Category Archives: Creative

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital

Game of Phones

If you’re looking to upgrade your iPhone, for the first time ever you can decide between two brand new devices: the iPhone 5s or the lower priced iPhone 5C.

What’s the difference between them I hear you ask? Well, the iPhone 5s (which comes in gold, silver or ‘space grey’) is your more traditional ‘step up’ from the iPhone 5, which was released this time last year. The 5s comes with an A7 chip, a fingerprint sensor, ‘ultra-fast’ wireless, an 8-megapixel camera and iOS 7.

The iPhone 5C will be available in blue, green, pink, yellow and white and is marketed as the more affordable device. It features an A6 chip, the same ‘ultra-fast’ wireless, an 8-megapixel camera and iOS 7. The main difference between the two is the plastic shell of the 5C, which is cheaper to manufacture compared to the classic aluminum and glass combination of previous iPhone handsets.

Apple’s move into the lower priced smartphone category is presumably to increase their handset sales. However, at over £450 a pop (and just £80 less than the 5S) the 5C isn’t exactly a budget buy. If Apple had priced the 5C at around the £350-400 mark, similar to the Android offering of HTC or Samsung, the company might have had a chance to expand its smartphone sales.

There’s mixed reviews in the office, here’s what we’re saying:

“A password for this, password for that, memorable data here, memorable data there – I forget the lot! The iPhone 5S & 5C’s built in fingerprint sensor is the future, fingers crossed Apple got it right again.
Gavin Willis, Creative Director

“The screen still looks a little small for my liking but I’m loving the gold colour and the fingerprint scanner- no more snooping!
Colette Busbridge, Financial Administrator

“I feel like Apple may have lost it’s way slightly. Instead of creating new, innovative products, they’ve, again just re-skinned what they already had and are expecting another £500 for it? Steve Jobs must be turning in his grave, where’s the innovation? And the fingerprint scanner doesn’t count; the Motorola Atrix had the same technology two years ago.
Chris Dudley, Graphic Designer

“The real selling point for me is the new and improved design of the operating system. When I upgrade I’ll go for the iPhone 5C in green.”
Scott Bloomer, Senior Designer

“I love the colour iPhone 5C’s, I would definitely go for the pink one! My one criticism on looks would be when you add on the cover you can only see part of the iPhone wording on the reverse… ‘Non’ = meaning Rubbish! It would have been better if you just saw the apple icon.
Nina Billington, Senior Art Director

“Android is king, down with the iPhone!”
Christian Duffy, Web Developer

“Even though the iPhone 5C is marketed as the ‘budget’ option I still think it’s mega expensive, £80 isn’t much of a saving! Saying that, I have a bit of a soft spot for the bright yellow one so I still might have to make a cheeky purchase when my current contact runs out”
Amanda Smith, Social Media Manager

Blog, Creative, Design, Digital

Android takes a break with KitKat

In a surprise move, Google has announced that it will be calling the latest version of its operating system Android 4.4 KitKat in partnership with Nestle.

“We couldn’t imagine a better name for our Android K release than the tasty chocolate that’s been a favourite among the team since the early days of Android,” said Marc Vanlerberghe, Director of Android Marketing in a press release.

The Google giants have traditionally named different versions of Android using a sweet theme in alphabetical order. Google had initially planned to call the next version of Android Key Lime Pie – but were concerned that people didn’t really know the taste of it.

The sugary naming started with Android Cupcake back in 2009, before continuing with Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. The launch of Android KitKat will be celebrated with 50 million specially branded bars, which are available in 19 countries including the UK offering Google-related prizes.

Nestle have also joined in on a spoof promotional video for their famous chocolate bar that takes a dig at Apple. The KitKat 4.4 is described as offering, “adjustable orientation” and “global coverage” meaning you can take the snack anywhere in the choice of “a two mega-bite, four mega-bite, or chunky bite option”.

Watch the video below

The KitKat 4.4 website however is the real star of the show. It continues the ‘high tech’ campaign celebrating “the immersive multi-sensory” KitKat experience with the use of some nice scrolling tricks.

Blog, Creative, Design

Ikea Designs Flat-Pack Temporary Refugee Housing

refugee

No longer content with selling us cheap side tables and filling our stomachs with meatballs of a questionable origin, Swedish furniture giant Ikea has taken on it’s biggest social project yet.

Ikea started in this new direction last year after the Olympics when they put forward plans for a ‘flat pack village’ to be erected next door to the Olympic Village in Statford. They then cemented their new, forward thinking, position when they later last year announced that they’d be entering the world of hospitality with the construction of a budget, capsule hotel that promises to offer, “contemporary stylish design, approachable service and, most importantly, an affordable price”, all over Europe. This new venture though is potentially the most ambitious yet, they’re attempting to tackle the issue of refugee housing in camps all across the developing world.

“Our tents have not evolved very much over the years,” says Olivier Delarue, from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). “They still rely on canvas, ropes and poles – and they usually only last for around six months due to harsh climate conditions.”

The design is somewhere between a giant garden shed and a military style, khaki canvas marquee. It’s made up of light, laminated panels that clip on a simple frame to provide UV protection through the day, and thermal insulation through the night. Also, with their hard panel side, the structures should provide a lot more privacy than previous housing method have and a solar panel on the roof gives the occupants enough electricity to power lights and a few amenities, such as a fridge or radio.

ml_ikea_foundation_house_01_1280

At present, the IKEA shelter is being tested in camps in Lebanon and Iraq. Although they’re more expensive to buy than the current tent systems used, they’re expected to last 6 times as long.

IKEA is currently the single largest private donor to the United Nations Refugee Agency.