Graphic Design Work in Progress* by Sarah France

I've Moved!

2009-05-09T13:51:00.008+01:00

Hello readers,

I am now officially all set up and ready move over to my blog which is now under my websites extended url: sarahfrance.com/blog

A huge thank you to my website designer Andi Farr!!

Sorry for any inconvenience :)

New RSS feed: http://www.sarahfrance.com/blog/feed/

What I love

2009-04-03T22:12:00.008+01:00

I admire nature
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With every breath I appreciate it ever more. Especially now as morning breaks I awake to the sound of a birds song, as I turn, the air fresh against my cold pillow from an open window. I love how every morning I open my door to the awe-inspiring views of the nearby fells and heart pounding, the smell of the green. Every morning, no matter if rain or cloud, I feel exactly the same. Every morning I take the same deep breath as though experiencing for the first time the golden sun kissing the fells. I leave, taking time to appreciate dreams of my childhood; yearning to live in the heart of the Lake District.

Alison Carmichael

2009-04-03T22:00:00.005+01:00

Hand-lettering Artist
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I never tire of viewing equisit graphics, and I am certainly mesmerised by the work of Alison. With the sedutive hand rendered letterforms, every piece show so much originality; creative and stylish.

[Alison Carmichael]

Design Collector

2009-03-29T20:53:00.006+01:00

Celebrating 6 years
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I was invited by Arseny Vesnin founder of DesignCollector to submit a piece of artwork to celebrate their 6th year.

On April 13 Designcollector Network celebrates Six years! Privately selected creators will do their artworks for Designcollector's six anniversary.

Below is my entry, simply playing on their own tag line 'all you need are links' which I feel 'links' in quite well with the shape of the 6.

[read further]

Early explorations using lego/shadows/hands/pegs:

On a personal note

2009-03-28T19:56:00.005Z

Grasmere
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On the 12th February, 2009 I moved into my new flat in Grasmere. I am living right in the centre of the village above the local Post Office, the views are gorgeous and I cannot wait to go out walking and not to forget taking lots of photographs.

At the moment I have no internet connection so my blog and various other networks haven't been and won't be updated as frequently as I would like. Hopefully in the next three weeks I should be getting a phone line installed and I'll be away again.

Thank you for all baring with me. I can promise you will be seeing more here very soon, not to mention my websites re-launch and the possibility of some free goodies!

"Twit Twoo"

2009-03-22T16:50:00.002Z

Jumping on the bandwagon
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I am now on Twitter, you can follow me here.

Morgan at St. Bees

2009-03-22T14:19:00.009Z

PHOTOGRAPHY
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Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing at St. Bees with a lovely girl called Morgan and her mam Adele. I have just spent most of the week editing and uploading the images to my flickr account.

See more images in the Morgan at St. Bees set here.

DesignNotes by Michael Surtees

2009-03-22T12:06:00.002Z

Another side of design
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Today, via flickr.com, I came across an excellent blog by Michael Surtees.

DesignNotes was launched in Canada in 2005 and is now published in New York by designer, writer and educator Michael Surtees. Michael tries to see life filtered through design, as opposed to placing design on a pedestal. Every once in a while, food and music slip on into the discussion. When not writing about design, Michael is the Design Director of Daylife.

To update

2009-03-22T11:09:00.007Z

NEW BLOG
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Unfortunately, for some time I have had no internet connection in my flat, I am hoping to get it sorted within the next few weeks.

I am still between two blogs at the moment having found limitations with the www.sarahfrance.com/blog wordpress template, I have decided I am going to keep posting here and hopefully keep the updates flowing.

My website is currently having data inputted and should be back up and running very soon. My good friend Andi has been applying a new template by which I am just thrilled!

Currently, I am working on:

01. My new logo and how it may animate on my websites intro page
02. Also an identity re-vamp for this blog
03. Inputting data into my new gridified website
04. Completing stationary for my sisters wedding invites
05. Creating two more titles for Fault Magazine
06. Expanding on my photographic knowledge
and much more...working full-time

So, I thought I would leave my readers with some new photography from just this weekend. So stay tuned for more updates.

New Blog Link!

