My Voice On The Wall

New design work...

2012-01-31T05:17:00.000-08:00

Recent design work has involved the development of a leaflet and marketing materials for Wholsale Heat. I'm currently developing a consistent brand image that will improve the clients overall look and appearance.

Chin up Andy Murray

2012-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've just watched probably the best game of Tennis that I have ever seen. Novak Djokovic beat Andy Murray in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, but it was an amazing 5 set battle. Djokovic won in the 5th set on 6-3 3-6 6-7 (4/7) 6-1 7-5. Andy Murray played the best tennis that I've ever seen. Chin up Andy, you've really improved.

Design should be better represented in Toronto

2012-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

While I'm on the subject of Design Museums, I usually visit the Design Exchange in Toronto when I'm there, and although it's currently housed in the former Stock Exchange building on Bay Street, which has a brilliant Art Deco facade, I think that it would be a good idea if the subject of design was represented in its own building. How this could be done or organised, I don't know, but I think, as an exhibition space, it is slightly overlooked in Toronto. I have seen a few design graduate shows there and I believe that it is also used in Toronto Fashion week, but I just think that at the present moment, it is in the middle of the financial district and would attract a better audience if there was some kind of design museum over on King West, or Queen West.

London Design Museum to move...

2012-01-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Plans have been announced today that the London Design Museum is to move. The current site, near Butlers Wharf in South London is, in my opinion a wee bit out of the way to get the full attention that it deserves. The new site will be in the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington. It will be much larger and therefore able to house larger exhibits. The Design Museum, in its current location, has played a great role in raising the profile and awareness of design, but I think it will be able to reach a larger audience when it eventually moves to Kensington.

New British Gas Logo

2012-01-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

So British Gas have finally refreshed their logo after many years. The previous version of the logo was okay, but it dates back to a time when British Gas only supplied gas. As well as supplying electricity, I guess they will be preparing for the flame shape to evolve into a more power-revolving type of symbol. Looking to the future I would presume that this shape will eventually morph into something that might reflect other sources of energy. I imagine it will be a very big project to change the logo on all of their branding, so big utility companies only do this every 15 years or so. I like the new colours, to me they literally say "we want to be a bit more green". Lets hope the company lives up to that. The strapline "Looking after your world" falls in line with the trend towards a more cuddly image that other large conglomerates are moving towards. The Bank of Scotland strapline used to be "Always giving you extra", now, post-credit crunch, it is "With you all the way".

New British Gas Logo

Old British Gas Logo

Maternity Slide Sheet

2012-01-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

I'll be doing some design work soon for my friends at Hooglii. The Hooglii Maternity Slide Sheet is designed to help pregnant women have a better nights sleep. It makes turning over in bed easier as it assists movement and reduces pain.

Where would the next Leonardo da Vinci work?

2012-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

When I visited Italy a few years ago, I made a point of visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. I enjoyed seeing the work of Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci as well as many others. I am amazed that Sandro Botticelli could paint like this more than 500 years ago. I think his Birth of Venus was painted around 1490. I was going to try to make it to London to visit the Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition, but it looks like I won't get there now. I admire all of the Renasissance artisits. I wonder what Leonardo or Michelangelo would be creating if they were alive now, in 2012? Today people think they are being creative because they have built a website or done something in Photoshop, but are we truly creative as we used to be? Very few people write letters any more and even fewer people sketch. Would Leonardo be working for Apple, or Pixar, if he were alive today? I'm not so sure.

"The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli

Wholesale Heat - Hot Logs Branding

2012-01-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

I designed the "Hot Log Briquettes" bag branding for Wholsale Heat back in October. Now that the bags have been printed and are in circulation, I am quite happy with the final result. My client wanted a simple design that needed to work with a basic colour-way for screen printing.

My Favourite Hillwalking photos of last 4 years...

2011-12-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

I've only been away on 2 trips to the highlands this year, so I decided to put up my favourite pictures from the last 4 years. I normally write about design on this blog, but there are a few readers who also like the outdoors and I think that they would appreciate these pictures.

Border Baguettes signs

2011-12-31T10:07:00.001-08:00

BEMAC - Berwickshire (East) Mountain Activities Club

2011-12-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

I sometimes go climbing with BEMAC - Berwickshire (East) Mountain Activities Club. Great website Alan, keep up the good work. I hope to do more hillwalking in 2012.

Some other signs...

2011-12-31T09:20:00.000-08:00

Some other signs that I designed while I was employed at Fantasy Prints Ltd.

"My First... Information Sign"

2011-12-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

I designed 14 Information signs for Midloathian Council back in 2001 and, to my amazement, most are still standing!

"My First.....Billboard"

2011-12-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

I designed this billboard for Blair Drummond Safari Park in 2002, it is hard to imagine that I have now been doing work for them for over 10 years now.

