Amelia Klemm’s Post

“Aaaahhhh!! It’s a GIANT ANACONDA!!!”

That is probably the reaction that this advertisement gets about 20 times per block. This is what I call EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING. It is important to remember when designing for someone, to express the feel of the client while leaving a lasting impression. Of course, it has to fit the client and not all are as exciting as this one. As fun as a giant anaconda is, it may not be appropriate for a pediatrician’s logo. We wouldn’t want people screaming while taking their children in for a check up. You know, common sense stuff.

As far as this logo goes however, it definitely is wild! Which is just right for a zoo! It especially works since it’s big, in your face, and not something one might see every day. The fact that they incorporated it into the public transportation system which millions of people see every day works for them all the more. Very awesome, so very awesome.  

Rachel Doretti’s Post

Finally! Some creative wedding invitations! If I saw another half fold, filigree card I was going to scream. I love the creativity here with the typographic hierarchy and use of bold text and quirky symbols. This strictly text based design is unique especially since they used a letter press with antique type. I also really like the feature on the bottom of the card where there is perforation. That way the RSVP card does not get misplaced or left out of any card, it’s all in one. It also adds incentive to actually turn it in because it’s always right there! The elongated shape of the card is also very interesting and draws the eye downward as you read all of the logistics and details of the wedding and date. Their choice of bright oranges and red really compliment the brown paper they used. You can tell from the invitation that Abbey and Derek are a non-traditional couple that actually appreciates good design enough to spend the time and money on beautiful invitations.

Zack Hersha’s Post

I really like Infiniti’s ads that feature a simple gesture stroke. The brushstrokes they use is based from the design of their cars, and the concept is that their cars are simply elegant and creatively inspired. Just from looking at the gesture I can sense these elements that they associate with their cars.

Ian Barker’s Post

On my last post I showed a few album packaging designs that I thought were particularly nice.  S'pose I may as well continue the theme and check out some headphone package designs!

High end headphones often come in equally high end packaging.  The headphones I have were about $100 (which is quite cheap), and they came in a package that was not overly complex, but it required several steps to open it, all of which were easy and smooth and just made it feel like I was getting my money's worth (which I would have been even without the packaging, but still!).  It makes opening the new headphones feel like an event, and when you're spending anywhere from $100 to $1000 on a new pair of headphones, it's important that the company makes you feel like you really got your money's worth, even before you put them on.  The layout is good, but the overall construction feels very satisfying to open.

Of course while that package may feel good to open, it doesn't look particularly unique sitting on store shelves.  For a more eye-catching solution, Panasonic packaged their earbuds so that the buds were draped from the back of the box to look like musical notes.  It's a very clever and simple solution to making their product stand out.  It's only fault may be that it doesn't really say anything about what makes these particular headphones better than any others once you get past the packaging. 

Lastly, here's a pair of Sennheiser earbuds that boasts environmentally friendly packaging.  It's unique.  It's cheap to produce.  It's good for the environment, and from the looks of it, it's pretty easy to open.  Great design.  Like the Panasonics it doesn't say all that much about the actual headphones (in fact, it takes the risk of possibly cheapening the headphones in the eyes of consumers), but it does provide a compelling reason for buyers to choose these headphones aside from pretty packaging.  It combines economics and aesthetics.

Meghan Glenn’s Post

These are minute maid juice boxes. I think that they are awesome. The package design I think is great even though they are all squares and not the actual shape of the fruit that the juice is made out of, but just because they are all like that, I think it makes it ok. I don’t think these are actually for sale either, but I really wish they were, I would buy them. They are just really cute and creative. Like I said before I love that they are all squares and I love that they all have a little leaf with the name of the company on it. I really think that it was a good move to make the name of the company kind of small in comparison to the package design, because I think the design is fun enough to have people look at it for awhile, and so then they have time to find, because they like the package design, they will want to know what company it is by so they will then look for who did it. That’s what I did anyway. After looking at them for a while I wanted to know who did and with little effort I found it. Another reason why I think this works is 1. Because it is a very simple design, 2. No one has made juice boxes like this before. I know that there are lots of square shaped juice boxes but they aren’t perfectly square like these ones are. 

