Design Matters – Ed.13 August 24
Hey there!
August has been an incredibly inspiring month for us, I’m sure we’re not alone in saying that our entire team has been captivated by the Olympics and we’re now looking forward to the Paralympics. After being inspired by the individuals and teams throughout the event, this month’s newsletter has been created to inspire you in other ways, through design and the amazing ideas, projects and organisations happening closer to home.
We’re proud to share the news that our founder Ed will be speaking in London at the Skills for StartUp roadshow in October. The event is all about empowering start-ups and giving them the skills to succeed. We’ll share more information over the next few weeks on our socials, though if you’re a founder, start-up or scale-up then you can check out the event and buy tickets here.
We’ve all taken advantage if the good weather and had time away from the office. Whether it was chilling on a beach in Majorca, checking out the Second Home office in Lisbon or exploring the streets of Belgrade, all the team are feeling refreshed as we head into the Autumn and a very busy season.
Good luck with everything your working on.
The Discourse Crew
Our latest blog:
As we pass the halfway mark of 2024 (how did we get here?!) It’s a great time to reflect on the evolving brand design trends of this year.
Whilst purely following trends when designing brands can have its drawbacks, such as leading to a lack of identity and individuality, it’s important to stay relevant and appeal to your target demographic by keeping up to date with current trends. We’ve put together what we think are stand out trends of 2024 that you should be aware of. Check it out here.
The DIY Designer
At the beginning of this year, we shared some of our favourite research and referencing tools for launching new projects, including “Steal Like an Artist,” Behance, and Awwwards.com. As we move into Autumn and kick start a wave of new projects, it’s crucial to keep our ideas fresh and stay up to date. Here are some of the resources we consistently look to to stay informed and inspired…
We’re quite sure if you’re interested in design you’ve already heard of Pinterest, nevertheless it’s a great way to start the process as you have access to thousands and thousands of designs, all for free. Have a scroll and get inspired here.
Creative Boom is a leading UK art and design platform that delivers creative industry news, inspiration, insights and advice to over six million creatives, a scroll on there will always bring new ideas for your projects. Check out more about creative boom here.
Logo, brand identity, packaging and graphic design blog, daily design inspiration, review, news and opinion from Richard Baird. All wonderful and very often weird ideas will make their way onto the platform. Find out about BPANDO here.
“If you’re not meaningfully engaging with culture, which is always in flux, you’re going to fall behind” – Leo Porto and Felipe Rocha
Work from the Agency
We’re proud to share our recent collaboration with Ecosurety on their 2023/24 Impact Report. We collaborated with the team to design an impact report that showcase all the different ways they’ve used business as a force for good over the past year. . Impact reports like this are an excellent way to showcase accomplishments, inspire internal teams and set the future agenda for an organisation.
The concept is characterised my minimalist and clean design, with large typography inspired by the Swiss style Minimalism. The approach emphasises how Ecosurety are maturing and growing, whilst embracing their current branding. The report integrates high quality natural photography to bring authenticity and a premium feel. Whilst bright colours create a sense of energy and youthfulness. By utilising visible grids to create a structured and balanced layout, we could emphasise their data driven approach.
Think global...
Everybody thinks about funding good causes with donations or investments. Meanwhile, less of us are thinking about the flow of capital (but bankers do).
The status quo means that as money is converted into local currencies, various parties take a piece away for performing a small function in the process. It means that less of the donations received actually reach those in need. However Good FX is on a mission to repurpose international banking to make it work for charities’ interests, rather than against them. From cash donations for charities, to refugee education programmes – Find out more about the work they do here.
Act Local...
Age UK Bath & North East Somerset is seeking new trustees to join their team! If you’re eager to make a difference in your community, influence and guide the charity’s direction, this is a great opportunity. As a trustee, you’ll help shape the organisation’s efforts to provide outstanding services and support to older people. The role requires a commitment of 2-3 days a month.
To get involved, reach out to Nicola at [email protected] or call 01225 466135.
Solutions for the planet:
Imagine a world free of single use plastic waste! The time has come for everyone to rethink how disposable packaging should be manufactured, consumed and recycled or composted. The Good Cup offers a real solution to the issue, with No More Lids and no more plastic lined cups. If the UK makes the switch we can eliminate over 50 tonnes of single use plastic every single day! If you use cups within your business, or are interested in the project find out more below.
In our spare time...
Like many others we were sat (often on the edge of our seats) watching the Paris olympics. Here are some of our highlights and the athletes that inspire us.
Justine (Website & UX Designer): Sense of unity and happiness
Miya (Marketing Lead): Gabriel Medina in the surfing
Issy (Creative Director): Simone Biles in Everything
