Cathy's Inspirations

Zac and Joan

2012-01-22T16:11:00.008-06:00

http://vimeo.com/23049755?iframe=true&width=80%&height=80%

Source: Communication Arts Design Annual, The Best Design of 2007

This video was commisioned by KCD Worldwide, a fashion public relations and publishing industry. It features fashion designer Zac Posen interviewing fashion director Joan Kaner. It it very interesting to watch since the main characters are drawings of themselves talking with each other. There seems to be two different styles of animation. One consists of pictures being drawn as line art in front of you and morphing into new images. The other style, with the characters talking to each other, might be "rotoscoping". If anyone can tell me what type of animation is being used, please do. The two styles separate the video into what I call "real" time, and "history" time.
It is animated by award-winning Juan Delcan, a native of Madrid who began his career as a graphic designer but is now primarily a live action director.
This is a link to another recent animation by Delcan: The 13 Clocks

Her Morning Elegance

2012-01-18T00:38:00.003-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

This is one of my favorite short animations. It is a stop-motion music video for Her Morning Elegance and earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Short Form Music Video." It was written, sung, created and produced by Oren Lavie. I love how the whole story unfolds around the character while she is sleeping. It's fascinating to watch how the motions you expect to see in an upright position are mimicked while lying down.

YouTube also has a video showing how the film was made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKptYcQuKxc&feature=relmfu

Bachelor Pad

2011-11-17T09:32:00.001-06:00

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual of American Illustration, 2006, p338
Illustrator: Dan Sipple

The designer's "assignment was to create a hip, modern, masculine card [for American Greetings] featuring an African American male" using an assigned palette of colors. I like how the designer was able to pull off the design with minimal detail by using subtle textures. The strie painting behind the man is just enough to separate him from the wall. The textured lanterns, chairs, and patterned floor add visual interest and rhythm. The solid white pants are the focal point and the negative shape of the pants seems to create an arrow pointing to the man. The lanterns hanging directly over the man in combination with the stripes in the wall give the appearance of light raining down on the subject further enhancing the focal point. Finally, the lone orangish-red square hanging alone on the right side of the wall is the final detail to balance the image. Oh, and, of course, you can't deny the importance of the glass on the table. It adds ambiance to the scene and sets the mood. The glass says "it's time to relax and chill out."

Seasons in the Sun

2011-11-10T14:51:00.000-06:00

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual of American Illustration, 2006, pp244-245
Illustrator: Andrew Selby

This illustrator creates entire landscapes with simple geometric shapes and limited color palettes. His work is interesting because the more you look, the more you see. I love the illusion of hills and how each drawing has a feeling of perspective created with the bottom of the illustration appearing to be closer. Both illustrations create perspective by size with objects in "front" being larger in proportion to objects at the top of the drawing. Notice the pumpkins larger than trees and the fox larger than the horses. The autumn image also has a road which appears to wind toward the "back" where it eventually disappears in the horizon. Even the ground appears to be flatter in the front with the shapes becoming more rounded and then pointy, indicating hills turning to mountains, as your eye travels upward. The final clue is the cloud shapes at the very top.
Another detail I enjoyed is the illustrator's buildings. None of the buildings are squared. They seem to lean every which way furthering the concept of hills and uneven ground. The combination of the misshaped buildings and curvy shapes create an inviting, interactive atmosphere enticing the viewer to stop and gaze for a while.
As for color, the illustrator's limited color palette very clearly indicates which season each image represents. The limited use of white creates added interest and breaks up what would otherwise be monotonous image.

The Capuleti & the Montecchi

2011-11-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

Society of Illustrators 48th Annual of American Illustration, 2006, p239
Poster illustration, Illustrator: Rafal Olbinski

This poster was created to promote the opera The Capuleti & the Montecchi based on the story of Romeo & Juliet. The illustrator introduces a clever solution to showing the two "star-crossed" lovers being torn apart by their respective families.
One's focus is immediately drawn into the faces and the strong negative space between them. Your eyes naturally follow the zipper downward to the ropes attached to the zipper which continue to pull your attention downward toward the message. The symmetry of the two groups of men pulling and the way they span the writing seems to enhance the message by framing the text. I like how the men dressed in business suits bring the classic tale to modern times and how the men's body language reinforces the idea of pulling your attention downward. Furthermore, the perspective type treatment creates more visual stimulation and interest to the design.
The concept of "star-crossed" lovers is introduced with the faces being formed in the sky and the eyes of the lovers looking upward to the stars (or heaven). I am wondering if the idea of the two halves being torn apart from the top down like a curtained backdrop is representative of the biblical account of the temple veil tearing in two from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus' death. Is the darkeness of the heavens that is revealed symbolic of the darkness that descends upon the families upon the lovers' deaths?

Halloween Magic

2011-10-27T14:36:00.000-05:00

Society of Illustrators 46th Annual of American Illustration, 2005, p327
Book Illustration, Illustrator: Greg Couch

Tonight is the night when pumpkins stare. And all cats are black and a flying leaf looks more like a bat.

The illustrator's goal was to depict "Halloween as a magical night...filled with danger and delight...and there is always a full moon."
I like the eerieness the illustrator creates with the dark colors, shadowy figures, and the faces that seem to be peering out from everywhere. The moon, the bat, the Jack-O-Lanterns, the houses, and even the tree appear to have faces looking at the children. The trees around the houses hint at reaching hands and hair. The floating leaves create eyes and a nose on the enormous, glowing moon while an exaggerated-sized bat creates a gaping grin. The size of the bat hints at how large the children would perceive the bat to be.
This image brings back memories of a racing heart as a child when I would trick-or-treat with my friend and the wind would make things rustle and the light from street lamps would cast long shadows and the doors to strangers' houses appeared menancing. A time before parents stayed with their children and you only went to homes of people you knew. It was a time of full-sized candy bars, apples, and Mrs. Warren's large homemade popcorn balls. Ahh....the memories.

Portland International Film Festival

2011-10-20T23:06:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 52nd Annual of American Illustration, 2010, p192
Illustrator: The Heads of State

The first two things I noticed about this design were I couldn't read what the filament was spelling and the color choices seemed odd. Light bulbs are warm objects and this design has a cool undertone with its choice of colors. So I ask myself why isn't this bulb yellow and what does it spell? This forced me to look further to read the small print and see the threads of the bulb are created from a film strip. Aha! (The light bulb goes on in my head!) And, now, I think "clever."
I like how the illustrator grabs your attention with the filament and pulls you down to the print for details. The way in which the film strip leads off the paper and how the type follows it adds extra visual interest by creating a little tension.

Snow Cat

2011-10-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

Society of Illustrators 49th Annual of American Illustration, 2007, p279
Illustrator: Richard Goldberg

The assignment was a secular "winter holiday" greeting card. The image is from the illustrator's memory of his black cat Satan who would chase snowflakes in the lights at night. (I thought the cat's name ironic, especially since I consider every "holiday card" is actually a Christmas card in disguise.)
I like the playful, artsy nature of the card and how the snowflake the cat captured is the one perfect flake in the illustration. It appears the cat is admiring his find. The way the cat reaches for it, the direction of the cat's eyes, and the undefined white dots in the background lead the viewer's focus to the one distinct snowflake. That one flake is the clue to this being winter, and the playfulness of the cat reminds us that winter can be fun.
And what about the C shapes in the design—the shape of the cat's body and the resulting negative shape? Is this the illustrator's underlying effort to imply C is for Christmas? Hmm...
Actually, my very favorite part of the illustration is the artist's initials. I love his letters, especially the "g". It reminds me of an upside-down exclamation mark and feels like the last period on the last page of a long book — There!

Frantic

2011-10-06T13:35:00.002-05:00

Society of Illustrators 49th Annual of American Illustration, 2007, p155
Illustrator: Thomas Fuchs

This is a portrait of Nathan Lane used for a theater poster to promote his play Butley, in which the main character is slowly falling apart. I think the illustrator brilliantly conveys this idea. The artwork represents so many aspects of mental instability —literally falling apart, being torn in different directions, losing one's identity, not knowing where to turn, and seeing the world in black and white. The literal representation of black and white creates an onimous, dark atmosphere and adds dramatic flare. My favorite aspect of the image is the disharmonious rhythm resulting from the fragmentation, which causes my focus to bounce back and forth between the subjects's eyes.

THRILL

2011-09-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

Society of Illustrators 50th Annual of American Illustration, 2009, p190
Illustrator: Martin French

This poster was one of a series of four that the illustrator created while working on a project involving the history of swing dance. The illustrator's goal was to capture the "free-form improv that happens in every dance". I think he was extremely successful.
Looking at this poster makes me want to just get up and dance. The use of the lines and curves in the background and foreground, the positions of the bodies, the swinging tie, skirt, and jacket—all of these bring rhythm to the image. The purposeful misalignment of the writing and the background color block add more movement. The large red block type behind the dancers shouts to the viewer that this is an event one doesn't want to miss. The vibrant colors, the polka dots that seem to be flying off her skirt, the misregistration of color fills and outlines—every detail in this poster serves a purpose.
I'm going to go find my dancing shoes.

