Adam Howard’s Post

As I am working on album art for my next single that I am releasing, I have been looking at a lot of album art. This is one that I have always enjoyed, mostly for how intriguing it is. It is a photograph of Ben Cooper (Radical Face) sitting on a worn roof that has been distressed and that has the addition of these bird shapes.

The album art I think really gives a sense of what the album is about as well as how it feels. The Album is called 'ghost' and it is about older houses and the stories which they contain. It involves the idea that the memories and stories of an old house are trapped within the walls like ghosts, but they are worn and aged with time.

The art captures the idea of ghosts with both the symbols used of birds and the umbrella for a sort of hovering flying feel and the visual distress added to the photo (especially with Ben's head being scratched out). It also feels much like the music itself, which feels very earthy in tone and free with creativity.

Anyway, I think that it is wonderfully done and that it matches the music very well.

Two songs can be listened too here: http://www.radicalface.com/radicalface.html

Will Pitney’s Post

Anything but…

Because you are in a graphic design class, I would assume you know about the 2012 Olympic logo that London has chosen.  So, I don’t need to go into why I think it was a waste of 400,000 pounds.  Thankfully, the UK newspapers asked people if they could come up with a better solution than the current logo.  So, while anything but the shabby logo would do, some really well made designs arose.

So, without further a dew, I present an alternative made by a concerned citizen.  Overlooking the oversized ‘L’ and the poor kerning on the last ‘N,’ it is a great logo. It reads London then immediately slips into the rings.  The iconic rings multiplied provide a legible, clean and classy symbol for a worldwide event.  It reads London then immediately slips

into the rings.

The second rocks my socks off.  Having the color gradient blend the skyline with the rings works wonderfully.  Like the other Olympic logos of the past, it draws from current art movements. This embodies the middle ground between modern and post-modern logo and for that I applaude. (clap clap clap)

In the end, these logos embody a time-honored tradition in history.  No effort spent looking edgy for the younger audiences, no crazy European numbers and no seizure inducing colors.  Just effort in being aesthetically pleasing.

Caitlin Martin’s Post

I was recently introduced to the work of Jessica Hische.  She is an incredible designer.  I really admire how broad a scope she can hit.  She designs, illustrates, sets and creates type and font, she does it all.  Everything she does is very unique and there is somewhat of a small trend among her work, but nothing she could be completely defined by.  I like the way she does things because she doesn't just stick to one thing, she dabbles in everything.  My favorite work of hers was some of the book covers she did.  She did an entire series of "Wizard of Oz" book covers that were awesome.  I am completely inspired by her and I hope you will be too.

Caleb Khazoyan’s Post

For this post I've chosen to look at Microsoft's new phone operating system – Windows Phone 7 (WP7). Now I realize, this isn't standard print design. I'm not looking at their advertising or their packaging in this post. Instead, I'd like to look at the design behind these devices through two different lenses. The first is from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Second I'd like to analyze them from the perspective of content delivery. After all, the end goal of design is less to look artistic than it is to simply get the information across in the best way possible.

Aesthetically I find it's a mixed bag, though with more pros than cons. Android's interface(s) are a convoluted mess (remind me how of Windows was 10 years ago) and the iPhone is simply old, slow, and not aging particularly gracefully. This is something new, different, and uncharacteristic of stereotypical Microsoft design. Is it perfect? I wouldn't say that. Is it excellent? That I'd agree to. I really love the simplicity of it all: the use of a single color, simple boxes, and very clear type. I'm not entirely convinced that I like how it mixes in some much busier icons (namely those with photos pulled from your phone on them, which may or may not look good). At the same time, I don't really see a way around it, as a wall of 20 blue squares would be far more annoying to me. The other interesting choice that unfortunately isn't captured in a still image is how everything is subtly changing all the time based on the updates the phone is receiving.

Of course, artistic flair is only one piece of design. Its core purpose is to deliver information. I won't delve deep into the new UI paradigm Microsoft is working off of (simply put the idea is to distill the usual system of needing a single app for every task by merging the more common tasks into a larger hub). Instead, I want to look at subtitles like how their use of typographic hierarchy and layout change how users perceive the information they're being given.

