The recent addition to the Handsome Frank roster, Illustrator Matt Murphy works predominately in editorial. His illustrations unite various textures in digital collages to create atmospheric imagery.

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Creative Lynx is a leading digital design agency – ranked highly in both the Design Week and Marketing Week top 100, we’re multiple award winning and have a sociable, friendly and extremely talented creative team based in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Due to our continued success, we are looking for an experienced Designer to join our studio.

Our existing team is made up of extremely strong creatives at a range of levels and we are looking for someone who is flexible and broad ranging in their approach to complement this dynamic. We are seeking candidates with at least 4/5 years agency experience and your portfolio should include a strong range of work, including digital, print, branding and conceptual examples.
We work with an extremely broad range of clients, from global pharmaceutical businesses through to public sector organisations, local restaurants and universities. What we would love to see in your portfolio are great ideas and an ability to hit the right tone in a variety of styles and approaches. It goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent mac skills and that you’re happy working as part of a fast paced, busy team. You should be flexible in your approach and confident to work with contacts both internally within the agency and externally when required. You should be comfortable and experienced in sharing your ideas with others, taking suggestions on board and also mentoring more junior members of the team.
In return, we offer an excellent working environment, we’re centrally located, extremely busy and your appointment will be part of planned expansion across the business as a whole. This is a permanent position; however we would also be very happy to hear from freelancers who are interested in working with us both now and in the future.

Interested applicants should apply to Sophie Jackson via sophie.jackson@creativelynx.co.uk sending a copy of your CV, a covering letter and most importantly, your portfolio.
Creative Lynx is proud to be part of the Havas network www.havas.com

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Creative Lynx is a leading digital design agency – ranked highly in both the Design Week and Marketing Week top 100, we’re multiple award winning and have a sociable, friendly and extremely talented creative team based in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Due to our continued success, we are looking for a Junior Designer to join our studio. We would love to hear from recent graduates with a good degree, or Designers who have already gained some experience in an agency environment.

Our existing team is made up of extremely strong creatives at a range of levels and we are looking for someone who is flexible and broad ranging in their approach to complement this dynamic. We are looking for a junior creative who is ideas led and who has either worked on digital projects, or who can demonstrate a passion to work within the sector – you need to show you can think of innovative concepts and apply these through various mediums. Here you will have the opportunity to apply your ideas across the full range of digital and print media; from iPad and smartphone applications, to websites and brochures.

We work with an extremely broad range of clients, from global pharmaceutical businesses through to public sector organisations, local restaurants and universities. What we would love to see in your portfolio are great ideas and an ability to hit the right tone in a variety of styles and approaches. It goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent mac skills and that you’re happy working as part of a fast paced, busy team.

In return, we offer an excellent working environment, we’re centrally located, extremely busy and your appointment will be part of planned expansion across the business as a whole. Interested applicants should apply to Sophie Jackson via sophie.jackson@creativelynx.co.uk; sending a copy of your CV, a covering letter and most importantly, your portfolio.

Creative Lynx is proud to be part of the Havas network www.havas.com

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Erik Kessels is the co-founder of KesselsKramer – one of the most outstandingly creative advertising agencies in the world. Famous for their disliking of advertising awards and their ironic website, KK’s work is broad and varied, always very creative, with a strong idea at it’s core.

In his typically dry and Dutch delivery, Erik’s talk was about the ability of strong ideas to cary themselves no matter what the medium or budget. With advancements in technology, where everyone and your grandmother are able to create ‘design’ relatively cheaply, Erik believes that extra “emphasis must be placed on the idea, not the technique”.

The blur between high budget and low budget
On the topic of budget, Erik says that “budget should never be a limitation, sometimes, having a low budget can help.” Erik gives two examples to illustrate his point, this campaign using a budget of €1.3 million —

And this campaign with one of €300, using the same cast –

The blur between strong design and non design
Erik spoke about how design, or the lack of it, can be used to great affect. The first case was their work for the ‘Citizen’ hotel, a fine balance between ‘cheap’ and ‘luxury’, a hotel with “everything you need, no needless luxury”.

