Guest Post- Luna Moon iPhone Case

Kiera's HTC phone!

For the last two weeks we have had two more members of the United by Design team: Kiera and Esme, students from Joseph Rowntree School, through the NYBEP immerse education programme, who have been here on their work experience. As well as working on some of the live briefs in the studio alongside Annabel and Ross, the pair have also been introduced to the social media side of things, and we tasked them with writing a blog post. Having looked at our previous posts, the girls were inspired by the Apple accessories post we released last week. They have found another great accessory they wanted to share, the Luna Moon iPhone Case.

Kiera:

This week I upgraded from my old HTC to an iPhone. To say it was in less than good condition would be an understatement. My phone I’d had before the HTC was also smashed to pieces. So considering the condition of my previous phones, I thought it was probably a good idea to actually purchase a case for my new phone.

The problem with trying to buy a phone case is the fact that there are just so many to choose from. Unless you are looking for a particular type of case, you could very easily end up scrolling through endless pages of cases, that all look pretty similar.

Whilst browsing for inspiration Esme came across the ‘Luna iPhone Skin’.

Esme:

The skin is made from a thin, flexible concrete, and has individual craters on it’s surface. The innovative design is unique to each skin, no two are the same. The product is named ‘Luna’ as the finished result looks like the surface of the Moon. The skin sticks on the back of the model, like a screen protector. We really liked the design as it was innovative and unmatched. As it is one of the sturdiest backs for an iPhone that you can buy, I think Kiera needs one.

The Luna iPhone Skin.

"We’ve both been on work experience here at United By Design for the past two weeks, and we’ve loved being here. Our work placement has been interesting, educational, and everyone has been really helpful and lovely. It’s fun too. Thanks guys."

Sources of information:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/122411-concrete-luna-iphone-case-offers-solid-protection-each-one-unique
http://www.thecoolist.com/luna-concrete-iphone-5-skin/
http://knstrct.com/
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luna-iphone-5-case

Owen's View: 'Branding' yourself- tattoos

Examples of sugar skulls

Since my college days I have been thinking about getting a tattoo, but haven't yet made the commitment to a design that I am prepared to wear on my body for the rest of my life. Our recent work with Treboom Brewery, and our research into sugar skulls got me once again thinking about tattoos, but also branding, and how the two are alike in so many ways. 

Tattoos symbolise being part of tradition, part of a group or clan, or to stand out and even shock. In the same vein, the reason businesses and individuals 'brand' is to differentiate themselves from the next person or business.

Recently the worlds of branding and tattoos have mixed quite dramatically, with huge brands including Reebok, Red Bull, HBO, ASOS and Sailor Jerrys offering free tattoos at various film and music events. The number of willing participants just proves how dedicated some brand fans can be, and that tattoos are no longer a symbol of rebellion.

And what about being dedicated to your company? I have thought about having the United by Design logo tattooed on my body, but this is my business, it's a part of me and something I feel strongly about. But I am not so sure about what's going on over in New York at Rapid Realty, the company is offering a 15% rise in commission to every member of staff who has the company's logo tattooed on them. Over 40 staff have been inked so far!

Tattooing is highly profiled in the media. The rise in popularity of shows such as Miami Ink is inspiring more people than ever to go out and get inked. The amount of celebrities now sporting tattoos makes the once frowned upon art-form even more part of the norm. After the 2012 Olympics, several of the GB athletes, including the majority of the women's basketball team, went and had tattoos incorporating the 5 Olympic rings, highlighting their dedication and pride to sport, Great Britain and the Olympic games.

Azania Stewart- Member of GB Women's Basketball team with her tattoo.

On the other hand, there is still a certain amount of prejudice when it comes to those with tattoos. Air New Zealand have been forced to rethink their policies after being slated for turning away a prospective employee due to her moko, (Maori), tattoo on her forearm. It is reasonable to say that some tattoos are offensive or inappropriate, but taking in pride in your heritage is no bad thing!

In Japan, tattoos still shock and unnerve people, as the showing of body art by Yakuza gang members is considered a sign of aggression. Attitudes are warming slightly to the tradition, as more and more people have started experimenting with irezumi (japanese style of tattooing).