FLYERZONE

2011-12-31T04:49:00.000-08:00

I've been supplying design templates to Flyerzone for about six months now. Flyerzone is a new venture into the world of pre-built design templates. Owned by Printing.com they have a very large range of flyer and leaflet templates. Within my designs, I have tried to offer a mixed range of high end designs as well as some budget focussed work.

Cohorts by Design

2011-12-31T04:31:00.000-08:00

I've recently supplied some files to a local design company called Cohorts by Design. I quite like their folio website which is quirky but still business-like at the same time. They are based in Galashiels and do some interesting work.

More on Photography...

2011-12-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

The photos of me for ScotlandShop were taken by YID Photography. YID Photography are a company based in Duns, in the Scottish Border region. YID is a well known and respected Photographer, specialising in Portrait, Wedding and Event photography. Personally, I believe that a sign of a good photographer is down to the rapport that they have with their subjects, as much as their technical skill. YID has both of these skills and does it with ease.

Image Newcastle Photography

2011-12-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

I normally write about graphic design on this blog, but I thought I'd mention some photos that I had taken a few years ago. About 4 years ago, I thought that I might get some model work, so I had some lifestyle shots taken by John and Serena of Image Newcastle. I was very impressed with the overall results and I would recommend anyone to use them. The photos were worth the effort because I did get some modelling out of it from ScotlandShop. As a designer, I am normally working on the other side of the camera at the occasional photo shoot for scarves or other products, but a wee bit of vanity now and then can be good fun.

Nice Website...

2011-12-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

I see that the Berwick Rangers Supporters Trust have moved over to a .org website. I think the site looks new and fresh. I think it works well and suits the magazine style of website that is best suited for football websites. All the best for the remainder of the season.

Wholesale Heat

2011-12-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

I was recently involved in the design of a new project for Wholsale Heat. The work involved logo design concepts and a website layout. Wholesale Heat are suppliers of quality wholesale kiln dried firewood logs, wholesale briquettes, wholesale wood pellets, wholesale kindling and real Scottish peat.

And here is some festive link love....

2011-12-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

Some associate businesses that I occasionally do business with are Print Spot and Fantasy Prints. These great businesses are based in the town of Berwick upon Tweed.

Here's one "Big Up Myself"...

2011-12-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

My own design consultancy website is now live.

Border Baguettes, Duns

2011-12-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

I recently did some design concepts for Border Baguettes based in Duns. The client wanted a simple solution, so that's what I did. Overall, I think that the design works well. The proprietor has a good reputation and great experience working within the food industry.

I like Duns and the surrounding area too..

2011-11-24T08:40:00.001-08:00

I like Berwick...

2011-11-24T00:09:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, I visited the ancient town of Lucca in Italy. Legend has it that the plans for the walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed were based on a similar design to that of Lucca. Amazing. Berwick is a thriving market town in Northumberland. It has a thriving local community of shops, trades and businesses.

Recent Design Work

2011-11-23T09:36:00.001-08:00

Is it true about the new Blue Jays Logo?

2011-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Star has released an article stating that a blog has leaked an image of a new Blue Jays Logo, which looks like it has been changed to look very much their original version. At the moment it is unconfirmed on the Blue Jays official website, but if it is true, then it is quite a big step. You can still buy official merchandise at their stadium with the original branding on anyway. I was getting used to the most recent version of the keen eyed Blue Jay, but this version is good also. Will they change the name of stadium back to the Skydome too!

1977

2004

2011?

New Fidelity Logo

2011-09-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

Fidelity, the investment house, have launched their new logo. I think it is a brave but worthwhile step in a new direction. They have retained the styling within their press ads and also the same colour schemes, so they shouldn't be confused as some other new company. In my opinion, I think the Fidelity brand is big enough to carry this off without any negative impact. I think it is quite a nice design. Their old logo was a little outdated, but this seems more than just a tweak to the overall look, but more of a new step, which might reflect new markets, a new era or perhaps to appeal to younger clients, then I think they have done quite a nice job of it.

New Logo

Old Logo

Cologne Bottle Photoshop Rendering

2011-09-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

I recently created a cologne bottle in Photoshop. This was just a project to keep my skills sharp. At first I wasn't sure how to create a cologne bottle render, but all I did was take a photo of it and then recreated it while omitting all the small imperfections, smudges and flakes of dust etc. Basically it is just a matter of cleaning it up. A kind of hyper-reality. A time consuming job, but worthwhile, I think. This 2D illustration could well have been created with 3D software, like Maya or 3Ds Max, or Softimage, but it depends on what the final function of the artwork is. If the end result is to be 2D, then Photoshop is good enough for me.

"eau de toilette pour homme" as they say in France

Zoo Website Review - San Francisco Zoo

2011-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Zoo website is okay. Just okay, I wouldn't say that it is great or inspiring, just okay. It has many interesting pages of noteworthy content. It has lots of information about the zoo, but I just don't think it is very inspiring. It doesn't make me go "Wow". Personally I think it could do with a makeover. In my opionion it needs some "Va Va Voom" some amazing photography, features with more impact and excitement put in. As an information resource it serves its purpose. It can be used and accessed with relative simplicity, but the overall design is just a bit dull.

