Lawless and Inspired have combined to bring together the UK’s best emerging street-artists and their influencer networks, allowing agencies and brands to tap into visual culture. Artists include Jody Thomas who created the 15m high Greta Thunberg wall mura, which highlighted issues of climate change and was featured on the BBC, across national press and went viral on social media.
The Lawless Inspired partnership aims to harness the power of today’s creative pioneers, to deliver physical/digital projects that excite and inspire. Alex Kopfli, Director at Inspired notes ‘by joining forces, we essentially offer agencies and brands a turn key solution, delivering creativity through artistic talent, brought to life by impactful real-life productions merged with digital creativity. The concepts are then distributed to an authentic and sizable audience online through our network.’
Since Lawless launched during the Covid Pandemic, the niche influencer agency has started working with brands to deliver artist-led creative solutions, adding a stamp of cool and credibility to brand campaigns and executions. Lawless Studio has already built up an impressive roster of artists, with the likes of Jody Thomas, Jack Watts, Nerone, Bond Truluv and Shay Casanova, reaching a significantly growing audience of 760k followers as a combined network, quality audiences loyal to each artist they follow, and trend setters in their own right.
Josh Moore of Lawless Studio calls out Inspired’s ‘exceptional track record in delivering first-class brand experiences for the likes of Wavemaker, Mediacom, M&C Saatchi and Fuse’ is the missing piece to the puzzle of delivering stand out creative solutions.
‘We now have the production capacity and logistical know-how to give brands access to creative pioneers and allow them to create amazing content, to give credibility and authenticity to brands through their output, and also reach huge dedicated followings through their social channels.’
One of the tools we used during discovery were sacrificial concepts. They enhanced discussion with participants, and provided a foundation for the upcoming design sprints.
Here, we’ll explore what sacrificial concepts are, and why they are useful.
Sacrificial concepts are a tool originally developed by the design firm IDEO. They are used in early research as a stimulus for discussion, and are different from presenting prototypes later in the design process for the purposes of testing or validation.
Sacrificial concepts are:
Sacrificial concepts can be a powerful tool to enhance discovery. For the health and wellness project, they gave us a deeper understanding of people’s attitudes and needs, which enhanced the research insight, design principles, and set of personas from discovery.
We entered the design sprints with a better idea of how much information different people wanted and why, what type and depth of information they wanted, and how they might want to engage with the service.
Mace & Menter are specialists in service design, user research, discovery and prototyping for public services, health and the third sector.
To find out more, contact us on 020 7193 8952 or email [email protected].
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Where to start when planning a digital project can be extremely confusing. You might well need a new website, but there is also effective ways to improve your existing site using data and limited investment.
We talk to Piers Tincknell, from Atomic Smash, about Iterative Design, something they just happen to specialise in.
Our part-time User Experience Design (UXD) course will teach you all the key skills required to research, define, design and develop digital services based upon user-centred design principles.
The programme’s industry informed curriculum will teach you how to approach problems creatively in order to design the next generation of great apps, websites, and digital products whilst preparing you to pursue opportunities to work as a User Experience Designer.
Students will be taught the fundamentals of User Centred Design and learn to validate ideas by looping through the design process starting with User Research, Rapid Prototyping, User Testing and Iteration.
You will also be introduced to industry standard creative software tools and working processes whilst working on a real client brief.
Alongside this practical application of learned skills and techniques – you will be able to demonstrate your ability to successfully manage a project from concept to launch; combining commercially sought after skill-sets – through the application of research, design and technical development.
Students will finish the course competent in:
Our part-time User Experience (UX) Design course has been developed to help anyone looking to up-skill or change career and move into the ever increasing number of roles in UX Design.
It is aimed at people looking to learn the ‘mindset’ and application of User Experience Design to digital projects (both agency and client-side) – and to gain a deeper understanding of the methods, tools and processes of working as a UX Designer.
This programme would be useful for anyone hoping to expand their knowledge of UX Design methodologies, tools and processes.
This course is ideal for:
(This is by no means an exhaustive list.)
Check out our students reviews
Sign up for a taster workshop
For any other information please do get in touch with Nicola nicola[email protected]
“I come from a creative and entrepreneurial family originally from St Thomas, Jamaica. My granduncle founded the Voice newspaper, my grandfather is a Reggae artist and my Mother is CEO of her own fashion company, so I like to think that influenced me to pursue my own dreams and carve my own path in life.
