Comments on: A Creative Director for Birmingham?

By: alexhughescartoons.co.uk » Archive » Live Cartooning! (or Scribing, or Graphic Facilitating…. or something)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:00:37 +0000

[...] Stef has a full report here (argh - with more photos), and my illustrations from the event are here. I’ve made the [...]

By: Newsletter: September — a blog entry for the Multipack - A Community of Web Developers & Designers in Birmingham

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:56:23 +0000

[...] Stef gave a great presentation at Creative Republic about how creativity and culture in Birmingham is mostly invisible to the potential visitor. As an experiment he arrived at a city carpark and then attempted to only follow the signs. Read Stef’s post entitled “A Creative Director for Birmingham”. [...]

By: Becky

Becky — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:27:06 +0000

Very good points about the signage in the city. Something I feel passionate about. Pleased that you took the time to record what you found Stef. As you noted, many elements of the city street and the public realm help us to wayfind and feel comfortable or otherwise in the city – not just the physical signage. I work at Marketing Birmingham and have been working with City ID (good link Paul) for over a year to figure out priorities in the city centre and how we can take things forward. So we have recognised the issue. Nice idea Dave to get a design company in to sort it out, but wouldn’t you prefer to get a Birmingham narrative threaded through the orientation and wayfinding? A framework around which to roll out something organic, designed by and for our city? And we need to get under the skin of what we see on the street signs - like – what do we call the different areas of the city, what are the main routes that people use, how do we signify these etc. We have worked hard to fit the work so far into the aims of the Big City Plan at the City Council. But we are a bit stuck in the funding game at the moment. Stef – fancy being a bit of a champion? Get in touch. Once we get it going, it works on an open studio basis. None of us will easily agree about the final ideas, but we can all take part in the debate. I will be in touch once we are able to do something practical. Becky

By: D’log :: blogging since 2000 » Tactile graphics

D’log :: blogging since 2000 » Tactile graphics — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:58:58 +0000

[...] the discussions about Birmingham city centre’s signage, and the forthcoming spending of billions on the city [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:01:49 +0000

Interesting read and I will try and come to the next meeting for sure.

‘Lobbying - if we all grouped together under one idea, could we make it happen?’

I think not, in my opinion Birmingham needs to encourage individuality. Allow people to realise their own vision or ideas, whether that be an independent cafe or shop or an art collective. A lot of small success will combine to form a glowing culture!

My point probably doesn’t cover things like signage, that just needs logic applied to it! Hell commission a design company to sort it all out

By: D’log :: blogging since 2000 » No logo

D’log :: blogging since 2000 » No logo — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:39:04 +0000

[...] thoughtful lengthy responses to the most recent Creative Republic meet, and Dave Harte’s response to it in the [...]

By: Created in Birmingham » Thoughts on Birmingham’s Creative Director

Created in Birmingham » Thoughts on Birmingham’s Creative Director — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:20:38 +0000

[...] well as uploading the slides and audio, Stef has put up a blog post called ‘A creative director for Birmingham?‘ with many of the photos used, text to explain them and a few extra thoughts too. The [...]

By: Matt Machell

Matt Machell — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:55:08 +0000

Great work on this.

I wonder if the results would be much different if arriving via train, bus or plane? I looked this morning at New Street and there’s some attempt at some tourist leaflets, but little else.

By: Rob Macpherson

Rob Macpherson — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:31:37 +0000

small-scale flyers and posters promoting live events tend not to be so important for us anymore. With 53% booking online last month and our first-time attender levels also soaring, our best promo routes are still local radio ads, big outdoor, local press ads, PR features and word of mouth. I wd imagine that for smaller independents with limited budgets, emails, texts, facebook and WOM are more effective these days too. hence empty bedraggled public display spaces. I don’t altogether agree with ‘car is king’ view. Yes to improved pedestrian and cycling routes, but even in this motor city it is just about possible to walk from Five Ways to Millennium Point and from Malbox to Jewellery Quarter on pedestrianised routes or via canal paths ignoring most traffic.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:03:06 +0000

Really interesting post and gutted I missed the event. I think the navigability of the city is a real issue and has been raised to me by many visitors. When I moved to the city 9 or so years ago I was struck by how disconnected it seemed in comparison to say Manchester or London. By which I mean that areas don’t seem to overlap quite as much (with some notable exceptions) and that there are areas in between where not much seems to happen and you question your sense of direction (as with your walk to Digbeth, Stef). In fact it almost appears as if the city has been planned this way, with major roads bypassing areas rather than going through them - as an example I’d much rather drive out of the city via the Soho Road than via the Walsall Road, even if it might take a little longer.
As for city centre navigation, Bristol’s legible city project is an interesting example of a city really examining just this subject, with the involvement of designers and the creative community. http://www.bristollegiblecity.info/
Anyway, thanks for the post Stef. I hope to make the next discussion of this type.