Our type of romance

January is over in the blink of an eye and we’re already knee deep in February, or as it’s better know “The month of lurve”.

So with love, romance and general wooing in mind (well, apart from any Valentine cynics out there), we thought we’d help spread the warm, fuzzy feeling. We’ve produced a collection of cards for that special someone, all featuring a witty play on graphic terminology (if we do say so ourselves!).



All you need to do is print out your favourite, fold, cut and present with a flurry of doves*! And, if the butterflies from our Make Your Own Luck calendar have made you lucky in love, then this is definitely a better alternative to a petrol station card at 5pm on the 14th. After all, nothing says love more than “home made”…

» Get the full collection here (10 x cards - PDF)




*flurry of doves is a suggestion only, other flurries are available.

The End is Nigh – Part 2: Back it up

In our last blog we left you with a shopping list of items to help you survive the aftermath of an apocalypse. This month it’s time to look at what you’ll need to save your digital self (because your back catalogue of Backstreet Boys albums will be essential for rebuilding civilization…).

To refresh your memory, the world is going to end on 21st December 2012! (Note. if you're reading this on or after December 22nd this could be embarrassing). This is because this day marks the end of the 13th bak’tun in the Maya calendar. Whilst the Maya believe that this date will mark a full cycle of creation, and in turn an exciting new chapter in Earth’s life, apocalypse observers would have you believe it symbolises the actual end of the world. Now, whilst science has sided with life after the 21st, Hollywood prefers the morbid glamour of an apocalypse.

I’m sure by now you’ve clocked a good number of doom and gloom related propaganda, from one man and his Ark to the comedic stylings of Mae Martin and cute indie films staring Keira Knightley, even this gem from Old Spice! And although these are all great responses to the threat of Earth’s destruction, we’re going to talk about something a little more practical than spending your life savings on an Ark (as fun as that may be). So, we’re going to talk about data back up…

Now, I’m sure that if you fear impending doom, then backing up your data is going to be the last thing on your mind (unless you strongly feel the pictures of that night need to survive…). There are also those who would question how useful this data would be after an apocalypse, however, these people always have a criticism and are known as pedantic party poopers…

We reckon that whether you’ve sided with science or Hollywood, it’s still important to know how to back up. After all, losing your data could spell the end of your world regardless…

Your Digital Self

With all of this hullabaloo going on, not to mention the million different buzzwords flying around, it’s easy to feel a little lost when it comes to the mystical world of data back up.

For the tech savvy it’s easy, but for those more inclined to pen and paper, it’s a bit like surviving the end of the world. So, hopefully the next few paragraphs will make it all a little more digestible…

External Hard Drive

The humble hard drive might be a common little thing, but it’s also a good option for backing up your data. There are, however, as many of them out there as there are ex-Sugarbabes, so it can be a little daunting to find the best one.

So we recommend a quick search online, as this will give you a plethora of reviews from industry experts such as Wired, Techradar and PC Mag. These are normally pretty handy, and they don’t tend to be full of the techie jargon that can make choosing a hard drive a total headache!

There are a few out there that could have apocalyptic suitability and are more rugged than the average hard drive, one being the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt, which not only features fast upload and download speeds but also a pretty hefty case that promises protection for even the clumsiest user. LaCie’s USB keys are also pretty rugged, promising water, scratch and drop resistance. Handy if you only need to grab a few bits and pieces before you flee for the escape pod….

However, the LaCie hard drives pale in comparison to this next product, the Holy Grail of indestructible hard drives. This video sees the SP A80 set on fire, kicked over a football field and put through a car wash, each time it comes back stronger… seriously impressive!

Cloud Storage

We’ve all heard this word batting around the atmosphere and it’s largely thanks to Apple’s iCloud. But what does it mean?

Sadly, it’s not as romantic as it sounds. Simply put, it’s a service provided by a third party that allows people to access online storage. That means you could have access to your files from anywhere without needing to carry an external hard drive.

They do often whet your appetite with a little bit of free storage to start with, but for something more substantial you’re likely to have to pay a monthly subscription. Of course, this will vary depending on the amount of space you go for, however, ultimately the space available could stretch on… and on… and on…

There are things to keep in mind when selecting a cloud storage service to ensure that your data is safe. Things like encryption, back up copies of your data and high tech robots guarding the server rooms….

However, that said, there are no guarantees that the servers where your information is kept will be equipped to survive an apocalypse. Although, one Singapore-based company is clearly taking the threat of apocalypse seriously having recently released Lockcube, a cloud service that is reported to have been built on a military-grade data security infrastructure.

If you're decked out with all of the latest shiny Apple products, then iCloud could be the cloud service for you. However, for those of us not on that bandwagon then it's good to know that industry experts suggest there are three main cross platform competitors that really stand out in terms of cross platform cloud storage: Google Drive, Microsoft’s Skydrive and Dropbox. All offer very nifty apps that allow you to sync your information across all your devices and in turn, get your mitts on your data from any device that you’ve synced to the cloud.

