A merry new year to one and all. This marks the somewhat late new-year post for Off-Brand and proceeds, in ramshackle-fashion, as follows:
With the New Year Honours List 2008 barely over, and the sound of gongs being given out left right and centre still ringing in our ears, we would like to inform readers of a new movement gathering modest pace here in Scotland – the Scottish Design Non-Awards. Watch the site for further news and possible symposiums debate and discussions in 08…
Elsewhere:
Stuff we’d like to see in 08 but think probably won’t happen:
1. The High Street is Back! On New Years eve the local high street was buzzing with activity, most notable outside Luptons Family Butchers, who had a queue going round the block. I haven’t had a chance to fully investigate the reason but I suspect, as we’re within a stones-throw of a few major supermarkets, it’s not price – therefore it must be quality and service. More anecdotal evidence here. Hopefully a sign that the reality gap between packaging and product is slowly being eroded. Service is the future …
2. The Monarchy will finally be overthrown and the National Anthem will be replaced with a new Rational Anthem: (to the tune of the current)
We should save out gratious selves
Long live our noble selves
We could save ourselves
Send us victorious…
(Think that’s enough Rational Anthems. Ed.)
This would be sung by Richard Dawkins, dressed up as Guy Fawkes, prior to all major sporting events etc…
3. 2008 will be the year we overcome our in-built genetic addiction to sameness. No more requiring schoolchildren to take tests every few years to see if they fit the same mould, no more politicians trying to be the least different from the norm, less corporations wanting their employees to act the same, less clients asking for the classic “different, but the same”… the future is Off-brand.
Stuff that we think probably will happen but which we feel largely indifferent towards:
1. Traditional thick/thin fonts (bodoni/didot etc) with their thin bits taken away and their thick bits made thicker (as per Manchester International Festival) will replace bold outline and counter-filling as the default trendy type style of the year. Closely following on the heels… Art-deco fonts and pseudo-deco mannerisms in new faces will become popular for those wanting style and accesibility, and flareserif, after a brief resurgence courtesy of Coldplay over the past few years, will receive further mainstream attention.
2. The feverish obsession with the idea that we are living in the most rapidly changing, mind-blowing times ever, will continued unabaited. The hysteria will be further stoked by he likes of James Purnell insisting that we’re on the verge of a new renaissance. Question for discussion: Were Michelangelo, Raphael et al sat around in the late Middle Ages at conferences and in Government briefings discussing how great the renaissance was, and how a cultural rebirth was just around the corner?..
Anyway, that’s all for now, got to go and shift some paradigms…
Other Non-prediction Stuff
At the end of last year we produced a small 12pp booklet of design-related writing from our friends and colleagues. It’s called Lorem Ipsum, from the graphic placeholder text, and contains short essays about urbanism, the foibles of design students, defining interior design, web 2.0 and others. If any off-brand readers would like a copy please send your postal address to neil ( at ) off-brand.co.uk
