Showing posts with label Dan McCabe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan McCabe. Show all posts

Friday 23 September 2016

UOP BA Hons 2016


Some readers may remember that back in the summer I went to New Designers exhibition, I also mentioned that the UOP course showcase publication which was piled up at the show was printed on our paper and that I would write about it at a later date ...well, here it is!

Size is 240x130mm, portrait and is perfect bound. It has a 4pp cover with a 64pp text and has a quality look and feel. The cover is printed (offset litho) in a stunningly bright fluorescent green which just pops off the paper!
...and as I hope you can see from the image below, the cover has been beautifully hot foil blocked in a white gloss foil.
The paper used is our Starfine White, which is an uncoated paper with a tactile feel. The cover is printed on 240gsm and the text is printed offset litho in CMYK throughout on 115gsm. This paper paper has excellent opacity for it's weight.
www.joshuaboughtondesign.com
Here are just some of my favourite spreads...
www.maxeb-gd.myportfolio.com
www.zoefouracredesign.tumblr.com
From the New Designers show, I particularly remember Thomas Mcleod's project Top Five most visited underground stations:
www.tmcleod.squarespace.com
www.dorsapedaridesign.tumblr.com
As well as showing the work of the students, it shows some insights into the life and times on the course. the spread below shows the trip to Berlin:
...and the annual charity pub quiz below...
Below is the credits page on the inside back cover:
 
The 64pp text gives the publication a 6mm spine:
The catalogue design team is Harry Lewis-Irlam and Ryan Robinson. Print is by Bishop Printers in Portsmouth, who have made an excellent job of the print production.

The academic team is Sarah Houghton, Andrew Denham, Mike Harkins, Dan McCabe, Estelle Taylor, Sandra Zellmer, Michael Wamposzyc.

www.portsmouthgraphicdesign.co.uk
http://bishops.co.uk/
http://www.port.ac.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 23.09.2016

Thursday 7 July 2016

New Designers 2016

Yesterday evening, I went to the New Designers exhibition and awards at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

New Designers is the exhibition for emerging design, full of innovation and fresh thinking, covering all aspects from textiles and fashion to product design, visual comms etc. It takes place over two weeks, with each part focusing on a different set of design disciplines and featuring its own Awards Programme. The show sees over 3,000 of the most talented, newly graduated designers from the UK's leading universities come together to exhibit.
I saw many of the tutors and part time lecturers that I know from the various universities and colleges who have stands at the exhibition. Particular mention shall go to University of Portsmouth (UOP) who kindly invited me along.

I found the UOP stand and was invited to do a bit of ad hoc silk-screen printing, which as you can see, I was happy to do.... 
...only to realise that I was on the UOP Illustration course stand and not the graphic design course! - but I got a nice print out of it.
...eventually I found the BA Hons graphic design for UOP on a nearby stand:
...together with their superbly produced yearbook, printed on StarFine  - but I'll write about that another time....
In particular. thanks to Dan McCabe and all the staff and students at UOP.

www.portsmouthgraphicdesign.co.uk
www.newdesigners.com
http://www.port.ac.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 07.07.2015

Thursday 15 January 2015

Poster Project

It was last year when I discussed with Dan McCabe at University of Portsmouth about the idea of seeting a brief for the second year students on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course. So in September, with some serious input from Dan, we set a brief to explore the relevance and role of the poster as a cultural artefact within the 21st Century.

Part of the brief runs as follows "The poster has a rich history within graphic design and has strong traditions in Europe. Its visual impact within the urban landscape is highly significant, and posters are considered by many as being visual barometers of social issues and attitudes. The purpose of the design was to celebrate and communicate the existence of the poster as a popular and prevalent cultural medium for the expression of ideas and beliefs. In other words, convince people of the power of the poster."

The design was stipulated to be an A2 size poster to reflect this brief and convey the power of the poster as a visual medium. After briefing the students, I received an email from Dan saying
"I briefed the project in yesterday, so we're up and running. They all looked a bit terrified"....so, an interesting start!

All the posters were to be A2 size and produced on our Redeem 100% Recycled 130gsm, ensuring a level playing field for the production of the finished pieces.

In November I went to see the results which were displayed in the Eldon gallery space:
The quality of entries was superb. The research and thought that had gone into the finished pieces was inspiring - truly a group of second year students with real talent. I was privileged to be asked to judge the entries together with the course teaching team; Dan McCabe, Mike Harkins, Estelle Taylor, Alex Tibus, Andrew Denham and course leader Sarah Houghton.
Following much deliberation, 18 posters were short-listed with 3 special commendations. For the week after the judging, the short-listed posters were put on display in the canteen gallery space.
There was an awards event in the canteen of the Eldon Building on the 8th December. Catherine Harper (Dean of the Cultural and Creative Industries faculty) presented the commended students with their awards on Fenner Paper's behalf.
The fantastic commendation award was designed and made as a collaboration between Senior Lecturer Dan McCabe and Principal Workshop Technician Michelle Littlewood and incorporates the Fenner Paper logo which has been laser cut out of 300gsm Redeem 100% Recycled!
Commendation awards being presented by Catherine Harper, Dean of the Cultural and Creative Industries faculty.
Dorsa Pedari
Kai Yik Chan & Wing Yung Wincy Kong
Another incentive for the students is that design of the overall winning poster is to be professionally litho printed as a poster and this distinction goes to Lucy Pittard for her 'Generation Poster'.
Lucy Pittard
Congratulations to all the shortlisted and commended students and thanks to all the staff for involving me in the project and making me so welcome.

