Cardiff Design Festival website launched

Well it has been up for a few days now but don't forget to check out the brand new Cardiff Design Festival website.

New website?

It's interesting as we work on a lot of websites both in terms of design and working hard with our clients to give the website the authenticity that it's brand requires. As such it is interesting to think about companies such as Skittles who have no foregone the traditional website totally and instead have decided to concentrate on established social media networks. A recent post by Logic + Emotion have two great diagrams to explain this, and as a lover of diagrams I thought I had to share.

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Listen, Learn Adapt

New Website

Well it has taken us some time but we have finally got our new website up and running. We have tried to make it much more informative this time around. See what you think at www.hoffi.com 

The site is very much in line with our current thinking of concentrating on our core products of branding, brand communications and digital. We hope you all enjoy the new site and find something of interest. We will be uploading new projects on the website very soon.

Life Logging

I was watching a show the other night about Life Logging. Set up at Dublin City University by computer science professor Alan Smeaton. The concept is quite simple but one that really struck me as a great idea. Over the last few years, Alan Smeaton and other people have been taking part in a study which involves the use of a small digital camera necklace placed on them. The camera is designed to take a picture every 30 seconds or when it detects movement or a change in the light around it.

The study is based around memories and how we treasure some memories more than others, with the basic premise being that novelty makes things unique. The clever part about the study is the computer system behind it. The system actually loads all of the pictures taken from the cameras into a computer and through the system, pictures are measured for differences between each other. So ones that have similar attributes are seen to be less important because they appear over and over again, yet pictures that are more and more unique in comparison to others are seen to be stand out moments within peoples lives.

The basic idea of the system which has seen developments from Nokia and Microsoft is seen as a way to release peoples memories from menial tasks so they can become as creative as possible. The system allows people to play back over eight hours of images in around three minutes. I think for me this opens up a number of ideas and possibilities to create new ways of remembering and also storing information.  

Hoffi's opinion - Creative Choices

It was a while ago now (even before we refurbished our studio), but Creative & Cultural Skills have produced a website called creative choices. As the name would suggest it is all about careers and development in the creative sector. Through their cultural leadership programme they came to our (Hoffi) offices to ask our opinion of design and in particular bilingual design and the unique problems and opportunities it represents.

It is always horrible seeing yourself on the tv but we hope it helps people make a decision on their futures and hopefully will increase interest in the design sector in Wales, both privately and also to a wider public audience.

www.creative-choices.co.uk

Bilingual Guides for Welsh Businesses

Over the last few months now we (Hoffi) have produced a number of bilingual design guides for Welsh businesses. Ranging from bilingual branding, through to brand communications and interactive design. The guides were really to give the client an idea of the issues involved in design and how bilingualism can help increase their reach. 

Since the series we are now going to be expanding the guide to wider business issues. Among these will be new marketing techniques, creating press releases and controlling you 'brand' image to clients and potential clients. This series will very much be an exploration of our clients wants and needs and so if anyone has anything in particular that they would like to suggest we produce a guide on, please email me at julian.sykes@hoffi.com

Cardiff Design Festival 2008 update

It is still some months away but plans are already afoot for the 2008 Cardiff Design Festival. As previously discussed we (Hoffi) will once again be working with the festival on all of the marketing for the Festival, as well as this we are delighted to announce that we are going to be working with Sequence on the launch of a brand new website which should be launched in the early weeks of September. We are very pleased that we will be working with Sequence this year and we are sure that through this we will be able to further broaden the reach of the Festival. Through our own work with NakedWales (www.nakedwales.com) it has always been central to our companies ethos to try and bring collaborations into design within Cardiff and so it is a great opportunity to work alongside such a well respected company. We are looking into some exciting additions to the site which we all hope will allow a broad design voice to be heard.

The next step for the Festival will be submissions to the Festival showcase. The call should be in early July and then after the selection and judging process has taken place the new website should launch with the 2008 showcase. We will keep you up to date as soon as possible.

Climate Change Wales Launch

Climate Change Wales Launch, originally uploaded by julian marshall sykes findings.

We have been working with West Wales Eco Centre on a educational climate change website for the last year or so. It was officially launched yesterday at Ysgol Dewi Sant, St David's, Pembrokeshire. Assembly Member Jane Davidson was present at the launch and was asked her views on the site and Climate Change in general. For us it was the first time we had met up with everyone who has backed the project, and so it was good to get their feedback. If you get a chance check it out at www.climatechangewales.org.uk