I've had a couple of practice runs now, over the full distance, and I think my target of 1 hour might be a bit optimistic - I just thought I should warn you. I'll do my best though!
But if you set your target too low, where's the sense of achievement when you hit it?
Obviously sponsorship is my great motivator, so if you would like to, click here. Thanks.
Sunday 31 August 2008
Tuesday 26 August 2008
Running man
I've registered to run a 10k race to support Cancer Research UK. It takes place at Powderham Castle on Sunday 14th September. Obviously the aim is to raise money, so if anyone would like to sponsor me you can do it online, just click here!
I've been doing a lot of reading recently about setting goals, and how you have a greater chance of achieving them if you write them down. So with that in mind I'd like to state my goal of trying to complete the 10k in 1 hour. (The last organised 10k I ran I completed in 50 minutes, but that was 5 years ago, with a lot more training!).
Cancer Research UK are holding 41 events across the country this autumn. If you'd like to get involved you can find out more at www.run10k.org
I've been doing a lot of reading recently about setting goals, and how you have a greater chance of achieving them if you write them down. So with that in mind I'd like to state my goal of trying to complete the 10k in 1 hour. (The last organised 10k I ran I completed in 50 minutes, but that was 5 years ago, with a lot more training!).
Cancer Research UK are holding 41 events across the country this autumn. If you'd like to get involved you can find out more at www.run10k.org
Wednesday 20 August 2008
An identity with energy: YouGen logo design
We have been working with a company called YouGen over the past few months to develop their visual identity. YouGen, based in Devon, make renewable energy easy - they bring together people who are looking for renewable energy solutions with people who can provide them.
The clients we work with are usually facing some kind of challenge in communicating with their audience. For YouGen that challenge is to raise their profile - as a new business they need to get noticed. As an online business search engine optimisation (SEO) will be key to that. But their visual identity - their look and feel - is really important too. They need a strong, memorable identity that helps them to appeal to their target audience. The identity is more than just a logo; it includes a colour palette, typeface, design style and any other visual elements that are needed to help communicate clearly.
All of these elements will come together on the website - www.yougen.co.uk - which is under development. When it is live people will be able to find information about the different renewable energy options available. It will also act as a directory of suppliers of the various technologies available, with customer recommendations to help people make the right choices. If you visit the site you can register your details for notification when it goes live.
If you would like to see examples of other logos and brands we have designed, take a look at our website: www.alderandalder.co.uk
Sunday 17 August 2008
Birthday boy!
Yesterday was William's first birthday. We had planned a beach party, but with our unseasonable weather we had to follow Plan B. Lots of family had come down to celebrate, so William was surrounded by Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and presents! And what is he playing with in the photo? One of his lovely presents? No, the ribbon that was around the present. And of course a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without a cake - made by Charlie, eaten by everyone.
Monday 11 August 2008
Street Art
I was downloading photos from our camera and came across these from a visit to London at the beginning of July. While visiting family we took a trip to the Tate Modern which is holding an exhibition of street art. The facade of the building which faces the Thames has these huge images, three or four storeys high - as you approach the Tate across the Millennium Bridge it looks really impressive. As well as the 6 images on the building itself you can also take a walking tour around the local area where a series of works have been commissioned (with the support of the owners of the of the walls that have been painted!).
I really like street art, as opposed to graffiti - a fine line I know, but I always think of it as something that shows a bit more thought than just spraying your name on any blank space you find. Before we launched Alder and Alder we lived in London. The company I worked for was based on the edge of Shoreditch, so the surrounding streets were home to a lot of Banksy's work. It brightened up some fairly drab streets - it's always good to see something that makes you smile on the way to work. There was one about 10 metres from the door of our office - the Apache helicopters with the pink ribbons. It's been painted over now. The barbers I went to - Johns Hairdressers on Old Street, run by a Greek guy called George - had the Pulp Fiction scene with John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson, with the guns replaced by bananas, on a wall above it. That's been painted over too. You can buy a kind of guide book now, that lists the sites of some of his work and shows it when it was fresh, and then what state they're in now - mostly painted over or faded away. We've got a Banksy print in our office - the chimp with the sandwich boards - on the wall facing the door, and it does make me smile. Even though I see it everyday.
So with that in mind, when we saw these hoardings around a building site next to the Tate Modern we wondered why more developers don't take a similar approach.
I really like street art, as opposed to graffiti - a fine line I know, but I always think of it as something that shows a bit more thought than just spraying your name on any blank space you find. Before we launched Alder and Alder we lived in London. The company I worked for was based on the edge of Shoreditch, so the surrounding streets were home to a lot of Banksy's work. It brightened up some fairly drab streets - it's always good to see something that makes you smile on the way to work. There was one about 10 metres from the door of our office - the Apache helicopters with the pink ribbons. It's been painted over now. The barbers I went to - Johns Hairdressers on Old Street, run by a Greek guy called George - had the Pulp Fiction scene with John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson, with the guns replaced by bananas, on a wall above it. That's been painted over too. You can buy a kind of guide book now, that lists the sites of some of his work and shows it when it was fresh, and then what state they're in now - mostly painted over or faded away. We've got a Banksy print in our office - the chimp with the sandwich boards - on the wall facing the door, and it does make me smile. Even though I see it everyday.
