Did you see the amazing spat between independent brewers BrewDog and drinks megacorp Diageo this week? It’s been a real David and Goliath affair.

First off BrewDog won a big drinks industry award, then when they got to the glitzy awards ceremony they found out the gong was being given to someone else. Why? Because Diageo, the awards sponsor, had bullied the organisers into not giving it to BrewDog. They had insisted it be given to someone else, who in turn publicly refused the gong because it had BrewDog’s name engraved on it. Ha.

And boy did Brewdog make PR mincemeat of Diageo. Using the hashtag #AndTheWinnerIsNot, Brewdog fans took to Twitter and made sure the story quickly exploded, forcing Diageo into a grovelling mainstream media apology amid mutterings about “a serious misjudgement” by staff at the awards dinner. BrewDog couldn’t have asked for more positive publicity.

Whilst this is all very titillating to us mavericks working outside of the corporates there is a bigger trend going on here that effects smaller mainstream businesses. The big guys are scared of you.

When a company as large as Diageo resort to dirty tricks you know they’re worried at just how much the beer market is changing. And it’s not just happening there. Take the previously untouchable Media industry. As I write News International’s former chief executive Rebekah Brooks has been charged over allegations she attempted to cover up illegal phone-hacking activities and corrupt payments to public officials. The ongoing News of the World scandal threatens to topple the whole news and broadcast lansdcape of the nation. And beyond.

What’s led these amazing changes? In a word. Digital. Very rarely do we see the introduction of a brand new media coming on the back of a worldwide recession. Look how TV changed our lives after the second world war. Digital has given us the power to be fast, agile, provocative, caustic. There’s nowhere to hide. In today’s restart economy this means smaller operators can really challenge their traditional market leaders.

Not only can we now highlight the inadequacies of the giants, but quick thinking entrepreneurial minds can easily outwit the corporate marketing managers, and clever use of social media means we can now engage directly with people on an unprecedented scale.

Whether we’re trying to win business, expose corruption, smash dictators or sell things to new friends, the big guys know the games up. The future belongs to Us.

So some of you probably read our article a couple of weeks back about the infamous Dubai Graffiti writer Arcadia Blank whose been hitting up the walls of the middle east’s number one playground over the last couple of years. Well we had some great response to the piece, even from the artist himself, who kindly agreed to do an exclusive interview with D4. So if you’d like to know what circulates around the mind of a writer who’s capturing people’s attention in the UAE then read on!

Your writing has become part of the visual landscape in Dubai. What prompted you to start hitting up walls there?

A combination of creative frustration and evolution really. In Dubai (more specifically the part of the city known as “new Dubai” which is a local reference to the metropolis that emerged from the freehold property boom post 2002), the open environment is almost entirely corporatized and commercialized with almost no trace of anything which is truly local and reflective of the city itself, or of the people who live here.

The new part of the city doesn’t publicly exhibit any characteristics of itself or of the very unique myriad of cultures and identities that make it up. As a long time resident here and as someone who considers the city the closest thing to a home, I got fed up of being surrounded by an entire visual grid of international corporate ads and international brands that have absolutely nothing to do with the city itself, and that only really exist to brainwash and manipulate me into absolute bullshit. It felt completely unnatural to me (and still does) and I know for a fact that it also does to other residents who live here, Emirati friends included. People living here, and I think in any place in the world, want to feel like they are part of more than a scheduled mechanical life that is haloed by an imposed, ever-present, mutating corporate ethos. I think street art combats that and is a response to that because its not just happening in Dubai, but all over the world. But in Dubai I feel like it’s quite intense because other than brands and corporations, almost nothing and no one is allowed to express themselves in the open environment. That’s a bit of a shame because the city and its residents (both local and expat) certainly do have their own voice and identity, but I feel like that’s been overshadowed by an avalanche of hyper development and corporate commercialization, and a twisted notion that going global is more important than going local first. So as an artist, all I’m doing is responding to that state of affairs. If Colonel Saunders is allowed to be out in the open telling me how good he thinks his fried chicken is, I don’t see why I can’t get out in the open and tell people something that’s on my mind too. A lot of people who live in Dubai feel the same way, and I think that’s why some people can connect (or want to connect) with some of the things I put out there.

