The Espresso Series
Concentrated, practical and affordable one-hour breakfast training for freelancers, sole traders and micro-agencies.

Winning small business clients
OR
How can I make them see it’s not about pretty pictures?

People running small businesses know very little about design. So it’s often a struggle to communicate the benefits or justify the costs involved in a project. And it’s even more difficult for them to appreciate the design process. This session cuts through the confusion, showing you what works well when you’re explaining and selling your design services. Your session leader is Lynne Elvins, a Design Adviser for SMEs, with experience of more than 200 pitches to small businesses.

Book your place on eventbrite.

Other sessions in the series:
31 January - Designing with IP in mind
21 February - Embracing the numbers
14 March - Using Twitter to generate business 

"Well organised with a great presenter. Info was delivered fast but lots of paper info was provided and the expert was happy to answer questions."

The Espresso Series
Concentrated, practical and affordable one-hour breakfast training for freelancers, sole traders and micro-agencies.

Using Twitter to generate business 
OR 
Why should the world want to know what I had for lunch?

Twitter is a serious business tool and a perfect place for designers to increase awareness, build business relationships and get the phone ringing. But with only 140 characters to play with, what content do you share? This session explains the rules of the game. Sonja Jefferson, MD of Valuable Content and one of the UK’s earliest adopters of blogging as a business development tool, is a writer, consultant and thought leader in the art of high-quality content generation for sales results.

Book your place on eventbrite.

Other sessions in the series:
31 January - Designing with IP in mind
21 February
 - Embracing the numbers

04 April
 - Winning small business clients

"Well organised with a great presenter. Info was delivered fast but lots of paper info was provided and the expert was happy to answer questions." 

By striving for ‘maximum communication with minimum elements’ Noma Bar’s unique graphic style has become instantly recognisable throughout the world. Revered by his peers, he has won various industry awards, with his ‘Cut It Out’ exhibition nominated for the Design Museum's Designs of the Year 2012. Join us for an evening of graphic discovery.

Wednesday, 13 March
19:00 – 21:00 
£12.00 / £10.00 concs.

To book your tickets, visit Arnolfini's website or call the box office on 0117 917 2300.

The ability to tell a story through a few, well-considered marks is a skill that Noma Bar has carefully mastered over the years. By finding the positive within the negative space, he is able to confidently present a subject, leaving you to discover the hidden thread and unravel the story.

Born in Israel, Noma studied graphic design in Jerusalem, before moving to London in 2001 where his passion for ‘maximum communication with minimum elements’ eventually led to his signature style becoming instantly recognisable across the world.

Noma’s aptitude for graphic storytelling has enabled him to tackle countless subjects, from sketches of his commanding officers during military service and caricatures of famous characters, to more serious themes captured in deceptively simple illustrations. Many have graced the covers of publications such as The Guardian, Wallpaper and the New York Times, while others came together in the shape of two stunning books – ‘The Many Faces of Noma Bar’ and ‘Negative Space’.

The Espresso Series
Concentrated, practical and affordable one-hour breakfast training for freelancers, sole traders and micro-agencies.

Embracing the numbers
OR
Here we go again – it’s tax return time!

It’s a well-known fact that designers don’t do maths. So managing your finances can be daunting (as well as boring). This session will demystify accounts once and for all, showing how to keep your cash flowing and your profits growing. Stephanie Pettitt is MD of Equation, award-winning cloud accounting specialists. She makes accounts easy, accessible and affordable – yes, really! She’s an accountant… but not as you know it…

Book your place on eventbrite.

Other sessions in the series:
31 January - Designing with IP in mind
14 March - Using Twitter to generate business 
04 April
 - Winning small business clients

"Well organised with a great presenter. Info was delivered fast but lots of paper info was provided and the expert was happy to answer questions."

The Espresso Series 
Concentrated, practical and affordable one-hour breakfast training for freelancers, sole traders and micro-agencies.

Designing with IP in mind
OR
My client’s new logo might land them in court – and they’re not happy!