As with any smartphone, WP7 uses a large amount of vertical structure to organize data. As opposed to the use of color bars and gradients as with iOS, these phones use only type, and even then rely almost entirely on positioning and point size to sort information. This was mildly confusing for me at first glance, as it keeps things much more fluid than the average iPhone interface, which is much more rigid and compartmentalized. With WP7 boundaries are much less solid. They still clearly exist, but a solid box or block of color is unnecessary to maintain clarity.

Building off of the idea of fluidity and breaking out of boxes, the entire system adds a unique twist to the tabbed interfaces we're all used to. Rather than having an unending chain of arrows in the top of the screen as per iOS, the new Windows phones use the far right edge of the screen to hint when more information is to be found. This combined with a horizontal text menu (again with typographic tweaks to clarify where you are) is a much more efficient system for organizing information as it shows the user where he/she is and everywhere they could be. Such a design choice allows all of the information to flow beyond the small confines of the screen and feel less isolated from every other element.

Simply put, I really do like the path Microsoft has taken. It's different, it's clean, and it gets the point across just as well while breaking the confines of older, more mature systems. Is it perfect? Of course not, but I feel it's a step in the right direction.

Brent Ellis’ Post

I have always been fascinated by the work of Oklahoma State University. I feel like they do so much well in their Marketing Department. In the many areas of graphic design and marketing, they even cover the little things, and turned them into major things. They start off their image of web presence bold and strong. They have a web template that the pages are used, and consistency is a beautiful thing they do well. One of the things I think they have going for them is their school color, orange. This color is used EVERYWHERE; which in my opinion is a very good thing. It is in their logo, their website, their publications, their images...EVERYTHING! It becomes something that is very recognizable and is a means of which they can identify themselves, simply by a color. It's amazing how much weight color can have.

In their typography, they use classic typefaces, one being Sabon, but not only that, they have created their very own typeface (OKSTATEU)! Many people use fonts that are classic and recognizable, but how few actually create their own? This alone I think gives them some gold stars. It shows they really do care about their image, and standing out from the crowd. Sometimes its the little things that make the difference, and I think this is one of those. They use typographic hierarchy  in their publications with bold headers and sub-heads, as well as incorporating the OSU orange, such as in the alumni publication, STATE magazine. In their posters and such, they give generous white space, which makes it feel good, as well as good leading and not crowded.

The logo for OSU is well done because it can be produced in either three, two or one color reproduction, so it can be as elaborate or simple and cost effective. It is simple enough it can be used very small or as large as desired. It's shape is such that can be used on a variety of places; Posters, coffee cups, vehicles, billboards, or whatever. It is also simply very attractive.

They use large images which are beautifully designed into the page, and make it interesting to look at. The images, as well, incorporate orange. The web page has a girl wearing an orange scarf, that ties into other elements such as the logo, the brand campaign, and balanced with the orange text at the bottom. The images often bear students either with OSU attire, or wearing orange clothing; or buildings or icons of the university campus. The most beautiful thing is it all ties in together. Whether it be the web site, posters, brochures, images, text, color or type, everything brings you fully back around to Oklahoma State University. 

Melissa Parkard’s Post

Melissa Parkard’s Post

Imagine that you are a tourist walking down the streets of Amsterdam.  You are overwhelmed with the flyers and bulletins that saturate the sides of buildings.  Suddenly, there is an image of a woman crawling out of a wall towards you.  You give this particular ad a second look because of its unique presence among the many other posters. 

Every year, at the end of June, there is a unique festival in Amsterdam that presents a wide range of theater performances from students, both local and international.  Actors, dancers, singers, mime artists, (film) directors and other performing artists will make their debut at one of the many professional theaters in Amsterdam.

The International Theatre School (ITs) Festival Amsterdam is the biggest European festival to scout more than 200 talents in over 70 productions.  ITs workers are “dedicated to actively connecting young theatre makers and dancers from all over the world.”  ITs Festival Amsterdam is the catalyst for young artists that hope to increase their chances of employment.

