Make love, not war
Headlines in the Northwest Evening Mail tonight announced that our local council may pursue a claim for copyright infringement against Blackburn's local authorities over the use of a heart-shaped letter 'B' in a promotional campaign to market Blackburn, which happens to be remarkably similar to the recently unveiled 'love Barrow' logo.The love Barrow logo created by local firm Cactus Creative has already started to create a groundswell of positivity among local people as new manifestations appear almost overnight in large and small formats all over the town but I'm concerned that a misguided row over copyright could turn love into hate if the press or the 'powers that be' continue to blow the coincidence out of proportion - and we'll perpetuate the myth that if you come to Barrow the one thing you're sure to get into is a fight.
From a design perspective there happens to be a significant difference in the two brandmarks and wordmarks. Stroke weight, use of colour, typeface - as designers we could go into finer detail to argue the case but why should anyone need to? Blackburn is not trying to pass itself off as Barrow and vice-versa. Each town can demonstrate a rationale for the adoption of a heart-shaped letterform - Barrow's logo is based on the sentiment of the phrase 'love Barrow', Blackburn's logo takes its cue from the strap-line 'Heart of Pennine Lancashire'.
As it happens Belfast has also recently rebranded with a heart-shaped letter 'B'. In fact it has already been compared to the 'love Barrow' logo in an online article at logodesignlove.com
If you think clearly about it all three design groups involved in these campaigns had essentially the same brief - raise the profile and civic pride of the town, nurture a heartfelt local sense of ownership, encourage people to love this place. All three places have names beginning with B, which just happens to form a perfect heart shape. Is it really so surprising that the logos look alike? Does anyone really believe that any one has copied from the other? I don't think so.
It isn't the shape of the logo that matters, it is the sentiment of the message that we send to the rest of the world and I think that here in Barrow we need to focus on making love, not war.
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.
Edward De Bono
The Musgrave Newsletter
Sign up to the Musgrave Newsletter and receive updates right to your inbox!
Who we are
We are creative thinkers and digital innovators. We are creative consultants, designers, website developers, information architects and champions of good practice.
We like people. We like listening to people getting passionate about their own ideas and ambitions. Helping to make ideas real and empowering people to achieve ambitions is what really makes us tick.
We are not cheap but we do pride ourselves on our ability to work creatively with any budget to deliver maximum impact and return on investment. We (and our clients) place a realistic value on our creativity and the benefits that it can bring.
We only work with people who value the expertise and experience that people like us can offer - people who want a genuine relationship that will be mutually beneficial in personal and business terms.
What we do
Creative Consultancy, Brand Identity Development, Website Design, Digital Media Design and Consultancy, Information Architecture, Digital Marketing Campaigns, Graphic Design, Advertising, E-Marketing campaigns, Graphical Interface Design, Content Management System CMS development using Joomla, Mambo, ASP.net, Umbraco, CMS made simple.
We do all this and more for people all over the UK and abroad.
Right now we're busy in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, Lancashire, Manchester, Ulverston, Liverpool, Grange-Over-Sands, London, Kendal, Carlisle, Windermere, Merseyside, Bolton, Leicester and New York.
Why it matters
Because creative ideas make a difference to the lives and businesses of our clients. The difference comes in many forms:
Increased return on investment, loyal customers, more sales, wider audiences, greater market awareness, enhanced perception of brand identity - all of which are aims and objectives for building a better business and a more satisfying customer experience.
We help you to create reasons for the people who use your products or services to keep coming back for more. That's why it matters.
-
How to see
Our work with The Ruskin Foundation began with an invitation to deliver an identity and website for their "How to see" project. Four of the Musgrave team went on a 'school trip' to Brantwood, John Ruskin's former home on the shores of Coniston, to learn all about the great man and his theories on sight and vision. Mightily inspired we returned to the studio full of ideas about creating logos derived from optical illusions and ways to bring Ruskin's ideas to life in digital media. We also returned full of homemade cake from the fantastic cafe at Brantwood.