Spray Container Rendered in Photoshop

2011-09-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

I've also recently created some simple spray containers in Photoshop. If you are a designer and are creating a packaging label project, and would like to present your labels on a blank container? These pre-rendered images may be the kind of resource that you and other designers are looking for. When I'm creating a packaging label, I don't have time to create a bottle or jar etc, in 3D or 2D, but I hope to build up a small library of blank packaging containers for this very purpose.

Glass Beer Bottle Rendering in Photoshop

2011-09-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

I created some more bottles in Photoshop, but this time, I retained the transparency within the image. Basically I just didn't merge all my layers. I have found that if I retain my layers, then I can insert a background at a later date if need be. Here I have just added a spotted background, just to demonstrate that a background image can be inserted to show the transparency of a glass bottle. I may not always want to use a white background, so this should be a good resource file for the next time I have to design a bottle label.

Zoo Website Review - London Zoo

2011-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

The London Zoo website is packed full of great content and interesting stuff. Some other zoo websites don't quite get that their main users are families with young children. This site does make the effort to appeal to its users. The site isn't boring, but it isn't too crazy either. Most web designers try to keep "bells and whistles" and other bits that go "whiz" within a website to a minimum, which is fine for predominantly business focussed websites, but when the target audience need to be inspired, then it is good to have lots of fun content. The site offers education projects as well as fun games centred around their animals. As far as the function of the website goes, I think it will inspire people to visit the zoo, so therefore it does what it is supposed to do.

Diet Coke Brand Refresh

2011-08-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

I quite like the new Diet Coke brand refresh. It is quite simple, but bold. I think the brand is strong enough in its own right to move in this direction. The silver colour is as important a part as the red and black text now. I personally prefer the "real thing" with the full sugar. I actually prefer sugar to sweetners, but that's just my preference. Diet Coke has a huge number of loyal customers and this will not dampen that. Coke have done a good job. I think that their brand development has not changed the flavour, only the packaging, so this can only improve their sales.

Samsung Website is very slick, but it works brilliantly.

2011-08-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

I had a look at the Samsung UK website and found it dripping with technology. It is very slick and it did leave me wanting things that I've never wanted before, like a camcorder. All products have been excellently rendered to a very high standard. The site navigation is fairly easy to follow, but the site is a little thin on text content. It takes a few clicks to get to some detailed information. I suppose that Samsung are a great brand who offer a wide range from TVs, mobiles, tablets and computers, so this is as much a showcase website than anything else. For a website that says "Wow look at all the great stuff we make" it works very well, but personally there is too much emphasis on style than detailed substance for me.

Photoshop Render of plastic bottle

2011-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

So a while back, I created a plastic bottle in Photoshop. At the time I wasn't sure how to render a bottle in Photoshop, but I gave it a go. Although I never kept the the original photo, I created this bottle by taking a photo of a plastic bottle and then simplified the reflections.

First I created a plain background with a grid of dots on it so that the transparency of the bottle would be shown.

Then I traced the complete outer shape and filled it with a sold grey. Then, using the eraser, in airbrush mode, I took away some of the middle area to show some transparency in this base layer.

I then duplicated that layer and brightened it. Then I took the brightened layer and airbrushed away all, but the outer edges, just to give the bottle some shape.

The reflections took up the majority of the time in this project. It is just a case of tracing almost all of the reflections, by drawing a path around each one, filling and blurring until it looks realistic. The point of this is not to make it look exactly like a photo, but a simplified version, so that if you have to add a label design to your image, it looks better than a digital photo.

To get the red of the bottle top, I just copied and pasted the layer and then hit the "colorize" button within hue and saturation. Then I brightened it to get a vivid red.

Added some reflections to the bottle top.

Finally I created a bottle reflection below the bottle, to stop it look like it was floating. To do this I just merged my layers and duplicated the bottle, flipped it round and eraser airbrushed away the edge. Done.

New Starbucks Logo - not my cup of tea!

2011-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Another logo that changed recently without me really noticing was the New Starbucks Logo. I noticed only last week, but they changed it in back January. This is the fourth time that they have changed it since the company began. Personally I think that it is quite a safe step. There isn't really a new concept here. There is no new corporate identity. They have not re-branded as far as I am concerned. This is not any strategy to change their brand image, but merely to simplify it. Perhaps they think that this will keep the same company image, but present it in a new light without losing any of the old legacy. All I can say is that its not my cup of tea! (He He)

Bandtio Bros BMW M3 advert - Amazing

2011-08-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

I believe the Guys from Bandito Bros studios used Adobe After Effects to add lighting effects and many other amazing tweeks to this iconic advert. To sum it up in a word "Amazing".

