After last weeks trip to Stockholm Design Lab we’ve been bitten by the scandinavian bug, so we’re taking you to Norway where we’re all gooey eyed and weak at the knee’s over Oslo’s Neue. Neue encompass that typically scandinavian chic body of work and none finer than their recently D&AD Best of Year book shortlisted brand work for Visit Nordkyn.
If one of your founders has won a Enrique Salazaar Award, by the Graphic Designers of Canada, for Best Young Designer in British Columbia ’02, you know you’re onto a reasonably good start. Skip forward to today and those bright eyed creatives Don Williams and Tak Yukawa’s Free Agency Creative have assembled what they describe as a process driven studio which emphasises creativity as being the result of solid strategy and diligent developmental phases.
A great portfolio of clients including some fantastic branding and digital work for clients like Arc’teryx, and if that isn’t enough, check out their collaboration project with the also wonderfully talented Mark James ~ Vanquish the Beast which “shares their love and understanding of all things beautiful, both aesthetic and philosophical…” Nice.
Tw. @freeagency
When I asked Switch to sum themselves up for me they used the phrases ‘nimble’ and ‘we play well with others’, this made me like them. The following images made me a like them even more. My posts have been pretty pun free thus far so on this occasion I’m going to throw in that they are truly switched on bunch, up the minute and right ON the pulse of contemporary design culture (sorry)! On a serious note they really are producing some pretty nifty work for some tasty clients over here in Auckland and have so far remained small and under the radar, just what we like here on DJ. One to watch I say.
Tw. @we_are_switch / Tumblr
LA based Itallian Eduardo Valdivieso’s Trozo Studio produces stunning mutli-layered wok that is a symphony of colour, texture and complexly constructed commentary. He seemlessly jumps between the conceptual and commercial realisation with unbelievable versatility and detail well worth studying.
Saturday’s St Patrick’s knees up made us take a good long hard look at ourselves ~ there was a distinct lack of presence from the Emerald Isle on our dear Journal. Enter Dubliner (though London-based) Stephen McCarthy and his delicious brand of goodies.
And goodies they are indeed from the über talented chap. Just five years out of university and currently earning his crust working for Imagination, of his work McCarthy says he; “employs a reductive approach to design output and firmly believes in the ability of graphic design to convey engaging messages.”
Tw. @loft27design
The Creative Method assure us that if we give them a great story, they will create a great brand. Nice story! Based over on the sunny side, Sydney, Australia, TCM’s story started back in 2005, seven years later they have a fine portfolio of great brands under their belt, including a few very fine wines. Their aim is to stay small and lets be honest, when you can no longer fit everyone’s face on the back of your letterhead you know things are out of control!
Based on the evidence-based approach to wayfinding and design, Buro North commissioned and collaborated with local illustrator Jane Reiseger on the development of illustrations for the wayfinding signage to create an environment where as patients move through different floors of the hospital their journey takes them from ‘underground’ at the lower ground levels through to ‘sky’ on the top floor. Specific areas within each level are described in relation to an appropriate animal, for example, ‘Koala Ward’ exists on the ‘Tree Tops’ level.
Working with Reiseger, Buro North developed the illustrations to create highly distinctive wayfinding graphics and over 5,000 signs, wall panels and essential landmarks for the large hospital site and introduced a playful and distinctive personality to the interior.
Buro North have contributed to creating an environment that is uniquely designed for children, spaces that are engaging, stimulating and take healing beyond the bedroom. The results are beyond fantastic and the video of the process is a great watch with their blog post about the testing phase makes for an interesting read too.
Wayfinding themes rebranded 2012 from The Royal Children’s Hospital on Vimeo.
A treasure trove of treats… that’s Stockholm Design Lab… über scandinavian cool with a collection of effortless Marks and identity systems that just leave you wanting more, more, more. Their award, exhibition and publication credit roll call has been getting longer consistently since 1996.
SDL say; “We experiment, build, think and rebuild. We are organized to never compromise with the end result of our work. Quality in every component is what creates the experience of the brands we work with.”
Tw. @SthlmDesignLab / Facebook
