totalcontent - the blog.

words of wisdom.

The 14 November 2008 issue of Design Week came complete with the annual Creative Survey. Jim contributed the sign-off article, in which he shares the benefit of his experience with a look at the dos and don’ts of writing for different media – from packs and print to online and speechwriting. There’s also an accompanying podcast, where he fields questions from DW editor Lynda Relph-Knight on the role of words in design. You can hear Jim’s dulcets by clicking through here.

new work – ProGolf IQ.

ProGolf IQ is a new ‘brain training’ audio technique that helps to get your mind in tip-top shape for golf. Developed by a noted Australian psychologist, the five-week programme promises to put you ‘in the zone’ before you take each shot and radically improve your game. totalcontent was asked to write extensive web site copy, an online video script, and press ads, explaining the often complex ins and outs of the programme in a golfer-friendly way. The look and feel was designed by the recently formed, but highly talented,Magpie Studio. Now, where's my four iron?

picking the winners.

It’s time for Jim to don the trusty wig and gown once more, as he has been invited to judge two of the UK’s leading design awards for 2009.

In November, he’ll be reprising his role as part of the Print Jury at the two-dayDesign Week Awards judging. There’s always a frightening amount of work to assess in a short space of time, but checking out the most inspiring graphic design of the year, and hanging out with the leading lights of the industry makes it a real pleasure.

Then in April, Jim will take his place on D&AD’s Writing for Design jury. It’s his second stint on this one, and he will be joined by Adrian Shaughnessey, John Simmons, Elmwood’s Richard Scholey, and several other old friends. This has quite a different vibe from DW, and while it’s tricky judging one type of writing against another, the day looks set to be a real eye-opener as usual.

new work – AIG.

‘11 Ideas for Legible Cities’ was a series of postcards, each describing a guiding principle for helping people find their way around the urban landscape on foot. They were written for information designers AIG, who have developed a prototype wayfinding system for London, as well as several other major cities around the world. The postcards were used as a giveaway at this year’s London Festival of Architecture, where AIG were exhibiting. So they needed to be snappy enough to interest members of the public, but also informed enough to appeal to architects. So, how do I get out of here?

new work – Exposure.

Fashion-led communications agency exposure’s new web site is an all-singing, all dancing affair that reflects the vibrancy of the company’s people. Populated by quirky robots and toys, and featuring cartoon-like sound effects and animation, it’s a tour de force in young-at-heart online design. totalcontent provided the necessary balance with accessible, yet business-like summaries of the agency’s vision, credentials and short descriptions of its different departments. Random, lateral quotes from staff, culled from their business cards (a previous totalcontent commission), pop up when you least expect them.

new work – Square.

Earlier in the year, totalcontent hopped onboard Eurostar to Brussels. This was to get the lowdown on Square, a massive, state-of-the-art international conference centre, which will be opening in 2009. Even in its unfinished state, there’s no mistaking that Square will become a major-league meetings place – the location, space and architectural ambition are quite something. We were charged with announcing and explaining the ambitious scheme in a brochure and series of ads designed by our friends at Why Not Associates. And we’ve since helped Square with naming its many auditoria and facilities rooms.

pure gold.

Wow.

I’ve just been honoured with the most prestigious award you can get in the creative industries. An extraordinarily rare D&AD Gold. This once-in-a-lifetime accolade was awarded in the Advertising Posters category.

It was for my part in the National Gallery’s ‘Grand Tour’, an astonishingly inventive campaign masterminded by The Partners. This took framed, life-sized reproductions of Old Masters and hung them on walls across central London in the summer of 2007. I wrote copy for over 40 plaques to give context to each of the paintings. These needed to explain often complex allegorical scenes in just 100 words. And a no-nonsense style that would connect with the ‘man in the street’. Literally.

Hearty congratulations to everyone involved. Now where shall I park that precious black pencil?

new work – Royal Mail.

The Royal Mail Year Pack is a whistle-stop tour through all the sets of British picture stamps published in the course of the year. You get a full set of all the stamps, plus a pull-out guide on the subject matter that inspired them.

totalcontent was asked to provide the commentary for the True North-designed pack, which meant delving into all sorts of arcane areas, from marine life and astronomy, to army uniforms and endangered species. Taking in Grand Prix and the Beatles along the way.

It looks like we did a reasonable job – we’ve just been commissioned to write another Year Pack for 2008. Bring it on.

new work – BDO Stoy Hayward.

Storytelling, quite literally. This was a direct mail piece for accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward to alert clients to the range of useful publications it produces and to ask them which ones they’d like to receive in future. It was a chance to update BDO’s mailing lists and save on unnecessary paper and postage. totalcontent played fast and loose with the Jack and the Beanstalk story to create an enchanting business case for reading your way to the top. And it worked like a fairy tale too, with what the client described as ‘a fantastic response’ of 3000 replies to the mailshot.