Think Pink

2011-09-21T14:19:00.003-05:00

Society of Illustrators 50th Annual of American Illustration, 2009, p46
Client: Stanford Medicine, summer 2007 Illustrator: Jody Hewgill

This illustration was commisioned to accompany an article titled Think Pink—the Hitch with Breast Cancer Marketing Pitch for the summer 2007 publication of Stanford Medicine. The illustrator states, "The article is about the misconception of the pink campaign—how women are given a false sense of protection and a feeling of being proactive by purchasing pink products, while they continue to have unhealthy lifestyles."
This illustration is brilliant. It's obvious that it's a statement about breast cancer with the clues of the headscarf in the shape of the symbolic pink breast cancer awareness ribbon and another image of the ribbon present on the pink shopping bag. Additional pink clues are lipstick shade, the cup in the bag and the overall pink saturation of the image.
The irony comes into play with the smoking cigarette between those pink lips and the hormone replacement pills, which may be linked to increased breast cancer risks. I love the extra detail of the runner drawn in the background.
Is the subject looking at her and thinking, "You go girl—I'm safe in my pink!"?
Is the runner a subliminal message to the viewer that the runner's healthy lifestyle is a better bet against this growing epidemic?
The placement of the HRT and the runner reminds me of the classic images of a devil and an angel sitting on the subject's shoulders. Maybe the HRT (the devil's advocate in this case) is winning this battle since it is given prominent visual definition and raining down upon the woman while the "angel" appears to be running away. Or is she really trying to lead?
I truly believe in the whole "Think Pink" campaign. It has been extremely successful in bring breast cancer awareness to the front line. Yes, there are always going to be those few stupid people who don't get it. This illustration is not a negative connotation of the campaign but a reminder of its importance. This subject is obviously one of those stupid people, but I bet somewhere in her mind she now knows what breast cancer is, and she more than likely occasionally checks for lumps. GO PINK!

Creativity can be anywhere!

2011-09-15T22:07:00.005-05:00

Graphis Design Annual, 2011, p180
Client: School of Visual Arts, Design Firm: Knarf, New York, Art Director:Jelani Curtis William Wang

I always like clever, eye-catching designs and this definitely fit the bill. The School of Visual Arts wanted to remind passerbys that creativity can happen anywhere. The page is made of heavy duty 3M anti-slip vinyl. This was one of several visual promotions by the School. Another one consisted of a door altered to look like an envelope with the word "push" to not only show how to open the door but also to promote people to push the envelope of creativity. This whole design concept shows how illustration is more than just drawing.

Cake Runner

2011-09-08T23:07:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 49th Annual of American Illustrations, 2007, p78
Illustrator: Thomas Fuchs

This was an illustration created for an editorial. I have no idea what the editorial was about but since I'm a runner, I know when I'm in training I always think twice about eating junk food. I look at it as how far I would have to run to burn those useless calories (FYI: 100 calories = 1 mile). So perhaps the editorial was a call against America's poor eating habits. The runner represents us running away from the problems of obesity and good health.
The illustrator makes great use of color. The colorful cake represents the enticement of sweets while the gray, well-defined runners are indicative of work which most people find exercise to be. The illustrator's decision to show the edge of the cake makes it conclusive that it is indeed a cake. It also supports the idea of the runners being on a track and the fact that they are going round and round which again points out the monotony many people associate with running.

Hope. Don't Trash It.

2011-08-31T18:19:00.006-05:00

Society of Illustrators 50th Annual of American Illustrations, 2009, p 297
Client: Viral Hope; Illustrator: Edel Rodriguez

This was a poster created for Viral Hope, an outreach program in New York collecting unused antiretroviral medications for the care of HIV positive victims in Nigeria. The bottom of the poster reads "Patients in Africa are dying to get their hands on your unused HIV meds."
The silhouetted image of hands reaching up is very powerful, and after one reads the message, it's very easy to see how the arms and hands form the shape of a trash can. I like how the small, clean, white type just pops out of the rough, vibrant red background, balancing the large silhouetted imagery. The gold-colored medicine bottle is the focal point. I find my eyes darting constantly back to that small isolated area of gold.
My first impression was a sense of God handing medicine to the needy. But in this case, instead of God, it's the USA. I found this sadly ironic. America is one of the largest consuming nations in the world, and, yet, what we perceive as trash is the difference of life and death to others.
I also had the impression of the large hand representing a mother bird trying to feed all of its hungry, needy children with wide-open mouths waiting for the limited supply of nourishment.

Zune

2011-08-25T23:52:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 50th Annual of American Illustration, 2009, p229
Client: Microsoft, Illustrator: Yuko Shimizu

This is a poster imagery created by Yuko Shimizu to promote Microsoft's MP3 player Zune. I was immediately drawn into this image by the strong pull to the focal point. The foot just grabs your eye and it feels like you're falling down into the poster. The message of the poster is physically small, but with the diver pointing directly at it like an arrow, and the whirlpool spinning around it, and the bits of bright yellow poking out of the dull-colored background, one can't help but find it.
This poster is a wonderful example of meeting all of the design principles: unity, emphasis, balance, rhythm, depth, and color. In fact, it has so much rhythm, I can hear the beat!

Is this Swiss enough?

2009-12-01T19:41:00.002-06:00

TAXI Canada Inc. Ad Agency

Source: Communications Arts Advertising Annual 49, October 2008, p.84

With all of our classroom discussion about Swiss design, I thought this was a perfect fit for my blog. Very clean, very crisp, consistent throughout, and nice bold links. I love the arrows that lead you through the site and follow your mouse on drop down menus. The whole site reminds me of a clapboard. And I am amazed how the large font size works. It makes the site really stand out.

The Creative Circus

2009-11-25T14:23:00.001-06:00

The Creative Circus

source: Ad in Communication Arts Design Annual 49, November 2008, p245

The Creative Circus is a 2-year educational program for advertising, design, and photography based in Atlanta. Their mission "is to graduate the best-prepared, most avidly sought-after creatives in the industry." Their website does a great job of demonstrating the concepts of creativity. The site is energetic, colorful, playful, fun and informative. I like how it incorporates so many of the issues we've discussed in class - the use of internal scrollbars, the page titles that are purposely overlapped, the way some pages are laid out slightly differently yet the key elements are the same so that the whole site is visually unified. The handwriting, doodles, and paint strokes seem to signify that creativity is a process and they add a nice contrast to the rigid rectangular photos. The site also includes videos, flash elements, pop-ups, and links to graduates' websites. My favorite element on the site is the stringed cups icon used to represent "contact us". (Remember using cups strung together to play "phone" as a child?)

Get the Glass!

2009-11-18T23:19:00.000-06:00

gettheglass.com

client: California Milk Processor Board
design firms: North Kingdom, Sweden; and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco
source: Communication Arts Interactive Annual 14, p100

This online game is the result of a marketing campaign to increase milk consumption in California. The technology combined 3-D and videos to produce extremely detailed characters and surroundings. The game is based on milk trivia. The goal is to get the milk-deprived family to a glass of milk. The family has rap records of broken bones, bad teeth, etc. If you answer incorrectly, you take a physical challenge and if you mess that up, the family is sent to "Milkatraz". This site is really well done. Check it out!

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

2009-11-11T23:50:00.002-06:00

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Turner Duckworth

2009-11-04T22:04:00.001-06:00

Turner Duckworth
Firm: Turner Duckworth
source: Communication Arts Design Annual 49, November 2008, p81

This firm specializes in branding and packaging, putting stock in the smallest of details. Their web site is very clean — a bright white background and small, thin, minimal text which is light gray for information or red for navigation. On each page is an exclamation point logo in bold black with the dot being an eye that winks at you when you rollover it or click on a navigation button. The exclamation point logo was ingenuously kept at just the right size, receiving attention due to it's blackness — not it's size. And it's interesting how the thin "eyelid" stroke on the dot tones down the solidness of the logo by adding a touch of daintiness.
The firm presents their portfolio by placing small, isolated thumbnails of each client's branded package or logo in a simple grid structure. As you rollover each client's thumbnail, a text box pops up to identify the client. Many of the clients' full-size images had "discover the details" buttons. These resulted in magnified images that showed off the small details in their designs — such as a copyright symbol tucked inside of a dog's paw print instead of a basic circle. If you have time to explore, look for these details. They're quite impressive and make you think, "Ahhhh..."

Young & Rubicam

2009-10-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

www.yandr.com

Communication Arts Design Annual 49, Nov 2008, p144
Firm: Y&R Advertising, Irvine, CA

This international advertising company does some incredibly innovative work and their website show it off in a very clean minimalistic way. (Steve - you'll like this one.)
The site uses a clean white background with only simple understated text links in vertical columns. Each page has a unique eye-catching image or film and a dividing line the viewer controls that acts as a sliding door to reveal more text or more image.
This site very effectively packs in an abundant variety of their portfolio. Some of the films take a while to load, but be patient — they're worth it. Be sure to check out the Spring Valley promotion under INNOVATION. If you have the time to explore this site, you will be well-entertained and very impressed.