At the bottom end of the budget-scale is KK’s work for the Amsterdam based hotel Hans Brinker which upon visiting the hotel to discuss the project, Erik admits, “it was the biggest shit hole… I’d ever seen in my life”, where the owner of the hotel was not interested in improving the hotel, his sole request was “I just don’t want complaints any more”.

KK’s approach was a refreshing and unexpected one, Kessels explains: “Honesty is their only luxury”. And that ‘luxury’ they took to the extreme, in an industry where the competition were competing on features like cleanliness, service, comfort, and amenities, KK positioned Hans Brinker as the complete opposite, differentiating them by making a feature of their complete ‘shitness’.

In one campaign, small flags were placed carefully into the many dog-shits which surround Amsterdam’s train station. The marketing campaign delivered so much press and awareness for the hotel, that it was copied by other budget hotels in the area. Remarkably, they were now competing to be as shit as Hans Brinker.

KK create a new campaign each year, taking a new take on Hans Brinker’s unique offerings. Such as when they discovered the hotel were accidentally eco-friendly.

Amongst other campaigns for the hotel (which have since been published here)

Promoting their unique design features –

The campaigns have been a huge success for the hotel, with increased awareness and a cult-like following, travelers flock to the hotel for the hotel’s ‘unique’ experience. A night there is like a badge of honor. Erik claims that it’s “It’s booked up pretty much all year now.”

The blur between a small medium and a big medium

When the Dutch and international postal service TNT approached KK to produce a stamp, Erik wanted to make it an event. Using lenticular-technology, Erik positioned the stamp as the ‘Smallest Shortest Film’ which lasted 1 second. Collaborating with acclaimed Director Anton Corbijn and Dutch actress Carice van Houten, KK launched the ‘film’ to an unsuspecting audience of film-critics during the 30th anniversary of the Dutch Film Festival.

The reaction? “Yeah they were pretty disappointed… But after they realized what it was, then they smiled”.

The blur between creation and co creation
Normally sticking your chewing gum on a sculpture would be a heinous offense, unless it’s KK’s sculpture created to symbolize the merger of two schools in Netherlands creates one, in which students are encourage to contribute towards and co-create the sculpture.

The blur between online and offline

Through the digitalisation of photography and the rise of social media, the taking of and sharing of photos across the world is ever growing. The result is an overwhelming amount of photos at our disposal. Their content mingles public and private, with the very personal being openly and unselfconsciously displayed.

In Erik’s installation Photography in Abundance, Kessels visualises “drowning in pictures of the experiences of others”, by printing all the images that were posted on Flickr during a 24-hour period and literally dumping them in the exhibition space. The end result is an overwhelming presentation of a million prints that people walk in, around and over.

The blur between anonymous and commissioned

Erik spoke about his personal projects, his series of self-published ‘Useful Photography’, a series of book which document imagery created by amateurs on a variety of specific topics, from Food, eBay pictures, cow portraiture, ‘actors’ in pornography, the woman who shoots herself, and the husband who likes to take photographs of his wife in water.

Always respectful, Erik appreciates their work: “made by amateurs who make wonderful mistakes that we as designers can learn from”.

The blur between the highest ranked and the lowest ranked
On the same day as the Football World Cup Final in 2002 was aired, Erik arranged for the two lowest ranked teams in the world, Bhutan and Monsterrat, who had each never won a game, to play each other in “The Other Final”. A beautifully simple idea which became apparent was less about the football, and more about bringing nations and cultures together, and creating an event to celebrate those who would never otherwise get the opportunity.

In the end, both were winners.

Erik Kessels is the epitome of the addage ‘idea is king’. Whether it be high budget, or no budget, large-scale or tiny, printed communication or dog shite, Kessels’ belief in presenting the idea in it’s most pure and honest form allows him to blur the boundaries of design, art, and advertising to create truly memorably, impactful, fascinating, bonkers communications. The world needs more of this.
—
KK’s collected works can be found in 2 Kilo of KesselsKramer and now in a new kilo of KesselsKramer.

