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?