Our Head of Design, Orlando is obsessed with design. It pervades all aspects of his life; from his outfit to his pen.
His obsession with design has no barriers, from digital design and visual arts to architecture. Engage him in a conversation about any era of design and he will impress you with his depth of knowledge.
We’re not kidding. He even worked as a design lecturer but was lured back to the dark side when he realised he couldn’t live without the diversity of client work.
One specific design theorist that has captured Orlando’s heart is Bruno Munari. (Don’t question who he is, that to him would be akin to asking what a Post-it note looks like).
For those of you that need a “reminder”, Bruno Munari was an Italian artist, designer and inventor who contributed to the fundamentals of many fields of visual arts (painting, sculpture, film, industrial designs, graphic design) in modernism and futurism.
He created his own individual own approach to design, centred on providing simple, but not basic, solutions.
It was through his research of didactic methods, movement, creativity, tactile and kinesthetic learning that this method came to be.
Hailed by many in the design world, Bruno Munari allows us to think about projects in a simplistic but effective way.
From his own experience, Orlando believes, “…we can use [Munari’s] design theory about simplicity and apply this to all aspects of our lives. From cooking, thinking, work and even living…it really works!”
Don’t believe us? Munari’s design theory can be explained as a simple cooking recipe commonly referred to as “The Green Rice Problem” as follows.
The Green Rice Problem Recipe
P = PROBLEM
Green Rice
Actually what we are trying to solve?
DP = DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Green Rice with spinach for 4 people
What is the exact problem and what are the main constraints?
CP = COMPONENTS OF THE PROBLEM
Rice, spinach, ham, onion, oil, salt pepper and broth
What limitations, components, techniques or tools should be used when refining and designing a solution?
CD = COLLECTING DATA
What other similar recipes are out there?
What did other people do when they had the same problem?
DA = DATA ANALYSIS
What can we learn from the research we conducted?
What can we learn from?
C = CREATIVITY
Add your own ingredients.
Add your own flair. What is our personal approach to this problem?
M = MATERIALS
What type of rice? Which pot?
What material will we use and what constrains do they give us?
TOM = TESTING OF MATERIALS
Tests and tastings
Make the prototype and trial
M = MODELS
Final sample
Build the final version
V = CHECK
Good for 4 people
Has everything been tested and ready to go?
CD = CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
This is how you do it!
Make sure you document the project and include full specifications.
S = SOLUTION
Green Rice served on a hot plate
Resolved!
The underscore team got talking about design principles and “What makes great design” yesterday as our disco table flashed loudly…this really isn’t a metaphor, yes, come to our studio on the third floor and see for yourself.
Unsure if it was between the flash of red or green that our Head of Design Orlando (cum ex-design lecturer) brought up Dieter Rams.
Who is Dieter Rams? (*Gasp, horror!) Only the hottest thing since sliced bread (yes! that’s how far back he goes).
Sir Dieter Rams, as we think he should be known, is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer product company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design.
Within the 40 years of working at Braun, Rams produced and oversaw over 500 innovative products as Chief Of Design. Many of his designs are featured in museums throughout the world, so yes, he’s a pretty big deal in the design world…and idolised by our design team.
Sir Dieter paved the way for the three F design approach, “Form Follows Function” which is instrumental to design today. This principle has influenced all the ordinary and not so ordinary objects that exists in your house that’s likely sitting right in front of you as you read this.
Just Google “Dieter Rams & Apple” and you can see how his design principles have influenced Apple products. Infact, Rams has been Apple’s design inspiration, simply compare the humble calculator to the iPod and you’ll find copious articles and images just comparing both of these objects..
As Rams has quoted in the Telegraph, “designing “surfaces that were without apology, bold, pure, perfectly-proportioned, coherent and effortless”, he could equally be talking about the iPod”.
Rams introduced the idea of sustainable development and of obsolescence being a crime in design in the 1970s. Accordingly he asked himself the question, “Is my design good design?” The answer formed his now celebrated ten principles as follows:
Dieter Rams Ten Principles of “Good Design”
1. Good Design Is Innovative: The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology and can never be an end in itself.
2. Good Design Makes a Product Useful: A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product while disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
3. Good Design Is Aesthetic: The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
4. Good Design Makes A Product Understandable: It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user’s intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.
5. Good Design Is Unobtrusive: Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
6. Good Design Is Honest: It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
7. Good Design Is Long-lasting: It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years, even in today’s throwaway society.
8. Good Design Is Thorough Down to the Last Detail: Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.
9. Good Design Is Environmentally Friendly: Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
10. Good Design Is as Little Design as Possible: Less, but better because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.
