Show 5

This poster visualises the exchange of 31 briefs from writer to creative / recipient. The pentagon shape represents the fifth show.

Brief 02

Cork City

Noeleen’s Rationale:

Not just a place but an altered state of mind.

Disclaimer: I love Cork city as much as any blow-in of 8 years can.

Brief 03

Howard Stern Radio personality Howard Stern has been brandishing his style of sophomoric and gross out humour on American airwaves for over three decades. For this project, the designer is asked to listen to an interview or comedy bit from the Howard Stern show and recreate it as a poster. (Material can be found on Youtube)

Brief 04

To celebrate the fifth brief exchange I want you simply to create a poster celebrating the number 5 and my favourite colour which is green... However I want you to create a 3D piece, an installation of some description, then photograph it and use it in the poster. Have fun. Think big!

Hugh’s rational: Growing up as a student in Limerick City there was only one proper way to celebrate. That was with €5 Naggins! The decision to illustrate with linoblock and wood was made to echo the many examples of handpainted signage that have been visible across the old red brick city throughout my lifetime. Though now crumbling and faded they still leave quite an impression.

Brief 05

All in Good Time.

Taking a favourite joke, poem or piece of music, please visually express its timing. The method of expression is up to you, be it through the use of typography, abstract shapes or photography.

Brief 06

I spy with my little eye...

Brief 07

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

Brief 08

Create a poster, in your chosen discipline (design, illustration, photography, paint) based on the following:

“When you think things are bad,

when you feel sour and blue,

when you start to get mad...

you should do what I do!

Just tell yourself, Duckie,

you're really quite lucky!

Some people are much more...

oh, ever so much more...

oh, muchly much-much more

unlucky than you!"

Dr. Seuss, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Ray’s Rationale:

The book, 'Did I ever tell you how lucky you are', instructs its readers in the practice of negative visualisation and a coping mechanism for daily angst. This poster uses the desolate prickly landscape mentioned in the book as a backdrop to communicate everyday difficulty and despair that people sometimes experience. The introduction Dr Seuss's most iconic Cat in a Hat as a balloon rising above this harsh landscape echoes the hopeful sentiment espoused in the poem.

Brief 09

Wisdom is where you find it...

A slightly older, slightly wiser friend once told me

"Opportunity often comes disguised as a balls of a situation".

Create an image that reflects this, or any 'real life' advice you have been given.

Dee’s Rationale:

I instantly had the answer to the brief but writing the words, looking at the photo took more from me than I expected.

It takes two people to say “I do” but just one to say “ I don’t”

The emotions are typed crisp and hard – just like I felt them.

The circles are rough, uneven and unbalanced reflecting the chaos.

The thread symbolizes the journey.. ping ponging from one feeling to the next.

A balls of a situation… no doubt there but15 months later I am happy.

I took the opportunity to build a life I love.

Brief 10

Create a poster, using any materials, to encourage people to put away their phones and tablets and instead connect more with each other on public transport and/or in the world in general.

Brief 11

On Christmas Eve in 1874, a train derailed and crashed in Oxfordshire, England. It was one of the worst rail disasters the area had ever seen and 34 passengers were killed. I know this is a pretty grim beginning for a design brief, but bear with me. A list of victim descriptions from a newspaper article at the time circulated on Twitter recently, and makes for fascinating reading. The details of what was found in their pockets has been described as something like notes for a novel.

Your brief is to design an image inspired by any or all of the descriptions (where were attached as an image with this brief - please get in touch if you want to know more). Feel free to use them as standalone notes or within the context of their background. Have fun!

Brief 12

“You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape Milo.”

Who the hell is Milo? About 10 years ago, I often asked myself this when a certain Enrique Iglesias song came on the radio. Of course the actual lyric to this terrible song is ‘my love’.

This phenomenon is known as a ‘mondegreen’ – the phonetic mishearing or misinterpretation of frequently-heard phrases. Using your own creative approach; create a visual mondegreen. It can be based on anything you like – a misheard song lyric, a wrongly-remembered film quote, a misused everyday phrase or expression.