2009-02-08T18:04:00.005Z

Hello Readers,

I have nearly got the hang of the new blog template - although I am still filtering in projects I thought I would post up the link:

Sarah France | Work In Progress*

The great thing about the new bog is how information can be filtered off making the blog much smoother and easier to follow. So now not only can you decide to see work by category, i.e. typography/photography - you can also see the links referring to interviews/links and inspirations all separately!

A HUGE thank you to Grid-a-Licious for releasing their template! And an even bigger thank you to my website designer Andi Farr!

Calling all students or recent graduates...

2009-02-06T22:57:00.005Z

Amelia's Mag is looking for some interns!

[read more and how to apply]

What is Amelia's Mag?

Amelia’s Magazine is a beautiful biannual creation that aims to bring together – in good old-fashioned print – the very best in new music, fashion, art, illustration and photography. Renowned for its very special covers (previous issues have been encrusted with Swarovski crystals, lazer-cut, made out of furry flock, scratch ‘n’ sniff in different flavours and glow-in-the-dark) it is lovingly edited, designed and crafted by Amelia (and her work experience) in her spare room just off Brick Lane in East London.

Calling all interns!

Amelia's Magazine is looking for four new interns to run the music, fashion, art and earth sections of Amelia's Blog. You will need to be a capable and fast writer, able to edit and co-ordinate other contributors, interested in the role of the arts in inspiring discussions and action over Climate Change, and most of all bursting with enthusiasm for your topic.

If you own a mac laptop, are self-motivated and have a passionate interest in any or even better all of the above topics then please drop me an email at info@ameliasmagazine.com with the heading I WANT TO BE AN INTERN by Friday 13th February with:

* your cv

* a relevant example of your writing

* an idea (review, event, feature) for something to write up for the relevant blog section

* a description of your favourite band, artist or fashion designer and why

You must be able to start on Monday 23rd February for the next 3 months until the end of May. You will be working Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm at my house which is just off Brick Lane in east London. Please do not apply if you cannot do these days and dates. Please note that these are all unpaid positions, but I do make you lunch every day!
I look forward to hearing from you.

Amelia x

An update

2009-02-04T21:08:00.007Z

Current projects and blog news update
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Hello Readers, the new blog is almost complete - but until I get the hang of the new design I will be continuing to post here.

Iona Rose

I am currently designing a logotype for a local creative card maker, Andria Simpson. The idea of the logo is to appear friendly and have a hand-rendered quality. Here is a sneaky preview of my new project, the next step is to render the logo with Quink Ink. To myself, nothing beats the tactile quality of hand made!

Client: Andria Simpson | Iona Rose

AmperMug

My Ampersand mug design has been photographed using some propping and all together I am really pleased with the outcome. I may even sell these designs at a later date.

Wedding Invites

My sisters wedding invites and stationary are well underway, I am really thrilled with the progress we've made so far! I don't want to give an awful lot away at the moment as I know friends and family will be wanting to see all!

Well you'll all have to just wait

An early stages of the champaign bottle application:

Blogging New Look

2009-01-19T21:52:00.004Z

With having great success with my website, I have decided now is the time for change. Hopefully, by the end of next month, this blog will be moving to my website with an all new look!

As well as the blog following my personal development as a graphic designer, I will now be introducing interviews with other designers to talk about their influences and techniques covering all areas of the creative process.

I also have an exciting new project - all will be revealed on the new blog soon...

EthanIsSweet

2009-01-12T22:13:00.004Z

Watch out Ethan is About!
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Keep an eye on new graduate Ethan! He loves using what is available and has a passion for creating excellent conceptual typographic pieces.

-*- from oscar on Vimeo.

[Visit ETHANisSWEET]

Sunday Link Time:

2009-01-11T20:58:00.004Z

issuu.com
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Here are some typogrographical Issuu's worth reading:

Web Typography Basics
Design&Life
FontBooklet No.1 from FontShop
Font 007 from FontShop
Ampersand found via AisleOne
Typographic Practice

Please feel free to comment on any you may have came across.

You too can publish:

Explore a world of publications by people and publishers alike. Collect, share and publish in a format designed to make your documents look their very best.

[Visit Issuu to see more]

Win a book!

