We are excited to announce that we have been shortlisted for FOUR Transform Europe Awards. The global brand development awards recognise creativity and strategic thought, and place real emphasis on the impact of the work.
“The calibre of submissions has been outstanding and this year has been very competitive. It is absolutely fantastic to see RichardsDee once more reach the shortlist in not just one, but four categories.” Andrew Thomas, Transform
Our work with Dublin Bus on DoDublin has been shortlisted for Best Brand Evolution, Best Creative Strategy and Best Visual Identity in the Travel Leisure and Tourism Sector. Read the full case study here.
Our work with Bewley’s on Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for hospice has been shortlisted for Best Visual Identity from a Charity, NGO or Not-For-Profit category. Read the full case study here.
“We are delighted to be shortlisted again for awards that recognise the transformative impact branding has on business, and industry. The Transform Awards are important awards for us for many reasons; a key one being the way their jury is structured by client side professionals who vote on commercial performance and disruption balanced with excellence in execution. This is our second consecutive year in the shortlist which is testament to the energy, focus and determination of both our own team and the clients who trust us with their brands” Celine Dee, Co-Founder, RichardsDee
About Transform Awards
Transform is a publishing and events brand dedicated to the global rebranding and brand development industry. The Transform Awards celebrate the best in rebranding, employer brand strategy and brand development in Europe.
“Internationally, rebranding and brand development has become a catalyst for successful business. As opportunities ripen, this year’s Transform Awards Europe 2018 shortlist catalogues the leaps and bounds that brand development work is continuing to make. The shortlists quintessentially represent not only the impact of imagination, but also how creativity can elegantly meet strategy, thriving on nostalgia, mystery and striking imagery.” Andrew Thomas, Transform
Did you know that creatives are 25% more likely to suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime, or that now, 1 in 10 people in Ireland are affected by depression?
Creating a stronger design community means facing these issues, putting a spotlight on mental health and how we deal with it as colleagues and agency principals.
It is our responsibility as a community to support each other which is why we are proud to give our time for Mind Over Matter on November 2nd, a national day of design in aid of mental health. The day is dependent on the design community giving their time, and businesses engaging and paying a fee that is donated directly to Aware.
How it works For a fee of €60 anyone from an established business to a start-up or an entrepreneur can book a consultation hour with a designer. The fee goes straight to Aware, while during the hour you will find innovative solutions and discover new opportunities, while raising money for a great cause in your region.
We are delighted that three of our team are volunteering their services on the day
Why talk to a designer?
Designers are natural problem solvers who make it their business to be on the pulse of international design practices and thinking. It’s their dedication to innovation and creativity that translates into added value for your business, whether that’s through branding, production, user experience or manufacturing.
By embracing design it has been proven time and time again to add value to your business in ways that can end up creating competitive advantage and improving your bottom line.
Where Two locations in Dublin and locations in Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Tullamore, Dundalk and Kilkenny. Check out the Mind Over Matter website to find a venue close to you
It’s been over a year in the making, but our role in the creation of the new executive lounge at Dublin Airport is complete. Not only is this lounge the only US Preclearance lounge in Europe, it is the first lounge on “US soil,” outside of America. Working across concept, creative direction, naming, brand identity and passenger experience, this week marks the launch of the lounge, where all of these elements can be experienced together for the first time.
From an initial brief to delivery, the challenge was to convey and position a new lounge experience that captured the crossing of time zones and countries. With a clear understanding of the audience, we considered spaces for play, work, relaxation and to explore the fusion of Irish and American produce. A key focal point was the idea of a barista, to reinforce the quality of experience and to create a talking point for the lounge. MCA Architects led the delivery of the built environment, bringing to life the concept through references to time and the brand colour palette.
Menu covers and delph.
The name 51st&Green was inspired by the idea of an intersection; the fusion of the best of Ireland with the best of America. The 51st represents the creation of a new time zone – the 51st state of America and the Green is a proud reference towards Ireland and the new Dublin Airport brand. In addition, the construction of the name reflects a traditional American address, and this street sign concept is brought through in the style of the brand mark. This theme is continued across all key touch points to build the 51st&Green story.
This new lounge represents a place where Ireland and America connect; a place where people, time and cultures blend to create a truly unique lounge experience, and we are delighted to have played a leading role in bringing the vision to life.