Laurie Rosenwald

2009-10-21T23:49:00.005-05:00

www.rosenworld.com

Designer: Laurie Rosenwald
Source: Communications Art Interactive Annual 14, Sept/Oct 2008, p14

After reading Laurie Rosenwald's article about making mistakes on purpose in order to create, I decided to check out her website and was not disappointed. It seems to be so random and off the wall that it just charms the socks off of you. I found myself exploring and exploring until I looked in every nook and cranny. Looking at her site feels like a walk through her subconscious. It's an art playground. The creative thinking oozes out. If you get a chance to check it out, click on the bee image to watch her animated shorts. After listening to her narrate, I've added her to my-people-I'd-like-to-meet list!

Paper Critters

2009-10-14T17:08:00.001-05:00

papercritters.com

Designer: Ruperto Fabito, Jr.
Source: Communication Arts Interactive Annual 14, Sept/Oct 2008 p126

This fun interactive site allows the user to create 3-D paper box people that can be used digitally or actually printed to paper and made into toys. The site is artsy, intuitive, and somewhat addictive. I liked the hip colors and the well laid-out "floor plan" of the design. The logo reminds me of Pac-Man and lends to the adolescent appeal of the site. Be sure to check out the attached video. It's a 1-minute mini movie featuring a day in the life of paper critters. Coming from a family of aspiring filmmakers, I found it rather entertaining and a clever promotion.

Catherine LePage

2009-10-07T12:57:00.003-05:00

www.catherinelepage.com

Designer: Catherine LePage
Source: Communication Arts, Sept/Oct 2008 p168

I saw this designer's work in a magazine and was intrigued because her work is all very signature — meaning everything she's produced has her own consistent style and feel. All of her work has a hand-drawn, doodle-cartoonish look.
Her website is in keeping with her style. It feels like a scrapbook with handwritten navigation buttons and a graph paper background. Each page clearly identifies where you are in the site with a big coral dot that moves from page to page along the navigation bar. The site packs in a lot of samples in a very organized way. Small thumbnails show just enough of the image to make the viewer want to click and find that piece of the puzzle in the big picture. It's like playing "Where's Waldo?" The site subtlely doubles content on one web page by sliding in a smaller secondary navigation bar for a page 2. It's so well done, you think you've seen it on every page.
Anyone seeing this site will know this designer's forte is illustration. This designer's site fits her like a glove.

2009-09-30T23:44:00.004-05:00

http://valmiloje.com/
Designer: Valentin Miloje
Source: The Graphic Designer's Guide to Portfolio Design, p175

The first thing that strikes me about this site is the logo. I love how it reflects the designer's tools of the trade. I can't figure out what the lines at the top of the M represent, though. Ideas?
The splash page follows a to-do checklist of design principles with the emphasis clearly being on the designer and not on a show-me-all-the-gadgets web site. Although the splash page appears to have a "button" to enter the site, the viewer can actually click on any part of the logo or name to enter. The home page is set up in a simple grid system with a broad spectrum of projects represented. One of the interesting things I noticed was a button labeled "creative process" which leads to — SURPRISE — a sketchbook page!

Next Stop: Creativity

2009-09-23T21:50:00.005-05:00

www.creativitystop.net

Designer: Brunella Giannangeli
Source: The Graphic Designer's Guide to Portfolio Design, 2009, p180

This site pulls out all the bells and whistles - no pun intended. It opens with the sound of a train horn and ends with the title rolling to a stop on a blank screen. From there, the train theme continues. The navigation is set up as a railroad map with some of the stops being clickable. The background of the website looks like digital scrapbooking with the purpose of showing the designer's skills in Illustrator. The site actually gets quite old very quickly but it does remain consistent in it's train theme. The designer's reason for the transportation motif was to express the idea of motion — the idea that her work is progressive and modern (and unique).
I found the site interesting for two reasons: first, the fact that it was mentioned as an example for a portfolio piece, and second, because it appears to be the total opposite of what our artist, Joan Stolz, desires for her site.

Hatch Design

2009-09-16T23:55:00.003-05:00

hatchsf.com

Designer: Hatch Design, San Francisco
Source: How, April 2009, p153

This site is a great example of the nostalgic photograph look we discussed in class. All of the images have that Polaroid feel with the wide white border which includes identifying labels. The site opens with stacked images showing rotating slides of their work for several clients, all of which are clickable. The site has a very strong rectangular element to it, which contrasts nicely with their minimalistic logo of lowercase Helvetica-rounded letters.
The most interesting aspect of the site is the way they approached showcasing their work. On each client's "Polaroid", there are small thumbnails in the white border which bring up images of everything they've done for the client, including labels, packaging, logos, corporate identities, web sites, even photographs. I found this to be a really clever way of showing their diversity. I think it also speaks volumes to see how clients use them for all aspects of their marketing.

AKQA

2009-09-09T22:46:00.006-05:00

www.akqa.com

Designer: AKQA, San Francisco
Source: 2009 How Design Annual, p163

The more you delve into this site, the more you appreciate its "bone structure". The site is solid in its foundation. It's set up like a t.v. with everything anchored and surrounded by a frame. Each click changes the inside information but the very diminutive buttons are permanently placed.
The site starts with a different splash page every time you enter the site. Each is quite unique — from a still shot of a cartoon with an annoying laugh to a video to a slide show.
The information is presented in a very minimalistic style with lots of white space and small, clean black type in close proximity. An unexpected element is a hand drawing on the other side of the screen introducing many of the pages by drawing a "play diagram" with a pencil leading the viewer to the title of the page. I found the contrast between the sketchy pencil and the clean white slate of structured type to be visually stimulating. The site looks sterile when it's dormant, but press a link and it always a surprise.
The contact page had a nice visual with a shadow of each city that the company had an office in located on the bottom of the page. By clicking either the city name or its corresponding shadow, the office location and information popped up. It makes you wonder if they choose a city to put an office in based on whether it has a recognizable skyline? Hmmm...

Cliff Bar 2 Mile Challenge web site

2009-09-02T20:08:00.005-05:00

WWW.2milechallenge.com
Designer: Cobra Creative, San Francisco www.cobracreative.com
source: 2009 How Design Annual, p167

I was drawn to this web site's image in a magazine because of it's bold, clean graphics. I liked the complimentary color scheme and the asymmetric balance. The actual site is full of interactive elements, animation, and video. The navigation is very definitive and consistent throughout the site. The graphics are also consistent throughout the site.
Only one font is used, an easy-to-read sans serif, in only 3 type sizes.

Taking Shape

2009-04-26T18:43:00.001-05:00

Fresh Ideas in Brochure Design, 1997, p29
Purdue University School of Education, Designer: Sue Miller, Annual Report

This is an annual report that was created for Purdue University School of Education. It was based on the idea that "although the school was young, it was quickly taking shape." Taking Shape became the theme and shapes were used to crop photos or frame quotes. Notice how the designer continued the circular shape of the cropped ball image in the triangle with a curved text path. This small line of text very effectively seems to anchor the large image to the rest of the composition and balances the opposing text. I also like the way the curved text was placed around the large circular image. The way in which the bottom text is purposely misaligned adds a lot of visual interest to the page as a whole. The fonts used are Futura and Garamond.

Is it or is it not?

2009-04-20T23:50:00.001-05:00

TDC Annual Typography 29, p56
Design: Evan Gaffney, bookcover

I found this bookcover really intriguing. At first, I kept trying to figure out if the "receipt" was stapled on or if it really was part of the cover. It just seemed hard to conceive of creating a bookcover then "covering" it with a pretend receipt. But then when you read the title, you get an "a-ha!" moment and you realize the bookcover is brilliant. What better way to represent selling than with a receipt? Even more interesting is the fact that the "receipt" uses no numerals. The monotype font with its thin square characters and wide kerning give the impression of numbers on an adding machine tape, further enhanced by the long vertical right-justified placement. Finally, by keeping the pretend "cover" simple, attention is focused on the "receipt".
Fonts used include ITC Edwardian Script, Garamond FB, and FF Typestar.

Sculptured

2009-04-13T21:50:00.001-05:00

TDC Annual Typography 29, p99
Design: Sonya Dyakova, book

This is such a perfect type treatment for a book about sculpture. The designer very effectively created what appears to be 3-D strips of paper lying on their edges to spell out the title. The letters themselves are "sculptures". The use of white on white reinforces the concept of a paper alphabet. I like the added details of "cuts" in the background that give the impression that the letters are literally pushed through the paper. Looking at this cover reminds me of standing playing cards up on edge to create "houses".

The font used is called Paper Alphabet created by this designer.

