One for the trophy cabinet

Design Force Annual Report sees
CGA crowned winners at TPAS Awards

Design Force was pleased to see our work for Preston Community Gateway Association win the Excellence in Annual Reports category at the recent TPAS Awards Northern final. The awards celebrate tenant involvement, so our ‘52 Stories’ Annual Report – which is packed full of inspiring examples of CGA and its tenants working together to improve lives and communities – really caught the imagination of the judges.

“CGA’s Annual Report ‘52 Stories of a year at CGA’ told the story of how its tenants are at the heart of everything the organisation does. A creative and informative publication, this ‘Little Purple Book’ was unique and gave its readers a real insight into how tenant and landlord can work together for a common purpose.”
Excerpt from TPAS Awards catalogue.

12 months, one good idea and one courageous client...

This is the story of how, thanks to our client’s willingness to take a creative leap of faith, one good idea took on a life of its own and kick-started a complete makeover of how they communicated with customers.

Last spring, Community Gateway Association (CGA), a social landlord based in Preston, asked Design Force to work with them to design and produce their corporate strategy publication, which outlines their aims for the next three years. The corporate plan is an important piece in the CGA communications calendar and whilst their brief to us was quite straightforward, our internal Design Force brief was to creatively knock the socks off previous CGA corporate plans.

We had an idea. We instinctively knew it was a good idea. We also knew that whether the idea lived (or died before it could become more than a scamp on a sheet of layout paper), relied on the Communications Team at CGA having both the imagination and trust in us to let us pursue it.

Not to say that we were surprised – we had sensed that CGA could be open for doing something a bit different – but finding out that the ‘wild card’ idea had been chosen was a great outcome for us and, we’d later realise, a defining moment in our relationship with CGA.

Our solution to the corporate plan had been to involve leading French illustrator, Antoine Corbineau to help us create a ‘map’ that would present CGA’s aims for the next three years and also represent the organisation’s neighbourhoods across Preston, featuring landmarks such as PNE and the Harris Museum. Antoine’s naive, contemporary style of drawing and amazing problem-solving mind were vital to the success of the idea and the finished map is a vibrant, distinctive creation that draws you in and invites you to explore. But what would the audience of stakeholders and staff make of it?

A big sigh of relief could be heard across Preston last May as the new CGA corporate plan was unveiled and unanimously well received by all who saw it. Such was its popularity that an impressive giant version of the map has been papered across a wall in the reception at CGA’s head office.

Phobia therapy, Design Force-style by Alison Arthington

I have a phobia. Now, I know that in itself doesn’t make me special, but the nature of my particular phobia does perhaps make me a bit ‘unusual’. You see, I’m scared of boxes. Not just any old boxes; boxes that come from printers, containing things that have been printed. More specificically, things that I have designed and sent off to be printed.

How do I know it’s a phobia? Because I’d rather do anything than be the person who has to open that box containing the oft long-awaited print. And the more complex the job (special print techniques, fancy finishing etc.) the bigger the ordeal and tactics for avoidance. On a scale of 1 to 10 of fear, A5 flyer = 1, 12 page die-cut, hand-finished brochure = 8. You get the picture.

It’s not a new thing (I’ve been avoiding opening boxes for about ten years now) but since joining the team at Design Force, it seems I’m inadvertantly undergoing a course of ‘immersion’ therapy.

Why? Because here at Design Force, the words ‘ordinary’, ‘standard’, ‘off-the-shelf’ and ‘generic’, have been banned. Instead, wherever possible (and appropriate), we set of on a creative journey into the unknown, exploring never-before-tried formats and techniques that would test the mettle of the most daring design adventurer. We wow our clients with the unexpected and non-plus the printer with our demands. And, we’re excited when our crafted creative finally reached the printer.

But then they try to make me open the box...

Do you have an unusual phobia? Tweet @designforce with your biggest fear using the hashtag #phobiatherapy and we’ll see if we can help you get over it – Design Force-style.

A little light reading by Amy Kett

I arrived really early for my first day as Creative at Design Force, buzzing with enthusiasm but also a bit nervous about starting on my first project. I’d seen some of the lovely work that Design Force has created for clients and speculated on what I might be asked to do... Create a logo or some branding perhaps? Maybe design some packaging or a brochure?

