Graphic Design by Sean Turtle

Why good design really makes a difference

Turts — Tue, 10 May 2011 09:45:33 +0000

It's a pet peeve of mine that the availability of illegal downloads of software like Photoshop has made the phrase "I know how to use Adobe CS" a coded-phrase for "graphic design is easy". The amount of times I've opened a psd file that someone has sent me (believing it's a perfectly acceptable print-ready file), only to find it has no bleed/wrong resolution/colour-mode (the possibilities are endless) are too numerous to mention. As a result, and as the market is flooded with poorly-laid out literature and packaging, so people's perception of the importance of good design has diminished.

Which is why this article on Creative Boom should be read by those who employ graphic designers as much as those who call themselves one. It highlights how good design can actually drive sales, and slap your brand right into view of a prospective customer. Give it a read.

Mantic Journal – Issue Two

Turts — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:00:34 +0000

I recently published images from the first issue of the Mantic Journal. Hot on the heels of that post comes the second issue. This one really started to expand and polish the look and feel of the magazine – by this point we'd really started to get a feel for how we wanted to portray the Mantic world. It also included a map that Guy and I had worked on to give avid readers a chance to flesh out the world in their minds.

As before, there are several images below.

The Mantic Journal – First Issue!

Turts — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:42:30 +0000

As regular readers will know, I spent just over six years working at Games Workshop. For almost half my time there, I worked on White Dwarf, the industry-leading magazine for tabletop gaming. During that time, I worked under three editors, Paul Sawyer, Andy Stewart and Guy Haley.

Guy recently contacted regarding a project he would soon begin work on for Mantic Games (a company that, coincidentally, I already produce packaging work for), and enquired whether I would be interested in working with him on the inaugural issue of their magazine. Naturally, I blurted out "I'd love to" – (who wouldn't want to work on a magazine from scratch?).

And so, The Mantic Journal came into being. I've attached some pics here. I'll be adding new images from each issue as we go. Hope you like...

One Nottingham Website

Turts — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:53:02 +0000

I showcased an identity branding project I'd worked on for a friend a while back, and mentioned that I'd also created the website design for the project – which at that point was still in the production phase.

The site has now launched (which is handy as I've been itching to show off the design here). The site is a portal for those living in the Nottingham area, and includes details on lots of things to do and see.

You can visit the One Nottingham website here.

If you’re looking for something to read…

Turts — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:12:53 +0000

My old editor on White Dwarf/collaborator on The Mantic Journal/former editor of Death Ray magazine/journalist (phew!) Guy Haley has recently launched his own website. Guy's been a wordsmith for a very long time, and is soon to be published as an author via Angry Robot. A very funny man, he's a person I learnt a lot from in the short time I worked under him (but don't tell him that). He's also launched a new website to allow him to cast his words even further afield. You can take a look at his writings here.

Free textures

Turts — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:54:38 +0000

Viv and I recently returned from Leominster (small town just outside of Hereford geography fans!) and we spent a lot of time walking around. Happened on a church near the Welsh border, and I took a few snaps. Turns out that a couple were handy for textures, so I thought I would share them.

Wood with shadows

Stone with paint stains

Stone wall

Please people, let me buy this album.

Turts — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:51:25 +0000

I've spent over two hours today trying to buy (that's right, buy) an album as a digital download - and I can't. It's impossible.

I'm a big fan of Mat Kearney. I bought his City of Black and White album recently and loved it. So I decided (not unreasonably) that I'd pick up his back catalogue. That's where my troubles began.

The album I already own is the only one available on iTunes (UK version). 'Not a problem' I thought, 'I'll just change my store preference to the US for twenty minutes.' Not possible. It checks your billing address.

I then thought, 'I'll see if Amazon has it.' Same problem. Can't get it as an mp3 download in the UK. US Amazon store has it, but I can't purchase from there.

I had a look around and there are sites where you can purchase iTunes US gift cards (at a hefty markup) and there are details spread around the net on how to open a US account. I did that - but as a UK resident I can't purchase a gift card to be used on the US iTunes store (glad I found this out before buying one).

The whole thing is incredibly frustrating. The media is awash with tales of the record companies clamping down on those who make use of illegal downloads. I'm trying to make an honest purchase of an album (I refuse to pay £15 to purchase an imported CD when the album as an mp3 would cost £7) and I can't. If I was that way inclined, I would download it, but I like this artist (who isn't mainstream and I would imagine every purchase is important to him) and I'm way too paranoid to dip my toe into the torrent issue for fear of recrimination.

Looks like Mat Kearney will have to wait for my money.

OneNottingham – Logo and branding

Turts — Thu, 20 May 2010 11:08:06 +0000

A good friend of mine (who has helped me out with web development projects on more than one occasion) recently asked me to create the identity for a personal project of his the OneNottingham website.

One Nottingham is a one-stop website for any news/information related to the city of Nottingham.

Craig asked me to create the initial logo, and then roll this out across a branding exercise for the OneNottingham website. Although the website is still in the production phase, I can show the logo now - and I have to say I'm very pleased with it.

Why design can't be billed by the hour

Turts — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:44:00 +0000

I Read a post today by Steve Zelle on his website, concerning why design is not something that is quantifiable to the extent that you can say designing Project X will take Y hours and therefore cost you Z.

He obviously makes his point far more eloquently than I could - give it a read.

Perry Miniatures – Dragoons

Turts — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:33:25 +0000

Hot on the heels of the last box for the Perry Miniatures box, the French Napoleonic Dragoons has just gone to press.