Copyright © 2009-2012 Splash Graphic Design Ltd.

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Following on from over 25 successful publications in the Aviation industry, Splash was invited to Hong Kong to work on a 280 page book concerning the latest innovations in keeping our air travels safe.

Working with the globally respected Aviation Security Company (AVSECO), we couldn't wait to get stuck-in to the culture (and food!). Based on the executive floor of the award winning Regal airport hotel presented us with fantastic views of the planes taking off not more than 500m away, framed by the green undulations of the islands that make up Hong Kong.

The work all took place in the adjacent AVSECO building - walking through the air conditioned hotel, into the 35 deg. heat for approximately 30 seconds before heading into the air conditioned office was the daily commute.

The working atmosphere was fun and the work produced was a direct representation of that. A few cups of coffee into the first day was our first presentation of the proposed cover and content design. A full board room prepped, our concepts were greeted with hugely positive reactions and comments - we can't wait to unveil the finished design at AVSEC World 2011.

Hong Kong is a truly fantastic place. I like to think of it as the Manhattan of SE Asia - it's got a great buzz and 'city that never sleeps' feel about it and I couldn't recommend it enough to those of you venturing to that part of the world.

Splash is proud to have created the brand identity for the David Mamet play showing in the Old Vic Tunnels; running from 10th June – 9th July, this should not be missed.

Originally written as radio plays, both stem from a 1930’s radio station where Mr. Happiness is the agony uncle of Old Time Radio. This 25 minute monologue takes the audience on a powerful journey as Mr Happiness helps solve problems from across the country, some tragic, some funny, but all of them compelling. The Water Engine is a radio thriller where young inventor Charles Lang creates a machine so brilliant that it will change the world forever; an engine that runs on water. Looking only to protect his invention and provide a better life for his sister Rita, Charles must triumph over the life-threatening Oberman and his conglomerate to give this marvel to the world, but at what price? The double-bill will be the inaugural performances in the brand new 125-seater space The Screening Room, within The Old Vic Tunnels. This new space is run by The Old Vic Tunnels Volunteers to showcase new writing, new productions, new work and new producer collaborations.

Theatre6
Theatre6 is an innovative theatre company founded by Director Kate McGregor in 2009 and consists of 6 specialists in theatre making. Based in London, Theatre6 creates work that combines stunning and theatrical aesthetic with original live music. Our projects are always conceived from exciting and unexpected perspectives, insuring we continually strive for inventive productions by both new and established playwrights: we produce work from the widest backgrounds and most intriguing voices, which often leads to collaboration with international playwrights and theatre practitioners.

Over the bank holiday, a thousand eager and young philanthropists descended on Shoreditch to lend their support to the disaster in Japan. The exposed brick work of the Village Underground tunnels provided ample space for live art shows, stalls, bars, DJ’s and silent auctions.

The highlight of the night was the live art battle, which on this occasion was a tight contested and fiercely fought battle between England and Japan. Monorex provided art work for the auction, and independent pop up project stands, the VNA magazine stand, and some free Courvoisier Punch, all contributed to a purposeful buzz. Eliza Doolittle took to the stage for a DJ set and soon had everyone wishing it wasn’t a school night.

Artists included: Stika, Jimi Crayon, Alfa, Mr K, The Krah, Pure Evil, Inkie, Hicks, Best Ever, Mr Gauky, Miss LED, Alex Daw, Riff, Sweaty Eskimo, Enter, Konirow and more!

Special thanks to the event hosts, Street Wars:
Secret Wars is the World's premier live art battle!
The fight club of the art scene, with illustrators going head to head with edding black markers for 90 mins....Drawing freestyle with no pencils or sketches...There can only be one winner!

http://vimeo.com/17709484

As of April 2011, Splash is running basecamp, a 37Signals product. This software allows projects to be managed on line, from any location, and it is the final word in accountability.

Addictively easy to use, our team and clients alike have wondered how we ever lived without it. The application focuses on bringing people together by improving communication lines, and allowing for smoother collaboration.

Crucially therefore the system does not reduce the amount of face-to-face contact, or our willingness to pick up the phone, but it allows for the project to be organised and centralised. As well as all of our team, any of our clients team can log on to their project, post messages, upload files, and better still, everything is date stamped, with action points auto-generated into the diary.