After the all-important induction (locating kitchen/finding out who drinks what), it was time to be briefed. And, it’s fair to say, my first job came as a surprise. And a really big one at that.

I was given the task of designing The Grange School’s annual yearbook, The Roburian. The previous year’s issue had been a mere 160 pages long, but 2011-2012 was a particluarly eventful year at The Grange, so the latest issue was set to be a good few pages longer. Design Force has worked with The Grange School for over 7 years, designing their prospectus, advertising and other marketing materials, but this would be our first Roburian. No pressure, then.

Presented with a foot-high stack of news, photographs, written works and art creations, I set to work on on what was definitely going to be the biggest job of my career so far.

That was back in November and it’s been some time in the making but that’s because the finished article is a whopping 12mm thick!

With the support of the rest of the Design Force team, I have collated, designed and edited no less than 180 pages full of news and work from 12 months at The Grange.Although when I started out the project looked like a scarily big mountain to climb, now it’s all over, I can’t think of a grander way to kick off my Design Force career.

“The Roburian yearbook is an important tradition for The Grange and something that both students and parents look forward to receiving. As this was the only piece of our communications that didn’t fit with our distinctive Grange ‘look and feel’,  we asked our brand guardians, Design Force to give it a much-needed makeover. The resulting publication is fresh, modern and much more reader-friendly, and has made the experience of re-living a year at The Grange even more of a pleasure.”
Pippa Watson-Peck, Marketing & Development, The Grange School

To get to where you want to be, start with a great plan

We have been working closely with Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Macclesfield, over the last few months to help them find a unique and engaging way to present their new Strategic Plan for the next 5 years.

Their brief to us was complex in its simplicity; make it visual, make it original and make it ‘us’. Well, you know we love a challenge at Design Force, and we approached this one with gusto! The chosen solution, a series of die-cut ‘rings’ that fit together to make up a cross-section of a tree trunk, effectively presents several layers of information whilst keeping the organisation’s purpose at its heart.

To get the ‘make it us’ part of the brief right, we took inspiration from the ethical, green credentials of Peaks & Plains, using chunky recycled board, handdrawn type and simply beautiful illustrations created by Simon Henshaw. Even the logo has been re-drawn by hand.

We’ve loved working with Peaks & Plains who, as an organisation, have a very clear vision of what they are, what they like and, more importantly, what they don’t like. Luckily for us, they really liked the end result...

“They are much better than my high expectations for them had been. There’s a crispness to the text, a depth to the colours, and warmth to the texture that just adds up to something wonderful. Given my sense of familiarity with the concept and proofs, its no mean feat to create that level of pleasant surprise.

So, a huge thankyou for  providing us with something that feels both truly ‘us’ and utterly distinctive and unique. It always felt like an inspired concept and now its one that’s been beautifully realised.”
Tim Pinder, CEO, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust

Helping Mend Broken Hearts!

Living with heart failure can be terrifying and currently there is no cure. Sufferers can face a difficult battle that's deeply distressing for them and their families. In severe cases their life expectancy is less than that of many cancer patients.

But now, with your help, heart failure patients and their families have real hope for a cure. By supporting our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal, you'll be helping to fund a groundbreaking research programme that could end the suffering caused by severe heart failure, forever.

Help Anthony of Design Force raise funds they need to continue this amazing research at this critical stage.

As part of the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal Anthony's gym, The YMCA Fylde has got him to join their 60k in 30 days challenge.

He's done 20k so far so just another 40k to go before the end of Feb!

So I know it's a lot to ask but if any one would care to sponsored him he would be extremely grateful.
There's no over all total so any amount no matter how small would be absolutely brilliant.

You can make an online donation here, just click on the
'I'd like to give a one-off donation' and enter your amount.

Oh and let us know by leaving a comment here on out Facebook page. :-)

Many thanks :-)

Hotpot an all !

Preston's Community Gateway Association officially handover the Design Force created cookbook 'Hotpot an all to the Heritage Lottery today at the Harris Museum.

A fresh take on classic Lancashire recipes from past years of the famous Preston Guild, courtesy of local celebrity chef Nigel Smith.