Designer as Bold, Bright and Brilliant as His Designs

One moment can influence the course of a life forever, and, for designer Simon Cohen, that moment came when he was just 12, and he saw an interview with the Sex Pistols.

What Simon saw in that interview was a way of approaching the world that inspired him to live, breathe and embody the creative ethos of the punk scene it depicted: bold, innovative and daring. These are just three of the characteristics associated with punk, and they are just three of the many ways you could describe Simon Cohen.

Over the last two decades since then, Simon has gone on to capture and nurture a stunning talent for design that has taken him from London Town and catapulted him into the global world of design, his being the brain behind an abundance of amazing and award-winning work.

It is more than Simon’s artistic flair and punk-ish spirit that makes his work so outstanding; it is his comprehensive understanding of branding that ensures his work is as effective as it is unique.

He says: “Your brand embodies everything that you and your business stand for and believe in; your visual identity is one of the most immediate and powerful triggers in your branding arsenal. A strategically conceived, well designed and executed identity will attract attention to your business, differentiate you from competitors, and communicate the core values and personality of your brand.”

There has never been a more important time than now to add the spark to your business that quality branding is capable of. And what better person to do the job but Simon, who has left his creative mark on the innumerable businesses and design agencies that were lucky enough to come in touch with his talent.

First finding his creative roots in designing t-shirts and posters in 1984, his individuality and desire for diversity has seen him embrace many different projects across an array of disciplines – from branding schemes for bars and illustrating children’s books, to designing graphic identities for global petrol brands and creating a print and billboard campaign for Maori TV. His scope of talent truly is something to be commended.

It is this flair for the fantastic that has seen Simon’s work win awards and admiration. Since starting his agency, Simon Inc, in 2007 the designer has leant his hand, stylistic skill and branding ability to many well-recognised and acclaimed projects. Some of his most recent NZ highlights include:

· Designing the graphic and environmental branding for the stunning ‘Hue’ hair colouring salon, in collaboration with Shine Communications – which won 4 accolades in the New Zealand Retail Design Awards, including the supreme award 2008.
· Designing the print and outdoor executions for the Steinlager Pure Launch Campaign.
· Creating the graphic stylings for ‘Tommorrowland’, for which his humour and creativity won Simon Inc. a bronze at the Best Awards in late 2008.
· Designing the visual identity for the very identifiable ‘Vine Online’ in collaboration with Shine Communications.
· Creating an illustration for the Len Cheeseman Consultancy’s ‘Eye on Asia’, which won silver in the visual communications category at the Best Awards.

If you’re looking for articulate branding for your business, contact Simon on info@simoninc.co.nz.

www.simoninc.co.nz