Automatic/Timed Data Syncing

Do you have a mind like a sieve or are just too preoccupied with Earth’s impending doom to remember to back up your life? If so, this ones for you. There are two main programmes that essentially take a “snapshot” of all of the data on your computer at a certain time; this snapshot can be set to save to an external device such as an external hard drive.

These “snapshots” allow you to essentially travel back in time and view the contents of your computer at a certain date. It’s not quite Marty McFly, but it does mean you can retrieve previously saved and possibly lost files.

Apple's Time Machine, which essentially does what it says on the tin, is for Macs, and for PC there is Genie 9.

Hopefully all the doomsayers are wrong and we’ll be back with another round of news in 2013 (lucky for some we hope!). In the meantime enjoy playing our Crane Game and we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The End Is Nigh! (surviving 21/12/12): Part 1

...well, according to the conspiracy/prophecy theorists anyway.

The idea of doomsday is certainly not a new one, as the succession of judgment day / natural disaster / zombie take over films suggests our strong fascination with the idea of impending doom. From Nostradamus to Harold Camping, the latest apocalyptic prophecy comes in the form of the Maya Calendars, and the fact that they come to an end on the 21st December 2012.

End of the line?

The longest of the Maya calendars is the Long Count calendar, which is divided into cycles called bak’tuns that began at the Maya creation date. The winter solstice of 2012 (Dec. 21) is the last day of the 13th bak'tun, marking what the Maya people would have seen as a full cycle of creation.

Contrary to popular belief, the Maya are far from being an extinct, ancient civilisation, and have regularly spoken out about the misinterpretation of their calendars, both ancient and modern. At the start of the 21st century, there were an estimated 7 million Maya living in Central America and Southern Mexico.

Science vs Hollywood

Scientists have recently uncovered new etchings that support the existing Maya people in suggesting that the 22nd December was simply the start of a new calendar cycle, not the end of the world! BBC – May 2012

However, despite this around 10% of people worldwide still believe the Maya calendar predicts Earth’s destruction on the 21st December 2012, whilst 15% of people also believe they will see the world end in their lifetime. Reuters Survey – May 2012

So, it looks like there are two camps to fall into when it comes to the 21st December: science or Hollywood. While science (and possibly common sense?) has sided with life after the 21/12/12, Hollywood, however, prefers the morbid glamour of an apocalypse. Of course, if science and the Maya are wrong, Hollywood has at least taught us that it is possible to make it through/be immune/triumph over aliens. So, here is our “End Of The World Survival Guide.” stay safe out there…

Bring on the gadgets!

Of course no doomsday survivor would be without the classics: Swiss Army Knife, Maglite, waterproof matches etc. (FYI, Amazon has a very handy Zombie Apocalypse Supplies page!) But, there are a few modern day essentials to add to this Scout list.

Firstly, the smartphone, which is surely the gadget of gadgets. They can be used for GPS Navigation, to identify any edible finds (see the Wild Edibles app) and not to mention Instagraming the aftermath of Judgment Day etc. (how we’ll laugh at those retro ‘Lo-fi’ style photos later). But, they will need protection. And possibly an external power source. And working cell-towers. And GPS satellites still in orbit. And the Internet. And… well you get the idea.

Otter Box is an American based company who offer some pretty hardcore smartphone and gadget cases. These bad boys protect from impact, dust and water on a Bear Grylls scale. You only need a quick search on YouTube to see them being put through their paces, although they’ve not been tested in a post apocalyptic world.

But, I hear you cry “My iPhone battery has the life span of an X Factor contestant!” Do not fret my lithium-polymer challenged friend; those clever Americans (I say that through gritted teeth...) have a solution!

Introducing the BioLite camping stove. This ingenious device uses nothing but the twigs you find along your way, so no need for petrol or gas. It then converts the heat from the fire into usable energy, meaning you can charge your phone whilst you cook. Bonza!

Whilst your steaks are sizzling on your BioLite camping stove, throw in the Eton Rukus Solar sound system and I think you might have a right old knees up! After all, there’s no use in moping about the state of the world, you’ve just got to face the music and dance!

Finally, we leave you with a selection of escape pods to help you ride out the storm, hopefully in some level of comfort. Although I would suggest having some old fashioned wood and nails to hand, just in case these don’t make it to market in time.

Hopefully, we’ll be back with another blog soon, where we'll be taking a look at saving your digital self in the End is Nigh Part 2, but just in case, we’ll send it out before the 21st December. Coincidentally, this is when we close for Christmas and if the scientists are right, we’ll be back on the 2nd January! If not… do send us your Instagram pics of the End.