2009-01-11T14:51:00.005Z

There is a new function on the Grid Calculator buy page at the bottom. If you recommend a
friend or more you have a chance to win a free book, so why not recommend it to some
friends and have the chance of winning this months super awesome book?

This months book: Detail in Typography by Jost Hochuli

Subtitled ‘A concise yet rich discussion of all the small things that enhance the legibility of texts’, Jost Hochuli’s guide to micro-typography considers everything that can happen within a column of text. Detail in typography, designed by its author, is printed and bound in Switzerland to the best standards. It provides, in its own form and manufacture, a demonstration of how books can be made.
Reviewed by Typotheque

[Visit GridCalculator to find out more!]

AmperMug

2009-01-10T17:51:00.003Z

Printed via PhotoBox
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Well, I have a fond love of Ampersands as most of my readers will know. So I decided to create myself a mug with an Ampersand with the typeface revealed on the reverse. I am aiming to do a series covering the Adobe fonts.

This is a sneaky preview of the design. Hopefully tomorrow, when it is much brighter (here is hoping!) I have set up some natural elements to photograph the final product shot; I will upload the new images to this post when complete.

Wedding Invites:

2009-01-10T16:58:00.006Z

Looking for the right type
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My sister is getting married in September and I have the pleasure of designing her wedding invites/favours and general visual goodies.

So today we have decided on a font by which I am going to create a logotype to apply on the various designs; this will be used as a stamp and will be placed on almost everything.

With the wedding being in Cyprus we want the type to be a little bit tropical looking yet still quite traditional looking. The first typeface which caught our eye was the amazing Burgues Script from Veer.

Although traditional, the letter forms and stunning glyphs were something we would not consider to be tropical. So not looking too far away we came across another stunning typeface on Veer called Affair, which I must admit I have came across time and time again. The typeface is so beautiful and has a tropical decorative feel.

So with the font chosen, I am now going to create a logotype with first names: including the date of marriage and location.

Sunday Link Time:

2009-01-04T22:16:00.004Z

Minimalism in Website Design
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Here are some really beautiful clean and functional websites.
These are just some of the websites I often visit for graphic inspiration. Studying sites like this influenced my online portfolio so I hope they will inspire many others:

Vignelli Associates
Non-Format
Nick Bell
Saville Wakefield
We Are Build
Studio Makgill
Cartlidge Levene
B&W Studio
BB/Saunders
NavyBlue
Browns Design

[via Thinking For A Living]

Hypefortype

2009-01-04T12:03:00.003Z

Hypefortype is the new online digital type foundry from Thinkdust, launching in 2009. Every 3 months, the most sought after designers from around the globe will work together with us to bring you the freshest typefaces on offer. For volume one you an expect limited edition creations from the likes of Si Scott, Alex Trochut, Luke Lukas, and Jon Burgerman.

[Visit Hypefortype]

Grid Calculator

2009-01-03T17:28:00.003Z

Mathematics creates amazing graphic precision...

Grid Calculator is a powerful software that helps you create a perfect grid for any design project. It's ideal for projects such as book and magazine design, logo, retail, webdesign and much much more. The software uses a complex algorithm to do the calculations for the grid.

With amazing step-by-step video tutorials, you can easily become familiar with the software and what it has to offer. You can even try before you buy!

For more information on the software please visit Designers Bookshop and follow the links for Grid Calculator and while you're there why not read the interviews of Joe Duffy and Stefan Sagmeister.

[Sale BUY for around £47] ~~current conversion rate~~

Sunday Link Time:

2008-12-28T21:40:00.008Z

Bloggers & Researchers on Flickr.com
_
Brilliant graphic design and typographic inspirations:
Please remember to read the group rules before submitting.

Typography and Lettering
Graphic Design
typo.graphy
Typophile
Swiss Legacy
kommunikationsdesign
Manystuff
FormFiftyFive
The Grid System
Typography Friday
International Graphic Design

More to be added.

If you have any Flickr.com Group Pool links, please send to contact [at] sarahfrance [dot] com and I will add them to this post.
Many thanks.

