The Colour Mill Swansea Graphic Design, Web Design & Illustration, from The Colour Mill.

Freelance Graphic Design, Web Design & Illustration, Swansea.

My name is Benjy Stanton and I’m a freelance graphic designer who specialises in design for print, website design and illustration in Swansea, South Wales.

I work with businesses and designers on their brochures, websites, logos, blogs, stationery, email marketing, printing and tea drinking. I care about clear, friendly design and the environment.

Learn more about what I do or, just read on for my latest news, articles and design work.

These website icons were designed for Swansea based document archiving company Transmedia.

They illustrate the different levels of document storage and archiving facilities on offer to their customers, from standard to high security and even digital storage.

This project was a collaboration between James Good Limited and The Colour Mill.

Whilst doing some freelance design work recently, I was roped into becoming a ‘model’ for a promotional photo-shoot. (Its not the first time either, maybe I should consider a career change? ;)

I’d been working with Swansea based design consultancy James Good on some illustrations. Whilst there, they had begun developing an idea in social enterprise into a fully fledged business opportunity.

Bubble Squeak is their creation; a “no frills car cleaning brand” that will “give people the confidence to get themselves out and earning”

Before I knew it I was out on the road with the James Good gang (including photographer Thom Hayes). I was dressed head-to-toe in their new Bubble Squeak uniform and posing with a bucket and sponge. Good job it was a glorious day in sunny Swansea!

This ongoing website project recently underwent a massive design over hall in time for a large exhibition.

Swansea based client GLT Exports Ltd manage the website content via their web browser and commissioned The Colour Mill to design the graphics including layout, icons, header graphics and various pieces of graphical content.

http://www.gltexports.com/

Kode, a Swansea based security firm recently hired The Colour Mill to design a logo for their new company. The final version shown below uses custom typography to make up the word ‘kode’.

The design went through a few revisions…

… and even a couple of completely different designs, before the client was 100% happy.

Swansea based independent record shop Derricks Music recently updated their website.

I provided some graphics that were used by Ballyhoo Commerce, who built the site on a custom content management system with e-commerce functionality for selling gig tickets.

These icons were designed whilst I worked at Web Media Works. They are now used in an ecommerce website application called Ballyhoo.

The icons were illustrated to give the shop’s admin design a friendly feeling, avoiding technical clichés to help new users feel more at home.

Congratulations to me, The Colour Mill is one year old! To celebrate I’m ordering some new parts for the a brand new computer which should speed things up around here and help me get those designs out faster in more style.

Fable © Lionhead Studios

There’s another great looking amperSAND event this month.

This time Andrew Lindsay, Animation Director at Lionhead Studios talks about ‘Game Animation, Art and Technology’, covering the following questions;

• How do artists and animators work within the parameters set by the tech., do those parameters restrict or inspire us?
• What implications does ‘playability’ have for the things we create?
• Can the balance between the two (tech and art) be managed in favour of the art?

The event takes place at Swansea Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Media on Wednesday 22nd April.

Hopefully see you there!

Find out more about amperSAND events here.

I’m now offering an email newsletter design deal. If you’ve been thinking about starting an email campaign for a while, now is the time to give issue #1 a go.

Here’s how it works;

• I create a custom email design for you.
• Tell me what you want to include for issue #1 and I’ll get it ready to go.
• Give me your list of emails (and capture more with the online form I provide).
• I’ll send it to your customers (up to 100 addresses, extras cost just 1p each).
• See who’s opening and clicking with powerful online reports and Google Analytics intergration.

Send your first issue (including all setup and design) for just £125 (usually £250). If you’re happy with results you can make it a regular thing, once it’s setup it’s cheaper.

Fancy a whirl? Get in touch.

Food Passion is a eating out and food shopping guide for Swansea and the surrounding areas (Gower, Mumbles, Llanelli).

It exists in web and printed form, and I’ve recently finished the graphic design for 2009’s edition. Its the second time I’ve designed the printed guide, which usually takes the form of a 48 page booklet.

I recommend picking one up, they’re very useful and an interesting read, plus this year they have vouchers in the back which can be exchanged for discounts and free gifts at various restaurants around Swansea. Look out for them across the city.

http://www.food-passion.co.uk/