stuart ford

Robinson Crusoe limited edition 7 inch vinyl

2011-12-01T23:37:00.001Z

Desert Island Discs: Here is the finished product of a limited edition 7 Inch vinyl I designed recently. The pressing is aimed at collectors and fans of the 60's BBC television series The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe, which includes original music from the show performed by The Robert Merlin Orchestra. The limited run of 300 pressings are available to purchase from Silva Screen Records.

Forced Sterilisation Campaign Designs

2011-11-30T15:34:00.001Z

I decided to create a piece of design based on human rights and forced sterilisation after reading about how the former government of Peru forcibly sterilised over 200,000 women as a way of trying to reduce birth rates among the poor.

I felt passionate about communicating this issue to the wider world after learning that many of these women were believed to be indigenous Quechua Indians, and were threatened with fines or imprisonment if they did not go though with the operation. And the fact that the modern world turns a blind eye to the recurring violation of human rights on such a major scale, impacting the defenceless and the poor. If we cannot learn from the awful mistakes of the past, then how can we better ourselves in the future?

The piece is very much a balance between providing a concise synopsis of the issue, and the eye-catching and thought provoking illustrations. These two images aim to draw the eye in, and graphically tell the story in a split 'positive verses negative' manner. One is representative of Peruvian culture and scenery through colour, and focuses in on the literal aspects of freedom to choose to have a child. Yet the second image is left quite abstract and sinister in tone, allowing the viewer to make what they can of the situation. Is it representative of fear? Imprisonment? Isolation? victimisation? You decide…

Typographic Terrain - Star Wars Homage

2011-10-29T12:32:00.001+01:00

After recently purchasing a set of typographic A-Z cake cutters, I've had all sorts of mad ideas as to what to do with them. Above is the first of these ideas, a homage to the environments and terrain found on different planets in Star Wars. Materials used: sugar, coarse turf and Bournemouth beach sand.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - physical album design

2011-09-30T17:28:00.000+01:00

UK cover

US cover

Psst... Design and layout for the physical album release of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Welcome to the shady world of British Cold War espionage! Adopting the look and feel of the movie's promotional campaign, I had to devise a murky, secretive world for Alberto Iglesias's splendid soundtrack, full of the film's stills and behind the scene shots, drawing on the confidential nature of piecing together evidence and delicate information, and pulling together an overview of the film and soundtrack's feeling of tension and paranoia. Available from Silva Screen Records. But you didn't hear any of this from me...

Click here to purchase

Music From The Transformers Trilogy - physical album design

2011-08-22T22:31:00.004+01:00

Album design for 'Music From The Transformers Trilogy'. With this release I used a combination of subtle image based references to the Transformers films (glowing mechanical eyes and metallic-looking cosmic spheres) along with 3D, mechanised, angular pieces of typographic shapes, seemingly fitting together to form letterforms and whole words in a similar action to that of an Autobot changing form.

The letterforms began as a study of the type of typography associated with the Transformers films (very prominent and blocky, with straight edges and sharp corners) and then modified so that each letter fit next to each other to make up words and complete titles, as if each letter was a component forming a whole. In some cases geometric pieces of type were arrange to look like they were constructing / deconstructing 3D letter blocks themselves, creating almost illegible, alien looking symbols and glyphs.

Album available from Silva Screen Records

The Music of Michel Legrand - physical album

2011-08-10T22:06:00.006+01:00

Design and illustrations for 'The Music of Michel Legrand' album artwork. The album features music written and conducted by Legrand including works from the 1964 French film 'Les Parapluies de Cherbourg'' (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), which is essentially a musical love story whereby one of leading love interests in the film works in an umbrella boutique…

This album can be purchased from Silva Screen Records

CD Singles artwork concepts for Danny & The Champs

2011-07-23T10:49:00.004+01:00

Single CD release concept artwork for Danny & The Champions Of The World, using tattoo styles as a theme. The first single "Heart & Arrow" has a far more 'dirty' rock & roll look to it while the second, rather wordy, single "You Don't Know (My Heart Is In The Right Place)" is more in keeping with the band's front man's interest in the style of Sailor Jerry tattoos. Both designs started off as hand drawn studies before being put through Illustrator and Photoshop to create the final outcomes.