St. Lou Is

2009-04-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, St. Louis, Missouri

As I was riding down the escalator to baggage claim at the St. Louis airport, I looked up and saw this painted on the wall. (Yes, I looked pretty silly going back up the escalator to take the picture.) I loved the play on the city's name and the way the city's trademark arch is used to engage the viewer's eye by leading you from the St. Lou to the is. The gradient in the arch and the asymmetrical legs of the arch create a follow-the-bouncing-ball effect with the ball being the SQUARE dot of the i. How ironic is that!
The design's focal point is clearly the word is created by contrast in color and font weight and by its placement. The proximity of all the elements would lend this design to be easily used as a logo. The font is the ubiquitous Helvetica - it's everywhere!

Rodrigo Sanchez

2009-03-16T22:21:00.002-05:00

www.underconsideration.com/speakup/metropoli
Metropoli Sunday newspaper supplement for El Mundo, Rodrigo Sanchez, Spain

I went online to research Rodrigo Sanchez, a designer well-known for his very artsy and original Metropoli magazine covers in Spain. Much of his work makes use of typography as art. This particular cover made me think of my fellow classmates solution to a book cover design so I wanted to share it.
I find it amazing to see a magazine cover with so much empty white space. It's very refreshing and allows the viewer to actually enjoy the design. The design draws attention to itself just because of this space. Also, the white effectively balances the bold black font so it's not so overwhelming. I'm not sure what exactly the cover reads but I've deduced it's something about the magic of Peter Pan enveloping the Metropoli.
I can't decide the direction of the flow—is the magic flowing into the title or dropping out of it? The gold stars work great as a symbol of magic and the randomness of size and placement are effective in imparting a feeling of floating.
The best thing about Rodrigo Sanchez's covers is the dynamic treatment of the title. He has the freedom to alter the font and the placement of the magazine's name to fit the cover's design. How fun is that! Notice on this cover, the name is floating off the page! The font he chose for this cover is a very solid, heavy slab serif which makes a perfect contrast to the fluid, airy design of the cover.
The site link above shows 50 Metropoli covers.

Vincon

2009-03-09T20:01:00.002-05:00

www.designarchives.aiga.org, collection 2008 AIGA 356:29
designer:Ena Cardenal de la Nuez, Madirid, Spain

I fell in love with these shopping bags at first sight. How fun! The designs are so bold and simple and the bright red "gift tag" bearing the store's name begs to be read. I enjoyed the lack of verbiage on this bag. Again, it's the simplicity that sells it.
This is very successful series of bags designed for Vincon which seems to be well-known for their very clever packaging. Check out their site for more designs at vincon.com. They are also known for their eye-catching window displays which you can also see on their site. Vincon is a retailer that sells contemporary design products for the home with storefronts in Barcelona, and Madrid. Their logo was designed by America Sanchez in 1972 and they have been at the front in graphic design ever since.

Harriette's Song

2009-03-02T21:46:00.001-06:00

www.americandesignawards.com, 2007 Winter Semi-Annual Awards
design firm: Rule29 Creative, logo

Harriette's Song is an organization that matches corporations to projects that aid impoverished children around the world. They associate their mission to music and the desire to "change the world's tune".
I found their logo to be a perfect fit. I loved the way the H and S are incorporated into the shape of a guitar. The logo simply and elegantly represents the company's name and the musical symbolism of their mission. The curvaceous letters used in the figure contrast effectively with the sans serif font used for the company's name and give the logo a very lyrical feel.

Legacy of Courage

2009-02-23T21:05:00.002-06:00

www.americandesignawards.com, 2008 Winter Semi-Annual Awards
designer: Rene Steiner, book cover

I found this design on the American Design Awards website and was intrigued with the text wrap around the image. It turns out to be not only visually interesting but symbolic as well. The book is about Ola Pawlowska who was born into Polish aristocracy and forced to flee to Canada during World War II. There she entered the Baha'i faith and became a Knight of Bah'u'llah, which is a teacher/missionary of the faith. This led Ola to travel the world and teach her beliefs. The dandelion is symbolic of the Baha'i faith and the the countries listed in the text wrap represent the areas where Ola spread her faith. I love the concept of the dandelion and the way the seeds are disbursed. It does make me pause to think about the association of a dandelion and weeds but I think since the designer is associated with the Baha'i, it is not meant to be taken in a negative connotation.
I believe the yellow color used by the designer is also symbolic. I looked up the definitions of color and found this color represents energy, intellect, optimism, enthusiasm, joy, and determination. All adjectives which seem to describe Ola based on the bio I read of her.
Did you notice the sun shining through in the upper corner which gives the design some depth? Also, the asymmetrical balance and the contrast of the rectangular block of text surrounded by circular elements add to the design appeal.
The text is an old-style serif used for publication purposes. The designer did a beautiful job of tracking the title and adjusting the leading to solidify the title. The designer is Rene Steiner from Switzerland/Canada. He has a superb portfolio and it seems that a lot of his work is designed around very detailed imagery, probably since he is also a distinguished photographer. His website links to other interesting design-oriented sites. Steinergraphics.com

Quarrel & Quandary

2009-02-16T15:59:00.003-06:00

http://covers.fwis.com/quarrel__quandary
Designer: Barbara De Wilde, book cover

I think this is an excellent typographic solution for a book cover. The crispness and boldness of the design are quick to grab the viewer's attention. The red exclamation point and question mark framed by the bold black ampersand create a very eye-catching graphic element. I like the way the shared red dot seems to ground the whole design.
The typeface is a very unique decorative serif which I didn't have any luck identifying. All of the typefaces that were similar had upturned tails on the "Q"s. I like how the designer chose to use the regular font for "quarrel" and the italic font for "quandary". The regular font gives the word "quarrel" a solid concrete appearance while the italicized "quandary" kind of plays on the definition of quandary as being unfirm and wavering. Since "quandary" is in a true italic font, it offers enough contrast to "quarrel" to actually work and creates a sense of turbulence between the two words.
And back to the punctuation marks—the exclamation point emphasizes the word quarrel with its definitiveness while the question mark reinforces the uncertainty associated with a quandary. The bold red color emphasizes the stress between the two ideas and the black ampersand seem to tie the two concepts together. This design easily meets all design requirements: unity, balance, emphasis, rhythm, and depth.

High Fidelity

2009-02-09T22:15:00.002-06:00

Front Cover Great Book Jacket and Cover Design, 2001, p130
Indigo, designer Gary Day-Ellison, Book Cover

The first thing that caught my eye in this design was the play on the dot of the "i" in the title. The dot corresponds to the center of the LP and the bright yellow seems to stand out in the dark colors surrounding it. I really enjoy the "i" turned upside down that shares the dot. It reminds me of trying to read labels on spinning record albums. The large red circle continues to draw your eye in and emphasizes the title. The next thing I note is the blue negative image on the album. It adds a lot of mystique to the book cover since it seems like a shadowy suggestion to a mystery inside. I find myself asking "what does the face look like under the dot? Why can't I see the left side of the image?"
The designer then successfully draws your attention to the tagline by the use of a vertical line that seems to come from nowhere yet has a big impact on the overall design. The line draws your eye downward through a text block that starts out with a bright yellow word and becomes harder to read as the last lines blend into the background. The line tends to anchor the text and, finally, leads you to the author's name. This vertical line visually ties the whole cover together.
It's interesting how the "I" in the author's name is the only oblique letter in that line of type. It seems to give the author's name some energy and the overall design a sense of motion. The oblique "I" contrast nicely with the long vertical connecting line.
The font is identified as Plantin and serves the purpose of publication.

Twin Towers

2009-02-02T22:25:00.005-06:00

Full cover
Close-up of cover

AIGA Design Archives, 50 Books/50 Covers of 2007
designarchives.aiga.org
Designer: Peter Mendelsund
Font: Walbaum

I love how the black shapes draw your eye in to the type. The small font size enhances the concept of depth. And the title completely explains the image. At first, I thought this was just some abstract art but when you get pulled in to read the small font, there's an "aha!" moment when it becomes so obvious what you're looking at. The hint of the cloud is subtle enough to add interest and isn't really noticeable until you look again the second time.
The font is very "plain" - no pun intended. The font quietly announces the title but in a very dramatic way. The whole image seems to recall the enormity of the disaster.

Is it or is it not?

2009-01-26T22:18:00.002-06:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p199
Client: Is It Art?, Designer: Robert Meyers

I liked the play on letters in this logo - the use of a "?" in place of the "R". The logo perfectly matches the client's name, Is It Art? It is a very simple logo that in 3 characters completely defines the client.
The font appears to be a hand-drawn sans serif used for the purpose of identity. At first glance, the letters appear rather ordinary but if you look closer, the letters themselves are rather artsy. The letters are distressed and a little splotch of blue is on the question mark. It's like the logo is asking the question of itself.

