I attended Offset, Dublin's Creative Festival, again this year and it was great! A three-day event where creatives (graphic designers, animators, artists, illustrators, photographers, etc) from all over the world gather to speak about what they do, it is an intense but rewarding event with lots of amazing content. After I attended last year I wrote a summary post of the best things I saw or learnt during the weekend, so I thought I'd do the same again this year. So here goes...
1. The amazing illustrations created by Hey Studio (and the coolest Instagram feed)
Hey Studio is a design agency based in Barcelona. They have earned widespread acclaim for their amazing illustrated maps and cities with beautiful details, like this one for San Miguel...
2. What it's like to be a graphic designer for Hollywood
Annie Atkins spoke about her experience as a graphic designer working on TV and films. She talked about the level of detail required when creating graphics for Hollywood, from bloodied and torn telegrams to newspaper front pages and police noticeboards. Recently she led a team of designers on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I don't know about you, but I must admit I'd never realised that films even had graphic designers on the cast. I suppose it had just never occurred to me that they might need them. But, on second thought, and after seeing Annie's presentation, I've realised it's actually a really important role. Think about all the times you've seen part of a tv show or film's story being developed using newspaper headlines or articles, books, old photographs or letters and period props including graphics and lettering... Even signage falls into the remit of the graphic design team. Here are a few examples of the items Annie's team created for The Grand Budapest Hotel...
3. How IBM are focusing on design to reshape their business
IBM have launched a new design studio in Dublin at their technology campus in Damastown. Doug Powell of IBM spoke on the second stage at Offset about how they see the importance of design shaping the future of their business. They're looking for designers that will create irresistible experiences for their users. If you're interested, check out their vacancies here.
4. The importance of criticism in today's world
Another talk on the second stage was about the importance of criticism in today's world. That there is definitely a need for people to be able to criticise work so that work is continually shaped and improved for the greater good. But, that there is also a proper way to criticise, that criticism can and should be open and respectful of what was attempted. It should be an evaluation of something rather than 'this is my opinion' of something.
I thought this was particularly valid for blogs and bloggers. All too quickly readers can comment and criticise, but have they really evaluated what the blogger was trying to achieve before they jumped in with their opinion?
5. The amazing Volvo ads by Forsman & Bodenfors
I think we've all seen the amazing Volvo ad with Jean Claude Van Damme. You know, this one -
And my goodness, what a thing of beauty that ad is! Forsman & Bodenfors are the Swedish agency behind that ad and indeed several others for Volvo. This single YouTube video above created over €150 million in advertising value for Volvo - incredible! Here is another good one you may not have seen -
The agency spoke about how they initially turned down Volvo, not once, but twice before finally agreeing to work for them!
6. Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic is covered in tattoos
Forsman & Bodenfors went on to talk about the difficulty of creating even more great work after the Volvo campaign was done. But they seem to have created pure gold again, with this -
Pretty powerful, hey? But I'd love to know if he really did get all those tattoos...?
7. The force of advertising can be beautiful
Advertising can not only be powerful, but beautiful too. I loved the Three Mobile Christmas ad created by Dublin agency Boys & Girls. I didn't see it at Christmas (I know, where was I??) so when they showed it at Offset it almost brought a tear to my eye...
8. That design is about solving problems
This year I felt almost every speaker had a common theme, and that was that design is about solving problems. And truly great design solves problems in the most simple of ways.
9. That nobody gives a shit
The most important message, or lesson, for me was one that came from Rory of Boys & Girls. At one point in his presentation he put up a slide that just had the words 'Nobody gives a shit'. He went on to explain - everyone's busy all the time. People are going about their lives, they're working, they're loving, they're fighting, they're raising families, they're trying to be happy... Advertising is just there. Nobody really cares about it. Sure, they see it, but it doesn't really mean anything to them. His message was, so why worry so much, and hold back on your work? Just go for it - do it, go big or go home.
And I loved that. As a designer, I obsess over my work. Should it be blue or black? Should it be big or small? Is this right? Do I like it? Will someone else like it? On and on and on. When really nobody gives a shit anyway! So, just do it people! GO BIG OR GO HOME. Don't be held back by fears or worries.
10. And cats are cool, anytime, anywhere
Haha, yes, they certainly are. Offset's title sequences (the bit of video to announce each speaker as they came on stage) was all cats and kitty inspired mayhem! Check it out...
And that's it! My top 10 amazing moments from Offset 2015. There was so much more too, this is only just a taster really... Did you stick with me all the way to here? I'm so glad you did! And I hope I might have inspired you to attend Offset for yourself next year. There's nothing like a bit of wild and wacky creativity to wake you up and get you energised again!