Brief 13

Robotic Pets in Human Lives

David’s rationale: "I'd started by looking at the advances in robotics and technology available to us now, but after spending time being dazzled at high tech cyber-pet technology, I came into the next room, and saw our own pet, and realised there's a certain solace or connection with real pets that robotics emulates but doesn't replace."

Brief 14

Mary Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Brief 15

Create an homage to your favourite monument/building/location. Try to communicate exactly why you feel so strongly about this place and what it means to you. You could also add an educational element to your piece and help us to learn something about your chosen monument/building/location.

Lucia's Rationale:

Čičmany [CHICH-MAN-EE]: Slovakia's painted village. GPS: N48°57'24'' E18°31'1''

In Slovakia, you can travel back to 1272 just by visiting the world’s first folk architecture reserve, the village of Čičmany where the local villagers have a strong folk heritage with traditional costumes, dance and music.

The houses all share the same designs and symbols painted on them with lime as the patterns embroidered into local folk costumes. The symbols seen on the cottages today include arrows, clovers, hearts, crosses and several different kinds of animals. But exactly why the natives decided to ornament their homes in this manner is a mystery.

It’s a real feast for the eyes.

Why do I feel strong about this place? It makes me feel warm even in never ending winter. See more here

Brief 16

Design or Illustrate this extract from A Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Brief 17

Creative Block. A "creative block" is the inability to access one's flowing stream of inspiration and creativity. What was once an overflowing well of ideas may now feel like an endless drought. It can last for days, months, or even years at a time.

Many creatives at some point in their lives are faced with creative block. It is something that is not just frustrating — it can be career damaging. But, thankfully, there are vast arrays of tried and tested techniques to help overcome these mental obstacles that hinder creativity.

Your brief is to create a poster based on techniques that creatives can apply to help conquer creative block. You may decide to create a poster based on your own experiences/techniques, or you may find something cool and helpful online.

(There are loads online!) The poster can be based on just one method, or be based on a range of different methods. It can be created in a style of your choosing but the finished result should be informative, visually stimulating and helpful to any viewer in a creative funk. And of course the final element of this brief is to make sure you have fun doing it.

Best of luck!

Brief 18

LEGEND TRIPPING is an adolescent practice (containing elements of a rite of passage) in which a usually furtive nocturnal pilgrimage is made to a site which is alleged to have been the scene of some tragic, horrific, and possibly supernatural event or haunting.

Your brief is to visually represent the notion of legend tripping, either directly (e.g. a poster for a movie based on the topic) or indirectly (an account of a personal or anecdotal instance of legend tripping).

The recipient is free to use illustration, design and photography (or a combination of these) to complete the brief. Read a bit more on the topic here

Brief 19

I've always loved lyrics and loved how a simple turn of phrase or simple placement of words can make for a whole world of meaning… and also often struck by the number of times an old/traditional phrase, expression or idiom can often make for a wonderful song or title (song, film or book etc.)… random examples from the top of my head are: ‘Paper Tiger’ or ‘Round The Bend’ by Beck; or the films “The Big Sleep” or “Dead of Night”…

So, my brief is simply one of these peculiar idioms/phrases (and only three words long!):

“silence is golden”

Mick’s Rationale: Working on this brief during autumn, it was hard not to be inspired by the colours of the fallen leaves. I took this photo in the reflection of the grand canal at Mount St. as a lonely walker walked by, captured at the top of the frame. Slience is golden. What a beautiful simple and poetic phrase. It was one we heard quite a bit as kids, mostly when visiting my childless aunt and my grandmother, but they meant it in a far less reflective and peaceful way!! Can't blame them. We never shut it.

Brief 20

Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of Planet Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe on February 14, 1990 at a distance of 6 Billion km.

In the photograph, the Earth appears as a tiny dot against the vastness of space, among bands of sunlight cast on camera's lens. It’s taking was requested by Astro Physicist Carl Sagan and was famously used to accompany his poetic speech in the seminal TV series Cosmos.

Make something to do with that.

Brief 22

Trump No.1

Donald Trump fails in his attempt to get the nomination to be the Republican Party’s Presidential candidate, so decides to move to Doonbeg, Ireland and run for the Dail as an independent for the Clare-Galway South constituency in next year’s General Election. Your brief is to design his campaign poster, use illustration, photography, come up with your own campaign slogan, whatever takes your fancy, go as nuts as the great man himself.

