Rachel says hello.

Sorry for not posting in a while, I keep meaning to but have been a bit busy =/

The main thing I've been doing (aside from too much socialising) is sorting my website out. It's nearly finished, I posted about it when I'd just started, so thought it's time to get it out there!

www.rachelsayshello.com

All my work is up there now (hurrah), I just need to write a bio and sort the backgrounds out. Writing a bio is hard so I'm sort of putting it off. Ha. I'll do it by the end of the week.

I'm building it using Indexhibit, which is quite brilliant actually. I can't remember exactly how I stumbled across it but it's created by the awesome Daniel Eatock (who I mentioned in my last post) and I don't how how I could have done my website without it. I have no idea how to use Dreamweaver and have basic knowledge of HTML so this was kind of a lifesaver. And, in my opinion, it looks dead cool.

Some participants have made theirs so spangly it's untrue. Mine is semi boring in comparison. But I'm sure they know all kind of interweb tricks and such. Mine is going to be a work in progress, definitely. At the moment, I just want it live and kicking in time for my degree show. Which I'm getting super excited about. We're going to start building/painting it soon hurrah.

Anyway, I'm so happy to have got all my recent work up there, including my recent editorial illustrations:

What's the greenest way to recharge my gadgets?


Olive oil is good for you, and the planet... Isn't it?


Bottled water sales drop off

Is there an eco perfume for Valentine's Day?

They are all based on articles on environmental issues. I love doing editorial illustrations, now I have more time on my hands I definitely need to do some more soon.


I'm getting a bit worried about all this recession business. Now, I know it's been like this for a while now. But while studying it was a bit like... it didn't really have anything to do with me. But now I'm looking for jobs, it's suddenly quite scary. I've applied to quite a few and haven't got anywhere yet. And I'm just looking for anything right now, design placements to shop jobs, anything. I had a call back for a 2nd interview at Topman the other day, and omg I so wanted that job. It was going to be perfect for me. But I didn't get it... bit gutting. I just didn't have enough experience. And at the moment, employers can be pretty choosey because there's so many applicants. But you hear about 50 yr old managing directors getting laid off and not being able to find a job anywhere. It's all a bit scary. I just hope I can find something soon because I have no money, and if I have no money it means I can't stay in Wolves, and I love my family but I can't go home. I just can't.

Ideally, someone will come along and be like "You there, do some awesome illustrations for me, here's a pile of money!" Haha. Or not.

But that makes me wonder about the recession and illustration. Not design in general, there's tons of stuff around about design and the recession, but illustration. That's another post I feel.

I'm sure I'll find a job. I have to, right?

Older posts on editorial illustrations

Formula 1 and Design

Most of my friends know I have a bit of an obsession with Formula 1. This is at odds to my environmental beliefs, I know, but I just love it. (It's not exactly the most sustainable form of entertainment after all...) It's the only sport I'm really into. I just love all the technical side to it, the strategies, the competitiveness, the speeeed, of course. So, I watched today's Barcelona race, of course, and it reminded me how much I love the F1 logo:

Which I've taken down because apparently you can't use it without a license!

It's ridiculously simple, but I think it's one of, if not my absolute favourite logo around at the moment. It's so clever. Using the F and the red section (which is vaguely in the shape of a 1) to silhouette the shape of the 1... nicely hidden but it does jump out at you. Ah it's just so perfect. I really hope whoever designed it (f you know, please say, I can't find it anywhere) just stumbled upon this solution, after a bit of doodling. And the red spikes, well, you can't really say 'this is a fast and sometimes dangerous but pretty jolly exciting sport' any other way. I do prefer it without the 'Formula 1' type at the bottom though, when it's on your telly it doesn't have that and it looks slicker. It's just a good, clean design, which isn't too fancy for itself, hasn't got shiny vector glossy bits, and almost understates the multi-million dollar industry that F1 is. It says 'Hello, yes, you know what F1 is, we don't have to sell it much to you, we're good and that's that. Vrooooooom...'

There's all kinds of logos out there, good, bad and the boring, and I'm sure people can think of better ones than this. But for me, it's genius.

So while on the subject of F1, I also want to talk about Brawn GP. For those who don't know, they're a bit of a Phoenix-from-the-ashes; evolving from Arrows to Honda, almost dying over the winter then being reborn through Ross Brawn, of former Ferrari fame. And just look at them. They're proving to be the best in the field (although Red Bull aren't far behind), Ferrari and McLaren are mid-runners these days. It's mental, I love it. Who'd have thought?

But it's the look of the car that I love. Because of the speed at which they put the team together, they didn't have time to get any sponsors, aside from Virgin. This means the car is... well, virginal:

And look at the shape of that nose cone... it just feels magically retro and futuristic at the same time. Mmmm. Can I be a track girl?

It's so lovely. And refreshing. All other F1 cars look like adverts have thrown up on them. This one is sexual and clean and new. And the colour scheme... what genius. Black, white, and NEON yellow? Yes please. It's like some nu-rave indie kid has shown up at a high-class dinner party, eaten all the raspberry meringue, stuck his tongue out then sped off in a stream of neon and giggles. And the rest of the dinner party/teams are going '....Oh. I say. He's rather good, isn't he. Who invited him?'

So well done to Button and Barrichello today, getting 1st and 2nd. Legends. And Button so deserves it, he's been stuck in rubbish cars for so long, always too good for them. I'm a Hamilton fan all the way but Brawn have got my heart right now.

Here's an interesting proposition for the Brawn GP team, by Daniel Eatock. I highly recommend you read it, he's got some good points. And it would be an excellent use of the white space on the car... a white space that will no doubt be swallowed up by the beginning of the next season as sponsors clamour to throw up on it.

Which will be a shame, because it's so god damn pretty like it is.

Any thoughts? What's your favourite logo ever? Do you think Brawn should go with Eatock's idea?