Some people may think that artistic expression should only be permitted in designated places such as studios or galleries, and to a degree I agree with them. But the art scene here is also highly commercialized and as a whole, is more interested in the international art circuit and on promoting international artists than it is on one’s who actually live here. But because most galleries and art spaces here are non-government entities, they can’t really survive without sales so it’s understandable. There certainly are spaces, organizations and events that share that understanding and are very active on a grass roots level in response to it and things are improving in terms of becoming more “homegrown”. But generally speaking, the art world in Dubai still has very limited avenues for its own residing artists to inject themselves into the city’s lifeblood and connect with the city’s residents outside the art community. It’s also incredibly formal, and artistic expression is usually always subject to approval and a designated exhibition time and place. That’s all good and fair, but I personally never worked well with terms and conditions, especially when it comes to anything I do art related. I also think creativity and constructive ideas, or attempts at promoting them, should be the last thing we ever try to tie down as both individuals and as a society. With that said though, I’d like to state that I’m very aware of the fact that not everyone here shares my views, and that not everyone sees what I do as “art”. I also know that I live in a conservative and strict Sharia Islam ruled country, so I do have to be mindful and respectful of that in everything that I do and say publicly. But just because the environment is strict, I don’t see that as a reason to stay silent and refrain from trying to express openly and connect with people around me.

So I guess along with a form of personal expression, what I’m doing is more or less a response to all those things combined.

There seems to be a strong existentialist sentiment in your statements. What do you think evokes that in your writing?

To me personally, street art has to have a strong element of inclusivity and engagement with the public if you want it to resonate with them. Different artists do that in different ways. For me, as someone using text, I try to do that by focusing on existential or common themes that anyone can relate to and share regardless of who they are, where they are from, or how artistically inclined they are. We’re all in this life thing together, and if I’m writing things that only I could understand or that only relate to me personally, then it would be really pointless and completely lost because it wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else. I mean some things I write are personal, but I always try to present them in a way that invites rather than isolates understanding.

Is humor important in your commentary?

I think sometimes it can be. I don’t really consider a lot of things I write humorous at all but one of the things I love about the street element of art is that whatever you leave out there is completely open to interpretation. You have a whole world of different minds scanning and absorbing what you do and different people will certainly interpret things in different ways. Humor really is quite a subjective thing anyway. So a statement that I might consider serious or highly critical might be interpreted as something completely absurd or humorous to someone else and vice versa. But that potential disparity or uncertainty in translation and comprehension is a part of the whole experience I think, and is probably one of the more defining elements of street art.

Why do you favor the written word over pictorial expressions?

Combination of things. First and foremost I can’t draw (and I obviously can’t even spray neatly either) and different people express themselves in different ways. Words and statements work for me because it allows the viewer/reader to paint the picture themselves, if it’s something that provokes them to do so. And in that exchange, the entire experience or interpretation of whatever is read becomes completely individualized in the mind of whoever reads it. Also in this environment writing short statements is a form of strategy because there really isn’t that much time to be able to draw something detailed in a place where people can see it because it takes much more time and increases your chances of getting caught. Public pictorial expression I think would also attract much more attention (and possible investigation by the authorities here) than dirty rushed scrawls would.

Do your statements draw any inspiration from the immediate environments in which they are written?

Sometimes no, sometimes yes. Sometimes I’ve already prepared what I want to write and sometimes they just come to me when I’m out. The environment I live in ultimately does shape me for sure, but so do worlds of other things beyond the physical. Usually though I try to make what I write in busy (or high traffic) areas more general than others that would be found in an alley way or on a back road somewhere. The more secluded or intimate the location, the more the statements usually end up being more convoluted or personal.

How would you define the social / cultural landscape in Dubai? How does this affect your work?

Culturally, I think Dubai is as beautiful as it is complex, but me trying to sum up Dubai in a few paragraphs would be extremely difficult because there are so many different aspects to it that would really need some in depth explanations and background info. But if I was to try I would probably say that Dubai is the epitome of a city that tries to be as progressive as it can (in terms of being recognized as a globalized city) while trying to be as culturally conservative as it can (through Sharia Islam). In the trade/commerce, luxury tourism and commercial entertainment/events sectors, I think it has certainly succeeded in doing so and has positioned itself as a leader in the Arab world within those fields. But within that kind of extreme cultural dynamic of globalized futurism vs. Sharia Islam conservatism, it has its own kind of unique chaos going on. For example, women can go to the mall here and buy some steamy lingerie from Victoria’s Secret, but they can’t walk through the mall to get to the store while wearing clothing that’s too revealing. You can go to an art gallery to check out some art, but you will never see a painting or a photo of anyone nude or any domestic politically critical work. You can buy booze from certain places, but you can’t be found with booze in your car.