So with that in mind, when we saw these hoardings around a building site next to the Tate Modern we wondered why more developers don't take a similar approach.
Wednesday 6 August 2008
Breakfast with sharks
I had a really interesting breakfast this morning at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. They were hosting a Big Green Breakfast, organised by one of the Business League clubs in Plymouth, and I had been invited to give one of a series of short presentations. For the breakfast itself we were sitting in front of a tank full of Bream and three Sand Tiger sharks - definitely the most interesting venue I've been to for a networking breakfast!
I'd been invited to talk because of the work we have done to make our own activities sustainable, and help other businesses to adopt a sustainable communication strategy. To find out more you can visit the Today and Tomorrow website. I explained a little bit about our motivation to create a sustainable design company, the work we have done to turn our office green, and what the benefits of embracing an environmental strategy are.
So what are the benefits? There are two; it helps us to make money and it helps us to save money. In a competitive market place those are two very useful things. We have been exposed to new business opportunities that would have passed us by if we hadn't adopted an environmental position. And we have saved money by reducing our energy consumption - by 9% at our last review - and that's just by unplugging our computers from the mains at night.
But what about the bigger picture? How does this help the environment? Well, we have also reduced the volume of waste that leaves the office by 15% (and by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper before we recycle it). We're consuming less energy, and by implementing our Green Procurement policy, we are supporting other businesses that are also trying to make a difference. At our last review 37% of the services we bought were from 'green' suppliers. And that's really where we can have the biggest impact - helping our clients to reduce their impact, through the services we buy on their behalf. Print buying is the most significant area; from the paper we specify, to the printer who does the job.
It's not perfect by a long way, but it's a step (or two) in the right direction.
I'd been invited to talk because of the work we have done to make our own activities sustainable, and help other businesses to adopt a sustainable communication strategy. To find out more you can visit the Today and Tomorrow website. I explained a little bit about our motivation to create a sustainable design company, the work we have done to turn our office green, and what the benefits of embracing an environmental strategy are.
So what are the benefits? There are two; it helps us to make money and it helps us to save money. In a competitive market place those are two very useful things. We have been exposed to new business opportunities that would have passed us by if we hadn't adopted an environmental position. And we have saved money by reducing our energy consumption - by 9% at our last review - and that's just by unplugging our computers from the mains at night.
But what about the bigger picture? How does this help the environment? Well, we have also reduced the volume of waste that leaves the office by 15% (and by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper before we recycle it). We're consuming less energy, and by implementing our Green Procurement policy, we are supporting other businesses that are also trying to make a difference. At our last review 37% of the services we bought were from 'green' suppliers. And that's really where we can have the biggest impact - helping our clients to reduce their impact, through the services we buy on their behalf. Print buying is the most significant area; from the paper we specify, to the printer who does the job.
It's not perfect by a long way, but it's a step (or two) in the right direction.
Monday 4 August 2008
Green web awards
I was sent a link to the Green Web Awards today, and thought it would be a good thing to share. Lots of links to useful and interesting websites, all conveniently categorised. I hope you find them useful.
Friday 1 August 2008
Environment v Economy
I came across the results of an interesting survey yesterday. In a recent poll (July 2008) UK voters said that tackling climate change was more important than tackling the economy (52% to 44%).
What comment I had seen previously said the opposite - caring about the environment was a luxury that we couldn't afford in an economic downturn. But this survey is a welcome contradiction. (And if you read www.onehundredmonths.org.uk, it's not a moment too soon! But that's another post on its own). It also showed that people want the government to do more and take the lead. You can read more about the results here. Another survey, by Defra, found that the public now feel that it is them as individuals that are doing the most to limit climate change, an increase of almost 20% in 12 months. The perception in the last 6 months has been that national and local government is doing less.
Although the survey results suggest that opinion favours an environmental priority, I think it is fair to say that there is a common assumption, amongst individuals and businesses, that being green is more expensive. It's actually the opposite. For individuals (and certainly for us as a family) turning lights off and driving less is saving us money (as well as reducing CO2). And for businesses the opportunity to reduce utility bills and and become more competitive, in an increasingly competitive market, should be a strong enough incentive to develop an environmental policy.
For any businesses interested in developing an environmental positioning, take a look at www.todayandtomorrowonline.co.uk, for some useful links.
What comment I had seen previously said the opposite - caring about the environment was a luxury that we couldn't afford in an economic downturn. But this survey is a welcome contradiction. (And if you read www.onehundredmonths.org.uk, it's not a moment too soon! But that's another post on its own). It also showed that people want the government to do more and take the lead. You can read more about the results here. Another survey, by Defra, found that the public now feel that it is them as individuals that are doing the most to limit climate change, an increase of almost 20% in 12 months. The perception in the last 6 months has been that national and local government is doing less.
Although the survey results suggest that opinion favours an environmental priority, I think it is fair to say that there is a common assumption, amongst individuals and businesses, that being green is more expensive. It's actually the opposite. For individuals (and certainly for us as a family) turning lights off and driving less is saving us money (as well as reducing CO2). And for businesses the opportunity to reduce utility bills and and become more competitive, in an increasingly competitive market, should be a strong enough incentive to develop an environmental policy.
For any businesses interested in developing an environmental positioning, take a look at www.todayandtomorrowonline.co.uk, for some useful links.
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