Recently we asked a group of entrepreneurs what is most important to them. The results were interesting and also surprising — who would have guessed that money is last? Success at first place, on the other hand, is not a surprise at all. They also told us what they look for when working with a branding and design agency. Creativity is at first place and…
In two weeks I’ll be leaving the team here at Grain to go to M&C Saatchi. Although there’s a great deal of excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm coursing through my creative synapses, I can’t help but feel a little sad to be leaving the Grain family behind. Other than working as a designer, I’m currently completing a Masters Degree in ‘Design: Critical Practice’ at Goldsmiths, which…
From Daniel, our second IT intern from Amersham & Wycombe College about his time with us last week: “The week has been interesting and I learned lots of new things about website design that I did not know you could do. Also I have learned what Grain do. I have enjoyed the week at Grain improving my website design knowledge and meeting the team behind…
Exactly sixteen years ago, Madelyn Postman, Creative Director of Grain, started her career as a designer at one of the world’s most famous fashion companies: Gucci. Within five years, she became an influential creative director and production specialist at Gucci Group, where her key projects included art directing the first ever Gucci and Sergio Rossi websites. “It was very challenging at first,” says Madelyn, “learning…
From our computing intern: “Hello, I’m James. For the last week I’ve been coming to Grain for work experience. Usually I’d go to Amersham & Wycome College, where I study IT. Over the week I worked on a few different projects using web technologies such as JavaScript and Python. One project I worked on was a way of automating screenshots of websites. I wrote a…
Most of us have a love/hate relationship with Innocent’s copywriting. Initially we are drawn in and grin at it and then quickly it feels like it’s trying to hard, we see it everywhere and we start to get sick of it. Our clients often brief us on creating a tone of voice which is friendly and open but not going so far as the Innocent…
Peter Jones Enterprise Academy asked us to name and brand their Higher Apprenticeship in Business Innovation and Growth, Ignite, which has just been launched to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week 2014. This is a unique programme in the UK, offering a Level 5 apprenticeship to young people with the opportunity to earn while they learn and to energise a business from the inside. We wanted…
We are delighted to announce the launch of Newland College. Set in the heart of Buckinghamshire’s beautiful countryside next to the Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland College offers the International Baccalaureate programme to 12-17 year olds and is the latest addition to our client Skola’s portfolio of schools. We worked with Skola on the naming, created the new identity, designed and crafted their website and…
The one characteristic that unites all of our clients, across all sectors and all kinds of naming, branding and design we do for them, is entrepreneurial thinking. Though our client size ranges from SMEs to much larger corporates, their mindsets have common features: agility, innovation, authenticity, creativity and inspiration. Plus a powerful desire to grow the company, sometimes to become a serial entrepreneur, sometimes as…
We’re nearly two months into a great year here at Grain Creative. Lots of exciting projects are underway, mostly top secret for now, but as soon as we can let the cats out of their bags you’ll be the first to know. Complementing London’s future skyline: New Bondway New Bondway is a highrise development proposal from Citygrove and McLaren Property together with KPF Architects. On…
The beginning of February saw in the launch of Lucideon, the new name for Ceram, M+P Labs and CICS. We worked with the Lucideon team over the course of 2013 to create a new name, visual identity and global brand guidelines for the group which provides materials development, testing and assurance. Founded in 1920 in Stoke-on-Trent as the British Refractories Research Association, the name underwent…
Following up on our Nature Brand Book initiative, these articles from Oliver Burkeman in The Guardian have caught our eye: ‘You really, really, really ought to spend more time in nature’ from last week, and another one called ‘This column will change your life: nature and nurture’ from March 2013. Both stories talk about the lasting psychological benefits of being outside and even just being…
It is apt that our first Thought of the year is about the Nature Brand Book since it is a ‘fresh new year’ type of project…encouraging everyone to just get outside! Project Wild Thing, which inspired the Nature Brand Book and video, has published a guest post from us and MediaPoondi has also written a story on it. We’ll keep you posted with any more…
With Christmas and 2014 fast approaching, here at Grain we’ve been trying to pin down our new year’s resolutions…along with working on amazing branding and design projects, wrapping up our secret Santa pressies and eating mince pies! The usual ‘work harder’, ‘do more exercise’ and ‘give up the mid-morning snacks’ (that we’ve come to enjoy so much) have been overshadowed in this year’s list by…