The album, from which these two songs are off of, is available to download on iTunes and purchase physically on Amazon.

Film Music of Hans Zimmer Vol.2 - physical album

2011-06-25T09:27:00.009+01:00

'Film Music of Hans Zimmer Vol.2' is a two disc compilation of some of Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer's finest film scores. From the unhinged strings of The Dark Knight to dream-state arrangements from Inception.

It is the visuals from Inception that inspired the design of this album artwork, drawing on the themes of building vast, maze-like landscapes and complex impossible patterns mirroring the intricate networks of the mind, with a very German-industrial-architectural-angular feel to it.

The maze background itself started out as a 2D repeat pattern before being rendered into 3D in Illustrator, while the 3D block text was again created first in 2D as a maze-like typeface (which gave me a headache) before again being converted into it's 3D perspective and then photoshopped to look like it was rising out of the surface of the maze like skyscrapers towering above a city street level.

The physical album is available for purchase via Silva Screen Records and Amazon UK

You can also download the album via iTunes which comes with a digital booklet of the artwork (not as fun though is it)!

Great British TV Themes - physical album

2011-06-05T10:14:00.010+01:00

'Great British TV Themes' is a two disc compilation of some of the most memorable and catchy (albeit annoying) theme tunes from some of finest television shows from the 50's all the way through to the 00's. Included in the track listings are the likes of soaps (EastEnders, Coronation Street); Sci Fi (UFO, Doctor Who, Red Dwarf); Drama series (The Bill, Casualty, The Sweeney); game shows (Countdown, Blockbusters, The Crystal Maze) and of course comedy (Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python etc...) plus many more (54 tracks in total)!

The design therefore had to be quite colourful and striking, reflecting on the quirky nature of some of these retro television shows.

This physical release is available at Silva Screen Records and Amazon UK

The Music of James Horner - physical album

2011-05-09T22:09:00.014+01:00

Here is the final, finished product, "The Music of James Horner Performed By The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra". I created the album cover with an Avatar-esque feel to it (one of the more recent films Horner has scored), which I then transferred across the rest of the album design including an eight page booklet, back inlay and disk graphics. This Silva Screen Records release is available to purchase from May 16th 2011 but you can pre-order it online now from the following sites; Silva Screen Records / Amazon UK / HMV / Play.com / Zavvi

Update:
It is now also available to download from iTunes

Soundtrack album cover designs

2011-04-05T23:36:00.000+01:00

CD cover designs for Silva Screen Records. The album is a collection of James Horner's soundtrack work performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The artwork draws heavily on the theme of the composer's most recent work, Avatar, using familiar colours and floating bioluminescent shapes and organisms in comparison to the mystical alien world in James Cameron's film. The 'eywa seed' also mirrors a classical string instrument, like a harp.

Some of the other films that James Horner has scored include Apollo 13, Cocoon, Aliens, Deep Impact, *Batteries Not Included and Titanic!

I'll post the final outcomes of this project once finished and printed.

Font Aid V: Made For Japan

2011-03-25T22:35:00.001Z

'Font Aid V: Made For Japan' is a collaborative design community project which aims to help raise funds for victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck on 11th March 2011.

My first glyph design is a representation of the scale 9 Earthquake that devastated Japan, fracturing the country and leaving it to be pieced back together through aid and support.

While the second glyph hints at the Tsunami and the dramatic effect it had inland, while also communicating hope as the Eastern Sun rises once again over the waves and horizon.

Combined together these two glyph designs form "9.0" (the magnitude of the event), portraying both the severity and aftermath of the situation, yet also expressing optimism and hope for Japan in the future.