This move to an online project management system is in line with Splash’s move to becoming a leader in the digital marketplace. This clearer and more effective communication process, not only makes it easier to deliver on time, but also to reduce cost. Feedback has been nothing but positive!

As the Splash team scrummaged around the bar, steadying their nerves, the boys in white prepared to take on the Scott’s at Twickenham. Tickets in hand, and with stomachs warmed by char-grilled hotdogs, we joined the precession on its way to the stadium. With bagpipes ruling the airwaves, kids atop shoulders, men in kilts, and red and white dominating the face paint, the battle lines had be drawn.

Much to the amusement of the crowd, a hopeless pursuit between a spritely fox and man in suit ensued. As the National Anthems drew to a close and Mr Fox finally retired to the bench, a huge roar lifted with the kick off.

Whilst the game lacked some finesse, the volume of the Scottish supports and the close score line, meant it was one we were glad not to have missed. A turgid first half finished 9-9 with Toby Flood kicking three penalties to match the two kicks from Chris Paterson along with a Ruaridh Jackson drop goal. Another Flood penalty nudged England in front in the second half but Scotland proved frustrating opposition for Martin Johnson's men. After replacement Tom Croft's try looked to have sealed the win with 13 minutes to go Scotland hit straight back through Max Evans' score before Jonny Wilkinson's late penalty secured a nervy victory.

A hearty congratulations to the England Squad, who have since gone on to lift the trophy and we hope that the final loss to Ireland, keeps their feet on the ground and gives them a few things to work on before the world cup.

A return to the pub filled to see beaming faces and raucous laughter, with both sides gently goading the other, whilst discussing the finer points of the match, was the perfect close to a great team day out.

A moment of inspiration by the Tate allowed us to connect our Smartphone to the wireless system, and log into a series of voice recordings by the artist; we entered equipped. I am of the persuasion that modern art often comes alive under some form of structure laid out by the artist and I do not think it an injustice to say that this applies to Gabriel Orozco.

The first piece, "my hands are my heart" you see is undoubtedly one of his most powerful. He succeeds here by listening to his emotions and being in the moment. Testament to this is his impulse to hold the clay which forms an impromptu piece of art. The connection with the body and the tactile medium synthesise beautifully to create something naturally evocative.

"Yellow Schwalbe" (Schwalbe, a brand of scooter), is indicative of Orozco’s desire to be free. Driving this yellow scooter around Berlin, he starts to pair the bike with others of the same model and colour. In doing so he creates an adventure for himself, which he coins as, a "board game with the city". The beauty of this piece was not in the resulting photos, but in the approach to life, the pull of the free-spirit and the ability not to take life to seriously.

As an artist he is both passive and active, quietly observing one moment, the next excited to challenge. By room 4 of 9 you have come to understand his work and the pieces no longer need interpreting. With a cheeky smile to experiential humour, his work celebrates life and the moments that it creates. This is a charming artist who is not only in his element, but who understands it as well.

Art as a multi-sensory experience

Welcomed into this warm and inspiring home come gallery, we were treated to an array of art, that’s eccentricity was only matched by that of our generous host.

We are half way up the stairs on our way into the gallery when we are confronted with the first piece obstructing our path. 3 huge canvases showing expansive landscapes sat confidentially across the stairs. Our first obstacle was a man coming descending, and with the piece placed diagonally obstructing 80% of the staircase, there was only room for one to get through at a time. It would be fair to say that the piece forced human dialog and encouraged interaction, but its true power was its imposed sentiment. A slight swaying of the piece created a juxtaposition between feeling physically enclosed whilst being surrounded by infinite space. It was enjoyed, debated and a considered by all a success.

Many took an interest in the single hole punch filing of a five pound note. Most however, were just pleased to have spotted the little blighter sat unimposing on a vast and expansive wall.

Unfortunately the first piece was our highlight of the evening, some work amused, the odd piece was worth examining, but few generated significant interest or intrigue. All sense of awe came from the stunning surrounding and truly impressive building; potentially unwanted competition for the lesser works of art. To end on a positive note, we left by walking passed the first piece we encountered on the stairs. As we descended, we saw people experiencing the piece as we had done two hours earlier, only this time we were the ones blocking the way.

The final Splash event of the year was held in the atmospheric private room of Scooter bar on lower marsh. A bustling sense of anticipation spread through the team as it was time to down tools and wait to see whose turn it was to embarrass themselves.