2009-01-19T21:42:00.000-06:00

The Non-Designer's Design Book, Robin Williams, pp 26,29,76-77

These are excerpts from a book that I love! The book is a very basic, easy-to-read introduction to design and typographic principles. It is full of examples that make the concepts so easy to grasp. I am consistently referring back to this book for ideas on how to improve my layouts. The first example above is a menu the author picked up and used to demonstrate the principle of proximity. Obviously, she applied contrast, alignment and repetition also. Fonts used in this example include Portzebie and Times New Roman.
The second example is an ad she revised to emphasize the concept of contrast. The fonts used were Tapioca, Times New Roman, Helvetica, and Bailey Sans Extrabold. If you're a visual learner, this is a great book to add to your collection!

NY Winter Festival

2009-01-12T20:51:00.000-06:00

Expressive Typography, 1990, p96
Michael Glaser, poster

I enjoyed the way the title of the poster was used to create a visual artistic image. The 3D letters provide depth and interaction with the viewer by slight misalignment and "fallen" letters. The starkness of winter is contradicted by the rainbow-colored letterforms indicative of the fun to be found at the festival. And the brightly colored skier nicely balances the red heart in the NY logo. Finally, the skier's tracks lead the viewer's eye from the top of the poster down to the lower left corner to the vital line of information.
The "WINTER FESTIVAL" font is a crisp, clean, bold san serif, possibly Franklin Gothic Bold. The purpose of the font is promotional.

Letterman

2008-12-03T17:39:00.000-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p76
Greight Inc, Kosuke Shimuta, Japan

This is another use of letterforms to create a piece of art. The figure is composed entirely of symbols. This was one of a series of ads. I found this ad intriguing. The figure of the man appears rather airy, as if a a slight breeze would blow him away. And he doesn't appear to have a shadow but the solid black hat does. I cannot identify the font but the purpose is advertising.

Morpheus Music

2008-12-01T21:10:00.001-06:00

The Big Book of Logos, 2000, p6
Morpheus Music, Brad Wilder, logo

I found this logo successfully incorporated music notes into the design without being obvious. Very subtley, the designer incorporated two vital elements of this company's identity into one symbol. If you look closely, you can see the letter M and music notes entwined, showing how Morpheus is synonymous with music. The overall design is intriguing and entices the viewer to look closer to figure out why. The font is Weiss and is used to create an identity.

Helping Hands

2008-12-01T20:56:00.002-06:00

The Big Book of Logos, 2000, p17
Resource Link, Eric Sena, logo

I liked the concept of people helping people in the figures over the type, with the last figure placing the dot on the word Link. The flow of the bright red squares pulls your eye in and leads you down the line of type. The boldness of Link serves as an exclamation. The font used is Helvetica Neue and it serves the purpose of identity.

Seamstress

2008-11-27T20:12:00.000-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p116
Patti Katcha, Jennifer Katcha, business card

This card tells what the person does before it's even read. The sewing notches on the edges, the actual stitches and thread tails, the patterns on the back of the card—all point to a seamstress. This is a business card way beyond the ordinary. A card people will remember and want to keep. Even the font used to spell seamstress has an embroidered look. The package is completed by the soft faded card colors that coordinate well with the brown tissue patterns shown on the back. The fonts used are Filosofia and Found Type and the purpose is identity.

Take the Truth Lying Down

2008-11-21T19:42:00.000-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p99
The New York Times, Stephen Doyle, editorial

I liked the header created to go with this article. The designer took a word and created a picture worth a thousand words. By creating 3D letters, he was able to pictorially show how one has to take the truth lying down. Simple yet so clever!
The font used is Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed and it's used for editorial purposes.

Letterhead Definition

2008-11-19T20:40:00.001-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p134
Markus Friedrich, Mario Fuhr, corporate identity

I was drawn into this corporate identity because of its unusual presentation. It appears as a dictionary entry with the company name in bold. Instead of an explanation of the company, the normal business card information is listed. The vertical bar in front of the type reinforces the dictionary idea. It looks very simple yet it's so very clever. The font used is centennial and it serves the purpose of identity.

U2

2008-11-12T18:36:00.001-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p97
Rolling Stone, Ken Delago, magazine spread

I loved the layout of type in this spread. The way every thing fits inside a U and the way the 2 creates the center of the U. How the type flows around the shape of the U further emphasizing the 2. The bright red used to highlight the title , author, and the circular text block. Great balance! The Rolling Stone has done it again.
The font is Knockout,a serif font, used for editorial purposes.

Shrek

2008-11-07T17:51:00.003-06:00

Typography 23, 2002, p96
El Mundo Metropoli, Rodrigo Sanchez, Spain, magazine cover

This designer turns out one fantastic cover after another. This one features a typographic representation of Shrek. At first glance, it appears to be created by crayons. In actuality, it is one line of text repeated over and over—"Shrek es el nuevo heroe". I liked the layer effect he achieved. The bottom layer looks like a newspaper clipping and it appears to be colored. The designer repeated this effect in creating the masthead. The fonts used are Letter Gotic, Giza Seven Nine, and Cloister Old Style.

Knoll Christmas Card

2008-11-05T21:45:00.003-06:00

Graphis Design Annual 2002, p226
Knoll, Lynda Decker, Christmas Card

I found this to be a rather clever Christmas card. I liked how the bright red ho ho is interspersed within the company's name. No need for any further writing. This simple card says it all—the company's name and merry christmas, in a roundabout way. The font is a very clean sans serif, perhaps Helvetica Bold.

My favorite Christmas card

2008-11-03T21:42:00.000-06:00

Typography 24, 2003, p71
Stoltze Design, Roy Burns, Holiday card

I loved this Christmas card even before Typography. How contemporary is this? Only font. In case you can't see the picture very well, L is missing from the alphabet printed on the front of the card. N and O are highlighted in red. The missing L reappears on the inside of the card in the signee's name, highlighted in red. The hidden message - No L! Love it, love it, love it! The font use is Historical Fell and the purpose is correspondence.

GQ story header

2008-10-27T22:02:00.000-05:00

Typography 24, 2003, p119
GQ Magazine, Paul Martinez, magazine page layout

This is the opening page to a magazine spread about Tobey Maguire coinciding with the release of a Spiderman movie. The words climbing up the buildings are symbolic of Spiderman climbing skyscrapers. The smaller type in the design is spaced and sized to look like lit windows in the buildings. By cleverly placing the author and photographers names sideways in what appears to be random spots, the type loses the look of letterforms and enhances the idea of windows. If the type had been placed vertically, the viewer would have been more focused on the actual letters and would not appreciate the artistic effect the designer was after. I also found it clever that the article actually begins on this page within the framework of a building. Notice how the color treatment of the letters aids in the windows illusion.
The font is Gotham (how appropriate!) and is used for editorial purposes.

Half Moon Catering

2008-10-21T21:31:00.001-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2002, p149
Half Moon Catering, Amy Johnson, letterhead

I enjoyed the logo and the layout for this corporate identity package. The "moon" is actually a cup and saucer in heavy shadows. I found it interesting in the way the designer kept the imagery completely separate from the informational text. I also found it interesting that the type in the logo is all caps and actually works. Every source I read states this is a big no-no. Obviously, an exception to every rule.
The font is a thin sans serif serving the purpose of identity.

ai

2008-10-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

Typography 27, p57
Pratt Institute, Hsin-Yi Wu, student project

I loved this layout. The designer chose random people off the street and had them pose as letters. The paragraphs (in Garamond) on the side tell about the persons. I like how the little girl's balloon forms the dot over the i. The designer did a great job of balancing the elements. The large red i creates a strong point with the white space surrounding it helping to emphasize it. The paragraph font serves the purpose of informing while the large letters are used purely as decorative elements.

Have a seat

2008-10-14T00:26:00.000-05:00

Typography 27, p137
Commissaires, David Guarnieri, poster

I have no idea what this poster says but I'm guessing it's an art exhibit. I enjoy how the text is used to replace parts of the chair. It makes me want to read the poster to see why. My favorite part, though, is the single line of text below the chair. I found it interesting because it was placed at the same angle as the chair, which I find unexpected. The text used is Didot and my guess is its purpose is informative.

Atmosphere

2008-10-13T01:08:00.001-05:00

Typography 27, p141
Anti-Pop Festival, Dirk Fowler, poster

I thought this was a rather bizarre poster. It makes me feel like I need 3D glasses to focus. I was intrigued by the type, the way the letters tucked into each other. Very geometric. And the M looks like a sideways E. It has a 70ish feel to me. And for some reason, instead of the figures flying up, I feel like they're actually falling but have just been turned upside down. They look like diving forms. The fonts used are Handcut and Twentieth Century, both sans serif fonts, used for advertising purposes.