Bord Na Móna has ambitious plans to become number one in each of their chosen segments, employ 3,000 people, turnover in excess of €1billion by 2030 and reposition the business as global leaders of the future.
We were invigorated by Bord Na Mona’s ambition. But we knew their current brand experience was not up to their new vision. We worked with the team over the past year in a three step process to realise their vision.
We created a programme of work that included a comprehensive brand audit, benchmark and competitive studies, consultative interviews, cross functional team workshops, consumer research and designed a creative process that would successfully reposition the business and bring all stakeholders along the journey.
Through the discovery and insight stages, we unearthed a “brand truth’’, that Bord na Móna is Naturally Driven. Naturally Driven not only speaks to the expertise and the innate ability of Bord na Móna employees to take something ordinary and make it useful, but to their drive to make the most of our natural resources to provide sustainable solutions to the diverse challenges being faced.
With the new brand truth established and a robust master brand strategy in place, we set about developing the brand identity system.
We identified much of the brand fragmentation had arisen from acquisitions that were diluting the master brand and encouraging the divisions to operate autonomously. Our initial objective was to design a fluid system where all existing and future companies would align behind one brand, and embrace one culture to deliver one vision.
By working in an agile and collaborative way, the outcome is a confident and energetic brand system that both reflects and galvanises the ongoing evolution of the business and their ambitious commitment to making a difference to people’s lives, the economy and the planet we live on.
To ensure the successful integration of the visual identity system, we have developed brand guidelines, toolkits, and continue to host workshops both for internal stakeholders and partner agencies.
RichardsDee is Ireland’s leading brand and design agency and we are looking for senior and mid-weight creative and conceptual brand designers to join our growing team. The ideal candidates will be self-starters, ambitious, articulate, upbeat and have a strong understanding of brand and corporate identity. The candidates will work in teams that are fun, hardworking and love what they do. You will work alongside the Creative Director and Client teams in developing and building brands that are changing categories and evolving industries.
Senior Designer- Brand Identity Experience- 6 years +
Responsibilities:
•Create impactful and memorable visual experiences for a range of ambitious clients
•Generate and produce great ideas and design executions that are underpinned by brand and business strategy
•Execute and produce design communications for diverse media
•Collaborate and coordinate with all internal agency disciplines from strategy, creative, project management and implementation
•Work passionately with our external partners, from photographers to illustrators and typographers, ensuring we deliver world class responses to briefs
•Continuously develop and participate in external activities on an ongoing basis for personal development and as a source of inspiration
Skills and Experience:
•Exceptional creative talent
•Strong written and verbal communication skills
•Strong organisational and time management skills
•Strong presentation skills and leadership qualities
•Experienced in all current design software
•BA degree in graphic design plus 6+ years of related experience
•Experience with motion graphics and a working knowledge of digital design
Mid-weight Designer- Brand & Packaging Experience- 3 years +
Responsibilities:
•Be confident in brand and packaging and in presenting your work, both internally and to clients
•Be able to excite and inspire people around you – both colleagues and clients – while earning their respect and confidence
•Be able to make bold, clever design decisions and bring others with you
•Be great at organising and prioritising your workload
•Bring a strong creative point of view to the agency
Skills and Experience:
•A brilliant creative thinker, with the ability to challenge and push comfort
•Obsessed with both craft and detail
•Comfortable engaging with the strategic dimension of our work, able to get under the skin of clients’ issues
•Articulate, confident and assertive in presenting work
•Highly collaborative, able to build strong relationships within design and across the business
•Excellent typography and brief taking skills
•A good awareness and keen interest of packaging in the market today.
•Print and new media exposure and good knowledge of print and various print processes.
•Experienced in all current design software
Please submit CV and a low-res PDF of work to simon@richardsdee.com before March 10th.
Following a pitch process, we were delighted to be appointed to work on the naming, brand strategy and creative development of Intuity, a newly formed entity in Galway.
Intuity is home to tec support, an IT support and maintenance business and ice cube, a company that has been providing software solutions to Credit Unions and marts for decades. It was important to develop an overarching creative strategy that aligned the brands and built on the new group positioning – Straight Talking Experts.
With plans for a 100-strong expansion to its workforce, Intuity is ambitious and we are delighted to have played a part in their inception.