Zoo Website Review - Disney's Animal Kingdom

2011-08-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

I had a good look through Disney's Animal Kingdom website and was fairly underwhelmed. It looks like a template built site and personally it doesn't really inspire. I believe that it is a fantastic attraction to visit. I don't think that their website lives up to that reputation. The site is pretty rigid in its presentation. As far as theme park branding is concerned I have seen more exiting sites from lesser attractions. And I guess thats probably the crux of it. They might not need to put much effort in to get more visitors to their attractions when they probably already have a steady stream of visitors. The site is simple and easy to navigate, but as far as branding for a zoo type theme park goes, I just think it is lacking some "Wow" factor. Oh well.

Double Dip Recession

2011-08-25T01:42:00.001-07:00

He He!

Scottish Knitwear Brands are Alive and Kicking

2011-08-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

It is good to see that the knitwear industry in Scotland is doing very well. I am quite impressed with the number and variety of knitwear brands in this region. From the old established brands to the new companies there still some healthy competition.

Pringle of Scotland seem to have changed their focus recently. They did very well to rebrand themselves a few years ago to position themselves as a high brow cutting edge knitwear label, but now I think they are changed their brand strategy a wee bit and, although still cutting edge, they seem to be more "punk" than "posh". Well they are a high fashion brand, so I guess they must know where its all happening.

Lyle and Scott seem to be on the rise. I really like their current website. It is cool, edgy but not exclusive. I like the way the site functions and the way that it is styled. Their brand image is a wee bit "preppy" for my own tastes, but that is still very of the moment and I think they have a good overall brand concept. Lyle and Scott are hip, youthful and most of all fresh.

Personally, I think that William Lockie deserve a better website than they currently have. In my opinion, their website doesn't serve them as a sales tool very well. I understand their focus on heritage, but I just don't think it is as important as their products.

Lochcarron have a good brand position and good products, but I just don't think that their website presents them in a great light. I understand that they have recently changed ownership. I'm hoping that their new owners have a great design and marketing team.

I think that The Scarf Company are a great Scottish Knitwear company. Based in Hawick, they produce a wide range of both cashmere and lambswool knitted scarves, hats and gloves. Their new website is clear and easy to navigate through. I like the products and I like the brand.

Peter Scott have a good brand image. They have recently refreshed their website and I think it is a lot better, I understand that they have a well established customer base within the golf knitwear market.

In general, I like the Hawick Cashmere website. The styling of the model shots are interesting, although the models are a bit wooden. The overall style and layout of their website is quite modern and I think they have good products. I think this company, as a brand, is good, but it could be great.

I personally think that the Johnstons of Elgin website doesn't do the company as well as it should. I believe that they have an established company that does very well, but I think their website lacks a more defined "image". I personally think that they could be bolder in their approach.

This is just a wee selection of some Scottish knitwear companies. I understand that there are many more good knitwear companies based in this region.

Zoo Website review - San Diego Zoo

2011-08-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last time I checked the San Diego Zoo Website it didn't really reflect the status that the zoo itself has. San Diego Zoo is one of the worlds biggest and best staffed zoos in the world. It has an amazing education resource and depth of zoological related study. I think the current version of the site is a lot better. It now lives up to the zoo's reputation. I personally think that a website for a zoo should create a buzz about itself, to make the website visitor want to go to the actual location. They have a very strong brand and have managed to develop that brand recently to appeal more as a theme park as well as an education resource. This site has a lot of good content regardless of what the web gurus say about flash animations, they do serve a purpose to create fun web pages. This website has usefulness, basically to inform and to promote the zoo. It does this very well.

Kraft Logo

2011-08-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

The new Kraft logo has been around since last year, but the old logo is still on a lot of their packaging. I understand that they are a global food conglomerate looking to cut costs, but surely they sell consumables, so they must be regularly reprinting their labels? I like the newly developed logo and branding. I guess they are trying to soften their image, with some success. The design is softer. The blue curve is similar to the new Argos Curved logo. Their intention was that the curve represented a smile. Since the Kraft Foods takeover of Cadbury, I get the feeling that Kraft want to improve their brand image.

New Kraft Logo

Old Kraft Logo

"FREE iPads" they said....

2011-08-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

"Everything Everywhere" has "Not much anywhere" (On its website anyhow)

2011-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Now that the mobile phone networks Orange and T-Mobile have merged, "to improve customer synergies", guess what? My network coverage is now rubbish. I never had any problems when I was with only orange. Now that Orange and T-Mobile use the same network, there are times when I can't get a signal.

Anyway, their separate websites are pretty impressive. Although their joined venture "Everything Everywhere" looks a bit scant on content to me. I think they rushed that one out...

Personal Development update

2011-08-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

So, in my spare time for the past few months I've been teaching myself CSS 3, learning more about Search Engine Otimisation, adding to my Flash Action Scripting skills as well as learning about Flash Catalyst and teaching myself about building a shopping cart site. Still had time to climb the odd mountain or two aswell. Now that I'm self employed, I've found that I can focus my energy to do those other things that I told myself that I didn't have time to learn before. I'm "Earning and learning" and quite enjoying it too!