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Being a huge fan of Vaughan Oliver for many years, it was with huge anticipation that I awaited his talk at Typo London. He didn’t disappoint.

He started off by declaring his nervousness with “I’m an anti-fucking social person” and getting the lights turned right down so we were in total darkness. Then after a few moments of awkwardness, started to explain that he’s spent his whole life going against the grain, always feeling slightly on the outside of things. The punk years were a massive influence on him — not so much the punk aesthetic, but more the attitude of DIY and an alternative to the mainstream, something you can identify clearly in his work. Studying under Terry Dowling at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Polytechnic, he absolutely hated typography, declaring a distaste for the rules and jargon that came along with it.

In the ‘80s society as a whole became more design literate, with the influence of people like Neville Brody this combined the independent record industry were a real source of inspiration for Vaughan — placing authority and creativity in the hands of the bands, rather than with massive corporate labels who held all the cards.

4AD — First Decade boxed set, 1987

Continuing in his endearing and nonchalant way, he begins to explain his burgeoning relationship with 4AD, the record label that he worked with to produce some of his most famous work. Speaking admiringly about the value placed by 4AD on packaging the music with care, quality and attention to detail — and the obvious implications of cost, effort and time, Vaughan says he was in his element, literally designing his own record collection.

Of his process, he places huge importance on connecting with the music and reflecting its qualities in the visuals he creates. Inspiration came from the most surprising places and he would often subvert pre-existing imagery to create his signature style, full of contrast and critical tensions. Being so close to the record label, he had access to the music as it was being developed, so had longer to think about the music and develop his ideas than most designers would have.

His passion for the music is evident; “If there’s no connection with it then the design is worthless and self-indulgent.” As a working class boy growing up in the north of England, he sees design for music as an introduction to art, something that for many working class people seems obscure, irrelevant and inaccessible, not to mention indulgent. But records were a signifier of your identity, a badge of honour and an expression of difference.

Pixies — Surfer Rosa, 1988

Upon leaving college he moved to London with the intention of working as an illustrator. He lasted just two weeks however, before somehow finding himself a job in a packaging design firm, where he unexpectedly made his peace with typography. The pieces clicked together, and he began to interpret type as image, a theme clear throughout his work to date.

Anyone who’s familiar with Vaughan’s work will know that he is very experimental, using materials, textures, found imagery, and putting them altogether in those pre-Mac days, never quite knowing what the final result would be.

When showing the Pixies’ 1988 Surfer Rosa LP sleeve to a student, he was asked “How did you do it? Which layer is she on, which layer is the background on, which layer are the effects on?” To which Vaughan replied “No. It’s a fucking photograph” in his endearingly abrasive way.

Pixies — Come on Pigrim, 1987

His Pixies work in particular has a very dark and surreal quality, reflecting what Vaughan calls the neuroses in the music that is reminiscent of David Lynch movies, which he also loves. Apparently on seeing the final cover artwork for Come on Pilgrim, Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago blurted out “What the fuck is this?” followed immediately by “It’s perfect”.

Another great anecdote for me was hearing how the famous 1990 Pod album cover for The Breeders came into being — the idea was to get a bloke to dance around with peeled eels strategically strapped onto his naked body. Surprisingly, this turned out to be quite a hard sell to potential models, so Vaughan ended up himself as the subject, with photographer Kevin Westerberg, shooting it in his London flat.

The Breeders — Pod, 1990

Looking back on his body of work for 4AD, his aim was to create a distinct visual identity for each band, though on reflection he acknowledges common themes and a distinctive aesthetic thread running through.

Finally he sums up by paying tribute to 4AD, acknowledging the fact that it really does take great clients to facilitate great work, the value of building long-term relationships with clients and collaborators, and finishes off with a fittingly self-deprecating statement:

“It’s not art. It’s fucking words and pictures that package music.”

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This is an exciting opportunity to lead and inspire the creative team at TheFrameworks.