Please donate here: Red Cross

Patterns of Power ident #1

2011-03-15T23:19:00.000Z

A brief ident animation for the "Patterns of Power" logo I designed. The logo and graphic symbols felt like they would translate well into motion graphics, so I thought I'd have a bit of an experiment in Flash and then finished it off by composing 'a little something' in GarageBand. Enjoy!

Patterns of Power logo - further developed / final

2011-02-16T19:40:00.001Z

After long deliberation I decided to take another stab at the identity for 'Patterns of Power'. I felt the last design attempt was a little flawed i.e. a bit rushed, not very modern, 2 dimensional in terms of how it worked as a stand alone logo, plus it almost reads 'poop' at a quick glance (which is never good)! So with a bit more focus and some further understanding of what I actually wanted to achieve, I present the above identity.

The aim of the website it will predominantly feature on, is to showcase both colourful patterns and illustrative shapes, and to also communicate facts and information through stylised infographics and visual data, which I feel this logo is far more representative of. Maybe I can sleep at night now!

'Patterns of Power' identity

2011-01-16T18:17:00.001Z

'Patterns of Power' is a personal project I am working on at the moment, it will essentially be an online resources website showcasing artwork of repeat patterns, symbols and icon designs created by me in my spare time. Inspired by tribal art, the website will aim to raise awareness of indigenous cultures found throughout the world, highlighting current issues and problems they face. Available on the site will be free desktop, tablet and mobile phone wallpaper downloads, an online gallery and shop (of which, a portion of sale profits will be donated to survivalinternational.org). With these points in mind I wanted the identity to incorporate the repeat pattern/ancient tribal theme, but also look modern and work well across a range of digital media. The result above has been designed to take on a variety of dynamic forms, sometimes as a stand alone logo, a full on repeat pattern, or even as an app/online icon.

'In Light of Space' slipcase and hardback book

2010-12-24T12:46:00.001Z

Below are photos of an imagery based project that was started many moons ago (excuse the pun), and I have finally found the time to complete. The result is a handmade 50 page book full of photographic imagery of light and colour paired up with expressive copy, all designed, written and made by myself.

The project was born out of a mass collection of photos I had taken over the years that had begun to pool on my computer, blurry shots of stage lights, fireworks and various other illuminations found at festivals and music gigs. These amateurish snaps begun to get me thinking about the theme of space and how my mishap pics didn’t look too dissimilar from ‘real’ photos taken from the likes of the Hubble Telescope. The copy was the product of some pondering on the subject, a list of possible descriptive words to express the scale of space, some light H.P. Lovecraft reading, a bit of David Bowie listening and a portion of ‘Powers of Ten’ watching.

The book was made using a few different processes, including binding the pages together by hand stitching, creating a hardback cover and spine and finally fixing and securing the pages and cover together using double sided tape and paper engineering to ensure that the book had a robustness to it but would still open fully without breaking or falling apart. Then there was the slip case that would hold the book conformably within, this was created using a net of tight measurements taken from the final dimensions of the book. Once I had these I began to build a more durable structure using card and paper, much to the same thickness as the hardback cover, before finally folding and gluing it into it’s finished box-like shape. The moment of truth was actually seeing if the book would fit within, which was an exact fit thankfully. Very pleased with the final result.

PROJECT iPad magazine cover - My re-design

2010-12-13T00:11:00.000Z

This is my interpretation of Richard Brandson's PROJECT digital magazine cover re-design competition, click here to view my YouTube channel to see a full description and a couple of experimental development videos for the project.

Don't Panic postcard design competition

2010-12-04T14:13:00.000Z

This is my entry for the Don't Panic postcard design competition for upcoming film TRON: Legacy. The brief was to base the design on the theme of 'Hidden Places' and the idea here is a kind of sci-fi Google Maps for the bizarre world of TRON. Clear navigation and direction through this vast digital wilderness would make it easy to locate 'hidden places' with in, such as the elusive Master Control Program!