Don'tnut

2008-10-01T12:55:00.003-05:00

Typography 27, p59
California College of the Arts, Julyanne Liang, student project, billboard

I found this project to be quite eye-catching. My first thought was it was going to be something against the Dunkin Donuts franchise since it basically copies their logo font and colors. It is actually a call to arms to fight teenage obesity. Although, I'm sure Dunkin Donuts would probably fight this billboard if it were actually used. I thought it was a pretty clever play on words. The fonts used are Frankfurter and Futura, both sans-serif fonts. The purpose of the type in this billboard is informational.

A Bottle of Red

2008-10-01T00:23:00.002-05:00

Typography 27, p48
John Anthony Vineyards, Liza Butler, packaging

This wine label seems simple but I find it to be elegant. I liked the shape created by the overlapping letters. The Y at the bottom creates the base of a tree. Each layer of stacked letters is smaller in size until the top letter J. The large J on top helps to guide your eye to begin at the top of the tree and read downwards. The letters forming the tree have enough transparency that you can see a darkening where the letterforms overlap. The wine variety is printed in red helping to identify it as a red wine. The fonts used are Centaur and HTF Requiem and the purpose is packaging.

Just for fun!

2008-10-01T00:03:00.002-05:00

Typography 27, p56
Muthesius Kunsthovhschule Kiel (School), Rene Siegfried, student project

I had to share these just because. I loved the art created by the letters. I like how the "girl" is present in each scene and how she seems to take on a different personality based on the angles of the letters used to create her. For example, if the d used to create her head is tilted more horizontally, she looks like she's looking up. Each rectangle seems to represent a new geographical destination and the last last rectangle shows all roads lead to the same place, but I'm not sure what that means. Maybe all letters serve the same universal purpose?
The fonts being promoted include Futura Book, Adobe Garamond, Shelley Andante Script, and Zentenar-Fraktur.

2008-09-30T23:46:00.004-05:00

Typography 27, p280
PampaType Digital Foundry, Rayuela Chocolate 2.0, Alejandro Lo Celso, poster

What a fun way to display a typeface! Typography has taught me the importance of that little g and boy, does this poster show it. I love how it's the center of attention surrounded by all of the other letters. It's amazing how much detail is in a letterform when it's blown up out of proportion and you can see all of the little nuances. I found myself looking at the other letters around the wheel to see what else stands out. But, here's the best part - the font is named Rayuela Chocolate. Who wouldn't like a font named after chocolate? Kind of makes me wonder if the font is arranged in a circle to represent a chocolate candy and the g is the filling inside.
The font is a very bold serif and this is an example of self-promotion in a Barnum and Bailey sort of way!

Aniene

2008-09-30T22:50:00.004-05:00

Typography 27, p285
Elsner & Flake, Adriane Krakowski, poster

This is a type poster for a typeface called Aniene designed by Adriane Krakowski from Germany. I like how the font is used to create the outline of a Roman statue which seems to hint that the font itself has classic Roman characteristics. I found it interesting how the designer incorporated the alternate characters into the alphabet lines and highlighted them in red so they were noticeable. The purpose of the font in this case is self-promotion.

Section8

2008-09-30T22:36:00.004-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p108
Maysville Pictures, Gord Woolley, logo

I enjoyed the play on the word eight in this logo with the letter E being formed by the actual number. It's a simple logo with a twist, stirred not shaken. The use of two similar sans serif fonts seems to work in this case, the contrast being made by the weight of the font. The use of yellow helps to emphasize the Roman numeral 8. The word SECTION is identified as sanzettica 1 thin font and IGHT is Copperplate classic sans font. The use of font in this case is identity.

Something smells fishy!

2008-09-17T16:56:00.025-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p67
Ed Cervantes, Jack & Bonnie Evans, logo

This designers did a great job with distorting the fonts to look like fish bones yet still be readable. It was a great choice of font with serifs that could be easily stretched. I like the horizontal line that goes across the fish and adds to the effect of the letters being bones, and the use of a red dot on the i conveniently placed for an eye. The font is Goudy Trajan and is used for identity.

Bill! Ballenberg!

2008-09-17T16:56:00.021-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p59
Bill Ballenberg, Gary Skeggs, logo

I loved the simplicity behind this design. Very clean, very clear, very stark. It would make a great sign for a political candidate. The font is gill sans and the purpose is identity.

Songwriter Records

2008-09-17T16:56:00.019-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p266
Songwriter Records, Damon Meibers & Derek Aylward, logo

I like the big-eye bird on this logo but what really set it off was the upside down m used for the w. It makes you look twice. And so does the eye that's looking back at you. The use of two different fonts and two sizes of fonts help to establish a good design. The "songwriter" font is a rather decorative, casual serif but I was unable to identify it. The footers on the m and n are rather unique. The "records" font matches very well to Ocean Sans Std.

Avant Garde

2008-09-17T16:56:00.018-05:00

The Big Book of Letters 3, 2002, p336
E. DeMartino Design, Eric DeMartino, logo

I found this to be a very simple but clever logo. Highlighting de in the top line of type instead of the bottom adds a lot of action to the design. It makes you stop and look closer because it appears the word design has been bisected. The use of all small letters where you expect to see capital letters and the use of 2 very strong contrasting colors is also engaging.
The font is identified as Avant Garde Demi which is a sans-serif geometric font often used for display. Here it's used to create an identity.

liquid

2008-09-17T16:56:00.003-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p325
Liquid Agency Inc., Alfredo Mucinno & Joshua Swanback, logo

I like the contrast between the fluid liquid droplets and the stiff upright letters, which is also emphasized by the color contrast. I find it interesting how the d breaks the border of the droplet. It makes the word look less contained. The vibrant color choice leads me to immediately think of water and seems to make me thirsty.
The font is Futura, a geometric sans-serif typeface. The purpose here is to establish an identity.

Chicago

2008-09-12T18:09:00.005-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, 124
Chicago, Davis Harrison Dion, logo

I loved the use of the I as the Sears Tower in this Chicago logo. It's a perfect identity symbol for Chicago. The use of orange and blue links Chicago to the state of Illinois, which, in turn, seems to align itself with the University of Illinois. The large letters stacked on top of each other and in close proximity seem to mimic skyscrapers crowded together in the city.
The font is Gloriola Display Standard Fat according to What the Font. The font is sans-serif and is used as an identity.

Brandable

2008-09-12T17:52:00.004-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p48
Brandable, Erika Kao, logo

This logo caught my eye for two reasons. The first was the irony in the image. UPC codes seem so generic and the way this ones morphs into something unique seemed to emphasize the company name Brandable. It's like saying our product is special enough to have its own identity and not just be another number. The second reason I was drawn to this logo is because of how well the font correlated with the UPC bars and the uniqueness of the D. I thought it was interesting how the the other letters had rounded bowls but the D was pointed.
The font was immediately identified by WhattheFont as OCRA. The style is sans-serif and the purpose is identity.

Fun with Letters!

2008-09-12T17:26:00.005-05:00

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p20
Albuquerque Arts Alliance, Dean Gianopoulos, Tom Antreasian, Kevin Tolman, logo
This reminded me of the face exercise we did. I thought it was a very clever logo since the a's are connected representing an alliance. The double a's stand for Albuquerque and Arts, and the underlying bracket reinforces the concept of an alliance. I tried the font identifiers but couldn't find a match for the typeface. The style is a sans-serif and the function is identity.

The Big Book of Logos 3, 2002, p24
Henning Gutmann - The Gutmann Group, Mary Valencia, logo
I chose this example because of the emphasis on the letter g. I've learned that this letter is important in determining a typeface and I've noticed some type posters tend to use the g as a background image (including mine). I really like the g. It's such an artsy letter. I thought this logo used the g very effectively. It is another repetition of a visual g that reinforces the company's name. It looks like the gutmann group is looking at you!
The font is gill sans and the function is identity.

Bodini

2008-08-31T12:45:00.006-05:00

Bodini Font Specimen Sheet, Just Creative Design, Jacob Cass
http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/03/17/what-is-a-font-flags-specimen-sheets/

I really like how this poster is layed out - the layers, the repetitive elements, the type following the curve of a letter form. The poster seems to have all of the graphic design elements: unity, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and depth. The designer's site does a great job of exlaining font speciment sheets and has many interesting and informative links.

Typography Posters

2008-08-31T11:53:00.009-05:00

Marcos Crespo, student

Amanda Bonilla, student

Ursala Palladino, student

Brian Bellissimo, student

Katie Simari

These were several examples of student work found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vccgraphics/sets/72157594204888427/

These will help to inspire me on my own font poster. I was amazed at the variety!

Red Lobster Billboard

2008-08-27T00:46:00.003-05:00

Red Lobster Billboard
North Mattis & I-74

I thought this was clever with a shrimp used as a G. It made me look so I guess it worked. I didn't have much luck identifying the font. The E wouldn't match any of the fonts suggested by online sources. It reminds me of the titling fonts mentioned in our textbook. It's definitely a serif and used as display text to advertise.

