BAM! POW! WOW!

This magazine cover caught my eye...which is exactly what it was supposed to do.  Like the Psychedelic design style it is modeled after, its purpose is to grab your attention violently by the throat.  The jagged edges and vibrating colors grab the eye and almost force it to look.  While I am not saying that this is a spot-on reference to the Psychedelic style of graphic design, it definitely shares a similar desire to be noticed and seen.

On the road again...again...

It used to be that the weekends were made up of mom and dad announcing an impromptu road trip, huge smiles on faces and picnic baskets in hand...or at least that's how the ads portrayed it.  According to my dad, there were times like that for him, but they weren't all that often.  However, in today's world of fast-paced living, having to be able to be reached wherever you are via cellphone, and hectic schedules, the weekend road trip is almost non-existent.  The Dodge Journey will change all that...or so they are claiming with this ad.  The design of the ad is American Kitsch, mostly because of the casual hand-written font.  Kitsch was the time period of those bygone road trips.  It is a call back to those simpler times, and is appealing to the children who remember those trips so well.  Clever.

Welcome...to Jurassic Park! [insert theme music]

Just a few days ago, I got the chance to see Jurassic Park on the big screen.  It's kind of sad how I keep forgetting how incredibly amazing that movie is!  In addition to remembering how awesome the movie is, I realized the colossal amount of graphic design that is found in it.  Jurassic Park is not a real place (more is the pity) or a real business.  For this theme park to feel real and for the movie to work, an entire corporate identity package had to be made up.  Logos, pamphlets, fliers, t-shirts, and an entire gift shop worth of merchandise all had to be designed!  The best part about it is that I never would have noticed had I not taken Graphic Design History, which is honestly the way it should be.  The identity of Jurassic Park is so solid and believable that it goes unnoticed.  In addition to being a successful element of the movie, I would even venture to say that the Jurassic Park corporate identity is successful in the real world too.  In any corporate identity package, the ultimate goal has to be overall recognition.  People see your logo, and they recognize it as yours.  Jurassic Park is recognizable the world over, not only because of the proliferation of the movie franchise, but also because it is a unique and recognizable brand.  Now if only they could perfect the park itself...

Takes a Lickin' and Keeps On Tickin'

Many people don't realize that graphic design is around us everyday, and oftentimes we take it for granted.  This is my watch.  It's a Timex.  The weird shape is because it clips onto my belt-loop instead of going around my wrist.  The purpose of a watch is to tell you the time and to do so in a clear manner that allows you to glance at it and immediately know the time.  The typeface of the numbers has to be clear enough for that.  The numbers and the writing around the edge are all written in a way that allows for instant readability.

In case of fire, read sign.

The Swiss movement gave birth to a new concept of simplicity in design.  Even now, we still see examples of the Swiss mentality in modern day design.  I tried researching the history of this fire extinguisher sign (yes it is technically a sticker, but I'm calling it a sign), but I was unable to come up with much aside of a major distributor.  While I am unsure of whether or not this sign (which I found in a gas station, by the by) was designed during the height of the Swiss movement, I do think it is a very good example of the Swiss style.  Clean, straight lines and angles and the use of a modified Helvetica typeface are all characteristic of the Swiss style.  The design works really well because, although stacked type is usually a no-no in the graphic design world, it makes your eye follow the arrow down to the extinguisher below.  In an emergency, simplicity is what you will want in order to communicate with someone in a state of panic.  This works and, doubtless, has saved lives.  My hat is off to the designer, whoever you are.

Back in my day...

Mountain Dew Throwback is a version of Mountain Dew that is made with sugar, instead of artificial sweeteners, and it contains fewer preservatives.  So, when you drink Throwback, you are drinking healthy...er.  Aside of tasting good, though, Throwback is also a great example of American Kitsch...or at least the can is.  You have the cartoon character coupled with the "hand painted" style of lettering.  It serves to remind us of the good old days....even if some of us weren't alive back then.  The design of the can almost supersedes the structure.  The structural design of the can is very much modern, but the art and design of the label takes the can back to older times.

