Today we share some news that you were not perhaps expecting. Raw Nerve Ltd is regrettably closed for business.
As a team, we’ve been incredibly ambitious and have tried to push ourselves and the boundaries across a range of disciplines. This has been an expensive learning curve, which we have all grown from.
Over the past eight years we have worked with some amazingly talented people to deliver visionary and innovative projects that sent ripples around the world, demonstrating the power of collaboration and community engagement. We hope that Raw Nerve will be remembered as a uniquely creative and passionate company for years to come.
If you would like to find out what we’re up to now, please contact Rebecca Molina at rebecca [at] studioraw.co.uk or Kieran McMillan at kieran [at] conscious.ly
We’ve been through a rigourous refresh of the London Design Festival website, which has received an impressive 1 million page impressions over the past 12 months.
The new design complements Pentagram’s splendid identity, which features a hand-painted typeface.
We’ve introduced some new features including ‘Market Place’, a private area which helps extend the Festival’s support of the community of partners. ‘My Festival’enables visitors to plan and share their festival experience .
The invitation to submit events for 2010 is set to begin, kicking of with a press launch on May 13th. Find out more here www.londondesignfestival.com
The design concepts and graphics that follow build on the industrial feel and heritage of The Faircharm, and embrace and celebrate its idiosyncrasies,
rather than try to cover them up. It is important to build upon the fact that the building / brand is already a part of the existing community and not a ‘just
another new project’. The Faircharm building itself comprises many industrial, ‘guts-on-the-outside’ features, such as exposed pipes, which should be
reflected in the visual style of the brand.
We’ve been working on design concepts and graphics for The Faircharm, a 1950s industrial estate and home to our studio. Embracing the heritage, we’ve tried to embrace and celebrate the building’s idiosyncrasies, rather than try to cover them up. The Faircharm building, owned by Workspace Group PLC, comprises many industrial, ‘guts-on-the-outside’ features, such as exposed pipes, which have been reflected in the visual style of the brand.
SEM Group PLC approached Raw Nerve because they wanted to strenthen their position and brand presence within the Sports Entertainment Industry. The new website has a commercial focus which helped to increase online lead generation and customer interaction by utilising digital marketing techniques as well as tools for accurate tracking and monitoring of online marketing activities.
Beneath a former Victorian train carriage ramp in Deptford lies some empty arches which are to be opened up for projects run by local artisans. A program of workshops supported by The Deptford Project, aims to breathe new life into the area including; carpentry and metalwork , up-cycling, cycle maintenance and tours, theatre and jewellery. Please contact rebecca@thedeptfordproject.com to find out more.
Creative Island captures the energy and diversity of the UK’s world-class creative community; including work from over 25 design disciplines – from architecture and engineering to fashion and jewellery, from new media and graphics to theatre and retail design. Alongside the established practices, the site showcases new ideas and talent emerging from the University of the Arts London.
We’re excited to have been given the opportunity to get started on a Chinese language version of the site which will be featured in the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
I’ve probably dropped this guys name and his work into every conversation I’ve had over the past few months, but his work still manages to put a smile on my face.
I came across his ‘Bath-tub’ series on Vimeo, but have recently noticed that he’s launched his website: www.keithloutit.com, definitely worth a visit in my opinion.
What really defines heartfelt love? In our increasingly consumerist world of wags & wannabees, the advent of the 14th February raises the debate: ‘Should ‘all the single ladies put a ring on it,…. if ‘he buys you a Diamond ring will it make you feel all right’ or’is the boy with the cold hard cash always Mr Right’? Artist & Raw Nerve have chosen to jump on the ‘veritable’ Valentine bandwagon as they transform the Deptford Project Train carriage & space with a visual debate on whether ‘heartfelt’ or ‘hard-cash’ is the thing that really gets the butterflies fluttering in the hearts of millions…
Incognito artist Insa will explore the subject with an inverse heart design, questioning the difference between ‘real’ love and ‘fake’ love. Upside down hearts imprinted with luxury brand logos will represent the fleetingly fake materialistic world of love by logo, whilst the welcoming interior of the bistro train carriage defines heartfelt love, continuing to act as the beating heart of SE8’s close knit community, a year round creative headquarters for artists, artisans, aunties, & oldies alike.