Those are just basic examples. But I think the main defining element of society here is that the Emirati people make up just less than 20% of their own countries population, and are the only true citizens of the state. Everyone else living in Dubai (the U.A.E) are doing so on a strict conditional basis that completely excludes them from any kind of domestic political milieu or possible involvement in it. Because of that, expats (especially non-Muslims) generally become more inclined to embrace and hold on to their own values and cultures, and the country is certainly liberal enough to allow them to do so (within conditions of course). So really what you have in the U.A.E is a micro world full of all these different reality bubbles made up of other worlds from outside the U.A.E, all co-existing and clashing in a very unique way and that also experience and understand the city in different ways. For me, as an expat who has spent a lot of time here as a kid, I have a pretty good idea of how all those identities and realities co-exist and clash, and how they generally perceive the city. As an artist, that understanding gives me a lot to experiment and play with. But with the street work I try to transcend cultural differences and focus on collective consciousness and things which we all experience in this realm regardless of our differences. Sometimes I do touch on “culturally related” subjects, but it’s more geared towards playing on clichés and stereotypes and throwing them back at people then it is anything else.

What influences you creatively?

Absolutely everything and anything really. From crowds to isolation, from hieroglyphics to iPads, inner space to outer space, the devils scheme to the reptilian dream, other souls, other artists, other worlds, the lack, the surplus, music, consciousness, history, futurism, Aeon Flux’s sadomasochism…whatever. I’m an absolute sponge. I have absolutely no certainties or constants when it comes to creative influences or thoughts and waves can come from anywhere and at any time. All I do as an artist is absorb those waves , then try project them back outward through my own filters and processes and apply them to my own cipher and surrounding environment.

Do you think street art and graffiti will start to grow in Dubai after you’ve broken the ice so to speak?

Events that support and include live graffiti (or live art) on designated walls and spaces here have picked up here over the past few years and have gotten really popular. So that aspect of graffiti already exists and does seem to be growing positively which is great. Graffiti (or street art) outside controlled environments is still practically non-existent here. There is quite a bit of graffiti in the old parts of the city as well as a few throw ups around the city by artists who have visited from abroad, as well as from Emirati crews like Urban and SOB. But in terms of an actual graffiti movement happening here that embodies that illicit element, I really don’t know if that will ever happen. I mean I hope it does, don’t get me wrong, but I think if it ever did happen it would probably be much more subtle then in other places because Dubai isn’t really the type of place you would want to directly attract the attention of the law.

What would you like people who view your writing to take from it?

That’s totally up to them. As long as it can send people on a small trip or spark their imagination, even if it’s only for a microsecond, I’m happy with that. I’m not trying to overthrow the prevailing order with what I’m doing, I’m just trying to give people and myself, a short break from it and a possible window to reflect or escape. And even if people hate it, it’s still great because it gets them discussing and deliberating what they prefer or what they would like to see in the public sphere here. But (because this interview gives me the chance to say it) I’d like to say that I really wish the art world here would seriously start working full time with property developers and government cultural bodies to start allocating public spaces in the city for it’s own residing artists to be able to express outwards and engage with the city. In terms of helping develop and express the city’s own artistic identity, I really believe public art is crucial because it invites people (irrespective of identity, class, religion or creed) into a shared collective experience that becomes synonymous with place and time. And because of how things are socially structured in Dubai and because of the city’s extremely transient nature, I really think it’s important. It grounds things, and public art, whether it’s graffiti murals or public sculptures or whatever, establishes an element of solidified communal presence and social ipseity that galleries simply cannot create. And even if the work can’t be as edgy or “out there” as public works in other parts of the world due to cultural restrictions – who cares, it’s still true to place. And there are so many dope artists in the city that would have absolutely no problems working around the rules anyway so that isn’t really an issue. And I know for a fact that the public living here and tourists visiting Dubai would rather see that then something imported from somewhere else that only really appeals to art critics and connoisseurs, and that the average person and city resident just can’t absorb and doesn’t really care to.

