And another thing…

What you’ve never heard of Paul Scriven, he’s massive here all over the midlands, you need to get yourself out of the Westminter bubble.

At least he’s ambitious…

I assume Mr Scriven made sure all the images he used were available under creative commons? Wouldn’t want any summonses now, would he?

This surely isn’t genuine? I mean I know it’s the libdems but still…

Paul Scriven’s pledges are not to be laughed at – he’s been far.

In fact he’s “an ordinary person ” and “humble ” with it – he just likes being seen with famous people.

Nowt wrong with that,is there ?

Ah, calm down, he’s clearly being tongue-in-cheek.

And for what it’s worth, I had heard of him! Though I’ve spent some time in Sheffield…

Hi Tom,

I can certainly confirm that it wasn’t produced by the campaign. Not that I have any problem with the message, it’s just my artwork is better than that.

One of the Liberal Youth bods made it for a laugh and posted it on the Liberal Youth noticeboard in the Student Union. At ankle height in an obscure corridor, it’s quite possible that the person who took a photo of it is the only person who’s ever seen it…!

Joe Taylor
Campaign Manager – Paul Scriven for Sheffield Central

I think you’ll find that Jesus didn’t found Christianity, and the Lib-Dems didn’t kill 600,000 Iraqis. I’m admiring your re-positioning Tom – not attending conference, not campaigning in Springburn and focusing on the Lib Dems instead of attacking the Tories. You’re already an opposition backbencher, aren’t you?
Nice one.

At least it is one of the most inventive self promotions I have ever seen. At least he did not add only the lib dems can win here.

But in his defense, at least he has not claimed to have saved the world.

Yet another example of why professional artists (like myself) should be asked to help out on all electoral materials…
Some of the campaign leaflets used by Labour and the Lib Dems here in Inverclyde are cringeworthy at best. Not even talking about the political material, merely the appalling use of colour, typefaces (Comic Sans? You’ve got to be f&*%ing kidding me!) and overall design (or lack thereof) makes someone who has studied graphics like myself want to vomit, or at the very least burn all the offending leaflets and track down their “designer” and confiscate their computer.

Not to blow ones own trumpet, but I did assist in the design of the leaflets for Innes Nelson’s successful council by-election this year, and I’d like to think they were of a much higher standard, graphically, than the other parties. Of course, whether their content was is a matter of opinion, although as an SNP member I thought they were great.

It’d be cruel of me to mention that the electorate appeared to do so as well…

Stephen O’Donnell: “not campaigning in Springburn and focusing on the Lib Dems instead of attacking the Tories.”

Ah, where to start? I have been and will continue to be pretty much full time in Glasgow NE until polling day. As for attacking the LibDems, well why not? They may not be a serious party but they do take up valuable bench space in the Commons.”

Uh! Tom you missed out Kenny(the Buddha) MacAskill(or is it Gandhi) whatever!

He can make the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

But only if they are Scottish

Or Libyan.

All this free publicity for Paul Scriven’s campaign. I bet he’s gutted Labour are banding this about everywhere.

Compass yet again lack a sense of humour & give publicity to an issue that is not really very important. Yes Paul Scriven’s team could be happy with publicity but presumably disappointed as thinking people would be happier with genuine debate about how to improve things in Sheffield, our country, the World. But I don’t want to lack a sense of humour myself (& maybe this is set up as tongue in cheek itself). Kiron Reid.

LibDems not a serious party? Yet they are closer to Labour in tonight’s poll than Labour are to the Tories. Just saying.

Are we also not allowed to point out that Italy . . . Italy FFS! . . . have just overtaken us in the “whose recovering from the recession the fastest” stakes.

I thought Gordon Brown said that Britain was best placed to come out of the recession, out of all European countries?

So that’s France, Germany and now even Italy . . . all in a better position than us Tom . . . thanks to YOUR party.

I wonder if we’ll get any comments about that from you?

So, if you’re campaigning almost full time for the labour party, can I assume you aren’t claiming your MPs wage and expenses for this period?

There is, surely, some rule about not spending public money on party campaigns?

There is no shortage of (r)ankers in politics these days.

“America’s greatest president”

Please debate! Abraham Lincoln was a very odd man indeed, who attempted to avert Civil War by proffering a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the continued existence of slavery in the South, justifying it by his belief that the enslaved peoples were naturally inferior anyway. He changed his tune in 1863 when he decided he needed something that would make a moral case for war (sound familiar)? He came up with the Emancipation Proclamation – which, in an act of breathtaking cynicism, freed slaves only in areas under the control of the Confedaracy, not the slave states of the Union (Kentucky and Delaware). Slavery was only abolished there by the 13th Amendment, after he was assassinated.

I would personally go for Thomas Madison, who wrote the Constitution (admittedly before he was president) or even Harry Truman, who isn’t fashionable but showed considerable political courage on the question of human rights and racial equality – an issue that might easily have cost him the presidency as a result of a party split – as the greatest presidents.