A month or so later and the fruits of our labour went live at what was reported to be a fantastic launch event. Unfortunately the Musgrave team missed the launch but we do look forward to exploring the shores pf Coniston with our Looking Tubes when we next visit to discuss the forthcoming interactive piece entitled "Heartsight". Watch this space...through a looking tube if you like.
-
BLAST FROM THE PAST VOL.2: Beetham Organization website
Launched back in 2005 The Beetham Organization website is still one of our finest achievements in open source web development.
Developed in collaboration with Uniform, this website broke the mould of content management. The bespoke components we developed allow the client to update all content including image-based flash panels. We even pushed the boat out back in the day to include features such as processing of live webcam images into flash sequences 'on the fly'.
We continue to work with Uniform to further develop the site and a number of the site components are now under reconstruction to meet changing marketing needs.
-
DigITal ambITion
In Manchester we have started work with the MDDA (Manchester Digital Development Agency) to develop brand identity, digital branding and interface design for their AmbITion project. AmbITion is a £1.2m Arts Council England project run by our friend Hannah Rudman and Manchester Digital Development Agency, working together with Cambridge University; some of the sector’s most senior change and technology consultants; and Arts Council England’s Organisational Development: Thrive! programme.
We're excited about the AmbITion project and its goals, which the MDDA site sums up best:
"AmbITion will enable arts organisations to develop effective use of digital technology across all areas of their business and artistic practice, improving their offer and competitiveness in a 21st century market."
It's digital - we dig IT all!
-
Ultimate Success
We are pleased to announce that our intrepid Lead Developer Mark (Coops) Cooper has been selected to play for the GB Masters in Vancouver in the Ultimate Frisbee World Championships in August.
Well done Coops!
-
BLAST FROM THE PAST VOL.1: Arts Mag.net
Arts Magnet takes us back to 2004, when Musgrave developed the brand identity.
Arts Magnet, the digital development agency for the arts sector in the North West at the time, supported the arts sector in its future strategies for the use of Information Technology in meeting its artistic, audience, and business aspirations.
The popular typographic look and feel of Arts Mag.net is being developed further for a new project called AmbITion (see news above).
-
Picture perfect
A simple site for our friend Caroline and her perfect products at Picture Perfect - another great business based in Cumbria. Honey I've blown up the kids...check out the website. -
Football Crazy!
We designed this logo for Lanternhouse International back in October but the more I look at it the more I love it so I decided to post it to the site. Football Iliad - The finale of the Trojan War as a football match. Two opposing sides, Greeks and Trojans in an all or nothing local derby. Football mad!
-
Lanternhouse International leave the big light on
Formerly known as Welfare State International, Lanternhouse International approached us when they needed a very fast change from their existing website to a temporary but still effective and informative homepage. We called in for a brew with George and Stephen and within one working week we delivered a fully content managed home page, which in fact delivers full news functionality to provide project updates.
We continue to work with Lanternhouse in 2008 to develop a new web strategy and phased delivery of a new website.
-
Random exploration at The Bluecoat
Phase 2 of The Bluecoat website delivers a beautiful new random navigation experience. Visit the site and click on the 'browse' menu item to see it in action.
The Bluecoat in Liverpool will re-open on March 15 2008 with a mission statement "To provide an innovative contemporary arts experience shaped by and going beyond, the unique building that houses it." Our vision for the website and other digital media developments for the Bluecoat mirror this intention and the planned launches in early 2008 will see The Bluecoat lead the way in using creative web technology to connect people, culture and communities.
-
Put the big light on
The new Lanternhouse International site went live and launched a new brand identity in the process. More on this soon.
We're now looking forward to more good coffee, good company and good conversation as we work on monthly content development together.
-
art.relocates.us
We had more great news this week when we met up with Sara Maguire, co-ordinator of the art.locates.me project, which we worked on last year for Connexions. The online exhibition of video and music created by young people in Cumbria is back for Volume 2 and this time round it's going mobile. We'll be working with Sara to create new functionality in the art.locates.me website to allow people to download movies created by young people direct to their mobile phones.