Over and out.

Apostrophe gate

When Waterstones announced its decision to drop the apostrophe from its brand name, who would have thought such an innocent little punctuation mark could cause such a hullabaloo?

Along with the expected Disgusted from Tunbridge Wells letters bemoaning the slipping of today’s grammatical standards and prophesising the beginning of the end, there were many who came out in support of it. And many of those were from the design and creative industries.

That’s because apostrophes can cause all manner of problems for those of us within the industry ­– graphically, typographically and linguistically ­– and let’s face it, we all know that we like to make up our own rules. In the world of branding there aren’t really any grammatical rules, after all, brand names don’t have to be real words, but they do have to be memorable, distinctive and ownable.

So, when using apostrophes possessively, brands fall into two camps of those who do, such as Sainsbury’s and Levi’s and those who don’t, including Boots, Barclays and now Waterstones.

Now, I have to admit I was sad to see the apostrophe disappear from Waterstones, both from a historic point of view as I’ve grown up with Waterstone’s and from a grammatical point of view as the misuse of apostrophes does send me a little loopy, but I do understand Waterstones’ decision. If it had kept the apostrophe, should this have been Waterstone’s’ decision? Now, that just looks messy but if you opt for Waterstone’s decision in this instance, are you meaning the founder or the company? See the problem? This must have caused endless discussion for Waterstones’ branding and comms teams!

Today, Waterstones is no longer a single bookshop belonging to Tim Waterstone and is a well known brand name in its own right, and then of course there’s the problem of apostrophes in web addresses, emails and Twitter accounts. After all, if companies want their brand name to resemble their URL, all punctuation must go. So, the decision was probably made for a number of reasons, including design and usability, and it’s also a good example of our evolving language. But does this mean we can live in an apostrophe free world?

Well, no. If this typographic tadpole disappeared from use, I guarantee we’d all struggle (for example, that last sentence would have the word ‘wed’ in it) to decipher the right meaning straight away. So, let’s for a moment take a look at the apostrophe’s raison d’etre, which is to show omission or possession.

But this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. When people aren’t quite sure where to use apostrophes, they opt for the scattergun approach, dropping in this innocent little symbol every time the letter ‘s’ ends a word, for plurals, possessives and contractions alike – we’ve all seen the infamous grocer’s apostrophe in apple’s and potatoe’s. 

Apostrophes showing omission generally don’t tend to send people into a tizz (well, aside from some of those selling fruit and veg) but those showing possession often confuse and confound, especially when the name or noun ends in –s.

So, here’s a very quick guide for those who feel they need a helping hand (and for those of you who don’t, simply skip to the end to see some great examples of apostrophe use gone horribly wrong).

With personal names that end in –s, add an apostrophe plus another s when you naturally pronounce an extra s if you said the word out loud: Dickens’s novels are still popular or Charles’s brother has joined the army.

However, this one is a bit tricky as whether you need the additional s is a matter of style rather than grammar, and even the experts don’t seem to agree (typical!). So, it’s best to be guided by clarity and ease of pronunciation here. The main thing to remember is to be consistent, pick one and stick to it.

This really does highlight the importance of having brand guidelines or a style guide for your business, as it helps provide uniformity in copy and style across all touchpoints and audiences (and it means you don’t have to worry about which one is correct).

With personal names that end in –s but aren’t spoken with an extra s, just add an apostrophe after the –s: The court dismissed Bridges’ appeal

Plural nouns that end in –s

When a plural noun already ends in -s: add an apostrophe after the s: The mansion was converted into a girls’ school.

Plural nouns that do not end in -s

When a plural noun doesn’t end in –s: add an apostrophe plus s: The children’s father came round to see me.

Other useful info

You don’t need to use apostrophes to form plurals or abbreviations such as PDFs, nor to indicate decades. We all know that the 1980s (or ’80s when abbreviated) was a terrible decade for hair, but a great one for cheesy tunes.

It’s vs its

This one deserves a little section all to itself, as it often throws a spanner in the works:

it’s – showing omission: ‘it is’ or’ it has’

its - to show possession: ‘the dog wagged its tail’

And finally

Ok, school’s now out and for your entertainment we’ve included some of our favourite examples of the grocer’s apostrophe below. Why not join in the good fight for the apostrophe and send us your own examples or any misspellings you’ve seen that are just too good to be true?

From print to pads

Following a creds presentation to Bechtel, the engineering, procurement and construction specialist, we’ve created an interactive iPad presentation of one of its existing printed marketing pieces to help improve its client presentations and better showcase its services to potential clients.

