About dynamo london

dynamo london is a showcase for the best of interactive and digital design in the capital. London occupies a world-leading position in the digital design industry, with a track record of creative communications combined with technical innovation and commercial success. The purpose of dynamo london is to showcase the projects and their creators who have achieved commercial success through their creativity.

dynamo london is a joint venture of New Media Knowledge at Westminster University (NMK), and Applied Information Group (AIG). The project is creatively led by digital design pioneer Malcolm Garrett and overseen by Zoë Black. Executive Producers of the venture are Westminster University's Development Director Stephen Whaley and AIG's Managing Director Kasper de Graaf. Max Williams at Web 2.0 specialists New Bamboo is responsible for overseeing the technical development of the site.

The project is funded by the London Development Agency(LDA), the Mayor's agency for business and jobs in the capital. Other technology, commercial and media partnerships are in negotiation to assist the project in developing its full potential as an independent showcase for London's digital design industry.

If you would like to discuss how you could support dynamo london or have any further questions please contact

About the dynamo london team

Zoë Black FRSA

Zoë's extensive new media experience and knowledge can be attributed to her very early involvement in the industry, as founding member of Internet pioneers AMX in 1994. Zoë has worked with some outstanding creative and technical talents, and helped to deliver some truly innovative projects. During her time at AMX Zoë undertook a part-time MBA in design management where her passion for Design, Creativity and Innovation was nurtured. Zoë's MBA thesis examined the creative process within commercial environments, and this is still a keen area of interest.

After joining NMK in 2001, Zoë had responsibility as Director for the development of NMK's new brand, web site, course and event programme. Producing events such as the successful Content 2.0 in June 2006 and developing the cutting edge Nirvana business development, account management and project management suite of courses. Zoë is new working freelance and is NMK's principal consultant. In 2003 Zoë became a Fellow of the RSA, and a member of BAFTA.

Professor Malcolm Garrett RDI FRSA

Malcolm Garrett is Creative Director at London-based AIG (Applied Information Group). His work is widely regarded as having a seminal influence on the development of contemporary UK graphic design.

He founded the interactive communications company AMX in 1994, which under his creative leadership won awards for creativity, business effectiveness, and technical excellence, working with international blue chip clients such as Image Bank, Barclays, Hewlett Packard, BT, Saatchi & Saatchi, The Woolwich and The Science Museum, across a range of disciplines from internet to interactive TV to handheld computing. In 2003/4 Malcolm joined Immersion Studios in Toronto to develop interfaces for interactive cinema and collaborative learning software He directed the interactive design for Virtual Canada in the Canadian Pavilion at Japan Expo 2005.

Prior to AMX Malcolm had founded and co-directed Assorted Images, designing for artists such as Buzzcocks, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Simple Minds, and pioneering digital and interactive work with Peter Gabriel.

Malcolm is no stranger to viewing and reviewing all that is best in interactive media. For well over a decade he has been an almost permanent fixture on various awards panels, specifically in the area of interactive media, and often as the Category Chair. He has also served on advisory panels or as a committee member for a number of these awards, helping define the criteria for judging interactive media as the industry itself has evolved.

He has judged for Design Week, D&AD, BAFTA, BIMA, as well as LMDI, Roses Design Awards, Proctor & Stevenson Awards, RSA Student Awards, Art Directors Clubs New York, Hong Kong Design Association, ICAD Awards Dublin, and the Construction New Media Awards Cape Town.

He is a Royal Designer for Industry (the only RDI in Interactive Media), was nominated for the Prince Philip Designers Prize in 1998, is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London, a former Visiting Professor of Interaction Design at the RCA, holds an Honorary Doctorate in Design from Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, an Honorary Fellow of the RSA, and a member of BAFTA.

Malcolm is widely published in books and magazines around the world. His contribution to education in design for interactive media is also extensive, having served as External Examiner at Central St Martins, Trinity College Dublin, Space Invaders Copenhagen, and the University of Salford. Teaching and lecturing has also taken him to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Korea, South Africa, USA; and universities throughout the UK too numerous to list.

Malcolm currently sits on the RDI Executive Committee, the Eye Magazine Editorial Board, and last year was a member of the Steering Committee for Publishing Expo.

About the companies

AIG

Applied Information Group (AIG) is a multidisciplinary design consultancy in London with particular expertise in interactive media, communications, environments and urban wayfinding.