We are delighted to welcome Mariana to the design team, where she was recently was spotted on the recent ICAD Upstarts initiative. Mariana, originally from Brazil, recently graduated from BCFE. The one thing you need to know about Mariana is she thinks that Blade Runner is the best film ever made and chips were made to be eaten with vanilla ice cream or not to be eaten at all.
The Coaching Equation is an international professional coaching and mentoring consultancy that works with people at all levels to improve and transform their leadership and management skills. We were appointed develop an identity for The Coaching Equation that was approachable and modern, yet structured enough to support the proven methodologies employed to deliver results. It was important that the new identity reflected both the founder’s personality (positive and results driven) and style (classic with an edge), whilst positioning the company as a credible alternative to the primary competitive set who have advocated for very corporate identities.
The Coaching Equation is about discovering each individual’s happiness / success formula. As every individual is different, The Coaching Equation takes a holistic approach to uncovering the right combination and balance for that individual. To that end, the central idea around the logo is the ‘Power of Balance’. A script font is used to add a personal touch, reinforcing the approachability of the consultants. The lettering in the main word mark has been manipulated to play on symbols derived from mathematical equations and primary shapes, and elevates the results-driven nature of the advice on offer. The divider line reinforces the idea of the ultimate success formula and plays to the holistic approach taken by the company when working with the individual (professional and personal, happiness and success). The result is an identity that is precise and to the point, but with a very distinct and differentiated personality.
Last night we hosted the designers participating in the 2015 ICAD Upstarts course. ICAD is a great initiative where up and coming designers work with a mentor and design studios to develop their work, challenge their thinking and improve their portfolio. We set a brief last week and their work was presented last night. Considering the short time scale, the work presented was excellent and an enjoyable evening was had discussing the work. Once again we were delighted be involved with this great initiative.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, one of Ireland’s leading visitor experiences welcomes almost half a million tourists and schoolchildren annually. We have been working with Saint Patrick’s on it’s identity and communications and were delighted to have played a role in its first real move into technology.
This week the Cathedral launched it’s new ‘Discovery Space’ in the south transept which is designed to bring a more interactive and immersive experience to the 800 year old building and its history. We worked closely with the internal team to translate core elements from the new identity system across a large touchscreen table and other digital devices which offer photography, audio and information on the cathedral’s layout, history and heritage.
We developed communications for the wonderful new Discovery Boxes that launched on the day which are specifically designed to engage young visitors. The Discovery Boxes are built using recycled wood from the cathedral’s disused pews and contain games encouraging children to Build A Cathedral and Try Brass Rubbings.
Few can claim to work with an 800 year old cathedral and we’re looking forward to sharing the new brand identity and communications in coming weeks.
Trinity Biotech is a NASDEQ quoted diagnostics company, specialising in the development, manufacture and marketing of clinical diagnostic products.
The organisation is highly acquisitive frequently adding new companies and products to their vast portfolio. Their increase in product lines and business units meant they needed a new digital platform with increased capabilities to accomodate the growing areas within their business.
The new site needed to elevate Trinity Biotech’s leadership status within global diagnostics, maintain a prominent investor relations section, ensure ease of naviagation, and deliver expanded functionality for the integration of future brands and products.
The launch of the new Trinity Biotech Website sees us developing another successful digital platform with our digital partners PointBlank.
Coffee is a daily ritual at RichardsDee, and when Bewley’s invited us to spend an afternoon at their roastery in Malahide, we were there like a shot (pun intended!). The afternoon started with an insight into the coffee production process followed by an introduction to coffee cupping, which reveals the different taste cues depending on region, roasting techniques and the beans used – all very enlightening, but as soon as we stepped into the test kitchen, the atmosphere changed. We knew we were about to see how baristas create amazing designs out of steamed milk, but what we didn’t know, was that our skills were about to be tested, and of course we were all dying to have a go!
Our mentor, world champion latte artist, Elvis took us through a step-by-step demonstration of how to create the perfect latte art. Then, one by one we battled each other to compete for the RichardsDee Latte Champion of the Year. After some very dodgy pouring and purposeful banging of steamed milk jugs, the contest was down to two: Tomas and Martin, but there could be only one winner. With two attempts each to impress the resident judge Elvis, Martin just inched Tomas out to take the grand title.
So next time you’re passing by the studio, remember to ask for a flat white made with care and attention by Martin, or should we say the resident Portobello Champion Latte Artist.
