Stckmn

CASE STUDY : The Only Drop [1 of 8] ‘Introduction’:

A year ago this month, saw the completion of one of the most ambitious projects my one-man studio has ever undertaken. For the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s inaugural contribution to the auction, Stckmn was commissioned to lead on the design and production of their never-to-be-repeated whisky release.

As I reflect on the project I’ll be sharing a number of posts (8 total) that aim to dive into the details of the design, the production/process and result.

Let’s start with a brief intro to the project…

THE CLIENT
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a global whisky club that celebrated 40 years in 2023. Since it was first established in Edinburgh in 1983 the society has expanded to almost 40,000 members and has bottled whisky from over 180 distilleries.

THE BREIF
To design a one-of-a-kind packaging design that would compete for attention amongst the other distillery lots, create product and hero imagery for use in the marketing materials and production of a short film capturing the making and narrative behind the concept.

THE RESULT
An industry first, handcrafted paper moulded sculpture that celebrates the relationship between liquid and cask. A visual narrative of the 33-year partnership that gave birth to this unique whisky.

Post [2 of 8] to follow soon, but if you can’t wait you can check the full project over on stckmn.com
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Got a brand, packaging or visualisation project in mind? Get in touch, I’d love to discuss how Stckmn can be involved.

I finally got my hands on trophies, awarded for The Only Drop project for Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

It’s no exaggeration to say that receiving these awards has had a truly positive effect on my confidence as a creative. Coming from a working-class background and being self-taught in many of the services I offer, it felt like being accepted—like I was told, “You’re part of the club, you’ve made it.” Sharing the win with family and friends and seeing how proud they are of me was an emotional experience (see Caleb in the photo—he approves!).

I know the topic of awards can split the room within the creative industry, but for a small studio like mine, competing to be seen in a sea of other creative studios can be tough. The exposure associated with winning an award has had very positive effects: reinforcing client trust, establishing relevance, gaining global recognition, and opening up new project opportunities and inquiries.

From an experience perspective, I got to travel to NYC for the ceremony, rub shoulders with giants of the industry, make new connections with other talented folks in the global design community, and push myself out of my comfort zone by learning to speak confidently about Stckmn and my story.

My ultimate goal with every project I work on is to ensure the client is delighted with the outcome and that the work performs as we set out. Getting an award is like the cherry on top—a pat on the back that motivates me to keep creating.

So while adding “award-winning” to my bio might seem boastful or up my own arse, I’m extremely proud to have received recognition for the work, and it was nice to take a moment to stop and reflect on all the hard work that went into making it happen.

I was interviewed by the fine folks over to talk about my recent award winning project ‘The Only Drop’. You can read the full article, link in the bio.

I’m wrapping things up for 2023…quite literally.

It’s been a wild year for Stckmn. I don’t often stop and reflect on the projects I’ve worked on as I’m always head down and on to the next thing, but I’m really proud of the projects I’ve worked on and creative achievements this year.

Some of the highlights include:

- Designing a one-of-a-kind, paper-pulp whisky packaging design for that sold at auction for 15k!
- Made my Directoral debut on two short films.
- Design and production for a commemorative 40yr rare whisky release.
- Creating hero imagery for a nationwide OOH campaign that featured on the big screens at Piccadilly Circus.
- Receiving a Right Aligned recognition award.
- Speaking at Right Align Online Design Festival and being invited to contribute to design articles for Creative Boom.

It’s important to mention it wasn’t all plain sailing, I suffered my first panic attack as a result of work stress and late in the year paid an unexpected visit to A&E when my body decided I hadn’t found a balance between workload and health.
It’s defined something I’ll look to address in 2024.

I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be part of any of these creative projects if it wasn’t for my wonderful clients who put their trust in my company of one, the people who recommend me for work and those who support me in collaborating on projects, thanks you to you all.

And I can’t forget to thank my very patient wife Nicola for her unrelenting support when I’ve had a difficult day, and my son Caleb who motivates me everyday to be a better man.

I’m off to kick back until 2024, returning 8th Jan, I wish you all a good one when it comes and all the best in 2024.

STCKMN RECEIVES RA RECOGNITION AWARD 🏆

Due to the fast paced nature of running a one-man studio, moving from one project straight into the next or having multiple projects overlapping, means I rarely get time to reflect on the work I've just completed.

A few weeks back a 'PLEASE DO NOT BEND' style envelope arrived at the studio. Thinking it was print/paper samples I'd ordered for a client project I opened it without much thought and was taken aback to see I’d received a recognition award from (they do great things for the design community and provide a platform for the little guys like me to be seen and heard.)

I’m not gonna lie, I welled up, then proceeded to jump around the studio like a kid. Accompanying the award was a small note from Chris Sanders (the founder of Right Aligned) thanking me for my contributions to the community and complimenting my work. It felt incredible and my confidence and motivation has been fired up since.

Chris’ kind gesture of recognition reminded me I need to carve out time to enjoy the small wins and the achievements within each successful project delivery, and to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm off to add 'award winning' to my title.

On a side note, the assemble-yourself style award was the cherry on the cake, as a fan of Lego and assembling Ikea furniture, this ticked all the boxes.