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Here you will find activities and Masterclass briefs developed by Saturday Club tutors and industry experts which you can take part in at home.

Across Art&Design, Fashion&Business, Science&Engineering and Writing&Talking, there’s a whole range of projects to explore. We can’t wait to see what you create!

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Welcome to National Saturday Club Online - National Saturday Club

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Here you will find activities and Masterclass briefs developed by Saturday Club tutors and industry experts which you can take...

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Design Museum - Learn with the Design Museum 

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Design Museum - Learn with the Design Museum 

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Upskill with free learning sessions for adults including fashion starter packs and lunch time sketching with leading architects.

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Workshop with Sanne Visser

On Tuesday afternoon, materials innovator Sanne Visser will take viewers behind the scenes in her studio to explore her cicular design practice using human hair, and will be set a brief to get creative in their own homes.

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On Tuesday afternoon, materials innovator Sanne Visser will take viewers behind the scenes in her studio to explore her cicular design practice using human hair, and will be set a brief to get creative in their own homes.

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Join Design Museum’s Chief Executive and Director, Tim Marlow in conversation with a wide spectrum of brilliant designers and architects. Catch up Live with Christopher Raeburn, Morag Myerscough and Bella Freud...

#DesignDispatches

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Join Design Museum's Chief Executive and Director, Tim Marlow in conversation with  a wide  spectrum of brilliant designers and architects.

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The world's first online design festival, taking place from Wednesday 15 April onwards. A rolling programme of online talks, lectures, movies, product launches and more.

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Dezeen announces Virtual Design Festival, the world's first online design festival, taking place from Wednesday 15 April onwards.

With much of the world in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the global architecture and design community is, along with many other sectors, facing unprecedented challenges.

Virtual Design Festival ( www.virtualdesignfestival.com) is a platform that will bring the architecture and design world together to celebrate the culture and commerce of our industry, and explore how it can adapt and respond to extraordinary circumstances.

We will host a rolling programme of online talks, lectures, movies, product launches and more. It will complement and support fairs and festivals around the world that have had to be postponed or cancelled and it will provide a platform for design businesses, so they can, in turn, support their supply chains.

We are inviting individuals, companies and organisations to get in touch to explore how we can help each other. We would like to team up with other architecture and design publications as well.

While we cannot pretend that these are normal times, we can at least explore alternative ways of sharing design, helping others, coming together as a global community and doing business.
How Virtual Design Festival will work
From 15 April onwards, we will host a rolling programme of online talks, lectures, movies, product launches and more. Some of these activities will replace those that we would have hosted at fairs and festivals around the world, but we also want to explore new and innovative formats, specially tailored for the digital sphere and for our locked-down world.

We are particularly interested in hearing from technology companies and developers who could help us develop innovative formats to help connect the global architecture and design community and help them work more effectively in the current situation.

As with all our content, everything will be free for all readers around the world, with no need to register or sign up.

Want to get involved? Email us at virtualdesignfestival@dezeen.com.
We will be announcing further details of Virtual Design Festival and how people can get involved soon. Meanwhile here are a few ideas of how we can work with you... Special events
We're looking to partner with brands, organisations, individuals etc to create eye-catching content that will bring people together.

It could be a day of content themed around a particular topic, a series of talks, a live performance, a movie premiere... let us know your ideas and we'll let you know how we can make it happen. Or get in touch to discuss some of the ideas we have - we're looking for partners and sponsors!
Brands
Are you a brand that is interested in collaborating on a talk, discussion, video or other bespoke content ideas? Perhaps you want to explore interesting ways to launch products and services or talk about existing ones. Or maybe you're a technology company that wants to speak to the global architecture and design community. Or an architecture firm with bold ideas.

We'll work with you to come up with a unique way of telling your story. Our in-house video studio is able to operate remotely to create high-quality content that will resonate with our audience.
Community and cultural organisations
Are you an NGO or a non-profit? Are you doing work that benefits the community or the planet? Are you helping to fight coronavirus? This stage is for you and it's free. All you need is an idea for how you can share your good work in a digital format that we can embed or share.
Products
Are you a brand, designer or architect with new products or services you want to launch? Our products marketplace allows you to showcase your work, with all enquiries going directly to you.
Architecture and design events
Are you a real-world event such as a design week or a festival? Have you already partnered with us through Dezeen Events Guide? (If not you're still welcome!) Do you have content that could take place online instead of physically? Be our partner and curate your own digital programme!

It could be pre-recorded video or live content that's streamed via Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or another channel. It could be a talk, a show, a studio tour... It could be a few minutes of content, a few hours, or a full day. As part of a partnership, we'll include your programme as part of Virtual Design Festival.
Schools and students
Unable to put on a graduation show this year? How about doing a digital show in partnership with Virtual Design Festival? We are developing a simple and affordable format for schools, courses and students to showcase their work.
Young designers and architects
Are you ready to show your work? Our platform for young designers offers a low-cost way to promote yourself.

Want to get involved? Email us at virtualdesignfestival@dezeen.com. If you have a suggestion or a question, please use the comments section below.

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Dezeen announces Virtual Design Festival

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Dezeen announces Virtual Design Festival, the world's first online design festival, taking place from Wednesday 15 April onwards. With much of the world in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the global architecture and design community is, along with many other sectors, facing unprecedented challenges.

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Featuring conversations with the biggest names in architecture and design. Published every Tuesday morning, the first series will include interviews with Es Devlin, Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Hella Jongerius, John Pawson, Roksanda Illinčić, Tom Dixon and David Chipperfield.

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Fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčic describes how she learned about dressmaking by slicing up her mother's designer outfits, in the latest episode of Dezeen's Face to Face podcast. More

Dezeen's Face to Face podcast series continues with an interview with British architect David Chipperfield, who describes growing up on a farm, struggling at school, how Zaha Hadid saved him from failing his architecture diploma - and why he still suffers from imposter syndrome. More

Dezeen's Face to Face podcast series continues with a conversation with Dutch industrial designer Hella Jongerius, who explains how she grew up on a tomato farm and discovered her creative ability when she took an evening course in carpentry. More

Dezeen's Face to Face podcast series continues with an interview with designer Thomas Heatherwick, who talks about his childhood fascination with engineering, his distaste for architectural discourse and how he completed his first building while still a student. More

Dezeen's new Face to Face podcast series kicks off with an interview with artist, designer and director Es Devlin, who discusses her seaside upbringing, her maverick student years and her meteoric career. More

Next week sees the launch of Face to Face, a new podcast series from Dezeen featuring conversations with the biggest names in architecture and design including Es Devlin, Norman Foster and Thomas Heatherwick. More

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Fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčic describes how she learned about dressmaking by slicing up her mother's designer outfits, in the latest episode of Dezeen's Face to Face podcast. More Dezeen's Face to Face podcast series continues with an interview with British architect David Chipperfield, who describes growing up on a farm, struggling at school, how Zaha Hadid saved him from failing his architecture diploma - and why he still suffers from imposter syndrome.

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As part of Virtual Design Festival, we're calling on readers everywhere to send us short video clips with their messages to the world.

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Video messages from architects, designes and artists around the world, recorded as part of Dezeen's Virtual Design Festival.

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Design Week's Careers Series.  Tips and advice from professionals on how to break into the design industry, progress your career and run your design business.

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Tips and advice from professionals on how to break into the design industry, progress your career and run your design business.

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There's a career for you in the creative industries

Bringing together careers information and opportunities from creative organisations in one explorable directory.

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Bringing together workplace visits, courses, competitions, programmes, events and work experience opportunities in one explorable directory. Click on the cards to find out more about the opportunity and how to take part.

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Find your perfect role in the creative industries - Creative Careers

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Bringing together workplace visits, courses, competitions, programmes, events and work experience opportunities in one explorable directory. Click on the cards to find out more about the opportunity and how to take part.

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Product Design, Textile Design, Engineering

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What is D&T? And why do we need it video 

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What is D&T? And why do we need it video 

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10 minute video produced by the D&T Association and narrated by Dick Powell (Founder, Seymourpowell). It is aimed at students parents and employers. Great comments made at 3:53 student and 4.40 onwards designers from Dualite and Google Creative Lab and Weiden & Kennedy.

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In this film Jack Street Design Engineer at JCB explains how the skills picked up through studying the subject at school have helped him to develop a train of thought that leads his work at JCB.  To quote Jack:
- “A concept honed in me within D&T from a very early age was not to always go with my first solution but to instead work each concept up further than you first considered possible”
- “Working out not only what works on paper but what will make a good product is something that I picked up in D&T”

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Design and Technology at Triumph Motorcycles

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Design and Technology at Triumph Motorcycles

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This film blends talk overs from Hugh - Design Engineer at Triumph Motorcycles who studied D&T at both GCSE and A Level and Marisa Kurimbokus Senior Design Engineer who also studied D&T at school and now heads up the accessories department and the Triumph Design Awards.

To quote Hugh - “D&T helped to develop my creativity, this was not something that came naturally to me at school”

And Marisa - “D&T taught me to explore my crazy ideas and turn these into reality; something that I now do every day at work”

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Design and Technology at Triumph Motorcycles

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Wayne speaks on 'the transformative power of design and design’s relevance to a sustainable society'.

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Dick Powell of internationally renowned design and innovation company, Seymourpowell speaks with a Product & Service Design focus.