Jonathan Willett’s Post

While browsing www.dornob.com, one of my favorite design sites I came across these single serving wine glasses. It is simply a plastic wine glass filled with wine and a yogurt style foil lid. The idea behind this is genius though. Even if you get a single serving bottle of wine, you still have a separate glass to deal with. This eliminates that extra step. While this may not be suitable for more formal events, it is great for sporting events, large parties, or any events where you don't want to have to keep up with bottles and having to refill glasses. Right now Wine Innovations has two different brands available, The "Italian Job," and "Le Froglet." The glass is made of PET that mimics the look, feel, and weight of an actual wine glass, so it is the perfect alternative for areas where glass is not allowed. The logos are minimal,changing the color of the label to reflect the kind of wine, trying to keep the emphasis on the wine and the package itself. This seems to me to be a great design to both reduce waste and improve convenience.

Zachary Brown’s Post

I think one way you can tell if something is designed well is if you want to buy it, even if you don't plan on using it. You just like the packaging itself. I found myself in the same boat looking at these bottles of men's fragrances. (I should note that I would use them if I bought them. But even if it smelled awful, I would still get them.) The design company, Ah&Oh Studio, took their inspiration from "the great, dark literature and distinctive strong characters," and decided to make bottles of perfume named after different authors. The bottles are reminiscent of old perfume bottles, mixed with inkwells. The stoppers are heads of characters from a work by the respective author, and on the back of the bottle would be a quote from that same work.

I love this. I've always been a sucker for slightly cartoon-ish looking things, and the stoppers on these bottles definitely have that feel. The glossy black stoppers, the off-white bottles, and the bold type make the overall packaging feel very sleek and stylish, and the fact that they took their inspiration from literature might make one feel a bit cultured, thus wooing many fair ladies. (Always a plus!) I think Ah&Oh Studio did a fantastic job creating a themed fragrance packaging, without making it feel trite.

 

Brittany Spaulding’s Post

This is a new coffee shop down in Fayetteville called Mama Carmen's. It a coffee shop with a mission to help orphans in Guatemala. I not only admire the business side of the way they do things I also like there logo because it ties in both the business and the missional aspect of the company. I have became increasingly aware of logos this semester and have been noticing how many bad one's there are out there, but this logo I think does a good job of communicating to the customer what they are about helping & coffee. I like the color in it and the actual mark itself is pretty cool. It's a face (made to look like a child) with a coffee handle attached to it. I think that it's sleek and modern and the overall feel of it ties in really well with the coffee shop itself when you go to it. As a brand they have done a really good job because in the parenthesis you could put whatever the product your selling is and such. So not only is their coffee/tea selection is fantastic there logo is pretty great as well.

Dustin Kessler’s Post

I was browing www.thedieline.com and I stumbled across this packaging.
What jumped out at me first was the super bold numbers.  Just sitting there, staring at you, saying "oh, hi, look at me."

And you did.  Didnt you?  Thought so. 

I honestly didn’t even know what the packaging was, but I had already seen the numbers, and they drew me in. Oh typographic syntax, you old dog. 

So, as Demaris would say, I grabbed what I like to call the ole' reading glasses and investigated further. Office supplies.  Really?  I mean...office supplies?  Thats awesome.

Something so super simple and ordinary with such awesome design.  Definitely know where I’m buying office supplies when I need them.

Anyways, on to the actual design aspect of it.  The solid color backgrounds of the packaging not only help explain the product without any typographic help, but they also allow for a clean base for the bold text to stand out from.  For example, with the paper and pencils, both backgrounds suggest the product they're selling, while the packaging that says "BLACK" helps the text stand out with the use of a black background. As for the type on the packaging, the important words are bold and stand out well; WHITE, PUSH PINS, PENCILS, ADHESIVE, etc etc. 

I love the simplicity of this and the clean execution of the minimalistic combination of type and solid color palettes.

