Welcome to the Liv Design blog, an eclectic mix of great design and quirky finds

So how many of you are now using Twitter? Liv Design joined way back in 2007 when Twitter was a mere fledgling, with less than 350,000 users. And to be honest, we didn't really find it very useful. No interaction. No replies. Nothing interesting happening. Lots of people letting you know if they were on their way out or wishing you good night. Everyone we asked had never heard of it and had no intentions of joining. But then something seemed to happen. Like most things, the 'fad' came a along, closely followed by the bandwagon. Figures for Twitter put the worldwide number of users at over 14 million in March 2009, and growing. The success of social media (Web 2.0) makes prefect sense. It's only human to need to be heard, to have a desire to belong, and have an outlet to express feelings and opinion But why would anyone want to communicate with total strangers across the world, in short messages (less than 140 characters)? It took a while for people to realise the benefi...

The often controversial and irreverent 2009 Chip Shop awards results are now finalised. Check out the results at www.chipshopawards.com/nominations/ The Chip Shop awards were started in the 1980s as an idea by two creatives to foster and recognise creativity with no boundaries and no rules. Design with tongues firmly in cheeks...

Only recently come across this brand – Supra. They're a US skate shoe brand (if we're going to pigeon-hole them). Nice products, nice photography and a good website. Check out the ad archive. Thumbs up. www.suprafootwear.com

Uplifting little flash film to brighten your day http://www.eightprinciples.com/

If you were asked if your company had a logo, the answer would undoubtedly be ‘yes’. If you were asked if your company had a brand would that answer also be ‘yes’? Or would it be met with a long pause? It’s a common misconception by many people that their company’s ‘brand’ is their ‘logo’. They are very different things. So what’s the difference? A brand captures the whole spirit and character of your company, your service and your product. It’s the collective sum of many different parts. The logo is just one small part of that brand, it’s a visual symbol, an icon that represents you company and creates association in order to help build recognition. You might have a logo, but that doesn’t mean that you have a brand. Imagine your business as a cake. It’s made up of many different ingredients, and the amount and proportions of those ingredients go together to create a very unique and individual finished cake. Your logo is the decoration, like the icing, the cherry, or the bow. It’s a br...

We are now using Twitter (well, I am). We originally joined Twitter a couple of years ago and we couldn't really see the point. And to be honest, with only a couple of hundred thousand followers worldwide we were probably right. Now though, Twitter has over 14 million followers! Unbelievable. And it looks like it can now be something truly beneficial... and addictive! http://twitter.com/scottlivdesign

It seems everyone is rolling their brands into the wine market lately (Alfa, Ducati, Marylyn Monroe, even Elvis..) and now tattoo-themed streetwear clothing brand Ed Hardy is getting in on the act. Ed Hardy creator Christian Audigier is slowly building and expanding Ed Hardy's brand range, with his wild rock style graphic designs appearing on many types of merchandise, including T-shirts, purses, perfume, socks, sunglasses, barware, bedding, swimwear and underwear. Audigier even has plans to create a new line of Ed Hardy toothbrushes! For such an edgy rebellious brand image, surely whiskey or beer would be a little more appropriate than the sophisticated, relaxed wine market? Here at Liv Design we love Ed Hardy stuff. They're a little lairy and crazy, and popular with celebs. Ed Hardy wines might be good for the wine industry, but is it right for the Ed Hardy brand? Putting your name on anything ultimately diminishes a brand. Or maybe it's just very clever branding, showing...

Innovative automated retail start-up U*tique and beauty retailer STUDIO BEAUTYMIX at Fred Segal, are 'bringing the future of luxury retail' to Los Angeles with the 'U*tique Shop'. It's the world’s first interactive, automated luxury store for “life’s little emergencies and indulgences” offering a selection of 50 iconic ‘must haves’ from today’s luxury and personal-care segments. “U*tique Shop is a luxury lifestyle brand, positioned to meet the needs of the on-the-go consumer who appreciates premium, well-crafted products,” says CEO and creator, Mara Segal. U*tique Shop features an original touch-screen interface, interactive LED lighting design, and a behind-the scenes robot who delivers fragile products from secure storage and direct into the hands of customers. U*tique collaborated with up-and-coming design talent Russell Greenberg, Director of RUX, a New York City based design studio, for the overall design of the machine. “The words upscale, automated and retail...

We thought it might be a good idea to share a few 'Liv Design tips' over the next few months. We're going to take a brief look at graphic design and branding and how important a role design plays in influencing you and affecting your daily actions. Have you ever been to a business event, seminar or show and noticed a leaflet that catches your eye and makes you pick it up and say 'oooh, this is nice'? Have you ever found yourself in a newsagents or bookstore and you bought something that you didn't go in to buy just because it looked good? Good creative design has a huge amount of potential power. It has the ability to form an emotional connection between a product and a buyer in a split second. Any printed material, any design piece, is all about appealing to the senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, even taste! They all play their part to entice. Firstly you might see something that you find appealing. This stimulates the brain. Human nature (curiousity or a des...