The story described above is exactly what happened to me as I toured Amsterdam’s streets last summer on the European Art Tour.  Amsterdam is a charming city filled with visual stimulation but I this poster I encountered certainly stood out as something special. 

In 2009 ITs employed advertising agency, Arc-Leo Burnett, of Amsterdam to create a unique, eye-catching ad series to promote the annual festival.  The ITs theme for the year was “Where actors/actresses emerge” and the ads were meant to communicate, quite literally, this message.

I think that the ads are very dramatic and eye catching which is what they were meant to do.  It catches your interest enough to draw you in so that you will read the sign.  Visually this campaign works fantastically.  From a more critical standpoint it can be confusing.  The bloc format of the text can be confusing to read and often leaves a single letter of a word hanging. Its good for a poster to draw you with something dramatic but when there is nothing there when they look it is not so effective.  On a different note, since ITs is so popular it may be more of just a reminder of the event.  The ITs logo is highly recognizable and the event is highly anticipated, so that may be all that is needed is just to get the image of Its out in the public as a reminder.  Overall, I think the campaign is genius.  I just wish the type was more readable.  

Dana Holroyd’s Post

Bas Brand Identity, a Swedish firm, created the packaging for Garant's line of herring. I chose this product to discuss, because I think it is important to keep in mind that we won’t always have projects to work on that are aesthetically pleasing. I think that the designers for this product were very successful in creating a pleasing design, for an unpleasing product. I think that if I saw this on the self it would catch my eye, strictly for the design. On an earlier post it was mentioned that, “Good design can make a mediocre product sell well.” I think that in order for this product to sell well, it would be very important to have a successful design. I don’t think that this design is extremely visually pleasing, but I think that the designers were successful in solving the solution for the product. It is very simple, but still visually pleasing. 

Matt Hoffmann’s Post

The need for sincerity and humanity in design.

Good design can make a mediocre product sell well, and it can (for a short time) sell a bad product. But a great product with good design will sell itself ... eventually. A sincere advertising campaign can take your base logo/product design and bring to the people. The company I want to bring to your attention is Blendtec. Have you ever heard of them?

Have you ever heard the catch phrase “Will It Blend?”.  On a fifty dollar budget the inventor and founder of Blendtec, Tom Dickson more than quadrupled his blender sales by sincerely engaging people. How did Tom Dickson manage to engage these people?

1.Through his honest Character and personal charisma-He is an engineer, 

not a slick actor.

2.By appealing to a persons child like curiosity and wonder at destruction.

3.Having a quality product, and a quality logo to legitimize what Tom 

was doing.

4.No special effects, just one man blending footballs, cellphones, rakes, glow sticks, lighters etc.

This silly video series brought a fondness and admiration for a product that would otherwise be considered just another industrial appliance. His companies logo is not exceptionally brilliant, but it sticks in the mind of anyone who has seen his videos.

Here are some of his videos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnonj_84Ju4&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRr7N7A4Wc0

Bringing an element of humaneness and sincerity can transform your otherwise cold product into one that people view with fondness. Sincere design can bring people to view an otherwise cold corporation with a level of fondness, but if it is false sincerity it is easy to spot, and will hurt the companies image in the long run.  A good example of this hypocrisy cab be seen in PB. PB's ts logo is intended to show how “green” it is and imply that it is not a totally malevolent evil faceless corporation. After all they have pulled, I would have felt better about them being a faceless corporation, rather than this fake friendly image PB tries to sell.

Back to Blendtec, I am a very cynical person when it comes to “advertising” but in this one instance of a sincere social-media driven campaign, I am convinced of this products worth. While watching Tom Dickson happily destroy stuff with his super blender, you get an unspoken yet clear message: If you can blend (insert, Iphone, chicken, laptop, etc), then you know that this blender makes a mean smoothie. Tom presents the viewer a problem and lets you come to the obvious conclusion. Sincere design shows that the product your branding, you actually believe in and matters to you.

Mitchell Murry’s Post

I personally love Kleenex’s packing and the way they present themselves. Every holiday season they tend to come out with a special packing to make it fashionable to have a Kleenex package in your house.