“Like most boys growing up in the 90s I was a big fan of anime. Shows like Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon and Naruto were regular scheduled programming at my home in Fishponds. It was my desire to recreate these shows in my spare time, through pencil and paper, that led me into art.
“Drawing wasn’t my strong point so it was hard to excel in art class, probably in part to me only being interested in drawing characters from my favourite tv show at the time! I was also into video games but, oddly, because I thought they were such a cool medium. I think I grew up in a time where video games were just beginning to be acknowledged as an artform, much like film and tv, and not just something that turns kids into ‘mindless zombies.’ I loved how video games placed you in the mind of the protagonist and allowed you to put yourself in situations you could only dream of before.
“Fast forward and this underlying love of psychology, art and computer screens coupled with a strong sense of ambition is what led me to where I am today – seeking to explore a career in UI/UX & Tech.
“Growing up I knew very little about the creative industries in Bristol. I think that’s what pushed me to study in Cambridge (Lord Ashcroft International Business School), but it was being away from Bristol and coming back that really opened my eyes to how vast and booming the city is which is why I moved straight back. So when I found out about the BMAA and that it was essentially a nosedive into the industry, I knew I had to apply.
“The biggest challenge I faced in my career was definitely making my first ever film, especially when it’s for a nationwide platform like the BBC and will be watched by thousands of people. The opportunity came about through the BBC New Creatives scheme. Managing a whole crew and cast of around 20 people whilst writing and directing a film is about 100 times harder than it sounds! But it was fun and the end result was well worth it.
“Now that I’ve won the BMAA and am travelling to Texas next week it’s hard to pin down what I’m most excited about. The food, talks, art exhibitions, film screenings, the robots… Or the world renowned ‘Southern Hospitality’? Honestly, I’m not too sure. But what I am sure of, is that I am excited. Funnily enough, I’m not really nervous about anything. My perspective is just ‘enjoy it’, take what comes with Texas and the internships as enjoyable experiences which I no doubt will learn and gain a lot from.”
Upon his return from SXSW, Okori and the BMAA runners up will have the opportunity to take part in a series of paid internships at local agencies. For more information about supporting the BMAA and offering a paid internship for Okori and the runners up, click here.
Bristol Media would like to thank our 2020 headline sponsor, ADLIB, for supporting the BMAA. Thanks also to Babbasa and the growing list of agencies who have committed to making a difference: Armadillo CRM, Tallt Ventures, McCann Bristol, Mr B & Friends, Oakwood, Immediate Media, Epoch Design, Halo, Torchbox and Diva.
If you’re thinking of joining, or simply need a reminder on how to make the most of your membership, we’ve created this guide to highlight the benefits of joining our community of creative sector individuals and businesses in Bristol and the South West. So, read on for 9 reasons to join, or stay put…
Won a top award? Published a brilliant thought leadership piece about creativity or innovation? Launched a new showreel and want to get the news out there? We want to hear about it! Members can self-publish content on the Newsfeed as much and as often as they like, and if it’s really good, we might even share it with our 31.8k twitter followers, or publish it in our newsletter.
Our jobs board is the go-to platform for creative industry jobs in the region. Last year, over 750 creative sector jobs were advertised by our members, who can take advantage of unlimited advertising for absolutely no cost. If you need proof that it works, our member JonesMillbank recruited ALL of their team through adverts on the Jobs board!
You may have been to a Vision keynote event before where we invite a world-class speaker to Bristol to share knowledge and insight around current hot topics. Members receive preferential rates, saving anywhere between 30-60% of a non-member ticket. Plus, we’ve recently introduced an offer where freelancers can take advantage of Vision keynote tickets for £10. We provide a networking lunch before each talk, so it’s a great opportunity to get to know fellow creative industry professionals or catch up with old contacts over a buffet lunch. Visit the Events page for more.
Are you looking to promote your business? Partner with a local agency? Want to bag your next freelance gig? Our online member directory allows you to create an individual member profile with contact details and the ability to showcase your latest work. Make sure you keep your profile updated as we regularly point businesses to the directory who are looking for agencies and freelance resource.
If you’re hosting a local event, head over to the Events page, submit the form and we’ll publish your event in the calendar. Just make sure it’s relative to a creative sector audience and is within the South West and you’re good to go.