WIPC: International Edition

This is an ad for Korean Air, taken from the back of a Canadian magazine.  Welcome to the international edition of my blog!  Anyway, the ad is focusing on the international connectivity aspect that the airline provides to it's passengers, and it does so through the visual example of a Ferris Wheel.  The central support of the wheel is labeled with the central hub of the airline, and each support strut coming off of the center connects to a chair, each of which are labeled with a possible destination.  In this form, every location is connected to every other location.  The travel limits and multiple flight transfers seemingly melt away in this display of connectivity communicated through a archetypal form.

Don't Try This at Home...

Some of you might remember a question that I brought up in class a few weeks ago about a design I had seen on the side of a semi.  Well, I got a second shot at taking the picture.  So, I would like to apologize for the quality of this shot.  It was raining and I was driving, which is just so wonderfully road-responsible of me, I know.  I Picnik-ed the heck out of this pic, but it still comes out looking pretty low quality, so I pulled the logo off of the official website for side-by-side reference.  UNFI (United Natural Foods, Inc.) is, as you can guess by the name, a international distributor of natural food stuffs.  I really was attracted to their logo because of how different elements play off of each other.  The logo is green, which fits the health food theme, and the gradient of the leaves is carried over to the dot above the "i."  I also like how the natural curvature of the leaves follows the curve of the name.  Also, the logo looks like an oil painting, not a digitally designed piece of art, which gives it a much earthier and more natural feel.  Overall, it was worth the risk to get the shot.

"Now is the winter of our discontent..."

I will be the first to tell you that I am a bit of a theatre junkie (That's right, I said theatre not theater.  I kick it old school).  A few years ago, I attended the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and saw a production of Richard III that completely blew my mind.  I decided I had to get a t-shirt, and, to my delight, they were equally as mind blowing.  I love how the bloody tally marks are not immediately apparent.  At first, it looks like it just says "Richard," but then you see that the blood is in three stripes, and it becomes "Richard III."  The violence of this design is matched by the violent story of Richard III, and serves as a reminder of the villain in this play.  He may be the third to be crowned King Richard, but that name is based on blood.

I'm Lovin' It...right?

This poster, found in a local Micky D's, is actually a very sneakily done bit of graphic design suggestion.  That happy meal is nestled in with a bunch of apples, which are very healthy for you, and...well gosh darn it if the box isn't red just like an apple.  Even though, in your conscious mind, you know a standard happy meal isn't anywhere near the neighborhood of healthy, the color similarity in the box and the apples makes that happy meal look very desirable.  Yes, this poster is advertising for "healthier" alternatives to the happy meal, but I think we all know what this poster is really trying to push.  Sneaky, Mr. McDonald...verrrrrrrry sneaky.

Atomic Fitness (or "How I Stopped Exercizing and Learned to Love the Bomb")

Evolve Fitness Club is found in the downtown Champaign area.  I like their logo because it is a good amalgamation of picture and type.  The "e" acts for the nucleus of the atom and the rest of the word flows off of the "e."  It is a simple design that fits the name very well without being to cumbersome or too focused on the gimmick of the name.  In my mind, it is a good example of graphic design.

Simplicity in Name and Form

There are several gas stations around town, a few of which are Circle Ks.  Their logo is a terrific example of Graphic Design, simply because the name doesn't need to be written out below the logo.  The logo speaks for itself.  It's a simple, easy, and fun design.

Oh...and happy Talk Like a Pirate Day. :)

[Insert Clever Title Here]

 

I was heading to downtown Champaign to do a little light shopping at Dallas & Co. when I saw this sign on the side of a building on Lincoln.  At first, I thought it was a really good example of integration of image and type, however when I looked at it up close, I saw that the lines of the house and the type lines weren't...well...lined up.  I still think it is a good example, but maybe it is an example of how little details make a big difference.  For me, once I saw that the elements didn't line up, that was all I saw.  It made the whole logo look sort of cheap and rushed.  I am not innocent in cutting corners here and there, but seeing this made me wonder whether cutting corners is ever really a good idea when it comes to the commercial world.

