Plan-B Studio SS10

IF YOU’RE NOT PREPARED TO FAIL, YOU’LL NEVER CREATE ANYTHING ORIGINAL.

Sir Ken Robinson (5 Feb 2009). The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. London: Allen Lane. Plan-B Studio Limited | Presentation | Friday 19th March 2010

ANImIs OPIbUsqUE PARATI*
Established in 2000 by Steve Price, Plan-B Studio is a with a blank page, a sharpened pencil and begins with plan-bstudio.com
creative agency with global experience, consisting of a core a discussion. steve@plan-bstudio.com
studio team (Steve) and an extended network of talent. I have spent the last ten years building not just a design +44 (0)7971 207 276
Steve believes his job is not to preach to clients about consultancy, but a network of passionate, creative and
what his role is but to learn as much as possible about innovative peers across all media. The industry that we work
you, your company and your business model. That way in has evolved and very rarely do you find one agency that
the resulting creative work you pay me to do is based has all the relevant skills that is so often required for most
on informed attributes rather than desires to make pretty projects. Those that say they do, are either lying, or not lying;
shapes. mostly lying though.
There is no need for mystery, barriers or illusions between Steve is a visiting lecturer at the Arts Academy Bergen,
designer and client. A project starts with a discussion which, Hyper Island, Central Saint Martins, Cardiff University, LCC,
in theory, should never end. Ultimately, for Steve, it is about Nottingham Trent University, Winchester Art School and KBU
working with people who are equally passionate, driven and in Kuala Lumpur. As well as recently awarded an Associate-
brilliant at what they do. Professorship from the Arts Academy in Bergen (KHiB).
Steve once said that ‘Just as behind every man there is a Steve also used to be a chef and still relishes cooking an
great woman, so too is a great idea behind every design.’ (he baking: lilchef.posterous.com
wasn’t drunk). Every project is different and is approached

* Prepared in spirit and resources Plan-B Studio Limited | Presentation | Friday 19th March Presentation | Friday 19th March 2010
Plan-B Studio Limited | 2010

ONLINE
www.theshopatbluebird.com
www.uppingyourelvis.com
www.reddotclothing.com
www.arisingartist.com
www.jobsgopublic.com

Plan-B Studio Limited | Presentation | Friday 19th March 2010

TsAb GOEs ON THE bLOG!
The fashion industry is constantly changing; twice a year to Client: Shop at Bluebird (since 2009)
be precise. The Shop at Bluebird is an amazing, high-end www.theshopatbluebird.com
fashion labyrinth of all things desirable.
Project: Web site/CMS/marketing
What makes the store unique is not the informal, relaxed, Design & Art direction: Steve Price
friendly staff and atmosphere, or the amazing array of Developed & Build: Nico Nuzzaci
clothes, accessories or even the fact that everything you
see in the store is for sale (chairs, lights, tables, even the till;
probably). No, what makes TSAB so different is the layout.
Adapted and changed weekly to suit their mood, or the
season, or just because!
So when I was tasked with the role of creating a new web
site all of this fed in to the conceptual approach. Through
my discussions with Paul Baptiste, operations manager,
we concluded that the site needed to feel fresh, up-to-the-
minute, and constantly changing; like the store itself.
I brought Nico Nuzzaci on board to help realise the new sites
potential and together we have created a content managed
site using the free blog engine Wordpress, marking a new
era of how customising free platforms can help stretch the
possibilities, and budget.

Paul Baptiste, Operations Manager for The Shop at Bluebird,
said, “Prior to Steve [Plan-B Studio] working
with The Shop at Bluebird (TSAB) we had what
we thought was a very static website; clean and
simple but not very effective or reflective of the
changing moods of the store. The new site is
much more flexible and therefore representative
of the store as it is today. It is informative,
light-hearted and visually more appealing,
newspaper-style coverage our happenings daily
weekly and monthly.”
“What we love is that the new site provides us is
a platform with which we can really show our
personality both as a store and as the passionate
individuals who work here.”