Insa says:
“I wanted to do this Valentines painting at the Deptford project because I love Deptford. It was the first place i moved to when I came to London 15years ago. The train is such a great visual interruption to the high street- like a freeze in motion in the heart of a very busy ever growing community….”
Concieved by Creative Consultancy Raw Nerve and Cathedral Group, The Deptford Project is much more than a revitalised railway carriage turned bistro. It is a symbol of what Deptford is, was and will be in stylised, graffiti clad splendour. Its positioning on the site of London’s first suburban railway station, built in 1836, marks the site as one of historical importance whilst the changing design reflects a sensitivity to the ebb and flow of changing times and a recognition of Deptford’s community spirit at the heart of all it creates.
These events also mark the first stage in the regeneration works by Cathedral Group that include the refurbishment of the historic carriage ramp, creation of new retail units and construction of new homes adjacent to a brand new station which is soon to be constructed by the Council and Network Rail. The Grade II listed carriage ramp – the long listed building in the UK, will also be restored and connected back to the railway line as it was when it was built in 1836
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ABOUT INSA
INSA is a fine artist and designer who has established himself from a graffiti background through extensive street level work and gallery shows around the world. Throughout his career, INSA has allowed himself to explore different approaches and outlets for his artistic agenda, including designing signature collections for brands such as Kangol, Kid Robot and Oki-Ni, as well as starting his own heel company ‘INSA HEELS’. He has undertaken many private commissions for clients such as Sony and Nike and more was recently invited out to Sweden as one of only two British artists to help curate and sculpt the 2008/2009 ICE hotel. He is also currently working on a commissioned piece for TATE Britain.
Rebecca Molina, founder of Raw Nerve, has made the cut in the top 50 of The Courvoisier The Future 500, an exclusive network of the UK’s most promising business and creative talent who come together to share ideas, achievements, advice and experience. They will now be connected through a bespoke online network to which only they have access, a forum for sharing and promoting excellence and innovation. Members whose motivation and passion for perfection marks them out as future leaders in their fields are selected by an independent judging panel, and have been featured in the Observer magazine and website and a specially created magazine, which has been distributed nationally, and reaches over one million people.
A historic part of London, closely associated with London’s mercantile success in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Deptford suffered for much of the twentieth century. It was heavily bombed during the second world war, and then subjected to decades of economic decline as the riverside and shipbuilding industries so central to its history collapsed. Much of the modern public housing and buildings of the 1950s and 1960s did little to either maintain Deptford’s character or revitalize its economic base.
Since 2002, Raw Nerve has been playing a key role in shaping Deptford’s growing cultural and creative sector, and has taken a strong interest in the regeneration of the town centre and promotion of local resources with its online showcasing platform RSVP London. A recent example of this is The Deptford Project, a collaboration between Raw Nerve and property developers Cathedral Group, who have been transforming a neglected yard to the rear of Deptford High Street into a vibrant and creative space. Their programme of activities began in dramatic fashion when, in the early hours of February 14th 2008, they presented the people of Deptford with a ’35-tonne Valentine’s gift’ – a 57-seat 1960s train carriage, which had been transformed into a community space with a café and pop-up arts-and crafts markets featuring the wares of local designer-makers and live music.
Award-winning designer Morag Myerscough was commissioned to produce the visual identity for the carriage, and since its inception it has helped attract new visitors to the area has been featured widely in the press and media. More importantly, however, it has been welcomed by the local community, who are involved with Raw Nerve in ongoing ideas and future plans for The Deptford Project.
Update: The Deptford Project was featured in the ‘Super Contemporary‘ exhibition at the Design Museum and has appeared in blogs and magazines globally. The project picked up an “Environmental Graphics” award in D&AD 2009 and has been featured in British Council’s initiative Creative Cities and will be featured in the Mayor of London’s forthcoming Cultural Strategy.
For the third year running we’ve just completed the exhibition publication for Tent London 09. A major contemporary design exhibition that takes part in the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane as part of London design festival.
