New Teme Valley Cycle Trails - Devt/User Testing Regime..

Examples of the various draft circular route sheets in the Teme Valley.

We've just completed draft mapping the first set of new moderate ability/family-oriented circular cycle trails in the Teme Valley for Malvern Hills District Council's 'Teme Valley Trails' scheme. In line with our recent test walks in the same area we're now looking to get small groups of people together to properly test the cycle routes on occasional sundays in the next few months.

The informal user-test method has proven really useful for the 6x walks we've created as part of the Teme Valley Trail (see previous post on this blog) and we're keen to continue the testing regime with the new cycle trails too. As with the 6x walking route maps, there are also 6x cycle trail maps - they vary from 'easy' (mainly flat on minor roads/lanes) to 'challenging' (including occasional steep up or downhill sections and occasional small sections of green lane).

Each cycle route will have sites to look at en route that may be of interest - including rural churches (both ruined and intact), family farms and ancient downland racecourses to name but some.

Weather-allowing, we'll try to pre-plan in cycle test groups on occasional sundays throughout May, June and (if needs) early July. I'll post updates in advance to those interested via e-mail along with meet locations/timings, clothing & kit suggests and a .pdf copy of the A4 route map to be tested on the day.

Additionally (you'll be pleased to hear), each route has been designed so it incorporates either a cafe en route or a pub in case cyclists wish to quench their thirst (and ruin all that good done with crisps and cake)..

Provisional dates and rides: (Weather permitting, all distances & times approximate)

Ride 1: Completed
• Sunday 8th May - Stanford on Teme, Riding: easy
' Some of the best cycling lanes in Worcestershire' - Lyndon, Bracewell, CTC Worcester

Pictures from the test ride:

Our draft route sheet for the day..

Some of our test group for the day on the quiet lanes around Shelsley Walsh.

Intricate woodwork and carvings inside Shelsley Walsh's little church.

More like a cycle ride in deepest France, some of the lovely scenery en route.

Ride 2: Completed
• Sunday 29th May - Martley, Riding: easy

Our draft route sheet for the day.

Our test team enjoying a reviving cold drink post ride.

Wichenford Dovecote (Free Entry, National Trust)

The amazing half-timbered barn next to Wichenford Dovecote

One of the incredibly well-preserved ancient wall paintings in Martley Church.

Ride 3: Completed
• Sunday 12th Jun - Bransford, Riding: easy

Our draft route sheet for the day.

A cathedral of wood - the amazing Leigh Court Barn (en route).

We passed fields full of poppies.

Post ride discussion and feedback on the route.

Some of our test cyclists out on the route.

Ride 4: Completed
• Sunday 19th Jun - Tenbury Wells, Riding: easy-medium

Our draft route sheet for the day.

Outside Tenbury's 'Pump Rooms'.

Slowly riding up one of the two hills encountered.

The front and rear of our group as they cross Oldwood Common.

Ride 5: Completed
• Sunday 26th Jun - Pencombe/Bromyard, Riding: medium-tough

The draft route map for the day.. With added Daleks!

Our excellent cycling test team for the day..

Coming down the fantastic downhill section from the hill at
Shortwood family farm.

Stopping for a quick breather..

Ride 6: Completed
• Sunday 10th July - Cleobury Mortimer, Riding: medium-tough

Our draft route sheet for the day..

Our excellent test team for the day..

The lovely little church at Neen Savage.

Our test folks taking refuge in the New Inn..

Daughter Libby and yours truly on a break at the New Inn.

To heck with the rain! :)

Yes, count me in?
 If interested in joining us for some informal testing, then please e-mail me initially on: bumblebee.email@gmail.com

Many thanks, Andy :) 

Students Re-Design Teme Valley Trail System for Local Council

Graphic Information Design students from the University of Worcester have recently helped to create a new trails system for Malvern Hills District Council. 

The requirement from the council's Economic Development Unit was initially to help re-design their trail leaflet - which consisted a single tourist leisure drive. In addition, the council wanted students to help create 6x new family circular walks and cycle rides in the region too as well as linked visual concepts for information boards and wayfinding signage.

Economic Development Officer for Malvern Hills District Council Malcolm Salisbury reviewed final student work and adds:

"It was great to see the final examples of student work, many of them had really got to grips with the Teme Valley Tour visual system brief too - we look forwards to developing some of these project ideas further.."

Client Malcolm Salisbury oversees some of the final student designs.

Some of the content of the original leaflet.

The eventual re-design, initiated by students and finalised by myself.

The area covered by the new scheme showing the 6x new
walk and 6x new cycle routes.

