Break the Cycle

This is an advertisement I saw in The News-Gazette for Carle about their free seminar on bariatric surgery. I think it's a very contemporary ad, utilizing the white space in the best way possible; not Swiss because of the use of the type on a curve (similar to the Victorian age). One could say it's Swiss like because each of the components are broken up into their own straight grid, utilizing the thirds rule. I love how there are different forms of type, the red Courier type being used for the discouragement (and only going to the lower part of the curve - the true meaning is the person is now gaining weight again); then the san-serif (Avenir type?) being used for the words of encouragement each should be feeling. I noticed this was on Carle's website as well and would definitely make me look at it more than once and think twice about attending the seminar.

Tissue In the Mail

Front

This is a scan I took of another recent item I got in the mail. It's a pop-up coupon for Kleenex, which was very interesting. Usually, designers are only asked to do the overall look of the design; some get the opportunity to be able to create packaging designs, which is very cool. This has a monochromatic scheme of blues (though there are a couple of photographs on the cover). I believe this is definitely a modern design because pop-up items are a certain trend (generally very popular in the book area). The snowflakes aren't the simple geometric shapes we see in Art Deco, but lean toward the style of Art Nouveau for not being over the top in decoration. There is a lot of content on each panel of the advertisement, but I guess a company needs to back up the Kleenex/tissue being provided to the consumer. Overall, I really liked the idea of having a pop-up advertisement come in the mail rather than the cluttered content throughout.

Back

Getting Back to Nature

On Friday, I got an e-mail from the American Players Theatre, which is located in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The reason I received this was because I had went to one of their plays, "The Taming of the Shrew" over the summer during my stay in Madison. It was a very nice play, and this annual report they sent to me and other donors of the play very well reflects that; not only using great photography, but different leaf and nature motifs. It reminds me of the hand-crafted look the Arts & Crafts period created, using a lot of nature and using handwritten items as their inspiration and incorporating it into their designs. Yet, it's contemporary by having a simple layout with more visuals of the plays then they do actual content. All of this is only appropriate for a theater like this that is conveniently located in the middle of the woods with a far way to travel. I would donate to them again because it's a great cause and believe all of their actors, artists, and staging crew do such an amazing job; let's hope the American Players Theatre continues to be a big success!

Topas Going Milktastic

This is a box of Topas chocolates (this is my best guess since the language on the box is German and I couldn't have anyone help me translate the box). What I believe makes this very successful is it shows a little bit of the product on the top half - reminiscent of the yin-yang design - using the two pieces of chocolate to represent one half and the Topas logo as the other. It's definitely contemporary in design, using lots of spaces; but what makes it stand out is the Topas being used in a bold just like in the American Kitsch style and using the strong purple in the design.

Watch Out For "The Blonde Bombshell"

I was doing research for my next project in Illustration 1 class and stumbled upon this wine bottle design and think it's very creative! It literally takes the name (which is very creative in itself) and takes it to the almost American Kitsch level combined with the late 1930s - 40s feel (King Kong). I love the illustration and how they make it seem like it's a movie poster and makes you excited to drink it because you'll look (and feel like) the blonde bombshell on the front of the cover! The typeface also goes very well, making it as dramatic as possible and even incorporating some of the gradients used in the Victorian era into the title. Now I'm not sure if you'll be an extra terrestrial like they're trying to make her out to be, but I give credit to people that can be out there like this and sell it well. I looked more into who created this wine illustration and out out it was HOOK from Charleston, South Carolina. You can check out more of their work here.

Saul + Paul in Today's Credits

This is one of the shows that I watch on television and the first thing I came to think was, "Wow, this looks really similar to Saul Bass and what he did with title credits". Especially with the way the shapes were cut and the way he created movements with the different shapes. The only element that isn't like Saul Bass are the uses of bright, primary colors (such as the red, blue, and yellow - which is more of Paul Rand's style). A great way to apply, once again, art deco with late modernism. What also attracted me to it is it gets the point of the show across in less than 30 seconds and engages you in the way Saul Bass did. More of these types of credits would be great!

Peace and Psychadelia

This is a can of Peace Tea "Razzleberry" flavored, which brings to life the psychedelic era through several elements. One of the main elements making it psychedelic would be the color usage; it's mixed, using the primary colors (bright, contrasting colors), reds, and blues.  Another element making it psychedelic is the type (such as the "Razzleberry Tea" phrase) using similar typefaces to those used during that era.  What made it really cool was the illustrations, which almost are reminiscent of the Early Modern propaganda posters.  It brings out a great combination of the two eras!  Though I haven't tried the tea, it conveys a good feeling that you'll get when you drink it; which include peace and the illusion you would get when you're on the popular psychedelic drugs (ex. LSD).  So drink it with caution.