I am currently working with TSAB on their off/online
marketing and strategy, including HTML emails, printed
literature and a new bi-annual ‘trendbook’


UP YOUR ELVIs, I DARE YOU!
“Steve is the dogs bollocks!! I have used Client: Chris Baréz-Brown (since 2004)
numerous designers and no one has come close www.uppingyourelvis.com
to him in his ability to nail the brief and make
the creative birthing process enjoyable. Project: Logo/Stationery/Web site
He is pragmatic and yet creative, he knows what Design & Art direction: Steve Price
works and is not shy in telling me, professional Built by: Steve Price
yet bloody funny. I am looking forward to my
next idea that needs his help!”
Chris Baréz-Brown

When Chris came to me he had already begun the of
having his identity and web site for Upping Your Elvis (UYE)
designed. He asked for my opinion. I told him what I thought
and based on that advise, he binned what he had, tripled his
spend and hired me.

Chris is in the business of motivated people, and sometimes
large numbers of people for sustained periods of time. He’s a
character and brilliantly open to ideas and input.

His identity, for me, needed to echo this personality, whilst
also playing more on the phonetic emphasis of each word.
So ‘Upping’ became the tallest and loudest. ‘Your’ the same
but slightly smaller, and ‘Elvis’ bold, and punchy. I introduced
an endless banner than seemingly and steadily moves
upwards to the right. Growth, and hope. Or just a great
orange banner that, with the black (or white) background,
creates a great big slice across the screen, page,
powerpoint, business card.

The web site needed no complex functionality. I
recommended that since this new venture is all about Chris,
so rather than use lots of words, we should use him, literally.
Recorded on his own HD Flip camera in various places
around his house we posted a video for each section. This
helps Chris deliver his message personally, whilst cross-
fertilising other platforms with his content.

This fed in to his email communications, his business cards
and soon his blog and twitter page.


REDDOT CLOTHING
Client: RedDot Clothing (since 2005)
www.reddotclothing.com

Project: ‘Interim’ Web site
Design & Art direction: Steve Price
Front/backend build by: Matt Booth

“We have found it very difficult to find people
to work with on Red Dot. As a general rule they
either don’t get it at all, get it but can’t take it
forward, or get it, could maybe take it forward
but can’t get it together. Our experiences with
Steve have been that he got it, moved it forward
and all without any drama ... I’m not sure what
this says about him but it’s been very good for
us.”

This ‘interim’ web site is the third web site I have designed
and produced for RedDot Clothing (RD). Sounds like a lot in
five years? Well, the first was a ‘holding site’, the second the
‘actual’ site (still live, and this one represents an ‘interim’ site.
As the name suggests this is a temporary web site that
will be going live soon. RD are in the process of working with
me on the scope for a new web site that will include a full
e-commerce solution. In the meantime rather that update the
current website, which we all feel needs to be replaced, I’ve
come up with a better solution and thankfully RD agree.
Matt Booth is a flash guru and knowing he has a ready-
built engine which calls images from a Flickr account I
enlisted him to tweak it for RD; who wanted a solution that (if
possible) they could update.
So all RD will have to do is upload new images to their
Flickr account, adding a title, description and tag each image
with a link to their shopify page and this will update their web
site. Providing the user with a catalogue of images to look
through and/or buy.


