer who emerged during the late 1980s as one of the most important figures in the British art world. With his numerous catalogues for institutions such as the Serpentine Gallery, ICA, Chisenhale Gallery and Ikon itself, Arefin had achieved such art world dominance by the early 1990s that design critic Rick Poynor described him as ‘single-handedly processing the print needs of the entire British art scene’.

Whilst at the Gallery students also took in 'And Europe Will Be Stunned', the film trilogy by Israeli artist Yael Bartana. Centred on the activities of The Jewish Renaissance Movement in Poland (JRMiP), a political group founded by the artist, who call for the return of 3,300,000 Jews to the land of their forefathers, the films traverse a landscape scarred by the histories of competing nationalisms and militarisms. Collectively they address narratives of the Israeli settlement movement, Zionist dreams, antisemitism, the Holocaust and the Palestinian right of return.

For more information about these exhibitions visit:

http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/programme/current/