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George is an architect, creative director of George Clarke + Partners, and a founder of TV production company Amazing Productions. George is the presenter of several very successful series for television, including Channel 4’s Restoration Man and The Great British Property Scandal and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.

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Sadie Morgan is a founding director at award winning architecture practice dRMM.

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Sadie Morgan is a founding director at award winning architecture practice dRMM. 

Sitting in the communal gardens at Trafalgar Place – a Stirling Prize shortlisted housing project delivered as part of the large-scale regeneration of Elephant and Castle, in south east London – Sadie reflects on how her upbringing in a commune has impacted the way she approaches design, and how public and communal spaces were key to the development of this project. 

For Sadie, true diversity in the industry can only be achieved once it permeates all groups working on a project – from the architects to the clients. But she says the future is looking bright as women begin to “believe that they are as capable as any man”.

Sadie chairs the Independent Design Panel for High Speed Two (HS2), is a commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission and deputy chair of the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission. Sadie was appointed as a Mayor’s design advocate for the Greater London Authority and non-executive director of the Major Projects Association in 2017.

She lectures internationally on the work of dRMM and the importance of infrastructure which connects back to people and place.

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Elsie Owusu - Founding Chair of the Society of Black Architects

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Elsie Owusu - Founding Chair of the Society of Black Architects

Elsie is a specialist conservation architect, interior and urban designer, and founder of her own architects practice. 

Waking up every morning within the masterplan of her favourite architect, John Nash, Elsie looks out the window onto Regents Park and writes 200 words about what she sees. Her home, which also doubles up as her studio, informs and influences her everyday life and work as she reflects on the design of her surroundings.

Elsie believes that the diversity of the people living in London should be reflected in the architecture industry - we’re not surprised to see women or black people in our city, so nor should we be in the industry. For change to occur, the image of the architect has to change, says Elsie, because it’s a 19th century image in a 21st century culture. 

Elsie has a wide expertise in transport and infrastructure, as well as the issues facing emerging economies. While a partner at Feilden+Mawson LLP, Elsie was responsible for the masterplan for Green Park Station in London, as well as being lead architect for arts and interiors on the UK Supreme Court's refurbishment. She has completed designs for public transport systems in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as collaborating on a number of projects with eminent artists such as Sir Peter Blake.

Elsie is currently serving on the boards of the Architectural Association, the UK Supreme Court Arts Trust and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Council. She is also Vice-Chair of the London School of Architecture.

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In this video, Steve 'Buzz' Pearce, Design Director at Skype, and Mat Hunter, Chief Design Officer at the Design Council, talk about what 'UX design' means, finding the 'soul' of a digital product and how we've only scratched the surface of what's possible.

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Dating back to the advent of the personal computer, in particular the 1984 launch of the Macintosh, UX design today represents a incredibly diverse and complex world. In this video, Steve 'Buzz' Pearce, Design Director at Skype, and Mat Hunter, Chief Design Officer at the Design Council, talk about what 'UX design' means, finding the 'soul' of a digital product and how we've only scratched the surface of what's possible.

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Mat Hunter, Chief Design Officer at Design Council, and Ben Terrett, Director of Design at GDS (best known for GOV.UK), sit down to explain what service design is, how it can improve public services and why it will be key for businesses to compete in the future.

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Airbnb, Spotify, GiffGaff, Uber… at first thought, these companies don’t seem to have much in common. Yet regardless of the industry, from hospitality to transportation, one key has been crucial to their success: service. Mat Hunter, Chief Design Officer at Design Council, and Ben Terrett, Director of Design at GDS (best known for GOV.UK), sit down to explain what service design is, how it can improve public services and why it will be key for businesses to compete in the future.

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Inclusive environments are places that work better for everybody – whether that place is a school, office, park, street, care home, bus route or train station.

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Inclusive environments are places that work better for everybody – whether that place is a school, office, park, street, care home, bus route or train station. 

Our new online Inclusive Environments CPD training course for Built Environment professionals is now available for free. Take the course:
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/inclusive-environments

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There's a career for you in the creative industries

Bringing together careers information and opportunities from creative organisations in one explorable directory.

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Bringing together workplace visits, courses, competitions, programmes, events and work experience opportunities in one explorable directory. Click on the cards to find out more about the opportunity and how to take part.

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Find your perfect role in the creative industries - Creative Careers

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Bringing together workplace visits, courses, competitions, programmes, events and work experience opportunities in one explorable directory. Click on the cards to find out more about the opportunity and how to take part.

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AI, data and design skills: outputs from a Design Council workshop

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AI, data and design skills: outputs from a Design Council workshop

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AI, data and design skills: outputs from a Design Council workshop

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Modern design is no longer confined to particular sectors or occupations. The skills, principles and practices of design are widely used across many parts of the economy, from protecting public health, to guiding the growth and development of our towns and cities.

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Leading creatives look back on the ups and downs of their careers

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Leading creatives look back on the ups and downs of their careers

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Leading creatives look back on the ups and downs of their careers

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The last decade or so has seen a boom in the world of audio journalism. Crafts magazine has selected a range of podcasts - some more loosely craft-related than others - to inspire and inform you.

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The last decade or so has seen a boom in the world of audio journalism. Crafts magazine has selected a range of podcasts - some more loosely craft-related than others - to inspire and inform you.

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Leading creatives tell us how they get the job done

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Leading creatives tell us how they get the job done

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The Ghanaian artist gives new life to discarded materials in his often monumental projects which evoke centuries of history. He takes us through the process behind his work, and the value of bringing in ordinary people to create extraordinary installations

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The Ghanaian artist gives new life to discarded materials in his often monumental projects which evoke centuries of history. He takes us through the process behind his work, and the value of bringing in ordinary people to create extraordinary installations

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In this video we introduce you to the multi-skilled consultancy, Iceni.

The company pride themselves on making better places, transforming property and planning for communities, clients and local government including Heritage

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Life at Iceni | Multi-skilled consultancy | URBANIST PLATFORM

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We sit down for an up close and personal interview with Archipreneur, David Adjei.

Professionally, David is an Architect and a Property Developer. In this interview, he gives us some insight into what motivates and drives him.

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Have you met David? | Architect | URBANIST PLATFORM

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How to get in with the in(terior design) crowd 

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How to get in with the in(terior design) crowd 

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With thousands of students graduating from interior design courses each year, Lucy Painter’s new book aims to help hopefuls into the industry. Here are her top tips for early career success.

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With thousands of students graduating from interior design courses each year, Lucy Painter's new book aims to help hopefuls into the industry. Here are her top tips for early career success.

"The link between universities and industry can be quite tricky - a lot of people leave education with a degree in interior design, just thinking: 'What now?'," says Lucy Painter, director of Studio Recruitment.

After 15 years of working as a recruiter for the interior design sector, Painter has learned a thing or two about landing a job in industry. But while a decade and a half of experience has taught her all she needs to know about sharp CVs and networking, for interior designers just starting out in their career, she says navigating the trade can be a minefield.

In her new book, Painter aims to change this. In With the Interior Design Crowd, she says, is a handbook designed to get designers' feet "in the door, on site, and under the desk of their dreams".

Demystifying the perfect portfolio

Motivation for the book comes from Painter's own experience as a recruiter - wherein she says she has noticed a gap between what candidates are offering and companies are looking for.

"When I put out a job for a junior interior designer, I'll get maybe 100 applicants come through," she says. "But of those people, maybe only five, at the most eight, are typically shortlisted for interviews."

There are, according to Painter, many reasons for this, from not including sufficient sketches, to not explaining the stories behind projects. Throughout the book, she aims to demystify the process by including "sneak peaks" of established designers' portfolios.

"Grabbing hold of everything that comes your way"

Elsewhere, Painter has profiled 16 interior designers to find out more about their career histories, ranging from home interiors, to retail, to workplace. This is an exercise designed to show those just starting out that the road to their dream job isn't necessarily a straight line.

"A lot of the time when people start off in interior design, they confine themselves to one particular sector," she says. "When in actual fact, sometimes it's just necessary to get experience under your belt, knowing you'll get to your end goal eventually."

Of course, she says, passion for one area of the craft is a good thing, but with this she adds: "There are so many different avenues for building a career, and you never know where it might take you.

"Really, this book is about grabbing hold of everything that comes your way."

And sourcing these opportunities, she says, is about more than just finding a recruiter. Rather, Painter insists that the "old-school" methods are sometimes the best, and trying them out with some of the nearly 300 UK-based studios listed in the book's directory is a good start.

"Going to events, handing business cards out, networking with people - this is where so many opportunities will come from," she says, adding: "You can't build a relationship over email."

A career-long companion to designers

Conscious of the fact she was creating a book for the design-minded, Painter says she paid close attention to the book's own design.

"The presentation of a designer is paramount, so there was no point in me making a book that people didn't want to put on their coffee table," she says. Designed by Norwich-based studio Ark, the book features a pared back, predominantly pink and white colour scheme with a foil detail on the cover.

It has also been designed with the intention of being a career-long companion to designers, according to Painter. It features a hardback cover and encourages owners to "scribble over it if they want to".

"We didn't want a heavy textbook," says Painter. "We wanted something people could feel comfortable dipping in and out of, something they could carry with them from placement to placement." Indeed, she adds, though the principle focus is on "getting designers into industry quicker", there is plenty included for the senior designer who wants to advance further.

