The web has changed a lot over it's relatively short lifespan - it started off as a way of sharing ideas and opinions (along the lines of Geocities style personal pages), then it became about sharing media (think Flickr, Youtube and myspace) and now (in our humble opinion) it's about consuming content wherever you are and wherever you go. We expect to be able devour new information on our phones within seconds of unlocking it. Due to the ever increasing ways that users are accessing websites we need to realise something very important: the definition of "design" is changing.

Previously design, in the context of the web, referred to the layout and general style of a site, now though it seems to be more along the lines of "how can we present this information in the best way possible". These two ideas may seem very similar, and they are, but there is a subtle difference. 

Time for a Refresh?

January, traditionally a time where we take stock of who we are and resolve to make these changes to reinvigorate us for the year ahead. The gym beckons, the cork goes back in the bottle for a few weeks and we sign up for that obscure evening class that we'd talked about. Easy.

What about our business though, are we happy with the bottom line, is the competition getting tougher could we reach a new audience, is our brand up to it or does it need revitalised? Like people, the company can start to look tired, worn out and not feeling particularly energised.

Putting the zing back in

Completely rebranding is not always a good option, it's expensive, time consuming and risky. Instead we can put a fresh face on the business with a brand refresh strategy. What's this?

Manifesto: that public proclamation of principles and intent can be a powerful tool but often ends up an inflexible straightjacket that hinders and restricts creativity and ability to adapt. Instead I wanted to illustrate a few guiding principles that help shape both my design and influence my life.

On 8th June 1949, George Orwell's classic book, Nineteen Eighty-Four, was first published.

Set in a fictional totalitarian society, Nineteen Eighty-Four conjured up nightmarish imagery of a bleak dystopian future. It's been an inspiration for film, music, literature and art - not to mention advertising! The Apple launch of the Mac in 1984, directed by Ridley Scott, is arguably one of the greatest commercials of the Twentieth century.

On a personal level this incredibly powerful work of political fiction exerted a hold on me as a young man and continues it's influence many decades on. I've therefore taken the timely opportunity to show a selection of covers that have been created through the years to encapsulate some of the most thought provoking pages of all time.

They are not all brilliant, some are very cliched, (how many times do we need to see the eye motif!) I'm sure you will have your own favourites.

The outmoded perception of designer as creative prima donna, throwing tantrums if you don’t accept whatever work they feel is “best” for your company and of course their portfolio, is thankfully long gone. With their ego no longer at the centre of the universe, the new designer has evolved into a valued strategic partner to business, able to rationalise and communicate their process and demonstrate that they add value and deliver a meaningful return on investment. But what does this new designer look like?