Special Design Studio

Duck Decoy

Scott — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:09:10 +0000

Just delivered 5 information panels to Dowsby, a tiny village in Lincolnshire. Learning Heritage Consultant Claire Adler (http://www.claireadler.co.uk/) commissioned us to produce the panels after the village was granted Lottery Heritage Funding. It’s all about keeping history alive and preserving community memories. We love the Duck Decoy story, a fantastic 18th century device which could take 13,000 game birds in a season with no shots fired! Got to visit Dowsby to find out more!

Video first for MBMC

Scott — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:17:03 +0000

Our client MBMC have expanded their marketing communications offering into film. Their Business Media Productions service offers clients the ability to add informative and engaging video and podcasts to their marketing portfolio. Special Design Studio designed their visual identity, website and the new animated logo. View an example of their video offering at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOK06QYqkKY&feature=autofb

Urban Africa

Scott — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:25:03 +0000

Visited the Urban Africa exhibition by Architect David Adjaye at the Design Museum. Over ten years he has photographed 52 of Africa’s 53 Capital Cities (Mogadishu was omitted). The exhibition grouped the photographs into areas of terrain, 6 geographical land areas that form Africa. Seeing all this mass of civilisation captured and printed on to hundreds of small digital photographs is incredible. It feels like a scientific study, artwork and documentary all rolled into one. Its on until the 5th September. http://designmuseum.org

Kampala/Uganda

New site for award winning architects A-Squared

Scott — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:08:59 +0000

A-Squared Architects have a new website! They agree it provides a great showcase for their work. They have recently won Best Residential Conversion in the LABC East Anglia Building Excellence Awards for the conversion of Wensum Factory, Norwich, into 48 apartments.

Visit the website and read more about the project at www.asquaredarchitects.com

Left Hand Bear

Scott — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:39:28 +0000

Left Hand Bear Logo

We have just created the visual identity and logo for Left Hand Bear, the UK’s only acoustic instrument retailer selling exclusively left-handed instruments. Left Hand Bear sells a range of banjos and mandolins from the Goldtone brand in Titusville, Florida, plus a completely unique range of lefty guitars designed by the legendary Wayne Rogers and Paul Beard of Goldtone fame. The name comes from the native American belief that lefthandedness was indicative of a connection with the spirit world. They also believed that bears were inclined to lefthandedness. For this reason they revered bears in particular amongst the creatures of the wood. There was even a Sioux chief named Chief Left Hand Bear.

Funds for low carbon filmmakers!

Scott — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:51:10 +0000

Our clients at The Low Carbon Innovation Centre are working with Screen East to bring a £3.5M investment fund to the region. The Low Carbon Fund will provide low carbon, digital production investment across Film, Documentary, TV and Computer Games to commercially viable projects in the East of England. There is also a Development Fund and a Business Support Programme. Find out more at www.screeneast.co.uk/low-carbon-fund-2.aspx.

Build A Brand in 30 Days

Scott — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:46:22 +0000

Special Design studio were delighted to be asked not only to design the cover of Simon Middleton’s fantastic new book ‘Build A Brand in 30 Days’ but also to contribute an ‘Expert View’ to the chapter on design. Scott’s Top Ten Tips for design included how to find the best designer for you, what to expect from the relationship and a plea to listen to the expert! The book makes for fascinating reading, essential for anyone working with brands, available at all good bookshops and Amazon of course! More info at http://brandstrategyguru.com/

Visual ID for Norwich social enterprise captures spirit of ‘Ubuntu’

Scott — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:23:52 +0000

Special Design Studio are thrilled to have created a brand new visual identity for Rainbow Nations, a local organisation building community bridges through sport and culture. Rainbow Nations’ ethos is based on the values of ‘Ubuntu’, a Zulu word that translates as ‘humanity towards others’. The new logo has six characters that represent the different peoples of the world. They connect with one another to form a vivid expression of energy and life.
Rainbow Nations brought a vibrant ‘World Cup Day’ to Hellesdon High School this week including the 32 nations represented by 20 schools, as well as the Norfolk FA and a host of high ranking South African officials and dignitaries from the South African High Commission. Read more at www.rainbownations.co.uk

Creative Consultancy to Business Review Europe

Scott — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:49:19 +0000

Our client White Digital Media have rolled out an new suite of business titles across the globe under the name of Business Review Europe, Buisness Review USA etc. depending on region. We continue to contribute creative consultancy and provide input on design standards. Our monthly sessions brainstorming visual ideas for editorial content are hotbeds of creativity, a real highlight for us, and them, so we are told!
Link to http://www.businessrevieweurope.eu/.

Needlepoint gets cool

Scott — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:38:53 +0000

I wouldn’t hang a ‘Home Sweet Home’ sampler in my house, but Needlepoint genius Sarah Frankham (friend of Special Design Studio) has changed all that with her range of brilliant character samplers. Bespoke needlepoint at its best. Here is Hulk and Amy Winehouse.
For more click here. http://img159.yfrog.com/i/p1000299.jpg/