Mustard Design Weblog

Coffee chain Starbucks has unveiled a new logo, which it claims indicated its intention to expand beyond its core product.

The new logo no longer has the words “Starbucks” or “coffee” on it, just leaving the familiar image of a twin-tailed siren which is white on green.

The altered branding design is a result of Starbucks plans for the future. The firm said that in the near future “it’s possible we’ll have other products with our name on it and no coffee in it.”

However, as reported by BBC News, the decision to change the logo has come under heavy criticism by some brand experts. James Gregory, chief executive of brand consulting firm Core Brand said: “I think it’s nuts. What’s it going to be – the coffee formerly known as Starbucks?”

This is the first time the US giants have changed their logo since they floated on to the New York Stock Exchange back in 1992. The firm is already moving ahead in its plans to expand into other products and already sells ice-cream. It is also considering selling beer and wine at some US outlets.

Chief executive Howard Schultz told staff that the re-branding was a “meaningful update,” The Guardian reports.

“What is really important here is an evolutionary refinement of the logo, which is a mirror image of the strategy. This is not just, let’s wake up one day and change our logo.”

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

Homeowners in Bradford can pick up a range of crime-prevention tips thanks to a new website set up by police.

The Bradford South Division Neighbourhood Policing Team have set up the new website which features a house which can be clicked and entered for a tour.

The interactive website design means site visitors can scroll around the different rooms in the property looking for any security issues. When an area of concern is clicked on, a short video is played which outlines preventative measures that homeowners can take to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Tips offered include improving door locks and removing expensive items from view.

The website forms part of the West Yorkshire Police campaign The Usual Suspects, which focuses on three main types of burglary with three characters created to represent each of the offences.

Bradford South Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus told The Telegraph and Argus that the website will provide local residents with useful tips on how best to protect their properties.

“It underlines the importance of having the correct locks, how considering your lighting can have an impact on deterring burglars and why you should not leave expensive items on display. Other points include marking your property with ultra violent pens, not leaving your door insecure or leaving your keys and mobile where they can be easily taken,” he said.

“In most cases, the measures which need to be taken are at little or no expense to the homeowner, but can save a lot of potential heartache,” he added.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

BMI has unveiled their new logo which reintroduces its British Midland International name, alongside the acronym.

The new logo and visual identity now features the full name in addition to the abbreviation BMI, which is how the airline is most commonly known. The new branding design is set to be used on all corporate communications and advertising, with the new brand following on after the company joined aviation group Lufthansa in October 2008.

According to The Drum, BMI’s low cost carrier bmi Baby brand will remain the same and will continue as a separate brand within the group, as it is a separate airline to BMI. The airline operates short-haul flights to UK and European destinations, whereas BMI is a full service that operates short, medium and long haul flights, as well as both business and economy classes.

Joerg Hennemann chief commercial officer at BMI told Marketing Magazine: “In British Midland International we are building a clearly-defined, well positioned and easily understood brand.”

“Our customers around the world associate themselves with a British airline and our refreshing, new visual identity will help us to communicate in an even clearer way with our customers and staff alike. Our new logo shows our customers that we are an international airline with a strong British heritage,” he added.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

Electronics retailer Dixons Retail is set to open a new high-end store as part of a concept called Black.

The new shop, which is on Birmingham’s High Street is aimed at gadget enthusiasts and women and will stock brands with an emphasis on performance and design. It is hoped that Black’s unique format will attract the type of customer that would not usually shop at the more traditional Dixons store.

The three floor shop interior design will differ to that of the usual Dixons store. The 15,000 square foot shop will contain products that will be linked by a topical theme and themed areas will be given names such as Objects of Desire and Driving home for Christmas.

As reported by The Telegraph, products to be stocked at Black include a variety of consumer electronics, computers, TVs and accessories. The store will also sell tablet computers like the iPad in addition to laptops, MacBooks, MP3 players and iPods. However, it is expected that the store will attract some brands which are not available in other Dixons shops.

The new store was described as “the ultimate place to get up close with the most wanted gadgets around,” by a Dixons spokesman. The branding design of the shop will be a black logo with a small “Currys” and “PC World” in the corner, and if successful, the concept could be rolled out across the country.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

Design firm Universal Design Studio have completed the retail interior design for Mulberry’s new flagship store in New Bond Street, London.

The store which opens this week, features a concrete floor, display stands made from oak batons and an 8.7 metre long cash desk which is made from polished brass.

The shop interior design, is the result of a two year collaboration between Mulberry and Universal Design Studio. Described on Design Magazine as “an innovative, thoroughly modern, dynamic retail environment that reflects the brand’s aesthetic, its commitment to craft, ecological and ethical concerns.”

Set across 5,400 feet of retail space, the majority of fixtures are freestanding and fully flexible which allows for the store’s internal architecture to be altered accordingly in an effort to reflect the change in pace of retail life.

Georgia Fendley brand director at Mulberry said: “We are immensely proud of our British heritage and our reputation for craftsmanship; we wanted to facilitate the translation of these quintessential elements of our brand into our retail interiors.”

“Unlike many slick ‘shop-fitted’ environments our new Bond Street flagship is designed to last and to develop over time, like nearly all of the best things in life it will get better and better with use!” she added.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

Teletext Holidays is to revamp its website and Freeview channel as part of £5m marketing campaign.

The company is also planning to release an iPad and smartphone apps so people can search for holidays in a range of formats. Consumers will see the changes from the 1 January the day after its Teletext Holidays’ analogue service is switched off.

The revamped interactive website design will boast a number of new features including remembering the destinations and attractions that have been searched for by consumers. It will also allow people to save search results and browse them more easily.

