Jobs from the past - Number 139

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good projects from years gone by and here's one from 2003.

D&AD Ampersand 19 - Aug/Sept 2003

It's unlikely that D&AD needs much introduction. - Founded in London in 1962 as British Design & Art Direction by a group of creatives and art directors, it has since become a world renowned body championing design and creativity. Back in 2003, Michael Johnson was president and then, as now, the President's Lectures were a popular draw for creatives. The awards were held at Earls Court (designed by Four IV) and it was a wonderful evening - I should know, I was there!

Ampersand was the newsletter for D&AD, which was mailed out to members. I wrote about the original newsletters HERE.

Click on images to enlarge

Size of the publication is 495x345mm portrait and is a 20pp 'self cover' and is unbound. It has a wonderfully floppy and tabloid newspaper feel. It is printed on our Redeem 100% Recycled 80gsm.

The paper is a neutral white shade gives the publication a 'newsy' feel which really works with the combination of images and type. Below image shows all loose text pages...

Click on images to enlarge

The publication is printed offset litho in one colour (halftone or monotone printing) and the look and feel is just perfect. A well designed and thoughtful piece of print to be delivered, spread information and disposed of - just like a newspaper!

Unfortunately I don't have a record of who printed it, but whoever it was, they made a nice job of it. (if you know, please let me know!) Apart from a bit of sun bleaching on the cover, it looks fresh and contemporary - could have been designed and printed yesterday...

Design is by Frost Design, London with Vince Frost and Matt Willey are both credited.

In fact, Ampersand 20 was even better (and a completely different format) and won a pencil in the 2004 awards!

https://www.dandad.org/

Posted by Justin Hobson 02.06.2021

Jobs from the past - Number 132

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by and this publication is from the noughties. 

The Chase - 2004

From humble beginnings in a Manchester suburb, the Chase began with the ambition of providing a level of creativity that challenged the dominant London design groups. Now 34 years on, they are one of the most awarded creative consultancies in the world. Ben Casey (co-founder) still oversees The Chase and is also Professor at the University of Central Lancashire.  

This newspaper style format is a large finished size at 420x310mm and is a 12pp self cover, saddle stitched.

Click on images to enlarge

It is printed Offset Litho on our Redeem 100% Recycled 100gsm which is has a neutral white shade which gives the publication a 'newspaper' feel which really suits the editorial work that is being shown and which prints amazingly, as I hope these images show...

This publication was produced around the time that Harriet Devoy left Johnson Banks to join The Chase and set up the new London office. Since running the London office, Harriet joined Apple and was D&AD president last year. 

Below image shows the way the 12pp text sits nice and flat...

The publication isn't as light as a newspaper but it flows freely in the hand.

Design is by The Chase. I think it was printed by the New Leaf Press in Manchester, who have since closed.

https://www.thechase.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.11.2020

Johnson Banks Christmas

Of the wide variety of Christmas cards I received, this one from Johnson Banks, really stands out. The size of the card is A5 (148x210mm) and is very simply printed and produced, but the content is wonderful, made up using a series of 'tick boxes' as I hope you will be able to see from the images below...

The card is made using our Colorset 100% Recycled 350gsm, duplexed - so it is Colorset White on one side and Colorset Nero on the reverse.

Click on images to enlarge

The card is printed (before duplexing) by Gavin Martin Colournet using their HP Indigo digital press which works brilliantly on the white ink on the black.

Below shows the 700gsm thickness and the duplexed black and white shades...

www.johnsonbanks.co.uk
www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.12.2019

Now Try Something WEIRDER

Yesterday evening I was lucky enough to be invited to the book launch of Michael Johnson's new book: Now Try Something WEIRDER. The launch was at the Johnson Banks studio in Clapham and there were lots of people, drinks and yummy food too.

This is Michael's third book, the others being Problem Solved and Branding in Five and a Half steps, which are both weighty books which have since become required reading amongst design students. Michael spoke about how this book had come about and how this one had been a lot more fun to write!

 ...and there was the opportunity to buy a copy of the book too!

  Thanks to all at JB for a great evening.

...and don't forget to buy the book, which you can do right here:
https://www.laurenceking.com/product/now-try-something-weirder/

http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 10.05.2019



BRANDING - In Five and a Half Steps

Yesterday evening I was lucky enough to be invited to the book launch of Michael Johnson's new book: BRANDING - In Five and a Half Steps.

The launch was at the Johnson Banks studio in Clapham and there were lots of people, drinks and yummy food too.

After an introduction by the commissioning editor at Thames & Hudson, Michael spoke for a short while about the gestation of the book and how a chance meeting with the publisher at Wally Olins memorial, helped everything fall into place.

