What's that squiggly bit?

Emma, currently on the first year graphics course at Staffordshire brought a recent print ad for the British Heart Foundation to our attention asking, "what's that squiggly bit?"

Well Emma, that 'squiggly bit' is the slightly less technical term for a ligature. So what's a ligature I hear you cry? Well, basically they are specially designed pairs and trios of characters which are linked together to form a unity. Ligature actually means 'laced together'. When certain combinations of characters appear, parts may invade the space occupied by the character it sits next to. Look at the image above, the 'fi' ligature is set in the fonts Caslon, Baskerville and Bodoni. Without the use of a ligature in this case the arm of the 'f' would clash with the dot on the 'i', consequently a specially designed ligature has been created to banish this unfortunate occurence and restore beauty to the happy marriage of the letters 'f' and 'i'.

Hopefully this will give you a very (and I mean very) basic introduction to ligatures.

Most of this was cribbed from the excellent book, 'About Face' by David Jury. Definitely worth purchasing where you can find out more about the weird and wonderful world of ligatures, leading and all things typographic.

Brown is the new black

Graduate from Staffordshire University, Lyndsey Brown is a confident and enthusiastic graphic designer looking for an opportunity. She enjoys working as part of a team. With a passion for combining a range of disciplines which includes photography and typography, producing concept driven design pieces. She has strong ability to produce excellent design ideas through a range of print processes.

To find out more from Lyndsey please click here.

Graduate for sale

In these times or recession, design companies need great graduates. So here's one and her name is Selina.

A graphic designer with a blend of qualities and ethical values, who has a special appetite for challenging briefs as well as being a little type geek! I suffer from bouts of passion for design and would like my work to make an impact in the design world or beyond. I'm available for placements, junior design jobs or just freelance. If you are intrigued and want to see my portfolio, contact me by email.

Listen up cloth ears

Right then you 'orrible lot. What you need is a dose of good ole' Yorkshire common sense and I know just the man to administer this. His name is Craig Oldham. A Barnsley boy, Craig graduated with a first in Graphics from Falmouth and is now working at The Chase in Manchester.

He put together his thoughts on 12 things he learnt in his first 12 months in industry. I strongly suggest you visit his site where you can purchase the document that the whole nation is talking about for the extraordinary price of £3.50, he's practically giving it away!

http://www.craigoldham.co.uk/projects/12-in-12/

Nice one our 'arry

Here's just one example of Staffordshire Graduate Harry Heptonstall's typographic muscle.

See Graduates looking for placements/employment for more information.

Hello Spongers

Well, that's not a very nice welcome is it? I'll try again. Hello Sponge lovers, I cordially invite you to take a butchers at my very lame attempt at being Britain's (well Manchester's... well Urmston's most insightful observer on Graphic Design education!

Let me introduce myself. I am Grant Mitchell, and before you say it, yes I do get some stick for that, particularly when dealing with banks, insurance companies and other call-centre based establishments. But I'm not bitter (much).

I'm a practising Graphic Designer who has been at the coal face for the past 11 years. After graduating from Staffordshire University in 1997 where I fluked a First (don't ask me how), I gained employment at The Chase, then Graphic Partners (Mcr) followed by a stint at Creative Lynx. Where in my latter days I was presented with the opportunity to lecture part-time to the Graphic Design students at my old stomping ground of Staffordshire University.

Since then I have set up my own design consultancy, Transmission Creative (what do you mean you've never heard of it???) and am now doing a full day's lecturing at Staffs.

After several years of lecturing, it finally dawned upon me that it might be useful to document the thoughts, experiences and general nonsense that I seem to spout on a Monday to those poor, defenceless students (God help them!), hence the reason behind 'I am a sponge'.

So, I hear you ask, what's all this sponge stuff? Well, it's basically one of the many Mitchell 'Pearl's of Wisdom'™ . It's amazing what tripe comes out of my mouth when I'm confronted with fifty odd students, looking for divine inspiration. This one stems from my theory that Graphic Design know-how is very much a cumulative process, so I encourage the students to act like sponges (no, not dull, lifeless inanimate objects that are only useful for washing cars, although some do pull off this act with some aplomb). I want them to expose and absorb themselves every second of the day, to design (now there's a start), art, architecture, photography, you know, the obvious things... but more than that, to absorb everything, news, litter, conversations in working mens' clubs, fish and chips, visits to launderettes anything and everything is useful. And at some point, you will squeeze this metaphorical sponge and something useful, that will guide, direct and influence you will drip out.

So, that's the name dealt with. So what's my manifesto. Simply to advise, inspire, encourage, connect and showcase thoughts, images and observations from not only myself but other lecturers, students (past and present), designers, gurus, has been's, know it all's and never was's on the rocky road of how to equip yourself for the world of graphic design.

So say it loud and say it proud, 'I am a sponge'.

SOAK IT UP.