As we continue to grow our services and the scale of projects, we have opportunities for the following roles:
Account Manager We are looking for a motivated account executive looking to take a step up, with first class skills in project management, communication, organisation and a passion for creativity and branding. Working alongside the Account Directors you will either manage or assist with a range of projects from brand strategy, brand identity and brand experiences. You will be involved from concept to completion including involvement with creative thinking, copywriting, budgets, proposals, delivery schedules and support documentation. You’ll be confident, personable and enthusiastic with initiative, you must have a keen eye for detail and real motivation to succeed and develop your career. You must demonstrate the potential of being an account manager of the future and want to work with a creative branding agency who wants to make a name for itself.
Design Internships We have opportunities for design graduates looking for design internships – with the possibility of the internship developing into a full time role. You must demonstrate an excellent portfolio, thought process and desire to work across brand identity and brand experiences. Also you must demonstrate excellent software skills across that standard Creative Cloud apps. If interested drop us an email at martin@richardsdee.com
Irish Country Magazine has evolved and steadily grown in readership to become Ireland’s leading lifestyle magazine for women. It is a magazine with intelligent narrative and stunning imagery. It understands what modern Irish women nationwide want and embraces their multi-faceted lives, their interests and their spirit.
In keeping with the success and evolution of the magazine’s reach, ICM approached RichardsDee to develop a new media pack that captures the essence of the magazine. We also developed a gift pack around the concept of growth which was delivered the same day that the ABC official figures were revealed, to help celebrate the fantastic results for this homegrown publication.
It’s that time again! As we tick off the talks to see at this year’s Offset, we thought we’d make our own wish list of speakers who haven’t yet graced the stage. From a long list of inspiring individuals and studios, here are some of the names that made the cut. (Soz Pentagram, you’ve had your turn ;P):
1 THE THINKER
Writer for The New Yorker, author and TED speaker, Malcolm Gladwell provokes us to think and challenge typical understanding or assumptions. One of his notions, that spontaneous decisions can be as relevant as – or better than – considered ones is in line with what we know as designers. He teaches us to pay attention to intuition. Strategy and thinking is as creatively rich and inspiring as image making and listening to some of the questions dissected by some of the great minds on the circuit can be profoundly educational.
2 THE MOTION MEN
Man Vs Machine were unanimously elected as a must-see, given their position as a constant source of awe inspiring motion graphics. Interestingly, their work is possibly the most likely to have featured in the average household – on More 4, Syfy, TV3, MTV to name just a few of their clients and exquisite executions. We’d like to hear what makes them tick and just how they did that.
3 THE SPACE DESIGNER
Challenging how we approach a given space saw architects like Thomas Heatherwick, artists such as Olafur Eliasson and designer of installation and super graphics master, Morag Myerscough feature on our list of desirables. Morag aims to turn every space into a story – with thrilling and eclectic narratives of colour, big type and geometric patterns. She creates drama on a large scale and her work questions the typical limitations of the graphic designer role, breaking out and inventing experiences and stories, something bigger. Morag has worked with The Tate, Design Museum, Barbican, Design Council, British Council, Wedgwood, V&A, Vintage at Goodwood and many more.
4 THE IMAGE MAKER
Nick Knight OBE (Oooh, get you Nick!) is a legendary fashion & documentary photographer and web publisher best known for his hugely influential and visionary work with designers including Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior and music artists like Bjork, Lady Gaga and Kanye West. Knight’s iconic work consistently challenges conventional notions of beauty and his often surreal photographic style is instantly recognisable, always inspirational. His work has been published in British Vogue, Paris Vogue, i-D and Dazed & Confused and has exhibited in international art institutions such as the V&A, Saatchi Gallery and the Hayward Gallery but to name a few. We assume he’d have some entertaining stories as well as knowledge to impart.
5 THE STUDIO
In collecting inspiration from artists and studios around the globe, you may find your mind wonder how those in a similar vein really do it. For us, one of those yet to grace the stage at Offset is Scandinavia’s BVD. Their aesthetic is best described by their own mantra, “Simplify to Clarify”. Strong thinking, simplified, across solutions for Coca-Cola, H&M, 7 Eleven and a horde of Scandinavian clients. For pared back packaging, slick retail solutions, impactful branding and the Scandinavian touch, we nominate a talk by BVD.