We produced an annual report for South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and we were very proud to hear that it was one of the best designed reports they’ve ever seen.
Part man, part machine, part cockatiel, Cage & Aviary take flights of fancy whenever they can. Raw Nerve’s own Jamie Paton is a DJ, a one-finger keyboardist, and a pot-tickler. Nigel of Bermondsey is a musician, South London’s finest oscillator, and a dedicated dabbler. Together they are winners of the cosmic lottery.
Having put out releases to mini acclaim on the ltd editions that are Dissident Distribution, they are now set to spread their wings with new ventures lined up for Paris-based Astro Lab Recordings, London’s Tiny Sticks, and NYC’s mighty DFA. Also underway is a series of ltd remix 12s on their own ‘The Walls Have Ears’ imprint – starting with Bow Mods – Country Girls, released at the end of November on vinyl.
Exhibition booklet designed an exhibition at 198 Gallery, Brixton. Sam The Wheels is a participatory arts, video and web project, that explores the heritage of Brixton. Inspired by unique film shot between the 1960’s and 1980’s by Clovis Salmon, a first generation Jamaican migrant who arrived in London in the 1950’s. Clovis is an 80 year old ex-Pentecostal minister, locally known as “Sam The Wheels”, due to to his work building wheels at Holdsworth Cycles, and his repair service he operates from his home in Railton Road
DJ History is the ultimate resource for the world’s most knowledgeable and devoted DJs and collectors. The site’s strength lies in the combination of a strong editorial team who publish exclusive content and the highly active and engaged community who explore and share knowledge about artists and music cultures.
The Creative Space Agency is an innovative service that links owners of vacant property with creative professionals looking for potential spaces in London in which to work, exhibit, perform or rehearse. The services on offer include an up to date list of available spaces in London, handy resources to help creative professionals get the most out of the service. The new website, commissioned by the Cultural Industries Development Agency and Urban Space Management has been completely revamped with a content management system that allows space providers to upload and maintain information about available properties.
Raw Nerve created an animated banner for the English National Opera’s “Madame Butterfly”, directed by Anthony Minghella, which was performed through November and December. This run culminated in a charity performance in aid of the Prince’s Trust and the ENO Young Singer’s Programme. The banner appeared on the websites and provided information on the event.
The Deptford Design Festival managed by Raw Nerve and the Creative Lewisham Agency, since 2003, highlights creative work in this corner of the capital during the London Design Festival. In addition to launching the magazine and website which promotes the event, Raw Nerve organised the Café with Cathedral Group to showcase the work of local designers within a physical space, at Cockpit Arts.
In collaboration with London Youth Support Trust, Raw Nerve Designed the brand identity, website and marketing materials for the ‘Cherry Picked’ boutiques. The ‘pop-up’ shops showcase cutting-edge design pieces by emerging young talents, ranging from handbags to handknits and fashion to furniture – including our own Life is Suite sofa.
The Deptford Design Market Challenge, a collaboration between Raw Nerve, Creative Lewisham and the London Design Festival, brought together 27 designers; including Conran and Partners, Stuart Haygarth and Marti Guixte. Each was encouraged to select a second-hand item from the market to be re-worked in a unique, desirable and functional fashion; and to challenge preconceptions of usefulness and beauty.
ITV Creative approached Raw Nerve to develop its brand identity and marketing materials. The aim was to reflect the creative energy of the department while representing a complementary but imaginative development of ITV’s new corporate identity. The team felt it was not being utilised effectively and needed to demonstrate the range of exciting promos, idents and stings that have been produced. The designs are being implemented across marketing materials and merchandising. The youthfulness of the boy illustration reflects that ITV Creative is still a growing and expanding sub-brand of the ITV parent.