What’s the next step for you?

I’m not sure really. I’d like to do a few more pieces which combine text with installation, but in terms of any defined planned steps, I really have none.

arcadiaon.tumblr.com

I don’t know if like me you spend a good deal of your free time trawling through the vast landscape of creative inspiration sites looking for idea food. Well I’m kind of addicted to it. It all started when I was working in Dubai. I found myself starved of visual inspiration of any kind and I really tried but its just not the kind of place where one can roam freely around the streets seeing street art, interesting shop fronts, expressive commercial typography, photography etc etc. So I was driven back to the web. Where at the time there seemed to be a deluge of all kinds of sites and blogs overflowing with the weird and wonderful.

Whether it was architecture, graphic design, photography, contemporary art, illustration or fashion I was looking for there was always a source of visual inspiration to fuel a project and keep my creative juices flowing. It became a daily ritual, usually starting with Begin being (sadly no longer with us), then onto the Sartorialist, followed swiftly by designspiration, September industry, Bitique, NOTCOT, FFFound and generally finish up with The Contemporist. These morning companions would set me up with an enthusiastic head to tackle any creative conundrum the day may throw at me. They haven’t really changed in my routine either merely contracted and expanded to a degree. But two months ago I discovered something that would start to change my whole paradigm of leeching inspiration. Pinterest!

The whole usability of Pinterest had me hooked from the start. No complicated registry, no long winded pining procedure, and pretty much open ability to connect with other users. The suggestions of various boards to pin to was in itself inspirational. Where as previously I’d catalogue my inspiration images in clunky folders on my creaking hard drive primarily in terms of design, illustration and architecture, my mind was now open to including collections for fashion, product design, food, glass ware, shoes whatever sprung to mind basically. The possibilities seem endless. There was also a noticeable acceleration in growth of followers. Within two pins I seemed to have acquired 6 new followers, then with every subsequent pin more came along, repinning my pins, liking and commenting! It was a truly enjoyable honeymoon period!

My enthusiasm for this new inspirational mistress was such that I started to neglect my old compadres other than occasional visits to source more content for my boards. Then it occurred to me. What if Pinterest means the end of inspirational sites!!! A bit drastic perhaps but not impossible. Surely the more niche inspirational purveyors like September Industry and The Sartorialist would hold their own. They do after all source and write their own content and in both cases will have content that isn’t present on any of their so called piers. But when we consider sites like NOTCOT, FFFound and designspiration which are fuelled mostly by member submission its likely that they could be usurped by such a popular platform as Pinterest. The competition would depend largely on the rate of content upload and by shifting the scale towards more original content, something very difficult to achieve perhaps in such a frenetic digital environment.

Perhaps this rhetoric is a little premature. Who really knows where it’ll go. What is clear however is that with Pinterest reaching a recent peak of popularity with users (11.7 Million as of January 2012) and being the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark, they’re clearly doing something right and will need to continue doing so to maintain their popularity.

Meanwhile all my other favourites continue to post fantastic content which I then pin to my boards for all my followers to like and repin etc etc. So perhaps its not really about extinction as such, maybe this is a simbiotic situation with Pinterest needing its content to come from somewhere, therefore making it more of a catalyst for inspiration and growing the awareness of the sites providing the content it pins. Yes I think that’s it. Seems like I answered my own question.

The mysterious Dubai Writer came up more and more in conversations and friends had multiple sightings of even more playful and obscure statements. But pretty much always written on temporary surfaces. A wise move really but even the Writer’s considerate choice of surface wouldn’t be beyond the strong and rather harsh arm of the Law. This is what people seem to forget here. Street artists, Graffiti Artists and Writer are always in danger of getting busted for what they do but for this individual the risk is huge. Dubai courts aren’t known for their leniency or integrity. The Judges are much more scathing with their sentences and as this is a first time where the writing has appeared on the wall in Dubai could be compelled to make an example of said writer in an attempt to ward off any other would be urban expressionists! For me this is the true strength of the writing on the wall. Being bold enough to have your say anonymously regardless of any consequences.