Lucy Painter's advice for career success in interior design

1. Tailor your portfolio to the company you are applying to and especially when you attend an interview.

2. Relationships are not built on email; the interiors crowd are a friendly bunch, build your network of contacts by attending industry events and talks.

3. As a junior try everything - internships are a great way to broaden your experience and build up connections.

4. Not all projects you are assigned to will be exciting but each one will teach you something and help broaden your skill sets.

5. Have a point of view, companies love to hear your thoughts and opinions on design related topics at an interview.

6. Don't let your portfolio do all the talking at an interview. It's easy to hide behind your portfolio but employers want to see your passion and hear your thoughts behind your designs, let your personality shine through.

7. Speak up, if you need a change or a new challenge ensure you communicate this effectively with your manager.

In With the Interior Design Crowd is available to buy from the Studio Recruitment website for £20.

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How to get in with the in(terior design) crowd | Design Week

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With thousands of students graduating from interior design courses each year, Lucy Painter's new book aims to help hopefuls into the industry. Here, she speaks with Design Week about her book, and gives her top five tips for early career success.

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ISOLATION INSPIRATION: FREE ACCESS TO CRAFTS MAGAZINE’S 50-YEAR ARCHIVE

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In-house design teams: how are LEGO sets designed?

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In-house design teams: how are LEGO sets designed?

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LEGO has enchanted all ages with sets from the magical worlds of Harry Potter to the sci-fi settings of Star Wars. We speak to the people behind the bricks

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LEGO has enchanted all ages with sets from the magical worlds of Harry Potter to the sci-fi settings of Star Wars. We speak to the people behind the bricks.

LEGO was founded in 1932 in Billund, Denmark (where Innovation House, LEGO's design headquarters, is still located) by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The name's derived from the Danish words leg godt which translates to 'play well'. In 2015, LEGO became the world's largest company by revenue, taking in sales of £1.6bn. There are more than 40 'themes' of the toy, from its Architecture series to Batman, Super Mario to Star Wars. It also targets a range of ages, from the toddler-focused DUPLO range to the advanced building sets of Creator Expert.

Luis Gómez has been a product designer at LEGO for seven years. Born in Columbia, he moved to New York to study toy design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He joined LEGO in 2013, after completing an online application. "It seemed impossible," Gómez tells Design Week, adding that he has loved the bricks from a young age (though LEGO was not widely accessible because of the country's closed economy). "I was so impressed by the whole idea of LEGO," he says. "You can design your own toys and build your own idea."

How does the team work?

LEGO runs projects by 'semester' and usually releases new sets in the summer and January. Depending on how big the theme is, there will be a different number of designers assigned - generally around four, though this number can increase to 10 or 12. On Hidden Side, the AR-incorporating theme that Gomez works on, there were around six designers the previous semester. At the start of a semester, each theme is given a set number of boxes at different price points to design.

Usually one designer works on one set, as it requires a "complexity" that would be difficult to manage with multiple designers. For really big sets however, Gomez says that there might be collaborations. Designers within a theme sit together, and the desks are close to each other as a way to encourage communication. There is also a 'building table' for each team - a big table with boxes of the most-used bricks. "Everyone sits at this table and builds together," Gómez explains. "That way, we know what people are working on, we ask questions, we give feedback, we laugh, we chit-chat." There are also weekly check-ins where every designer presents a 'show-and-tell', explaining to the team what they've been working on for the week.

You can change lanes, too. "People can stay in LEGO Star Wards for decades," Gómez says, "but some of us like a little more diversity." It depends on a "constant dialogue" with managers but "it's possible to move around, and some projects might require you if you have a specific talent." Even though the building is "super confidential", once you're inside there's a spirit of openness, Gómez says. He explains: "You're allowed to talk about all the projects, what movies are coming, and all the new things everyone is working on." There's also a spread of 39 nationalities over the design team which contributes to the creativity, Gómez says.

What's the process like?

"It's like sculpting with bricks," Gómez says of the design process. While it depends on designers, he says that the most common starting point is a rough sketch on paper, to get the "basic function and size" down. Then "you sketch with bricks," he says. It might not be the prettiest process. For the "first draft" of a boat, it might look like a "plate with a brick on top" but it's just to get the scale. Then you'd start a second version, polishing different parts of the model.

Most of the work is physical. While there is computer software with all the LEGO bricks, Gómez says: "You cannot simulate gravity or how kids hold the model or if it's stable." In the headquarters, there is also what sounds like most LEGO fans' dream: a 'library' with every single LEGO brick in existence. Designers go down many times a day according to Gomez to fill up cardboard boxes with bricks to use. "Then you go back to your desk and start building," he says. "It's like a kid playing at home."

When a designer is happy with the model's "look and feel", it's uploaded to a computer so that it's safe - like saving a Word document. That part is crucial, in case a model breaks. Stories of "smashing Death Stars" - which Gómez says are not rare occurrences - would keep LEGO designers up at night. There is a "back and forth" between digital and physical designs until the deadline.

Next are safety tests for the models to check they are play-proof - "if a kid leaves it on a windowsill in the hot sun," for example. Robots test out the mechanisms too. Throughout the entire process, kids from the local area come into the studio to test out the products - a process that is done in secret, Gómez says. Sometimes the kids even offer suggestions. The prototypes are also tested overseas.

Sets may also require a check with the Intellectual Property (IP partner) such as Disney, to check that the set "matches" their franchise. Once it's been fully-approved, the designer receives two boxes. One is so that they can build it themselves, which is a kind of final check - "although it's super late if things have gone wrong," Gomez admits. Another one is for the designer's portfolio.

What are some of the highlights?

Gómez says one of the highlights is the collaborative aspect of the design team, as well as the sheer range of talent - from digital and graphic designers to those who write the building instructors. There are also story-tellers, who helped with the creation of the Hidden Side's ghost-themed world, by coming up with characters and locations in brain storming sessions.

There's also a diversity in designers' interests. Gómez' first project was for LEGO Star Wars, designing the MTT space ship (which he says is one of his favourites from his time at the company) but he was not familiar with the franchise before. (In Colombia, the films were dubbed in Spanish and were "so boring".) That meant that he brought a freshness to his design approach. He says: "We like to have a combination of hardcore fans and someone like me who has no idea about Star Wars but is passionate about making cool toys. That diversity makes things even better."

There are also chances to slip in personal details. Gómez shows me a ship that he has built for the Hidden Side theme. He has put 'Maria' on the side - his wife's name. He also used their wedding date as the ship's license plate. "I gave it to her as a present," the designer says.

What are the challenges?

LEGO boxes have age marks, which provide guidance about the toys' suitability. A lot of parents do not heed these recommendations, however. Gómez says that parents sometimes think "their child could build a 16+ even if they're eight". But a lot of careful thought and planning goes into that guidance. If a brief is for a child aged 7-8, care will go into that so a child in that age brackets can easily and quickly understand the instructions and build the toy. "We know how many bricks go into this bag, we make sure the colours are easy to find," Gómez says. "Sometimes you want to do this amazing thing, but the brief is for kids who aren't as old, so you have to find a way to do it."

What do other designers do?

LEGO also employs graphic designers. Michael Patton, who works in the graphics department, tells Design Week about his "varied" role, which can include "trend hunting, concept sketching, communicating with external partners, finalising designs for production and approving packaging shots in the same day".

Graphic designers sit in the same area as the model builders so there's a "great spirit of collaboration" and a constant stream of feedback. "I try to block out a chunk of the day to focus solely on immediate design work and the rest can be a mixture of creating prototypes and keeping the team up to date," he says. That might include checking production test prints and keeping track of those working in sculpting and marketing.

For graphics, considerations include working out how details will look on a LEGO Minifigure. While some details might look great on screen, they might not translate to a 1:1 scale. Prototyping is therefore crucial to the process. Another consideration is the target age of the audience. He says: "If we're skewing towards a younger user, we'll tend to boost any icons that will help tell the story and define the characters' role."

What's next?

Inspiration does not have a single source at LEGO. For the Hidden Side range, the team wanted to "explore new ways to play", using AR technology to enhance the physical product. It can also emerge from storylines in the different themes - or if a new movie is coming out, for example. One of Gomez' highlights has been the Bat Cave he designed for the LEGO Batman theme, which is based on the film version of the superhero's lair.

Group trips can also provide inspiration for projects. Member of the Hidden Side team went to New Orleans in the US, and sights from this trip made their way into the finished products (the theme was a few years in the making, Gómez says). The city's Southern architecture and its harbour can be seen in the theme's shipwrecks and ghost-town sets.

And while it is primarily known for its children toys, LEGO is always trying to attract an older audience and branch into new directions. There is also an annual 'Design Boost' in the spring which aims to encourage innovation. During this week, designers are able to use all the company's resources to pitch their own ideas. BrickHeadz - which LEGO says is a "brand new way to collect build and display" famous characters - came from this week. "It's a great chance to keep us motivated," Gómez adds.

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In-house design teams: How are LEGO sets designed?

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LEGO has enchanted all ages with sets from the magical worlds of Harry Potter to the sci-fi settings of Star Wars. We speak to the people behind the bricks. LEGO was founded in 1932 in Billund, Denmark (where Innovation House, LEGO's design headquarters, is still located) by Ole Kirk Christiansen.

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Set and costume designer, Madeleine Boyd, talks through the process of designing and creating a set for the Royal Opera House main stage.