Creating an interactive PDF for the iPad is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways of creating a digital version of printed material. It’s quicker and more cost effective than creating a custom app and it can be used on other devices. The simple interactivity takes advantage of the iPad screen and touch interface, including ‘pinch to zoom’ on more complex items such as diagrams and plans. And of course, once it’s on the iPad, you don’t need a live Internet connection, so you can always rely on it at meetings/presentations even if there’s no wifi available.

The iPad presentation enabled Bechtel’s marketing department to see how new technology can improve its marketing collateral and was so well received that we’ve been recommended as a preferred design partner.

And talking of new technologies, we’re always exploring ways in which we can help our clients and we’ve recently discovered a neat little device which embeds LCD video screens into print.

Now, whilst some might well think of this as just a gimmick, it’s probably the lowest cost solution that combines screen and print and requires nothing of the end user (no Internet links, USB drives, CDs etc.). It works as soon as it’s opened, making it one of the most direct and guaranteed ways to get your video content, and message, across.

As there are loud speakers built in for audio or spoken content it’s a great way to feature ‘talking head’ discussions, Vox-pops, interviews, a corporate showreel or animation content.

Using video or animation is a great way of getting across your key message clearly, simply and quickly. If you don’t have this content, or need a hand to improve it, let us know and we can help you with the planning, design, filming or animation to create an engaging video.

Location, location, location?

These days, we're all aware how important it is that our customers know how to find us. And now, more than ever, it's increasingly critical to ensure that no matter how they choose to search for our business or service, they can find it quickly and easily.

The old fashioned way of looking us up in the Yellow Pages (or perhaps phoning directory enquiries) has been usurped by simply typing a search, location or company name into your phone or browser. Therefore, it's of utmost importance that at the very least, when someone types your company name into Google that your website appears in the first page. Go on, do it now, do you appear on the first page?

There's a host of ways to make sure that search engines know you exist: SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), social media, paid listings, link building etc. all do their part, but often the simplest and easiest way is to make sure you've got plenty of relevant (text-based) content on your site and your website is built to be, if not fully 'Search optimised', at least 'search engine friendly'. I won't go into too much detail on SEO  here, as that's a whole different story, but do drop us a line if you'd like to find out more.

So, the other big thing you need to make sure of is that people (and search engines / mapping systems) not only know who you are and what you do, but where you are.

There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Maps’

This is particularly relevant right now, as Apple recently rolled out their new iOS update – introducing their brand spanking new 'Apple Maps' – thus replacing the ubiquitous 'Google Maps' on iPhones and iPads.

Depending on who you speak to, this was either a complete disaster due to Apple wanting to distance themselves from their biggest competitor, or a great success bringing amazing new 3D maps and a cleaner, better designed experience. Even if you love the new system, it has to be said, it's not quite perfect yet (The Guardian, 20/9/12).

Adding yourself to Apple Maps 

The immediate problem this has caused is that all the hard work you've done to make sure you appear on Google Maps for both web and mobile searches (you ARE on Google Maps right? if not, see below) has now been undone - there's no guarantee that your location(s) now appear correctly (or at all) in Apple Maps. Go check your updated iPhone or iPad (or borrow someone elses) and check.

Just go into the new maps, find your approximate location and type your company name into the search. If nothing comes up, or if it's in the wrong place, here's what you can do to try to update it:

• Open the 'page fold' at the bottom right of the screen

• Select 'Report a Problem'

• Now select 'Location is missing', then touch the 'Next' button

• Now you can move the pin to the correct location for your business, once you're happy with it, choose 'Next'

• Enter your business name, address and website, ensure you choose a relevant business category from the list too.

• Once you're happy with all of this, select 'Send'. The rest is up to Apple.

If you want to make doubly sure, you can go straight to the source. Apple get their location information from a number of places, so it's a good idea to look into getting yourself on those too.

Firstly, Apple use Yelp for user reviews, although unfortunately not used for business locations, but it's still a good idea to set up a free business account on there at: biz.yelp.co.uk

In addition, they use data from Acxiom, Localeze, Tom Tom and OpenStreetMap. Most of these are more concerned with geospatial data, so probably the only one really worth investigating is Localeze, however their service isn't free (a single business listing costs around $300).

Adding yourself to Google Maps

Of course this is important for people searching using the 300 million iOS devices out there, but there are still a lot more people using Google Maps (either via the main Google Maps site, on Android Phones, or embedded Google Maps like this one). And don't forget that getting on Google Maps means that your Google search listings are automatically enhanced (for example, typing 'to the point London' into Google).

This is free, really worth doing and will only take a few minutes, so if you're not on there already, or your listing needs a bit of attention, here's how to add yourself to the world.

• Visit Google Maps here: maps.google.co.uk (or here if outside the UK)

• Click the link 'Put your business on Google Maps'. You'll now need to sign in using a Google account. (If you don't already have one, you can create on for free by clicking 'Create an account now' you can link your normal email address to it so you don't have to use Gmail to have a Google account. Once setup, return back to the above page to continue).

