AGMA, the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities came to Influence for a rebrand. Having worked with AGMA on their annual report for a number of years it became clear that their previous branding was not functioning as efficiently as it should when used in certain situations. The AGMA logo has always featured a pyramid of 10 cubes, each of those cubes representing one of the 10 Borough Councils of Greater Manchester.

Our job was to keep this synonymous mark intact, but recreate the typography to create a new, modern logo that would increase legibility and reproduce better at small sizes.

A deceivingly simple and easy to use site features comprehensively all the benefits of the centre. A bespoke Content Management System written in PHP enables all staff to add, remove and edit content quickly and easily. The use of animated gifs and javascript elements make this a content rich, yet accessible website.

Digital Applications International (DAI) required an online strategy to promote their corporate profile and business units, together or independently.

The solution comprises a corporate website linked to five separate business unit websites. The design complements the style of DAI’s applications to provide familiarity for existing users and introduce the brand to new prospects.
A bespoke content management system (CMS) enables senior management to add or remove content across all sites and add editors to business unit sites. Editors have a choice of templates to use for different combinations of imagery and text.
The corporate site provides an overview of the company, sectors worked for and services provided. The business unit sites promote products and services, supported with case studies.
Users can navigate to any business unit site via the corporate site’s sub navigation, and return via a corporate link in the footer, or by clicking the DAI logo. Site maps, created dynamically by the CMS, can be toggled on or off. A breadcrumb trail appears across a bar below the main navigation. Slide decks cycle through imagery and text teasing users to discover more. A contact form, which self validates, enables expressions of interest. Office locations, shown using Google Map technology, help users find their way with ease. A search bar helps find site-specific information.

Available at http://dai.co.uk [Accessed 04/10/2012].

The pace of the advert accelerates with the rhythm of the soundtrack, cutting from game play to logo build. The type 'Have' comes together in two halves, in sync to the sound of a rifle loading. This repeats for the words 'you', 'got', 'time' and 'to'. The final word in the title of this game, ‘kill’ is disallowed by advertising standards. In its place the four PlayStation symbols shoot in to the sound of rifle shots, quickly followed by a falling sheet of flame to unveil the game’s full new branding.

An articulate blend of design and marketing principles went into this direct mail piece. The perforated zip on the cover presents the theme immediately and creates an interactive element which, when torn, opens the leaflet up.
Celebrity presence enforces the commercialism while succinct copy presents the messages in a clear, easily digested way.
Cloth textures are overlaid with citrus colours and contact information. A simple, detachable return card is included based on a clothing tag.
The mailer achieved 5.75% conversion rates, quadruple the anticipated 1.25%.
Featured by Creative Review.

Colour psychology was employed to reference colours and textures used in ambient imagery signaling internal intuitive directional signage for different music genres, guiding shoppers at an almost subliminal level. Colour frequencies, amongst other elements were referenced to the type of music being signaled.

Colour aids navigation and illustrates the fact that the document examines the full spectrum of Manchester's creative industries. The white cover, representative of a full spectrum blend, has a protruding silver tab to enable it to be quickly referenced when filed.

Contemporary typography in juxtaposition to a Grade 1 listed building signals the gallery. Further signage and printed material adopt this corporate style.

Designed to appeal to a visually literate audience, a style magazine approach is taken. Typography takes its structure from the elements of the face. The artists on exhibition are spoken of adjacently to the lips with viewing times listed below the eyes. The artwork is treated to various print techniques, using silver and charcoal grey inks, to accentuate the grid structure.

Abstract shapes rotate at different ratios, like a clockwork ballet in the sky, to repeatedly form the brand.

Internal and external directional signage designed intuitively with iconography that is colour coded to match the walls of the learning destination. Chevrons point the way; reducing in length the closer you reach destination, until you arrive when you are presented with a Google style place marker. Icons, developed with MCA comply with legislative requirements helping people find their destination with ease.

To celebrate the Olympics, Stockport Council ran an illustration competition across the borough for school children to draw a design in black and white to be transferred onto a relay baton. These batons are then used for a relay extravaganza running simultaneously across different parks leading up to the games. I co-judged the illustrations and created an Olympic family by treating the work to various processes. The final images are produced in high resolution to enable large format prints for exhibition and legacy.

A leaflet promoting open days for the university of Salford, including a map of the city and its transport links, uses a variety of uv and metallic combinations to create a dynamic, attractive surface.

Web site and promotional material for a computer-marketing organisation’s new business resource centre. The work included icon design, branding and colour coding for each aspect of the service. Influence also developed a digital marketing campaign, which involved html emails, desktops, screensavers and a sliding puzzle game raising awareness of The Resource.

The Resource is a centrally located and very accessible facility, which is available to all Business Partners who buy IBM and Open Storage vendor solutions through Avnet. It achieves TSSC (TotalStorage Solutions Centre) and WIC (WebSphere Innovation Centre) status but offers much more. It is the first centre to provide a fully integrated demonstration capability. In addition to the main demonstration suite other facilities are available including a training room, a presentation room and meeting rooms. Avnet consultants are also on hand to help with proof of concept, problem determination, solution assurance and application porting.

Virgin required a fresh look at cd packaging for a specialist promotional compilation, with direct distribution to the leading producers / managers in the UK. Matt laminated card folds and locks into concentric circles forming a poppy shaped alternative to the traditional cd cover.
Featured by Creative Review and Packaging News.

Letters weave and join showing strength and inter dependence.

Creative Industries Development - Two interlocking forms infer the connection between independent creative industries and the development scheme itself.

Cultural Iimpact visualises shock waves created by the impact of culture spreading out from the conference into society.

Suppliers of contemporary interiors, Innerform needed to communicate their commitment to leading design. The typeface and style follow the simple lines and curves of contemporary furniture, emphasizing space and cleanliness.

Magenta Logic's initials combine to form a single icon.

Paradise night club looks forward to the future, benefiting from Factory Records legacy. The logostyle, a P with an F reflected from it, rests within a halo.

Through research into the work in the show and the artists featured we discovered that a lot of the pieces were intended to provoke thought in the viewer and appear awkward. We built on this theme and produced a strong typographic logotype that used three different planes of perspective and both positive and negative type.

The typography is a fusion of serif and sans serif fonts, combining the traditional with the contemporary. This unique identity promotes the legacy of the restaurant & bar venue with a modern edge, appealing to the cosmopolitan clientele that it attracts.

Inspiration is drawn from the squirt that is released when peeling a juicy zesty fruit.
The brand is printed using yellow and cyan only to create the full range of colour.