ARIsING ARTIsT
A project to re-design the web site for Arising Artist. Their Client: Arising Artist (since 2008)
old site was a mish-mash of heavy colours, too much text an www.arisingartist.com
tired repetitive layout and design.
I stepped in a stripped the whole site back. I minimised Project: Web site re-design
the use of colour, but made the colours much flatter and Design & Art direction: Steve Price
brighter. Build by: In-house
I encourage more space and less text. Simple and easy
navigation. Concise and clear copy that was easier on the
eye.
Creating a clear, but strict grid enables a much easier level
of consistency and usability, along with a restricted colour
palette and easier to read copy.


jObs GO PUbLIC
“Our web site was in dire need of a refreshment Client: Arising Artist (since 2008)
to bring us in to 2008 and beyond. www.jobsgopublic.com
As part of a long-term strategy we brought Steve
[Plan-B Studio] in to art direct and design the Project: Web site re-design
look and feel for our new site; with an attention Design & Art direction: Steve Price
to the UI experience. Build by: In-house
This resulted in Steve presenting not one, but
two directions that we loved. The designs were
fresh, and gave a much more human feel; which
being a public sector recruitment company, was
brilliant.
In September (one month after launch) our
unique visitors soared to over 400,000, our
biggest leap ever. “
Eben Halford
Technical Director, JGP

jobsgopublic (JGP) is a public sector recruitment web site
who were in dire need of a refreshed user-interface design for
their site.
They wanted an emphasis on getting more people to
register, but also to enhance the whole user experience.
From their current site (scroll right to see the site before
I worked on it) I worked with JGP to restructure the general
layout, moving all advertising to the same place (right) and
below the branding/navigation. I introduced a more impactful
use of photography with ‘feature’ panels. Making the whole
site much more attractive, whilst not being ‘too heavy’.
Using a mixture of serif fonts for headings and navigation
(set in lowercase) also helps to create a much less informal
environment.


IDENT/LOGOs
Entity Partnerships
MorMor
Viking Ninja Cowboy
PokerTrillion
Hvitbryggen Nyksund
LD Communications
Various


The project was introduced to me by Concept Guardian, an Client: Entity Partnerships
architectural consultant with a difference - he’s actually very Project: Logo
good at his job! Design & Art direction: Steve Price
The brief was quite simple – to develop a new
identity, and brand for Entity Partnerships, a regeneration
development company with strong beliefs in sustainable
regeneration through partnerships in the industry.
The result was an identity that doesn’t SHOUT, or scream
off the page. It doesn’t need to do this because the company
has very strong foundations from the people who run it. It
was designed to have a warmer, softer more human feel to it.
But a brand is more than just this, and you can read more
about how this design was developed by clicking here.

“We were delighted with how Steve was able to
successfully interpret our
Initial brief and work patiently with us to
refine it. The final logo design and brand
is modern, timeless and sophisticated. It is
consciously understated and achieves impact
through innovative print technologies which
create a tactile and memorable stationary set.
More than a year later and I’m still delighted
by the positive reaction I get when I hand out
a business card. Recently someone commented
on how expensive it felt – in reality it isn’t, just
very cleverly designed and well produced.”

Karl-Heinz Richter, Entity Partnerships

I’m a man that likes a challenge. I am also a former chef and I Client: -
do like to cook and bake. Project: Logo
MorMor, meaning Grandmother in Norwegian, is the start Design & Art direction: Steve Price
of a new venture I am planning in Norway. I cannot say too
much but needless to say that I hope the logo suggests what
the beginnings of this venture might entail.


v

I’m not a comic fan. I don’t buy them. Haven’t done since Client: Andy Lieberman/DC Comics
I was a child, but no man worth his masculine DNA make- Project: Logo ident
up could have gone through his life without knowing of, Design & Art direction: Steve Price
hearing about and buying at least one of the comics, books,
merchandise produced by DC Comics. Probably one of, if
not the biggest name in comic superheroes.

I got a call from a guy who was pitching an idea for a new
character called, you guessed it, Viking Ninja Cowboy.

A lot of fun, and excitement making a logo ident for a new
comic. Unfortunately I don’t know that DC Comic’s felt the
same about the story, but I loved the identity I created.


Poker Trillion had already had a website designed for them, Client: PokerTrillion
but not to their liking. When I was invited to come in and Project: Logo/Web site
‘help’ I agreed with one request - that I redesign their brand Design & Art direction: Steve Price
as well as the entire site.