Bing is impressive

2011-08-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming more and more impressed with the search engine "Bing" from Microsoft. It is truly becoming a contender to challenge the omnipresent Google. (I've never had to use omnipresent in a sentence before). Bing is increasily looking slicker and everyone loves it when the underdog bites the heal of the big guy. And I guess the opposite is true with Google moving in on Microsofts market for publishing software with their Chrome products. "The battle continues!"

A Cheap Laugh, but funny anyway...

2011-08-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Outstanding in my Field! He He...

Red Bull

2011-08-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of the drink Red Bull, but I do admire the brand. It is a very strong brand and the website is equally strong. Red Bull sponsor, motor racing, X - Fighters, surfing and more besides, but they have maintained that "buzz" about them as an exiting brand.

Katy Master - Massage Therapy

2011-08-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Another logo design that I designed while at my previous employer was for the massage therapist, Katy Master. I quite like the shapes of this logo, although I didn't have to design much because Katy already specified the shape that she wanted. So on this occasion I more or less drew up her design, but I did have some input in the colour blend. Nice logo, if I may say so myself.

The Scarf Company Logo

2011-08-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

Another nice script font logo that I designed, was for The Scarf Company, back in 2002. I think it is a nice logo that also works very well as their scarf labels. The Scarf Company produce scarves, hats, gloves and wristlets from Lambswool and Cashmere.

Angela Delafield Bowen Therapist

2011-08-06T03:24:00.000-07:00

Angela Delafield, Bowen Therapist. I designed this logo for Angela when I worked for my previous employer. Angela wanted a modern looking logo that would represent part or all of the circular motion bowen technique. I think the logo works very well and stands out.

Blue Jays

2011-08-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

I like the Toronto Blue Jays Website. Many web developers say that all website design should be clear and easy to navigate, which often leads to stale and pretty dull websites that all have a similar layout. I think that there is still the argument for designing a website that creates a 'buzz'. When someone who is a Blue Jays fan, goes on to the site and sees all the different sections of the site, the news style layout, the loads of information on the front page, I don't think that it causes confusion. I think there is the argument for what I call "visual histeria" where, if done very well, you load a lot of information about a subject on to a site (usually news, or fan based sites) to create a sens of "Wow!". Another website that does this very well, is Australia Zoo. More on Australia Zoo next time...

Fila website needs some inspiration

2011-08-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

I think the Fila website is in need of a makeover. Most marketing and design companies would design a sports brand with a hint of enthusiasm. I think the overall site experience leaves me a bit uninspired. Fila used to have a kind of "buzz" about it. The brand seems to have lost its Mojo. Someone needs to breath some life into the Fila brand. Customers need to be inspired.

The Scarf Company

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Scarf Company, based in the town of Hawick in Scotland, produce Cashmere and Lambswool Scarves, Hats, Gloves and Wristlets. All products are made from 100% natural fibres. Personally, I think they are a great brand and they have quite an impressive range of products

Fox Bikes

2011-08-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

I was quite impressed with the Fox bikes website. Fox supply motorcross and bicycle cross bike parts and accessories. Their website is cool. The layout is pretty dynamic, but not too much. Amazing brand, amazing products, amazing website, what more is there to say.

Swatch

2011-07-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

Swatch are a great Brand. They manage to be classic, cool and youthful, all at the same time. Their website is very well put together and certainly made me want to own one. The site layout is very clear and easy to navigate through. The simple white and grey colours add to the overall cool style of the brand. Swatch are a cool company, so the website reflects this very wel

Adobe Rocks!

2011-07-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

While Apple inc are still using rounded 3D style bubble lozenge shaped buttons, Adobe have moved on to flat buttons and textured backgrounds. I usually find that adobe are ahead of the curve when it comes to style within their website layout, of all the tech giants. Of course Adobe would need to be at the cutting edge because so many cutting edge designers use their software. I think that Adobe deserve better recognition than they currently get. Few people outside design circles will heard of any of their software, with the exception of Photoshop and Acrobat. Outside the design community, Photoshop has a slightly negative reputation because of all the model shots that have been over enhanced. But Photoshop is a much more powerful tool than just a photo editor. I think there will be more household names to come from Adobe.

Trespass Outdoor Clothing

2011-07-27T01:59:00.000-07:00

I quite like the website for Trespass Outdoor Clothing. Based in Glasgow, Trespass are a fairly large Brand. They are at the more affordable range of outdoor clothing and equipment, but I personally think that some of the other brands are a bit over priced. I wouldn't pay £90 for a fleece, but I would buy a quality set of walking boots. Overall, I think Trespass have a good brand, which appeals to outdoor enthusiasts and others that don't perhaps do outdoor sports like hillwalking, etc.

Pringle of Scotland

2011-07-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, I think Pringle have gone too far toward the exclusive market. I know that they changed their focus a few years ago and aimed at the high end of the knitwear market. Which is all well and fine when everything was booming and some people would be happy to pay £800 for a wool jumper, (not me), but even the luxury market has felt the recent economic downturn. As far as the design of the website goes, the style suits the market at which they have positioned themselves.