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Jane Eyre | Set Design | National Theatre at Home

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Designing Theatre - - Set & Costume - National Theatre

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Designing Theatre - - Set & Costume - National Theatre

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Set and costume designer Bunny Christie explains the process of designing a show for the theatre. Using her sketchbook and model box for The Comedy of Errors as examples, she shows how a designer works to translate a director’s interpretation of a play into a visual world for the production.

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Designing Shakespeare´s The Comedy of Errors | National Theatre

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Designing Theatre - Set & Costume - National Theatre

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Designing Theatre - Set & Costume - National Theatre

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Set and Costume Designer Richard Hudson and Associate Set and Costume Designer Cara Newman discuss designing for Peter Gynt.

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Featuring interviews with designer Bunny Christie and members of the crew.

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The Red Barn | Behind The Scene Changes | National Theatre

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Video Designer Tal Yarden discusses the use of pre-recorded and live film in Network, and we follow Julie Rocque and Chris Jackson, the onstage camera operators of the production.

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This is how National Theatre Live send plays from the stage to over 3,500 cinema screens across the globe. Here are a few of the team's secrets.

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From Stage to Screen | Making National Theatre Live

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Jody Hudson

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Jody Hudson

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Jody Hudson. Jody is a Designer and Stylist at Graham & Brown​, a wallpaper and wall covering manufacturer based in Blackburn.

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As part of our feature series celebrating International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Jody Hudson. Jody is a Designer and Stylist at Graham & Brown​, a wallpaper and wall covering manufacturer based in Blackburn.
We asked Jody some questions about the nature of her creative work and her thoughts on being a creative in Lancashire...
What's your connection to Lancashire?

I was actually born in Lancashire, just 15 minutes away from where I now work at Graham & Brown. Having visited and worked in faraway places, I am drawn back to Lancashire.

How long have you been doing this work and what does your role involve?

My personal design journey in the industry started 8 years ago. However, Graham & Brown, where I've worked for the last 6 years, is approaching its 75 th anniversary. I love every minute of working here, as I am able to be very creative and travel the world for inspiration.

A wall covering design by Jody, from Graham & Brown's latest collection.

My role at Graham & Brown is to create beautiful collections for customers in the UK and overseas. Starting with research in the latest trends and sales analysis, I design wallpaper to suit the market. I look after our G&B collections online, using the latest innovations in digital printing and I am also responsible for product development for our customers in Europe. I work with our factory across the road to make sure we produce the finest quality wallpaper in the best colours.

Any highlights in your career so far?

One of the biggest achievements with G&B is my involvement with our online collections. We set out to create beautiful design work for ourselves to sell direct to customers and we always receive a massive response at tradeshows and from interior magazine publishers. A design from one of my collections was recently featured on our TV advert and it was a very proud moment.

Graham & Brown's recent TV Advert, produced by 10 Associates

What inspired or motivated you to do the work you do?

One of Jody's designs from the latest Graham & Brown collection.

I have always been a very creative person, from school to college and on to university. My working life began in the fashion industry and then later turned to interiors. I believe if you have a passion to create beautiful things, then you can apply it to most things.

What do you love about being a creative and working in creative industries in Lancashire and the North West?

We have a strong reputation across the globe for good, quality products, lovingly designed with expert knowledge of our fields. The fact that we have good heritage and really love what we do is renowned. We have generations of knowledge, care and passion. I think that the sense of community and the many years of experience in industry that we have in Lancashire definitely stands out.

Any advice for women starting out in creative industries?

The quantity of suppliers and manufacturers in Lancashire is vast and they supply every corner of the globe. Don't be afraid to approach companies that are offering education alongside your learning. My own career at Graham & Brown began with an apprenticeship at the age of 24. I learnt a lot and it has enabled me to reach the level of my career now.

You can see more of Jody's work online via the Graham & Brown Instagram account.

Meet the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Jody Hudson

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As part of our feature series celebrating International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Jody Hudson - a Designer and Stylist at Graham & Brown​, a wallpaper and wall covering manufacturer with a long heritage, based in Blackburn.

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In-house teams: How BBC Creative designs for the “cultural fabric of the nation”

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In-house teams: How BBC Creative designs for the “cultural fabric of the nation”

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As part of Design Week's new series about in-house design teams, we speak to Laurence Honderick, head of design at BBC Creative, about how his team creates the campaigns and identities of some of the broadcaster’s most popular content.

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As part of our new series about in-house design teams, we speak to Laurence Honderick, head of design at BBC Creative, about how his team creates the campaigns and identities of some of the broadcaster's most popular content.

"I honestly believe that, as an extension of a public service broadcaster, we have a moral duty to our audience to broaden their cultural horizons," says Laurence Honderick. "Just as the talent making the programming are working to do this, so are we - in billboards, junctions, and social feeds."

Honderick is head of design at BBC Creative, the in-house team that deals with the public service broadcaster's marketing and branding.

The team was established four years ago, with the aim to bring in-house the huge amount of creative work needed to support the BBC across its print, digital, broadcast and social arms.

From the General Election, to RuPaul's Drag Race, the team work to provide a face for some of the BBC's most engaged-with content. Recent projects led by Honderick and his team include idents for BBC One and Two, and out-of-home identity campaigns for BBC One show His Dark Materials and BBC Sounds' Have You Heard George's Podcast?.

What do they do?

According to Honderick, the BBC Creative Design team works "on virtually all design aspects of promotions and identity facing the British public".

This creative work comes in a variety of different forms, from billboard campaigns and special build out-of-home installations, to augmented reality, major identities or social media spots.

Because of the nature of the BBC, the team often work on briefs with national significance. In the run up to the general election, for example, the wider BBC Creative team created "The Real Number 10" campaign, which was intended not just to promote the broadcaster's political coverage, but also show how the public has "real power".

As for the project Honderick himself is most proud of, he points to BBC Creative's campaign identity for Change the Game - the 2019 commitment made by the BBC to showcase female athletes in "a way and scale that they have never been before".

"It was an amazing feeling to design a campaign which was essentially geared at changing national perceptions of female athletics," he says.

How does the team work?

Throughout the year, Honderick says the team fluctuates between 35 and 50 designers, split between offices in London and Salford. Their work is overseen by him, and "a small contingent of awesome senior designers and our amazing traffic team", he says.

Having to work across all the BBC's various outputs, the team necessarily needs a wide breadth of talent to cover all projects.

"Our remit is broad, so are our skillsets," he says. "[We mix] specialists and generalists from every classical and technical corner of the design spectrum."

What's the process like?

Prior to the establishment of BBC Creative, much of the work done by Honderick and team was outsourced to various external studios. Now with a wide-reaching inhouse team, he says the team can work "more closely and collaboratively" with other parts of the BBC, "in such a way that only an in-house agency can".

"We handle the vast majority of our projects on the studio floor," says Honderick. "[But we do] love to collaborate when something comes in that demands a truly specialist eye."

As an example Honderick points to the BBC Two idents project, which were rolled out in two waves over the last two years.

"We partnered with Superunion and a gamut of world-class craft specialists to take the brand further than it had ever been before."

What are the challenges?

Being the creative arm of a public service broadcaster presents BBC Creative with challenges that don't tend to befall other inhouse design teams.

There is, of course, a necessity to adhere to public service broadcaster guidelines - and as Honderick previously mentions, he sees the BBC Creative raison d'etre as very much an extension of the BBC's mission to "expand cultural horizons".

Hailing originally from the US, Honderick says he feels strongly the impact his work has on the country.

"[Americans] lack anything of the same impact and scale [as the BBC]," he says. "I know what a difference something like the BBC can make in the social and cultural fabric of a nation and I take the part I play in its welfare as a strong personal duty."

But beyond this, the work flow of the studio needs to also reflect a public service.

"You have to consider how you do it," says Honderick. "We wouldn't want to be creating world-class work at the cost of leaving disillusioned or burnt-out talent in our wake."

Leading projects therefore needs to be done in a "sustainable, progressive" way, according to Honderick - with plenty of consideration given to the talent that BBC Creative stewards.

What next?

As is to be expected, Honderick says the BBC Creative team's next steps are very much influenced by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"We're extremely focused on helping the rest of the BBC serve the British public in this difficult time," he says. "There's a real sense inside the organisation that everyone is pulling together to help in all the ways we can - through informing, through educating and also, importantly, through providing some diversion and comfort and solace, as society braces for the short and long term effects of coronavirus."

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In-house teams: How BBC Creative designs for the "cultural fabric of the nation" | Design Week

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As part of our new series about in-house design teams, we speak to Laurence Honderick, head of design at BBC Creative, about how his team creates the campaigns and identities of some of the broadcaster's most popular content.

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Using Video projections - National Theatre

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Using Video projections - National Theatre

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How do you create video projections on stage? Go behind the scenes of The Great Wave to find out.

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The Great Wave | Using Video Projections

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National Theatre How We Made it channel. 

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National Theatre How We Made it channel. 

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See all 25+ Video on the National Theatre How We Made it channel.

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From the rehearsal room to our giant paint frame, meet the incredible people who create the work on our stages.

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The story behind the props - National Theatre

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The story behind the props - National Theatre

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr

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Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr, an animator, voice artist, documentary maker and senior lecturer at UCLan.

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day 2020, we spoke to Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr, an animator, voice artist, documentary maker and senior lecturer at UCLan.
In this conversation with Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr, she shares more about her work, her love of Lancashire and how supportive a place it is for creative women.