I Parked by the Bunny

About a month ago, I got the chance to go to Indianapolis, IN with a couple of friends of mine and attend Gen-Con, which is a national gamers convention.  It was a nerd and geek convention.  It was awesome!  Anyway, being that we were in a strange town and might not remember where we had parked in the very vast parking garage we had chosen, we decided that it would be wise to take a picture of the sign close by as a landmark.  This is the level and section we were in...and the interesting thing was, each section had a different animal attached to it, and each level a different color.  Each animal was designed very simply, using only enough contour and shape to make it recognizable as the animal it was.  The brilliant part about this method is how well it sticks in your mind.  You may not remember a number and a letter, but you will most certainly remember a color and animal.  Turns out that later in the evening when we went back to the car, we were able to remember where without looking at the picture.  I would say this is an amazing example of successful graphic design.

A Fond Farewell to Another School Year Gone By... (a note to my GDS 120 class)

4/28/11 TeeFury shirt of the day

shirt.woot  #1 shirt on the charts as of 4/28/11

Well, here we all are again.  The end of the semester, the end of the school year...maybe, for some, the end of Parkland.  It's never more apparent to you the things you enjoy and the things you have grown to look forward to, until you feel them slipping away.  As it turns out, this class has been the highlight of my week.  Each and every one of you in there has been amazing in your attitudes and work production.  I have never more felt outclassed, nor have I ever been more okay with getting outclassed, than I was in this class.  One of my regrets in this class is that I wasn't able to work with everyone.  I wish I could take time and right something sappy and insightful about every individual, but, sadly, my attention span will not allow for that.  I feel like I have really grown over the semester, both in my artistic ability, my creativity, and that whole "getting work done on time" responsibility factor thing.  My appreciation goes out to all y'all, especially Larry, for allowing me to try and do whatever my little ADD brain would spit out.  If I gave you the impression this semester that I'm impulsive, weird, and just slightly off my nut, it's because I am.  Any impression of normalcy that you perceived was erroneous and should be discounted.  I'll be taking Larry's Graphic Design History class in the fall, and I would hope to see some of you there.  I plan on keeping this blog going with postings of all the cool stuff I find on the internet and other places, and I might even start posting stuff I make.  I invite you all to follow along, keep your ear to the door of the padded cell, and check in now and then.

As this is my last post, I leave you with two t-shirt designs.  I started the semester with t-shirt designs, so it only seems fitting I should end with them.  I also leave you with a song that, to me, has come to be associated with the ending of something grand and fun that has in one way or another impacted my life to its bettering.  Some of you may recognize it (those of you who don't REALLY need to spend more time on the internet and video games) as the ending song from the game Portal.  Enjoy.

Back to the shirts...

Hello, once again, and welcome back to my weekly graphic design blog.  So this week I was having some trouble coming up with a very profound lesson, as I have produced the last two weeks, and so I am back to the old standard of t-shirt critique.  This little beauty is a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but all you cool people knew that already, right?  It's designed with the feeling of an old flyer or billboard, or maybe even an advert in the paper.  It's a simple and fun design that leaves no real ambiguity as to what it is referring to.  Also, if you haven't seen this movie, I would heartily suggest doing so.

Batman: Past to Present

So, I was randomly browsing YouTube (as I often do when I have homework or other important matters to attend to) and I stumbled across this little bit of awesome.  While this might qualify as more of multimedia than graphic design, it is a prime example of how a logo or an image can drastically change form and yet still be readily recognizable.  Some of these versions of the symbol are so different, but each one is instantly identified with the same character.  I suppose the lesson here is that if you feel like a project you are working on has only one view and the lines must go just so, or else it's not going to be what it's supposed to be, just take a break and rethink it.  Decide on two or three elements that make the design what it is, but play around with everything else.  In every symbol the ears are pointy and the wings go out to the side, always the flying bat silhouette, but every other aspect is toyed with, and, in the end, it still looks like Batman.  Never be afraid to open your mind to new possibilities.

Also, I used this because Batman is flippin' SWEEEEEEET!

