Friday - "battle field" presenation

One final rehearsal at 8:15 am to make sure we had everything down. Gather in the hotel lobby to head off to walk to the tube with the sky threatening rain, hot and humid underground commute, and then the walk to the clients office. Check in. Go to conference room. Fight with equipment to display presentation. Call IT person. Talk with clients while waiting for technology to work.

Finally we are back underway. Kudos to the first presentation team as they had to maintain professional composure as things did not progress as planned.

But all eventually worked out and the presentation went on. Our client was thrilled and so impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism that was displayed through the presentation.

We have more work to do as we head into our final week. But now it is time to enjoy where we are and the weekend that is before us. We left our client in a steady rain, returned to the tube station, and then journeyed to Covent Garden to eat lunch and experience the Transportation Museum. The latter having an amazing collection of ephemera for the design geek in all of us.

It was raining as we left the museum and headed our separate ways. 

Thursday week 4 - P U S H

With only one working day to go, it was a push to get the script in shape, the presentation deck in order, and the logo and logo type in tune. We worked out of the hotel bar where the thermostat is set to arctic and hot beverages and snacks are required.

Art work was vetted, critiqued, and revamped.

After the lunch break the work and rehearsals continued. It was long and tiring work. Giddiness ensued.

pulling things together and the London Eye

Today we worked in the morning beginning to put the pieces in place for Friday's presentation.

At noon we stopped and quickly returned our class materials to our hotel rooms. Then we headed out to the section of London that holds Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St James Park, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye. We grabbed lunch then met in the really really long queue to await our half hour trip up into the sky above the river Thames.

Finally we were on board and got to enjoy the 360 views of this city we have called our home for the last week and a half.

With that extreme sightseeing over the students were free to go and explore the city more. Tomorrow rain is in the forecast and there is much work to finish before Friday.
I've had the privilege of taking students to London 7x now. For me the city is a bit of an old friend, yet, I can be surprised while walking when I come upon some place just off the paths I'm used to that holds hidden beauty.

logo types, maps, research, and more

Today the work continued on for week 4. More work was done on the ethnographic portion, more research, more graphics, and refined maps. More work was also done on the logo and logotype comprehensives for the developments name.

Welcome to week 4

The weekend was filled with various site seeing and adventures by the students. A shoe was lost but everyone had fun.
Today the work resumed - on the ethnographic issues related to the project, on the city name logotype designs - each student worked on both. 17 students, 17 brains, 17 educated solutions to the work.

When our day ended we went to Primrose Hill, took in the views overlooking London, and then headed off to dinner.

Week 3 - Client Presentation and "hello" weekend

Today we left the hotel at 9 am to commute to our clients office. The tube was packed with morning commuters. It was very muggy on the tube and the students learned what professor Chimenti has named "marinating in humanity" feels like. Off the Northern Line to the Central Line than off and a short walk on the busy central London streets to Buro Happold's office.

Two teams presentations began at shortly after 10 am and then feedback from the client.

At noon everyone went to lunch in the neighborhood of our client, then retraced our steps to the tube station to travel to Notting Hill Gate and take a fun walk through a colorful neighborhood on our way to the Design Museum.

With that our first work week in London draws to a close and the student are off to explore and enjoy this amazing place trhey find themselves in. The professors also get a bit of a break.