Lance Brandt’s Post

Pantogar Note Pad

I found this memo pad that is part of Pantogar's advertising campaign. Pantogar is a company who specializes in hair loss products, and the prevention of hair loss. This note pad is a great way to show how hair loss takes toll over time. The more notes you use, the less hair the man starts to get. Once the hair (pages) are all gone, the man looks completely bald, and no one wants that. I thought it was a great way to get people to realize the effects of hair loss, while using a product that they see daily. The most effective advertising campaigns seem to be those that are very practical. Companies are going to have success if they can create something that people are going to see and use everyday, because then it is a daily reminder. Pantogar took a very simple product and made it into something fun and useful, and also get their point across. Who doesn't want to have a not pad that looks like a man with an awesome haircut?

Katlyn Tweedy’s Post

While eating out with my friends at one of my favorite restaurants, Chick-fil-a J, I came across this sweet little ketchup packet. I was really excited about it, so much so that my friends definitely did not understand why I cared so much. Then I got to explain to them why I appreciated it so much. We just finished up doing a project about packaging, and I think this is a great example of good packaging. It is functional in a way that is easy for the user to understand. It serves two purposes: dipping (by peeling up the lid down at the bottom) or squeezing (by tearing off the tip of the package at the top. AND! It also contains the amount equivalent to three of the regular ketchup packets.
I appreciate when people redesign things that are common uses into ways that make more sense, and are even a little fun to use!  Props to Heinz designers…

Ron Asbill’s Post

When dealing with a charity that is as visual as the automotive industry I found the most appealing types to be event brochures that allowed me to go and see what their organization was actually doing in my community.  I looked at several types of brochure formats and found that more information that could be included along with the text seemed to appeal to and keep the attention of those prospective clients like myself engaged.  While design and text are the fundamental ingredients to any successful brochure idea, image content or deliberately placed key words are what draw those reluctant individuals to your brochure.  My example would be a simple statement that I found while doing my research for our brochure topic that navigated me toward the creator’s web page. Even though I loathed the statement and belief of the creator, I was amazed at how I was drawn to his product page. This is the same principle I believe we are attempting to incorporate into our brochures. The image below is a standard calendar that to me has very little appeal to anyone that would be walking by a display of brochures. 

While seemingly just a calendar this is actually a brochure example I found on the web. This style incorporated a bi-fold design with a retro feel towards classic cars and a feel of cruising around the town. The next example is a fantastic design that caught my eye and actaually caused me to look at their product.

When I considered this as a project brochure I wanted to incorporate this feel of imagery coupled with the information of a product that I was wanting to draw attention to and raise money for. In order to do that I needed to base the information, or text part of my project on a design that I felt was interesting and yet not too overwhelming. This final example is what narrowed my selection down to the final topic I chose.

A great design layout coupled with basic information and fabulous imagery content is what I feel leads to any successful brochure for any cause. I liked this layout because it had an energetic yet organized feel to it that moved around the brochure. It showcased the product and encouraged the reader to look for more information about the products offered. To me this concept is not much different from the charity brochure assignment and accomplishes the same desired effect when given a call to action or an emotional response element.

Jenny Redfern’s Post

I was really having trouble deciding what exactly to write about this time, so I decided to go through my room and look at the packaging and design of products I use on a regular basis.  Mostly, I found products with designs that were really boring, but a couple stood out.  Probably the one that stood out the most was the packaging and design for the tampons U by Kotex.
        I won’t go into the details of this feminine product line, but basically, their whole campaign is based on the idea of “breaking the cycle.”  U by Kotex set out to create a product that was completely different from any other tampon, and they achieved this in a couple of ways.
        One way they accomplish this is through packaging.  The box is black, a stark contrast from the pearly whites and light pastels of other brands.  Then, it uses bright, bold colors for the wrappers and actual products.  Each box has multiple colors which states that this product is far from boring.
        They also do a really good job of communicating this idea through their advertising.  The U by Kotex commercials basically make fun of other tampon commercials.  The woman in the commercial says, “Buy the same tampons as me, because I am wearing white pants and I have great hair and you wish you could be me.”  The commercial ends by saying, “Why are tampon commercials so obnoxious?” (You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOM4AMV050A.)
        Another part of the campaign focuses on how uncomfortable people are with talking about periods.  So, U by Kotex created advertisement to “break this cycle.”  This poster exemplifies boldness this brand has created.  It also documented and videoed a boyfriend asking customers at a store to help him pick out tampons for his girlfriend.  The results were both humorous and astonishing, but it once again captures the concept U by Kotex has created and pushed it further.
        Overall, I think U by Kotex has put together an effective campaign.  They have a strong concept and they have implemented it into every part of their design and marketing strategy. 