1. The amazing illustrations created by Hey Studio (and the coolest Instagram feed)
Hey Studio is a design agency based in Barcelona. They have earned widespread acclaim for their amazing illustrated maps and cities with beautiful details, like this one for San Miguel...
This one for Monocle magazine...
...and this one for the Wall Street Journal.
A little closer to home, they were commissioned by Three to design some illustrations for their Dublin office interiors.
They also have a personal illustration project on Instagram called every_hey, where they post an icon of popular culture every day. See who you can spot!
You can read more about these guys and their other very creative work in this interview on the Digital Arts Online website.
2. What it's like to be a graphic designer for Hollywood
Annie Atkins spoke about her experience as a graphic designer working on TV and films. She talked about the level of detail required when creating graphics for Hollywood, from bloodied and torn telegrams to newspaper front pages and police noticeboards. Recently she led a team of designers on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I don't know about you, but I must admit I'd never realised that films even had graphic designers on the cast. I suppose it had just never occurred to me that they might need them. But, on second thought, and after seeing Annie's presentation, I've realised it's actually a really important role. Think about all the times you've seen part of a tv show or film's story being developed using newspaper headlines or articles, books, old photographs or letters and period props including graphics and lettering... Even signage falls into the remit of the graphic design team. Here are a few examples of the items Annie's team created for The Grand Budapest Hotel...
3. How IBM are focusing on design to reshape their business
IBM have launched a new design studio in Dublin at their technology campus in Damastown. Doug Powell of IBM spoke on the second stage at Offset about how they see the importance of design shaping the future of their business. They're looking for designers that will create irresistible experiences for their users. If you're interested, check out their vacancies here.
4. The importance of criticism in today's world
Another talk on the second stage was about the importance of criticism in today's world. That there is definitely a need for people to be able to criticise work so that work is continually shaped and improved for the greater good. But, that there is also a proper way to criticise, that criticism can and should be open and respectful of what was attempted. It should be an evaluation of something rather than 'this is my opinion' of something.
I thought this was particularly valid for blogs and bloggers. All too quickly readers can comment and criticise, but have they really evaluated what the blogger was trying to achieve before they jumped in with their opinion?
5. The amazing Volvo ads by Forsman & Bodenfors
I think we've all seen the amazing Volvo ad with Jean Claude Van Damme. You know, this one -
And my goodness, what a thing of beauty that ad is! Forsman & Bodenfors are the Swedish agency behind that ad and indeed several others for Volvo. This single YouTube video above created over €150 million in advertising value for Volvo - incredible! Here is another good one you may not have seen -
The agency spoke about how they initially turned down Volvo, not once, but twice before finally agreeing to work for them!
6. Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic is covered in tattoos
Forsman & Bodenfors went on to talk about the difficulty of creating even more great work after the Volvo campaign was done. But they seem to have created pure gold again, with this -
Pretty powerful, hey? But I'd love to know if he really did get all those tattoos...?
7. The force of advertising can be beautiful
Advertising can not only be powerful, but beautiful too. I loved the Three Mobile Christmas ad created by Dublin agency Boys & Girls. I didn't see it at Christmas (I know, where was I??) so when they showed it at Offset it almost brought a tear to my eye...
This year I felt almost every speaker had a common theme, and that was that design is about solving problems. And truly great design solves problems in the most simple of ways.
9. That nobody gives a shit
The most important message, or lesson, for me was one that came from Rory of Boys & Girls. At one point in his presentation he put up a slide that just had the words 'Nobody gives a shit'. He went on to explain - everyone's busy all the time. People are going about their lives, they're working, they're loving, they're fighting, they're raising families, they're trying to be happy... Advertising is just there. Nobody really cares about it. Sure, they see it, but it doesn't really mean anything to them. His message was, so why worry so much, and hold back on your work? Just go for it - do it, go big or go home.
And I loved that. As a designer, I obsess over my work. Should it be blue or black? Should it be big or small? Is this right? Do I like it? Will someone else like it? On and on and on. When really nobody gives a shit anyway! So, just do it people! GO BIG OR GO HOME. Don't be held back by fears or worries.
10. And cats are cool, anytime, anywhere
Haha, yes, they certainly are. Offset's title sequences (the bit of video to announce each speaker as they came on stage) was all cats and kitty inspired mayhem! Check it out...
And that's it! My top 10 amazing moments from Offset 2015. There was so much more too, this is only just a taster really... Did you stick with me all the way to here? I'm so glad you did! And I hope I might have inspired you to attend Offset for yourself next year. There's nothing like a bit of wild and wacky creativity to wake you up and get you energised again!
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