And just a few more from our long list who we’d love to see:
Chris Ware, Geoff McFetridge, Jim Sutherland, Michael Jager, Sean Perkins, Mike Dempsey, Vince Frost, Made Thought, Stockholm Design Lab, John Ellery, Stranger and Stranger, The Guerilla Girls, Tyler Brule, Build, Thonik, Raymond Pettibon, Simon Synek, Ken Robinson, Barbara Kruger, Tim Brown, Signalnoise, Anagrama, Bompas & Parr, Digital Kitchen, Róisín Heneghan, Irma Boom, Rose Design, Purpose Studio, Richard Baneham, John Crowley….
LastThursday evening, we were delighted to be joined by over fifty clients and colleagues at our studio, where Cathy Winston inspired and educated us in the process of Innovation. Black hats, yellow hats, start-up monopoly and cafe conversations, it was a night of creativity, ideas and new thinking – helping us improve our businesses and brands through embracing innovation.
This was our third Insights evenings, where we invite leaders, creatives and like minded individuals to share their passions and insights in an informal and sociable setting. The aim of the evenings are to encourage a shared learning environment where we can be inspired and empowered.
We were delighted with the amount of interest with our latest talk and would like to thank everyone for attending, we are now considering speakers for our next Insights evening which will be soon, and if you are interested in being invited to the next Insights evening then please drop us a note.
Annual reports have a core function; to effectively present the company’s financial strengths to shareholders, business audiences, employees, and the general public.
Annual reports also have a great opportunity to tell a story; a story that is positive, confidence building and scene setting for the year ahead.
We placed emphasis on story telling whilst collaborating with SEAI on their 2013 Annual Report.
SEAI work tirelessly on initiatives for business, industry, consumers and government, yet these initiatives while hugely successful are often not evident or visible. Our creative objective was to elevate the impact these achievements have and demonstrate how integral they are to our everyday. Playing with size, scale and a bold approach to presenting the numbers resulted in a visually engaging Annual Report that has received very positive feedback since launch.
The SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards took place last week at The Shelbourne Hotel and what a night it was. Having designed the presentation and communications, we were delighted to form part of an eclectic mix which included Gavin Duffy (quite the photo bomber), a man in a kilt, the minister, a diplomat or two, our agency friends from SEAI and some of Ireland’s most ambitious businesses.
The awards encourage, recognise and reward excellence in energy management and they celebrate individuals, groups and organisations who demonstrate a commitment to include energy management as part of their overall management structure.
We were particularly impressed with the worthy winners of the Ambition category Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árainn Teo (CFOAT). The group were set up in 2012 and are on track to develop the Aran Islands as energy independent, energy self-sustaining and carbon neutral by 2022. Surely that’s as high as ambition goes!
Following on from our post about female speakers at the web summit this week, our designer Emma Connolly has been busy networking and snapping things of interest. Feel free to share!
Note: If you’re using in a blog post please be sure to reference and link to beta.richardsdee.digital
Tuesday, November 4th marks the start of one of the biggest events in tech on the planet, the Web Summit. We are beyond excited to mix, mingle, observe and party with some of the most exciting entrepreneurs of our times. It will be a week where work is replaced with creativity, ideas, originality and ambition. It will be a week that’s right up our street.
Tech is a traditionally male dominated space and the conversation about women’s roles and place in the tech community has been been a hot topic the last few years. Again this year, the Web Summit launched an initiative to change the ratio of men to women and encourage equality in the industry by giving away €250,000 worth of free tickets to female developers, designers and founders.
The Women’s Leader’s lunch has been another successful initiative however some may counter that men are a central part of the solution and given the power they still yield in tech, they should be continuously encouraged to spear head gender diversity and encouraged to participate in, rather than be isolated from, conversations.
In Ireland, we can boast many outstanding females who lead international tech companies including Sonia Flynn, Managing Director of Facebook Ireland, Louise Phelan, VP of Global Operations EMEA for PayPal and Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director Microsoft Ireland to name a few. However with a gender gap that doesn’t look likely to close anytime soon, we are using this post to shine a light on and celebrate some of the great women that will be speaking at the Web Summit this week.
Here is our top 5 female speakers at the Web Summit…
1. Cathryn Posey, Founder, Tech by Superwomen
Cathryn Posey is the founder of Tech By Superwomen, a movement she started to elevate and celebrate women in tech in 2011. Aside from being an international speaker, she is recognized as an authority on issues impacting women in technology.
Why are we excited to see Cathryn?
