Some of the most stunning and remarkable pieces of beauty are found where they are not supposed to be. Recent examples that spring to mind are the Tara Brooch and Ardagh chalice.

These pieces are an integral part of our Irish history but what about things that were not never intended to be recognised as beautiful. Buildings, and more importantly, ruins are the visible evidence that architectural beauty can mould our societies and document their changes.

Building ruins are essentially the documentation of change that happened at every point in history, the volatile result of change, the left-overs of eras gone by and the fall of empires.

These structures effect on our landscape often go unnoticed in the sense that they are frowned upon as diminishing the standard of our cities. However, like many things in life and especially art, you need to be able to think laterally and be open to alternative visual stimulus. Photographers like Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre understand the relevance and beauty within these buildings. Admire them or loath them, these structures will certainly question the permanence of things.

Nowadays, our cities are littered with these structures; they are the full stops that inhabit our idyllic view of how we believe our cities should look. Maybe in time these splendid decaying monuments will be viewed as “no less than the Pyramids of Egypt, the Colosseum of Rome, or the Acropolis in Athens, remnants of the passing of a great civilization”.

Posted in Yves Marchand, Romain Meffre, Photography, Beauty, Art, Architecture

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So you've hired a graphic designer to do some work for you and you're expecting great things to make your business look good. Maybe you haven't worked with a graphic designer before and you're not sure what the exact process is? Presumably you've looked at the designer's portfolio so creativity is not an issue. Are there other pitfalls to look out for? Exactly what should you expect from your Graphic Designer?

1. An Understanding Of Your Business:
This may seem unimportant but if a designer needs to have at least a rudimentary understanding of what you do. How else are they going to create a piece of marketing collateral that is going to portray your business in a positive light?

2. Professionalism:
Designers are 'creative' people but that doesn't excuse missed deadlines, un-returned phone calls, sloppy work. If your designer is being unprofessional you may want to reconsider working with them.

3. A Helpful Attitude:
Arrogance, hiding behind technical jargon, stubbornness - none of these contribute to a useful working relationship. A good designer will be eager to listen to criticism and input and explain any technical issues in a straightforward fashion.

4. An Opinion:
At the risk of contradicting my last point, a good designer will listen but also guide the client towards a correct design solution. You've hired a professional, not a pushover and I'm guessing you value their expertise so you want a designer that is passionate about what they do and believes in the work that they produce.

5. A Bit Extra:
Lastly, and this is just my opinion, a good designer will come back to you with what you asked for and a little bit more. It's great if you want a piece of striking direct mail but if your designer suggests an innovative way to package it or an angle on it you hadn't thought of you know that they are trying to go the extra ten yards for you. A good designer will try to add value where possible and help you to get more bang for your buck!

Posted in Graphic Design, design, creativity, Communications, Client, Business

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