A creative career on the water
Cruise ships hire photographers, designers, musicians and stage technicians. If you fancy a portfolio with a sea view, browse jobs at sea, but read what the life is like first. Rivo casino
A free handbook for makers, founders & students
Concept & Create
Everything between “I have an idea” and “it exists”: the brief, the research, the sketches, the prototype, the brand and the launch. In plain English, in eight chapters. Bangawin
The process
Eight chapters, one idea at a time
- 01Concept
Write a brief that works
One page that says who it is for, what problem it solves and how you will know it worked.
- 02Concept
Research and mood boards
Look before you draw: user conversations, competitor walls and a mood board with a point of view.
- 03Create
Sketching and wireframes
Ugly, fast and many: thumbnails, crazy eights and wireframes before any pixels.
- 04Create
Prototyping on a budget
Paper, card, foam and clickable mock-ups: build just enough to learn something.
- 05Create
Testing and feedback
How to get feedback you can use, and how to give it without crushing anyone.
- 06Create
Brand basics: name, logo, colour, type
The small kit every new business needs, and the accessibility checks most people skip.
- 07Launch
Launching online
From finished designs to a website people can use: platform, content and the first month.
- 08Launch
Protecting your ideas (UK)
What copyright, design rights, registered designs, trade marks and patents each cover.
Free tools · nothing leaves your browser
Two tools for the first afternoon
Journal
Notes from the workbench
Creative careers in unexpected places: working at sea
Cruise ships and superyachts employ photographers, designers, musicians and stage crews. Here is what that life is like.
Case study: designing an ordering site for a takeaway
A walk through the concept-to-create process for a small pizza and noodle takeaway going direct.
How to run a one-day creative sprint
Brief at 9, prototype by 3, test by 5. A timetable you can copy.
Noticeboard
Pinned for readers
Building a takeaway’s ordering site?
Skip the custom build: a Wordpress food delivery theme covers menus, options and delivery zones, so the budget goes on photos and words. See our case study. Trixino
Got one day?
Brief at nine, prototype by three, tested by five. Our one-day sprint timetable is ready to copy. BetRepublic
What does "concept to creation" mean?
It is the whole route from a first idea to a finished product, brand or website: writing a brief, researching, sketching, prototyping, testing and launching.
How long should a creative brief be?
One page. If you cannot fit it on a page, the decisions have not been made yet. Use the brief builder on the home page to draft one in a few minutes.
Do I need expensive software to prototype?
No. Paper, card and a pen answer most early questions. Free design tools are enough for clickable prototypes, and many UK makerspaces offer 3D printing and laser cutting at low cost.
Is my idea automatically protected in the UK?
Copyright is automatic for original creative work, and there is limited automatic protection for the look of designs. Names, logos, registered designs and inventions need registering. Ideas on their own are not protected, so keep them confidential and get advice for anything valuable.
What colour contrast do I need for text?
The WCAG guideline is at least 4.5:1 for normal body text and 3:1 for large text. The palette tool on the home page shows the ratio for every colour you pick.