In conjunction with women like Sheryl Sandberg, Cathryn Posey is at the forefront of a movement that challenges the tech establishment and urges women to push themselves into spaces that they were once not welcome/expected to gravitate towards (and pushing men in tech to see the value in this), while educating them how to navigate gender gaps and stereotypes that they may encounter. We love that she’s effectively supplying a kit of parts that empowers and inspires women to succeed and thrive in the tech world.
Ayah is the creator of littleBits, an award winning kit of pre-assembled circuits that snap together with tiny magnets that has been dubbed “LEGOs for the iPad Generation”. She is also founder of Karaj, Beirut’s lab for experimental art & architecture and last year was named by CNN as one of the top 10 Startups to watch in 2013.
Why are we excited to see Ayah?
Ayah has succeeded in making science and engineering accessible, fun, creative and social for people of all ages, from all disciplines. The concept behind littleBits, is empowering, exciting and leverages the creative power of a community of makers, eager to learn and share their ideas and inventions in a space free of jargon/tech speak.
3.Gale Anne Hurd, Producer, The Walking Dead & Terminator
In 1982, at just 27 years old, Gale formed her own production company, Pacific Western Productions and went on to produce a number of massive movies including The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989). She has been celebrated many times, and in 1998 was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for helping to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. Most recently she produced the 2010 The Walking Dead.
Why are we excited to see Gale?
We’re hoping to hear Gale’s views on how the entertainment industry has changed from her early days as a producer, and what benefits (and challenges) the accessibility of digital media of today has brought. It will be also interesting to hear whether she really is a die hard Arsenal FC fan!
4. Antonia McCahon, Global Head of Digital Marketing , Pernod Ricard
When Antonia was appointed Global Head of Digital Marketing at Pernod Ricard, her vision was ‘Shifting Digital Marketing and taking it to the next level.’ Since then her focus included thinking people first vs. brand or touch point. In the past year, her team has placed huge focus on creating great social experiences for people in both the physical and social worlds, always delivered in an upbeat and positive way.
Why are we excited to see Antonia?
Within four months of starting in Pernod, Antonia set up the digital acceleration task force recruiting 80+ ‘digital champions’ from within the group. We’re interested to hear how a diverse group of people from legal, commercial development, finance, marketing and sales have collaborated to proactively encourage the adoption of digital within the company.
Iseult started FoodCloud while in her third year at Trinity College Dublin. The idea was born out of the realization that there are 450,000 people in Ireland who suffer from food poverty, while at the same time there is over one million tonnes of food wasted each year. The result of this wastage means that Ireland ranks among the top 5 wasters of food in Europe.
FoodCloud solves this issue by using technology to connect the businesses that have too much food with charities that have too little.
Why are we excited to see Iseult?
Social entrepreneurship is a fascinating concept and one that we believe will have an increasing and fundamental impact on our world during this Internet Century. FoodCloud is not only one of the most exciting organisations in this space but it is also run by two very inspiring Irish women.
We hugely admire social entrepreneurs like Iseult in RichardsDee and are desperate to see more tech startups that are powered by idealistic optimism and who are ready to tackle the great social issues of our time.
Here in Ireland, food and drink has always played a large part in all our lives – but in recent years it has become more important than ever in terms of the economy. Ulster Bank has watched this growth and change with interest, analysing the special industry requirements and unique business needs of this sector, and in response, has developed a suite of products and supports specifically for ‘Food & Drink’ businesses across the island of Ireland. As Ulster Bank’s branding partner, our task was to bring these to life in a meaningful and engaging way.
Food & Drink is part of a suite of propositions that Ulster Bank has developed for SMEs, which includes specific support for those just starting out, i.e. Start-Ups as well as those in the Agri sector. Given the natural element of cross-over between these 3 areas, we needed to ensure that the marketing collateral we developed felt part of the same family, whilst clearly signalling Ulster Bank as a credible player who understands the needs of the SMEs within the Food & Drink industry, ultimately positioning Ulster Bank as the ‘bank of choice’ within the sector.
Food and drink is a very emotive industry and the focus on quality, care and attention given to the produce is key. The choice of imagery and copy taps into the passion and dedication of business owners in this sector, and elevates Ulster Bank’s intimate understanding of just what Food & Drink businesses need from their banking partner to help their businesses grow and achieve their full potential.