Katrina Pohle’s Post

Bath and Body Works

Bath and Body Works has always been a place I have loved going into.  When I was kid I used to buy all bath and body works products.  I think that they have a great company because they can relate to many groups of people.  They have special lotions, hand sanitizers, soaps and other items for children, men, and women.  Bath and Body Works knows how to appeal to people.  They use images on their products that attract attention.  Not only that but, they also have themes for different holidays.  I used a picture of Christmas themed products as an example.  Their designs that go along with different themes are great for gifts and that is what the company is all about.  I like the fact that Bath and Body Works uses fruits and other images that represent the scent on their products.  Bath and Body Works does have expensive products although, the also know how to design their products to gain interest in the public.

Kellsi Spalding’s Post

I always like to look at logos because they are everywhere and such a big part of graphic design. I found this logo on logo lounge and it really stood out. I like it because it is not too busy or complex. It gets straight to the point and people can identify the company as soon as they see it. I find that there is alot of repitition in logo design and I feel like this logo does something different than what has been done before. Personally, I like the bottom image that is the fully rabit with just a few subtle elements to make it seem crazy. I think simple is better and that they have done a great job with this design.

Matthias Roberts’ Post

A couple days ago one of the guys on my hall, who is an upper level design major, came into my room and showed me what you see below. The design is pretty self-explanatory - it's a ketchup packet with a picture of a kid's legs. When you open the packet you essentially 'rip off' the leg and blood (ketchup) pours out. On the reverse side, the design calls attention to the fact that there are many countries where land mines are all over the place. 

Regardless of how appetizing this makes the ketchup (I don't eat ketchup, and this makes me want to eat it even less), I feel as if this design is extremely effective. It evokes emotion (disgust, fascination, awe) and is definitely interactive. It literally forces the consumer to think about the land mine issue, and provides an easy call to action (donate by text message). I want to donate just from seeing a picture.

Throughout the semester in Graphic Design Two we have placed a large amount of emphasis on social concerns, or organizations that are humanitarian in one aspect or another. Because of this emphasis, I have started to notice design relating to these concerns much more than I'm used to. As we all know, many (if not most) humanitarian organizations suffer from horrible design, making good design stand out more. This is one of those designs that stands out, and not only that, it sticks with you.

-Matthias

Megan Toney’s Post

Package design. It's been my favorite part of this class by far. And this weekend when my 13-year-old brother unwrapped this box of  his new Dr. Dre's headphones, I realized how much package design affects the consumer's opinion of the product.

I have three examples: First is this olive oil packaging. I've heard over and over that if your design is just as great without something, then leave it out. These bottles do an excellent job of communicating this tropical feel without alot of extra. Most of this comes through the actual presence of the flaovring. There are garlic gloves, rosemary, and lemons actually in these flavored oils bottles. It was such an interesting ooo and ahhh moment. They might have gone overboard with the rough cork and the thick twine, but overall there is a tropical elegance.

Next, is the coconut water. Even though it is white packaging it simulates the look of the cocnut water and whatever additives there are. Simple, clean. I like.

Third is much different and not minimalistic. It is this creamer, but the feel/emotion they want to convey is only added to by their packaging. IT'S FUN! USE THIS CREAMER the bright colors really shout, but -surprisingly- not obnoxiously so. I enjoyed it. I notice packaging all the time now and the creative ones (that aren't so by going overboard) are my favorites.

