A suite of digital assets was produced with Atelier to announce Design and Craft Council Ireland's (DCCI) 2026 Open Call for the next edition of PORTFOLIO.
"Widely recognised as a significant mark of achievement within Ireland’s craft sector, selection for PORTFOLIO recognises designer makers creating work that demonstrates excellence in design, craftsmanship, innovation and technical skill at a world-class standard."
"Widely recognised as a significant mark of achievement within Ireland’s craft sector, selection for PORTFOLIO recognises designer makers creating work that demonstrates excellence in design, craftsmanship, innovation and technical skill at a world-class standard."
Image caption (click image to enlarge)
Left: Save the Date graphic featuring PORTFOLIO covers designed by Atelier.
Centre and Right: Two proposed directions for the Open Call announcement.
Left: Save the Date graphic featuring PORTFOLIO covers designed by Atelier.
Centre and Right: Two proposed directions for the Open Call announcement.
The client requested two distinct approaches in the design brief. Option one (pictured here) leant more towards the DCCI identity, using their custom typeface and developing a pattern from the forms within the logo.
The solution became a scalable pattern built from shapes suggestive of sound waves / a call going out. The system allowed for flexibility of use across the Open Call campaign assets.
Part of the objective was to see how a purely graphic device would work without the need for photographs of previous participants' work in the initial call-out, while remaining adaptable to profiling makers later if necessary.
Image Captions (click images to enlarge)Top Left: Pattern sketches using the original logo forms and colour tests with the DCCI brand blue.
Top Right: Application to DCCI website page in desktop and mobile view.
Bottom Left: Social media post variations
Bottom Left: Applied to application form header and email signature.
The second option — and the one ultimately chosen — introduced a serif typeface with a calligraphic feel, used alongside the DCCI typeface. A lemon yellow overlay partially covers and reveals the texture and detail of a suite of greyscale hero images.
The same layout and animation were applied across a selection of previous makers' work, allowing the client to highlight the form and detail of several makers' work without giving preference to any one maker or discipline.
After the judges made their selection, the chosen makers were announced across DCCI channels. The same treatment was applied to these graphics, but previously used images were cropped down to just light and shadow. Each chosen maker was sent a graphic specific to their discipline, for posting on their own social media.
Image Captions (click to enlarge)
Top Left: Applied to DCCI website in desktop and mobile view
Top Right: Treatment applied to makers across disciplines
Bottom Left: Social media post variations
Bottom Right: Final selection announcement and discipline specific graphic
Top Left: Applied to DCCI website in desktop and mobile view
Top Right: Treatment applied to makers across disciplines
Bottom Left: Social media post variations
Bottom Right: Final selection announcement and discipline specific graphic
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Credits: Oran Day, Atelier David Smith (Creative Direction)