A typical walking route A4 card (designed and mapped by myself).

Each walk and cycle route is to be 'user tested' by small groups of
volunteers to make sure that we can call them 'tried and tested' on release.

One of our many walking test groups.

A Visit to the House of Commons

Author Stephen Haddelsey and myself on the
steps of the House of Commons.

(A facsimile of a University of Worcester News Release, picture by myself).
A book in which a University of Worcester design lecturer has helped to bring to life a top-secret World War II Antarctic expedition has received wide acclaim.

Britain’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, has described it as ‘a truly remarkable story’, while the Scott Polar Research Institute has called it ‘a valuable addition to our understanding of Britain’s involvement in the Antarctic’.

Andy Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design and Multimedia, researched, planned and created a series of historical maps to illustrate Operation Tabarin: Britain’s Secret Wartime Expedition to Antarctica, 1944-46 by acclaimed polar historian Stephen Haddelsey.

Earlier this month, the two men attended a House of Commons reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the expedition, which strengthened British territorial claims in the Antarctic.

Andy explains: "The House of Commons event and the following book launch made for an amazing day in which I was able to talk to many of the incredible individuals associated with recent Antarctic history whom I'd previously only read about or seen in films.

“I'm really pleased for Stephen; he's worked so hard to gain the level of new detail he has in this title and he well deserves all the attention this book is now getting. I'd also like to pass on my thanks to Professor Antonia Payne for the kind support given in helping me complete this bespoke new mapping project."

The reception was also attended by the Rt Hon David Willetts MP; Stephen's co-author, Polar Medal holder Alan Carroll; Ken Blaiklock OBE and Lieutenant-Commander Richard Brooke who, with Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary, played vital roles in the expedition that completed the first crossing of Antarctica in 1957-58.

After the reception, Mr Haddelsey’s book was officially launched at an event held in a central London bookstore.

Mr Haddelsey says:  

“I was absolutely delighted that the event at the House of Commons and the book launch were so well attended. Operation Tabarin, marked the beginning of Britain’s continuous presence on the Antarctic continent and the initiation of a hugely important programme of science and exploration now managed by the British Antarctic Survey.

“The men who took part should be honoured as pioneers and I very much hope that the anniversary celebrations and the launch of the book will help to ensure that their courage and determination in the face of appalling odds will be properly recognised.

“I’ve no doubt that Andy’s excellent maps will help a wider audience to understand the operation and I hope to work with him again on future projects.”

Mr Haddelsey, who is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, is currently working on a number of other Antarctic projects, including the development of plans to excavate and preserve the forward base of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1956-58, a time capsule that was abandoned, fully equipped and furnished, early in 1958.

Andy is now looking into the possibility of bringing-in some of his new-found polar links for a potential future student children's book design reference book project. Many of the polar organisations are keen to help raise awareness of British Scientific achievements in the Antarctic - especially so with younger generations. Such a project could include both references to the historical perspective as well as our key roles in the monitoring of climate change.

Hand-Rendered Mapping Samples

Here's a quick selection of some of the hand-rendered mapping commissions I've undertaken in recent years. Depending on the nature of the commission, some were created in colour and some were constrained to black and white renderings.

All map elements were hand-rendered on a drawing board (including all text for the Erskine Press work) and then the elements were digitally spliced together to form the final illustrated map. While more labour-intensive than the digital mapping method, these maps show more of a 'human' factor in their creation and a quality of drawn line that can't be replicated easily through purely digital means, in other words - wholly bespoke and unique creations.

Maps created for the Erskine Press book "Two Years Below the Horn, A personal Memoir by Andrew Taylor':

Double page spread - with example colour added,
(Please click the map to see a larger version).

Single page map in the original black and white format,
(Please click the map to see a larger version).

Map for a colour feature around Minehead for the Teme Valley Times:

(Please click the map to see a larger version).

Sustainable Design Students Create Eco Packaging Concepts for Local Cider Manufacturer

Oldfields Orchard Cider Product Manager Alison Chadwick talks
to Graphic Design students about their final eco packaging solutions.

A prototype sustainable pack concept from design student Matt Richards.

(A project that I helped develop, supervise and teach to Green Design students. A facsimile of a University of Worcester News Release, pictures by myself).


Graphic Design students from the University of Worcester have been working on a ‘live’ eco packaging project for Worcestershire cider brand, Oldfields Orchard and its parent company, Hobsons Brewery.

The project was set to the students after Hobsons Brewery heard about some of the other eco packaging projects design students had worked on for other regional companies such as Weston’s Organic Cider, The Wye Valley Brewery and Lea & Perrins’ Worcestershire Sauce (Heinz UK).