Now knowing this, will this change your approach to design?
The illustrator of ‘Toothpaste For Dinner’ never fails to amuse Eve, one of our designers at Underscore.
And I don’t just mean a snigger, or a single syllable ‘HA’. I mean a full outburst of multiple HA’s that shoot out of her mouth.
Straight from the horse’s mouth, here is why ‘Toothpaste for Dinner’ makes it into Eve’s debut blog post:
“It’s simple, rough and crude in style (child-like even), and daft as s*** (am I allowed to swear?). The brainchild of a man who goes solely by the name of Drew (like Madonna, or Kylie, but not quite as famous), Toothpaste for Dinner is a daily, one-panel cartoon which brings to life round-corner, square-headed, stiff, alien-like beings, looking awkward in very standard situations. Banter is juxtaposed against simple drawings for the audiences amusement.”
We relate this to the 1970’s era, which Eve adamantly believes to be _underrated, “Shove your mini skirts, your Charleston, your Mohawk, and give me 48 minutes and 57 seconds of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells any day!”
Back on subject, the 1970’s was an era that demonstrated advertising and design at its best. An advertisement purely relied on the relationship between a clever, simple, witty headline, and a bold image, in order to convey the message. And it worked.
To sum up, according to Eve, “The simplest ideas are always the best” and you can quote her on it!
Check out “Toothpaste for Dinner” if you too, like a laugh a day. And let’s face it, who doesn’t?
Bolt Burdon Kemp is a leading UK law firm specialising in claims for loss and injury.
Their firm works for thousands of clients who have endured life-changing events, and when obtaining justice for their clients has meant changing the law, they have done it.
Bolt Burdon Kemp (BBK) engaged Underscore in mid 2013 for a brand refresh that would improve their brand awareness and market positioning and ultimately attract more of the right clients to their door.
Underscore first explored the market in depth and came to realise that this industry was particularly complex. We found there were a lot of negative assumptions made and stereotypes applied to the solicitors and firms who operate in this particular area of law.
It also became apparent that BBK’s past clients had almost nothing negative to say about them. These people weren’t just lawyers; they were real people. People who have empathetic and honest qualities, are tenacious and above all, human. The challenge was building a brand that really tapped into this and conveyed such positive characteristics in an authentic way.
To break down barriers and perceptions, Underscore started by revisiting the organisation’s brand values and personality. We injected more energy and more transparency with the introduction of values like “Empathy” and “Shared Passion”, and personality traits including “Tireless” and “Engaging”.
A brand story inviting people to “meet the individuals behind the suit” followed and design inspiration came quickly.
The emphasis of the identity is on the individuals who make up Bolt Burdon Kemp. The logo was developed as a metaphor where by the individual words unite together for a shared cause; similarly to the lawyers of BBK.
Careful consideration also went into their colour palette. Green was selected as representative of the emotive side of the BBK brand. The particularly bright shade of green chosen is young, energetic, tireless and fresh – directly reflective of the BBK brand values and personality.
It also translates well both on and offline, appeals to various demographics (and hence appealing to the organisation’s diverse client base) and is one of the more gender-neutral colours. The smart charcoal grey is more objective, corporate, and professional – serving as the “expert” side of the BBK brand and balancing out the identity.
The round style of the fonts conveys a warm character and a friendly personality with a hint of sophistication. They are more contemporary and less corporate than what is used by most law firms. The use of capital letters makes a stronger, bolder statement, demanding attention, and to better convey authority.
When it came to the imagery, the solicitors and their incredible, inspirational clients took centre stage. A series of photo shoots were conducted, depicting the solicitors engaging with their clients, the community and with each other. Nothing was staged; everything was raw and very real.
The single biggest deliverable was the website. The concept behind this was all about personalisation and individualism; creating a tailored journey for each and every user to deliver them the right information at the right time.
The website functionality reflects the brand values. It’s about getting to find, know and understand the people behind the suits as quickly and simply as possible.
On their initial visit, the user is invited to complete a search to “find the right lawyer”, which at the conclusion displays the profile and contact details of the specialist solicitors deemed as suitable representation.
There are also banner images and specific testimonials attached to each solicitor’s profile. In the places their profile appears across the website, for example, as a blog or article author, so too will their hero image and direct contact information.
Despite having just launched, Underscore is delighted with the feedback received across the market.
Underscore are looking forward to tracking their results closely over the next 12 months and hearing about how their branding has helped to illustrate and enhance the very personal experience and relationship between a BBK lawyer and their client .