4th March 2025
I've never been able to find a scuba diving logbook that I like. The solution? I designed two paperbacks and two hardbacks myself.
9th January 2024
Pantone Peach Fuzz is the 2024 Color of the Year. Find out how Pantone make their choice, view colour palettes and compare with Dulux.
28th December 2022
Pantone describe Viva Magenta as “a new animated red that revels in pure joy”. But it looks pink to me. How do you respond to it?
3rd May 2022
If you're not a pro and you're creating your own website there are lots of 'builder' sites you could use. I recommend Squarespace.
9th February 2022
Very Peri, a new shade, is Pantone’s colour of 2022. How do they choose? Trends, colour pairings and products are discussed in this blogpost.
18th August 2021
If you’re interested in books, and book cover design in particular, don’t miss The Beauty of Books (episode four) on BBC iPlayer.
17th March 2021
A graphic designer can help you with your packaging, i.e. the image you present to the world to encourage people to buy from you.
4th January 2021
Pantone have announced their Colour of the Year for 2021. What are the colour trends for 2021, and how can we best use them?
2nd October 2020
Most designers choose to use two typefaces in their designs (font pairing). Discover tips on how to mix and match fonts, and see examples that pair well.
27th August 2020
What is a typical day for a graphic designer? I made a note of everything I did one Thursday last month; this is a record of my day.
7th January 2020
Pantone have announced that the Colour of the Year 2020 is Classic Blue, and Shutterstock's forecast also features an intense indigo. What else is trending?
20th November 2019
With their creativity, practicality and powerful problem-solving skills, designers should be involved in decision-making. Why is this so rare?
2nd May 2019
A local nursery has recently undergone a rebrand. Things started well where did they go wrong?
9th January 2019
Colour psychologists often split colours into seasons. Find out how different shades of a colour can evoke different feelings.
9th January 2019
Every year, Pantone announce their colour of the year: in 2019 it was Living Coral. How does Pantone decide which colour they should promote in this way?
1st November 2018
Print is not dead, and a brochure can be a great weapon in your marketing arsenal. Find out how a new brochure helped AST Stairlifts get more business.
24th August 2018
If you are confused about photo formats and sizes, this article will answer your most asked questions.
9th July 2018
Where can you source really unusual and extraordinary typefaces? There are a number of options you can try. Read our useful guide to find out more.
12th March 2018
This well-known man's personal branding is second to none. You may know who he is by just looking at his ties – or even just his socks. Who is he?
18th January 2018
Find out why we used the colours red and green for this logo design.
8th January 2018
How do you choose colours that match if you don’t know anything about colour theory or colour psychology? There’s a great free resource to help you.
26th October 2017
Supply good pictures to your designer and ensure your marketing materials are up to scratch and your products and services are shown to the best possible advantage.
26th October 2017
What exactly do graphic designers do, and can graphic design actually save your life? This question is discussed through a medical perspective.
26th September 2017
15th August 2017
The London Transport Museum at the depot in Acton is not just for train geeks, it has lots of treats in store for art and design enthusiasts. The Johnston tour is one of these.
8th July 2017
I usually like to stay in London during the summer months and get away when it’s cold, but this year I broke with tradition and spent
21st April 2017
Easy ways to select photos for your projects; where to look, how much it might cost and the pitfalls you should be aware of.
5th April 2017
These amazing and moving posters first came to my attention in a Design Museum competition. Is this campaign the best ever?
28th March 2017
In the 1960s, Donovan’s album covers used distinctive fonts which reflected his style of music. The most well known was ‘Arnold Bocklin’ font.
17th March 2017
16th November 2016
Last week I was lucky enough to be commended in the Richmond Business Awards ‘Best Website’ category. During the submission process I
12th November 2016
Do you live in London? Are you the type of person who is torn between visiting museums and getting
27th October 2016
How much do you know about fonts? Have a go at our 10-point quiz and see how many you get right.
15th January 2016
Every year, Pantone select a ‘colour of the year’ that they deem to reflect the zeitgeist (buzzwords this year are balanced, calming, wellness,
8th December 2015
If you are in lockdown and want to relax by expressing your creativity, try colouring books. They're not just for children, they're for grown-ups too!
18th November 2015
I know a thing or two about typography; I’ve studied, read about it and practised it for more than 30 years. I can talk endlessly about
2nd September 2015
Branding creates a cohesive identity for book cover designs. Read how this series rebrand resulted in an uplift in sales for a small publisher.