The letter "m"

2008-08-27T00:37:00.005-05:00

Print, Mar/Apr 2000, p88
Iteineraria, BCPT Associati, poster

I found this poster interesting because of the play between the letter "m" and the negative space created by the fork. The letter "m" is the focal point but the interaction with the fork immediately draws your eye up and over to the red lettering explaining the event. The information block further grabs your attention because it is unexpectedly printed sideways. Great use of font to employ visual interest!
The font is Bodini, a serif style.

Sound Painting

2008-04-30T23:51:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 46th Annual of American Illustration, p186
Rudy Gutierrez, Roy Hargrove CD

I love the artwork on this CD cover. Roy Hargrove is a jazz trumpeter and the designer's goal was to create a "sound painting". I think the designer was successful. The warm, rich, vibrant colors used reflect the warmth and energy of the music and are representative of the stage lights. The black emphasizes nighttime and suggest the trumpeter is playing for a nightclub. The overall feeling I receive with the colors is that the people are in the dark recesses of a nightclub and the music is lightning the room. I like the looseness in form created by little dashes, unconnected lines, splashes and dots of color, the "torn" paper with the title that's been "carelessly" scratched through with crayon. All of these little details reflect the lack of uniformity jazz music strives to perfect.
It seems that each detail in this artwork contributes significantly to the composition. The emphasis is obviously on the trumpeter. Starting in the upper corner, your eyes are directed down the arm and trumpet toward the dancing couple. Notice how the trumpeter, the dog, and the man in the bottom corner are also looking at the dancing couple which are spotlighted by the bell of the trumpet. I kind of getting the impression that the trumpeter is an angel looking down from heaven. Perhaps he's Gabriel with the message of music.

Symphony Party

2008-04-30T23:50:00.003-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2004

I've lost my original source data for this poster, but this is what I remember. It was a poster for the Pittsburgh or Philadelphia Orchestra advertising a dinner celebeating it's 75th year. The poster caught my eye because the idea of a party and an orchestra seems like an oxymoron to me. I think of an orchestra as being a very serious, subdued event - the complete opposite of a party with horns and noisemakers. I liked the simplicity of the poster's image. It's very clean, very eye-catching. I wonder, though about the readability of the copy. In the book, it is next impossible to read. Hopefully, the actual poster was readable.

Shadows

2008-04-24T00:05:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 46th Annual of American Illustration, p228
London's Transport Musuem, Necdet Yilmaz, poster

This is a poster "designed for a London-wide campaign to remind citizens and visitors of the city's rich cultural heritage and current cultural output." I found it really interesting to study it in order to figure out all of the shadows and what they symbolized. My favorite was the little dog with the big dinosaur bone shadow. This is a very clever publicity poster since it will engage the viewer to continually look for hidden items each time they see it at transportation terminals throughout the city.
I had the impression of being a bird overhead watching two conflicting traffic flows. It feels like the people are pulling you out of the poster toward the bottom while the shadows pull you upward. This parallels the conflict between the historical and current events. It also makes my focus jump all around the poster. Great effect for interaction. The other thing that I notice is how the red bus seems to ground the whole composition. The big patch of red livens up the gray background and seems to anchor the little patches of color scattered throughout the poster. Imagine the poster without the red bus - not nearly as interesting!

See the City!

2008-04-10T00:25:00.003-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2003, p175
The Swedish Museum of Architecture, Anders Kornestedt, Signage

These are signs for the Swedish Museum of Architecture posted around Stockholm. They are frames attached to posts and are positioned so that they frame a significant architectural landmark when viewed from the correct angle. The 3-dimensional depth of the frame helps to add to the illusion of it appearing to look like a picture. Very eye-catching! The added benefit of this signage is that it reminds the population of the beauty of their own surroundings. It points out views and landmarks that are taken for granted.

Nostalgic CD Packaging

2008-04-10T00:05:00.002-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2004, p
Saint Louis Black Repertory Company, CD packaging

This cd set reminds me of my mother's old record album sets. The sets were packaged in a cardboard box with each album in a brown sleeve, and, yes, there were places to write about the records inside the lid of the box. Even the cd labels are in the correct vintage style with era-appropriate font. Since this music will probably appeal to a mature, i.e. older, audience, I think the packaging is very clever. It will have great nostalgic appeal. I wouldn't be surprised if this set sold just because of the packaging

Swiss Cheese

2008-03-27T21:19:00.002-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2004, p209
Swiss American Society of Pittsburgh, David Vissat, poster

This is a poster advertising a fundraising dinner for the Swiss-American Society of Pittsburgh. I thought is was very eye-catching and appropriate - a big slice of Swiss Cheese! The cutouts add dimension to the poster and the moon shape helps to emphasize its a nighttime event. The continuity of color in the yellow font helps to tie the information block to the visual cheese block. The placement of the black banner at the top of the poster reinforces the nighttime theme and the yellow words take on a stellar quality against the black background. Finally, the small usage of red in the upper corner acts like a magnet to the viewer's focus, drawing attention to the information block tightly presented next to it.

mmmmmmm........

2008-03-26T23:45:00.002-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2004, p179
Clara Confections, Stephen Goss Designers, packaging

I found this to be really innovative packaging. I like how each compartment has its own door and how each door opens in a different direction, making the packaging interactive. It offers a sense of wonder what's behind the next door.
The soft light color scheme is used consistently throughout the design, reflecting the hues of the food items. The bird and fruit theme also coordinates well with the selected foods - chocolate eggs, chocolate-dipped fruit, and whole wheat fruited bread.
This would make a very classy gift and I'm guessing most recipients would keep the empty wooden box for other uses, thus encouraging name recognition.

Going, going, gone....

2008-03-26T23:13:00.002-05:00

Graphis Design Annual 2004, p180
Barsquare Wines, Anders Schmidt, wine labels

Another ingenuous marketing idea for a wine. This collection of wine bottles placed in order on a shelf tell a story by label pictures. It reminds me of a flip book where a "movie" unfolds in the corner of the book as you flip through the pages. Wine connoisseurs will want to buy at least 6 bottles of this wine just to show off the labels.
The labels are interesting in the way they portray a contrasting idea. The first label of an elegantly attired Elizabethan man in a formal portrait pose paired with the classy Olde English style font leads one to the impression that this is an expensive wine for serious people. But by the last label, our nobleman appears to be sloshed and falling off his stool, adding an air of lightness and fun to the nature of this wine.

Symbols!

2008-03-13T21:05:00.004-05:00

Society of Illustrators 46th Annual of American Illustration, p131
J. Otto Seibold, Editorial

I found this to be a great example of using symbols in Illustrator. Look at all of the symbols used - birds, stars, windows, anchors, dolphins. I also find this artwork entertaining because of the theme. This would be my husband's idea of paradise - movies on a boat in the tropics near an island. One question, why do you think the flag is on fire on the boat? The illustration was used in a summer movie preview article.

Belazu Olive Oil

2008-02-28T23:34:00.003-06:00

Graphis Design Annual, 2006, p173
Turner Duckworth, packaging

I found this design to be really clever. The "olive tree" is actually an olive sitting in the palm of a hand. This suggests to me the product is fresh from the grower, perhaps even picked by his own hand. The blue is a very interesting choice of color. It's different enough to stand out and seems to draw your eye to the label. The font also ties in well - bold but not overwhelming, pretty classy.

Figure Skater

2008-02-28T16:11:00.003-06:00

Society of Illustrators 46th Annual of American Illustrations, p85
The New Yorker, Carter Goodrich, cover

The intent of this cover was to "comment on how vicious the sport of figure skating has become". Viciousness is not the message I got; competitiveness would be a better description. I found this design to be an great example of the design principles working together. Notice how the one little dark, clearly-defined puck balances against the mass of the children. The gradient at the top not only creates depth but provided an nice contrasting background for the magazine title. The use of white font allowed the entire composition to maintain an overall wintry feel. Any other font color choice would have completely changed the composition. The other interesting thing I noticed about the gradient is the subtle texture that was used created a haziness appropriate to winter and helped to integrate the trees in the background. Emphasis is clearly placed on the lone figure skater dressed in red and displaying a very evident expression of disgust. Rhythm is found in the carved circles on the ice. Even the group of children are surrounded by a circle of fairly evenly-spaced hockey sticks. Unity is seen in the proximity of the 3 groups - skater, children, and net. Unity is also found in the repetition of colors and in the repetitive "L" shape seen in the hockey sticks, the skater's bent leg, and the hockey net frame. The complimentary colors complete the harmonious composition by being of equal values.

Identity Theft

2008-02-21T21:36:00.003-06:00

Workbook 26, Illustration and Design, p305
Marlena Agency, Tomasz Walenta

I love the symbolism of this "simple" design. It's a perfect icon for identity theft. What better way to represent personal identity than a fingerprint? The bright yellow "caution" background helps to capture the viewer's attention. The added details of the thief's mask and the binary code on the bottom of the illustration emphasize the meaning of the symbol.