It was a cracking evening and great to see so many familiar faces from past and present at Johnson Banks, in fact here's the JB 'alumni' shot:

...and of course to keep this somewhat paper related, I should mention that the A5 invitations are printed on our Colorset 100% Recycled board in the brand new Chilli Red shade. The invitations are digitally printed, including the white on an HP Indigo press by Screaming Colour. Printed on Colorset White 270gsm and Chilli Red 270gsm and duplexed ..very nice

Thanks to all at JB for a great evening.

...and don't forget to buy the book, which you can do right here:
https://www.thamesandhudson.com/Branding/9780500518960

http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.11.2016

Refurbishment at Fenner Towers!

We have just redecorated our modest reception area at Fenner Paper, we have a new cabinet to display books and magazines and a new bright yellow sign to indicating where the intercom is.

We've used a Crown Matt Emulsion in a pale greeny grey with the imaginative name of 'Potting Shed'! ...to top it off, we have a new framed poster titled 'The Power of Creativity' which is a limited edition poster designed by Johnson Banks, originally produced for D&AD. I wrote about the posters on this blog before here

The design of the poster is such that there is plenty to read on the wall, should any visitors have to spend some time waiting! The posters are produced on Omnia 200gsm and are printed by Gavin Martin Colournet.

They are available to purchase from the studio here: http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/shop/power-of-creativity-poster/

http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 20.06.2106

Jobs from the past - Number 79

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by...

Rupert Sanderson 2002 Preview Invitations

Shoe designer Rupert Sanderson founded his company after a disastrous career (his words) in advertising and design. He undertook a two year course at the Cordwainers College in East London learning to design and make shoes. After college he was working in Italy firstly for Sergio Rossi and then Bruno Magli. Rupert returned to London and founded his own company in 2001. He now has a store in London as well as Hong Kong and a global following.

This is one of the very first Rupert Sanderson invitations produced in 2001 for the preview of his 2002 Spring/Summer collection.

The invitation is a folded down shoe cutting pattern, which is presented in this translucent, pale blue pocket which is 217x156mm. It has been made to size and incorporates a thumb cut in the top, allowing the invitation to be pulled out. The pocket is made from a range called Voile de Papier Acqua 120gsm, which sadly has since been discontinued by the mill.

 The invitation itself is a 16pp concertina folded invitation - finished size of A5 (210x148mm).

The below image shows the invitation folded out to it's full extent - click on the image to bring it up to a reasonable size.


Click images to enlarge

It is printed offset litho in just one colour - a very pale blue, which it's why it is hard to see - but it's worth enlarging the images here, as it is a wonderfully clever and skilfully executed piece of design for print.

The paper used is our Offenbach Bible 50gsm, which gives a sylph like quality to the invitation,  whilst mimicking the material used for a pattern guide.

Design of the Rupert Sanderson identity was by Johnson Banks and this invitation followed shortly after, also by JB. Creative director is Michael Johnson, designer on this project was Luke Gifford, working with typographer Michael Pratley. Printing and make up of the pockets was by Gavin Martin Colournet.

Now going back to the bit at the beginning of this post where Rupert Sanderson is reported as saying that he had a 'disastrous career' in advertising. Well, back in 1990, I was one of the clients that he was looking after! He was a 'suit' (account handler) at Smith & Milton when they were in Chelsea and I thought he was actually pretty good - but I guess it's just as well he didn't think so, otherwise he wouldn't now be creating these lovely shoes. Congratulations on your success Rupert.

http://www.rupertsanderson.com/eu/
http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.05.2016

Johnson Banks 21 years #4

To mark their 21st birthday, Johnson Banks has produced a series of four brochures. Johnson Banks was established in 1992 and is now a studio which has an international reputation.  Previously I have written about 'Blue Chip and Commercial projects' 'Charity and Not for Profit' and 'Education and Government', so this is the last of the series.

I'm writing about each of the four brochures individually. This post is about 'the Cultural side'.  As you can see from the projects below, there is a fantastic body of work for museums and galleries, including the Science Museum, the V&A, BFI  and the promotional work for Parc de La Villette, a cultural park in North East Paris with whom JB worked with over a nine year period.

Posters for Parc de La Villette, a cultural park in North East Paris. showing work over a nine year period

Size of the publication is 148mm square with a 4pp cover with a 32pp text and is perfect bound. It is printed on our StarFine White 300gsm and 150gsm. The spine is 3-4mm thick. As you can hopefully see from these images, the printed result on this StarFine uncoated text & cover paper is superb. The whole project is all printed digitally on an HP Indigo press by Pureprint - simply a stunning printed result.

Outside back cover

StarFine is not a 'digital' paper but it has been "sapphire treated". This treatment is a pre-coat and is often applied to more unusual papers and provides a "key" so that the inks (different to litho inks) adhere to the paper surface. If you would like to know more, you can read about it here:
http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/what-is-sapphire-treatment.html
This project doesn't have a 'digital' look and feel like many digitally printed projects in part, due to the materials chosen.

Creative director is Michael Johnson, designers on the project being Kath Tudball and Julia Woollams.

http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/

www.pureprint.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 25.06.2015