Recent addition to the Interstate client list, Jamie Oliver has just been awarded the ultimate accolade of Client of the Year at this years Design Week Benchmark. Alongside this, Jamie’s culinary empire also bagged individual awards in both the Household Goods and the Retailers category as well as being runner-up in Best of Show, the judges deeming his most recent projects ‘beautifully crafted, interesting and strong’.

SRO Motorsports Group (SRO) have launched a new 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship brand identity. Having been awarded world championship status by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, this year’s FIA GT1 World Championship will visit 10 countries in four continents, supported with a new logo and identity.

As a financial product offering needs to have a seal of approval or Fatwa from a Shari’a scholar, interesting anomalies can occur. In a recent BBC News article (read the full story here) whether a product gets approved or not depends on the individual scholar’s view on the matter. If a scholar refused a product, the bankers would practice ‘Fatwa Shopping’ by going to another, “If he doesn’t give it to us, we phone up another scholar, offer him a sum of money for his services and ask him for a Fatwa. We do this until we get Shari’a compliance. Then we are free to distribute the product as Islamic.”

While researching for a current project we’re working on in the studio I discovered some wonderful historical posters for the Monaco Grand Prix. Produced between 1930 and 1984, and illustrated by artists including Geo Ham and Michael Turner, they have provided a great source of inspiration and each beautifully encapsulate the motor racing atmosphere of their day.

The Glodos Bit Bike is designed as an introductory cycle for toddlers, it develops balance, co-ordination and psychomotor skills. Combining a simplistic, retro wooden chassis with oversize day-glo plastic wheels the ‘Bit’ has the looks of a concept bike that could have come from the likes of Honda. It also looks a bit like the bike used in Tron – which goes a long way in my book.

Interstate’s livery for Dextra-sponsored GT Marques won the ‘Best Presented Car’ award on Saturday. The Alex Martin driven car was participating in the GT Cup at Silverstone.

I recently saw some original New York City subway tokens from 1953 and thought to myself “that design looks familiar”. It is in fact the inspiration behind the New York Knicks basketball team’s ‘NYK’ alternate logo.

Nigel and I recently attended an Arabic typography workshop at the TDC (Type Directors Club) in New York. Also in attendance was James Montalbano, a New York based typographer who designed the Clearview Highway font used on road signs throughout the US. It was great to meet James and hear his views on typography, as well as his advice on using Fontlab Studio.

From Beastie Boys to Boys with Beasts. Director Spike Jonze has used his surrealist visionary skills to create the motion picture based on the childrens bedtime favourite ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. Taking direct inspiration from the author Maurice Sendak’s illustrations, Jonze has created a Lo-Fi fairytale spectacle that has been lauded by adults and children alike since its release. It shows how an audience doesn’t always need to be wowed by bank breaking CGI effects when the original narrative is so strong.
Link to Official Trailer

Abu Dhabi stepping in to bail out Dubai is news in itself, but if they hadn’t, the repercussions for Shari’a Banking would be equally significant.
Defaulting on the Islamic bonds (Sukuk) could have destabilised the Islamic finance sector at a time when the world isn’t in the best financial health. This damage limitation exercise by Abu Dhabi means Islamic finance is still profitable ‘post Dubai’ (Forbes).

For many years, this letterpress block was hung in my grandfathers office above his bureau. As a boy, I would always look up and admire the beauty and allure of this wonderful piece of art – once functional, now inspirational. Thus my passion for typography was born.

After months of refurbishment, Bahraini Gallery Al Riwaq relaunched today as Al Riwaq Art Space,  showcasing the solo exhibition of local artist Waheeda Malullah.

In today’s multi-billion dollar world of sports branding the story behind possibly its most recognizable insignia is somewhat a refreshing one. The inter-locking ‘NY’ initials are known around the globe as the famous emblem of the New York Yankees , an emblem on which they have built the true giant of international sports franchises.

How do you translate a successful off-line brand experience into an on-line vehicle for mass consumption?

Burberry seems to have done it right, with a new website (artofthetrench.com) and photography by Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist).

What’s interesting is the company’s approach to the users, making them part of something that is personal and fun. Result? 700.000 fans on their facebook site and sharp rise in sales of their trench coat through their main website. Burberry is to invest a quarter of its marketing budget online.

read also on Times Online

I was intrigued by Anthropologie’s window display as I walked down West Broadway last week. They have painted a New York Subway map on the window through which is viewed a suspended cut-out Manhattan island made of expired Metrocards.

During a lunchtime walk along Westbourne Grove last week I noticed an identity on the side of a taxi that reminded me of something similar we produced at Interstate. The Egyptair logo in question (launched as part of a 2008 rebrand) had a lot in common with a marque we developed for Dubai-based DXB Sports in 2007.

Nigel and myself attended the Arabic Typography workshop at the TDC (Type Directors Club) in New York last weekend. The event was hosted by Nadine Chahine, Linotype’s branding manager and Arabic Type expert.

In my opinion the words ‘global brand’ are overused in modern day football and are often taken out of context of what the ‘beautiful game’ stands for. However, as a designer with a growing interest in Arabic typography it was refreshing to see Real Madrid’s recent issue of language specific player shirts.