Glastonbury (I should be there).

It's been a funny old week this one. The week felt odd to start with on Monday. There was graphic design work to do, quotes to submit and the usual marketing jobs to done, but something didn't quite feel right. And then I realised. It's Glastonbury week and I wasn't going to be there. I don't go every year by any means but me, my wife and young daughter went last year and the year before and it feels wrong not to be there this year. Oh I know it's going to rain and get muddy, but I was there in 2007 when it was like a monsoon for the entire weekend and still had a brilliant time (although admittedly I didn't have my daughter there that year as she was only one at the time).

I know I can catch it all on TV and the radio (in fact I'm tuning in as I type) but I don't know whether that makes me feel better or worse about not being there. I hear there are already folk whining about the appearance of U2 (but when is there not whining about the appearance of a particular headliner or lineup) but the festival is so much more than just about the live music. Since we started taking our daughter, I've seen less and less live bands but had a better and better time, as I get to see stuff I otherwise never would have (and I can remember what I saw when I get home too, which is always a bonus!).

As the festival takes a break next year it means the earliest opportunity to go back there is 2013, but I'm gonna do my best to make sure we are all there then. There really is no place like it. To soften the blow of missing it this year, we are going to attend Deer Shed Festival in North Yorkshire next month, which I am looking forward to. Oh and Gruff Rhys at Harrogate Theatre too.

Still, this week the likes of OCS, Beaucare and new clients Red Cat Property and Bradfern have kept me busy and means that Howabout Creative Solutions continues to produce a varied portfolio of graphic design work for clients regional and national.

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KierTalk

It's been a few weeks since the last blog from Howabout Creative Solutions in Harrogate and that is largely due to the busy work schedule recently. I have been working on a variety of interesting design projects for a variety of both regional and national clients. It has certainly meant long hours, but really that's what gives me a buzz - I do love what I do.

One project that has really been fun to work on has been 'KierTalk' (with Charley Durham from Acceleris), the newsletter for Kier Building Maintenance. It's a 16 page tabloid magazine, and I've picked it up (from a graphic design point of view) at issue 7. Although the client considered implementing a 'design development' from the existing look (and liked the visuals I produced) it was decided that, for the sake of continuity, to run with the established look. However, that didn't mean there wasn't room for creative thinking and with that in mind I tried to inject some new design ideas into the layout. Headline fonts had a punchier look, pictures interacted more with the text, and graphic devices introduced to highlight facts and figures. The end was result was well received by both Kier and Acceleris which is great news and means that a really good platform has been established for the next issue.

Of course a few killer tunes have helped the creative process and what better way to choose the tunes by picking random letters from the alphabet. Wednesday was brought to me by the letter 'S' - Sisters of Mercy, Smiths, St Etienne, Stooges, Stranglers, Super Furry Animals and Seasick Steve, while Thursday featured 'P' - Penguin Café Orchestra, Primal Scream, PiL, Public Enemy, Polyphonic Spree, Police and Prodigy. I think like this way of choosing my tunes.

Visit www.howabout.co.uk