New Peter Scott Website

2011-07-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

I do like the new Peter Scott website, which I think has only just recently been launched. I think it displays knitwear in a modern way that perhaps the Lochcarron website doesn't.

Lochcarron

2011-07-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd have a look at other Scottish Knitwear websites while I'm at it. I recently looked at the website for Lochcarron. I personally think that their website is a little too dark and it doesn't really display their products in the best way. In my opinion, I think that their photography is very good, but the slightly old fashioned style of the website doesn't display their work in the best light.

New Scarf Company Website

2011-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm quite impressed with the new Scarf Company website. Their previous website didn't display their wares in the best way, but their new site is much better. The Scarf Company are a manufacturer of knitted Hats, Scarves and Gloves using only 100% natural fibres. Its good to see a fresh and modern looking website and good to know that there are still good companies here in Scotland making great products.

New Made in Britain Logo

2011-07-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

I notice that a new "Made in Britain" logo has been designed. It is to be promoted by British exporting manufacturers. So far there has been very little coverage on this, but I suspect over time it will get more promotion. I quite like it. It is certainly much better than other attempts that I've seen over the years. I think it needs a big press launch though, because it needs to be adopted by a large group to work. Once the key market leaders and early adopters take it on, then the rest will follow.

Moss Bros

2011-07-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

I had a look at the Moss Brothers website. I quite like the simplicity of it. If you are looking for a suit, you don't need any flashy bits that go whizz, you just need a simple layout that informs. Moss Bros have some decent suits on sale too.

QR Code Generator

2011-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

I found a website that generates free QR Codes. It seems this will be a big trend in the next few years. I imagine most companies will print a QR Code on any packaging or flyers etc to get customers to go straight to their website via their mobile phones. KAYWA have a very simple code generator. I tried a test with . Next time I'd better make sure my website is mobile complient!!

JJB Sports - Website Layout

2011-07-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

I checked out the website for JJB Sports and they seem to have a permanent sale on. The overall site reflects what they are I suppose, which is a budget sports retail brand. I read somewhere that they can't quite compete with their main rival Sports Direct because they lack the same distribution hubs etc, but the average customer wouldn't know that. They seem to have some really good deals on, but where can you improve your brand image, when cheap pricing is your unique selling point? JJB have a website that is probably a true reflection of what they are like. I looked through the site and remember "SALE NOW ON".

Old GAP logo is the new GAP logo

2011-06-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last October GAP clothing launched a new logo, but their customers were so upset that they changed it back to the old version. The whole thing happened so quickly that most people never really noticed. I prefer the scrapped version, but I don't really shop in GAP so I won't be too upset.

Scrapped GAP logo

Reinstated GAP Logo

Blacks Outdoor Clothing

2011-06-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had a look at the website for Blacks Leisure. They have some pretty good deals on at the moment for outdoor clothing and camping equipment. The website is better than the typical clothing store web format. It is a fairly easy site to navigate through. I like the use of grey background colours, which allow the products to stand out more. Most high street stores are focussing on price offers at the moment, but I think Blacks are a strong brand that will survive the recent economic downturn. From a web design point of view the site is very effective. Blacks have a good marketing strategy that is pretty simple but straightforward. I think the simplicity of the brand is its strength.

Homebase website branding

2011-06-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

I had a look at the website of Homebase. They seem very price oriented. There seems to be a big drive to sell at very low prices. Although the overall branding for a home furnishing company doesn't need to be very extravagant, compared to IKEA its low end rival, I think they do very well.

Debenhams Website Styling

2011-06-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

I quite like the branding style of the website for Debenhams. It is simple, clear and easy to navigate through. The styling is not too much, but still interesting enough. This is High street rather than High fashion, but Debenhams still have a strong brand.

French Connection

2011-06-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm glad that French Connection are moving away from their FCUK theme. To say that they have overdone that campaign is an understatement. I remember it was cool to wear FCUK T-Shirts back in 1997, but for anyone to buy a slogan T with that on now and think it is cool, is a bit daft in my opinion. Although I don't really like this current "bearded preppy" look, where everyone looks like they should be in Arcade Fire, it is at least different. French connection have moved quite far from their surf branding that they tried a few years ago. I understand that we are in a recession and everyone is a bit less materialistic, but wouldn't it be nice if some brands didn't just follow whatever the current trend is. This reminds me of when grunge was fashionable in 1995 for about 2 minutes. People might actually want to dress sharp even when they are skint. Is this it French Connection?

French Connection UK Surf style campaign from about 5 years ago

Summer wear, Sportswear and Surf Brands - O'NEILL

2011-06-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

O'NEILL sell wetsuits, summer clothing and accessories. They are a fantastic brand. They appeal to younger and older generations of water sports and outdoor sports wear. They have a great range of products and a brand image that is very strong.

