Of the many exciting projects we’ve got on at the moment, one in particular has tickled my fancy. One that involves canoes, kids, rubber chickens and parachuting eggs. Confused? Let me help you out.

This project is for a new website, called Our Say Our Way, and is to be an online link to the world within the Youth for Youth project.

A bit of insight into Youth for Youth:

Youth for Youth was started about a year ago with the aim of empowering young people. It’s a one of kind approach to bringing together young people from all over the UK with similar interests and ideas, as well as forming a support base for those that need one. It is an inspired project that can only provide growth and positivity for all those involved and affected by it.

In what can only be described as an adventure into the world of different approaches to web design, Keren and I joined the Youth for Youth team a couple of weeks ago, for a fun-filled weekend away in Thurrock. The idea was to interact with the kids, be a kid, find out what makes them tick. And then take all that away with us and translate it into a website that reflects what everyone wants and needs from this. ‘Everyone’ being a lot of very unique personalities with many different ideas.

Challenging? I’d say so.
Exciting? Infinitely! *squeak*!

Wetsuits, not Websites.. say WHAT?

As well as discussions and presentations about the website, the weekend also involved participating in various activities, ranging from a basic ‘getting to know you through a rubber chicken’ game (don’t ask) to a more physical ‘let me lead you through this uh, INTERESTING obstacle course blind folded. TRUST me!’

Whilst not ALL weekend activities were up our street (cue canoeing in the cold in wetsuits, me thinks NOT. Canoeing, yes. Cold and wetsuits? Nooo) the weekend on the whole was a resounding success, leaving me sad to be going home after only two days, a reaction I was not fully expecting. It just goes to show how different people can touch your life in ways least expected.

There were personal challenges that were overcome (try leaping off a 25 foot high telegraph pole – the platform on top only big enough to house your shoes – onto a trapeze swing that looks MILES away. At night. And toss in a slight case of vertigo to round it off nicely); fears faced (public speaking say? Keren seems fearless in this regard! But then again, she’s just ‘wheeeird’!); and friends made (wonderful, lovely lovely people. Ones that make you jump off 25 foot telegraph poles.. I kid, I kid! ). All in all I think we took more away from this experience than we ever expected, met people I’m sure we’ll stay in contact with; and are super excited for the next step in this project!

We wanted to show you a set of 4 postcards designed and illustrated by Tina Webster. Tina works for Top Left Design (as you may have noticed on our Team page) and is also a freelance illustrator. She graduated from Kingston University in 2008 and her work has been featured in the Guardian, Supersweet Magazine and on the London Architecture Diary website. She has also taken part in a number of exhibitions in central London including a submission for Shelter House of Cards exhibition for Amelia’s Magazine, and the Coningsby Gallery and 93 Feet East

Her illustration style is mainly collage and paper cuts. She works by painting paper and then creating textures with objects such as folks, tissue paper and sponges. This gives her illustration work as 3D feel. Her work is suited to book illustration, editorial and advertising. The designs above form part of a series of 4 postcards for Top Left Design. They feature animals which we also use on our Twitter page background.  The postcards will be sent to our clients and friends and the cards can be collected and then placed together to created one big image.

If you would like to find out what Tina is up to, you can Find Tina on Twitter!.

Here are the first 4 postcards we made for Top Left Design. See above!