It really is a kind of coming of age for a city when its residents, whether inspired or anarchic shake their cans and show that they are there.

If you want to see more Scrawl from this prolific writer check out this link. http://arcadiaon.tumblr.com/

We all love a good story, and everything I’m reading at the moment relating to social media is focusing on exactly that. Just look at the recent Facebook Timeline and sudden interest in Pinterest where pictures/videos are telling us ‘stories’.

So I wasn’t at all surprised when I saw the Google+ advert the other evening. We follow Tom (wasn’t he the guy who was your first friend on Myspace? Just kidding) on a journey through his life with the help of Google+ to share special moments with his family and friends. We’ve never before seen an advert solely promoting a social platform in the UK, but this is the angle that Google have taken. With their hangout feature there is a sense of “look what we’ve got that Facebook and Twitter haven’t”, and the cherry on the cake has to be the tongue in cheek tagline, ‘That’s a plus’.

Like the IE9 advert it has the hallmarks of desperation, if a social network is worth its salt it will attract users, as we saw with Myspace, then Facebook and more recently Pinterest.

These playground antics are getting pretty boring and the fact that the battle has now jumped from our computer screens, tablets and smart phones to our TV screens is invasive. If there wasn’t already enough mediums out there to choose from!

Social media is about what the user wants to experience. We pick the things we want to see and discard those that we don’t. It appears that because they are Google, that there should be a given right to rule the social media world. It’s been no picnic for Facebook and Twitter over the years, but they’ve evolved and more and more people have joined the platforms.

Google+ needs to be patient.

Since the launch of the advert, Google have announced changes to the current layout of Google+ in their bid “Toward a simpler, more beautiful Google”. You’ll soon see trending topics…like Twitter, and cover images…like Facebook. The other big change is the use of threaded conversations that will work similarly to Google’s emailing system, Gmail. At least there’s some familiarity.

Critics have called the social media platform a ‘ghost town’, so it is again no surprise that this is the next thing Google are pulling out of the bag. I have read that Google have spent $12 million in the US on their social network advertising, so it seems that they’ll stop at nothing to be the best. Even The Muppets featured in one campaign!

Over the last few years I have found it interesting to see the ways in which the world’s top airline brands have tried to use social media to improve customer engagement and gain an insight into their preferences. But the big experiment they have all tried and failed to achieve so far is looking at the question of serendipity and whether it’s possible for travellers to meet interesting / relevant people on-board. In the past they have generally done this through ‘walled’ social media via their existing Frequent Flyer programs. Largely this has failed to take-off (pardon the pun) due to the technology available.

However, the technology is now here, in fact it’s been around for a while now. But in airline terms it seems the airlines are relative new comers to social media. Yes, they all have Facebook and Twitter accounts and have had it from day one. But, in terms of manipulating the various social media platforms and tools to create something not only powerful or unique, but more importantly popular and useful, they have so far failed to do so.

However, it now seems that that’s about to change. As Dutch carrier KLM is launching a new program called ‘Meet and Seat’, that gives their customers the power to choose a compatible travel companion by reviewing their fellow travellers Linkedin and Facebook profiles. The benefits from a business perspective are plain to see. For instance people going to trade shows can choose to meet and discuss their industry, company and the actual show they are going to with someone who they feel is appropriate. Or if a business traveller is not going to a show, but he or she is looking to meet a new business associate on-board or would like to find a new prospect who could be interested in buying their products or services they can make it happen via KLM’s new tool. And, some would argue that more importantly you can avoid sitting next to, or even close to a family with a small child – sounds cruel, but we’ve all had that experience of kids crying throughout the flight. And to be honest, every time I get on a flight I pray that I won’t be unlucky and sit next to a crying infant and the unapologetic parent(s). So, if I can avoid that scenario, as well as the Sharon or Tracey hen weekend types in their crappy and un-amusing T-Shirt uniforms then all the better. Especially if you’re trying to use the time on the flight to put the final tweaks to a presentation together that you’re doing on arrival let’s say. In that scenario the last thing you need is Sharon’s hens behind you or Tracey’s screaming child… or god forbid, both!