When I was in Walmart recently, I noticed their new design. I was fairly impressed until I found some not so impressive  

Shown to the left is a more impressive box design for this years holiday season. They colors are rich and warm and provide the welcoming feeling to grab a Kleenex, even If you are in the worst mood possible or miserably sick.

Then you get down the isle and you see these really awkward boxes. I do not understand what they were thinking. Apparently they wanted a box that would fit in the kitchen. I do not see a lot of the holidays in these types of cakes and pies. Maybe the cherry’s and peppermint cake, but I do not want to be satisfied when I have a cold from a slice of cake or pie box Kleenex. It could be just the complete opposite designs that are conflicting for me. There does not seem to be any consistencies between the two holiday boxes and that is the main argument for me. 

Caitlin Martin’s Post

This is the design of my friend Lizzie Nelson, who graduated last year from JBU. She is in Colorado now pursuing her design career. I really like her design, partially because I can see so much of who she is in it. No matter what she does she somehow shines through.  She takes simple phrases and shapes and beautifully illustrates them, in doing this she accentuates beauty in simplicity. She also uses so many different mediums, which I think is brilliant. Her design is not just spent behind a screen, it is spent making things and photographing things. I think it keeps design fresh and exciting. I'm using her design because she's not a professional yet, she's someone who we can all relate to on multiple levels. Her work encourages me to really use the time I have here developing and honing my skill. I hope you enjoy!

Anna Rose’s Post

The Ramones emblem is recognizable throughout the world.  Its unique to their band and sets them apart from all the other rock bands out there who favor using edge-y typefaces surrounded by skulls, snakes, blood, demons, and whatever else is considered “bad to the bone”.  The Ramones logo is very well designed. I really like it and think it fits the band nicely. With this logo they have created a following, a community who devotes time and money into their music allowing the music and logo to be known all around the world.

Despite the uniqueness of this logo to the band the design really isn’t that original. The band’s logo is a collaboration of the United States Department of Defense seal and the Great Seal of the United States of America, along with a few original ideas from the band (or their designer). 

So I want to compare the difference in these three emblems. The Ramones version the eagle is holding a bat in its right claw instead of arrows (like in the US. Seal). Also on the Great Seal the banner says “E Pluribus Unum”, whereas the Ramones’ says, “look out below”. The arrows the Ramones use above their eagle are a similar idea to the Department of Defense logo where they have stars in-between lines. The stars are also incorporated in the Ramones logo circling the whole emblem. Finally the flag banner in the Great Seal was replaced in the Ramones with a military type banner.

In the end I still think the Ramones have a great logo design, even though they heavily incorporated world-wide known logos. They did a nice job blending the three logos together to create a unique and easily recognizable logo for their band. 

Emily Anderson’s Post

Our soda company project is already finished, but the other day I found a soda company that I thought had a really good concept and design. This company is called "The Switch". This company started with a man named Mike. Mike loved to drink healthy orange juice. But he thought it was really boring tasting. So he always mixed his orange juice with sparkling water. One day he decided to make a company from his drink. The Switch drinks are 100% natural juice but carbonated like soda.

The Switch is all about people making "the switch" from unhealthy sodas to their healthy drink. They especially are trying to promote their product in schools.

I really like their logo. "The" has been flipped upside down, which I think is quite clever. It exemplifies the fact that The Switch is different, opposite from common sodas. The symbol in the background resembles the transpose symbol, signifying that The Switch should take place of other sodas.

Another fun detail is that all the bottle caps have words on the inside. If you collect the right combination, you can send them in for prizes.

I think this company has a great image. Everything they do looks fun and appealing. (And I must admit, the sodas taste really good, unlike normal juice drinks)

Sara Taylor’s Post

There hasn’t been a lot of cool design in the medicinal world but I absolutely love these. The thing that grabs me most is the small compact size. I hate carrying around the normal tylenol bottle because the shape frustrates me and how it doesnt fit into my bag. The design of these are great. They're small and flat so you can fit them pretty much anywhere. I also like that they differentiate  by a simple boarder color change. It’s so simple but so effective. The short tag line “help. I have a headache.” fits well with the simplistic and clean nature of the design. If they had written a lot it wouldnt have worked quite as well.