Letting my inner geek out for some air

So...this weekend I am attending my first ever comicon!  I am very excited and happy that a friend of mine had an extra VIP pass.  God bless him.  Anywhosers, in honor of my inner geek finally getting some satisfaction, and also since the homework had to do with type manipulation, I thought it appropriate to bring up the type effect that everyone knows and recognizes: the title text for Superman.  It is a simple 3D effect with a dash of perspective added, but it has become one of the most well known and iconic type images in the world.  The logo has appeared in every country on almost every product.  I have yet to see Superman brand tampons, laxatives, or beer.  If you find any of these let me know.  Anyway, I just wanted to bring this forward as a kind of point.  These days, the trend is "Bigger = Better."  Bigger effects, bigger color, bigger everything.  Sometimes, however, the simplest and most basic of artistic styles are the ones that live and thrive the longest.  Now, if you shall pardon me, I need to pack.  Let's see...lightsaber...batarangs...socks...

Itty Bitty Food Stuffs

So, around the time when the iPod Nano was first coming out, Apple had a brilliant advertising idea.  The iPod Nano plays movies...so why not go on that?  Movies that fit in your pocket!  Moreover, one of their advertising strategies was to give out itty bitty popcorn.  Which...to me, just seems a little annoying.  "Popcorn?  Sure...oh, that's too bad."  Since we are studying packaging, I thought this would be appropriate. 

The most awesome shirt that I will never have...

I'm thinking I'm beginning to develop a trend for blog topics here...oh, well.  So, this t-shirt is amazingly epically awesome.  This is not opinion, mind you, this is fact.  For those who do not recognize the band members as the actual members of The Who, it is because they aren't.  These are different actors who have played the part of the Doctor, on the BBC show, Doctor Who.  Specifically, we have the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, on the mid-air guitar, the eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, on vocals, the tenth Doctor, David Tennant, on the drums, and Matt Smith, the current Doctor (the eleventh) on the other guitar...possibly bass.  So...You have The Who...made up of Doctor Who's...get it?  Awesome, I know.  Unfortunately, this shirt is no longer available.  The website it comes from, TeeFury.com, specializes in 24-hour deals.  $10 for 24 hours, but after that, the shirt is gone forever.  I almost cried when I missed this one...who am I kidding, I bawled.

The return to Woot

So...very first post on this blog, I brought you a shirt from a site called shirt.woot.  Well, I'm back to woot once again.  I figured since we're making shirts in class, this kind of fit.  And further, since we are making shirts in the style of another artist, I thought this work well for that too.  The original Coexist logo was designed by Piotr Mlodozeniec, a Polish graphic designer.  Personally, I find this t-shirt to be awesome.

Superheroes...the highest form of art.

I was browsing a website called Worth1000, and I found this picture.  I would just like to submit this as the kind of awesome fun you can have when you know what you are doing in Photoshop.  I can't wait till I get this good...oh, the art I will make epically awesome...

The one-stop shop for all your pirating needs...

In San Fransisco, if you travel down Valencia street, you will eventually reach address 826.  This is a store named, aptly enough, 826 Valencia.  Inside, you will be transported back to a time and place where wenches are curvy and dogs are scurvy...ok, not really, but they do sell pirate-themed "equipment" and "supplies."  These are some of the products they sell, the packaging being designed by an SF design firm named Office.  I really feel these designs work because they combine the old-timey design feel with modern humor in the product descriptions on the bottle.  Almost all of the products sold by 826 Valencia have been designed by Office.

Wear-able Poe...wait, what?

I found this a long time ago, and it is still as awesome to me right now, this very minute, as it was then.  As you see, it is a silhouette of a raven, but when you look closer, it is so much cooler.  It is actually made up of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven."  This is actually available in t-shirt format from shirt.woot.com.  I am seriously considering buying this...

FIRST POST!

Well....not much to say as of yet. This is my first blog, and I will be updating it weekly, mainly for my GDS 120 class. Hopefully, this will turn into something that I continue after this semester. So...until next time...um...I will be working on a catchphrase to end my blogs with.