Devenish Nutrition are a market leading agri-technology company, that specialise in developing and providing nutritional solutions to challenges faced by livestock producers across the globe.
As part of a larger branding project, we were asked to specifically look at their packaging and provide a design solution which would elevate their market leading status and bring the range together with a consistent look and feel.
A key part of the new packaging design is the introduction of a graphic agricultural landscape, which provides a dynamic element to the pack whilst grounding it in a familiar environment.
Colour-coding through the landscape and colour blocking on the sides of the bags allows for the different products to be easily recognised in a warehouse whilst giving each product brand a degree of personality in its own right. The design is completed with a visual of the animal range in question to allow for quick reference in product store.
Finally a quality seal device was developed to represent the IP that is present across certain products under the ‘DeviCare’ offer.
UPDATE: MAKING WAVES: 2014 ICAD Upstarts Exhibition 7th to 9th November 2014…
Post from September 2nd, 2014:
Last night we hosted the annual ICAD Upstarts – a fantastic programme by ICAD to mentor and challenge those looking to get into the industry or improve their skills.
We set a brief last week on the creation of a Third Wave Coffee brand, and last night was the show and tell (and critique).
Considering that the team has full time jobs and just seven days to complete (four of you went to EP), the effort, quality of thinking and execution by everyone involved in ICAD Upstarts was excellent.
The ICAD Upstarts presented us with interesting illustrations, strong brand names, well thought out design ideas and a genuine enthusiasm for what they were doing – inspiring stuff!
We were delighted to be invited to participate and host ICAD Upstarts 2014. We are also pleased that we can give our time back to the industry – something that we believe is extremely important.
The RichardsDee team are back, safe and fresh-faced following our Friday hike in the Garden of Ireland. Goodbye mountains of Wicklow. Hello mountains of email.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Cowley as Account Director. Prior to joining us, Claire worked for FutureBrand Melbourne, Blenheim Brand Melbourne and Brand Union Dublin.
Based in Melbourne for 12 years, Claire has vast experience managing projects for brands in Australia (ANZ Bank, Tetley Tea, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, Metro Trains Melbourne) and Ireland (eircom, Bailey’s, Rape Crisis Centre). Claire brings to the team her experience working with clients and managing their needs from brief to delivery. This is a great appointment for us as we continue to grow and strengthen our offering.
“This appointment will enable us to strengthen our account management offer. With Claire’s global branding agency experience, clients will benefit from projects being managed with all the necessary detail from conception to realisation,” says Celine Dee, Client Director RichardsDee.
UPDATE: In April, we appointed Adam Clarke as Digital Director. Since that time, Adam has been working with a range of RichardsDee clients on all things digital – including the pan-European roll out of a confectionary brand through social media, product website development for tdsvisitor and digital strategies for a multinational food services organisation.
RichardsDee take a brand level approach to understanding when, why and how you should communicate online. What is your requirement & how can we help?
Through our industry-spanning work with clients of all sizes, we find that most organisations have questions in the following areas:
Digital Footprint:
How does my company appear online? Is there anything we could be doing (better)?
Digital Products:
We need assistance on planning a digital product (such as our website). How do we ensure that it is planned and developed in-line with our brand and delivers on our commercial objectives?
Digital Campaigns:
How should I reach and engage my audience online? How can digital support and maximise an existing communication, campaign or event?
If you would like Adam and the team at RichardsDee to take a look at your business challenge or brand requirement from a digital perspective, please contact us on +353 1 662 4472 or email adam@richardsdee.com
About Adam & RichardsDee:
Adam has over 12 years experience launching and promoting brands online through digital products and services including Danone, Britvic, Jaguar, Topaz, Sage, Bord Gais and Jameson.
Prior to joining us, Adam was a stakeholder at Strategem iLabs where he headed up all client digital strategies and product developments. He has also held senior positions in agencies such as Cawley-Nea/TBWA and Agency.com.
From digital product creation, online media campaigns and social activations; Adam’s key strength is in the development and application of commercial digital strategies. This is a very significant appointment for us as we continue our growth, it strengthens our offering and expertise in all areas of brand building as well as strengthening our senior team. Adam brings with him the right blend of experience, skills and leadership that will help our clients take digital branding to the next level. His extensive experience and expertise will be a fantastic asset to RichardsDee’s growing digital offering.