How could I forget, thank you Nitzan:

My Favourite Letters

Salih Kucukaga

2008-12-28T21:03:00.005Z

is a multidisciplinary graphic designer from Istanbul, Turkey. He has dedicated over 11 years solely to generating design ideas. Kucukaga has won many awards and is widely known for his branding, advertising and packaging work.

Here are just a few examples of what his online portfolio has to offer:

Past Present Istanbul

Smoothy Island

The Pulse

P-Liquid

Kucukaga also provides us with a immense source of packaging design, why not visit his blog filled with inspiration...I love Packaging World.

Marker Food Heroes

2008-12-22T20:30:00.006Z

COWRAN ESTATE | BRANDING
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Today Marker uploaded some of their most recent projects to the creative network Behance. Their website is currently being designed so watch this space for any exciting new updates!

Here is a small taste of what they have to offer:

Fine food, produced naturally, is the ethos of Cowran Estate, a local producer.
The typographic treatment really compliments the delicate illustration.

Marker are currently advertising for a Creative Director.

Sunday Link Time:

2008-12-21T20:44:00.007Z

Calendars
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Pentagram 2008 Typography Calendar Now Available

Pentagram's 2008 calendar features typefaces designed by Matthew Carter.

Kit Hinrichs has designed Pentagram’s 2008 Classic Typographic Calendar using twelve typefaces designed by typographer Matthew Carter including Walker (originally designed in 1995 for the Walker Art Center), Snell Roundhand (a 1966 revival of 17th century English writing master Charles Snell) and Galliard (a 1978 anthology of Roman and Italian styles of French punch-cutter Robert Granjon). “I wanted to bring a new awareness of typographic design through this calendar,” said Hinrichs. “Typefaces are pervasive in our daily lives in everything we read and see around us and yet most people are oblivious of them or the circumstances in which they were created. We can gain a new perspective on our world by studying the origin of typefaces. I hope the calendar will encourage a new sensitivity to the importance of typeface usage and the work of Matthew Carter.”

The calendar is available in two sizes, a supersize 33-by-22 inch version suitable for wall hanging and a smaller 18-by-12 inch version appropriate for desk use. Both versions are available in the US and UK at kenknight.com. The price of the supersize calendar is $36 and the smaller desk and wall calendar is $22. (Prices do not include shipping.)

[BUY from £32.64] ~~current conversion rate~~
[Visit Pentagram]

"Dorogaya" Magnetic Calendar

This stunning concept has been very successful on Behance and you can probably see why. Not only easy to use but placed in the most perfect of places; on the fridge as it is more often than not the first stop in the morning!

[Visit Serhiy Chebotaryov]

TypeOff

Typodarium 2009: The Typodarium brings daily typography inspiration, the first tear-off calendar with 365 different fonts—bread-and-butter types and typography gimmicks, character sets and punctuation, old masters and new wild fonts, favourite fonts from across the world on your wall. The front page, which is classic and functional, shows the date and on the reverse are background and details, designers and reference sources. In this way, every day becomes a typography day and some calendar pages become a font shopping list.

The typography calendar was planned and designed with the Berlin designer Raban Ruddigkeit and is the first publication by Magma with the well-known Mainz publisher Hermann Schmidt.

The following type designers and founders are included in the calendar: 2Rebels, Avoid Red Arrows, bp Foundry, Caketype, Canada Type, Cape Arcona, Christian Schwartz, Coma AG, Cubanica, ds Type, Dutch Design, Dutchfonts, eps51, Font Bureau, Fontfarm, FontFont, Fountain, Hubert Jocham, Hula+Hula, Kenn Munk, Lazydogs, Lieberungewoehnlich, Lion&Bee, Magma Brand Design/VolcanoType, Mark Simonson, Martina Hartmann, P22, Parachute, Peter Brugger, Pfadfinderei, Primetype, Smeltery, Sparkytype, Subtitude, Subcommunication, Typecuts, TypeOff., TypeTogether, Typetype, Typonauten, Typotheque, Underware, urw++, Verena Gerlach, Xplicit, and Yanone.

Typodarium 2009
365 fonts by 50 foundries and designers.
368 pages, each 8.5 x 12 cm.

[BUY for £15.67] ~~current conversion rate~~