Product design and the importance of muse

A few personal visual notes on the importance of muse when developing a product for retail. Recently, in October 2018, I have finally found something I am happy to turn into a fully fledged product for retail. It all started in September 2016, talking and laughing with colleagues on the importance of the Peak District…

The inexplicable science of happy coincidences

Learning to understand what it is to be human, how we see what we see, how we observe the patterns of all our lives and act upon them is big science. It is the vastness of neuroscience, psychological behaviour patterns and the understanding of how personal experiences affect our everyday. It is a massive subject,…

Peak District Design… is coming soon

Peak District Design will be launching soon at www.peakdistrictdesign.co.uk A small business specialising in the orginal artwork and design of Si Homfray. A few images from forthcoming products can be seen below.

logo design – a process with heart

I thought a few personal notes on the process behind producing this logo for the lovely people at Sheffield Sling Surgery might be interesting. The brief was unusual and in written form came along the lines of ‘I want something I will love’. My motivation was high as I knew a little bit about the…

Where do great ideas come from?

A few personal thoughts on the design and creative process. The bath? Famously, Mr Archimedes, had his Eureka moment in the bath. Which may give us a good starting point to answer this question. It certainly seems to be true that the more relaxed you are, the more day to day fun you are having…

Hope Works – No Bounds Festival

A few images from a photographic assignment at Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield with Tim Glasby videographer. Trafalgar Warehouse, Sheffield and the launch party at hopeworks, sheffield 9th june 2017 here’s a link to the no bounds festival Joby Burgess (Pioneers Of Percussion Live) BENJAMIN DOREY, MARTIN ARCHER, JACK OPUS, BEN ECKERSLEY PRESENT: SONGSEVEN BENJAMIN DOREY,…

X-ray crystallography inspiration for a logo

Here are a few images from a recent logo design project… I was so grabbed by the patterns thrown out by x-ray crystallographs at a microscopic level I was determined to create something digitally that felt good and represented the patterns without being too clinical. It is always fascinating study finding the differences between some…

Birthday card design

It’s not often, if ever, you are asked to design a 70th birthday card for one of your oldest friends. This project was no ordinary design project, like the subject was no ordinary person. Lt. Col. T. E. Pollak (ret). was 70 years old and he needed a design theme. Still actively running Mt Marathons…

looking for work…

It’s that time, and work needs to be found… If you know anybody who needs any of the skills that went into making this website or would like to see some portfolio work or case studies from si… it would be great to hear from you. just call si on 07515 903173 or email: si@hammerdesign.co.uk…

8 things to look for in a graphic designer

Are you looking for the holy grail? Is what you want out there? A graphic designer with relevant experience, an understanding and sensitivity for your work and that something indefinable, an edge that will make you and your business really shine? Here’s a set of 8 top tips and aspects to look for when appointing…

hammer design – a new look at excellence in graphic design

An obsession with detail is an obsession with excellence… People seem to often associate a relentless pursuit of detail and excellence with perfectionism and there is a tendency to label graphic designers as obsessives. Sure I haven’t met many colleagues who won’t straighten your pictures on the wall, align the pens on a desk in…

a commercial designer and a questioning artist…

A commercial designer and a free flow, free thinking artist? Can a commercial designer be truly creative or a game changing artist? Does such a thing actually matter and if so to who? How do you get experience from both sides of the fence? So many questions… but what are the really important questions, the…

two years ago today…

It was two years ago today I had to come back from my lifetime dream of a great big adventure. family, money and a responsibility issues forced an untimely return to base. It’s quite strange how we give ourselves a hard time from time time and I find it frustrating how we beast ourselves for…

a new old home

Sheffield, Sheffield, Sheffield… it’s the place I want to be. What makes a home a home? We all have different answers to this timeless question. for me it’s simple. Sheffield and the surrounding Peak District are, and have always been, a great home. it’s a place where you bump into friends, acquaintances and the people…

the secret project

the thing about secret projects is… well they are secret. I’m happy to boast that I am now up to 4,000 hours all on one very designer, very analogue graphic design project. It’s certainly not for the money. How could it be? It’s all just for the love of it. for the love of design,…

just add tea

if you want to get a job done… just offer the workforce a cup of tea. well it certainly works with this workforce.