The want to target their brand/product at the more
discerning, more sophisticated poker player.

Without being too obvious I wanted something very bold,
but not too masculine. Something that had a touch of detail,
without screaming ‘CARDS!’, ‘POKER’ or ‘GAMBLING’.
Almost every online poker games branding and livery is green
- how very ‘new’ that idea is.

This ident and the branding that is rolling out across the on/
offline launch campaign is about being strong, bold but with
taste and subtly.


This is a project that has been on-going for us for a while Client: (self)
now, but I have decided to make it one of my Project10’s Project: Logo/Web site/Architectural
because it deserves to be. It is a 3,000sq ft fishing wharf Design & Art direction: Steve Price
building located on a beautiful, small, remote island in North
of Norway; the Norwegian Arctic Circle no less.

Our plan is simple. Convert it in to two beautiful apartments
to rent creative space to creative minds, with a gallery/space
on the ground floor plus a recording studio.

We are currently working on organising this years Nyksund/Ti
‘Near and Far’ festival – a music, arts, and culture festival.


Colour was a major part of the re-design with LD Comms. Client: LD Communications
From their previous red and grey I wanted to inject a bit more Project: Logo/CMS Web site/Print
life in to the treatment. Design & Art direction: Steve Price
Site Built by: Unwrong
The final shape itself came about from a design developed
during the scoping phase. A more bulbous, rounded shape,
which I’d originally designed to look like a guitar plectrum.

The Business card have a clear foil applied to the logo to give
it a bit more richness.

The bottom-right-hand corner of the business cards, stickers
and compliment slips all echoed the curve of the new LD
logo.


LOGO IDENTs / VARIOUs
Wall of Sound Friends of the Earth DC Comics
Vicon Property owl Universal Music
Mercury Records Wall of Sound British Phonographic Industry
Rockport Publishing Friends of the Earth Bunch
Friends of the Earth TZ 23rd Union Records
Plan-B Studio PPA Breast Friends
Rotovision WhatIf Innovation
Critical Sales


PRINT
Festival Annual
Friend
The Cooperative Bank
Diesel-U-Music
The Big Ask
Project10


FEsTIVAL ANNUAL09
“The brief to Steve [Plan-B Studio] was to create something which
wasn’t “over-designed” as we wanted the photos to be the real
stars of each page. But at the same time it was really important
for the book to have an identity of its own. Steve came up with
a design that managed to take these two directions and find a
happy place for them to meet. The concept for the whole project
was bold, distinctive and fun, and the published book really has
that feel - which, I guess, is the definition of good design.”
Frank Lampen
Independents United

Independents United (IU) wanted to celebrate the summer Client: Independents United (since 2008)
voyage, en-masse that attracts millions to venture off to wet, www.festivalannual.com
boggy fields to get wet and/or sunburnt whilst listening to
music outdoors or in a big sweaty tent. In funny outfits. Published by: Independents United
Art direction: Steve Price
They set about finding a publisher to produce and distribute Design: Nicolo Dante
their Festivals Annual. But, as with other industries, the
Publishing sector has it’s own way of doing things and
deterred by their overly-lengthy development timings UI
decided to take matters in to their own hands and design,
publish and distribute the book themselves; which in itself is
highly commendable.

You only had to see the first few photographs to know
that this was going to be a vibrant, exciting book; full of
character - literally! This was a great project to work on.
There were non of the typical publishing-company-chains-of-
command, editors, or (more invitingly) months of corrections.
We started the design in June and completed the whole
book by mid-September. The key was being able to work
closely with UI in setting up a rigid grid and typographical
style that would make it easy for us to produce as we got
nearer to the deadline - seven days after the final festival!