Based in the London office, we are looking for an experienced creative heavyweight to join our branding and design agency. TheFrameworks has a reputation for creativity and strategic thinking that has seen us working with some of the world’s leading brands: IBM, Bloomberg and Toshiba among others. We are seeking a passionate and enthusiastic Senior Designer, able to inspire, spot and develop great ideas and deliver output that will maintain and bolster that reputation.

To be considered for the role you will be a proven Senior Designer who is obsessed with great creative work. You will be well respected within the creative community and will be able to inspire the agency. You will have experience of digital as well as print. Not only is this is an amazing opportunity to take TheFrameworks to the next level creatively – and win exciting new clients – you will also be shaping shape your own destiny as designer and building and leading the team you always wanted.

As a senior member of the agency, the role will involve:
• Directing and supervising the creative team, ensuring we stay ahead of our competition by pushing the boundaries of both print and web design.
• Effectively transforming client requirements into strategic brand concepts and powerful design that works across both print and web.
• Collaborating and contributing to the creative process both as the leader of a creative team and as a senior agency figure.
• Ensuring that our high quality of creative is upheld, maintaining consistently high standards for our clients.

The successful candidate will:
• Have a proven track record (ten years plus) of design in an agency environment.
• Have exceptional conceptual and creative abilities and consummate client facing skills.
• Understand how to deliver the brand experience across the full range of physical and digital media, and how to translate that delivery into style guidelines.
• Have a complete understanding of end-to-end print design and production.
• Have a thorough understanding of digital design and production processes, including interface design, usability, accessibility, HTML and CSS, site architecture, multi-platform delivery and responsive design
• Have excellent written and spoken English.
• Possess excellent team leadership and nurturing skills.
• Be confident in pitches, articulating views with fully-thought-through arguments.

How to apply:
If you think you have the skills and enthusiasm we need, please tell us more by writing to us at sparks@theframeworks.com, including links to your portfolio.

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This is an exciting opportunity to join the creative team at TheFrameworks.

Based in the London office, we are looking for an experienced creative heavyweight to join our branding and design agency. TheFrameworks has a reputation for creativity and strategic thinking that has seen us working with some of the world’s leading brands: IBM, Bloomberg and Toshiba among others. We are seeking a passionate and enthusiastic Senior Designer, able to inspire, spot and develop great ideas and deliver output that will maintain and bolster that reputation.

To be considered for the role you will be a proven Designer who is obsessed with great creative work. You will be well respected within the creative community and will be able to inspire the agency. You will have experience of digital as well as print. Not only is this is an amazing opportunity to take TheFrameworks to the next level creatively – and win exciting new clients – you will also be shaping your own destiny as designer.

The role will involve:
• Being a key part of the creative team, ensuring we stay ahead of our competition by pushing the boundaries of both print and web design.
• Effectively transforming client requirements into strategic brand concepts and powerful design that works across both print and web.
• Collaborating and contributing to the creative process.
• Ensuring that our high quality of creative is upheld, maintaining consistently high standards for our clients.

The successful candidate will:
• Have a proven track record (five years plus) of design in an agency environment.
• Have exceptional conceptual and creative abilities and consummate client facing skills.
• Understand how to deliver the brand experience across the full range of physical and digital media, and how to translate that delivery into style guidelines.
• Have a complete understanding of end-to-end print design and production.
• Have a thorough understanding of digital design and production processes, including interface design, usability, accessibility, HTML and CSS, site architecture, multi-platform delivery and responsive design.
• Have excellent written and spoken English.
• Possess excellent team leadership and nurturing skills.
• Be confident in pitches, articulating views with fully-thought-through arguments.

How to apply:
If you think you have the skills and enthusiasm we need, please tell us more by writing to us at sparks@theframeworks.com, including links to your portfolio.

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Web developer

Dogstar Abstracts is a creative communications agency with a fantastic digital reputation. It’s exciting times here and we’re looking to strengthen our digital team. We plan, design and develop websites for a range of clients, mainly across Financial Services, Healthcare and Public Sector.

Overview
Responsibility for the production, modification and maintenance of websites and web applications.

Taking Photoshop designs from the Digital Design team to produce websites.
Maintaining and updating existing client websites.
Managing outsourced programming / production.