As for my tattoo, I am inspired by japanese, polynesian and moko styles, in fact I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the tattoos that inspire me, check it out here. While I continue to make my mind up I may experiment with some temporary tattoos, such as these by Lydia Leith.

And just like tattoos, branding is something that has to be thought about and considered carefully. There should be a meaning behind your choice and why you are going ahead with such an investment. With regards to both tattoos and branding, seeking advice from an expert, and doing your research, are paramount. It may cost you, but you want the job to be done properly- money definitely well spent if you're going to have the branding, or the tattoo, for a VERY long time!

Are you inked? Tweet us some inspiration @ubd_studio



Sources of information: 
http://www.today.com/money/company-ink-agents-get-15-raise-corporate-tattoos-6C9714898 
http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2013/05/the-tattoo-as-corporate-branding-tool.html 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/8739378/Editorial-Air-NZ-makes-a-moko-mistake
http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/radar/horiyoshi-iii-inks-japan

Creative Copyright- Facts, thoughts and opinions

So, you have an amazing logo / jingle / piece of art, or anything you've created really, and you want to use it, but you're scared people are going to copy it, what do you do? Having worked with a number of past and current clients, regarding their Intellectual Property, Trade mark and registered status, it got us thinking that people should know more. We've also seen several articles lately that highlight the dangers of not protecting your work and IP. It's a hot topic in the media and it's definitely worth you considering your options about building equity in your business.


Taking the confusion out of copyright

However, what you need to do to protect your work can be somewhat confusing. After quick glance at the IPO, (Intellectual Property Office), website it became clear that it's not a simple case of 'copyright':

- Copyright: protects arts including music, literary works, dance, artworks, layouts for books etc and recordings or broadcasts of any work (music etc.). A copyright protects any medium of a piece of work, meaning that it cannot be copied in any form. Although there is no official system for copyright, the IPO suggest either sending yourself a special delivery letter with the work inside, and leave it unopened, or lodging your work with a bank, (this is not legally binding, but would provide evidence in court). Note that copyrights only protect the actually work, not the thoughts or ideas behind it. You can display that you wish to copyright your work by adding the © symbol. It is also advised to include your name and the year from which you wish to protect your work. A piece of work may have more than one copyright attached to it. A great, yet complicated example of this can be found here, regarding the highly irritating, but super catchy 'Friday' by Rebecca Black.

- Trade marks: otherwise known as your brand. The IPO define a trade mark as "a sign which can distinguish your goods and services from those of your competitors...It can be for example words, logos or a combination of both." The only way to register a trade mark is with the IPO. Although you may have registered your company name with Companies House, you may not be able to use this in your trade mark, the IPO provide a lot more information on this issue here.

- Registered Design: according to the IPO, the legal definition of a design is "the appearance of the whole or part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of the product or ornamentation." In the graphic design and branding world, this type of protection is suitable for packaging, graphic symbols, and typefaces. Designs can only be registered with the IPO, in the same way trade marks can.

- Design Right: just like copyrights do not need to be registered, neither do design rights. However design rights only protect the 3D shape and configuration of a product, not the surface patterns or other 2-dimensional aspects of the product. The IPO recommends taking similar precautions to that when protecting your copyright, e.g. mailing yourself a copy of your design and leaving it sealed.

- Patent: a patent is specifically for new inventions and protects "how things work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of and how they are made." Patents are granted under strict guidelines, information on which can be found on the IPO website here.

The IPO also provide information on other rights regarding intellectual property, these can be found here.

Lessons learned from Leather Bags

Whether its logos, patterns or actual products, copyright infringement is serious, and can be seriously damaging to the owner of a copyright. Take, for example, the case of The Cambridge Satchel Company. It would seem obvious to assume that the brand would face problems with counterfeit products coming from overseas, however it might surprise you to hear that the company's own suppliers were using Cambridge Satchel leather and putting their own labels on the bags under a different brand name! Furthermore, it was discovered that fake social network sites had been created for the company, causing confusion for customers; a deception technique known as 'cybersquatting'.


Cultivating, or capping, creativity?

In the UK, copyright protection can last upwards of 50 years, depending on the type of material being protected. There are arguments for and against this length of time. Some claim that long copyrights increase creativity by providing protection to the creator, which is becoming more of an issue with the ease of sharing in the current digital climate. However, the point has been raised that these extended periods of protection make it difficult to revive or protect older material, as it can be difficult to find the original copyright holder in order to gain permission to use the work. Others claim that nowadays copyright is only used to protect publishing companies / record labels, not the content creators themselves.
  