The new campaign, which was created by creative agency MCBD will have the strapline “the best holidays of your life.” When using the website, online users will presented a series of options such as beach, family, ski or city and then answer four questions about the number of people they plan to travel with, when, where and for how much.

Victoria Sanders, Teletext managing director told Marketing Magazine: “Millions of people now confess that booking a holiday has become a pain not a pleasure. People find they are constantly comparing prices, having to enter the same information over and over again in the search box and are never able to save their results. We have created a holiday search site which irons out all these irritations.”

“Our new internet- connected service, alongside a revamped channel on Freeview means we still have a strong television presence and booking a holiday through it will be brighter and better, with video on demand, maps and rich images,” she added.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

When the Football Association’s semi-professional women’s football league begins next April, it will be branded The FA WSL.

According to the FA, the new name and branding design represents a “new direction and feel” for women’s football in the UK. As reported by Marketing Week, it is widely hoped the new championship which was formerly known as the “FA Women’s Super League,” will attract interest and money from sponsors and spectators proving itself to be commercially sustainable.

The clubs participating in The FA WSL are Arsenal Ladies FC, Birmingham City Ladies FC, Bristol Academy Women’s FC, Chelsea Ladies FC and Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies FC, in addition to Everton Ladies FC, Lincoln Ladies FC and Liverpool Ladies FC.

The FA launched the semi-professional league in an effort to prevent England’s most talented female players from having to move overseas in order to participate in competitive football.

Julian Eccles Group Director for Marketing and Communications at The FA said during the announcement: “We undertook an extensive process over the past six months that has led to The FA WSL name and accompanying logo unveiled today.”

“The FA explored numerous names and branding routes, all based on solid research around the women’s game. The main aim in this brand research was to find something that the key target audience – 9-15 year old girls – identified with.”

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

A new website has been launched offering young people affected by mental health problems, offering them a place to get advice and share their experiences with others.

The YoungMinds website aims to involve youngsters in campaigns in an effort to improve services and help shape future mental health polices. The websites content has been produced by the YoungMind’s national panel of Very Important Kids (VIK), who have also been involved throughout the creation of the website to ensure it contains all the information on in that young people need.

Clare Jerrom website editor told News Wales: “Given that every 30 minutes a young person cuts, burns or scalds themselves, it’s important to ensure young people know they are not alone, can get help and advice and help shape services in the future.”

“The new website is an idea place for young people to find out about the work VIK are doing across the country and tell us about their experiences so we can continue to campaign to improve mental health services for children and young people,” she added.

The interactive website design includes a blogging platform on which users can log on and blog about their experiences or news in their area. Each month, the writer of the best blog will receive a £20 love2shop voucher awarded by Ms Jerrom.

“This may be the blog that has the most comments, or that made me laugh or which really struck a chord,” she said.

Members of the VIK panel will act as moderators on the website with the aim of ensuring the content provided is both useful and within site guidelines. It is hoped that the website becomes an accessible resource which can be used by young people all over the UK.

Caroline Holroyd is a member of VIK and is a moderator for the new site, she added: “It is so important young people are involved in the development and editing of this website as, in essence, it’s our website.”

“Without young people’s contributions this would be yet another abstract website about mental health. It wouldn’t connect with the people we want to connect with.”

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has rebranded its Telegraph.co.uk website in an effort to create a consistent brand across all digital platforms.

To coincide with the rebrand exercise, The Telegraph’s website design has been ‘refreshed’ with pictures, video and graphics giving more prominence on the web pages, making them more engaging to readers.

“We’re calling the overall effect a ‘refresh,’ much more than adding a new coat of paint but short of a comprehensive redesign,” The Daily Telegraph explained in an article.

The new homepage now features space for videos and images to be exhibited, in addition to a new block dedicated purely to Science, Health and Earth coverage. Journalists will now have their own pages and in a press release the paper said “each section of the website will have a significantly greater amount of editorial content available at the click of a button.”

Edward Roussel TMG’s digital editor told Marketing Magazine that “the changes were a reflection of The Telegraph’s commitment to digital media.” The new branding design comes as the group try to “harmonise [their] look across all print, web and mobile app platforms,” it is hoped the redesign will make sharing content through social networks easier.

The website rename to The Telegraph will be extended to both mobile and iPad products to create a consistent brand.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson

The sister site of Wikipedia is currently undergoing its biggest design overhaul since its launch in 2004.

The new look Wikia site aims to combine the best features of the social web with the publishing tools used by Wikipedia. Since the for-profit site was launched six years ago, Wikia’s two million registered users have created more than 165,000 wikis. Topics range from cult TV shows to genealogy and even include recipes and vintage patterns.

As reported by BBC News, the site founder Jimmy Wales said he wanted to re-invent wikis so it was simple and easy to use, in the hope more people will be encouraged to contribute to articles.

“The intention is to reach out beyond the traditional core of people who are involved in Wikia and get in more people editing on a wider range of diverse topics. Traditionally what we saw in the early days was entertainment and gaming wikis but primarily steeped in geek culture with the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek,” he said.

“We are now seeing the trend in the direction of Twilight with a heavy skew to females and we want to continue in this direction. Wikia is a tool for everyone in society to participate and share in and not just the traditional geek,” he added.

The interactive website design will remain, but the social element and the way in which people share using networks such as Facebook and Twitter, will heavily contribute to the website’s redesign. The changes mean users will be able to share their edits and contributions with friends through the use of social tools. Real-time streams, polls and top 10 lists are also being added to the site to boost user engagement and make the site more fun and interesting to use.

Wikipedia was started in 2001 and has almost 3.5 million articles, but Mr Wales revealed that making the online encyclopedia available in other languages was top of his agenda.

“We have a long way to go certainly and we are far from done. There is still an amazing amount of work to do certainly in terms of focusing on the languages of the developing world,” he said.

by: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson