James Good Limited

...And Now For Something Completely Different

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:17:45 +0000

In order to truly engage with your audience, you need to understand who you're designing for...

Whoopsie Daisy...

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:15:53 +0000

Us And Our Big Mouth

In September, Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple’s CEO. We had a bit of rant (as is our way) about the apparent power of Steve Jobs ‘the brand’ to cause people to lose sight of the fact that although he was a driving force, Apple’s success is the result of the hard work of a huge team of exceptionally creative and talented individuals.

The Good, The Bad And The Juicy

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:10:52 +0000

We’ve been practicing what we preach by investing in our own marketing recently. As a first step to analysing the alignment of our internal and external brand, we conducted an internal survey in order to generate real insights to feed into our SWOT analysis. The team’s responses make for interesting reading...

The Award For Most Demanding Client 2011 Goes To...

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:59:29 +0000

We worked on a huge range of projects in 2011, spanning identity design, website design and development, marketing and copywriting. Each of these services are becoming central to our increasingly integrated approach to brand identity and strategic design. We’re in the process of redesigning our portfolio, which will demonstrate our approach.

Companies House

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:54:12 +0000

When this rebrand came to our attention on April 1st, it was obviously an April Fool's, wasn’t it? Companies House, ‘the foundation of company information exchange in the UK’ is a major government-run organisation that all businesses have to deal with on a regular basis. Considering this, you'd think that communicating a sense of authority through a strong brand identity would be high on their list of priorities. Unfortunately, the new look lacks any sort of credibility. We doubt very much that the new logo is what any business owner would expect to see when visiting the authority that is Companies House, and because of this it fails completely.

Habitat

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:52:37 +0000

A visit to Habitat was always a refreshing experience; outstanding, original design at realistic prices; Habitat’s major success was positioning itself so far above its less imaginative competitors. Earlier this year, we were sad to see the demise of the chain when it was bought out by mass market counterparts, Argos. Ironic, really.

London & Partners

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:50:44 +0000

We’ve seen a rise in campaigns to promote Britain in the run up to the Olympics. This was one of the first of 2011, launched in April with an aim, according to Boris, "to showcase London as the best city to visit, invest and study in." The logo is yet another visual identity for the capital, but crucially, it fails to capture the essence of the city, and as a result fails to create an emotional connection with its target audience. We’re all for simplicity in design, but this was not simplicity done well.

British Gas

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:50:02 +0000

British Gas could have set the world alight with a rebrand to demonstrate the strength of British design. Instead, they’ve adopted over-modified typography that instills a feeling of disorder, and an application that makes their fleet of vehicles blend into the background. Interestingly, British Gas entrusted their rebrand to an advertising agency; the lack in specialist expertise is certainly evident.

Avios

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:49:28 +0000

In November, we were impressed by the launch of Avios - a strategically remodelled version of Airmiles, which had lost relevance and popularity. It all looked so promising, and we had high hopes. In December, we were disappointed to see that the roll-out, which should have inspired, has instead fallen flat, with an unimaginative email campaign and website. The TV advertising campaign looks like Avios chose an off-the-shelf concept, simply slapping their logo on top of it. To make an impact, every piece of communication should be a natural extension of the brand.

HP

Tori Kirwan-Taylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:48:21 +0000

HP - it’s big, but it’s no Apple; perhaps partly due to the brand, which always seemed to lack the necessary sense of pride and excitement to engage its audience and instill loyalty. Ending 2011 on a high note, this aspirational rebrand, based on a slash angled at 13°, encourages a new way of seeing the company and its products. According to the agency responsible for the design, “13° represents HP’s spirit as a company, driven forward by ingenuity and optimism about the future and a belief in human progress”. That’s more like it!