We're really happy to be breathing new life into the project that brings back memories for us of very creative times and of brilliant pieces of work by young guys like this...The Barra Boys
-
Park Life
We are well underway with our project for The Park Leisure Centre in Barrow-in-Furness to deliver a website and brand identity for the launch of Club MAX - a new youth gym - and the refurbished pool, gym and sports complex. We will be working closely with the architects and interior designers DV8 Designs, fitness equipment providers Pulse, and the Leisure Centre management team to create a fresh and dynamic image befitting the exciting development and new facilities that will soon be on offer at The Park. -
A good idea wins every time
We are pleased to say that we are starting work on an exciting new project with The Chetwynde Hotel in our home town of Barrow.
I think our all-out creative approach and desire to raise people's expectations of design gave us the edge over our competition - now we are really looking forward to transforming the image of this lovely place.
-
The sound of a busy studio
Paul Musgrave,
Sun, 20th January 2008The last two weeks has been so busy we've met ourselves coming backwards. Projects have been landing thick and fast creating a pace of work that means there's a buzz about the studio that puts a smile on people's faces. As our designer Welshy said "It was a pleasure this week to see our client's enjoying what we had worked hard to produce."
With the majority of projects being completely or partly confidential I'm stuck for what to write here except to say that many people are thinking 'Green', but a deeper green that isn't just jumping on the bandwagon of going paperless or offsetting carbon footprints. We'll talk more on this when we can.
So rather than list links or post pics of work in progress I've decided to post the most frequently played tracks on the studio sound system this week. I'll kick off with my Sunday shift playlist and we'll add the most played tunes as the week progresses so watch this space...
The Rurals - 10th Chapter:
Full album (nice website too)Babyshambles - Down in Albion:
KillamangiroJoni Mitchell - Shine:
Shine (lyrics to make us all think)Wolfman feat. Pete Doherty - For Lovers
Mark Ronson - Version:
His Website (www.markronson.co.uk)Radio 1 & Kerry's iTunes
We fancied a bit of varietyPaul Horn - Inside the Taj Mahal 1&2
Recorded inside the Taj Mahal in 1968 - Listened to this sitting off with a sketch book in Jon Barraclough's kitchenFlowered up - Weekender
System of a Down - Mesmerize
www.systemofadown.com -
Premex Site Launches
On the 18th December we launched three new websites for the Premex Group of companies.
Premex Services is the UK's largest provider of medico-legal reports and services, including rehabilitation and diagnostics, to the legal profession and the insurance industry.
We delivered an ASP.net solution to compliment internal IT strategy, providing an extensible website and content management framework for the entire group.
Dan Chesney, Marketing Manager at Premex became an honorary member of the Musgrave team while we worked very closely over a short timeframe on an intense design and development path. Our work with Premex on their web development and digital branding programme continues in 2008 with the launch of the Premex Group website and creative emarketing campaigns.
www.premexservices.co.uk
www.accuro.co.uk
www.premex-insight.co.uk -
Musgrave shows young people that Business Rocks!
Business rocked at this year’s ‘Business Rocks’ event at our HQ, the Canteen Media & Arts Centre in Barrow-in-Furness.
As part of their Enterprise Week, Furness Enterprise organised two half-day music industry workshops for pupils from local schools. The Year 10 pupils were challenged to come up with a name and logo for a pop group, perform and produce its first song and film an accompanying music video in one day.
Our designers Paul Welsh and Kerry Wicks worked with the youngsters on names and logo designs while East Beach Studios and Northern Riviera Productions, also based in the the Media & Arts Centre brought their music and video to life. Our team enjoyed the challenge and we were proud to see the work that the young people had produced at Musgrave when it was showcased at the Furness Enterprise AGM. Participating in events like this is important to our commitment to developing employment opportunities in the local area and to enhancing the profile of the Creative Industries in Cumbria.
You can see pictures from the Business Rocks event here and read more about the event at http://www.gofurness.com/