Sarah Crawford’s Post

Check this out! "Not a Box" lighting. Designer David Graas is already known for his cardboard designed furniture. Moving on from this, he began designing a creative set of "Not a Box" lighting. The box that the parts come in actually forms the lamp. Cut out designs on the side appear to form the shape of the lamp which is inside the box. However, the box IS the lamp. Did I mention this is fully recyclable? Tree huggers and designers alike will flock toward this latest design concept from David Graas. After some quick assembly, the consumer will have 
a very unique cardboard "Not a Box" lamp.

 

Katie Poteet’s Post

To me, creativity is thinking outside of the box and doing what hasn’t been thought of or done before, so when I saw these pictures I got really excited about where creativity had taken this designer. It is as if, this artist had finally decided that their canvas just wasn’t big enough so they decided to start designing the floor. This particular type of floor art is for cement, and can be added either while the cement is still drying or after the cement is dry. The end result is something very beautiful and also something intriguing; the floor has just become someone’s artwork that you get to walk all over.

 

Johnathan Lancaster’s Post

The BMW logo

Logos are all around us whether we realize it or not. A logo that we are for sure to see on a daily basis is a car logo. They all have a certain appeal to the public and establish an image for the company as well as describe the company. A logo I think that does a good job is the BMW logo.

Although the BMW company didn’t start off as a car manufacturer, it has definitely had an impact on the world of automobiles. The BMW company is known for elegance and maintaining a top-notch performance with their car designs and technology. Even thought the logo has changed over the years, it has been a stable and firm logo. The BMW logo is a recognizable and an accurate descriptive logo of the BMW firm. With the silver outer ring to the bold black ring, the inner blue and white colors, to the typography, this logo is the company. The typography used fits the style perfectly and also contributes to the pictorial part of logo in showing what the BMW firm is all about.

I find this logo appealing and helps in showing that logos don’t always have to be complicated, but that simplicity can communicate a strong message just as good, or sometimes even better. Hopefully, I can one day I can get my own BMW and see the logo everyday, as well as appreciate a classy, elegant, awesome car.

My apologies’ to David Amonsen

I was reviewing the recent blog posts and noticed that I accidentally left out about half of David Amonsen’s post. I am sorry and I have corrected the mistake. Please check out what he wrote.

Trey Harper’s Post

I liked the the black brochure with the squares cut out in it the most, I mean I haven't seen very many designs like that before and its really cool. It has a very cool clean look to it. 








I think the other brochure has a better design though, I mean the design goes very well with their company and appeals the the audience they are trying to reach in my opinion,  overall i think both are very clever designs.

David Amonsen’s Post

Hello all,

I break my Lenten movie fast to bring you a (somewhat lengthy) discourse on Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” which I frequently use to answer those wondering what my favorite film is. My primary reason for doing so is its incredible production design, which has had almost incalculable influence on my artistic sensibility and served as inspiration for many design projects, personal and academic, over the years.

Many have heard of this film, but few these days seem to have actually seen it.  For those uninitiated, the story is simple: a crew of astronauts on their way back to Earth divert from their course to investigate a mysterious signal coming from a distant planet. While exploring the surface, they find a crashed alien vessel that is filled to the brim with what appear to be eggs. When one of them hatches and the creature inside latches onto one of the crewmembers, they decide to bring their comatose comrade and his new “friend” back to their ship for study. As in many other horror films, this proves to be a huge mistake; before long, a big, deadly alien monster is stalking them through the corridors, and their only chance for survival is to corner and destroy it.

You can see why much is made of the fact that “Alien” was originally slated for production under a tiny budget and release as a “B-list” thriller. It certainly sounds like a cheesy 50’s monster film. But what elevated it above the status of pure schlock was Ridley Scott’s decision to pursue a grungier aesthetic than that of other science-fiction films of the time. This “used future” visual style was every bit as revolutionary as the visual effects in “Star Wars,” and as a result “Alien” has been frequently imitated over the decades (but never bettered).