Sarah Ann, tell us more about what you do

I am a senior lecturer at University of Central Lancashire. I am also the voice of Miss Rabbit for BAFTA winning series Peppa Pig, and Nanny Plum Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom. I also created, directed and wrote an animated soap opera called Crapston Villas for Channel 4 in the nineties and you can still watch this on 4onDemand.

I have won various awards including Best Newcomer at the Independent TV Awards, Best New Animation series at the Broadcast Awards for Crapston Villas. I have recently produced and directed a documentary for a Sky Channel celebrating the role of women in the animation industry called 'British Animation Women Breaking The Mold'.

Sarah Ann's documentary 'British Animation Women Breaking the Mold' was released in 2019.
What is your connection to Lancashire?

I moved to Lancashire from London 15 years ago. I was only intent on staying for a year but I met my husband and have since had a child. I love Lancashire and wouldn't dream of going back to London to live. My family live in London and I still go down to do voice overs there, but I miss Preston when I am not here. It's friendly, relaxing and I have made some fabulous friends here. I love the fact that you can access the wonderful countryside here, as well as enjoy the city.

How long have you been doing this work?

I graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1989 and have been working in the animation industry ever since in a variety of roles - animator, sound, model maker, writer, director, producer and voice artist. Now I teach animation but I keep my hand in with the business by working as a voice artist. It's a great way of keep in contact with the industry without impacting on my teaching. I have been lucky to enjoy a career in animation for over 30 years. It's a great industry to work in and there are a variety of roles to explore.

What inspired or motivated you to do the work you do? Have you always done what you currently do?

If I'm honest I have always done what I am doing now. As a child, much to my mother's dismay, I would rather draw, record voices and write short sketches than do the more sensible homework! My dad says that I didn't want to do anything else and that I refused to work. I suspect I was infuriating as a child but I was determined to do something creative and if I had been good at the more traditional subjects I would have had to take those at University.

As it was, there was no option for me to do anything else. I went to art school. I worked out at quite a young age that you spend more of your life at work than you do at home, so it's better to you love what you do. That said, I worked hard and I soon proved to my parents that doing a degree in art opened up a world of work that was not only enjoyable but financially rewarding.

Flossie - one of Sarah Ann's animation characters

What do you love about being a creative and working in creative industries in Lancashire?

I love being a creative in Lancashire because it is situated in a great place. I can access London by train in 2 hours if I am doing voices for Peppa, and if I am doing voices for my Lancaster agent, it's just 20 minutes up the road. The drive is beautiful and keeps me calm. I have found a brilliant network of strong creative women working up here who are all making innovative and exciting work. Living up here gives me time to think, read and research which is key to creating any new project.

Any advice for women starting out in creative industries?

Expect to work hard. Don't take no for an answer. Be determined. Network and support each other.

From a creative perspective, what do you think the North West has to offer female creatives, that other regions might not?
You can find out more about Sarah Ann's documentary British Women in Animation Breaking the Mold here: Meet the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.
Sarah as she appears in her documentary 'British Animation Women Breaking the Mold'.
https://www.britishanimationwo...
The North West and Lancashire are great places for creative women. You have cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Lancaster where there is a tradition of strong determined women. It's in the blood of the women here and I think that's why I feel at home. The women are proud and aren't scared to say what they think. I think of the early days of Coronation Street with characters such as Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker or Minnie Caldwell. I even named my daughter Minnie!

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day 2020, we spoke to Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr, an animator, voice artist, documentary maker and senior lecturer at UCLan. In this conversation with Sarah Ann Kennedy-Parr, she shares more about her work, her love of Lancashire and how supportive a place it is for creative women.

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Creative Lancashire -Creative Women Profile - Lubaina Himid CBE

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Creative Lancashire -Creative Women Profile - Lubaina Himid CBE

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Lubaina Himid CBE, the first black Turner Prize winner.

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As part of our series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing local women for International Women's Day 2020, we asked Lubaina Himid CBE, the first black Turner Prize winner, for her thoughts on being a creative woman in Lancashire.

Lubaina Himid CBE is an award-winning artist and Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire. She is also the first black woman to win the prestigious Turner Prize (in 2017, at the age of 62). In 2018, she was elected a member of the Royal Academy of the Arts. Born in Zanzibar, Lubaina was raised in London before moving to Preston thirty years ago.

She was an influential pioneer in the Black Art movement of the 1980s, and her paintings and installations are a celebration of black creativity. Lubaina's work explores ideas around black British representation and identity, and also the role of museums within the cultural histories and representation of the African diaspora. Her recent 'Hard Times' exhibition was hosted at The Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston in 2018.

"A Fashionable Marriage" - on display at The Harris Museum & Art Gallery in 2018

We asked Lubaina a few questions about what it's like being a creative here. She highlighted the very real challenges that artists, particularly female artists, face in the current political and economic landscape, but also the rewards which employing steadfast, hard-working "Northern grit" can bring.

What are the highs and lows of being a creative in Lancashire?
Being a creative in Lancashire is difficult for many reasons; limited funding, poor accommodation, disinterested curators, minimal showing space and few real opportunities.

However, what I love is that all the artists I know who work around and beyond these barriers, those who look outwards and exhibit internationally, are able to make their careers work here through sheer hard graft and a belief in each other.

What advice would you give to creative women starting out?

My advice for women starting out is to make sure that you are the sort of person who loves to work, to experiment and test ideas until they almost break. Don't be afraid to fail, learn to fill in funding forms and don't bother complaining - no one is really listening.
More about Lubaina's work

What does Lancashire have to offer as a county for creatives that other regions might not? What are the challenges to being here?

Lancashire is a county with many amazing assets such as access to the coast, the lakes and the hills, marvellous if you drive (sadly I don't). It's towns and cities have beautiful Victorian Art Galleries, which if they were led by staff who were truly passionate about contemporary art could be world leading.

I'd love to say that it feels safe and welcoming, but after the vote to leave the EU, I've realised that this county has changed during the 30 years I've lived here, and not for the better.

In this video, Lubaina discusses three of her art works and installations, exhibited at Modern Art Oxford and Spike Island in Bristol. She explains how her creative process extends beyond the art work, to take into account how audiences may perceive and engage with her work.
Image credits: Bio pic by Denise Swanson for UCLan and The Harris Museum exhibition photo courtesy of Hollybush Gardens Art Gallery

You can read more about her achievements here: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/news/prestigious-award-turner-prize-artist.php and her website is here: https://lubainahimid.uk/

Find out more about the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Lubaina Himid CBE

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As part of our series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing local women for International Women's Day 2020, we asked Lubaina Himid CBE, the first black Turner Prize winner, for her thoughts on being a creative woman in Lancashire. Lubaina Himid CBE is an award-winning artist and Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire.

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Creative Lancashire -Creative Women Profile - Rachel Simpson

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Creative Lancashire -Creative Women Profile - Rachel Simpson

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Rachel Simpson, a brand and design consultant based near Preston, who works with clients all around the UK.

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As part of our feature series celebrating International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Rachel Simpson, a brand and design consultant based near Preston, who works with clients all around the UK.

Rachel Simpson is the founder of Bird Branding and Design Consultancy. We asked her some questions about the nature of her creative work and her thoughts on what makes Lancashire special ...

Tell us more about what you do and how long you've been doing this for?

Bird is a brand and design consultancy conjuring words and imagery to create the feeling to drive a business and reputation forward. Looking from a bird's-eye view, we delve and work with our clients to understand their brand, campaign or communications issues through strategy and creativity.

What inspired or motivated you to do the work you do? Have you always done what you currently do?
What do you love about being a creative, and working in the North West?

Part of new campaign for the Horniman Museum in London Any advice for women starting out in creative industries?
From a creative perspective, what do you think Lancashire and the North West have to offer female creatives, that other counties might not?

Rachel's work for the NHS Campaign for "Let's Talk Cancer"
Some of Rachel's work for the Lancashire Women charity

I have been a designer for over 13 years and Bird has officially been flying for 5 years in April 2020.

My older sister use to draw all the time whilst I was a kid and she inspired me to love art. As a kid I use to spend hours and hours drawing cartoon characters. I loved art and graphic design at school, I wanted to do art at college but I couldn't see a career in it, and so decided to do graphic design instead. I love being creative and now solving problems and researching is the favourite part of what I do.

Even though my business is in the North West, I work with clients all around the country, and you can get to anywhere from Preston.

I love the variety of businesses I get to work on, from colleges and universities to NHS campaigns, from musuems in London to museums in Manchester and just recently Bradford. From the police wellbeing charity to rape charities. I love being part of many different teams and for me personally I know I am helping many people through helping my clients. It really helps that I am outside of the business too, as I can often see things from a different perspective and so I know I really do add value this way.

Love what you do but learn to say no. You will get some people asking 'can you just' or 'it won't take you long,' have confidence in your own value and don't be scared of saying no to projects if they do not fit with your values. I am still learning this myself.

For me personally, it's been a great place to raise my daughter whilst growing my business. Everyone is really nice here and supportive and there is a real buzz at the minute about what is happening in Lancashire, which feels exciting to be a part of. There are some really interesting businesses here too.

You can follow Rachel on Twitter or Instagram, and see more examples of her client work on the Bird website. Meet the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Rachel Simpson

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As part of our feature series celebrating International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Rachel Simpson, a brand and design consultant based near Preston, who works with clients all around the UK. Rachel Simpson is the founder of Bird Branding and Design Consultancy.

