If I could print money, and enjoyed the taste of whiskey without adding lemon or sugar, I'd use these guys (if they were real).

I've decided to take a well earned break after avoiding doing so since early March, so instead of taking the opportunity to go to the rain-lashed beaches of Cornwall, or jetting off to some deeply financially and politically troubled, but incredibly tourist friendly European country to soak up the rays, completion of a few personal projects seems like the best way to use the time. That way, the endless scamping sessions onto the tables at work can subside for a bit.

So with this in mind, and throwing down a bit of self-promotion in the process...

Waltz & Tibault Fine Wine and Whiskey Connoiseurs is a self-initated project to bring a different, more refined edge to my portfolio. Jam-packed with monograms, wax seals, gold daubs, Serif typefaces, moody black & white photography, all thrown into one brand identity experiment, this brief really has taken me down a different route.

Focusing on history and heritage, the project pairs iconic German design with a traditional French approach, drawing inspiration from this interesting relationship between the two partners of the business.

For a more descriptive explanation, check the complete conceptual project out on my website.

The Midas Touch - Justin Vernon and everything. Ever.

In the small pockets of time that I have to fill my ears with noise when John Lennon and Paul McCartney are allowed to rest their voices, Justin Vernon is the strongest contender to take the slot. Volcano Choir. Bon Iver. Shouting Matches. Every project he takes a firm grip on seems faultless. I, among a rapidly growing clutter of people, am a fanboy...the man can do no wrong.

The sound washes over you, sucks you in, then spits you out that little bit more serene. Noise echoing a Steve Reich influence. Endless layers building to a perfect cadence of sound, supported throughout by a warm, soulful voice that hits both ends of the scale when expected with the changing mood of each track.

It took me a long time to realise that at the heart of my music obsession is harmony; sound over content. Dylan's poetry doesn't seem to do it for me. I'm more McCartney than Lennon. And the midas touch of Justin Vernon only seems to intensify this obsession.

Some essential advice for designing the perfect logo...world take note!

An impressive eyebrow raiser from Milton Glaser? Some profound words from Paul Rand on brand? A Saul Bass creative class? An inspiring lecture from Alan Fletcher? Or maybe something corporate and showy from the mouth of Raymond Loewy?

No...

A masterclass in "What Makes A Great Logo" from some chap called William. I'll let you make your own mind up. I know I have.

Note: no iconic designers were hurt in the construction of the unimpressive opening rap (?)