Whenever you create a logo or identity, it has the potential to become a legally protected asset for your client. But without the right checks, your design might be infringing intellectual property or trademark rules and lost forever. This session takes you through the trademarking process, covering: how to check for infringements; what makes a good trademark; and how to register a trademark. It’s all delivered by industry expert, Chris Smith, from the Intellectual Property Office, the official Government body responsible for granting IP rights in the UK.

Book your place on eventbrite.

Other sessions in the series:
21 February
 - Embracing the numbers

14 March
 -  Using Twitter to generate business

04 April
 - Winning small business clients

An audience with Roger Proctor

For our WEDF Christmas special, Roger Proctor, MD and founder of Proctor & Stevenson will be on the couch with Emma Collins. A tireless advocate of design in the South West for the past 30 years, Roger was recently awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for services to our industry. So not only does he have a wealth of ideas and opinion on furthering design in our region, he also has one or two tales of killer corgis and regal faux-pas to share.

We’d like to incorporate questions from the audience throughout the evening, so if you have one, then please email us in advance.

Following the talk, you can enjoy a festive drink in the bar.

Wednesday, 19 December
19:00 – 21:00
£12.00 / £10.00 concs.

To book your tickets, visit the Arnolfini's website or call the box office on 0117 917 2300.

An Evening of Book Design with David Pearson and Teresa Monachino

Open any recent D&AD annual and chances are you will see work by David Pearson and Teresa Monachino, so we are delighted that they will join us for an evening that celebrates book design in all its forms. 

David Pearson

David Pearson began his professional career in 2002 at Penguin Books as typographer and later, cover designer, where he helped reinvigorate the brand, before leaving to set up his own studio in August 2007. He formed White’s Books with editor Jonathan Jackson in 2008, repackaging classic texts by Shakespeare and Dickens as well as titles such as Jane Eyre and Treasure Island. He has won numerous awards for book design and has been listed as one of Britain's top designers by the Guardian as well as being nominated for the Design Museum's Designer of the Year Award. He is also an avid collector of printed ephemera and maintains a Flickr site dedicated to print and typography. 

Teresa Monachino

Teresa Monachino is a graphic designer whose work touches many design disciplines from exhibition and branding to books and packaging. She graduated from Chelsea School of Art in 1990 and now runs her own independent studio. She is the author and designer of 'Words Fail Me', published by Phaidon, which looks at the quirky characteristics of the English language.Teresa has won many design awards, her work has featured in the national and international design press, she is a visiting lecturer, a TED speaker and has collaborated with Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Alan Fletcher and Sir Sean Connery. Her award-winning typographic publications have been supported by the Design Museum and Tate Galleries in London.

Tuesday 16 October
7pm
£12.00 / £10.00 concs

With studios in London and New York, Pearlfisher create design which connects strong brand truths with powerful desire. Founding Creative Partner, Karen Welman, will join us for an evening that showcases the work and culture of Pearlfisher. 

Karen is an award-winning graphic designer. Her entrepreneurial streak is a magnet for many of the challenger brands with which Pearlfisher works, attracting a diverse and innovative range of like-minded clients.

Since becoming a mother of four, Karen’s career has evolved from designer to inventor. Her patented inventions include a range of temperature-regulating baby clothes featuring NASA-developed fabrics. This award-winning brand has picked up a host of prizes, including the Kind & Jugend Innovation Award 2007, The Good Design Award in Japan and double gold in the Best Inventors Awards. Using the same material, she launched Dick Moby’s – a range of men’s underwear designed to keep the crown jewels cool.

Wednesday 27 June
 
7pm 

£12.00 / £10.00 concs 

Book your ticket on Arnolfini's website or by calling the box office on 0117 917 2300.

Myerscough makes places from spaces that people like to be in, that stimulate and often makes you smile.

Morag is the creator of multi-award winning Studio Myerscough, she works way beyond the restrictions of 2-D and creates and curates many different types of work. The eclectic breadth of work covers the conversion of a train to a café, numerous exhibitions and interpreting buildings for example Westminster Academy that was nominated for the Stirling Prize. She is currently working on projects for both the Design Museum and the new Tate Modern extension.

Book tickets online at Arnolfini's website or call the box office on 0117 917 2300.