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Christine Cort

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Christine Cort

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Christine Cort, the Managing Director of Manchester International Festival (MIF).

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Christine Cort, the Managing Director of Manchester International Festival (MIF).

Christine originally comes from Blackburn, but she lived in London and other parts of the world for many years, before returning to settle in the North West again. We asked her some questions about the nature of her creative work and her thoughts on the creative opportunities available up North...

How long have you been doing this work?

I helped set up Manchester International Festival (MIF) in 2005 with friend and colleague Alex Poots. We worked together a lot in London when I was at Time Out and he was working across projects for Channel 4, Tate and Somerset House. Alex and I were kindred spirits and determined to create something unique in Manchester by staging the world's first festival of world premieres and special events. Our first taster event in 2005 was Gorillaz Demon Days Live, way before the first MIF in 2007.
MIF19 Festival 'Festival Square, the hub of the Festival in the heart of the city' - Image Credit: Nathan Whittaker What inspired or motivated you to do the work you do? Tell us more about your creative career journey?

I have been genuinely lucky in my career as I have loved my jobs. I honestly don't think I could put this much in if I didn't. I feel like I've been surrounded by people who think differently all my working life.

My very first role was at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith when Michael Clarke was choreographer in residence and Brian Eno, Vanessa Redgrave, Willem Dafoe's Wooster Group and Lenny Henry were regular performers. I learnt so much there about different art forms, artists and their motivations. Then on to the Design Museum briefly before being headhunted to join global publishing company Time Out.

Cities fascinate me and my decade plus at Time Out enabled me to work in New York, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai and many other cities. People and ideas inspire me and working in a fast-paced changing environment is where I thrive best.

The Factory - Image Credit: OMA

Perhaps the biggest challenge of my career to date might be helping create The Factory - one of the biggest arts developments being built in Europe. The Factory is the new OMA designed cultural space being built in the heart of Manchester on the Old Granada Studios site - a space where incredible artists will be able to create work of unprecedented scale. I feel an enormous responsibility to get this right.

What do you love about being a creative and working in creative industries in the North West?

I love the way people work together for the greater good. That really struck me after 20 years in London. It's wonderful how individuals and businesses pull together, particularly in Manchester, around a big idea and make it happen. How the public and private sector collaborate is genuinely refreshing and heartening.

Any advice for women starting out in creative industries?

Never hear it won't work, never hear it can't be done, never hear it's too risky. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you.

Plus be kind to people as you never know when you might meet them again. To be fair, this is advice I'd give to anyone who'd listen!

From a creative perspective, what do you think the North West has to offer female creatives, that other counties might not?

We are connected, open and brimming with ideas in the North West. We are giving the South a run for its money. More and more young professionals are deciding to settle here. Such amazing opportunities in our creative industries. I try to be a Lancashire Ambassador wherever I am in the world, I am proud to come from Blackburn - it's shaped the person I am!

You can follow more of what Christine is up to via Twitter. Also, find out what's planned for this year's Manchester International Festival - there's a pre-event happening at Mayfield in late March 2020. Here's a taster from last year.

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

Meet the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.

Image Credits:

Christine Cort Image credit - The Mancorialist

MIF Festival Square - Nathan Whittaker

The MIF Factory - OMA

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Christine Cort

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day for 2020, we'd like to introduce you to Christine Cort, the Managing Director of Manchester International Festival (MIF). Christine originally comes from Blackburn, but she lived in London and other parts of the world for many years, before returning to settle in the North West again.

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Claire Norcross

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Creative Lancashire - Creative Women Profile - Claire Norcross

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Claire Norcross, a lighting product designer, as well as senior lecturer and course designer at MMU.

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day 2020, we chatted to Claire Norcross, a lighting product designer, as well as senior lecturer and course designer at MMU.
We asked Claire some questions about the nature of her work and her creative process, as well as the challenges female creatives can face entering the industry...

Tell us about yourself, and what is your connection to Lancashire?

I'm a Lighting Designer (product) and I also currently work at Manchester Metropolitan University where I teach in the Product Design with Craft Programme. I'm also establishing the Sandwich Year for Design across all courses.

I'm from Stockport originally, but I live in Preston. I came to teach part time at UCLan in 1999 and met my husband here. I went to live in London for a few years but we've lived in Preston since 2007.

How long have you been doing this work?

Polaris - source www.clairenorcross.co.uk/polaris
Bloom 296 - Source www.clairenorcross.co.uk/bloom296

I have been working as a Designer, maker, educator etc since I graduated in 1998, sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time. I've had a bit of a break while my daughter was little, but through my role at MMU I am exploring more avenues and hoping to develop a body of work which combines a craft element with commercial design approach.

What inspired or motivated you to do the work you do? Can you share your process with us?

Ultimately, I suppose I have a desire and take enormous satisfaction from designing, making, and creating things of any capacity! Whether that's a costume for the kids nativity play or a new product design for a high street retailer, I always strive to have sense of pride in my design process. For a product to have integrity and originality, I always make that time at the start of a project to develop a body of research. I have always had a similar approach to each project but I have worked in lots of different ways, from one-off craft pieces, to designing the whole lighting collection for Habitat, and working freelance.

What do you love about being a creative and working in creative industries in the North West?

The sense of community within the creative industries in the North West is great, you can get to meet people relatively easily and it is a very supportive network. It's also a network which I feel very much I have grown up in, as I am still in good contact with galleries I exhibited at when I first graduated.

Any advice for women starting out in creative industries?

I think that being a woman and maintaining a level of confidence that you had whilst you were in education is really hard. Find a good mentor who can share their journey with you, and surround yourself with mutually supportive professional women who champion each other!

Within the creative industries you are more likely to get a job through someone you know, rather than just straight forward applications, so make it your mission to build a network.

From a creative perspective, what do you think the North West has to offer female creatives, that other counties might not?

We have such a rich heritage here of craft, creativity and innovation and I think because it is a relatively small creative community it does give you a chance to make a big impact. Largely, the arts organisations are run by women and they give a fair voice to female makers and designers.

We also have the two major cities of Manchester and Liverpool and this extends to the wider region where we are active at celebrating our more traditional industrial roots through contemporary cultural events such as the British Ceramics Biennial and the British Textile Biennial.

You can find more examples of Claire's beautiful work on her website: www.clairenorcross.co.uk

Meet the other creative women featured in our IWD2020 series via our news page.

Look out for more profiles featuring creative women from or connected to the county in further articles throughout the week in the lead up to International Women's Day on 8 March 2020.

International Women's Day provides an important opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while calling for greater equality.

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IWD2020: Creative Women Profile - Claire Norcross

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As part of our feature series celebrating pioneering and trailblazing women for International Women's Day 2020, we chatted to Claire Norcross, a lighting product designer, as well as senior lecturer and course designer at MMU. We asked Claire some questions about the nature of her work and her creative process, as well as the challenges female creatives can face entering the industry...

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Let’s Get Digital: Welcome to the Fashion and Textile Museum Blog!

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Fashion and Textile Museum - Couture Inside Out Episode 1: Balenciaga

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Fashion and Textile Museum - Couture Inside Out Episode 1: Balenciaga

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Couture Inside Out Episode 1: Balenciaga

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Kintsugi is an inclusive clothing company that designs on-trend women’s apparel – using suggestions from across the disabled community to make sure that each piece is accessible. Here the founder writes about the lows and highs of Entrepreneurship during the first year of trading. Kintsugi is based in Stockport. via Disability Arts https://disabilityarts.online/directory/kintsugi-clothing/

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In the twilight zone between Christmas and New Year, many of us will be looking forward to the promise of a fresh start. The unblemished oasis of 2020 is on the horizon.
But before we start visualising how the year ahead will play out, it can be useful to reflect on the one that's coming to an end.
Lows, then highs
For Kintsugi, 2019 has been a year of fairly extreme ups and downs. It's probably similar for any startup, not least those in markets that are also still developing. So today, I'll be looking back over our first year of trading and sharing some of our best (and worst) moments.

I believe in ending on a high, so I'll rip the bandage off and start this blog post with the lowest moment. It's more personal than business, but it nearly culminated in me throwing in the towel on Kintsugi.

It's not something I posted much about at the time, but in September I had a mental health crisis.

Being the sole founder of a business is TOUGH, especially when you don't have a background in business (or expertise in the industry you're venturing into). Passion and mindset count for a lot, and I care deeply about diversity and inclusion. I believe in the power of allies and I strive to be a good one. That said, I didn't necessarily understand the toll that setting up and growing a business can take.

Kintsugi was not the reason for my mental health crisis. As with any situation like this, it's often the result of a perfect (shit)storm. But I think it's important to talk about - and particularly in this post - because otherwise it's just a list of highlights and that is not truthful or honest. That would give the false impression that running a business on your own is easier than it is or that I am stronger than other people for seemingly not having hard times.

For me, it's important to make sure other people don't just see my highlight reel. It is not weak or abnormal to struggle in the pursuit of your dreams. It is human.
Our first photo shoot
OK, now for the better bits...

Things kicked off with a bang when ITV News joined us at our first photo shoot. Our models were Caitlyn Fulton and Becky Barnes, and we worked with creative content agency Seventy7 Group to create a range of fantastic visuals to show off our first collection. Caitlyn and Becky are both such natural models with perfect awareness of how to create different looks.
A hub to call my own
If you missed it, you can watch the ITV coverage here.