Melissa Parkard’s Post

Based in Hood River, Oregon, Dakine was founded in Maui, Hawaii in 1979 by long-time surfer, Rob Kaplan.  Dakine quickly gained worldwide popularity through its first product, an innovative surf leash; which led to many additional surf related products. Dakine represents innovation, function and products that can be relied upon in the most ill-tempered conditions.  Dakine focuses on providing its customers with a full range of technical accessories for: Surfing, Windsurfing and Kiteboarding, Snowboarding and Skiing, Skateboarding, Mountain Biking, and other extreme sports.  In Hawaiian slang, “Da Kine” means “the best”.  The company has lived up to such a standard through its notably detailed design process.

Since researching effective branding and corporate identities the past few weeks, I have seen multiple examples of innovative and effective logos and packaging.  When reexamining everyday logos, for the soda label project, the Dakine logo stood out to me.  I use a Dakine brand bag every day and I have always admired the logo but it wasn’t until this project that I really examined what made the logo work. 

After researching Dakine products and labels, I learned that there are several variations of the logo.  However, there are two main versions; one is more feminine while the other is more masculine.  I enjoy the playful simplicity of the feminine logo design in particular.  The font choice is strong yet playful and elegant at the same time.  The way the ‘A’ and ‘K’ are connected creates a unique shape that is duplicated in the ‘E’ as well.  

I also think that the masculine version of the logo is a good solution.  The customize font, the strong lines, and sharp edges, communicate a strong presence.  The rounded edge on the ‘D’ and ‘e’ bring in the sense of the water or wind for the serf elements the brand stands for.  Overall, I appreciate the simplicity of both designs and feel that they communicate what Dakine is about.

Kristen Hanko’s Post

This design was made to support the restoration of coastal Louisiana and the Gulf. There are a limited-edition of 200 signed posters made by Anthony Burrill printed in BP oil from the recent oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The poster’s message is clear and moving with the bold statement of “Oil and Water Do Not Mix.” The oil was collected from the polluted beaches of Grand Isle, Louisina and then screen printed by hand in New Orleans. Burrill comments that “There is a perception among many people that the oil in the Gulf Of Mexico is just going to somehow disappear...For people in the Guld, including Louisiana, the effects of this disaster will be around for a long time.”

I love this design for a poster because the artist thinks outside the box. Rather than just designing the poster digitally to make it look like oil and then printing it off, he uses the resources around him to create a compelling poster made from actual oil! He goes out and does the extra work to make his project the best it can be, spending hours on the beach collecting shovels full of oil and getting a little messy. Also, he isn’t using this design to make money, but is making this because it is out of his own interest and concern and then donating his time, money, and effort by giving all the profits to a voluntary organization: GulfOfMexico2010.com. 

Words of the Week

Hello again. I got to pick the words of the week and I thought I'd post some that might be useful to know for your packaging project.

Die: A pattern or design of sharp blades that, when mounted on a press, are used to cut shapes out of paper or board.

Hairline Rule: Traditionally, the thinnest line that is possible to print. Usually 0.25 point.

Tummy Band: A strip of paper containing a sales message fixed around the middle of a publication [or package]. Also called a belly band.

Good luck finishing up!

Caleb Khazoyan’s Post

Strength.org Advertisement

This bit of local advertising for a relief organization (ShareOurStrength) caught my eye while eating out after church one afternoon. In particular I was struck by the typography, which generally seems to be quite nice. But what really caught my eye is that at first glance it almost reads “Buy Help”. Ironically that drew me in and caused me to read the rest of the ad because I wondered whether it was a mistake or intentional. Even after now reading the ad thoroughly and going to the site (a sign of a successful poster in this case, no?), I am still not honestly sure. Seems to work well nonetheless.

Another bit that struck me was the logo in the bottom left corner. While this is not the first time I have seen the concept, I believe this one is probably the best executed. Often designers creating this effect use the same face on both sides to give the icon a lot of nice symmetry. In the case of an eaten apple core, however, I think that the designer's lack of symmetry helps it a great deal. What it is remains very clear, and it still feels very stable (harder to achieve without symmetry). Also, just think about it: How often to we eat apples while leaving perfect proportions on all sides?