• Once signed in, Select 'Add New Business'

• Fill in as much information as you can about your business, eg. country, name, address, phone number, email & website, description and category. Once ready, click 'Next'.

• Click on 'Add Listing'. Note: If your business is already on Google Places, you can claim it by selecting 'Claim Listing' in order to change and update it.

• The next page is optional but provides additional information about your business eg. hours of operation, payment options etc. It's also a good idea to upload an image or two as this really livens up your maps listing when viewed on the web or mobile. You can even add a video from YouTube if that's relevant to you (eg. a company animation or showreel – that's also something we can help with if you need one).

• Once ready, click 'Submit'

• You will need to verify your listing (so Google can ensure that it's really you!). You can do this either by phone or by postcard. If you choose by phone, you will receive an automated call (to the number you provided) with a code number. Enter this code into the verification box. By postcard does the same thing but will take a day or two to reach you for obvious reasons.

• It can take a few days (allow up to a week or so) for your listing to be updated. You can change/update your listing later if you need to and you won't be asked to verify again.

Finally, if you really want to delve into the world of online location services, you should also look at adding/updating your listing on Bing maps (the 'other' search/mapping engine). Unfortunately it appears that they're currently still very US-centric and use a third party to manage UK listings. However, you can easily update your information here, which should eventually make it's way onto Bing (and a few other location/directory listings to boot).

Beyond that, you can also look into adding yourself to Foursquare, the leading location based social media site and ensuring that you have a Facebook page linked to your location - although these are only really worth investigating if you're considering promoting yourself on there and/or engaging directly with people using these social media sites.

The identity of a brand

Logo. Identity. Brand. These are all the same and can be used interchangeably, right? Well, in a word, no. These three little words are very close to a designer’s heart as they lie at the core of what we do: confuse them at your peril. A common misconception is that a brand is simply a logo, whereas a logo is not your brand, nor is it your identity. All have different roles that work together to help form a perception of a company or product.

The words ‘logo’, ‘identity’, ‘brand’ and ‘branding’ are often bandied about by different people, within marketing companies, advertising agencies, public relations firms and graphic/web design studios, as well as clients, who define them within their own frame of expertise and reference. So, it’s not surprising that people have become a bit confused and think they’re just marketing buzzwords that mean little and are an excuse for agencies to pocket large amounts of cash to draw a few squiggles – the many articles on the Internet about the London 2012 logo being a case in point.

So, we've taken a look at these words (using the London 2012 logo as a starting point) and created an easy to use, basic guide and explanation for each to remove some of the mystery and waffle from the equation. Now, we certainly don’t pretend to have all the answers here, and there may be some designers (and marketers) who disagree with our definitions, but hopefully this makes things a wee bit clearer. If so, it’s a good starting point from which to explore the complex world of branding.

» Download our guide to logos and identity here (PDF)

Boules to that

With all the current grumbling about an over-sponsored Olympics (we're not sure we're allowed to use that word?) Let's try: 'International Sporting Event held in London'. Hmmm, OK, apparently 'London' is also a banned word (as is 'Summer' – but until the last few days, we're not sure we needed to use that one).

You know what we mean anyway – so, perhaps it's time to start up the 'Alternative Olympics'*.

With that in mind, we decided to enter our team into Better Bankside’s annual Boules competition (if ever a sport was deserving of Olympic status surely the venerable game of Pétanque would be first in line?).

The competition was fierce this year, but yes, you guessed it, the TTP team fought hard and finally brought home the gold! (oops, yet another forbidden word). After a rousing motivational speech from our self-appointed team manager/player/coach/mascot: Glenn Wood, we held our nerve in the pouring rain, aided by several (we’re not quite sure how many) Desperados to triumph in the final by one point, winning 13-12.

So, with this gutsy (and of course, skillful) win in mind, this month’s top tips is a guide to playing Boules – or Pétanque to give it its proper French name. Enjoy and if anyone fancies taking on the TTP champions let us know!

*Oh and talking of the 'Alternative Olympics' – here's some 'Alternative Olympic Merchandising' – Ok, it's a bit on the cynical side, but I'd rather have one of these than a terrifying 'Wenlock' doll!

Introduction

Pétanque is a form of boules where the aim is to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (‘piglet’) or coche for short.

Normally played on hard dirt or gravel, pétanque can also be played on grass, sand (we discovered that very wet sand – due to our miserable British summer – laid on top of a manhole cover can alter the gameplay somewhat) or other surfaces. 

The aim of the game is simple: players throw their boules as close as possible to the coche whilst trying to knock your opponents' boules away from the coche (smashing into your opponents' boule and watching smugly as they roll away from the coche is really rather fun and extremely satisfying).