Brief 23

September 13th this year, marks what would have been the 99th birthday of beloved children’s author, Roald Dahl. Create a poster to celebrate this inspired by the following quote, which was the last line of the last children’s book ever written by Roald Dahl:

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” - The Minpins

Brief 24

Lists.

I love a good list.

Make one. Of things you know.

Bonus points if you can get the title of three NWA songs into the list.

Brief 25

We learn something new every day. Design something you have learned today

Brief 27

Capture the inner madness that designers use to drive their creativity through a translation of the following lyric…

"Don't you ever tame your demons. But always keep ‘em on a leash"

Rationale: Although a slight sidestep from what the brief initially asked for, I decided to use the opportunity to create an image based on my own experiences with inner demons, and my journey in overcoming mental health issues. The dog in the image is based on my grandmother's now-deceased, Alsation dog, Nancy, who I remember as being a terribly cross dog. In the artwork, Nancy, although crazed and furious-looking is being hugged by a younger me who is serene, content and comfortable in her presence. The affection being shown to such a ferocious creature is to act as a juxtaposition, and is, in a way, a celebration of the demons that I have battled because one thing is for sure, I would never have been an artist without them!

Brief 28

Teahupo’o is a village on the south west coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia in the Southern Pacific Ocean and is recognised by surfers as having some of the heaviest waves in world.

Brief: Take us there :)

Brief 29

Many Irish tourism ads both at home and abroad focus on our fabulous past and heritage, the castles the cliffs the traditional music and traditional pubs. But there are many other sides to Ireland that should also be celebrated. Visually create a piece that you feel celebrates all that is new and fresh about Ireland.

Brief 30

For some reason cats have attracted more than their fair share of superstition. Depending on the country, cats are viewed differently, sometimes as objects of fear, sometimes as harbingers of good luck. Visually represent one or more of these popular superstitions using illustration, design, photography or any other media of your choice.

Katie’s Rationale:

Popular superstition has informed opinions on black cats and led all too many people to believe that they bring bad luck. As a result of this irrational fear, bad fortune has descended upon black cats, worldwide, as too many of them wait in shelters, overlooked in favour of their more colourful counterparts.

At the moment there’s a black cat called Sid waiting (for far too long) for his forever home. He's with Animal Rescue Cobh and he’s really special. More info here.

Please share his appeal and help dispel this myth. Let's find Sid a home. Let's get black cats trending! #adoptablackcat

Note: Animal Rescue Cobh have a 'no kill' policy. This poster is based on worldwide statistics.

Brief 31

'We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.' Mother Theresa.

Newspapers today are overflowing with stories of war, horror and utter despair. It seems that money doesn't only make the world go round, but it's causing it to spin out of control, with hate and greed being its never-ending supply of fuel.

Your brief is to create a truly uplifting image which will remind people that the world isn't all that bad and that there is lots to smile about. This could be the front page of a newspaper designed in your own 'sunshiney' way, or maybe it's a single image which just oozes positivity. Whatever you decide to do, your job is to make people smile...and have fun while doing so :)

Rachel’s rationale:

While the idea of Mother Teresa is in contradiction with anything positive or uplifting for me, this is great quote and very true.

Rather than tackle the state of the world today and all that is wrong with it (I would never have made the deadline), I thought it best to concentrate on the quote itself. A smile has the power to instantly lift your mood and spread joy. A smile is contagious.

Brief 01

Google recently rebranded with a new logo, its biggest update in 16 years.

The old logo (a serif wordmark that sat atop the Google search bar in our internet browsers) will now be retired, phased out and replaced with a shiny new sans-serif typeface.

Your brief is to imagine and illustrate a memorial to the great and retired logos of the past.

Brief 21

Written by Brian O’Shaughnessy

Design a poster that sums up your personality in visual form.

Brief 26

A widely held popular belief states that 10,000 hours of practice are needed to become a master in any field. Recent studies show that this is bogus! Now that you don't have to spend all your time practicing, how would you spend 10,000 hours?