“The primary role of digital in our industry is to overcome business challenges and deliver growth for clients. I joined RichardsDee because the team are committed to aligning Business and Brand Strategies to create experiences that impact and engage. It is this unique focus on delivering results through expertise, strategy and creativity at brand level that will allow us to create success for clients in the digital realm.” Adam Clarke.
To speak to Adam about upcoming digital projects please call 01 662 4472 or email adam@richardsdee.com
We recently completed the communications for an event by Dublinia – Blood, Battles + Burials. Our work helped them own the event and ensure their presence is maintained over the day long seminar.
We are delighted that Ulster Bank won the Best Cause Sponsorship Award last week for the ‘Enabling Social Impact Campaign’, a campaign we developed the strategy, creative, copy and communications for.
We were approached by the team at Ulster Bank to develop a campaign to support the brand’s sponsorship of The Wheel Conference. The Wheel is an annual event that brings the Not For Profit community together delivering the latest thinking about the community’s work to deliver positive social change.
Ulster Bank commissioned research to better understand how to meet the needs of the sector. We distilled the research into a key insight; that all NFP’s irrespective of lifestage or age are bonded by a common goal, that of making a difference, or creating social impact. Ulster Bank have long been committed to Not For Profits in Ireland and continue to offer support, information and products specifically suited to the sector to help facilitate real change. Ulster Bank’s committment to the sector allowed us to create the campaign platform ‘Enabling Social Impact’. The over riding campaign look and feel and messaging was executed across all communications for the event including digital display ads, social media, event brochures, press ads, environmental graphics, a 5 minute video that was played on the day.
Having received over 100 CV’s for a recent design role that we were recruiting for, I was surprised by the lack of preparation, basic communication skills and consideration of presentation by so called “graphic designers”.
As a graphic designer you need to demonstrate that you take responsibility for how you communicate, how your present yourself and your work – it is directly related to your own personal brand image. That includes how and when you go about seeking a design job.
While it maybe disheartening that there seems to be a lack of design jobs, jobs exist yet it doesn’t take much to make the first move so write to agencies on spec, your letter may arrive on the right desk at the right time. But also pay attention to the following guides:
Always address the email to the person, not Dear Sir or To Whom, and also get the name right – my name is not Julie
Never use a default word template, remember you are a designer interested in graphic design. Word is perfectly acceptable to format a CV, but consider the layout, language and fonts – you need to demonstrate a genuine care in typography, creativity and attention to detail.
Always attach your work as a Low Resolution PDF – a 30mb PDF is not acceptable, nor is anything over 8mb come to think of it.
Design your PDF portfolio (remember you are a graphic designer) – present your work in the best possible way and ensure the highest professional standards.
Do not use links to online portfolios – we are time pressured and I think it looks lazy.
Demonstrate work that focuses on the role concerned, i.e. branding designer – show branding work. Refrain from showing a bit of print, a bit of illustration with a bit of photography and a few wedding invites for good measure, it shows lack of quality and focus – unless all of it is brilliant.
Do something different (remember we are in the creative industry), I remember a story of someone being employed because they did a magic trick in their interview – however if you are going to do something different do it really well (the magic trick worked).
Make sure your email works – I try to answer all emails but don’t blame me if you don’t get a reply because you’ve misspelt your email.
Our identity for the Children’s Rights Alliance has also been nominated in the IDI Design Awards. A case study of this project can be found in Our Work section.
RichardsDee are pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Smith as Strategy and Innovation Director (Brand Strategist). Amanda joins us from leading global branding agency Landor.
With over 14 years of international branding experience ranging from large-scale global brands to highly targeted niche marketing, Amanda brings with her a vast knowledge of brand and communication strategies, consumer research and all stages of the creative process, from ideation to implementation.
Brand Strategist and client management consultant
Operating in hybrid strategic consultant and client management role, Amanda will be instrumental in building meaningful strategic and creative approaches to solve specific business and brand issues for all our clients.
This is a very significant appointment for us as we continue our growth, it strengthens our offering and expertise in all areas of brand strategy as well augmenting our senior team,
“This appointment will enable us to strengthen our brand strategy and ?innovation offer, services typically associated with larger and more established agencies. With Amanda’s top-tier global branding agency and brand strategist experience, clients will not only benefit from our “creative” driven approach to brand and business challenges, but also from thought leadership in strategy, planning and consumer insight.” Says Simon Richards – Creative Director