HOW TO PLAY 

• The teams toss to play and the winning team draws a small circle (traditionally with a baguette), stands inside it and throw the coche 6-10m away – trickier than you think after a few drinks, especially in the rain as you’re juggling your boule, an umbrella and a beer bottle)

• The same player lobs the first boule (always underarm) as close to the coche as possible 

• Now it’s team B’s turn to throw; this team keeps throwing until they land a boule closer to the coche than team A, or run out of boules. Then it’s Team A’s turn again.

• Points are scored when everyone is out of boules; one point for each boule closer to the coche than your opponents’ best placed boule (usually a highly debated decision – make sure you employ some French flamboyance here). The first team to 13 wins. Et Voila! 

THE BASICS 

Heckling

During the other team’s throws it is quite acceptable to heckle and gesture etc to put off your opponents. If you’re playing a French team, this is the ideal opportunity to improve those Anglo-French relations, with bon mot banter directed at both Les rosbifs and the Frogs.

The grip

No overarm lobbing in this civilized game: the boule is always thrown underarm with the hand and boule facing downwards. It’s essential that you master the grip otherwise the boule master will shout at you as we found out. Depending on your temperament, this will either make you shout back or dissolve into a fit of giggles. Either way, this can have a potentially disastrous effect on your concentration and therefore, your game.

The throw

There are three main ways of throwing your boule: the high lob, the half lob and the rolling throw. Each require a different skill and technique that can take years to master.

Alternatively, there is always the pool equivalent of ‘hit and hope’. Something the TTP team grasped immediately.

Scoring

In most cases a tape measure is the best option, although we found a beer bottle was more than an adequate alternative. However, for those of you who prefer digital solutions, there is now a Petanque BoulOmeter available from the app store. Genius!

Top tips

• You need a good cop and a bad cop in your team. The good cop aims to get his ball in pole position just in front of the coche whilst the bad cop blasts opponents’ balls out of the way. You may find that you intend to be the good cop but inadvertently become the bad cop (especially after one too many Desperados)

• Discretion is often the better part of valour – if your team has the nearest boule to the coche and one left to throw, don’t be greedy. However, easier said than done if you want to go for glory…

• As with most hand to eye co-ordination sports, you’ll play better after a couple of cheeky drinks. No more, no less. Now, everyone knows this, however, if you manage to stick to just two drinks you’re far more disciplined than us.

• Pétanque is a psychological game. Exploit your opponents’ weakness to win, plus it’s fun.

• Be a gracious winner and don’t lord it up over your beaten opponents…who are we kidding? That’s half the fun of winning. 

So, now you know the basics, grab a set of boules and have a go. The game needs no previous experience (we can attest to that) and can be played by young and old, male and female, drunk or sober (we can also attest to this, although it’s far more fun when drunk).

And if you’re still not persuaded, here’re a few more reasons why you should become au fait with pétanque:

It’s not just for old French farts

Now, pétanque probably conjures up images of elderly men in flat caps and string vests, gitane in one hand, shot of pastis in the other. And yet, pétanque is now considered cool, and even de rigeur in fashionable circles.

Karl Lagerfeld hosted a pétanque tournament for Vanessa Paradis, Diane Kruger and other beautiful people after the Chanel Cruise show in St Tropez. Chanel even created boules sets engraved with its insignia for the occasion. It’s just a pity Better Bankside couldn’t stretch to giving us one as our prize.

It’s good for you

Shots of pastis (or god forbid, bottles of Desperado) aside, pétanque is good for you. Maitre Kaise, a Buddhist monk has published a book, L'esprit de la pétanque, advocating the game as an aid to meditation. According to him, petanque is a “fabulous opportunity to develop exceptional human qualities and to allow the player to communicate better with the world and, above all, with himself."

And let’s not forget that in Thailand pétanque is a mandatory part of military training. Apparently, it helps to improve coordination, team spirit, tactical thinking, and keeps the soldiers alert and aware. Well if it’s good enough for the Thai military…

And finally… you get the chance to kiss a bare bottomed Fanny!

Losing 0-13 is known as ‘il a fait fanny’ (‘he made fanny’) and the traditional, and incredibly French, rule dictates that a team who loses 0-13 must kiss the bottom of a girl called Fanny. Now, in the 21st century you’d be hard pushed to find said Fanny, so as an alternative solution, the losers kiss the bare behind of the women on the winning team. Alternatively, you can buy everyone an apertif, it’s your call.

FIN.

Pulp Fiction

Paper comes in a wide variety of weights, finishes, coatings and textures. Making sure you select the most suitable type of paper and finish for a particular job (including audience, tone, and purpose) is essential – after all, if you tried to use standard photocopier paper for a corporate report or artistic brochure, the printer and design agency will want to beat you to a pulp!

