ISU Promotional 8 page leaflet

This was a relatively quick job, only a couple of days in fact. The client needed a previous 12 page brochure adapted to an 8 page layout.

The client in question (ISU) is a delight to work for, as they don't expect the impossible. For such a job it's reasonable to understand that losing four pages of space will cause havoc for re-laying out text. What I'm saying is that ISU edited their text down, to which I am extremely greatful! I could have, and would have, fit the original text in - however it would have required a microscope and shoe horn!

Prior's Field School speech day

I must be doing something right, this is the third year in a row I've been asked to be involved with this event. I've posted about it each year but I will briefly describe it again.

It's actually a highly enjoyable job which takes an incredible amount of concentration. This is a good challenge for me because I'm used to working alone at my own pace and listening to music, great for creativity but not great for concentration.

It's a two day event where the pupils of the Priors Field all girls boarding school put on a bit of a show for the parents on the last day of term. The pupils leaving this year play the songs they have written, play in orchestras, show their art, and give speeches. The teachers also give a round up to the years progress and give out prizes to exceptional students.

My role is to get to grips with the running order of the show by being at the rehearsals on day 1, and on day 2 I have to film and edit LIVE to 6 plasma screens broadcasting to over 1000 parents. I control two broadcast quality camera's and a basic live mixing desk. The sound, probably the most important part of the production is done by a friend and sound engineer who runs the company Kinetic (based in Woking).

As I've said before, if I have children, and if I have a girl, I will be thinking about paying for her education at this incredible school. Very impressive indeed.

Sorry there is nothing to show you, but it's all mixed live.

Q Holidays business cards

Q Holidays were one of my very first clients as a sole trader a few years back. I designed their logo and branding. Over the the last 2 years I've had the pleasure of designing their stationary and various other posters and magazine adverts.

There's something pleasing about designing things using imagery of beautiful far off places.

Anyway, this month they asked me to create three more business cards for them. The same as the previous ones, only this time for their new employees.

Shavings Carpentry branding

Shavings Capentry is a new company formed from one of my previous clients from a few years ago. I designed some business cards which, apparently, he still gets compliments for. So this saw him come back to me and ask me to design his new branding.

It was an interesting brief for three reasons;

1. he's usually doesn't have any pre-thoughts on what he wants and likes me to come up with something unhindered (this is always fun),
2. his business has two sides to it, a capentry side and then an aquatic side, so therefor it involved a common theme but a different concept for each,
3. not only was it a logo he needed, but brand colours, 2 business cards and finally some headers for his website. (The website itself was designed by a friend of mine, however the headers were from me.)

I was two things, to make the design funky, and most importantly different from every other company in his industry.

I decided on the colour pallette and set to work. His carpentry side should have an element of seriousness, less playful perhaps due to his client base and target market. Whilst perhaps I should make his aquatic side the funkier of the two, as this was the smaller parts to the business. The bulk of his income comes from carpentry, and fish collectors are less critical than someone having a cabinet or patio decking built. Also on the same note, I convinced my client that it was worth spending a little extra on the carpentry business cards compared to the aquatics. They were printed double sided with a matt laminate, while the aquatics cards were printed 1 side.

12 Page Sales Brochure

Last year I created an 8 page Sales Brochure for ISU promoting the welfare of elderly people. You can see the design and write up for it in last years blog entries. This year, they want to continue the theme but they needed to increase it to a 12 page brochure.

They also asked me instead of using Oak trees as symbolic imagery to use Apple Blossom instead. So this year, that's exactly what I did. The theme and colour scheme is the same, only this time we've used blossom.

The brochure was also adapted to an 8 page emailable version which is slightly heavier with text. The 12 page printed version is led via imagery, which makes it more interesting and appealing.

Year 2009 - 2010

I'm quite excited about this new tax tear, infact no, I'm very excited about it. Getting involved with the data entry work for the last 3 months turned out to be exactly as I thought. Mind numbing, but an opportunity not to be missed. I got my head down and now I have payed ALL of my debts off, yes, I'm debt free, a free man. Now the money I earn isn't The Man's but it's mine. So I have plans to make and I'm very happy.

By the way, ISU were extremely pleased with the quality of work from me and the team I put together.

This tax year, I have decided to do something I've always wanted to but never been able to. That's to get involved with some charity work. I can do that now I have no debts, I feel safer. So my first task is to choose a charity or organisation. My heart is with green issues and animal welfare so that's a good place to start. I have browsing to do!

A quick break

Today I took a much needed break from the 3 month task I outlined in the last post (February).

I've been for a long walk to enjoy some nature and take some appreciative photographs. It was lovely, my bum is no longer numb from sitting.

I didn't manage to take any outstanding photographs, they were all just ok. Neverless, I got out away from all those numbers, and to be honest, I'm using this blog for that very same reason now. Any excuse to not go back to it right now!