Line Drawings

2008-02-21T21:14:00.002-06:00

Workbook 26, Illustration and Design, p237
Felixsockwell.com, illustration

I found these simple line drawings interesting because they are one continuous line. This could make a fun project to practice on with the pen tool. :)

The Cost Vineyard

2008-02-21T19:49:00.003-06:00

Graphic Annual Design, 2008, p160
The Cost Vineyard, Sandstrom Design, packaging

The common consumer seems to have greater access to a larger variety of wines than ever before in history. With the market becoming more competitive, labels and packaging will continue the campaign for originality. I think these are really interesting labels. They appear to be just random clippings from newspapers with a few key words to grab your attention. For the connoisseur who likes to collect, these would be a unique addition. The Cost Vineyard is described as "a new small winery with limited production for a high quality Pinot."

Warping 101

2008-02-11T23:22:00.001-06:00

Graphic Design Annual, 2008, p214
Hewlett-Packard, The Integer Group

Isn't this an interesting example of warping? This is a promotional ad for Hewlett-Packard. Maybe the new fad is going to be "body shops" for computers for custom paint jobs. Sounds like an entrepreneurial idea to me! These are actually Disney Park-themed skins designed to serve as adhesive wraps.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

2008-02-11T23:09:00.000-06:00

Graphic Design Annual, 2008, p220
Eureka Tower, emeroystudio, signage

Here's an interesting use of graphic design This is a garage in a residential building called Eureka Tower. "From different viewpoints, the super-sized letterforms are perceived as either abstract distortions or literal directional information. When viewed in motion, the distorted words...snap into alignment...at key decision-making points." The client is in Singapore so I'm wondering if that's where this tower is. I love the bright bold colors. And by placing the words at angles, the signage is even more eye-catching and directional. If this is the garage, I wonder what the rest of the building looks like?

Ipod Ornament

2008-02-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

Graphic Design Annual, 2008, p220
Apple, Graphic Design/Apple Computer

The crispness and the bright colors of this ad really caught my eye. It's looks so clean and it shows the product in a nice, simple way. When I looked at this ad, the design principles rolled through my thoughts - unity √; emphasis √; depth √; rhythm √; color √. The red ribbon "ties" everything together and provides the umph to the design that makes it stand out.

American Film Market

2008-02-06T14:06:00.001-06:00

Workbook 26 Illustration and Design, 2004, p69
Kaiser Communications, poster

I think this is a very eye-catching design. It kind of reminded me of a Geisha girl with the lightened face, bright red lips, and the "hair" piled on top of her head. The use of movie reels for a hairdo adds a lot of visual interest and clues to the poster's purpose. Did you notice the dangling curl is a strip of film? The focal point is the woman's face. It is the brightest spot on an otherwise dark-valued poster. I found my eye first focusing on her face, particulary the bright red lips, then following the path up through the hair which points like an arrow to the beginning of the title. The background is also very effective. The hidden AFM logo is another reminder of the poster's intent. The texture in the background stripe adds a nice contrast to the smoothness of the woman. And the gradient from dark brown to blue skyes is also a visual indicator pointing up to the title. The blue skies give me the impression the sun is shining down upon the woman's face - maybe a blessing on the event? The use of the background as a diagonal band contiunes the line created by the woman's neck and back, again adding emphasis to the focal point. The drop shadows and the atmospheric shadows help to add a lot of dimension. Finally, the use of black adds drama to the whole design. It makes everything come together and POP!

Large-headed People

2008-02-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

Workbook 26 Illustration & Design, 2004, p118.119
Eddie Guy, series of ad campaigns

Since we've been working in Photoshop, I thought I'd share these interesting ads. The exaggerated head sizes are the hooks in these designs. They go against our perceptions and people have a natural tendency to look twice at something that seems abnormal. The more you look, the more you notice. The ebay ad was fairly easy to figure out with the obvious clue on the computer screen. I got a kick out of looking at all of the typical stuff you can buy on ebay scattered around the room. I would consider the ebay ad out of balance with the big hand on the left looking like an added-on appendage to the ad. I think the other two ads are also out of balance. What do you think? Is it just because of the abnormally large heads that make me think they're out of balance ? The other two ads weren't very obvious to me what they were promoting. The man in the car is for Addidas. See the shoes and the logo on his shorts? The woman is an ad for "Bachelorette". I'm guessing that's a tv show and if you're familiar with it, you might have a better understanding of the meanings behind all of the hidden images. The bachelorette ad is interesting because there is no continuity in relative sizes of the objects. It's a completely random collage of images that have been very artfully arranged. Looking at this ad is like playing "I Spy". One thing that bothers me about this design are the obvious lines where the woman's face and arm have been cut and pasted. I wonder what the artist was purporting?

The Cyclist

2008-01-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

World Graphic Design, 2004, Geoffrey Caban, p140
Ebrahim Hughighi, Iran, Film Brochure Cover

This design for a film brochure made me interested in attempting to figure out what the film was about. I'm guessing the cyclist is dying since one of the tire tracks turns to red (blood) and leads to the I.V hooked up on the bicycle. I like the double lines on the font that give the impression of bicycle wheel tracks. I found my eye following the tracks around the loops to the man on the bicycle. Then I realized the words, the tracks, and the figure encircle a very faded background image of a closeup of the man's face.

Trapped

2008-01-30T22:26:00.001-06:00

World Graphic Design, 2004, Geoffrey Caban, p119
Antonio Mena, Ecuador, Igonos magazine cover, 2001

I wish I knew what the writing on this magaine cover says, then I might have a better understanding of what the graphic design represents. I found the design itself to be intriguing. I like the simplistic look. The fact that the man is blacked out and tied up leads me to believe that the design is about some type of oppression. Since the arrow isn't straight, perhaps this represents a conflict, being pulled in two directions. The dominance of the white arrow pointing downward makes me think that any outcome of the conflict will be negative.
If anyone knows what the magazine cover says, please post in the comments. Thanks!

Perseverance

2008-01-30T22:25:00.000-06:00

World Graphic Design, 2004, Geoffrey Caban
Antonio Mena, Ecuador, 1999 poster for symposium in Quito on the Columbian conflict

The artist wanted an image that represented death and destruction but also a hope for peace. He was expressing that despite of the surrounding cruelty and destruction, the Ecuadorean people refused to succomb and are reborn with renewed energy. The primary colors of the leaves are also the colors of the Ecuadorean flag.
I liked that the artist used a very simplistic design for such a serious subject. And the negative space created by the trunk is very interesting. The design appears to be asymmetrically balanced by color with the black versus the colors. The line of red at the top corner pulls it all together. Unity is created by proximity. The focal point seems to be the bright yellow leaf which pops out from the darkness of the rest of the elements. Yellow represents joy thus enhancing the concept of perseverance and the peoples's gratefulness for each day. The three leaves are in triadic color harmony.

Freedom

2008-01-30T22:24:00.000-06:00

World Graphic Design, 2004, Geoffrey Caban, p64
U.G. Sato, Japan, Poster for an environmental series entitled "freedom", 1993

The tagline on this poster, "Where can nature go?", made me look at this design with the idea that nature is trying to escape mankind - to get away from our destructive interference. I like how the tree's branches evolve into wings and then birds and then fly away taking the roots with it. The slight curvature of the tree enhances the illusion of depth created by the diminishing size of tree pieces. If the tree had been vertical, I don't think there would have been as much suggestion of relocation. A vertical tree would have appeared as more of an ascension to heaven.

Cathy's Inspirations

Zac and Joan

Her Morning Elegance

Bachelor Pad

Seasons in the Sun

The Capuleti & the Montecchi

Halloween Magic

Portland International Film Festival

Snow Cat

Frantic

THRILL

Think Pink

Creativity can be anywhere!

Cake Runner

Hope. Don't Trash It.

Zune

Is this Swiss enough?

The Creative Circus

Get the Glass!

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Turner Duckworth

Young & Rubicam

Laurie Rosenwald

Paper Critters

Catherine LePage

Next Stop: Creativity

Hatch Design

AKQA

Cliff Bar 2 Mile Challenge web site

Taking Shape

Is it or is it not?

Sculptured

St. Lou Is

Rodrigo Sanchez

Vincon

Harriette's Song

Legacy of Courage

Quarrel & Quandary

High Fidelity

Twin Towers

Is it or is it not?

NY Winter Festival

Letterman

Morpheus Music

Helping Hands

Seamstress

Take the Truth Lying Down

Letterhead Definition

U2

Shrek

Knoll Christmas Card

My favorite Christmas card

GQ story header

Half Moon Catering

ai

Have a seat

Atmosphere

Don'tnut

A Bottle of Red

Just for fun!

Aniene

Section8

Something smells fishy!

Bill! Ballenberg!

Songwriter Records

Avant Garde

liquid

Chicago

Brandable

Fun with Letters!

More Font posters

Bodini

Typography Posters

Red Lobster Billboard

The letter "m"

Sound Painting

Symphony Party

Shadows

See the City!

Nostalgic CD Packaging