We work with local businesses to ensure members get the best deals possible for everything from free legal advice to restaurant discounts, coffee subscriptions to team away-days. Our mobile membership cards allow you to claim these exclusive deals and discounts, plus they are available for your whole team! Lunch at The Florist then? Check out the full list of member perks.
We’re firm believers in training and professional development. How else will you develop the skills of your team or attract and retain top talent? We bring the knowledge to our members through a series of intimate workshops and skills sessions, so you can benefit from high-quality training at a competitive price. Check out the latest workshops here.
If you remember the Bristol Media barometer – a valuable tool providing insight into the local creative sector – then good news. We’re teaming up with a partner to create a bespoke report to benchmark business performance, and explore the trends, insights, opportunities and threats facing creative agencies in Bristol & Bath. More info coming soon, so watch this space!
Last, but certainly not least. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Bristol Media. We believe that Bristol is one of the most creative and innovative cities out there and it’s achieved this status by organisations and individuals working together. We champion our members in the creative sector and encourage collaborations as much as possible, so keep us posted on your blossoming partnerships.
Collectively, we’re greater than the sum of our parts
Our mission is to put our region on the map as a world-leading centre of creativity and innovation, so that we inspire talented people to work here, attract customers and drive growth. Being localised to Bristol means we can be the eyes and ears on the ground, but we can’t do it without our members. So, if you’ve yet to become part of our community and would like to take advantage of the above, and more, join Bristol Creative Industries today.
Charities are starting to innovate digitally. Innovation teams are spluttering into life, and some charities are building new digital products and services that will reach new audiences, create new potential income streams and increase their impact. But it’s slow, hard going. Why is this?
Do charities have the desire, the imagination? Do they have the vision at board level? Is risk-aversion the big blocker? Do funding models stymie innovation? Or do previous failed attempts mean they’re once burned, twice shy? Frankly, do they have the guts?
All of the above and more is probably the answer. But, here, I’ll focus on overcoming the barriers to charities adapting the type of modern, agile product development process that drives digital product innovation from the civil service to Silicon Valley.
Let’s kick this off with money. In charities, procurement teams and budget holders like to know what they’re buying. They like big specs, clear outcomes and fixed costs. They’re less keen on Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), iterative development, testing learning and pivoting – uncertainty. Unfortunately, that difficult stuff is at the heart of agile project development.
If you aren’t ready to totally change the way you procure, a starting point is to break projects into small, affordable chunks. Assuming you are working with an agency partner: start with an innovation workshop; if that works take an idea forward in a ‘design sprint’ (roughly £15k to £25k); iterate on it; run story mapping to build a roadmap. Make each stage a micro-tollgate like a mini government service standards assessment. This way projects actually get started so they can gather momentum, and they ‘fail fast’ if they aren’t worth pursuing.
An example of this in practice is MQ Mental Health who are building a new product to engage the public in mental health research. MQ leveraged the prototype we built with them in a design sprint – to attract funding to build an MVP. MQ have funded this whole product development one step at a time, using the quality outputs of each phase to help engage the funders of the next. This can be slow, but at least it’s moving.
Be creative with the process too. We recently ran a Design Sprint with Sue Ryder (who are building a new in-browser video service to provide bereavement counselling and support ) with a ‘money back guarantee ’ – if they weren’t completely satisfied with the design sprint, they wouldn’t pay a penny. This gave the procurement team the confidence to sign off the initial phases of the project, while both teams got stuck into it with extra enthusiasm.
Creating a product culture in the charity space is tough. There’s not much experience about, yet experience is a really valuable component. We believe that the critical piece of the puzzle, is an engaged, skilled, empowered, client-side product manager. A good product manager keeps development aligned to business objectives and holds delivery teams to account, whether internal or external (this is particularly important when working ‘agile-ly’.)
This may all sound challenging for most charities – accepting more risk, changing funding and procurement models, developing an effective product culture – so let’s make it simple.
Here is a formula that might help you kick start innovation in your organisation:
Finally, try to remember agile projects can (and do) fail. Particularly, if you don’t have the right processes, people and culture in place. And failure is scary in the charity sector; especially if it threatens your public image. Nevertheless, ‘fixed scope’ innovation is an oxymoron. Leaders need to be brave enough to be prepared to fail.