Please vote for it here. (Voting starts Mon 6th Dec until Sun 12th Dec)

Anarchy in the UK? - Topical protest designs

2010-11-28T23:33:00.000Z

I thought it was about time to introduce some angsty design to this blog after watching recent political events unfolding over the last few months. Above is a protest poster / picket sign I have designed to identify with the protests over university tuition fees.

Higher education should be open and available to all walks of life, and raising the fee cap (especially during a period of financial difficulty) will make the prospect of an excellent education and promising future more of a financial gamble and costly experience, something a lot of people just wont be able to afford.

Brilliant minds and vast amounts of wealth aren't always synonymous with each other, take bankers and MPs for example... wealth, but not much going on upstairs of late!

Design Poster

2010-11-14T22:11:00.000Z

Just having a bit of fun with some typography and tight kerning!

Little booklet design, just for fun!

2010-10-24T21:42:00.001+01:00

Wow these blog posts are like buses, nothing for a month and then two come along at the same time! Anyway, pics of a little handmade booklet designed on a whim. Been a long time since I've handmade a booklet, cant blame anything on the printers or finishers here, all responsibility lies with me... the way it should be I guess!

Website page designs

2010-10-24T20:50:00.000+01:00

Been a while since last posting anything, but here is development on an awareness/artwork showcase website I'm working on in my spare time (design and content is about 75% there, but I also need to actually built it as well first) so could be quite a while before anything actually goes live!

Pattern design 2

2010-09-09T22:15:00.001+01:00

Pattern design 1 (Part of a series currently in progress)

2010-09-09T20:30:00.000+01:00

All part of an artwork series I'm working on, and all in conjunction with this post here...

Design detail from a little Dreamweaver experiment

2010-08-10T22:33:00.000+01:00

Site banner detail from a little web design project I'm working on at the moment, I have no idea what the outcome of this will be at this stage but its really just an excuse to explore a bit of Dreamweaver CS5. Liking the retro colours, but not liking the prospect of disappearing to the dark side and being consumed by html and css!

352 favicons, 1 poster, 0 hours sleep

2010-08-02T21:53:00.000+01:00

Is it me or do I seem to be using a lot of black and white in my designs lately? (must be the inner goth trying to get out)! Anyway, here's a burst of colour for a change.

UK Space Agency logo concept for Wired Magazine

2010-07-05T23:04:00.000+01:00

Ok so not actually comissioned by the UK Space Agency, but Wired Magazine ran a piece on Britain's answer to NASA (our ground control being based in Swindon)! Their analysis of the logo was less than enthusiastic, describing it as "tatty old white-van-man Britain" (not to mention the blatant Doctor Who rip off) and then opened up the challenge for readers to do better alternatives.

Although mine has a subtle, national pride come intergalactic exploration idea behind it, and a more rounded-futuristic looking typeface I might add, I have to say the best interpretation had to go to the person who designed a logo consisting of Admiral Ackbar posing patriotically in front of a Union Jack flag... Genius (just wish I could find a web link to it, see the 'rants' section of July's printed issue of Wired UK)

Glass frame mounted print of symbol designs

2010-06-30T23:55:00.000+01:00

A couple of test shots while trying to find some good light without getting too much reflection off of the glass surface... quite difficult it turns out! Colours are nice though.

A3 poster print series

2010-05-31T15:13:00.000+01:00

Fresh off the press - New white foiled business cards

2010-03-20T12:25:00.000Z

These business cards were white foil debossed onto 330gsm plike, really pleased with the result

Font Aid IV - Haiti benefit font contribution

2010-02-18T22:37:00.000Z

Below is my contribution to "Coming Together", a font containing over 400 "&" (ampersand) glyphs contributed by almost 400 different designers from 37 countries.

All proceeds from download sales will be donated to Doctors Without Borders

Font Aid IV was organised by the Socitety of Typographic Aficionados and aims to raise money for Haiti earthquake victims.

You can purchase the font from these sites:

Symbol stickers...

2010-02-13T20:15:00.000Z

Something I'm working on thats nearly ready for production... ???