1st August 2015
What do you think of this new logo? I’m keen on it, as I love stencil typefaces and frequently play with them when I’m designing new
28th May 2015
On a recent trip to Liverpool, I drove to Seacombe to see Peter Blake’s Snowdrop Mersey Ferry, but nothing had prepared me for this riot of colour.
28th May 2015
Back in 2013, I wrote a post about a new service for publishing professionals. Little did I know what impact it would have on my career.
12th May 2015
Having a career in graphic design can be very rewarding, though it has its pros and cons. Should you encourage your kids in this career?
9th January 2015
Designers employ lots of tricks to enhance a design. One of these is using beautiful ampersands. Here are my personal top 10 ampersands.
24th September 2014
Have you ever seen a typeface, admired or hated it and wondered what it was? You don’t have to have a degree in typography to find
22nd September 2014
When people think about branding, they normally envisage company logos and the way they are applied to marketing materials and products.
19th August 2014
‘Fresh, light and fun’ or ‘modern, yet traditional’? Both! Though not at the same time. This was part of my brief from the
8th July 2014
I recently met a content marketing expert whose opinion was categorically ‘no’, and most photographers would agree with her. While
15th June 2014
Or did your inherent love of what was to become your future career influence your choice of toys? I think it was that way round for me.
11th April 2014
I was asked recently ‘What makes a good website?’ The only answer I could give was ‘A site that serves its client well’. The majority of businesses
18th March 2014
To most of us, orange conjures up visions of youth and fresh ideas; it’s a lively, vibrant colour, ideal for portraying vitality and newness. On the
31st December 2013
When I’m thinking of buying a book, often the design can put me off; a very small typeface, mean leading (line spacing) and stingy margins are
28th November 2013
Ever since my daughter stuffed a milk-bottle top into my floppy disc drive (now that’s going back a bit!) on the day a job was to
1st October 2013
Anxious about commissioning a graphic designer? How to ensure your designer projects the right message and communicates successfully with your clients.
30th September 2013
Choosing the right typeface is not just about looking pretty; it can be crucial to the message you put across. When Pepsi teamed up with Aape to
4th July 2013
You’d think that if you had money to burn you’d be able to commission a logo you can be proud of, wouldn’t you? They don’tcome much richer
14th June 2013
Pinterest is one of the most popular social media sites, and plenty of posts tell you how you should use it to best promote yourself and your business. Most
9th April 2013
Can ugly colours affect sales? Sometimes designers have to make packaging unappealing to discourage sales.
2nd April 2013
People think the 1970s was a cultural desert, but Glam, an exhibition of popular art of the early 70s now on at the Tate Liverpool, proves
31st January 2013
I love typography and calligraphy, and hand-drawn type can add flair and vibrancy to a design. One of my favourite lettering artists is the very talented
30th October 2012
This wonderful book on Herb Lubalin by art publishers Unit Editions is top of my wish list at the moment. Harb was one of the original
28th April 2012
Oh dear! Who is responsible for this typographic crime? It upsets me deeply. For those of you who don’t know, kerning is the process of adjusting
16th April 2012
Sometimes all of us need inspiration when it comes to choosing colours, and you could do worse than turning to one of the Great Masters. One
25th July 2011
“Logo design? That must be easy – you could probably knock something up in a couple of hours”. Is that what you think? Here’s what really
17th March 2011
Recently, I read a blogpost about why you shouldn’t use iconic typefaces in your designs. Typefaces can polarise opinions and raise temperatures (especially among type geeks
26th January 2011
This week I met someone who showed me one of his flyers. The colours were great (black red and white) and it featured his bold and
30th November 2010
Last week I met someone who said he ‘did a bit of graphic design’ – something that always sets alarm bells ringing with me. On probing
31st October 2010
Repairing a tear So many of us have lovely old photos tucked away in a cupboard that are faded and
creased. It would be a shame
20th October 2010
1 Know your market 2 Get the size right 3 Keep it simple 4 Employ bold typography
28th September 2010
I love the redesign of the Penguin Dictionaries. They are obviously Penguin books, but they have a very clean, modern feel. They follow rule number 1
2nd September 2010
Many of you will have heard of Oz magazine, know about the obscenity trial in 1970, and possibly even know the name of its editor, Richard
1st September 2010
If you are using a picture or illustration on the cover, make sure it is high-resolution (300dpi at the size you are using it) and in
31st August 2010
When your book goes to press, your printer will ask you to provide him or her with a press-quality PDF, and in order to do this
26th August 2010
‘Never judge a book by it’s cover’. People are far too intelligent to do that, right? Wrong. If your lovingly crafted words and years of hard