shibbyonline

Graphic Design Poster Competition

Veerle started a competition last week with the goal to sum up what you thought graphic design is all about.
I started off enjoying looking through the Flickr pool for the submissions until at the week end whilst sitting with young Oscar I had a quick idea, the result was not really graphic design per say but it was creative.

Then sitting there the other evening I thought more about what I thought graphic design is all about.
Graphic design can take on a lot of elements from typography to colour schemes, but because I do not know my kern from my glyph I had to think deeper.
To which got me to thinking about the graphic in graphic design.
But what does make a good design?
When it suddenly hit, the best designs are the ones that are instantly recognizable, designs that can work across countries and break language barriers without any need for an explanation or description.
To which in my view graphic design is the ability to create something that lasts longer than the initial viewing, a design that can speak without saying and is understood by all viewing it.

Envy & Other Sins

On Friday the guvonour decided to take the afternoon off, can’t argue with that he is the boss. But when he said he was heading down to the big smoke to watch his son I was intrigued.
Turns out his son is a member of an unsigned British group called Envy & Other Sins and is taking part in a competition on C4/T4 for a chance for a record contract.

I have not followed the competition, probably because it is shown on T4 on a Sunday; some where between Friends re-runs and Hollyoaks, television I find a bit, well bllleehhh. So I’m normally out or doing something else.
But the idea is that unsigned bands compete against each other for a chance to get signed and get noticed. Now don’t get this confused with another Pop Factor style of garbage, it is only for acts that are currently trying to break into the industry and already have a back catalogue of material and passion to make it. Not a one night stand solo artist that takes 12 months to put a half assed album together; my heart is fecking bleeding!

Envy & Other Sins are still in the competition along with three others, todays show will see them perform a cover of their choice along side The Hoosiers, after that the judges (Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley, Blur’s Bassist Alex James and the head of A & M Records Simon Gavin) will pick two to go through to the public vote.
After hearing all about this I googled the group and found their website, on there you can find a few samples which put a lot of current acts to shame, pre-order the first single and find a little bit about the band. Really impressed, good luck with the competition.

Blag some new kit

Online cycle shop Wiggle are running a competition at the moment where they are giving away a full Shimano XT groupset.
All you have to do is tell them why you dersve it over all overs. Here is my excuse:

I think I deserve a new XT groupset as my bike needs one badly and I’ve begged the other half but I can’t buy anything new until she has her wisdom teeth out. So I’m having to ride around using a worn XT which really doesn’t know what gear it wants to be in! And she thinks she is in pain!

My Marin has been running the same setup since purchase and the 4k miles I’ve put on it are beginning to show. Of course I’ve done the usual chain replace but now everything is showing signs of giving out on me.
Yet me bike fund will be dipped into since Lucy visited the dentist to find out that the remaining wisdom teeth need removing!

I think if you want to enter the competition you need to sign up to Wiggle’s newsletter and set up an account, of course making a purchase might help.