Ephemeral Forever

Michelle Vesey Identity

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:25:03 +0000

A number of updates to come from the studio. Here is a taster of one to come. Identity and stationery for practicing artist Michelle Vesey.

Marathon Sandwich

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:43:44 +0000

I’m very happy to be asked to put an identity together for a blind ultramarathon runner in training, Simon Wheatcroft who is currently helping to raise funds and awareness for the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB).

Simon will be running a total of 52.4 miles (two half marathons plus an additional marathon!). You can also join Simon to run a lap of Endcliffe Park (1.3 miles) on the 27th of May. More information over at SRSB and fundraising.

Dumb Fixity – The Agency Of Objects

admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:53:48 +0000

Ongoing project development for artists McCormack and Gent.

‘Dumb Fixity arose from a desire to measure an abstract set of phenomena, working on the premise that things can speak and to find a means of hearing what they are telling us.

The first question was how we could negate the subjective interpretations of our human perspective, if we could transcend our human desire to name, label, and categorise matter and meaning. The answer was that it is impossible: there is no avoiding our disadvantaged position of being human; we cannot escape comprehending and defining the world through our language. How then do we hear a shared language of the mountain, the fox or the lamp? We had to take another tack.

This investigation is a process of fixity, an attempt to plot the proximities, connections, and allegiances of things, and trace the associations of their auras. There are several strands to this work: while the live research continues, The Listening Series is another manifestation of the research, which has been explored first at LoBe in Berlin and recently at Kettle’s Yard Gallery, Cambridge’.

Object abuse: beyond tools, beyond brands, beyond aura tic fetishism.

‘Considering a less-explored reading of objects and things, questioning our relation with them and exploring the potential of other forms of address. We suggest that a new intention should be employed to interrogate our role in relations with objects – that in object abuse there lies the question of who or what is abused.

Does co-presence allow another position, redressing our intentions and interactions – who’s looking at who? Might the animistic gaze reveal objects to be more than tools or resources? Or are we blinded by our fetishes?’

Univ Shoot x The French Exchange

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:08:21 +0000

One of our clients University College Oxford has been in touch and they are currently putting the final touches to a video shoot shot by our friends, Kerry Harrison and The French Exchange.

After an exhausting but productive few days shooting three videos, they promise promise to be informative and fun, all with a unique Univ twist. Take a look over here for a little more info.
Thanks to Anne-Marie for the sneaky peep image.

Spinach Research Project

admin — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:30:06 +0000

Our task was to bring to life months of valuable research, workshop insights and debriefs for a global corporation regarding the emotionally sensitive and complex journey that is baby weaning.

Our collaborative team were commissioned to design and develop an effective platform for showcasing these materials in a strategic yet considered deliverable.

After a strategic planning and development period we designed and built an internal website that embodies the dynamism and energy from workshops, whilst maintaining a considered and intuitive approach. The site sits at the core of consumer insight findings and provides a private and secure home that can be used to bring external agencies and new-hires up to speed and drive future insights.

We built a secure and private research platform with a custom-built content management system to handle over 550 pages of pages, 420+ videos and over 2.2GB of data (and counting!)

Creatively bringing these insights to life by positioning them not as a library of static information, but rather a live, and on-going platform that is flexible and dynamic. We reworked our entire materials for the site and produced a series of esoteric, yet potent illustrations alongside of a visual brand extension of the Spinach brand, whilst also allowing the project to speak in its own voice.

The site architecture allows for multiple navigation systems and methods for allowing users to quickly drill down and navigate the site from top-line summaries to deep within analytical outputs quickly and easily. Users can quickly hide and reveal research segments, access video and raw research outputs, print off specific materials or search the entire resource with a simple keyword. Other attributes we developed include a tagging system and a facility for the cross-referencing of articles.

Now live, the site is an invaluable resource that connects and speaks in a clear and unifying voice and used in day-to-day operations.

Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this project, specific content and project notes have been replaced with placeholder text.

OpenSOP

admin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:33:57 +0000

OpenSOP is an online editing tool and library focussed on being a straight-forward and approachable compliance solution for controlling standard operation procedure and business policy documents. Nothing else.

A trustworthy identity can become a mark of quality within a domain where there are hundreds of ‘un-managed’ SOPs in the public domain.

The studio developed a fresh mark and identity system that would both reinforce and reflect the clear and structured functionality of this start-up.

Taking the notion of clarity, strength and openness, a bright and clean symbol was devised in conjunction with typography and colour system which is then implemented within a strict and structured grid system.

Rather than investing heavily into a large compliance management system, organisations can utilise a scaled-down solution that can be set up within a matter of minutes and produce up-to-date and regulated compliance documents. OpenSOP cuts through the chaff, keeps things simple, quick and direct.

Spinach Internal Research

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:58:58 +0000

The brews are flowing fast as myself and Combine Studio are working like the clappers putting the finishing touches to an internal Spinach research project. Compiling months of reams of valuable findings, initiatives, research and into a quick and snappy web resource for staff. We are super excited to bring this huge project to life. Updates to come.

Corpus Christi College – JCR Poster

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:27:44 +0000

A modern and playful direction for the first student-led college publication as part of Corpus Christi’s outreach commitment.

Emphasis was placed on the close and welcoming community, their outstanding reputation in the Classics and the extensive library (as praised by Erasmus back in 1519).

Commissioning a set of bespoke illustrations that were carefully hand-crafted, we gave a curious Corpus twist to college heritage and Oxford life.

The poster acts as a resource for potential students wishing to know more about student life and culture at Corpus as defined by the Junior Common Room.

University College – Prospectus

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:54:41 +0000

Direction and design of the official propectus for the oldest college in Oxford.

For Open Minds – Lead photography was comissioned and utilised throughout the prospectus to tap into the strong and unique values that make Univ special; Being intellectually open, academically serious, with a warm and friendly sensibility.

This photographic direction plays a central part in showing hints of college life and community true to life and not as a clichéd view of Oxbridge.

The prospectus speaks with the voice of the college and offers parents and potential students bite-sized facts and information about Univ.

University College – Alt. Prospectus

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:38:49 +0000

‘The longest name of any college and we just call it Univ’.

Direction, design and development of the ‘alternative’ sub-brand for Univ. This collateral is ring-fenced specifically for the Junior Common Room and Outreach activities and across social media.

A lo-fi and hand-crafted aesthetic was developed to form an engaging, warm and uniquely different approach to student outreach from an Oxford college. Breaking down stereotypes of Oxbridge and showing how student life really is was one of the core aims of the Alternative Prospectus. ‘Applying to Oxbridge shouldn’t be scary’.

The Univ Alternative Prospectus is student-led publication designed to inform and support the point when a prospective applicant considers which Oxford college to apply to.

Printing away from traditional prospectus media allowed us to produce an additional print quantity at a reduced expenditure.

The impact of this ongoing campaign has raised awareness of the college, supported activities and won one or two awards.

‘Approximately 80% of students in post interviews have stated that the Alternative Prospectus has been their most useful piece of information when deciding which college to apply to.’