The word ‘finish’ traditionally refers to the treatment of the surface of the paper, and put most simply, means it may have a particularly smooth or rough texture, Some papers absorb colours better than others and are more suitable for a type of printing or specific application than others, all of which mean the type of paper chosen can have a huge impact of how the printed, finished item looks.

Ask your printer or design agency to show you samples of the different paper and finishes, as touching them and seeing them first hand will give you a much better idea of what will work for your job.

Download our guide to paper and print finishes here

Give us a glue

The art of origami and pretty paper plants aside, understanding paper folds is essential for designers and clients alike. Whether designing a leaflet or pop-up children’s book, paper folds are as important to design as typefaces, formatting and illustrations. There’s a lot more to it than just folding a piece of paper in half or half again (in a ‘here’s one I made earlier’ kind of way) and believe it or not, paper folding is considered an art form.

Choosing the right layout, and therefore folding, reinforces the message of your document, engages the reader, makes you stand out from the crowd and lets you control the way the message is revealed – all pretty powerful stuff.

Paper can be folded into some downright crazy shapes, most of which you’ll never need, so for now we’ve just covered the basics in our handy guide, along with bindings and their typical applications. So whether you’re looking for a concertina, standard or parallel map fold, we’ve got it covered here.

» download our PDF guide

Learning to love logo formats

Things are never simple, are they? The vast array of media now available means logos are now supplied in a bewildering number of formats, and for those who aren’t professional designers or in the industry, what to use for what application can be pretty confusing. High res, low res, eps, jpg, Pantone, RGB, it can all get a bit much.

Again, as for last month’s top tips on colour models, we’re aware a lot of you know all of this backwards, but we are firm believers in revisiting the basics as well as helping those who aren’t in the know.

As designers often vary in the kinds of logo formats they supply, understanding the different file formats can be crucial. Just knowing the basics means you can avoid unnecessary changes and painful exchanges back and forth with the designers/printers/other agencies etc and speed up the whole process.

» Download our logo format guide here

Like?

Unless you've been hiding under the digital equivalent of a large rock over the last few years, you'll be aware of the huge impact 'social media' is having on the world at large. From Twitter to LinkedIn and Google+, these have given us all new ways to communicate with our friends, build brand awareness or plan the next major riot.

In terms of social media though, nothing can really compare to the behemoth that is Facebook, but many companies are still holding back from any kind of social media presence (especially when it comes to Facebook) as they see it as simply a glorified way for people to 'tweet' about their pub-crawl plans and 'like' pictures of kittens etc. - not exactly relevant for most B2B companies. Sure, we've all heard tales of B2C marketing successes - but again, that's when marketing directly to the consumer.

Even so, more and more traditional B2B companies are starting to explore this new frontier. Twitter seems to be the usual jumping off point - setting up a Twitter account is incredibly simple and with a maximum of 140 characters, most of us can just about find the time to write a tweet every now and again (although even that amount can sometimes seem daunting to those new to the idea).

Are you a tweeting fanatic or are you still sitting on the fence and waiting before you dip your toe in those mysterious social waters? And just because social media is the current 'trend' of the day, should you feel forced to join the herd? Facebook presents a few challenges in terms of building an audience and posting relevant content, so if you are new to the whole thing, then Twitter is probably the best place to start. It can be very effective when trying to raise awareness of your brand, getting your point of view out to a wider audience and even increasing your search engine ranking, so it really is worth trying (and talking of raising awareness - see the additional note 'Going Viral' below).

Here's a tip when starting out - one of the key things to do is find a 'voice' - remember this will be the Twitter account for the company, not necessarily yourself, but this doesn't mean that you have to be dull or 'matter of fact' – in fact those who simply use Twitter to post press-releases won't get a lot of followers. Use the channel to communicate with a different audience and in a different way. Don't forget to follow people you also find interesting and don't be afraid to RT (ReTweet) anything you think will be interesting to those who follow you. Throw in some links to interesting things on your site and use it to publicise any news or blogs you want more people to see (this can be great for SEO too). Finally, don't make the mistake that many first time Twitterers make - don't think of it as one way communication. If someone comments on your brand, your work or sends you a direct message - be on the other end of the line and answer their query, engage with them!

But that's just Twitter, what of Facebook? Well over the last few years, Facebook has steadily been rolling out changes to the way it handles 'brand' pages. Facebook is no longer just for individuals and there are now many more tools to enable either a B2C *OR* B2B brand to have a presence. You only really appreciate the true power of Facebook when you set up a page and then look into the advertising possibilities - the sheer range of targeting information and options is quite staggering. Want to advertise to women in London and New York and Tokyo, all between the ages of 24 and 28 who like Skydiving and Crochet? No problem!