The short-listed students are: Rhys Davies, Katie Hockley, Johannes Leismann, Gus Van Manen, Safiah Gheriani, Amie Lee Murphy, Dorsa Pedari, Simon Young, Shahad Milibari, Kai Yik Chan & Wing Yung Wincy Kong, Harry Lewis-Irlam, Zoe Fouracre, George Parry-Stoner, Ryan Robinson, Lucy Pittard, James Kelly, Yanne Moreira, Hannah Anderson and the three commended students are: Dorsa Pedari, Kai Yik Chan & Wing Yung Wincy Kong and Lucy Pittard.

 
Posted by Justin Hobson 15.01.2015


Friday 28 November 2014

UOP Showcase 2014

You may remember that back in the summer I went to New Designers exhibition, where I wrote about one of the students from Portsmouth University (Eric Downer) who was awarded the coveted "New Designer of the Year" title. http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/new-designers-2014.html  I also mentioned that the course showcase publication at the show was printed on our paper and that I would write about it at a later date ...well, here it is!
 
Size is 225x160mm, portrait and is perfect bound. It has a 4pp cover with a 64pp text and has a superb quality and feel about it ...and there a really clever little twist as well!
The covers, which are all printed just one colour - magenta- have been printed on five different colours of our Colorset, 100% Recycled. This is a wonderful 'print design' solution as maximises the impact and the processes used. It looks and feel like you are getting so much more out of a project, but a no extra cost!
All that is required to make this effective, is a design that will work printed in one colour, that can be applied successfully on a range of colours ...and this does just that, beautifully.
The text is printed on our Redeem 100% Recycled 130gsm which is printed beautifully and does great justice to the wide and varied work of the students. Being a neutral white it gives the publication a 'booky' feel which works really well with the imagery.
The catalogue design team is Andy Lethbridge, Ellie Taylor, Ali Bird and Eric Downer and they have done a superb job. The academic team is Sarah Houghton, Andrew Denham, Mike Harkins, Dan McCabe, Estelle Taylor, Alex Tibus.

...and below you can see the striking result of how the different colour covers look, all stacked up at the New Designers show:
Catalogue production and coordination was handled by Sarah Houghton, Course Leader at the University of Portsmouth. Printing is by PPG Print in Portsmouth.

www.port.ac.uk
http://www.ppgprint.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 28.11.2014

Thursday 3 July 2014

New Designers 2014

Yesterday evening, I went to the New Designers exhibition and awards at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

New Designers is an exhibition for emerging design, full of innovation and fresh thinking, covering all aspects from textiles and fashion to product design, visual comms etc. It takes place over two weeks, with each Part focusing on a different set of design disciplines and featuring its own Awards Programme. The show sees over 3,000 of the most talented, newly graduated designers from the UK's leading universities come together to exhibit.
It was a lovely evening and the queue for entry was a mile long!
I saw many of the tutors and part time lecturers that I know who were from the universities and colleges who had stands at the exhibition. Particular mention shall go to Portsmouth University, who not only sent me an invitation, but also used our Colorset and Redeem 100% Recycled for their show catalogue! ...but more about that another time when I have more space to write about it.
Above is the University of Portsmouth stand and you can see all the books stacked up.

...and because I love to associate myself with success (!),  I must congratulate Eric Downer from the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at University of Portsmouth, who won the overall "New Designer of the Year". Fantastic news for him personally and for the course and very well deserved.
Photo of Eric Downer winning his award. Photo courtesy of Dan McCabe
Eric Downer has also won an ISTD award for his piece on Electricity Pylons. I've seen it and it is a lovely piece of work. Here are his words " I don't feel pylons are particularly aesthetically pleasing (a lot of people agreed) but there was always something that made me wonder there is more to them just just pure functionality. My curiosities were rewarded when I discovered the main men behind the pylons past and the role the pylons themselves went on to play in our history. Your have to read the book to find out what and who they were".
So any of you studios out there looking for some fresh young talent ...look no further!

In particular. thanks to Sarah Houghton, Dan McCabe and Michael Harkins at the University of Portsmouth

http://www.eric-downer.co.uk/new-page-1/
www.newdesigners.com
www.port.ac.uk/graphic
Posted by Justin Hobson 04.07.2014