Packaging Design Conference: the role of the packaging designer

Part of my Packaging Design 2012 conference, exploring the role and responsibilities of the designer, the tools, materials and technologies available.

My projects and inspiration on Designspiration

Pure Balanced Water at LuxePack

The full story here.

Iconic Jobs tributes

Google 'Steve Jobs tribute' and the first four images found, in over 1.2 million, include Jon- athan Mak's iconic twist on the apple logo and my iDream poster.

AIGA on free speculative work for the Obama administation

The full letter at AIGA here.

LuxePack Monaco H20 exhibition

The interactive multi touch table demonstrating the H20 luxury water project designed with students from Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique. At LuxePack Monaco.

Evolution of the Working Man icon

Spotted this sign last week. Love the evolution of Working Man from his figurative and very trim physic in the late 50's - early 60's vintage version, to his more solid and iconic contemporary representation. Interestingly he has put on more weight, and safety boots, but his head has been reduced to an anonymous round dot. Is he more or less productive? Not sure judging by the piles of sand or gravel...

iDream - the print and the t shirt

NO! RESPECT

We support No! Respect, the design professions campaign for fair compensation for the creative industry, in opposition to free pitches, spec work and crowd-sourcing. See No!Spec

The AIGA's position on spec work here.

Ben Evans on the London Design Festival

London is an epicenter of creativity, the UK creative industry generating 7% of GDP, 1 in 6 new jobs and tens of billions of £ in revenue. (Design generates only 2% of GDP for most other European countries).

But for how long? There are currently 1.2 million design students in China, more then the rest of the world together...

Full story here

Sir Richard Branson opens Virgin Galactic Spaceport

British entrepreneur Richard Branson has opened his $209 million spaceport in New Mexico today, with a flyover from the WhiteKnightTwo suborbital spacecraft. Test flights start next year with commercial space flights soon after. 150 people have already booked.

www.virgingalactic.com

2 200m2 theatre typography pavement UK

Designed by Why Not Associates and Gordon Young, the world's largest celebration of comedy is a typographic carpet containing over 160 000 granite letters embedded in concrete featuring the work of a 1 000 comedians. A £2.6 million commission by Blackpool UK.

iDream on iPad

1st Mac

My first Mac. I have still got it and it still works but I'm not sure quite what one can do with it today, when compared to the MacBookPro, iPad 2 and iPhone etc. Its now used as a bookend.

Here's to the crazy ones...

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs, Think Different.

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Our tribute poster to Steve Jobs.

His speech to Stanford University students on typography, love, loss, life and death is inspiring.

Autolib' Paris launches

Following the success of Paris's Velib' - city bike sharing service, Autolib' - an electric car sharing scheme launches this week. The Bluecar will have a range of 250 km for a 4 hour recharge. Membership is from 10€ and hire is 4 to 8€ for half an hour.

Vincent Bolloré & Eric Besson, Industry Minister test drive in Paris. Photo Le Figaro.

L'Opera Restaurant Paris

Charles Garnier's Opéra de Paris finally has a restaurant, (planned by Garnier but never realized in 1875). Odile Decq Architects have just opened this spectacular restaurant space: all red, white and gold.

'What design can do' at Beijing Design Week

Beijing Design Week is on now. The posters celebrate the collaboration of British and Chinese designers. Designed by Johnson Banks & Kingston's MA Design course.

Think interactive exhibition New York by IBM