The typography of the logo is also worth noting. Ordinarily I'm very against this much variety amongst so little text, or even amongst the text throughout an entire poster. In this case, however, it seems to work very well. The use of color corresponds well to the rest of their ad campaigns (or perhaps that's the other way around?), and despite the changing weights it still feels like a very cohesive whole.

This brings me to the last bit I'd like to analyze, which is the color of the ad as a whole. Orange is not a common color in advertising. When it is used, it is either a) trying to be very in your face, such as with a toy advertisement or b) very very subtle, such as with, say, a pumpkin scented candle label. The color pictured here strikes me as neither. To me it resides in a very happy medium between an energetic, fast food feel (appropriate considering it was in a restaurant and concerns food) and an amount of subtlety and trustworthiness required for an aid organization. Orange is a hard color to pull off, and I believe this designer did it well.

Note: My apologies for the blurred imagery. It was taken with a friend's iPhone and it seems clarity was not his foremost concern. I tried for a better image the following week but the campaign had been removed by then. 

Brent Ellis’ Post

WHAT’S YOUR IDENTITY?
I am a member of Cross Church, at the Springdale Campus. Many people most likely have never heard of Cross Church. Why? It is the brand new identity of First Baptist Church of Springdale, and The Church at Pinnacle Hills. I would say a lot of people, even across the country have heard of those names, especially here in Northwest Arkansas. One would beg to ask the question, “Why change the name of a church so well known? Wouldn’t that minimize the recognition and legacy the church has built over the years?” While the well known name is no longer, at times, you must make a decision that may seem to be going backwards, but necessary to go forward.

In January 2011, we will be launching a new third campus in Fayetteville. With that, we would have First Baptist Church of Springdale, The Church at Pinnacle Hills, and the new campus, which would also need a name. You can’t simply carry over the name First Baptist Church of Springdale, because it has a specific location, which is why we have The Church at Pinnacle Hills, located in Rogers. Keeping in mind, this is all one church, many locations. If you continue to add names, it would not be recognizable as one church. Unity is very important for building a strong identity, the foundation really.

In recently researching about logos, the background of the organization is of great importance in the logo, as well as the name. Our missional vision is to “Reach Northwest Arkansas, America and the World for Jesus Christ.” We are a very cross-centered church. The logo is obviously reflective of that. The 3 crosses are a great representation of when Christ was crucified with the 2 thieves. One thing that is great about this logo, and that we have studied, is it works in black and white. No matter what medium this is placed on, be it a newspaper ad, a fax cover sheet or other publications that are primarily in black and white, it is still very recognizable. It is also good for sizing. Obviously it can go as large as needed, but can (and is) used as an end mark of articles in our church magazine. The type used on this logo is different than the last. It uses a Sans Serif font, where the last one was a serif font, very similar to the almighty, Trajan. I am not certain, but my guess is the choice is for a couple of reasons. The first being a new identity, you wouldn’t want it to look the exact same as the last and have a clear distinction between the two. The second being that it is a more modern and “youthful” font; that may not be the right word, but compared to Trajan, it is much more “youthful.”

The color choice for this logo is somewhat carried over from the last. The colors are a bit darker, but also adding a fourth and fifth color to the palette. The darker colors give more solidity and that’s a good thing. Nobody wants a logo that seems weak. The color is also an element that blends the mark and the type, with the maroon color in the mark, and the word “Cross.” The gray, also in the type, is a great combination that compliments these deep, rich colors.

One of the things we discussed in class is that simplicity is important, and I am learning that more and more everyday. I’m learning to love simplicity. Pastor Floyd mentioned many things about how this change will strengthen our identity, and he said something very profound; “By changing our name to Cross Church, we will strengthen our identity by providing: Greater simplicity, because less is more.” Our name and our mark, our identity, tell exactly who we are and what we are about; the Cross of Jesus Christ. The name change and logo both are very successful, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

Anna Rose’s Post

The FIFA World Cup has been around for many decades. The first logo was done in 1966 when the World Cup was held in England. Since then our technology has improved immensely allowing us to create better designs and logos.