Well-run product development processes, as outlined above, fail early, which helps. Something that doesn’t help is annual budgets. Ben Holt said in his valedictory post about the Disruptive Innovation Lab at Cancer Research UK, “disruptive ideas need to impact strategy with an eye on the future, not the annual planning cycle” and that is something we should all try to keep in mind.
Innovation products need a new, flexible ‘as and when’ funding approach, one where funding is aligned to goals or outcomes, rather than ‘project scope’ and that is something the sector will have to keep working towards.
Torchbox run a free Charity Digital Innovation Series of breakfast events. Here you can see the details and video of their last one, for Heads and Directors of Digital – where the discussions were on this same topic of challenges and success of Digital Innovation. Keep up to date on all Torchbox events on Twitter.
This article first appeared in Charity Comms.
The Yeo Valley Café, which opened earlier this year in London, featuring an interior design scheme by award-winning South West designers Phoenix Wharf, has taken GOLD this month in the Hospitality Interiors category of the London Design Awards 2019.
The café-store-office space, Yeo Valley’s first outlet away from its Blagdon, Somerset HQ, is an engaging, inviting showcase for the leading organic dairy brand, offering customers a dine-in café, grab’n’go produce area and mini retail store, as well as a work and meeting space for staff on the site’s upper storey. Bristol-based designers Phoenix Wharf ensured the customer-facing ground-floor offer had a friendly, unpretentious and fun feel with its ‘warm and cool’ concept – featuring a white and bright ‘cool’ retail area to the right, and a warmer ‘natural’ sit-down area to the left, underlining the brand’s countryside origins and authenticity.
Standout features that caught the judges’ eyes in the scheme include a ceiling feature in the form of a stained-glass-style light-box installation, showing an abstracted map of the Yeo Valley farm HQ in Blagdon; a lighting feature made up of 19 different pendant lamps set at different lengths and a cottage-garden mural by long-time brand collaborator, artist-illustrator Natasha Clutterbuck. The store’s highly-original loos have also featured prominently in press coverage. Designed as ‘Blagdon Station’ underground toilets, as a link between the London and Somerset sites, with curved tube-tunnel corners and ‘pomegranate’ wall tiles, sourced from H.E. Smith, the original London Underground manufacturer. Further details include tube-type platform signage; a ‘priority seat’ sign above the toilet; an ‘All Change Here’ baby change unit; a ‘Loo Roll’ tube-style roundel; a platform-style floor detail saying ‘Mind the Gap’ and a ‘Way Out’ sign.
‘We’re really thrilled with this win’, Phoenix Wharf’s Associate Creative Director Emma Gullick commented. ‘It puts the South West firmly on the map and shows just how much talent and creativity we have here, capable of the highest performance at national level.’
The London Design Awards are one of 10 global city-based awards across three continents run by DrivenXDesign, a global community of designers, thinkers, strategists and design lovers. They provide recognition across the design spectrum, are cross-disciplinary and are currently held across three continents. The awards celebrate and honour the role of design and the skills of designers, while recognising all aspects of the design process, including product, digital, interiors, architecture, graphic, textile, events, fashion, advertising, food, experience, and publications.
– Ends –
Photography credit: Franklin & Franklin
For further information on Phoenix Wharf, please contact Caroline Collett of Caroline Collett PR Ltd on T: + 44 (0)1297 444179 M: + 44 (0)7801 270598 E: [email protected]
About Phoenix Wharf
Phoenix Wharf is a design consultancy specialising in branding and interiors concepts for ambitious hospitality and retail brands. Founded in Bristol in 2015 and independently owned, the consultancy’s mission is ‘inspiring change’. Known for its youthful approach and reputation for fresh thinking, Phoenix Wharf has won and been nominated for several national awards and has worked with a wide range of clients, from start-ups to established heritage brands, both local and international, including Space NK, The National Trust, Ensemble, Craghoppers, The Gro Company, Gill Marine, Gymshark and The Richmond Building at Bristol University. Along with sister creative companies Ignition (exhibitions, events and experiences) and Caroline (strategic communications), Phoenix Wharf forms part of Istoria Group.
www.phoenix-wharf.com / www.istoriagroup.com
It’s been almost a year since we announced Marissa Lewis-Peart as the winner of the 2019 Ben Martin Apprentice Award (BMAA). Marissa’s had an enviable experience of Bristol’s creative sector since being selected. 12 months later and with applications open for the BMAA 2020, we wanted to find out more about the opportunities she’s received since last year’s victory.