ITV Creative approached Raw Nerve to develop its brand identity and marketing materials. The aim was to reflect the creative energy of the department while representing a complementary but imaginative development of ITV’s new corporate identity. The team felt it was not being utilised effectively and needed to demonstrate the range of exciting promos, idents and stings that have been produced. The designs are being implemented across marketing materials and merchandising. The youthfulness of the boy illustration reflects that ITV Creative
is still a growing and expanding sub-brand of the ITV parent.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital commissioned Raw Nerve to produce a book, “Stories of Difference”, to encourage debate surrounding inclusion and diversity. The success of this project led the NHS Strategic Health Authority to engage Raw Nerve to produce “Stories of Achievement”. This include case-studies describing employee training and development carried out by the Workforce Development Confederation.
Earthly Delights Films approached Raw Nerve to develop a highly engaging and interactive Microsite for publishing their animated spoof space adventure series ‘Marsipan’. Behind the interactive 3D environment lies a powerful media publishing and distribution system, and provides their audience with the tools to effectively redistribute the content to their own networks.
Life is Suite was inspired by a sofa discovered in the backstreets of Deptford. Raw Nerve, as a team, imagined stories of its life so far and gave it a new lease of life. The upholstery has been designed in an interactive manner, lift cushions to explore its history and listen to sounds from within. A series of one-off pieces have been exhibited in The Royal Exchange, the Royal Festival hall, 100% Design, Magma and has been published across the world, in print and blogs, including the book Furnish (Die Gestalten), Cool Hunting, SlowLab and New York Times.
“Life is Suite” was inspired by a sofa discovered in the backstreets of Deptford. As a team, we imagined stories of its life so far and gave it a new lease of life. The upholstery has been designed in an interactive manner, lift cushions to explore its history and listen to sounds from within. A series of one-off pieces have been exhibited in The Royal Exchange, the Royal Festival hall, 100% Design, and has been published across the world, in print and blogs.
Camden Lock required a new booklet to promote the canalside heritage site. They were keen to represent craftspeople at work, food, recycling and ethical trading. Raw Nerve responded with photography and copy-writing which captured the essence of the bustling vibrant marketplace and iconic landmarks, which was then complimented by stylish and informative design. “The response has been fantastic!! Not just from tenants, but from pretty much anyone I show it to. It’s by far the best piece of promotional material we’ve ever had!” William Fulford, Camden Lock Market Director
Makilee and Lee Broom are sister companies, producing complimentary work in interiors and bespoke furniture respectively. They needed two brands and two websites that reflected this relationship.
Good Luck Studio! – is a club night in London’s Shoreditch venue Sosho, which features some of the world’s biggest record producers spinning the tracks which inspire them most. Each month features guest producers who have masterminded tracks for the likes of Stone Roses, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, New Order, Primal Scream, The Verve, Bloc Party and Snow Patrol. Raw Nerve designed the brand identity and marketing material for the event. Posters and flyers feature the face of each guest DJ, which is illustrated from a montage of musical equipment.
ThePlayers.fm is an online radio platform for emerging DJ talent. Recognising that the radio listening audience was fragmenting on to new online platforms, Raw Nerve anticipated that DJ’s would soon be seeking hosting for mixes, and tools to share with communities on other social networks such as Myspace, and has been growing the brand and technology around the needs of a growing international membership. The platform is attracting over 80,000 visitors per month; a figure achieved solely through viral spread.
Raw Nerve was invited to create promotions for the Brit Awards, the biggest music awards in the UK, which attracted over 6 million viewers. Combining contemporary visuals with dynamic animations of previous winners, the artwork was also adapted for print advertising of the event.
Nokia with The Prince’s Trust staged the UK’s largest festival celebrating urban music and culture, featuring workshops to help young people to find out more about how to get into music industry, with performances by the world’s top hip-hop and R&B acts. Raw Nerve developed an authentic and original brand identity and online/offline marketing campaign. 40,000 attended the event at Earls Court, London, which was broadcast to 6 million viewers on Channel 4 and MTV.
We’ve been working on design concepts and graphics for The Faircharm, a 1950s industrial estate and home to our studio. Embracing the heritage, we’ve tried to embrace and celebrate the building’s idiosyncrasies, rather than try to cover them up. The Faircharm building, owned by Workspace Group PLC, comprises many industrial, ‘guts-on-the-outside’ features, such as exposed pipes, which have been reflected in the visual style of the brand.