The logo for FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa is a very nice solution for the problem of incorporating everything that represented the world cup for this year. I really love this logo because I think it captures the essence of soccer and the good-hearted and spirited nature of South Africa.

I believe the typeface chosen for this logo suits it very well. It has a very humanist feel to it and just has a really fun look to it, which goes well with the spirit of soccer.

The colors in the background of the logo actually are in the shape of South Africa (I didn’t notice this until recently).  I love how they incorporated the country but without stamping in on there. Also the colors in the background represent all the colors of the teams participating in the World Cup.

The interesting small icon in the top right corner is actually and abstract of the World Cup Trophy. Im not so sure if the that was the best placing for the icon of the trophy, especially since there the soccer ball is right next it, but it still works.

The figure kicking the ball is doing a bicycle kick. This kick was made famous by soccer legend Pele who played for the Brazil team and won 3 World Cups.

I think this is a really great logo. This logo is a very symbolic design, yet remains simplistic. It gets the point across well, and draws in the viewer. It’s not only fun and colorful, but it really incorporates the important information about the World Cup as well as capturing the essence of soccer in South Africa.

Sara Talyor’s Post

While looking at the design of different foods, I came across Justin’s Nut Butter. There was a small paragraph explaining that the design company, asked to redesign their packaging, had written in their design brief that they wanted to combine the company’s “culinary, natural, and fun qualities.” I think the new packaging does just that. The simple picture of the nut on the front makes me think they’re proud of the ingredients and they aren’t going to put a lot of crap into their product. The “all natural” underneath the nut also helps us know they care about their butter, along with the fun qualities. It’s a nut on a jar. The label makes me laugh a little each time I look at it. The handdrawn typeface helps it to feel carefree and simple.

Redesigning the packaging, the company also wanted to “increase distribution in fine food outlets without jeopardizing existing sales at lower-price supermarkets,” and I can see this packaging working well in both markets. The clean nature of it fits with finer food places, while the fun nature and white background will help it fit in among the lower-priced places.

I’m including a picture of what the labels were before. I can see it working with the lower priced markets but the old label would have definitely hindered them in the nicer food outlets.
http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/

A GAP Between Designer and Public

As some of us may be aware of, an interesting branding brouhaha broke out this past couple of weeks surrounded the rebranding of Gap. The company hired a NYC agency to lead the effort, and voila! The new Gap logo with little square was born, and Gap signed off on it. But, much the same way the new Seattle's Best logo has begun to slowly emerge rather than through a wholesale rebrand rollout, Gap's new logo had been leaked to an online public for early feedback and digestion ahead of a larger roll out. But, designer blogs were all abuzz about the effort. And, consumers expressed strong opinions closely matching the critical opinion of graphic designers. Nobody liked it. One blog made a game out of it and crowd-sourced the logo. Flop. That's another story: crowd-sourcing is amateur-sourcing. This was an encouraging side story to note—that our profession might be safer from the creeping crowd-sourcing phenomena than I previously thought. So, the president of Gap listened and announced today that we will not being seeing this. No change! A good move for Gap? I think probably so. But, they did generate a lot of buzz which can end in successful PR when the president announces that he listened and rescued his consumers from a bad move.

My opinion? They must have moved toward a rebrand as an effort to refresh the look. I don't think they have a positioning problem suspending Gap between the upper scale Banana Republic and the lower end Old Navy. I think they are firmly positioned nicely in between. Good. But, likely there is corporate buzz within the company desiring a refresh. Just a guess. But, I really do believe I have their refresh solution that will carry them the next 10-15 years before they need to revert back to the "classic" Gap logo: they need their logo to retain the same proportions, colors, and overall equity. But, simply go sans in a uniform weight. No thick and thin, no serif. These are the attributes of their current logo that have wrinkle lines. They just need a little facial. A rough draft of what I believe their solution should be is posted here although I would give them a pointy A instead of this round version. This would need a barely-discernable reduction in line weight, too. This might be ever so slightly too heavy. Just a thought for the day!