Sorry, you set me off on a rant. Hope you find that interesting. And I did enjoy the post!

Yup we know who Stevie is, he once turned up at my door a few years back and I put to him my views on the EU, he replied that “I am in favour of the EU,I go to France on holiday every year”

Maybe by change the world, he means he is going to Italy next year instead of France.

I have to say Tom, he is around and about the benchmark for most MPs, he will fit in perfectly into his role in the provincial parliament where he can do no harm to the “people that matter”

And in what why is Boomfield better?

Note from the pedant office, you’ve spelt Gandhi wrong.

I thought the post was going to begin ‘…. can you hear me Mother Teresa? Your boys took one hell of a beating.’

@Math Campbell.

I’ve just had a peruse over your site & can say that your work isn’t much better than Paul Scriven’s teams’ effort.

Not so much of an ‘Artist’ or ‘designer’ (how can you confuse the two?) more of a cliche CAD monkey.

Whomever recovers the quickest from the recession matters alongside who went in earliest, and deeeepest . .

But we much expect the troll/s to disregard any factors which do not suit their prejudices.

People are getting funny about religion, comes with the recession too i suspect.

Some talking clerical head on TV just said the C o E is given to being PC rather than pro Jesus.

Jesus Christ really big on racism and abuse of women etc you bet!

Tell them like it is baby!

@Luke

I think that’s a grossly unfair comment. Learning CAD is probably a lot harder for the average ‘monkey’ than proper painting is for the natural artist.

I think Math’s icons are good, actually.

Perhaps, Luke, you can link to some of your own creations?

At least four people on that poster are indirectly responsible for the death of millions of innocent people…

Mobile commenting is still broken, BTW.

Richard, if they are “indirectly responsible” then they are not actually responsible.

I believe Bush and Blair are *directly* responsible for a million deaths. If they truly were Christians, then they wouldn’t have gone to war for their buddies in the petrochemical, rebuilding and arms industries.

Everyone looking forward to Emperor Blair? I’ve a feeling we might always be at war with Eastasia.

“America’s greatest president” – He’s not done anything yet!

Thanks to Ed Balls uncritical and unthinking acceptance of Badman’s review of elective home education once left of centre home educators are joining the tory party – not bothering about the lib dems but heading away from labour to where they find people who might have the power to respect and protect their freedom to do their best for their children. Labour is in self-destruct mode to suggest that home education is linked to child abuse with not a shred of evidence and to attempt to control and licence what goes on in caring homes. 40,000 committed people turning to the tories could swing several marginals. Is Balls out of control and is Sheerman a knight in shining armour after all? It is sad to watch a once great party spiral towards its doom.

Since I have never met nor am I likely too I have to say that mr Scrivens is running quite a slick campaign.

It is the only campaign to e-mail to remind me of the clocks changing.

If his website support is anything to go by he is certainly trying his best and with absolutely no interests in the area the best of luck to him. Especially as it appears he is facing a good labour candidate in Paul Blomfield

>> I think you’ll find that Jesus didn’t found Christianity,

Put it down to poetic licence.

>> and the Lib-Dems didn’t kill 600,000 Iraqis.

Oh, great, another troll who can’t accept having been disobeyed. Are bodies being imported into Iraqi to achieve this death-toll?

Labour didn’t kill 600,000 Iraqis. Nor did anyone (at least, post-2003).

There are some giving it a jolly good try, though. And they ain’t British or American.

>> All this free publicity for Paul Scriven’s campaign. I bet he’s gutted Labour are banding this about everywhere.

There is such a thing as bad publicity.

To Stewart: thanks. I know we disagree hugely over politics, but it’s nice to be backed up from even the most unlikely of corners

To Luke: “@Math Campbell.
I’ve just had a peruse over your site & can say that your work isn’t much better than Paul Scriven’s teams’ effort.
Not so much of an ‘Artist’ or ‘designer’ (how can you confuse the two?) more of a cliche CAD monkey.”

First off, that site isn’t particularly current, it’s more a placeholder for when I can be bothered to do my own site/blog. My company site is http://www.graphicsforge.co.uk . Secondly, I’m a Graphics Designer. That means I have to do traditional hand-drawn artwork, UI design, print design, the whole gamut of graphics and artwork. I’m also a fully qualified 3D animator, and indeed I sometimes use 3D packages in my graphics work. However, if you knew diddly-squat about that which you speak, you’d be aware that 3D != CAD. CAD is more mathematical, often 2D in fact, and as the name suggests, is for the industrial design boyos to make up their widgets and for architects to design some concrete-clad monstrosity. I am neither, and in fact have never once used a CAD suite in my life. Sorry for the off-topic there Tom, but professional egotism demanded a response.