Summer wear, Sportswear and Surf Brands - Quicksilver

2011-06-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Quicksilver are a great brand. They are not a sports company that has moved into the surf market, they are a surfing brand outright. I think they have got the perfect balance of exciting fashion, bright colourful products and still retain a certain amount of street cred. They are edgy, fun and cool. There are very few other brands that have a specific brand image and manage to stay interesting. It is such a natural progression for Quicksilver to move into wetsuit sales, life jackets, sandals, women's summer dresses backpacks as well as their crossover onto skate wear. OP are a massive brand, but they have an unique appeal that few others clothing brands have.

Summer wear, Sportswear and Surf Brands - Ocean Pacific

2011-06-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

Ocean Pacific are a summer wear brand that are mainly focussed towards the teen market. They are more fresh youthful rather than the edgier surf brands for example. But they know what the brand is and do it very well. There is no confusion over different product categories which can happen with the larger sports brands.Ocean Pacific know what their customers demand and they deliver it well.

Umbro

2011-06-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Its probably well researched, but I thought that the "tough guy" message is a bit over done in the Umbro branding. I realise that their football shirts are aimed at football fans, but I felt they could cheer their website up a wee bit. Their overall website is brilliant. Umbro have organised their product mix carefully and it is easy to navigate. I just think that they could have more smiley faces...

Adidas

2011-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Adidas are a massive brand. They have also created separate mini sites for each sporting activity group. The layouts of each section of the site are similar but also significantly different. Personally their branding is a bit more serious than that of Nike and Reebok. I don't doubt the quality of Adidas sportswear, but I think that they lack that extra special "buzz" or appeal, that Nike has.

Nike

2011-06-17T01:28:00.000-07:00

Nike are bigger than a giant, they are a behemoth. I had a look at their website and I'm so impressed with the vast scale of their web presence. Nike have separate branded mini-sites for each sub section of their product range. From their Football, Running, Basketball, and Active Sports ranges they have differently styled branding that is aimed at reflecting the tastes of their user/customer. I think they pull this off very well. Instead of having separate websites, they have managed to keep these different styles within one site and have tied it all together with their side navigation tab system. Amazing branding, amazing brand.

Reebok Website Branding

2011-06-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

I recently viewed the websites of the US and UK versions of the sportswear brand Reebok. I like what Reebok are doing with their rotating cube style on the home page. I sense that a more geometric, simplistic style in sports fashion is becoming more prominent. Bright bold colours are still in vogue. I like the contemporary home page, but I also like the simplistic layout of the product ranges, when you click through.

Some Scottish Beer Brands

2011-06-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at some of the most prominent Scottish Beer Brands. I think Brewdog are a great brand. I think that they appeal to a generation of drinkers that perhaps the other brands seem to miss, or maybe the other brands knowingly target a slightly older generation. Belhaven have done a lot in quite a short space of time to be where they are now. They are as popular, if not more so, as some of the older more established brands like Tennents and the Caledonian Brewery. With the new trend for more micro/craft breweries I think that the larger brands will eventually lose quite a large market share to the likes of Brewdog. Brewdog have a lot of work to do, to be a very large beer brand, but they fill a gap in the market that the larger brands don't seem want to exploit.

Lucozade - More sports oriented than ever, and better for it...

2011-06-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Lucozade are a fantastic brand. They have moved away from the "NRG", slightly rave inspired energy drink of the late 90's early 2000's and focussed on a more wholesome message. They are still hip, if not even more so, but they have managed to turn a corner and are now in a position that some of the larger energy drinks that portend to be more health focussed and also happen to sponsor the olympics, mentioning no names, would be quite jealous of...

IRN BRU

2011-06-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

Most soft drink brands tap into the youth market through sports/energy related promotions or music sponsorship. IRN BRU does this too, but its main driver, I think, is humour. They have the ability to laugh at themselves which is a main part of their core values. IRN BRU is a treat that you can have. Its a sugar based soft drink. That's it, but it may as well be one that has a strong identity. One with character. The ability to stand out and be a bit different. A character that can be a bit cheeky and get away with it. A unique company, I think.

Sunkist

2011-06-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Sunkist brand has managed to move forward and appeal to a wider demographic without losing its core values. The name "Sunkist" is quite powerful. I think this brand's strength lies in its simple message. Sunkist. Orange Juice. Fruity. Energy drink. Done.

Coca Cola - US Website is more interesting and fun...

2011-06-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

The US version of the Coca Cola brand website is much more interesting than the .co.uk version. It is at least inspiring. I thought that Coca Cola would maybe make quite a lot of fuss about the fact that they are a sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics, but the UK version of their site leaves me uninspired. Did I mention that its uninspiring?

Coca Cola - Olympic Website? Must be lost in the post...

2011-06-14T02:45:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, but aren't Coca Cola one of the main sponsors of the 2012 London Olympics? Aren't they supposed to be an inspirational brand? I recently visited the .co.uk version of the drinks company's website and found it rather dull. I was expecting something a bit more interesting. Maybe its still being built..