The night was attended by the entire splash team, a few much loved contractors and some of our favourite clients. Our lunch time destination of choice, "Zeitgeist", prepared our spectacular spread and the good people at Scooter bar ensured there wasn’t a dry glass in the house.

As the Christmas spirit, and alcohol, took hold, we regressed to our favourite of childhood moment and started a company snow ball fight. It was every man and woman for themselves, unless of course a Director was in site, at which point there seemed to be an unspoken consensus.

To warm ourselves, we nestled into the local Cuban bar for a few mojitos and let loose our best salsa moves. I have been promised that there is no photo evidence of this.

As Henry headed to the Philippines, Ollie to Thailand, and Tom to Hull, this was our last meeting of the year, but we are all looking forward to sharing stories of the night when back in January.

A launch of a new hub of creative talent nestled into the up and coming shelters just behind the Waterloo tunnels, turned out to be one of the greatest nights of the year.

Coupled with the launch of the Simulator Gallery, 623 exacting people descend on Make Space Studios, craving creative stimulation. Visitors were greeted with over 60 studios brimming with talent, each full of open and interested artists eager to create and share ideas. To coin the studios as a space for artists doesn't quite do it justice. The eclectic mix of talent will happily challenge any leading creative agency. The humble space plays host to, screen printers, illustrators, furniture designers, film editors, producers, comedians, graphic designers, website developers, product designers and artists of every possible medium.

The work was found not only to be varied, but of impressive quality. Shooting flowers design all the clothes for Michael Jackson's West End production "Thriller", Show and Tell have exhibited in some of London's most sort after galleries, one production house has received over 1 million hits to their you tube video and even large corporates have started to inquire as to how they can harness this talent.

The night was awash with champagne, and canape fueled conversation could be heard excitedly running throughout the complex. Work flew off the shelves as art collectors and punters alike, delighted in this refreshing new collection. The night was a flare within the artistic community and a marker firmly placing the studios on the creative map.

To keep up with this exciting wave of talent, and to avoid a sinking feeling of being too late, keep an eye on this page:
http://www.makespacestudios.co.uk/MakeSpace_Home/Events.html

"Our recent trip to the OXO illuminated a new talent in the furniture design world"

Once we had divorced ourselves from the IKEA flow of art goers and explored the hidden depths of this architectural wonder, we found the odd delight hidden in its depths.

Worthy of a mention, was the bed of fibre optic reeds. In essence a mattress surrounded by vertical but swaying translucent plastic reeds. A modern twist on the feeling of collapsing in field of corn, as the "reeds" enclose around you. Well balanced to evoke a sense of quiet serenity, but not enough to make you feel claustrophobic. Suitable for a child’s rooms or the most debonair of bachelors, this adaptable piece pleases on so many levels. What’s more, is that unlike most works of art, here you are fully encouraged to take your shoes off, lie down and experience the piece.

The shining success of the show was from a truly inspirational company called Show and Tell. In an intentionally dark corner, the piercing blue from their Lampada range drew the crowds in like ever so intrigued moths. The new technology meant that despite being on all night, the lamp kept obediently cool. This wonder couldn’t have been more than 5mm thick, and its ability to be cut to any shape, meant the work had limitless potential. The range is homage to the past whilst offering chic design in all its simplicity. Modern, yet warm, intriguing but accessible, Lampada take the glowing blue rosette.

Incensed by our small, cellular and slightly rickety tables, and with no shortage of creative urges, Splash took to building their own communal table.

The concept was to combine practicality without conforming to an off the shelf solution. The structure of the table remained traditional, with the large rectangular base supported by 8 legs. On top however, the table is assembled from over 100 tiles, each replaceable within seconds. Titles can be removed to make room for mouse mats or coasters, and then replaced when the computer is moved. Tiles can be painted to mark off areas of the desk or to vary the design. Each individual tile sticks to the table to avoid slipping and each square is coated to allow for an easy wipe clean surface.

Rimmed by a matt orange boarder, typical of Splash design, the table feels like it belongs in the room. A centre piece to the studio, the table now houses three permanent employees, with half of the table left free for impromptu meetings. Forever more a bespoke and ever changing table.

Like one for your office? These tables can be made to order. Just go to our contacts tab and say, I want one of these. Now.