These arguments raise interesting points. However, we believe, especially in the case of the individual or the independent business, copyright is essential, and trademarking must be seriously considered. Both provide protection for you and your brand from your reputation being damaged by cybersquatting or other fraudulent activities. Protecting yourself now is a lot cheaper than a legal battle later!

So how safe are you?




Sources of Information:
http://www.lawlawlandblog.com/2011/04/copyright_battles_on_friday_fu.html
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-designright.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-about/p-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/otherprotect.htm
http://www.law.com/corporatecounsel/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202590116493&A_Handbag_Maker_Battles_Counterfeits_and_Copyright_Copycats
http://www.economist.com/node/15868004
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis/t-companies.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-basicfacts.pdf

World Book Day

We love to read! And that's why we're very excited that it's World Book Day! We also love the printed page which is a fantastic excuse to write a post.  Some of us are bigger bookworms than others, but we thought that we'd share with you what we are all reading at the moment:

Owen is a bit of a busy body and is currently reading three books at the same time! The books Owen is reading give you a brilliant insight into his personality. First of all, he likes to learn about, (and drink), beer, so it makes sense that he would be reading Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery. Owen also likes quirky and unusual things so there is no doubt why A History of the World in 100 Objects is right up his street. And finally, as you probably all know, Owen is a graphic designer, therefore his interest in the biography of legend Herb Lubalin, an American designer, is pretty obvious.

Lucy is a big bookworm, she is reading two books at the moment. Because she got so many books for Christmas, (including the Game of Thrones boxset!), she has only just got around to reading Life of Pi, and is refusing to watch the film until she has completed the book! She is also reading The Power, a book about the power of positive thinking.

Annabel and Ross are, quite sensibly, only reading one book each at the moment. Annabel is currently reading The Great Gatsby and Ross is reading a book by Stefan Sagmeister.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Of course a story couldnt be a story without a great narrative, but sometimes you need something more, and that's where illustration takes over. We have worked with some very talented illustrators over the years, especially in the last few weeks on the Doodle Day posts. Below is a great video from the World Book Day website, featuring Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart, an illustrator and a writer, who work together to create fantasy worlds and creatures. They way they work is quite fascinating.


Storycraft, Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart from World Book Day on Vimeo.

Did you know World Book Day is celebrated in over 100 countries, and that the event is now in it's 16th year?! And although the World Book Day is specifically aimed at children, we think you're never too old, or too young to enjoy a good book.

Are you celebrating World Book Day? Or are you enjoying a really good book at the moment? Give us a tweet @ubd_studio.

Gone are the days of the humble box

Here at United by Design we love quirky packaging. A link on Facebook captured our attention and got us looking at some innovative packaging ideas. After a little more digging around on the internet we came up with this slideshow of packaging ideas that got us talking, laughing, and thinking, exactly what good packaging should do:



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We think these are great, which one is your favourite?

It is quite clear to us that in a world where innovation is king and standing out from the crowd is key to success, it is no longer enough to just have a good product. Sure, without a good product you have nothing, but without the tools to sell it, then you just have a lot of product, and not a lot of pennies! Your brand packaging is what makes your product great; it’s what sells it. Packaging should say, “Hey, you, look at me! Pick me up! I am better than that product there, look at my exciting packaging!” Ok, so packaging doesn’t really talk, but a picture is worth 1,000 words, and your packaging needs to tell your consumer everything your product has to offer. It needs to ooze personality and help tell the brand story.

So you’re happy with your product, you think it’s the bee’s knees, but the masses don’t seem to agree with you, what do you do? You need to get some insight from market research, from the people who buy your product but also those who don't, to find out why they don't! Then you need to look at category cues, your competition, those who do amazingly well – so you can benchmark and of course look at your brand story and see how you can express it to entice and draw people in.

Never be afraid to change things! This may be through evolution or perhaps you need to employ and more aggressive approach and innovate in your sector. Do not be afraid to do thing differently to help differentiate! It will ultimately help you to develop your business. Gain insight and act on it!