As a sole founder, it can be really hard to keep motivated. One of the things that keeps me focused is being on NatWest's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme. This six-month programme, which entrepreneurs can re-apply for up to twice more (giving a total of 18 months) is fully funded and provides free office space, coaching, and access to a community of like-minded people, all willing to help each other however they can. I've met some friends for life on the programme and I am truly in awe of many of them.
Pitching power
If you're reading this and you have been thinking of setting up your own business, why not have a look at the Accelerator programme and see if it might be beneficial for you?

﻿One of the things I've done a lot of this year is pitching! I learnt this important skills as part of the NatWest programme and won the Great British Entrepreneur Award (GBEA) pitching competition at the Manchester hub. I also won the Northern Business Expo competition in March for a £5,000 prize!

My next pitching opportunity was at Enterprise Nation's Fashion Exchange in June, where I was one of three entrepreneurs pitching to a panel of buyers from N Brown. The other two entrepreneurs were Dominique Morton of MANCUB and Jane Hallam from Esteem - No Pause. You can read more about these businesses - and the event - here.
Our first Naidex
Finally, I pitched to a panel of judges at the semifinal stage of VentureFest, although sadly I didn't make it as a finalist. Practising your pitch in front of a group of people under pressure is always a good idea though, so I was grateful for the opportunity, regardless.

Exhibiting at Naidex for the first time was a huge experience for Kintsugi. Although it is very expensive, with no real discount opportunity for startups, Naidex is the biggest disability and independent living expo in Europe.
Making films with fierce females
It was a fantastic experience and our stand was very busy on both days. I got to meet so many brilliant people, from those I had spoken to online but not yet met face-to-face to individuals I hadn't ever met before. One of these people, Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, will be featuring in a video campaign we will be launching in the first quarter of 2020. Speaking of which...

One of the most exciting events in 2019 was working with Fraggell Productions on a video campaign, which I can't say too much about just yet, but which features athlete Hannah Cockroft, comedian and poet Jackie Hagan, and doctor and activist Hannah Barham-Brown. I can't wait to share this content with you all.
Popping up everywhere!
I'd also happily recommend Fraggell Productions to those of you looking to get video content put together for your business. Fraser is absolutely brilliant, super patient and offered me a discount because he believed in Kintsugi and its ethos.

On two occasions this year, I've had the opportunity to set up pop-up shops for Kintsugi. The first was as part of Clicks & Mortar, a collaboration between Enterprise Nation and Amazon to utilise empty retail space by renting it out at heavily discounted prices to online-only businesses for short stints.
Small Biz 100 and the House of Lords
The second pop-up opportunity was given to me by NatWest, in conjunction with Stylist Live, where I got to set up a stand at The Trafford Centre alongside a handful of other small businesses, including Calla Shoes (who I was also selling with at Clicks & Mortar), 4Sisters Gin and Miss Kick.
Award nominations
We were over the moon to be included in Small Business Saturday's 'SmallBiz 100', a countdown of 100 'trailblazing' UK companies. As part of this accolade, we were invited to an event at the House of Lords, which was a fantastic experience. A highlight was meeting Genevieve Yusuf from Jajaja Books, a brilliant company that sells children's books about kindness, inclusion and difference.

In 2019, we were nominated for:

The Inspiring Woman Awards (Entrepreneur Category)

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards (Entrepreneur for Good category)

The Enterprise Vision Awards (Young Entrepreneur category)

Press coverage
We didn't win any of these awards, it has to be said, but being nominated in our first year of trading was reward enough.

Two of the publications we aspired to be featured in actually did feature us this year. They were Lancashire Life (January 2020 edition, published in Dec) and The Guardian.

Press coverage is important to us not just because exposure for Kintsugi is beneficial. It's important because it puts a spotlight on the conversations we need to be having about universal/inclusive design, accessibility and representation.
A big thank you
Until accessibility becomes one of the primary consideration points in any design process - be it of a physical entity or of a service - we won't ever have a chance of being an inclusive society where everyone can thrive.

I think this is probably a good place to end this post - with the message that started Kintsugi's wheels spinning. All that is left to say is thank you so much; to the people who have supported me and this business - from my friends and family members to my customers and fans of the brand. We're looking forward to smashing down more barriers to equality in 2020 with your help and encouragement.

A happy New Year to you all,

from Emma (and the rest of team Kintsugi) x

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In the twilight zone between Christmas and New Year, many of us will be looking forward to the promise of a fresh start. The unblemished oasis of 2020 is on the horizon. But before we start visualising how the year ahead will play out, it can be useful to reflect on the one that's coming to an end.

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“We’re in a golden age of design”: The enduring appeal of board games

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“We’re in a golden age of design”: The enduring appeal of board games

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“Ask anyone in the industry and they’ll say we are in a golden age of board game design,” says Jonathan Hicks, founder and lead designer at board game publisher Maven Games. “Sales have been growing steadily year on year for some time now.”

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Prioritising audiences, design and innovative game mechanics, modern tabletop gaming has surged in popularity in recent years, and the current coronavirus lockdown is only bolstering this trend.

In the week ending 21 March 2020, sales of board games were up 240% in the UK, compared to the same week in 2019.

This surge in popularity coincided with a country preparing for quarantine - prime minister Boris Johnson announced stricter lockdown measures just days later on 23 March. Faced with the growing suspicion that the decision was imminent, it seems many Brits turned to more low-tech forms of entertainment in preparation.

But as many fans will tell you, board games were enjoying a boost in popularity long before COVID-19 hit, and have long held the attention of designers, whether that's Pentagram's Angus Hyland, the graphic design students behind the Period Game or the professional readers of Design Week.

"Ask anyone in the industry and they'll say we are in a golden age of board game design," says Jonathan Hicks, founder and lead designer at board game publisher Maven Games. "Sales have been growing steadily year on year for some time now."

According to Hicks, the reason behind this is simple: "It's the same reason why video games are so much better now - we've got better technology and a better understanding of what is fun to play."

The downfall of traditional "roll and move" board games

With a sounder understanding of the craft, the board game industry has diversified and developed into a market worth around $7.2 billion (around £5.7 billion) worldwide. But with more options available than ever, Hicks says there are still just two main ways that modern board game designers approach the task of creating new products.

The first sees designers work foremost with a theme, building gameplay, boards and pieces to fit the story. This happens in particular with games made from popular films, books or series. The second involves designers building a story around game mechanics.

"Modern games are generally much better at incorporating interesting mechanics," he says. "The traditional 'roll and move' mechanic, like you'd see in Monopoly for example, is hackneyed and old-fashioned and designers are definitely moving beyond that."

With an emphasis on interesting ways to play games, Hicks says the mark of a good game is the "quality of the choices" that designers given players. Having to make decisions and work with others around the board presents a more engaging experience, he says.

Complexity vs. wide appeal

But in wanting to innovate gameplay, designers are faced with a choice between complexity and wider appeal. For "heavier" offerings, Hicks explains, it can take players anywhere up to 45 minutes just to learn the rules, and another two or three hours to play the game.

This is understandably daunting for new players, he says, which is why games tend to be designed with attention paid to their "weight" - light, medium or heavy. As a lifelong fan of board games, Hicks confesses he is a fan of heavier games. But for those aren't, the industry has developed alternatives.

Becky McKinlay works at Big Potato Games, one of the UK's most prolific "party game" publishers. She explains that the audience for this kind of tabletop game experience is vastly different to those looking for something heavier and that designers adjust accordingly to these expectations.

"When someone buys a party game, they're not looking for a 3-hour, multi-layered game experience," she says. "They're looking for a game they can learn quickly, play for as long as they want, and have a few laughs while they're doing it."

Bearing this in mind, she says Big Potato games are designed with simple rules, but enough variability so players can have different experiences with the same game. And where heavier board games often come with more intricate illustrations and pieces, party-style games are intended to be easily digestible, often relying more on bold, colourful design and pop culture themes.

"When you put a game in from of [people] that doesn't look threatening and has an easy-to-learn rulebook, you can make the experience a lot less scary," she adds.

The catalyst no one expected

Be it the popular party game Cards Against Humanity or the "cooperative horror game experience" Kingdom Death: Monster, it is impossible to speak about the modern board game industry without acknowledging the impact of crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.

An undeniable catalyst for the state of the industry today, some popular prospective titles on Kickstarter can attract multi-million-pound investments from those who like the look of what's on offer.

"It was something people didn't really expect, but some games just aren't commercially viable in the traditional sense, but do really well on Kickstarter," he says, giving examples of games with hundreds of pieces, which can be both expensive to buy and sell and simply too large sometimes to put on a store shelf.

"But now, it isn't just indie publishers that rely on Kickstarter, but plenty of the bigger companies too," says Hicks. And it is this practice, he says, that has boosted the standard of quality of modern board games throughout the industry.

Through stretch goals - the milestones put in place by creators once the initial funding target has been reached - Hicks explains that board game designers are able to refine their offering, without laying out money beforehand.

"Designers advertise that if they reach a stretch goal, they will use the money to add in new figurines, or up the grade of materials, and interested people pledge because of it," he says. "As a result, the quality of miniatures, dice, cards and games themselves is higher throughout the industry, even if products haven't been crowdfunded, because of the benchmark set by Kickstarter games."