“Hi, I’m Marissa, a Graphic Communication graduate, and I won the 2019 Ben Martin Apprentice Award!
As part of my award I attended SXSW in Austin, Texas – The world’s largest interactive media festival, where I had the opportunity to immerse myself into the latest technology and attend talks by industry leaders. Read the article about my festival experience here. Since finishing my final year at university, I’ve been making my way around 15 different Advertising, Marketing, Branding, Design and Digital agencies, taking part in 1-2 week internships.
As a student wrapping up my final year at university, I felt nervous about what would lie ahead of me in terms of finding a graduate job and not wanting to lose my creative freedom. Winning the Ben Martin Apprentice Award came at the perfect time and it took a lot of that stress away for me. It provided me with connections to people within the industry and paid internships straight out of university, providing a rare opportunity to experience the biggest creative agencies in Bristol and learn about the various roles within these agencies, all in one go! Some of these agencies include Armadillo, McCann Bristol, Bray Leino, Wonderland Communications, Halo, Tällt, Saintnicks, Mr B & Friends, Taxi Studio, True Digital, Great State and more to come.
I’ve met so many great and supportive people who have taken time out of their schedules to explain to me how exactly the Internet works, or why my website has disappeared from Google, how Pantone colours are used, or have written me a reading list of creative strategy and design books to get stuck into! I’ve had the chance to work on projects for Disney Cruises, McDonalds, The Royal Navy and many more companies, as well as attend a commercial photo shoot for a campaign and facilitate my own user testing sessions for an app that’s being developed, all within my first 4 months out of university!
It’s a crazy feeling when I reflect on notes that I took during my first few internships and how I’m beginning to apply my knowledge now, and I realise how much I’ve learnt in such a short space of time. Nothing compares to gaining real industry experience and I’m so glad to have been given this opportunity.
I’m now beginning to wrap up my last few internships and I’m weighing up my options in terms of whether to go back to a few agencies to do longer internships and gain more, varied experience, or whether to settle into a permanent job role. Whatever I choose to do, I’m grateful to have options and be in the position to choose my next steps thanks to the Ben Martin Apprentice Award.
If you’re reading this and considering applying for the 2020 Ben Martin Apprentice Award I definitely recommend you do! I was unsure about applying when I first came across the award. I doubted whether I stood a chance at winning, but you miss 100% of the opportunities that you don’t put yourself forward for! What’s the worst that can happen?”
We’re now looking for sponsors to come forward and support the BMAA in 2020. If you’re committed to making a difference, get in touch for details.
For candidates, more information about the 2020 Ben Martin Apprentice Award and how to apply can be found here.
The award was set up in memory of the late Ben Martin, a local, entrepreneurial agency MD who was committed to an inclusive culture and actively encouraged diversity.
Marissa Lewis-Peart won last year’s award, travelling to Austin with Chris Thurling, Bristol Media Chair, to attend the world’s largest digital festival, SxSW. This was followed by a 5-month paid internship programme with a range of the top agencies in the South West – McCann Bristol, Bray Leino CX, Armadillo, True, Mentor Digital, Ragdoll, Tallt, Wonderland Communications, Mr B & Friends, saintnicks, Taxi Studio, Great State, Six and Halo. Read about Marissa’s experience here.
This year Bristol Media and ADLIB, together with a growing list of agency sponsors, are extending the award to 4 candidates. A candidate briefing session in mid-October, hosted by ADLIB, Bristol Media and Babbasa, will allow candidates to fully explore the opportunities available to them, according to their preferred area of interest in either the creative, technology, data or tech sector.
Applicants should submit a video (no more than a min) or short written piece (around 500 words), explaining why they stand out and should be selected. Successful applicants will be interviewed by a panel of experts and the winner and 3 runners up will be awarded paid internships. The winner will, once again, attend SxSW with Bristol Media and a group of industry professionals.
To enter the award, please send your submission to [email protected] by Friday 22nd November 2019. Winners will be announced in early December.
Terms and Conditions
Applicants must be over 18.
Applicants must be willing to create and supply content of their journey for media usage.
Applicants must be able to travel to Texas in March 2020.
Applicants must be living in the South West of England.
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