FRIEND,
“The reason why Friends of the Earth wanted to work with Steve, especially with
our Big Ask campaign and our magazine Friend, is because Steve has an extremely
sharp and contemporary design that is helping to communicate better to our
targeted audiences. In the last two years Steve, has always been extremely helpful,
delivering on sometimes pretty intense deadlines.
He always brings his personality to projects, taking a very thoughtful approach to
the briefs, with very sharp delivery.”
Bastien Hibon
(former Creative Director, Friends of the Earth - now Marketing Director, Mercedez GP F1 team)

Friends of the Earth invited me to pitch to help them develop Client: Friends of the Earth (since 2005)
their self-described ‘conservative’ image. Project: Friend, (quarterly magazine)
Art direction+design: Steve Price
The brief was to develop a new magazine targeting a
cosmopolitan, urban audience aged 25-35 - slightly younger
than Friends of the Earth’s [FoE] general supporter profile –
and is specifically targeting new supporters.

I began with an idea that starts with the FoE campaigners
on the street. Rather than stand armed with clipboards
ready to ask fifty questions to strangers I devised an idea to
hand out cards. Each card simple aimed to start a dialogue,
challenging the recipient to question whether they are a
‘Friend or foe’ of the earth - by highlighting specific issues
that are relative to their everyday life.

This became shortened to simply ‘Friend,’. I left the
comma in on purpose because that way it felt like the start of
a letter a personal note.


THE COOPERATIVE bANk
A 16pp report for both the Cooperative Bank and Friends Client: The Cooperative Bank /
of the Earth on the Climate on how we can tackle the Friends of the Earth (since 2005)
challenge/change. Project: Climate Report
The objective was making the whole report feel and Art direction+design: Steve Price
look very easy - easy to read, and easy to understand. The
primary focus was on the ‘roadmap’ designed to look like
just that on the opening spread the roadmap illustrates the
path to combating climate change.


DIEsEL/DIEsEL-U-mUsIC
For two years running I was the art director and designer Client: Diesel
for Diesel’s unsigned artist competition; Diesel-U-Music. Project: Diesel-U-Music
This included the art direction for the whole nine month Art direction+design: Steve Price
campaign, printed literature, adverts, marketing, planning, TV
documentary titles, stage-set design, stage screen awards
visuals and everything else you can think of. I did it.


THE bIG Ask
The Big Ask’ is the most successful campaign for Friends of Client: Friends of the Earth
the Earth (FoE). It is about asking the biggest question that Project: The Big Ask
any one of us can ask today; ‘what is my governement doing Art direction+design: Steve Price
about climate change?’
The project began as a simple manifesto design, but I
was then asked to produce the identity, promotional pieces
including a six panelled concertina flyer, a DM insert and a
calendar accompanied with stickers!
All this work produced in three weeks.


PROjECT10/NEwsPAPER
To celebrate my tenth year of running Plan-B Studio I decided that is themed on the subject of collaboration and the promotion of Client: Friends of the Earth
for the first ten months of 2010 I would work with/on ten projects projects, people and places that are in some way connected to that Project: The Big Ask
with ten different NGO/NFP (Not For profit) projects, or projects theme. Art direction+design: Steve Price
that I deemed as being fun. March’s issue see’s articles by Matthew Knight, Daljit Singh,
To promote these projects and the people I come in to contact Shane RJ Walter, Simon White, and responses to my ‘5 x
with I’ve decided to produce a monthly newspaper. I realised I Questions/4 x Pioneers’ from the likes of Nik Roope, Chantelle Fiddy.
didn’t and couldn’t fill twelve pages with Project10 work. There just Not to mention kind donations of illustrations from Mr Bingo and Alec
isn’t enough to talk about yet. Strang.
So I approached friends, peers, people that inspire me, some I am going to be publishing this once a month. If you would like a
of which I am lucky enough to be working on projects with for copy, and if there are some left (I am only printing one copy) you can
Project10. email me, but these are for promotional use only so you will need to
Project10 is not about me, it is about me + others. It is blog about it. Not trying to twist your arm, just being honest.
about collaborating with like-minded people. So the newspaper

Plan-B Studio SS10

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