The visual style of “Alien” bears special relevance to our recently completed project, which involved the design technique of “branding.” With the creation of his “used future,” Ridley Scott essentially developed a brand all his own. It would become a theme in several of his future films and remain a trademark of the “Alien” franchise in the three installments that succeeded his own. But it is even more interesting to note the parallels that Scott draws between different locations in “Alien.” The picture above is a still frame of one of the first shots in the film, as the human spacecraft Nostromo broods quietly, awaiting the awakening of its crew from stasis. Now check out the still frame below, taken from the sequence detailing the crew’s exploration of the alien craft:

Look at the highlights; look at the texture on the walls and the shape of the corridor as a whole. The design is more organic in nature than that of the human ship, but when you think about it the two are fairly analogous in terms of atmosphere and structure. Also compare the shapes in this shot of the cryosleep chamber (below)…

…to this shot of crewmember Kane inspecting the hatched egg just seconds before he is attacked (also below).

The canopies of the cryo tubes are designed to emulate flower petals, as are the textured panels on the bulkheads in the background… and, most disturbingly, as are the top edges of the grotesque, malevolent ovoid. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get the sense that the production designers of “Alien” meant for these similarities to exist. Furthermore, I’d venture to claim that it is for this very reason (among others) that this film so utterly horrified audiences when it was released in 1979. We realize, even if only subconsciously, that the environment on board the Nostromo (even the more hospitable areas, like the cryosleep chamber) is not so very different from the environment on the alien vessel. When we later learn that a full sized monster is roaming about, then, this similarity instantly makes the once-innocuous (or at least recognizably human) interiors of the Nostromo terribly oppressive and threatening.

Of course, it also helps the utter destruction of our sense of security that Scott chooses to break from cliché and set the film’s most startling and infamous scene (it is frequently listed among the scariest in film history) in the crew dining room, which is one of the most brightly lit and apparently “safe” locations on board the ship. It is pictured above, as the surviving crew looks on in horror at the violent “birth” of the monster that will eventually grow to stalk them.

More importantly to the issue at hand, however, we see numerous examples of another strategy by Scott to sell his used future “brand.” He, like any good designer, knows that in order to create authenticity and consistency of vision (or even product, if you like), attention to detail is essential. For example, notice the irony implicit in the costume of Brett (second from the left). His official Nostromo cap (even complete with an official mission patch – someone designed that, too!) contrasts sharply with the flamboyant Hawaiian shirt that replaces, in his case, the more utilitarian white uniforms adorning the other three characters in the shot. Brett, like the ship, is part of the “used future”: regulation and protocol have been gradually thrown out the window as the months pass in endless spaceflight. See also the navigational logo signs on the bulkhead behind Captain Dallas (far right). Nostromo is shown throughout the film to be a cavernous ship, seemingly understaffed with only seven crewmembers to begin with. It logically follows, then, that directional cues would need to be given to crewmembers … but many lesser design teams might overlook this simple but helpful detail.

Truth is, I could easily see myself writing a year’s worth of papers on “Alien,” but I fear that I have already overstayed my welcome. Suffice it to say that this film is as good an example of a uniform artistic concept applied evenly to many different designs (or in this case locations and props) as any well-conceived soda package or what have you. Branding (in a loose definition of the term) is everywhere – even the movies.

 

 

Rachel Pontier’s Post

Sometimes we go through life every day, never really paying much attention to what we are looking at. Perhaps one of the companies we are most familiar with in the United States is Johnson & Johnson. On taking a closer look, their logo and package design is quite well done, and directly fits with the theme of the company.

The Johnson & Johnson logo actually originated from the signature of James Wood Johnson, one of the three founders of the company.  While most other logos during that time were simply well-set type which was then printed on a label, this handwritten swing off Johnson’s signature quickly set it apart as an effective, competitive mark. The very personal feel of the logo fits well with the goal of Johnson & Johnson as they market themselves as “A Family Company.”  The Johnson & Johnson logo has not changed much throughout the years and is still effective today as it is combined with more modern packaging.

Concept aside, the translation of Johnson’s signature into a typographic mark is easy to read, despite the fact that it is hand written. It also has the fun perk of having the ampersand connecting to the “J”. The Johnson & Johnson logo is also clean and streamlined, which fits with the type of products the company sells.