Wednesday, 15 September 2010

Summer research 07://

Beautifully designed brand identity, labelling and packaging material for the Chop Shop by Caleb Everitt who I only discovered today by chance. The choice of type, colours, layout and stock for the identity and designs actually make a butchers look fashionable! It just shows that there's no standard client if you want to produce good design, very interesting.

It's a shame that there limited information about the selection of work and the studio itself, particularly as they have a strong portfolio of work, including these nicely polished identities.


Witty set of woodblock prints by recent NTU graduate Luke Elliot

Summer research 06://

Some interesting interactive bag/packaging designs that I located via WebUrbanist.
Some really smart designs that work surprisingly well, interactive packaging such as these can be effective in drawing attention or emphasising the message, however if applied in the wrong way or inappropriately it can seem forced and can be seen a gimick more than anything.

Summer research 05://

Came across these rather attractive bits of inforgraphics by Chad Hagen; an artist & designer from Minneapolis. These pieces have rekindled my love for infographics, something that I haven't really had the chance to develop further during my 2nd year. Probably worth noting for one of my 10 briefs then!
Although now that I do pay more attention to them, I can't really understand these.... Maybe it's lost the point of function. In every bit of design, there needs to be a good balance between aesthetics and function. 

Summer research 04://

For my final year, I'm looking to develop my skills as a graphic designer in both print and screen. After gaining some work experience, It was clear that I can not simply say that I work for print or digital (eventhough I do prefer print), therefore I do need to consider producing work for a wider range of applications. So aswell as looking at all the print and amazing finishes, I'll also need to pay attention to the digital side of things, such as the web, motion graphics etc. I remember finishing my 2nd year with a strong thought that I wanted to focus on print, which I believe I would to an extent, but I'm also looking to develop my skills for web and digital as a whole to help establish myself as an all rounded designer.

SO moving on, here are a selection of wonderfully designed printed design that relate or inspire my own work and how I should write my 10 briefs.

Global design for the "Fondation93" annual report / Design One More Studio 



4NATION AW07 EXHIBITION INVITATION FOR MEN
Studio Newwork - New York 

I've mentioned Studio Newwork several times before already, but their work constantly impresses me so thought I'd mention them again. Their work is very type and editorial lead, which is just what I'm really into. Really love this exhibition poster that shows an interesting use of typography and layout. The use of the letter 'R' to form the essence of the number '3' is pure genius!

This reminded me of the Roger Federer logo that seamlessly merges a the R and the F. This again has put more thoughts on my own identity for web and print. 

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Summer research 03://

Really nice piece of typography that looks like it has been laser cut into a piece of acrylic, something that I've been meaning to try out during my 2nd year but never actually got round to. Overall piece makes a really nice cover for the Proa Book designed by the amazing Spin. I have been an admirer of the London based studio for a while now, Spin has consistently produced some very strong typography lead work for a ever growing list of clients. Their recent updates of new projects are looking pretty impressive aswell.


Exhibition catalogue for 'On the edge of the world' by the British Council 
A nice bit of editorial design by Spin; there's nothing better than a bit of clean well considered typography and layout combined with some nice stock choices!

Summer research 02://

This has been going round the net quite recently, but this rebrand idea of the US Postal Service my Matt Chase looks pretty nice and is an interesting one to compare. Theres not really much information as to what made him rebrand this but what he has produce is definitely worthy of some attention.

In comparison, the actual identity for the US Postal Service (Below) look rather uninspired and corporate, which questions which one's better if we were to compare them?


The mockup rebrand design my Matt Chase is an appealing design which reflects some recent design trends such as the ribbon for example that I've been seeing way too much recently. The colours used are effective and works well with other applications of the logo; it's fun and light-hearted but also carries a sense of authenticity. The official logo for the USPS uses only 1 colour  to form the head of an eagle, an animal that is referenced to the US quite naturally connoting speed and power. Without looking into the history of this logo too much, my 1st impression of this logo makes me think corporate straight away. Although it's very simpe and not as appealing as Chase's, this logo is subtle and straight to the point, even the box and the text is slanted slightly to conform to idea of movement. I reckon this is the type of logo that sticks in your mind subconsciously after seeing it once, it's not an incredibly eye catching or exciting bit of graphic design but does it's job effectively to communicate who the USPS is.

Summer research 01://

Just going to post as often as I can in short bits over the summer with inspirational design/ non design related things, that are influential towards my design strategy and direction for my 3rd year.

So here's the first one:

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I'm well aware that I'll need to start thinking about my own identity for use on print and web to establish myself as a practising graphic designer. So recently I've been taking more notice towards branding, letterheads and rebrands etc. This also ties in well with my dissertation topic. Here are a few that I've come across in the past few days.

Girl Scouts - Design by OCD 
A very well polished rebrand for the Girl Scouts by OCD. The original logo was already very well established and a great piece of graphic design in it's own right, so the decision to refine as opposed to coming up with something completely new was a decision well made (in my opinion!). The overall identity works well in all applications, it's evident that every tiny little detail has been considered with this rebrand. Possibly one that I'll need to come back to and look at properly for my dissertation research.

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The work of Michael Freimuth from New York City has come to my attention recently with some slick identity work that's has been nicely photographed by  Bob Martus. What I like about this is that the logo itself isn't as prominent, it sits comfortably but doesn't dominate, it has been applied to different applications effectively, utilising the red and blue identity colours to establish itself.

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Another great piece by Michael Freimuth; Glass Shop identity and design direction. A Brooklyn based coffee shop that wanted to establish themselves as being fresh and local. Freimuth did the brand callateral, promotional material and the interior / exterior signage. As shown from the photos, the identity looks great, especially across a range of different applications. I particularly like the signage on the glass, with the logo inverted. Not quite sure what the line below the 'O' is for though but interesting to find out. 

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Society Identity & Packaging / Design - Sanderson Bob
The design studio of Bob Sanderson who was formerly the Art Director at The Designer's Republic.

The identity itself for Society is relatively simple, but what makes it work is the way it has been applied and the choices of printing techniques and stock considerations. It reminds me that when it comes to working on brand identities myself, I should constantly be considering the ways it would be applied etc rather than just thinking about the appearance of the logo by itself. 

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Brand identity for Tribe Studio Architects by Danie Freytag; a UK based Graphic Designer. Thought I'd blog this up aswell as not only is it a minimal piece of graphic design, but also because it uses the Letter 'T'! Referring back to my own identity, I'm still undecided on whether to use my initials for it or to have something completely different. Something that I'll have to consider in conjunction with my website, business cards, letters heads and promotional material leading up the end of year exhibition and graduating.


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Simone Rocha identity by Conor Cronin
A simple identity that was developed from a weighting scale, the main thing I like about this is the use of a wax seal for the envelope which adds a nice authentic touch to the finish.