Definitely worth looking at, Lukes site, not only for the quality of work (bloody LOVE the cupboard woodcut) but quality of presentation. A bit of nice photography goes a long long way, and I wouldn’t expect luke to have too much trouble getting through the door of a studio with this bunch of work (unless he’s an arsehole. You’re not an arsehole are you Luke?). He was also partly responsible for the Nottingham Trent 111 identity that we posted a while back.

Ashwin is a London-based designer with a very nice collection of work in his portfolio including this poster called ‘The Bare Essentials’. Often a self-congratulatory ‘design about design’ concept combined with the student classic ‘poster over face’ pose will bring me out in a rash but this piece overcomes that by being really rather pretty with some intricate use of colour (The clock has a red second hand for example). You can buy it an’ all.

Ok, I’ve plugged this on my Facebook and my Twitter, and I’ll more than likely be cracking it on my personal blog too (not that anyway reads that shite), but I just had to post this on here too. In the midst of New Blood and other end of year shows I feel bad for not posting about any students. But this is too good.

It’s like someone has looked inside my mind and picked out my ideal look, feel and way of creating typography. That’s right, it’s all hand rendered. Anyway enough of the arse licking, go watch this video and make yourself feel inferior like I do right now.

Pete Bowen has just come back from four and a half years working for 55DSL, Diesels ace sub-brand - and now has some cracking illustration from that and other projects, showing an occasional dark sense of humour portrayed in a variety of mediums from airbrushing to hand-drawn line work. Do they do this skull one on a Tee? If not why not, it’s pretty damn rad.

Just Us. is probably the best resource about at the moment for promoting up and coming design and illustration students in the UK. There’s far too much talent on display, some of which have been showcased on SSZ. There is also a tasty little shop up on the site to buy loads of goodies, and an alumni section, promoting the best of last years graduates from the collective.

Expect some more projects coming soon, and hopefully another collective exhibition after the success of the job centre themed event at KK outlet last year.

Some of you may remember our post on the winner of last years Rooted exhibition, ‘Skeletor the Cutlery Skeleton’. Well now the guys that run the event have created their first publication (see above for the page featuring our plastic friend). We were honoured to be asked to judge the event and are even prouder (like leave-it-lying-around-so-people-see kind of proud) to be in the book too.

Along with Skeletor there are some fantastic pieces displayed within a sleek 70 page tome and they are selling out fast - at £10 (a snip) it’s well worth picking up this limited edition bit of ephemera, no doubt featuring the early work of some of the future masters of the design world.

Craig and his team of vis/ressers have gone and done it again, made an awesome little publication that showcases the best in upcoming talent. If you haven’t got one, I strongly recommend you go and buy one right now, they won’t be around for long, and they will form a nice collection when future issues come out.

Grey Matter is an online super store created by 3rd year Graphic Design and Illustration students over at Staffordshire University. They have all produced designs around the theme of Black & White, and most are available to buy on a shirt, as a tote bag or as a print! Get over there and buy something. Now. They need funds for their degree show! Keep your eyes peeled for new designs being added everyday.

Are you guys as nerdy as I am when it comes to a nice bit of typography? Do you have another person in your life who would just love a type-led compliment this Valentines day? Head over to the newly opened HmBM shop and pick yourself up a card, or four, for that special person, part of the Just My Type range. Also keep your eyes peeled for more splendid graphic ephemera in the coming months!

In between sorting out crap for you guys to do (cue shameless plug for our BIG EVENT) and picking our noses, us here at ShellsuitZombie occasionally venture into the chasm of BS that is Twitter. It’s the tool you love and hate, like that potato-peeler with an uncomfortable grip that cuts so damn good*. And sometimes while sneaking around trying to tweet unnoticed we stumble upon a talented designer/illustrator like Shane.

This guy graduated only this year but his work shows a maturity beyond his years. With influences from Build to Non-Format, the Horndog** clearly knows his design, and we look forward to encountering him further in the future.

*note to self, never attempt another analogy. Ever.
** This name is Unapproved by Shane, but we like it.

William Hibberd, the gentleman behind Just Us. and JADB has updated his portfolio site, which is very nice indeed.

These have been here for a while, but they are remarkable. An interesting insight to see how design trends come, go, then come back again. I’ve seen some exact copies of these 1970’s logos around today, although I’m not going to name names…

Ricky Diaghe graduated in June from University of Creative Arts, the duration of his design degree seemingly having been spent wiggling his arms around in the dark. As a result his impressively large collection of light art shows what can be achieved with just a maglight/bike light/candle/flare and a camera with a long exposure function.

Hyperkit have an exhibition of ‘vitreous enamelled plaques featuring different letters and numbers‘ on at the mo - it’s at the House of Propellers until the end of January, during which you can purchase yourself a number or two and hold them in your hands or put them on your door.

However this exhibition is only the latest in a good and varied body of work from the London-based design house which was founded in 2001 by Kate Sclater and Tim Balaam, then two fresh-faced graduates. Their enviable client-list and the amount of column-space they have taken up in the glossy design mags since is proof that it can be done, and done well. Bravo sah!

ps. Vitreous. vitreous. vitreous vitreous vitreous vitreous vitreous vitreous…..vitreousvitreousvitreous. Great word.

Simon Page started this poster project just for a larf, but it got spotted by the stargazers at the IYA and is now being used in their official campaign. What’s more, he will soon (in the next couple of days) be selling them via his website. A perfect print to offset the laddishness of the lame ‘kiss’ door poster in your student flat. Does it scare you how well we know you?