The students were tasked by Hobsons Brewery’s Cider Product Manager, Alison Chadwick, with developing new packaging concepts to safely display and transport 6 bottles of the company’s beers or Oldfields Orchard ciders. Crucially students were to look at achieving this while lessening materials and ink uses as well as using just locking folds and no glues. Each pack also had to have a creative re-use too once it had safely delivered the products to the purchaser. This meant that the pack in some cases had a clear second use, or maybe it easily separated into constituent parts for recycling or in some cases the pack was made from seeded cardboard which the purchaser could put in a flower or vegetable bed to grow herbs from that could be used in a linked recipe scheme.

Alison Chadwick attended the students’ final submissions of work and had chance to look around and talk to individuals about their ideas and said:  

“I gave the students the same brief I would give to a professional designer and was extremely impressed how well they incorporated our brand guidelines into their work. The final packages were very well made giving me, their client, a firm feel for how the packages would perform in the ‘real world’. It was also great to hear the students’ ideas of how social media could be used, just some of many things we plan to incorporate in future packaging, hopefully with more input from some of these very talented people.”

Senior lecturer in design Andy Stevenson has developed teaching in this area at the University in recent years and also helped evolve this brief. He adds: “Some of the student concepts for this brief are really impressive, I’m genuinely taken aback with the range of treatments they’ve incorporated. Many of the ideas have been developed on the back of their research and linked lecture visits to partners such as the Centre for Alternate Technology in Wales – Europe’s largest Eco Centre. Alison from Hobsons has been really great with the students too and has kindly given up a lot of her time to feed back on their ideas ongoing and their final concepts. The students have clearly thrived on a brief that’s both has a real client and that also has a set of genuine sustainable design challenges from the client.”

Third year Graphic Design student Luma de Oliveira worked on the project and adds "This project was inspiring in many ways; not only we worked in close contact with a real client on a live brief, but also we were able to learn more about sustainability, a subject that doesn’t get taught very often on Graphic Design courses. This project was a huge wake up call to environmental issues and how designers have the opportunity to make a difference by designing products that not only can be recycled but also re-used."
Hobsons and the team who make Oldfields Orchard Cider are now reviewing the student submissions and ideas and hope to arrive at a set of the five ‘most successful’ ideas. They also hope that they can incorporate some of these successful ideas into their future packaging concepts - which could form an amazing opportunity for the students involved to mention in future interview scenarios with potential employers.

Students Design New Promotional Banners for Worcestershire Town

One of a number of banners installed on the approach to Tenbury Wells, Worcs.

(A project that I helped develop, supervise and teach to Graphic Information Design students. A facsimile of a University of Worcester News Release, picture by myself).

Promotional banner designs, produced by University of Worcester Graphic Design students, have been adopted by Tenbury Wells Town Council, and are now lining the main route into the Worcestershire town.

As part of a wider signage brief, students were set the task of designing wayfinding artwork to promote the town, which the Council funded with cash secured through the Mary Portas pilot project, set up by the Government to boost small towns and high streets.

The wayfinding project – one of several ‘live’ briefs regularly given to Worcester’s Graphic Design students – was set by the Town Council. Over recent months, councillors have assessed students’ work, and designs were also put on display to the public in the town.

Earlier this month, the selected designs were put on display on the main A456 road into the town.

Andy Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Design, explains: “Wayfinding projects like this one are a great way for our students to work with real clients on real projects, and gain invaluable experience over and above their existing academic learning.

“It’s also a chance for student design talent to be harnessed for the good of local communities, and we are delighted that the students’ final designs have been so well received by councillors and members of the public in Tenbury.”

Jess Matthews is one of the students whose work is now being displayed, and she says: “I’m very honoured to have been part of this project; based in such a lovely town with such welcoming people. Living close to Tenbury Wells myself, it was great to be part of the signage design.

“It’s lovely to know that my designs were liked, and to see them up is overwhelming. The degree – and this module – has really helped to prepare me for a career in corporate design.”
Luma d’Oliviera’s work has also been adopted by the Council. She adds: “It is a lovely opportunity to see my work displayed in such a large scale. It's nice to know that the skills I've learnt during the module not only benefited my studies but also helped the local community of Tenbury Wells.”

Students Design Children's WW1 eCookbook/Activity Book

A young viewer of the WW1 cookbook works through one of it's drawing activities.

(A project that I helped develop, supervise and teach to Children's Book Design students. A facsimile of a University of Worcester News Release, picture by myself).

