And so this is Christmas… and what have you done? another year over, and a new one just begun… Well, not quite. But with everyone at Whitenoise desperate to use up any remaining leave time the studio has been pretty quiet the last couple of days. All the usual signs of the season are present and correct – Paul and Steven got fed up with Kerplunk and are now back on the pool table…

Debbie has started packing away the Christmas tree (Bah Humbug)…

Mark Canavan is keeping a watchful eye on his festive booty from clients and suppliers…

while the last of the shortbread will no doubt be gone by the end of the day…

But if any more proof is needed, check this out: I have NEVER seen Peedy and Ryan’s desks look so tidy (or seen all their screens off), so it’s official – Christmas is definitely here:

So to suppliers, clients, family, friends, competitors and compulsive watchers of this blog, Merry Christmas, one and all. Hope we all have a peaceful one and a prosperous (despite what the news tells us) 2009. We’ll be back on Friday the 2nd (groan) and ready to get stuck into some pretty big projects for RFD, Invest NI, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and several more besides, but for now it’s goodbye from me and the team.

See you all on the other side!

Mark C

So last night was the Whitenoise staff party with the (almost) entire team starting off at Aldens and then variously splitting to town, Peedy’s place, or, if you’re an old fart like me, home to the wife and kids. It’s now 10 past nine and the studio is strangely quiet, so I suspect there was quite a bit of revelling. We missed Kerrie who’s back was out resulting in her recieving her Alden’s dinner ‘Meals on Wheels’ style, by taxi – see below:

Is it just me, or is that a really small bed? I’m thinking it may actually be a rocking chair and quilt…

NORTHERN BANK

Anyway, that’s enough of that nonsense – on with business. Today sees the December edition of Northern News landing on desks at our favouritest bank, with a tidy bit of design work (it says here) courtesy of yours truly:

AND OTHER LOVELY CLIENTS

On other fronts, we continue to be kept very busy by Invest NI, RFD, the Consultative Group on the Past and the Balmoral Show, to name a few – keep checking back for some visual evidence on all this feverish activity as, despite appearances to the contrary:

We are all, genuinely, very very busy…

WE’RE IN THE NEWS AGAIN. SORT OF…

One other thing of newsworthy note: Our very own tame scouser Paul Allen will be featured in the next issue of Computer Arts Projects magazine, a lovely design mag that is essential reading in studios across the land. We’re very excited – well done Paul.

Over and Out.

Mark C

YOUTH CONNECT

Firstly, can I say a huge well done to Team Paul (Paul Allen, Christine McKee, Kerrie Bingham) and also Alix and the production guys, and me too, come to think of it – for a fabulous – and winning – pitch to the Congress of Irish Trade Unions for their new all-Ireland Youth Connect project, aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of union membership amongst school and college leavers. It was a closely fought battle, against some of Dublin’s finest design and advertising agencies, so we were delighted to find out that our presentation was the winner – keep checking back for more on this major project as it rolls out in 2009.

SURVITEC GROUP

The tail end of last week saw the new Survitec Group (parent company of RFD, the world leader in maritime and aviation rescue systems) website go live, with some classy design and fiendishly complicated back end coding courtesy of Peedy Quinn and Ryan Kane:

Click on the above graphic and you’ll be escorted over quick sharpish to the Survitec site.

IREP

We’re also very pleased to announce the new identity for IREP – the Independent Review Of Economic Policy For DETI & Invest NI (now there’s a mouthful!) with an excellent piece of design by Mark Canavan:

EXPRESSLINES

Christine McKee has also been very busy on Translink’s staff magazine, ‘Expresslines” – with added Christmas sparkle to this issue:

Christine and our tame 3D guru Mark Canavan also worked on the new Belfast City Council exhibition stand for MIPIM 2009 in Paris:

AND FINALLY…

There’s quite a lot of other exciting stuff happening, so do keep checking back for some important announcements before the Christmas break, but for now, if you haven’t already done so, please pay a visit to our YouTube page. Merry Christmas, one and all.

Mark C

I was driving into work this morning and was really saddened to hear in the news that Ivor Postgate has died. Ivor who? you ask? He may not be a national name, but his animated creations, including Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog and the Clangers, were an essential part of many childhoods. Check out this Guardian article for more on the man who inspired so many.

While you’re here, and still on the subject of animations, let me draw your attention to our little animated festive greeting, on our home page (those of you who have this blog page bookmarked and came directly to it may have missed it) just click here for a dose of Whitenoise Christmas cheer.

Mark C

We got a brace of great reports out the door this week. First up we have the rather elegant 10 year review for our good friends at Allstate, courtesy of, Ingrid Neill, Mark Canavan and Rory Jeffers…

Next up is the ICVA (Independent Custody Visiting Association) Annual Report, masterminded by Lynsay Spence…

That’s it for today – keep checking back for more graphical excellence from those supremely talented and really nice people from Whitenoise. Also, if you haven’t already done so, check out www.dearspider.com – it’s beautiful and quite disturbing in equal measure, and truly a wondrous thing…

Mark C