Must have experience working with a range of CMSs – we currently use DNN, Drupal and WordPress but are looking to also use UMBRACO. UMBRACO skills would be hugely beneficial.

Responsibilities
- Providing accurate timing estimates on work
- Writing documentation (instructional, pitch, functional and technical specification)
- Train other non technical staff particularly designers
- Contributing to the company development standards working closely with the Digital Design Director
- Discussing technical solutions with clients and providing innovative new ideas to solutions.
- Maintaining a high awareness of industry issues and trends, particularly in regard to accessibility, usability, emerging technologies, and open source CMS. Keeping team members informed as appropriate, with a view to incorporating these in future projects and staying ahead of the market and position yourself and the company as a digital specialist.
- Constantly seeking to develop yourself by learning new technologies and keeping abreast of your markets developments.

Skills required
• Excellent HTML, XHTML, CSS programming skills
• Coding valid XHTML and CSS mark-up
• Developing cross-browser and cross-platform compatible solutions
• Exceptional JavaScript programming skills
• Experience with JQuery
• Knowledge of working with JavaScript frameworks to create rich interactive content
• Experience integrating with server-side code to produce dynamic pages
• Excitement about emerging web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3
• Good understanding of Web Accessibility
• Experience working with version control systems such as SVN
• Experience building sites to at least an AA standard.
• Some experience in AJAX techniques
• Knowledge of HTML Email best practice desirable
• Knowledge of UMBRACO highly desirable

Salary based on experience – minimum 3 years but interested to receive applications from mid to senior level.

CVs to paul_wreford-brown@abstracts.co.uk
No agencies.

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This is an exciting opportunity to join the creative team at TheFrameworks.

Our London team is looking for a Senior Digital Designer with strong conceptual ideas and excellent design skills who is passionate about responsive design and effective use of new technologies. You will be responsible for taking briefs from clients and client services across a varied range of projects, overseeing other designers for both conceptual and design output.

The ability to stay calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment is essential.

The role will involve:
The Senior Digital Designer role works collaboratively with the Senior Designers, Programmers, Project Managers, Copywriters and Strategists. You will be working for top brands on a variety of exciting projects including digital campaigns, advertising and website/mobile interfaces.

Not only is this is an amazing opportunity to take TheFrameworks to the next level creatively – and win exciting new clients – you will also be shaping your own destiny, building and leading the team you always wanted.

The successful candidate will have:
• A degree in graphic design, interaction design, fine arts, or a related design discipline.
• Ten years plus experience in a recognised agency noted for design in digital media.
• A strong portfolio of work demonstrating both big ideas and perfect executions with examples of developing first-class design for blue chip-clients.
• Proven knowledge of the latest trends in web design – especially content-first responsive and adaptive design, using mobile-first approach.
• An advanced understanding of UX and IA principles with the ability to translate them into aesthetically pleasing user-centric designs.
• The ability to create interaction maps, user personas and user flows.
• Experience with prototyping and user testing (ideally).
• Hands-on experience in producing interactive interfaces.
• A strong team player with experience leading and getting the best out of junior and middleweight designers.
• Experience working with Project Managers and client teams advising on timings and project requirements.
• The ability to communicate visual design concepts effectively and to present and sell concepts to clients.
• The ability to balance great design with meeting short deadlines.
• Expert knowledge of industry standard software.
• Experience with Flash (ideally).
• Great knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of underlying web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, Flash and CSS.
• Knowledge of how fonts work on the web (@font-face).
• Experience of designing for usability, accessibility (WAI, WAI-ARIA, AII, WCAG, UAAG. ATAG, EARL), with knowledge of cross-device limitations and technical differences.

If you think you have the skills and enthusiasm we need, please tell us more by writing to us at sparks@theframeworks.com, being sure to include any examples of work that you feel will support your application.

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We are looking for a talented mid-weight graphic designer to work on branding, print and web projects.

You’ll have:
2-3 years commercial creative experience.
Excellent attention to detail.
Proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
Web and digital design experience.