The company's chairman and creative director, Tim Fendley, was previously director of Meta Design UK and global brand director of Icon Medialab. Interactive design pioneer Malcolm Garrett RDl, also a creative director at AIG, was previously creative director of Assorted Images and then of AMX. AIG's managing director Kasper de Graaf was director of Assorted Images and executive producer of PixnMix, a media skills and resources project commissioned by Channel 4's interactive head Adam Gee for Ideasfactory and as a contribution to the Creative Archive.

The directors of AIG lead teams of designers, developers, researchers and support staff in delivering effective and innovative projects for a wide range of high profile clients.

More information about AIG is available at www.aiglondon.com

LDA

LDA, the Mayor's agency for business and jobs, is one of nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) established by the Government to promote economic development in England.

Amongst the Regional Development Agencies, LDA currently has the lead responsibility for equality, childcare, ageing, health and constitutional affairs.

LDA has the powers and responsibility of an RDA and receives its funding from central Government, via the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). However, its structure is unique, due to its relationship with the Mayor in respect of Board appointments, strategy setting, reporting and LDA's membership of the Greater London Authority Group, which also includes the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, the Metropolitan Police Authority and Transport for London.

The successful delivery of much of LDA's work is dependent on the proactive and productive relationships it manages with partners across London, including the 33 London boroughs, sub-regional partnerships and numerous Government departments as well as a broad range of key partners from the voluntary, community, public and private sectors.

More information about LDA is available at www.lda.gov.uk

New Bamboo

New Bamboo is one of the most prominent web development companies in the UK specialising in Ruby on Rails. Founded at the beginning of 2006 by Max Williams and Damien Tanner, the company is growing rapidly and shows no signs of stopping. New Bamboo always strive to stay at the forefront of the industry, and were very early adopers of the Ruby on Rails framework.

One of New Bamboo's main strengths lies in developing social networking applications. Originating in Brighton, the company has strong links with the local development scene both there and in London, as well as having international recognition in the Rails community. Current work centres around user-generated content and communication. Clients are based in Brazil, New York and California, as well as a several UK startups. The range of Applications in development is varied, and they are all unique. However, they have also had experience in traditional e-commerce, most recently in the Scholastic Teachers' shop.

Contact New Bamboo via www.new-bamboo.co.uk

NMK

NMK is a learning and business information hub for companies and individuals working in UK digital media.
NMK runs an open-access website packed with articles, commentary and white papers. In turn, we produce a programme of topical and high-level events and courses, perennially well received due to the extensive research NMK undertakes to provide the broadest and most relevant perspectives. All events are offered at minimal cost to delegates to provide an accessible mix of knowledge and experience sharing combined with networking opportunities.
Established in 1998, NMK has worked to support the growth and maturity of the UK's emerging digital media industries, and to meet the sector's learning and business support needs. During this period we have built up a large community of professionals and businesses, with a bi-weekly email newsletter going out to more than 9000 digital media practitioners, the NMK circulation is currently increasing on a daily basis. NMK is part of a suit of knowledge networks wholly owned by the University of Westminster, itself a world leader in the development of skills for the creative industries. The knowledge networks are designed to keep innovation and knowledge development at the forefront of company and professional practice in the creative industries by leveraging and maximising university and industry relationships.

NMK's skilled team comprises individuals with backgrounds in academia, new media, media production, design, multimedia and publishing, all of whom are highly knowledgeable about the digital media sector, and enjoy close links with all aspects of the industry. NMK works closely with an extensive network of consultants and business professionals to ensure a programme that is delivered to the highest quality.

One of the organisation's core strengths is its expertise in encouraging the cross-fertilisation of creative ideas, promoting best practice in business and facilitating the creation of strategic alliances and partnerships. Such relationships play an important role in helping small companies to gain access to markets and develop new services and products, while at the same time contributing to overall sectoral growth and driving competitive advantage.

Recent NMK activities have included developing the highly successful 'beers and Innovation' event series - providing unique networking and knowledge sharing environment for digital innovators, developing the sell out Content 2.0 conference at the RSA with accompanying (drupal) website www.content2point0.com, providing strategic consultancy and event management for the Working Together 2 event in October 2006, developing and delivering the pioneering Business development programme Nirvana, developing an Industry Standard Model Contract for web development (with ISBA, COI, Briffa and IPA), producing a programme of advanced courses for digital media professionals, and holding half day conferences on subjects ranging from blogging and citizen media to IPTV.

Contact NMK at www.nmk.co.uk