Moving on, let us see a contrast between “good” design and Paul Scriven’s attempts.
http://www.graphicsforge.co.uk/portfolio/snp-telegraph-advert/ is one of the election-week adverts we put out. Designed by yours truly, we see clear party-branding. We see a consistent use of colour, with good alignment, and a subtle shadow put on the ballot box “1″ to emphasise it. The fonts incidentally are the same as used by SNP HQ in their election materials, so as to increase “branding” perception and reinforce the professionalism and cohesiveness of the party. Another good example here is http://www.graphicsforge.co.uk/portfolio/campaign-leaflet1/
This was from a leaflet, not anything to do with the last example, yet one can see in a blink of an eye, it’s from the same candidate, it’s got the same “brand”, the same use of colour, fonts etc. Good overall design, something I’m fairly happy with showcasing (click on the actual pictures on the site there btw to see them in close-up).

Then we come to Mr. Scriven’s…”design”. I’m going to be kind here as it’s obvious whomever is responsible is not a designer.
The pictures are as good a place as anywhere to begin our little massacre. They’re really really really badly laid out. Horribly in fact. I’m guessing they’re supposed to be in some sort of circle layout; the main indication I got of this was the stretching and shrinking of some images around the edges. Some of them are overlapping. Some aren’t. None are the same size. Consistency is one of the hallmarks of good design.
Next up, the lettering. Love how it’s all un-alligned, overlapping pictures so you have to squint to see what it’s saying. And the font, mmmm arial, such a popular font because it’s the first in the list and they didn’t know how to change it. Perhaps the Lib-Dem font-style would have been nice though, reenforce the party-branding. Oh, that’s right, there isn’t any. Seriously, when I was sitting here critiquing this, I’d forgotten which party it was, and I was sitting looking at it and the ONLY indication aside from a orangey sun-motif behind Paul’s head that this was the Lib-Dems was the web-address at the bottom. I dunno, maybe this was intentional, maybe the Lib-Dems are weak in Sheffield and Paul’s a local-hero, but surely at least one party logo or mention would have been nice, even if only a “this leaflet was produced by the Sheffield Liberal Democrats, of such-n-such street”. You know, like the Electoral law says you’re supposed to do…
Then we have those web-addresses. Why are they blue-underlined? Is the poster on e-paper? If I touch those URL’s with my finger will the poster magically take me to the site ala iPhone, or perhaps Harry Potter?
No, didn’t think so. So lose the Office-esque blue-underlines. No one uses them in print, ever. You look like a pratt that can’t format his text properly and it makes it harder to read.
Back tracking a bit to the text “vote for paul yadda”…OK, so again, maybe he’s so well known that his photo alone is enough to recognise. But still, I’d put the name big and bold up front where people can see it. With no title or main typography in the poster, people are confronted with a barrage of badly laid-out photos, and nothing to read. So how about, given that “voting for Paul” was the purpose of this poster, maybe, I dunno, put that in big sodding letters “VOTE PAUL”. And whilst you’re at it, give the uni-student in the corner an extra pot noodle and tell him to photoshop the candidates photo so it doesn’t look like he’s missing his shoulder.

I truly believe that poster is the worst I have ever seen. I’ve seen better for the student union elections in my old uni. Lots better. Maybe Paul should nip down Sheffield Hallam and ask some favours.
Sorry for the long post if you made it this far, but I thought a full critique was needed explaining exactly what was wrong with it…

So famous that in singing his praises he is “massive here all over the midlands”.

Wow, when did they move Sheffield out of Yorkshire – after Blunkett disgraced himself the 3rd time ?

Good joke !

Alan Douglas

>> So famous that in singing his praises he is “massive here all over the midlands”.

Is that not like being the tallest person in Lilliput?

Seriously, the poster is dreadful in design and concept. It reminds me of a student election poste: specifically, “Vote for Me or the Puppies Get It”.

No, I didn’t vote.

The puppy slogan Prob worked with rather more voters than:

“Vote for me or Geo ‘Mr Potato Head’ Osborne gets it,” will, despite his desperate promo on the BBC & etc.

£2k may be a big cash bonus to me, but it isn’t to many bank employees, nor to your $40m & Bart beneficiary who cannot be trusted to fund raise for his party.

Hi,

Given the ludicrous amount of attention this silly little poster has received we’ve decided to auction off the one and only copy ever printed to raise money for Sheffield Children’s hospital.

This fine piece of artwork – put together in about 5 minutes using that famously professional tool, Paint – and placed on an ankle-height notice board in a back-corridor of Sheffield University Student’s Union can now be yours!

Just click through to our webpage and follow the links to EBay to place your bid and help to raise money for Sheffield children’s hospital.

Thanks,

Sheffield Liberal Youth

I don’t know the man, but I must say, his name would make a great Scottish expletive.

Scrivens!