Nodoka Showdoka!

This is my glasses case (with my glasses in them to match).  One of the main reasons I bought these glasses was because of the Japanese influence (especially when you look at the geometric shapes and the flowers).  It reminds me of a combination of art deco and art nouveau from the way the natural flowers are layed out and the geometric shapes forming a certain pattern to make it look like flowers.  It's a very different glasses + case then normal, making it a very good target for those wanting to be individual or those that are in the art field.  Very simple, chic, and shows some a modern twist to past art movements.

I Shouldn't Have Kicked the Hornet's Nest

I was getting swarmed by the hornet's and the book being
too bright to shoot a very good shot.

This is a book we have called The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson and I found the hard book cover to fit the story perfectly!  It's a very minimalist design that uses only the outlines of different photographed wasps flying throughout the cover and the white and orange pentagons to convey the point the hornet's nest is breaking and the hornet's are coming to attack the person that kicked the hornet's nest.  Hence, taking the title of the book to the next level!  It also adds an effect when they used the silver mirror-like paper to really make the colors come to life and gives it a twist!  Definitely a great target for those that are looking for a great mystery and a lead after the first story, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Magazines Galore

This was an advertisement in Better Homes and Gardens a long time ago!  For some reason, I had this picture and find it inspiring - though, coincidentally, this would be for many that read magazines!  I love the integration of the idea people should be reading more magazines by having a paragraph with some of the words being replaced by some of today's magazines.  It incorporates there are more than just the magazines that can help financial bankers get ahead in the market.  Magazines are for everyone!  Though I don't read very many magazines anymore (except for looking to cut them up for different projects), it makes me want to read them again.

Harijuku Girls Got Wicked Style!

This is a perfume called Harijuku Lovers "Snow Bunnies" fragrance and absolutely love not only the packaging design, but the perfume case itself!  It encompasses it's target audience, which I believe would be preteen to teenage girls; this is through the light pink packaging and the dark pink text to make it much more girly.  Especially adding in the snowflakes (part of the front of the box) and the hearts (part of the top flap on the box).

What makes it really interesting is on the back is the Harijuku girl (though I would've liked to see the same model on the back) has the definition of Love on the back.  I think it's a great item to have.  Maybe I'll go back and buy it.

Arizona Goodness

This is a can of Arizona's Arnold Palmer Southern Style tea, which I found very intriguing!  Usually, you don't see a detailed illustration like this on a can, but it sets the mood for having the tea convey homemade and very relaxing to drink.  Also, using gradients isn't very popular, but the pink to yellow combination choices for the sweet tea pink and lemon color (hence the pink to yellow gradient) emphasizes this point even more.  Definitely conveys the feeling this tea is the best in freshness and being like your grandma's homemade tea to anyone that enters a gas station or sees it in the local store's refrigerator.

Lands' End Canvas

Here is a catalog I usually receive at home since I'm a pretty avid shopper -- Lands' End Canvas... there typography goes very well with the brand (combining Ceicilia and their own created font called, how appropriately, Canvas).

It definitely shows how youthful consumers can feel at the same time have a classical and individual look that when wearing this product through the choice of photography and layout (which is my favorite part of what attracted me to it).  Lands' End says they want to target 34 - 49 years old, but I believe they are/should be targeting 24 - 39 year olds because of how young the models actually are and the style of clothing.  I hope they keep the brand alive by continuing this overall brand look!

The top is the cover and the last two are different inside sections to the catalog.

Rockin' Out!

I love what Krannert does for their pieces.  What attracted to me with this billboard was the use of simple colors with simple amount of type (which the type is a simple san-serif font combined with a serif font - possibly Helvetica Condensed and Garamond?).  Also, the background is really cool with the sound waves as lines and the type is used creatively to create the whole guitar piece.  Simple elements that come together to create something so cool!

Butternut Madness

This I believe is a good example of graphic design that one normally wouldn't think of.  We think of packaging design as graphic design, but what about automobile design?  I've been seeing lots of vehicles with many different designs on them, and this is one of them.  What attracted me to it is we normally see the typical Butternut products in the stores, with the script font and the simple product picture on the side.  It's also American-themed (since the color scheme is red, blue, and white - just as the Butternut brand has always been).  The quality of the artwork is, I believe, to be very good (but not so much the picture that I took) along with the choice to use the old-fashioned vehicle like they would deliver many of the products in to show that they're established.  As they say, everything old becomes new again.