One of the biggest of these recent changes is the Facebook Timeline. Any normal Facebook user will already be familiar with the Timeline layout as that rolled out to personal profiles several months ago, however, this now goes live for brands today. This means a whole new layout to the page, so any existing content will probably need to be re-looked at. So if you've already got a Facebook page, you'll need to make sure you're ready for the change, and for those who haven't explored the option, well, now's a good time to try!

The nice thing about the social media revolution is that the tools are free and the hard bit isn't actually the figuring out of technology/software - it's the creation of content (and not just once, but once a month at least!). This means that it's pretty easy for most people to figure out how to setup their Facebook page and add interesting content for your potential audience. That's not to say that more advanced features aren't available of course.

One tool we've recently been exploring is 'LikeIt Pages' - this is an interesting new service that aims to give the average user much more in the way of options when it comes to their Facebook pages - from encouraging users to 'Like' you, to giving extra content 'rewards' when they do. The system is pretty easy to use and any limitations are more down to the way Facebook works rather than problems with the software itself.

If you'd like to find out more about how you can use social media to spread the word and attract more business, give us a call or email me at: ben@tothepoint.co.uk. For further information about LikeIt Pages or setting up your Facebook page to take advantage of the new Timeline see the links below:

For further info:

Our Facebook page (feel free to 'like' us!)

LikeIt Pages

Top 6 guides to starting a Facebook Brand page

Top 6 changes to Facebook with the new Timeline

Timeline for brands - a complete guide

and finally a very nice use of the new Facebook Timeline - the D&AD Easter Egg hunt


Additional note - Going viral:

Just as I'm writing all this stuff about the potential power of Twitter, it's nice to see that our little typography game we created last year 'I Shot the Serif' has gone viral again. You can see the current Twitter chat here: https://twitter.com/#!/search/tothepoint.co.uk - the point is that without doing any additional marketing (over and above the occasional tweet), we had more hits to our site than EVER before yesterday (that's over 3000 unique hits in one day - not bad considering we usually average around 150 per day). And if that isn't a nice way to demonstrate the power of social media, I'm not sure what is!

Young man, there's no need to feel blue*

brilliant 'CMYK' photo by 'Auntie P'

Of course, we’re preaching to many of the converted here, but the subject of print colours seems to baffle many non-designers. The recent comment from a client that 'CMYK' sounds like a Village People song is a case in point!

Young man, are you listening to me…

And once you start explaining that the colours seen on screen aren’t the same as print colours, some clearly just tune out. So whilst the Village People comment caused a lot of amusement in the studio and has been added to our 'quote bank', it did also throw up some interesting questions about how much clients do and should know about the colour processes. We see this as an essential part of branding, especially when considering the consistency of your brand across all current mediums, from print to digital.

So, in a nutshell, print colours are typically CMYK (that's Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black - Black is represented as 'K' for Key) and Pantone, whilst the on-screen and web colour spectrum is RGB (Red, Green, Blue), but it’s not always that simple. So, for this month’s top tips we’ve put together a handy little guide describing the different colour models and whether they are for print or screen usage.

Get our colour guide here (PDF)

Make sure you take a look at next month’s blog as we’ll be continuing with this theme and looking at logo formats and their different uses, something else that confuses non designers and often designers too!

Size does matter

Last month’s proof marks guide proved very popular, so hopefully this month’s guide to paper sizes, scaling and usage will be just as helpful.

Almost everyone is familiar with the standard A4, A3 etc sizes of paper (well, except for North America which is resolutely sticking to imperial measurements).

This ISO A series of paper uses the metric system, with all sizes based on a height-to-width ratio of the square root of 2, where the base format is A0, a sheet of paper measuring 1m² in area. Successive paper sizes in the series A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8, are all half the size of the preceding paper size.

Unsurprisingly, the most frequently used paper size is A4 (210 × 297 mm). The B and C series are far less common than the A, with B slightly larger than A and mainly used for posters and books, whilst the C series is generally used for envelopes and folders.

A series usage:

• A3: typically used for drawings, diagrams and large tables.
• A4: usually used for general and business stationery, brochures, booklets etc.
• A5: commonly used for smaller items such as leaflets/flyers etc.
• A6: international postcard size.
• A7: labels etc.
• A8: business cards

Download our handy paper size guide here (PDF)

Mark my words

TTP's Top Tips – January

Welcome to the first of our monthly top tips column. Each month we’ll be looking at an industry related topic, trend or simply sharing something that we’ve found interesting.

And to kick us off we’re taking a quick look at the most commonly used proofreading marks and what they mean.

Proof marks are globally recognised symbols and squiggles that are used when correcting draft documents and typeset pages. It’s a way of making what can be a painful process far simpler and efficient, helping to improve consistency and miscommunication.

Although proof marks aren’t as widely used as they once were, they are still useful tools whether marking corrections on paper or electronically, and you never know when you might need them.

Download our proof marks guide here (PDF)