Virgin Media Website

2011-06-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

I recently viewed the Virgin Media website and was quite unimpressed. I think the entire Virgin brand has become so large that the core identity is starting to lose its strength. The Virgin Media website is, in my opinion, all over the place. There is no priority over what the user is to read first. Most news style websites will make their most important information the most prominent, but there is little difference between the sizes of the various articles. To me the main message is "Oh, we do everything here". Lacks direction.

self promotion

2011-06-14T02:20:00.000-07:00

I recently launched my own design website, Watson Consultancy . I thought I should have a more appropriate site to promote myself.

Photoshop Rendering

2011-06-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to enhance my design portfolio recently and I thought that I'd do some rendering in Photoshop. I designed some beer labels for Hadrian and Border Brewery at Fantasy Prints, my previous employer, but I never had a chance to see what the labels looked like on their 330ml bottles. So I thought it would be a good rendering project to create some bottles in Photoshop. I took a photo of a beer bottle, but there are always so many other elements that get into the reflection on the glass. Anyway, I'm no photographer and its easier for me to create a 'Visual' of what something might look like.

Detail of rendering in Photoshop

New Toronto Pearson Airport Branding

2011-06-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

I had a look at the new Toronto Pearson Airport branding a few weeks ago. I use Pearson airport quite a lot and find that the airport 'experience' is fine compared to other major cities. The waiting times are not too long and the staff are usually pleasant. As far as I'm concerned, the new branding reflects a very dynamic city. A city with cultural and creative diversity. It is bright, fresh and inspiring. Compared to the previous 'corporate' looking logo, it is more in line with the trend towards a 'softer' branding with a lot of large organisations. I like it.

New Logo

Old Logo

I think I need professional help with my IRN BRU problem..!!

2011-06-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

...but at 30p per returned bottle, I've got £15 worth of bottles.
That's about 4 Fish Suppers!! WOOOHOO!

The Washing Line

2011-06-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

During my previous employment at Fantasy Prints I designed a logo for a local business development agancy called "The Washing Line". It was quite an unusual approach for the Seahouses based organisation, but they asked for a quirky washing line logo and that's what they got. The concept was meant to appeal to todays twitter generation with a fun and fresh overall look.

New Standard Life Logo

2011-06-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

I quite like the new Standard Life logo refresh. There seems to be a trend in Corporate ID design to move away from an image based logo towards a "Logotype" comprising of mainly the brand name. This is especially true within the corporate financial sector. The new logo is simple, clean and clear, which reflects the strength of the Standard Life brand.

Old Logo

New Logo

New Lucozade Logo

2011-05-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

I had a quick look on the Media Week site and saw that Lucozade have refreshed their Brand ID, which, I think is quite good. The old version was cool when they came up with the idea, but that must have been over 10 years ago, if not longer. The new Locozade site is cool too. The skating ad is bit eighties retro, but I that must be intentional. Nice.

Richard Finnie Ltd, General Builders, Duns.

2011-05-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Richard Finnie Ltd are a firm based in Duns that build quality new homes, do renovation work and also build conservatories. I built the first website for them back in 2002. I gave it a refresh again in 2009 and still think it works very well. I recently showed the website layout to another building company based in Edinburgh and they commented that the website is clear and well designed.

Folio work

2011-05-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've been looking through some older projects and trying to decide on wheather I should add certain works to my folio or not. I did these designs back in 2003 I think they are still okay.

Appleton Rum

2011-05-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've continued my recent theme of digging out some of my old folio work. Although I worked on this campaign back in 2003, when I worked in Edinburgh, I think that it still has a certain appeal. Using purely vector illustrations is a bit old hat now, but the white text against the black is quite strong.

Vehicle Livery

2011-05-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

I designed the vehicle graphics for a van about 5 years ago while I was working for Fantasy prints. The background image was something that I created within Photoshop and because it was quite futuristic, I thought that it would suit an I.T. Company. The overall van design is classed as a "half wrap". I think the design was quite contemporary at the time, so it is still quite good. If I were to update it I would maybe use a more fashionable font, but other than that I'd keep it the same.

Table Talker - aka - Tent Card

2011-05-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I designed a tent card for the Bank of Scotland. It turned out okay considering that the images I had to use were of low resolution. I had to do some creative blurring in Photoshop to make it look okay.

New Branding Project

2011-05-09T02:19:00.000-07:00

I recently designed some marketing materials for a luxury holiday park in Devon. The project involved creating promotional folders, signage, key fobs and other branded materials.

I also Climb Mountains...

2011-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

I also climb mountains. Well I'm supposed to be writing about design, but I couldn't help but write about these people doing barefoot mountain running in California. Barefoot Trail Running is quite popular and I quite admire there bravery, maybe I just don't get out enough, but there's a wee bit inside of me that says... "YER OFF YER HEED" !!