Take SLOEmotion for example. We continue to enjoy work with the team to evolve their company and the way they do things – ‘evolution rather than revolution’. The basics were already there, a great, award winning product and a signature bottle shape. United by Design has brought the SLOEmotion range of products together, whilst differentiating between the various spirits (gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey), using category cues to help instant recognition; the characteristics that people associate with certain products, e.g red is associated with vodka and purple with sloe gin. The distinctive shape of the SLOEmotion 35cl bottles enabled us to extend the brand to a large 70cl size and a gift range of 5cl bottle, all accentuate the originality of the SLOEmotion brand story. Focussing on finer details such as the hedgerow sprig, strap-line, and focus on the actual fruit help the consumer to be clear on what they are buying.

We also helped to reduce packaging costs for the truffle ranges by designing a generic signature box with a range of product stickers depending on the contents of the box. It’s these simple yet effective ideas that make all the difference in such a competitive market for a business that is thinking about the bottom line as well as making profits!



Early last year we worked closely with the company to launch a new product that’s packaging design has a completely different feel to the others that have been developed to date. SLOEmotion No. 7 fruit cup (gin based mixer) has a fun and fresh design but is still easily identifiable as a SLOEmotion product. Compared to its competitors it has a contemporary design that makes it stand out on the shelves. SLOEmotion have embraced change and challenged the norm to help them define themselves in a very competitive market where other companies have lead for a long time and other brands have decided to create 'me too' products that look lifeless and very much a lesser product due to the strength of the brand leader. This approach, although calculated, is enabling SLOEmotion to make a name for themselves as being different – in a good way!



What we’re really getting at is that packaging no longer just serves as a means of housing a product, it’s a strategic design process, and to get ahead you really have to ‘think outside the box’ (see what we did there?).



Images from: 
http://humorcamp.com/view/6251/
www.thedieline.com

It turns out we do doodle!

It's been a week since we posted about National Doodle Day, and it turns out you guys really like to doodle! So much so that we are here doing a follow up post for those who sent us doodles in the last week:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Credits:
1. Tom Woolley
2 - 4. John Kilburn
5. Ben Kirchner
6 - 12. Paul Oakley
13. Simon Henshaw
14 - 24. Kate Pankhurst

Thank you to these brilliant and super talented illustrator friends for taking the time to send us these awesome doodles!

We are really pleased that we are able to support Epilepsy Action through the simple act of doodling. The campaign helped to raise over £14,500 for Epilepsy Action! 

We'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who got involved with us to support this cause. 

If you have any more doodles we would love to see them, we might even make it a regular feature! Tweet us @ubd_studio

Let's keep on doodling!

Do you doodle?

Happy National Doodle Day! Didn’t know it was doodle day? Well where have you been? Today people are encouraged to doodle to help raise money for Epilepsy Action, who help people up and down the UK who suffer with, or who care for people with epilepsy. Lots of celebrities are involved in the campaign, and you can buy their doodles on eBay here.

In the office, we like to doodle. Some of our doodles are more impressive than others, and it’s pretty clear who doodles the most, but we won’t name names. So here is a little slide show of the random scribbling that we found around the studio:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


You can tell a lot about a person from their doodles. The National Doodle Day website has lots of information about how to interpret doodles. See what yours say about you here!

But our doodles weren’t enough! We decided to get everyone we know involved in the doodling and have reached out on Twitter and Facebook to get our lovely followers to submit their doodles, check out their talents below:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Credits:
1. Love&Humphries @LHnow
2. Samantha Dunn @Samanthaldunn
3. Emma- The Yankee Candle Company
4. Rosie Artley @RosieArtley
5. Frank van Houten @FrankvHouten
6. Jeni Kelly-Blackburn @mowsprout
7. Steph Artley
8. Jamie Robertson @jimmac140
9. The Gateway Warrington @TheGatewayWarr
10. Elisha Waterhouse @elishawaterho
11. Matt Witt @creaturemag
12. Simon Wallace @simonwallace136
13. Ian Nicholson @ianvincible

We are most excited to have received a doodle from Jon Burgerman, the New-York based illustrator.



We’d love to hear which is your favourite doodle. If you would like to send us your doodles feel free to tweet us @ubd_studio and we will blog about more doodles! Happy doodling!