At SampsonMay we’ve always had a bit of a passion for bikes and running (not that you’d necessarily know from some of our waist lines) and now that the sun is shining, the studio is currently planning its mid to late season events.

Ricky has entered into the world of track cycling down at Herne Hill and earlier in the year completed the Tour of Flanders sportif. Magnus has also been lured to the pull if the track and can be found at Herne Hill at the weekend. Not satisfied with just riding the bike, Magnus has also been on a spending frenzy with new toys to support his foray into trick cycling - basically crazy tricks on a fixie - sounds painful to me.

Sadly Kate is in the process of replacing her bike after some stupid b@*t!”ds decided to cut through numerous locks and steal it earlier this week.

Running is the immediate focus for Andy with the Bristol half next on schedule but the rumours are that Ricky and Andy will also be looking to tame the Exmoor Beast 100 miler in November.

So, as training starts/resumes for the studio, the lure of Glastonbury and other classic summer events has been put to one side for Lycra and deep heat - or at least until Monday anyway…a wedding in Ireland will put pay to any training this weekend other than lifting pints.

– Post From My iPhone

We’re gradually getting closer to updating our new website. We’ve been fairly manic on a range of client projects over the past months so what may take 12 weeks or so for a fee paying client is taking us a little longer when it comes to our own website! Still, we’re about to move into the site build stage and hope to be launching a shiny new site some time in August – although we’re not promising anything! Watch this space and hopefully it will look a little different in a few weeks…

A lost hero (apparently) has returned home after a short break in Charmonix, doing some fantastic Snowboarding (although there are no independent witnesses to his skills). The sun was strong and the snow wet, consequently he soaked his gloves and burnt his nose (which made us all laugh on his return) but as Magnus says “What else can you want in life?”

London is full of beautiful, small gardens, but none as good as this, the KK Outlet (Kessler&Kramer). If you where not there you lost out on some of the best greens in the city, I hope next exhibition will be as fun and quirky.

We are currently working on a global HR campaign to address potential issues within the work place of a new client and how they collectively conduct their business. One of the presented routes featured illustrations from Swedish illustrator and typographer, Karl Thomas ‘Kristian’ Möller. We worked closely with Kristian developing the themes and visual language for the campaign and the end results were a charming set of drawings and charachters which had real personality. Sadly, for our newly created chaps, it was decided to progress with another route and these guys have slipped into the draw marked ‘ones that got away’, we still think they are great though and suggest you check out Kristians website here to see more of his illustrations and beautiful typography.

The snow might have defeated most of London getting to work today but here at SMD we are made of hardy stuff* and most of the office has managed to get in somehow. For me the lack of trains allowed for a rare walk along a cold white South Bank whilst sipping from a guilt free hot chocolate – well nearly guilt free.

*hardy stuff or stupidity? Can’t decide.

Goodd, the Glaswegian interiors store, set up to promote good design, approached Justgonesix to see if they could sell some of our posters in their gallery/store. Our relationship began last year when they bought a copy of Radius 08 to hang in their flagship store in the heart of Glasgow, then after Goodd was featured in Homes and Interiors customers were coming in asking directly for our posters. As demand increased Goodd has become our first official supplier north of the border. Radius 09 and Storno now hang alongside other pieces – many exclusive to Goodd – by Established & Sons (including Barber Osgerby’s ‘Zero In’ table and Alexander Taylor’s ‘Fold’ lamps) and cult Dutch favourite Droog so we are in goodd (sorry) company.

Goodd, co-owner, Thomas Russell says ‘We felt there was a real opportunity to create something worthwhile as a design destination rather than a purely design retail store. Essentially, this is a new environment that presents important design work which no one else in Scotland is showing at the moment.’

If you want to find out more about Goodd check out their website or their online listing on Wallpaper, but better still if you are anywhere near James Morrison Street pop in and see them in the flesh.

I was putting together a schedule today for new project and before I knew it I was plotting dates in 2009. To repeat a cliché it seems like only yesterday that we were designing our 2007 Christmas cards and now we are already starting on the 2008 version. Andy can’t wait either as he is already mixing his Christmas play list which gets its first official outing on December 1st. Generally the studio is sick of it by the 3rd but Andy keeps pushing on through till the 24th. Dearbhla has also got into the swing a little early by buying her secret Santa presents, who says Christmas is only for children?

Due to the initial short run of this years 09 Calendar we have run out sooner than we thought and so our friends at Studio Luma have been hard at work printing another series. I took the opportunity today to pop along and record them lovingly craft the next set. Again it is a short run so if you want one this time around don’t wait, click here.

Tonight some of the designers are off to immerse themselves into Superman’s Pocket!

Superman’s Pocket is Tim Foster’s Latest photographic show documenting British ’superheroes’. Tim became interested in the idea of the hero and ‘superhero’ following the September 11th attacks, which later led him to research real life ‘supermen’. The concept of people living dual lives; their everyday personas contrasting the ’superhero’ alter egos and the resulting internal battle, as well as that with society, to be able to live out their fantasies in public rather than behind closed doors, was the inspiration for his observations.

Tim documented the lives and experiences of nine men throughout Britain and discovered that the thing they had most in common was not the seemingly obvious; their superficial eccentricities, but a shared honesty in the way they carried out their lives and followed their dreams. They also share a certain frailty, which fascinates him; particularly that, in this way, they differ so radically from the all-American image of what, physically, would constitute a superhero. A particular Britishness that stood out alongside their bravery and humanity drew Foster towards these characters, and he has successfully conveyed this in the work. Of these characteristics Tim says, “Even though American culture has become all pervading, we still retain something quintessentially British. The more I saw them fighting with abusive teenagers and changing in grotty toilets, the more I realised they were only human after all’.

You can find out more at Tim’s super (ahem) blog or pop along to the Nog Gallery, Brick Lane, were the show runs until November 16th. If you like what you see (or can’t make it) you can always buy a book from justgonesix.