This evening’s talk will be an insight into Myerscough’s influences and inspirations, a look at projects past and present, global and local including recent work with KHBT architects in the new ‘Finzels Reach’ complex, just around the corner from the Arnolfini. 

www.studiomyerscough.com
www.supergrouplondon.co.uk
www.KHBT.eu 

Wednesday 25 April
7pm
£12.00 / £10.00 concs

Book your ticket on Arnolfini's website or by calling the box office on 0117 917 2300.

A look at where business, technology and design is heading – and exploring what the future might hold for all of us.

The Future is Bright is WEDF’s first mini-conference at Bristol’s Arnolfini and the closing event for Five Days of Design.

Open to anyone interested in the future of design, business and technology, this inspiring and thought-provoking series of talks will open your mind to the wider commercial opportunities of cross-industry integration and where our shared future is heading.

Download a pdf for more information.

Brought to you by an eclectic panel of speakers, providing ideas and opinions on a wide range of topics, the event is the perfect opportunity for you to start thinking about your business and your future.

Chaired by David Kester, Chief Executive at the Design Council, our panel of eight experts includes Michael Thomson, founder and Director Design Connect, Craig Wightman, Design Director at Kinneir Dufort and Peter Madden, Chief Executive at Forum for the Future.

Tickets are £45, with an exclusive £30 early-bird offer and concessions.

Book your place at Arnolfini’s box office by calling 0117 917 2300 or on their website www.arnolfini.org.uk

Day Four // Why Design Matters with Silicon South West
Thursday 22 March
09.00-13.00
Bristol and Bath Science Park, Emerson Green, Bristol

Where do design and technology meet? How can they work together to deliver mutual benefit? And which businesses have profited from a closer relationship with the design community?

Download a pdf for more information.

Working in partnership with Silicon South West, Why Design Matters is a half-day workshop for micro-electronic companies. We’ll show you how design works in B2B markets to make your business more competitive and attractive to investors

Our experts will guide you through practical examples and case studies, demonstrating how design has helped technology businesses grow. 

To book a place at this free event email hello@wedesignforum.co.uk

Day Three // Design for Growth with Business West
Wednesday 21 March
09.00-13.00
Leigh Court
For non-design businesses of any size and in any sector

Discover how to use design in your business to help it grow, rise above the competition and enter new markets with confidence.

Download a pdf for more information.

Working in partnership with Business West, Design for Growth is a brand-new training event designed to help non-design businesses of all sizes understand how design can help grow their business.

From branding to websites, and brochures to internal communications, this interactive workshop will illustrate the role of design in establishing competitive advantage against a backdrop of ever-more-challenging markets.

You will have the opportunity to hear from experienced local designers in intimate round table discussions and see case studies that prove design can really transform your business.

Tickets are available at specially discounted rates of £20 for Business West members and £30 for non-members.

Book your place on the Business West website

Day Two // The Value of Design
Tuesday 20 March
Hotel du Vin
9.00 - 13.00
Morning training session for designers

Do you really understand and communicate the value of design effectively with your clients?

Download a pdf for more information.

The Value of Design is a bespoke, engaging and thought-provoking training workshop for designers and agency professionals delivered by Creative Business Consultant, Emma Collins.

This will help you understand and communicate more effectively with your clients, this intensive morning workshop in Bristol will hone the skills you need to help you communicate real design value to your clients, allowing you to increase sales and develop your business. 

“It was a total revelation for me that has helped shape the way we approach what we do. Running a small business, it's easy not to see the light through the trees. Emma's workshop has helped me see things more clearly.” Ben Rolls, Simple Simon. July 5, 2011

Places are £145 per person and space is limited at this special workshop, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

To book a place email: hello@wedesignforum.co.uk 

Five events over five days about Design delivered by the West of England Design Forum and funded by the Design Council's Design Fund for Growth.

Five Days of Design aims to help businesses understand design and the strategic business benefits and help designers promote themselves and design effectively.

Day One // We Love Design

Day Two // The Value of Design Training

Day Three // Design for Growth with Business West

Day Four // Why Design Matters with Silicon South West 

Day Five // The Future is Bright?