Recipes for jam, hotpot and pancakes are all included in a new World War 1 eCookbook produced by students at the University of Worcester.

The e-book, titled WW1 Food Fight, is already going down a treat at schools in the region and at local libraries working with children’s groups.

Students on the University’s Graphic Design & Multimedia course were challenged to design the book in an engaging way as a ‘live brief’. One of the aims of the project was to get primary school-aged children interested in food and learning more about WW1 history and the challenges of cooking on the home front.

The brief was set by Maggie Andrews, Professor of Cultural History at the University, as part of the Voices of War and Peace project, marking the centenary of WW1.

“Maggie has been a great client for the students and I to work with,” said Senior Lecturer Andy Stevenson. “I think it’s fair to say that both students and staff alike have learned more about the fascinating history and challenges of the home front during the WW1 era along the way."

“Recipes included in the eBook were all based on genuine home front recipes of the time gleaned from Maggie’s research. They included a meatless stew, an eggless sponge cake and a baked jam roll. There are also activity sheets and games for schools and children’s groups to engage with in the book too.”

He added: “This has been a really popular ‘live’ project for students studying Children’s Book Design on the University’s Graphic Design and Multimedia course. This area of study on the course has been developed around our own experiences as a staff team while working within children’s publishing for companies such as Ladybird Books and Dorling Kindersley Books.

“Staff helped to create children’s reference and educational books and we now work those and other key industrial experiences back into the teaching in this area along with students’ academic learning.”

Professor Maggie Andrews said:  

“It (the eBook) has gone out the Droitwich library who are really thrilled with it and are now using it with school groups. The eBook's also going to used by similar school groups down in Hemel Hempsted and it'll be in use at Pershore Library for their WW1 event too.”

The initial student brief also resulted in various spin-off projects and events. One such project was via design student James Burton, whose cookbook artwork was also used on giant WW1-themed banners for a Heritage Lottery-funded WW1 project based in Gloucester.

The student-designed .pdf eCookbook is now in circulation in the region and can be downloaded by the public for free at: https://goo.gl/ENpW9Y

Students Design New Nature Trail For Eco Cafe

An example of one of the student-designed information boards in situ.

(A project that I helped develop, supervise and teach to Graphic Information Design students. A facsimile of a University of Worcester News Release, pictures by myself).

Visitors to a Worcestershire nature trail will be guided by new signs designed by University of Worcester students.

Staff from The Fold, a not for profit community enterprise providing elements for a healthy lifestyle at Bransford, near Worcester, contacted the University’s Graphic Design and Multimedia Course after seeing outputs from other student-designed wayfinding and signage projects.

They were keen to try and harness the same student design skills to help inform and guide visitors on a new nature trail they were in the process of developing on site, to the rear of the café.

The Fold’s development manager, Brendan Cropper, said: 

“We are very keen to work with our local educational institutes and saw the expertise offered by the Graphic Design & Multimedia Course at the University of Worcester as an ideal match for this project. Working with students and staff was a really stimulating and enjoyable experience and we are absolutely delighted with the end results. Since opening the trail we have had an increase in visitor footfall and many positive comments about the boards and the maps too. We consider the whole exercise to have been a great success.”

Design students Liam Sargent, Mitali Mistry and Josh Ashley worked on the project for a few weeks over their summer break. They also had ongoing help and supervision from design lecturers Helen Holmes and Andy Stevenson.

“Designing the materials for The Fold’s Nature Trail was a really enjoyable experience - it gave me a chance to tackle, head on, a ‘live’ project that was different from anything I had done before,” said Liam.

“I think it’s great that students are offered the chance to work on real briefs with hands-on experience in line with the sort of work that we may be involved with after graduation. I also had a feeling of real achievement when I saw the end results on site. This was especially satisfying after all the work that we'd put in on the project over summer.”

Senior Lecturer in Design, Andy Stevenson, added: “This was a lovely project to be involved in and notable too as it was out of our usual teaching time. Working alongside Brendan and staff from the Fold, we were able to utilise the skills of the students to effectively solve the client’s design challenges with their new nature trail. The solutions and outputs from this project are also very much in line with our ethos on the Graphic Design & Multimedia course of using ‘design for social good’ wherever possible too. This aims to offer a helping hand and our combined skillsets to help benefit local and regional charities and community organisations in particular.”

The information boards and leaflets designed by students and staff of the University are now being used by visitors on site in Bransford. The Fold held a formal opening of the trail in early August 2015 and it’s now fully open to the public and helping to increase the range of activities on offer for the Fold’s visitors.