Right, past experience rant over. Back to KLM having a go at developing something useful…

Like all social media the user is in control, the way it works is as follows; the program is only available to KLM travellers with confirmed reservations who are open to connecting their social profiles to their booking. After submitting the personal information they feel comfortable sharing, the passengers are presented with seat maps that show where others who have also shared their profiles are seated. From there you can reserve the seat next to anyone who seems interesting (if available), and that person will then receive a message with your profile details.

The market research KLM has tried out so far has been good, with the majority of people saying they were open to the concept of people being able to review their personal information on their Facebook and / or Linkedin profiles.

It is to be launched in April and I am intrigued to see how it will be received. In my opinion it’s a useful tool and a great way to meet new and interesting people. From my perspective at D4 I’ve had the lonely trips to Europe and beyond on business where I am on my own. So, to meet someone on the plane, who is staying in the same city and / or could be a potential customer, supplier or part of our creative industries network – then great. Not only that, it might mean that I don’t have to put my travelling salesman hat on as I sit at the bar or in a restaurant on my own fiddling with my iPhone all evening. I could actually meet my ‘seat-mate’ from the flight and get to know him / her and their business or industry a little better over dinner and drinks. Not only that, think of the savings on my mobile roaming fees as it would stop me going online at £’s a minute!

On the flip side of that, you can of course choose to sit away from someone who has chose to sit next to you if you don’t like their profile, or feel you may get a sales pitch throughout the flight and you don’t own any headphones! In that case, you can go to anonymous mode and move to another seat up to 2-days before the flight.

There are of course are lots of pros and cons to this – but largely as an open and outgoing person myself (and a big social media user) I’m all for it. There are 6 million people flying everyday and 500 million people who use Facebook on a daily basis throughout the world, so why shouldn’t our skies be social networks too?

Other airlines have applications that are connected to the destinations their travellers are going to. For instance, last year Malaysia Airlines launched an application that allows users who book and check in via the carrier’s Facebook page to see whether any of their “friends” will be on the same flight or in their destination city at the same time.

As providers of social media solutions to a wide range of clients it is surprising how many businesses we work closely with are only now open to the various platforms available to them. Even the most unlikely industries in niche business-to-business markets or heavy industry are now getting involved to some degree – a few years ago they were all very dismissive. They viewed the platforms as childish, or something that would distract their staff and mean they were ‘pissing around all day’ rather than doing their job. However now they are taking small and cautious steps into these platforms to engage with their end-users and potential customers every day. The clients we have in specialist industries are always surprised to see how many of their peers and competitors are already active in platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter.

So as brands that are truly business-to-consumer in every sense of the word it’s very surprising that the Airlines have taken so long to come up with something that is of use to its customers on-board. I take my travelling salesman’s hat off to you KLM – here’s to social media at 36,000 feet.

- – - – - – -

I’d like to know what you think about this or if you have used some of the existing social media tools available from the airlines. Good or bad, let us know by leaving a comment below or engaging with D4’s Facebook page.

Is it OK to mess up? Try out something that doesn’t work? Experiment? In today’s manufactured world everything has to be polished, these days people demand perfection.

But how do you get there if what you’re doing is new? Originality never came easy. Your man Van Gough wasn’t exactly a success while he was alive. The first series of the TV classic Only Fools and Horses fell right on it’s arse. Would Nirvana have been as big if Kurt had stayed around a bit longer? Ideas risk failure, that’s what makes it so exciting, and it’s also why so many of today’s comics spend much of their time on bland panel shows in-between knocking out DVD’s. No risk = no failure.

As a direct challenge to this kind of thing comedian Jo Enright has launched Rough Works, a new material night at the Glee Club in Birmingham. Experienced comedians can get a 10 minute spot trying out new ideas and new comics can catch a break at one of Britain’s top comedy venues. There is only one rule… be prepared to fail.

And what a breath of fresh air failure is! To see comedians having fun, playing with ideas, messing with words, egging each other on. It’s such a laugh. I’ve seen the fabulous Barbara Nice make the whole audience play an impromptu game of musical statues, been wowed by new acts with new things to say like Christopher John Hall and had mega stars like Sarah Millican pop up on stage for a 10 minute spot.

This may very well be the start of something big. Then again, it might also be a complete flop… but who cares, as long as it’s been a good laugh along the way. If ever you’re in Brum check out the Glee’s website to see if Rough Works is on, or keep your eye out for one of D4′s posters.

