work (and play)

The NDGD students and staff have just recently visited Manchester to see the Cube Gallery's latest exhibition - Alan Fletcher: Fifty years of work (and play). It was a great day out, with all of the second years definitely enjoying the experience, and being bowled over by the work of one of the icons of modern graphic design. It was wasted on some of our students however, who thought that buying trainers or visiting Primark was all that Manchester had to offer. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, as the saying goes…

The Alan Fletcher exhibit is definitely worth a visit, and is set to run until 3rd April 2010 at the Cube Gallery, Portland Street, Manchester. More info on the exhibition & the Cube Gallery can be found here

It was an eventful & memorable trip to say the least, and the NDGD staff had their eyes opened…we got tips on buying Hi-Top trainers, and we were exposed to shopaholics, desperate toilet habits, and a bit of vomit!!!

"123…aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww…"

We here at NDGD just wanted to say a huge congratulations to one of our second years, Elliot Pickering, and his girlfriend Natalie, for the arrival of their gorgeous baby girl, Emie who was born over the weekend. We believe she was born on the 28th, weighed 7 lbs, and Natalie was a whopping 20 hours in labour. Everyone is agreed that it was definitely worth it…congratulations again & we look forward to meeting little Emie soon…as long as we aren't on nappy duty!!

stuck on you…

At times it seemed like a never-ending story, and there was stickers everywhere, but the first years have finally reached the journal project deadline. We have found out some deep dark secrets, some rather wicked senses of humour, and above all, some really great potential illustrators! Here are a few of the highlights…just click on the image to get a closer look.

"probably the best advertising in the class…"

So, we have been pretty quiet here on our blog recently, but at NDGD we are super-busy as always! The second years are getting portfolios together & going out to interviews for university courses…some nervous looking faces, but the portfolios are looking a little bit special. The second years have also just finished some major deadlines, one of them being the advertising project - there have been some fantastic responses to the brief, and here are just a few of the highlights…just click on the image to get a closer look.

"let it snow, let it snow…"

"this is the end…"

Those that know us here at NDGD, will know that we love magazines, and we love free stuff - so you will have heard us mention at least once, the marvel that was Rugged magazine, because it ticked both those boxes! Produced by the Carhartt clothing brand, Rugged was always a good source for finding some cool new gadgets, clothes, and more importantly for us, photographers, artists, graffiti crews and designers. It was also designed well, with some great page layouts & typography. We keep referring to it in the past tense because after 19 issues & 7 years, Rugged has decided to make issue 19 its final print! So we just wanted to say a fond farewell to a great piece of print, & to give you a heads up if you want to try & grab a copy before its gone forever… keep on rolling!

"let's talk about…"

Last night saw the official launch of the Ladvice scheme from the Brook sexual health clinic, based in Blackburn & Darwen. The programme is aimed at young men & provides advice & support involving all areas of sexual health. Running alongside the programme is also the Text Mad service, which is a confidential text-in service providing the same advice & support.

After being disappointed with a professional design agency response to their brief, the team from Brook approached us here at NDGD, hoping that we could successfully design them an identity for this new initiative. We of course said yes, and set our second years loose on the brief.

In a record quick turn-around for us we were calling the Brook team back into college to view what our students had come up with - and we are proud to say they were blown away!! They decided to run with a logo designed by Adam Hunter, and after a couple of tweaks, Brook have now started using the two logos by Adam to help promote Ladvice & Text Mad around the Blackburn & Darwen area. We want to say a massive congratulations to Adam for having his work selected & for once again making the NDGD team feel like proud parents!!