2010-01-17T17:46:00.000Z

Symbols and Sounds - Set III

2010-01-16T11:19:00.001Z

xmas cards 2009

2009-12-20T12:36:00.000Z

Snow Dec09 - Nearly broke my ankle taking these...

2009-12-19T16:24:00.000Z

Personal logotype and pattern creation...

2009-12-05T11:55:00.001Z

business card mock ups

2009-11-08T21:38:00.001Z

Going to get these quoted as a 2 colour litho print

and if the damage isn't to bad i might even get the

larger text on the coloured side quoted as a black

block-foiled finish... no doubt this will make me

considerably poorer though!

new business cards (revised)

2009-10-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

My Lanzarote pics by air, car and foot...

2009-10-03T20:15:00.000+01:00

In Light of Space 3

2009-08-29T18:51:00.001+01:00

My attempt at designing a futuristic,

space-themed font to go with the imagery.

In Light of Space 2

2009-08-19T21:19:00.000+01:00

In Light of Space

2009-07-31T23:01:00.000+01:00

I've started (to become obsessed with) a bit

of imagery experimentation, using light

as an inspiration to create artificial

photographs of the universe

The lungs of Mother Nature

2009-07-31T21:53:00.000+01:00

New age board games - Hungry Hungry Hippocrites

2009-07-12T12:33:00.000+01:00

Its Been a while, but I decided it was time

to get political once again. Work in progress,

more to come soon... or when I find the motivation!

p.s. you can view this piece here: www.stuartford.co.uk/showcase.html

(the colours aren't showing up great on here for some reason)

What's in the briefcase funny face?

2009-06-28T12:58:00.000+01:00

originally I created some icons, and a lot

of them looked like masks or faces so I

gave them a body. Thinking of turning them

into t-shirt designs or something

New biz card design

2009-05-08T21:53:00.000+01:00

not sure about the icons yet,
the "brain" icon looks a little
bit like a coffee bean, or maybe
that helps prove the point about
design stimulating the mind...
hmmm yeah, now i like it a lot more

NYC 2009

2009-02-27T18:15:00.000Z

(at one with) NATURE

2009-01-12T20:20:00.000Z

"Early birds always catch the worm"

This was a poster designed for Don't Panic's
'Nature' poster competition, however by the
time i found out about it i had already missed
the submission deadline...

I wish i was more 'at one' with the nature
of the phrase above!

Happy Christmas 2008 (slipcase card design)

2008-12-20T14:56:00.000Z

New website in the making... Version 2

2008-11-16T19:02:00.000Z

New website in the making... Version 1

2008-10-01T23:05:00.000+01:00

FSC Lifecycle Advert

2008-08-25T17:48:00.000+01:00

Advert charting the lifecycle of a wardrobe "From Forest To Furniture" showing the environmental damage done by purchasing a product made from unsustainable or illegal acts of deforestation.

Inconvenient Revolution Die-cut design idea

2008-07-06T16:24:00.000+01:00

See 15th Feb 2008 post for original design

Anti-whaling postcard

2008-07-06T16:07:00.001+01:00

Copywriting/typography for an anti-whaling campaign

idea for a flyer

2008-07-04T22:05:00.000+01:00

hello

2008-03-07T21:58:00.000Z

Stationery and cv booklet.

Might have been what brought you here in the first place

Copywriting...

2008-02-15T19:38:00.000Z

words lost in the sand

For my degree exhibition i designed protest posters
addressing current political issues, written in a
similar language to cooking/recipe instructions!

posters i designed about the unlimited wealth
of media but written in an amusing manner

museum business card described as a 'thing'
to highlight the nature of the museum

'umbrella' branding for a series of music
workshops, the copy adds a nice little
finishing touch to the subject's theme

awareness campaign for unsustainable timber sources
global warming revolution, to prove that
words can be more than just hot air!

some funny copy i wrote and sent to various design
agencies while i was looking for a job, the copy
highlights the desperate state of job hunting
in this competitive industry...