Further details will be anounced in our newsletter and on our website.

If you'd more information on specific events please email us.

We Love Design - Launching Five Days of Design

Day One // We Love Design
Monday 19 March
18.00-20.00
Spike Island’s Café, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol, BS1 6UX

What makes design professionals tick? What makes them grin or grimace? Where do they find inspiration in their daily lives?

Download a pdf for more information.

Kicking-off Five Days of Design, We Love Design is your opportunity to join us for an offbeat evening, celebrating our passion for design.

Local designers share their love of design in a series of five-minute talks that explain their passion for design, why it’s great and its influence on them, business and society.  Join us for a drink and to hear and watch their (possibly!) weird and wonderful interpretations of the subject.

If you'd like to share why you love design, or would like to book a place at this free event, email us at hello@wedesignforum.co.uk

As part of National Apprenticeship Week the West of England Design Forum, with the support of Skillset, is running a tailor made workshop demystifying Apprenticeships. You can find out everything you need to know to help you decide if your design business would benefit from an apprentice.

There are many misconceptions about Apprenticeships and the Design Sector struggles to use Apprenticeships as a viable option for growing business. Apprentices don't just have to be about design, it may be that you need someone who can help with admin, marketing, coding or finance. 

This bespoke afternoon session will answer all your questions and we have an expert from Skillset on-hand to blow away all the jargon!

This is a free session with limited places so please email us to book your space.

3-5pm, Tuesday 7 February
The Light Room, Arnolfini, Bristol

An evening of design, ideas and entertainment with Carol Whitworth, founder and owner of design agency Home. 

Carol Whitworth is founder and owner of design agency Home. With clients including Royal Mail, Jaguar and BP, Home celebrates 30 years in business this December. Carol will talk about her years running an agency, where ideas come from and why she believes "ideas come first and the money later."

This will be definitely be an entertaining and inspiring Christmas design special!

After the talk join us for our Christmas party in Arnolfini's bar with tunes spun by Designers (who) DJ.

Book your ticket on Arnolfini's website or by calling the box office on 0117 917 2300.

Following on from the success of our wine tasting evening at Grape and Grind our next Design Drinks is beer tasting with Bath Ales.

Try a range of beers and learn how they are made. Hear from local design agencies about their beer-related design projects and meet fellow designers designers.

This promise to be a fun evening! 

Tickets are £10 each and email hello@wedesignforum.co.uk to book your place.

7pm at the Hop Pole Pub, Bath

Come and hear from two experts in type design, David Quay and Jeremy Tankard. David will be talking about how he created a custom type family to be used as the new signage and orientation system for the City of Bath. And Jeremy will be talking about the design of one of his recent typefaces.

David Quay studied graphic communication at Ravensbourne College of Art & Design. Since 1989 he has worked closely with Freda Sack on a broad range of type projects. In 1990 they co-founded The Foundry, to design, manufacture and market their own exclusive typefaces. The Foundry also developed custom typefaces, marks and logotypes for companies including: a special typeface for Yellow pages, corporate fonts for British Gas, NatWest and signage typefaces for the Lisbon Metro system in Portugal. He now lives in Amsterdam and works as an independent type designer and graphic designer for clients internationally and designs new typefaces for The Foundry in London. 

Jeremy Tankard is a graduate of Central St.Martins and The Royal College of Art. Initially he worked in the field of corporate design with major consultancies, advising and creating typography for some of the best-known international brand names. He established Jeremy Tankard Typography in 1997 so that he could focus more on the creation of typographic communications and since going alone has created a range of typefaces, which includes Bliss Pro, Enigma, Shaker, The Shire Types, and Aspect. All his typefaces were extended in 2004 and relaunched in the OpenType format. Recent additions to the collection include Kingfisher and Wayfarer.

Book your ticket by visiting Arnolfini's website or by calling the Box Office on 0117 917 2300.

If you’ve ever been at a client lunch and wished you could suggest a wine from the list with a little more insight than the prices, join us at independent wine merchant Grape and Grind on Bristol’s Gloucester Road for a sociable evening of wine.