Salary: Dependent on experience.
Location: Ilminster, Somerset.

Apply to jobs@zavial.com with CV, covering letter and examples of your work.

No agencies.

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This is an exciting opportunity to join the creative team at TheFrameworks.

Our London team needs a great all-rounder, with a varied portfolio and plenty of experience in artworking for print and advertising. Your portfolio will need to be slick, and show both creative flair and meticulous attention to detail. The ability to stay calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment is essential.

The role will involve:
Producing print-ready artwork for a wide variety of advertising and marketing communications materials. You’ll be working alongside a strong creative team and be responsible for delivering accurate, production-ready output that satisfies both creative intent and client briefs and guidelines.

The successful candidate will have:
• Five years plus agency experience working as an artworker alongside a busy creative team.
• Mac skills that are second to none and advanced skills in Adobe Creative Suite.
• Proven commercial design experience in graphics software applications, techniques and tools, coupled with a strong print-based portfolio that demonstrates originality and a broad range of skills.

If you think you have the skills and enthusiasm we need, please tell us more by writing to us at sparks@theframeworks.com, being sure to include any examples that you feel will support your application.

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The ideal candidate will have 2–3 years design experience preferably in a known agency and be looking to make the step up from Junior Designer to Mid Weight.

Please send PDF portfolios (Under 5MB) to alex@seadesign.co.uk

Whilst we make every effort to respond to all applicants please understand that the number of portfolios received can occasionally make this difficult.

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Smith & Milton is a brand & communications group with over 30 years of experience working with some of the most successful businesses in the UK and beyond.

We’re on the look out for a seriously talented middleweight designer with approx. 2 years experience, to join our small team. The successful applicant will be working across a wide range of branding projects – including packaging and print – from concept to completion and all the fun in between.

So, if you are bright, talented, hard working and enthusiastic please send pdf’s or links to caroline@smithandmilton.com

We’re looking forward to meeting you!

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We are seeking a Graphic Designer to join our in-house Marketing & Design Department.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with design experience looking to progress their career within an exciting, fast paced environment. The successful candidate must be self-motivated, creative, able to work unsupervised using their own initiative, and be prepared to be a key team member as well as being able to work under pressure to meet strict deadlines.

Must have a good understanding of typography, layout, concept driven design and ability to work to brand guidelines when appropriate.

This position is permanent, full-time, working between the hours of 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Salary Up to £20.000 (DOA)

If you feel you have the qualities and skills to succeed in this position, please forward your CV along with a covering letter detailing why you feel you are suited to the role to recruitment@travel2.com

Closing date: Tuesday 23/10/12

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Nostalgic collection of bags from the 70s and 80s – To Have and To Hold, some lovely bits of retro type and illustration. Collated by Tim Sumner

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Nostalgic collection of bags from the 70s and 80s – To Have and To Hold, some lovely bits of retro type and illustration. Collated by Tim Sumner

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We were lucky to attend Typo12 London, watching some of the big names in our industry present to an audience of designers and students on the loose theme of ‘Social’. Among the 30+ speakers packed into two days, were A Practice for Everyday Life (APFEL), book designer Irma Boom, illustrator/designer/film-maker Kate Moross, Henrik Kubel of A2/SW/HK and my personal design hero Vaughan Oliver. Overall it was insightful, humbling, though-provoking and humorous. We will be posting more detailed write-ups on some of these great talks in the coming days, for those who didn’t make it to the conference. But in the mean time, there were some common conceptual themes that emerged across the board, including:

• Being obsessed by what you do
• The usefulness of knowing what’s gone before, and access to this knowledge
• Social & cultural roles/responsibilities of the designer
• Having the courage of your convictions
• Serendipity, the importance of collaboration and building relationships, and having a strong support network
• Being able to let your work go
• The impact of the social and cultural climate in which you grow up
• The studio as a safe place in which to play and the value of embracing failure
• Connecting with content.

Plus some aesthetic trends, some of which you may have already noted:

• DIY
• Data as image
• The rise of Riso.

Look out for further posts on Typo12 very soon. 

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