Aaron, who you'll remember did work experience with us a couple of months back, has produced a lasting record of his stay, in the form of a perspex, laser cut doggy-tag. Many thanks Aaron - might inspire some promotional key-rings...

Has anyone noticed that there is a huge design archive under our floorboards - builders can be slightly untidy creatures, but thanks to them, there is a treasure trove of graphic design in our own houses.
Next time you have a loft extension, don't worry when you see the Starbucks coffee-cup going between the rafters - it's just history in the making.

In these crunchy times it is worth thinking outside the box in any walk of life - here's a good example:

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) If she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the money-lender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

Well, here is what she did.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

'Oh, how clumsy of me,' she said. 'But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.'

I met a guy at a dinner dance on Saturday.

"I work in surveying" says he.

"We do work for Churston Heard", say I.

"Retail Intelligence!!", he exclaims. "Those are the people that do all that wacky advertising".

Yes, that's all our initiative", I choke...

Instant gratification... How good does it feel when stuff works!?

For an internet based tool, the 'blog' is quite untypical. Taking time out to reflect on something, sharing creative ideas in a written form, it feels like a bit of good old fashioned correspondance, except you're not sure who you're writing to, or if you'll ever get a response. Is there time to blog?

Surely we must make time! Or are you going to tell me otherwise and prove yourself wrong?!