Having the Chats

A few days ago, on my Instagram stories, I went on a bit of a rant. I was talking about an email I sent to a couple who run a print and design business, like myself. They are in business about 9 or 10 years but I would still consider them to be pretty 'small' in the grand scheme of things. From what I've noticed since following them, they seem very nice and grounded and down to earth. But nobody really knows anybody on social media, do they? In my email, I gave them my background story, warts and all,...

On Saturday just gone, I spent the loveliest afternoon with Ofe from Ollie's Studio for one of her modern calligraphy workshops. She lives just outside Cheltenham, England and offers these workshops in Dublin four times a year. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I bought myself some calligraphy supplies a few months ago - nibs, inks, pen holders, paper and a manual - but I never got past the first couple of pages. Having the opportunity to be in a workshop with Ofe and lots of other wonderful women was just what I needed to kick start my...

We all love a bit of vintage, right? Some say it's overdone, like that one song you keep hearing on the radio all the time, over and over and... you get the message. I suppose, to a degree, the 'hipster' movement has generated a love of all things alternative, indie, holistic and old-school. This is seen pretty much everywhere in logos and branding, especially for beard products, barber shops and health food restaurants, but you know what, I still love it. I don't think design can be overdone, it just comes and goes when it's needed. I found these fantastic...

So happy to have received my IDI membership recently. They are the largest and oldest association of design professionals and longest established creative forum in Ireland. I'm now part of a community of professionals sharing values and promoting, activating and advocating for Irish design. If you are a fellow designer and interested in connecting with the community, or becoming a member, check out the IDI website. Really looking forward to getting involved and becoming a part of it! S x

  At the moment, I'm working on a project for pizza boxes. (Mmmmm...pizza) They wanted something fairly simple but with a little bit of an Art Deco reference. I love everything about the 1920's 'style moderne' movement - the glitz and glamour, the diamonds and gold, clean lines, intricate patterns and geometric shapes. Every design looked clean, polished, expensive, nothing was mass produced. When someone asks me to come up with something elegant and sophisticated it's the first thing I think of. In this modern day, it's also become synonymous with simplicity, style and has a trendy vibe about it....