The psychology of board games

In all areas of the industry, board games are enjoying a boost. As to why that is, especially when so many other forms of entertainment are geared toward digital, is all to do with a "shift in social attitudes" that is increasingly seeing people reject tech in social spaces, according to McKinlay.

This idea is echoed by board game designer Ellie Dix, who is also director of The Dark Imp, an organisation that looks to reconnect families through gaming.

Dix is a lifelong fan of board games, but came into the industry in a professional capacity after a career in education - and she rates highly the impact that board games can have on individuals' ability to socialise.

"The psychology of it is simple enough: when you play, you don't have to talk about anything other than what is going on within the limits of the game," she says. "And that takes the pressure off people who struggle with socialising."

And where the rules, story and mechanics can help establish a mental realm in which to play, Dix says the tactility of pieces, cards, boards and figurines helps create a physical connection to the game at hand and the people involved.

"I'm sure that the vast majority of people would never want to be without the wealth of technology that we have access to today," she says. "But at some point, many become tired of screens and the world of the internet - and board games can be a real solution to that."

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"We're in a golden age of design": The enduring appeal of board games | Design Week

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Prioritising audiences, design and innovative game mechanics, modern tabletop gaming has surged in popularity in recent years, and the current coronavirus lockdown is only bolstering this trend. In the week ending 21 March 2020, sales of board games were up 240% in the UK, compared to the same week in 2019.

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In-house teams: How Reuters Graphics visualises “catastrophic” world events

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In-house teams: How Reuters Graphics visualises “catastrophic” world events

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As part of Design Week's new series about in-house design teams, Simon Scarr, deputy editor of Reuters Graphics talks visualising catastrophe, global communication and Star Wars.

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As part of our new series about in-house design teams, Simon Scarr, deputy editor of Reuters Graphics talks visualising catastrophe, global communication and Star Wars.

"Just because a story is big doesn't mean that it's visual, or that it merits a response from us," Simon Scarr tells Design Week. "We try to work on stories that really need our work - where the visual aspects are essential to the understanding."

Scarr is the deputy editor of the Reuters Graphics, the news agency's in-house graphics team that creates and distributes graphics to its clients all over the world. Recent visuals have covered the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China, Hong Kong protests and the Iran-U.S missile crisis. In January, the team made a scroll-down page displaying hundreds of orange squares, aiming to convey the scale of Australia's bushfires, which have so far razed 103,000 sq km of land (an area the size of South Korea).

We speak to Scarr about how the team tailors content to clients, keeps up with the news cycle and stays inventive.

We track how #WuhanCoronavirus has spread in the recent days
https://t.co/mhhL7j8Z4z pic.twitter.com/xh9Po0vTpc

- Reuters Graphics (@ReutersGraphics) January 28, 2020

What do they do?

The team publishes graphics to Reuters.com and distributes content to clients internationally. Reuters is a news agency, which media and corporate companies from all over the world subscribe to. This means that the focus must have "global or at least regional appeal". "As much as a mayor's race in Spokane may be of huge interest for that community, it won't play on the global scale," Scarr says.

It means they must always consider the "end user of the work", which is not necessarily a reader. A client might be a newspaper, but it could also be a company with an online product. That means that the team must produce a file that is easy to edit, for individual client's use. "We have to go one step beyond thinking how something will look in the window of a web browser," Scarr explains. It has to be done "in a way that's easy to understand if someone if picking these files apart and editing them".

Another consideration is language. Because of the agency's international focus, not all clients use the English language, so the graphics and presentations have to be built in a way that is easy to translate. And although digital is a focus, many clients still have a printed product. A print client might want a static map or a series of static charts, Scarr says. "We would never send out a large interactive file and expect a print client to pick that apart," he adds. "Everything has the customer in mind."

Most importantly, it's the "visual merit" of a story that matters. Scarr says a question that's often asked among the team is: "Will the visuals add value, or can the reader understand this story just as well without them?"

How does the team work?

Scarr is based in Singapore, but the graphics team has desks in New York, London, and Bangalore. There are around 20 members in the entire team. Each desk tends to focus mostly on their region (divided by AMERS, EMEA, and APAC), but there is some collaboration on stories with "global elements" and pre-planned major events, like a recently published feature on Davos (with floating Bill Gates' faces to show the number of years the Microsoft founder has attended the annual Swiss conference). The 2020 Tokyo Olympics coverage will be a joint effort between all bureaus.

A Reuters analysis of more than 1,400 species highlights those hardest hit by the Australia #bushfires
Read more here https://t.co/Kfa15ecpb4 pic.twitter.com/3m6mkRo1Zi

- Reuters Graphics (@ReutersGraphics) January 21, 2020

"Cross-region collaboration can also be driven by pairing up particular skillsets, data-heads, cartographers, illustrates and codes to work together," Scarr says. "We think of ourselves as one large team and have communication channels that make it easy for us to share work, discuss ideas and solicit feedback, regardless of where we are in the world."

That also means working with the entire newsroom. Most of the team are reporters by trade, Scarr says - although he is an exception, having gained a diploma in Newspaper Design and Information Graphics. But having access to the Reuters newsroom - with reports on the ground and investigative journalism - means that the team can work with an enviable variety of datasets.

A recent visual for the Hong Kong protests showed changes the police made to their guidelines on the use of force in the run up to October's violence. Discovered by a reporter at the Hong Kong bureau - "a story by itself", Scarr says - the information then became part of a "bigger immersive project". The team highlighted in yellow all the additions the police made (such as suggestions of pepper spray, tear gas and water cannons as law enforcement) and strike-throughs for removed phrases. For example, the framework of actions against police by assailants that were considered aggressive changed from, "Physical assault not intended to cause serious bodily injury" to "Physical assault to cause or likely to cause bodily injury to others", significantly loosening police restrictions.

What's the process like?

Scarr says while the team is "open to experimentation" in terms of new technology, there's a regular suite of programmes it uses. Adobe Illustrator is prime among them, as well as QIS or ArcGIS for mapping and plotting map layers and Cinema 4D for 3-D work. D3.js is used for a lot of the data visualisation.

When it comes to coming up with ideas for the visuals, the process is less linear. "Truthfully, we often don't know the best way to visualise something until we start trying to do it," Scarr says. "For most of the pieces we do, there is a sad trail of trial and error."

Drowning in plastic: Visualising the world's addiction to single-use plastic bottles. Around the world, almost 1 million are purchased every minute. The majority end up in the environment, landfill sites, or oceans around the world. https://t.co/JS3ZoEnH1r pic.twitter.com/RjIIwHrzYX

- Reuters Graphics (@ReutersGraphics) September 4, 2019

But just as great ideas can end up as mediocre visuals, often the simplest data makes the most impactful graphic. One particularly memorable motion graphic came from a simple fact: In 2019, almost 1 million plastic bottles were purchased every minute. It shows a human figure being 'drowned' in plastic bottles, with a timer that counts how many plastic bottles have been sold since the page was opened.

As you scroll down, more graphics show the quantity by hour (at which point Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer would have been covered) and by day - when 1.3bn bottles would pile up to half the size of the Eiffel Tower. In ten years, 4 trillion bottles have been sold, enough to cover the city of Manhattan.

The team is aware that projects are likely to be shared on social media, and so should look good. Illustrations for the Hong Kong weapons piece were done in-house in Singapore by Marco Hernandez, lending a hand-drawn illustrative style that contrasts with the more-realistically rendered models of bullets and weapons.

What are the challenges?

A good news sense is crucial. The biggest story in the world might not be on the pages the day after, and Scarr says it would not be worth it to commit time to visualise these. It's also possible to follow stories as they break. The recent coverage of Coronavirus - the respiratory illness that has spread from Wuhan, China - is a good example of this. First there was a global map charting the outbreak of cases, then a chart with pending cases against deaths and recoveries and another map of mainland China with localised cases. "As that story continues to grow," Scarr says, "you spot more angles to look at and more interesting ideas."

It also requires being selective, sometimes disapprovingly so. "There are unlimited possibilities for visual story-telling and with unlimited resource we would probably try to do them all," he says. "But the fact of the matter is, we are a moderately sized team trying to cover the entire world, so we can only really engage on a tiny fraction of the projects we would like to."

What's next?

Scarr is sure that things might change with the advent of virtual and augmented reality - "there's a progression in how people are absorbing content," he says. But the team has to think about how widespread that technology is. "We're not aggressively working on projects using that technology right now, but we do discuss new ways of tackling projects, especially with sports." Right now, it's simplicity that's key: People are used to scrolling down through stories, so the interactive graphics often work with this motion.

Sometimes the graphics team dabble outside of serious news into lighter stories. Like an infographic on Star Wars, published on the release of the 2019's The Rise Of Skywalker, showing the number of lightsaber strikes made by each characters in the science fiction saga. The statistics were visualised in signature blue, red and greens of the weapons. (Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker liked the story on Twitter.) The team has also published graphics for the Oscars, using different shades of gold to represent nominations earned by films.

Scarr hints that there are more of these projects to come - including a recurring idea about the proliferation of mangoes - and not simply because they are popular online. "It's a welcome change of pace after covering the negativity or catastrophic events that often drive the news agenda," he says.

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In-house insight: How the Reuters Graphics team works

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As part of our new series about in-house design teams, Simon Scarr, deputy editor of Reuters Graphics talks visualising catastrophe, global communication and Star Wars. "Just because a story is big doesn't mean that it's visual, or that it merits a response from us," Simon Scarr tells Design Week.