After 3 hours of intense trawling I realised I was hooked, but couldn’t quite work out why! Was it perhaps that I could buy something that literally no one else had? Or was it the fact that I could bypass the commercial establishment and contribute to the enterprise of an individual beavering away in a spare bedroom in Barnstable?

So why handmade?
I suppose there’ll be a few schools of thought on this one. Well obviously for individual sellers the internet enables then to reach a vast international audience. Previously someone who created handmade children’s toys would probably find themselves attending multiple craft fairs, markets and perhaps holding intimate sales parties in their own homes. For even the seasoned handmade entrepreneur these avenues must have been frustrating, enjoying a limited success in sales probably outweighed by comments of ‘oh how lovely’ by perusers. In contrast taking this market online elevates the ‘cottage industry’ to a more dynamic platform. Broader sales landscape, benefits of social media integrations, secure payment methods, smart feedback and seller ratings, it couldn’t be better!

For purchasers its an opportunity to acquire something truly original that isn’t going to break the bank particularly during tough economic times. But its also more than that! It’s really about buying into unique ideas sprung from the imaginations of people who dedicate time to their passion. Supporting individual artisans who can’t really afford the massive overheads of a physical commercial space. There’s true dedication and commitment in handmade products and fortunately many sites and directories spreading the love online.

Who’s leading the way online?
The handmade community online seems to be growing exponentially with multiple avenues for finding that something special as a gift or collectable. Etsy is certainly the number one go to site for all things handmade. Launched in 2005 by Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik it has grown to eight hundred thousand sellers and twelve million buyer accounts. So how does it make money? Etsy charges a listing fee of 20 cents for each item and retains 3.5% of every sale. Each seller has a profile which acts as a shop front that can be personalised using a banner space. Products are displayed in a simple grid system that when clicked takes the viewer into a more detailed view so that one can scrutinize the handy-work! Luulla is a close runner up using an almost identical interface to Etsy but lacks its ease of navigation. Luulla does sport a rather active forum where sellers can open conversations with each other but  Etsy takes the idea that bit further by creating a more workable community through which users can arrange events, form circles also Etsy labs is an excellent feature to educate and share tips through video presentations. From Britain with Love is a great British born directory although not entirely supporting handmade produce it certainly promotes a ‘Buy British’ ethic linking to other small businesses sites via a From Britain with Love profile page.  Folksy again promotes a very British cause and its interface is arguably one of the best in its field. Folksy operates closely to the Etsy model supported by an online magazine called ‘Frankly’ and a pretty active forum. DaWanda focused mainly in Europe has a more cluttered look and feel which if you get past the rather busy home page can lead you to some European handmade delights!

Some may see a poetic irony in these independent artisans using the same online mechanisms pioneered by the big brands to get their products into people’s homes. However could this be seen as a counter commercial culture? Hardly, they share the same goals just on a more modest scale but the question is will the scales tip in favour of these commercial troubadours. Well I guess we’ll see!

View Video

We are big fans of Sheffield’s Now Then magazine.

Not only do they champion 3 of the things D4 truly love: art, words and beer, but they have something sorely lacking in much of today’s publishing empires. They have morals.

In a media world seemingly devoid of opinion it’s a breath of fresh air to read a magazine that’s not scared to be… dare we say it… political.

And they’re lovely people as well (we know cos’ we met up with them last week for a few Deceptions). Happy birthday Now Then, 4 years and counting, if you’re having a party we want an invite.

Macs all day, Untappd in the pub, Anytime+ on the sofa. Winter has taken it’s toll on the retina’s of us all.

But there is hope. Spring is springing it’s magic, the Peaks call, wide vistas await and life in all it’s natural glory beckons. (Well, it’s kind of like that – the first few walks usually find me stumbling up a hill, head down, gasping for oxygen and swearing quite a bit).

This year we’re determined to make it all the way to Manchester, it might take all summer, but peak by peak we’re heading over to the other side. Every month D4 will be hosting The Walking Club, you are all welcome. As long as you have boots. And you don’t talk too much – there’s not enough oxygen for my knackered lungs and your gabbing.

The Walking Club. One walk a month, each peak leading to the next, all the way to Manchester. You in?