We’ll start with a glass of bubbles, then the owner and our host for the evening will take us through a little about wine tasting before we try out six wines (three white, three red) selected for their variety, distinct characteristics, current interest and some because of their labels. Finally, we’ll finish on something sweet. Whether you already know a little, a lot or absolutely nothing about choosing wine it promises to be a good night.

Tickets are £30 each and include all eight wines and a selection of bread and cheese.

There are only 25 places, so book quickly by emailing us.

The West of England Design Forum present an evening dedicated to the omnipresent and ubiquitous world of advertising, beginning with a talk from Paul Belford, owner and creative director of Paul Belford Ltd.

Paul has previously held senior positions at some of the best advertising agencies in London, including Leagas Delaney, TBWA London, Ogilvy and most recently, joint-creative director at AMV.BBDO, the largest advertising agency in the UK. Responsible for advertising campaigns including RSPCA, Waterstones, Sony Playstation and The Economist, he specialises in making ads not look like ads, winning many creative awards for his work in both advertising and design.

Followed by a screening of the film ART&COPY, revealing the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time. 

With the constant changes in technology there are ever increasing opportunities and expectations for motion graphics. Shane Walter joined four other leading experts to discuss these ideas and more at the Arnolfini in Bristol.

Following the success of the British Illustrator's talk last year, the West of England Design Forum organised another similar event. This time round they invited five of the most exciting names in motion graphics to present a 15 minute profile of their organisation, discussing and showing their work before throwing it out to the audience for a Q&A session.

Speakers:
Matt Rudd, Rudd Studio
Charlie Mawer, Red Bee Media
Jack Laurance, Moving Brands
Shane Walter, onedotzero

Beginning a new series of design lectures, award-winning designer Henrik Kubel of A2 Graphics talked about his work, including how letterpress type and print influenced him as a designer. The talk was followed by a premier screening of the film "Typeface".

Lecture

Henrik Kubel's award winning and innovative graphic design is increasingly visible and influential in the contemporary world. In 2000, the independent design studio A2/SW/HK was formed by Henrik and fellow RCA graduate, Scott Williams.

The team has a conceptual approach to problem solving across various disciplines, including design for print, screen and environment. A2/SW/HK create bespoke typefaces and custom- made design solutions for each project that are informed and shaped by a clear understanding of both content and context. Recent clients include Tate Britain, D&AD, V&A Museum, Hayward Gallery, Vogue UK, British Council, Royal Mail, Phaidon Press, Penguin Press New York and the Danish Post.

The studio's work has been recognised nationally and internationally with awards and certificates from British Design & Art Directors (D&AD), Design Week Awards, Art Directors Club of New York (ADCNY), Type Directors Club of New York (TDCNY), Danish Design Centre (DDC), The International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) and Graphis Posters.
A2/SW/HK have featured in poster exhibitions such as the Chaumont Poster Biennale; The 20th International Poster Biennale, Warsaw; Korean International Poster Biennale; 26 Letters, (ISTD) British Library, London Design Festival; International Poster Triennial, Toyama; Danish Museum of Art & Design, Copenhagen; Ginza Gallery, Tokyo and Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich.

Both partners are active in education and regularly serve as jury members on design award panels.

See: www.a2swhk.co.uk

Film

Typeface focuses on a rural Midwestern museum and print shop where international artists meet retired craftsmen and together navigate the convergence of modern design and traditional technique.
One weekend each month, the quiet of Two Rivers is interrupted as carloads of artisans drive in from across the Midwest. The place comes alive as printmaking workshops led by, and filled with, some of the region's top creative talent descend on the sleepy enclave. The museum is significant to the town's history, but more importantly, its existence is critical to the worldwide design community who are passionate about the history of their craft and its function in the contemporary field. They believe the future of their industry may lie in the past.

Typeface, Kartemquin's latest documentary brings this fascinating junction of historical and contemporary, as well as rural and urban America together for enjoyment and contemplation. This film will be of interest to art and graphic design enthusiasts, to teachers as an educational resource, and to anyone looking for a film about perseverance and preservation in the heart of America.