Twittering About

What can you actually do with Twitter? It's just status updates isn't it? These are questions we get asked all the time by companies, individuals and friends, and they are valid questions. To many Twitter does seem like a status update site, due in part to the question in your 'status' box, "What are you doing?", yet the what the box should really say is " What have you got to share with others?".

If you treat your status update as a way of sharing useful information with others then it opens a whole new dimension. Why not share a link to your company website, or blog that you find interesting, if others find it useful they may re-tweet, sending you link out to many more people. Twitter can be a very powerful tool to connect yourself or company with a much wider range of people, with out spending thousands.

There is a reason why millions have embraced Twitter, it gives you a chance to connect with thousands if not millions of people in 140 characters, give it a go, you never know what might come of it.

Well done Ilkeston!

On Saturday Ilkeston beat Tamworth to progress to the first round proper of the FA Cup. Ilkeston had to overcome a strong Tamworth side who are a league above them in the Blue Square Conference. Yet the Blue Square Northern Conference side came out on top 2 - 0 winners.

It is the first time in 10 years that the Robbins have made it to the first round proper and have been drawn against another strong side, in former league side Cambridge United.

The game will take place on Saturday the 7th of November at Cambridge's R Costings Abbey Stadium.

An evening with Graeme Swann

Last night we went to an event at Ilkeston Town Football club, 'An evening with Graeme Swann'. For the event we produced the posters and promotional video which aired at the event before Graeme took to the stage. The evening went well, and the video went down a storm (if I do say so myself!), with Graeme stealing the DVD at the end of the night!

5or6 + ICP = A great design

For the last 2 weeks we have been putting together a web concept for Ideal Chemical Products (ICP), the sealants and adhesives specialists. ICP have been established since 1988, supplying the highest grade products to building contractors all over the country, with there products being used in the construction of the new Wembley and the renovation of the Docklands.

ICP are looking to create an ecommerece website that can supply there building grade products to the everyone. 5or6 have been tasked with designing a website that is accessible to everyone, easy to use yet modern and inviting.

The website will be launched at the begining of December, keep checking back for more information.

Charnwood Sports Awards '09 Tickets go out!

The tickets for the Charnwood Sports Awards '09 have gone out this morning to everyone that has been nominated for an award.  The event is in 2 weeks so all the design work is coming together, with the programmes for the event, along with the video being produced at the moment.

We have also sponsored an award for the event, the prestigious 'Senior Sportsperson of the Year' award.

WOW what a week

After a lot of hard work the second issue of Loughborough Univeristies Athletic Union magazine WOW is out. The design went to the printers on Monday afternoon and the magazine has been placed on the shelves today.

The issue featured Chicargo Bulls and GB star Luol Deng, as well as features on the Students Rugby League side and Women's Rugby Union squad.

Deng was in Loughborough over the summer with his basketball camp, and was kind enough to do an interview for the magazine. He expressed his expectations for 2012, this season for the Bulls and what he hopes to achieve in the future.

If you want to have a look through the magazine it has been placed on myebook by the Students Union.

Charnwood Sports Awards Tickets

The Charnwood Sports Awards tickets are in and are being sent out on Monday morning to everyone who has been nominated and invited to the event. Here at 5or6 we are sponsoring one of the awards and when we find out which one we will let you know.

Google Wave in the future...

Over the last few years Google has been raising the bar constantly in the way we use the internet. Yet their latest project the Google Wave, which is set for release soon is set to completely change everything. It will revolutionise the way we use our browsers, exchange information and communicate with each other via the internet.

Google Wave was previewed earlier this year at Google's annual Google I/O conference to rave reviews, and has been described as "a personal communication and collaboration tool". Yet from the description it might seem hard to understand what Google Wave actually does. As a personal communication and collaboration tool wouldn't work together, right? Wrong, Google Wave allows individuals to talk together at the same time, yet alter the conversation or "Wave", add others to the Wave, share images, maps and documents via the Wave, and so much more.

So be prepared to wave good bye to your email client, say "sayonara" to your instant messager and hello to Google Wave.

CSA'09

The Charnwood Sports Awards 2009 are nearly upon us. The logo has been chosen and the programme and video for the event are being put together as we speak. This year has seen some very high profile sports men and women from the borough being nominated for awards. Swimming World Record holder Liam Tancock, who trains at the University is up for Loughborough University Student Sport Award with fellow Swimming World Record holder Jo Jackson.

For more information on the event click here, yet for more information on the events design work keep checking back here.

Thinking inside the box - Are branding guidelines a restriction on creativity?

All designers will know that when designing for a client there can be some perceived pit falls, namely the dreaded creativity destroying, 'brand guidelines'... Brand guidelines can seem like such a restriction on ones imagination, you always have to stick to the guide. You're never allowed to 'think outside the box' or 'push the envelope' so to speak. Yet is having guidelines such a restriction? Are they terribly detrimental to the overall design?

I have always found having a simple set of rules to govern or guide my design work, an aid rather than a hindrance. I often find myself setting out simple rules for myself when I begin a project, that way I can focus on what the client really wants. This way it stops me from getting carried away with what I really what from it, and there is often a big difference between the two. Remember rules can give order, direction and a purpose to a design.

So next time you're given 'brand guidelines' or restrictions from a client, boss or even a friend don't think of them as a hindrance. They're there to focus your design talents on what is really needed from the finished product, customer satisfaction.

Rolling with the times...

Being a design consultancy and constantly having to search out new technologies out there, you often stumble across a few gems (and quite a few pieces of deadwood), that not only aid your work yet make it easier and far far quicker. At the moment the most popular net based technology we use here is Netvibes, with this you can have all your social networking pages (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs etc.) all on one page, along with almost anything else that you find interesting, for me thats BBC Sport and Sky News. This makes it so much easier to update everything in one go and get your voice out there on the net. Social Networking is one of the fast growing ways to connect to your customer and having a platform in which you can reach them instanly is always a plus! So give Netvibes a go, or you can always search out your own Social Networking gem, it will save you time, effort and most certainly stop you from seeing that frustrating little character the Twitter 'Fail Whale'.

Can you loc8 me somewhere to live?

Loc8 me the student housing company have approached us to help them redesign their website, fliers and posters for this year. Last year we help them with their corporate image and fliers, and this year they have even more houses and so are looking for a massive push into the student market.

Designing for students can be tricky as everything has to be up to date with current fashions, yet because of our experience working with student aimed companies in the past we feel that this is right up our street.

Designing for a Reaction

5or6 are joining forces with Cox Web Design to produce a new website for Ideal Chemical Products Online (ICPO). ICPO are a spin off company of Ideal Chemical Products which has been running for 21 years selling industrial grade sealants, adhesives and cleaning agents to building contractors all over the country, with their products being use in the Docklands renovation and the new Wembley Stadium.

ICPO came to 5or6 with the idea of building a brand new e-commerce site, to sell their superior products to the general public, and over the course of the next few months we will be designing their new site to bring in a whole new customer base.

Charnwood Sports Awards '09

5or6 have won the battle of the tenders to produce the branding, programme design, ticket design and videos for the Charwood Sports Awards 2009. The event will take place on Monday the 2nd of November and will be used to showcase the large amount of sporting talent with in the borough. Awards include senior team of the year, young sportsman of the year and University sportsman of the year. Individuals within the borough have been asked nominate individuals and teams to be shortlisted for the event over the last few months.

Over the course of the next month we will be working hard to make the evening as special as we can by providing the best design possible, we will keep you up to date with everything involved and let you know the winners when they are announced at the event.