I strolled through an interesting area south of the Thames, near the Borough Market. All the pubs had basically spilled into the streets, and people were hanging out any place they could, quite comfortable sitting amongst pylons, palettes, and rubbish, socializing in small groups with a pint of beer. It was almost shocking to see beer consumption going on “in public” as if this was somehow immoral, but that was just my outsider’s eyes.

The vibe was so positive and enthusiastic. And as I came upon the sign (see the last image) that marks the end of the area, I realized that it was a sanctioned behavior in a specific region.

That aside, The top 50 British Designers in this weekends Guardian magazine raises some interesting questions about design heirachies. Billed as ‘Britains Best 50 Designers’ the list is surely flawed on many levels. It features, in Graphics alone, Saville, but no Brody or Barnbrook, Johnson but no Ellery, Kerr Noble and GTF but no Goggins, Eatock or DeBondt. It is also suprisingly thin on architects and is largely London-centric, bar the grimly predictable inclusion of Timorous Beasties. I raise this, not because I think these people should or shouldn’t have been included, and not to do down any of the designers featured as they are all excellent in their own ways, but to question the (perhaps unintentional) dishonest and pejorative nature of a ‘top 50′ or ‘best’ designers list and to bemoan the massive wasted opportunity for an article actually about design (i.e. featuring some opinion/content/discussion) in a mainstream non-design magazine, looking at it’s current staus within British life and culture. Instead we get the design equivalent of the ‘50 best guitar solos*’ feature you see in Q magazine when the writers have run out of ideas for actual articles.

It also raise knock-on questions for the whole role of awards within the industry - for a discipline supposedly at the heart of Britains new brain-powered economy, we seem to display a startling lack of self confidence resulting in a demand for peer review and approval on an almost fortnightly basis, deciding who has employed the ‘best’ use of typography at this award ceremony, or who has masterplanned the ‘best’ urban regeneration scheme at that award bash. If anything this has re-invigorated my interest in setting up the Scottish Design Non-awards Non-heirachical Statement of Existence in 2008 - Watch this space.

*Incidentally, it’s Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses on Sweet Child O Mine, and if anyone disputes that then you’re clearly wrong.

• London Sep 07 - a photoset on Flickr
  I’ll be adding pictures from the next two weeks here. A few up, many more taken and not yet uploaded, many many more too be taken, no doubt!
• What’s a Fuzzy Brush
  A unique ‘all in one’ toothbrush and breath freshener, designed by dentists. All you have to do is place the soft mini toothbrush in your mouth and chew, just like a piece of gum …Whilst chewing, the natural action of the brush cleans your teeth as you manoeuvre it around your mouth. At the same time a fresh minty flavour is released from the brush to freshen your breath, which lasts for up to 20 minutes… quick, easy and very effective!