Apologies...

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I am on placement at the moment but I will try my best to keep posting something.

Nike: Play Colourful! Viral Advert

This is a brilliant viral advert from Nike playing upon Japanese humour to create a bizarre yet captivating visual narrative. The viral involves a mob of what can only be described as ninjas / power ranger-like characters harassing Japanese business men. I feel this viral works because you only see the brand for a split second towards the end, if branding had been placed throughout the viral it would have looked too staged and fake whereas the final delivery has a gutsy edge to it. Enjoy!

Ironing Out the Creases

I thought this was a great internet advert for Electolux Dryers that visually extends upon the function of the product. The web ad starts off completely crumpled but as your cursor rolls over the advert the creases get ironed out to reveal the full advert with copy that reads 'We were thinking why not let the dryer help with the ironing?'.

'Lucas With The Lid Off' - Lucas. Dir. Michel Gondry

This is possibly my favourite music video I have come across. It is, to me, one of Michel Gondry's best pieces of work. It involves a large studio set divided into several scenes. The main character, Lucas, performs whilst weaving through these scenes creating a continuous flow throughout the video. The best thing about this video is that it is one take, the movement from scene-to-scene and the placement of the camera, props and action has been timed to perfection by Gondry. The use of the camera to fool the audeince is used as well (for example, a 90 degree angle is used in the bed scene to fool the audience into thinking Lucas is lying horizontally, when the camera flips it is revealed that his legs were actually off the end of the bed - to make this more convincing even elements of the set were placed on their side).

Anyone interested in film or the production of music videos who hasn't seen this piece needs to watch it and appreciate the amount of thought that has gone into it.

Magazine Spread - Personal Work

Below is some of my own personal work stemming from the icount illustration by James Joyce. This is an idea to create a magazine spread for my local area, the purpose being to infrom an audience of the developments in their locality without throwing stats at them. I have treid to create as much space as possible and really draw attention to the illustration which is very much part of the developments that will be raised in the spread (once it is complete!). Please let me know what you think...

Arabic Typography - Damascus, Syria

Below is a collection of images from my travels to Damascus, Syria. I have selected these images becuase they show the use of Arabic typography/ calligraphy in a real-life scenario working to inform as well as embellish. I found alot of similarities between Eastern and Western use of typography. Alot of typography was used to inform (this is logical as it is a simple method of communication). One thing I did find was tht calligraphy was alot more dominant in the Eastern culture, with traditional calligraphers selling their work on the street - each piece being a detailed visual presentation of the Arabic language. Shop Fronts seemed to use calligraphy in different ways; the amount that the signage was embellished or decorated seemed to be a good indicator of the stsus of the shop (with the more traditional and up-market shops selling cloth and antiques having extremely embellished shop signage). I also noticed that the more modern shops in the city centre were using LED lighting and neon instead of embellishment - the Arabic would be more minimal but woud be backlit to create a modern look.

I also found Hezbollah flags hanging from the ceiling of the market halls. The flag uses different variations of Arabic to create a striking visual. According to Wikipedia the bottom of the Flag reads, "The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon." The upper text reads,"Then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant." (Quran 5:56) The main part of the Flag is the Hezbollah logo which is a representation of the phrase "Party of God" rendered inKufic script which I personally find the most bulky and masculine of all of the Arabic writing styles. The first letter of 'Allah' reaches up to grasp a rifle.

From a design point of view this logo communicates a very clear message even without having to understand the Arabic language, the use of the rifle and the clanched fist suggests violence, war and revolution. As stated earlier the Kufic script is also very masculine and has a very strong and confident 'tone-of-voice' which is also reflected in the boldness of colour and line.

My response to James Joyce Illustration

Below is my own illustration work loosely influenced by the work of James Joyce. The message 'making a difference' within the tree is refering to a recent tree-planting initiative set-up in my local area by the City council and I wanted to try and raise the profile of the event with the illustration.I have also tried the same image with colour, please let me know what you think.

James Joyce - icount Illustration

I was looking at the icount 'Stop Climate Change' book published by Penguin and I came across illustrations by James Joyce. I really like the use of line to create interesting visuals (from simple lines creating geometric shapes to elegant swirls creating trees and smoke). His drawings have the feel of children's illustration but are dealing with complex situations like climate change.

I feel that it is extremely appropriate to use a medium like illustration to get across a message as important as climate change. People might argue that this type of illustration is making-light of a serious situation but I feel that in order to inform an audience of ways to prevent drastic climate change without boring them then visual devices like illustration act as a way to do this.
For example, the illustration below carries a simple message about the environmental cost of vehicles. This illustation, to me, says more than a long-winded document about fuel-emissions.
I feel that design will have an important role in persuading people to change their current living habits and inspiring people to do something about a global issue. I don't mean to say that every designer needs to jump on the eco-bandwagon but good design and illustration (like the pieces above) can reach audiences who may be numb to facts and figures.

Environmentally Friendly Packaging

This week's issue of Design Week had a section about the new Daylesford Organic milk pouches. This form of packaging is made from a completely new material called Ecolean, a plastic made from 40% calcium carbonate (chalk) with polymers used only as a binding agent. This means that at the end of the lifecycle the calcium carbonate can be separated again and the binding agent turned into water vapour and carbon dioxide after complete dergradation i.e. after incineration.

This got me thinking about other forms of packaging. I am working part-time in retail at the moment and the amount of plastic and waste created by the store could surely be reduced. I was looking at ways this could be done and I saw Tom Dixon's polo designs for Lacoste.


The packaging was designed to show awareness of environmental issues. However, I feel this is more aesthetic than practical. When an item of clothing enters the store it is pre-packed in plastic, unpacked, sold and then put into a plastic bag to be taken away. This doesn't make sense. I understand that the pre-pack protects the clothing but surely there could be another way? Plastic bags are used in high street retail but what is the reason? image? to prevent water damage?

I was thinking what if the clothing was packaged in another way, perhaps in an aluminium can so that it is protected from damage and cuts out any need for plastic. All aluminium and steel cans are recyclable and can be recycled an infinite number of times without loss of essential properties. The can could then be placed in a paper bag that can be fully recycled.

Dizzee Rascal - 'Sirens' dir. W.I.Z.

After watching the short film 'Cubs' by Tom Harper I remembered seeing a recent video for Dizzee Rascal's 'Sirens'. The video follows a similar theme as 'Cubs' with Fox Hunting in an urban setting but what I liked about this music video was the use of symbolism. Fox Hunters riding through a housing estate creates a really interesting visual which seemingly has no relevance to the song until you realise that Dizzee Rascal is being hunted down like a fox. The Fox Hunters are a powerful metaphor for the police and authority and the way that some people feel that the police 'clamp down' on gangs and youth culture.

A really clever aspect of this video is the fur coat that Dizzee Rascal wears, it works as a symbol for youth and 'hoody' culture but also acts as a visual tool to represent the fox (at the end of the video the fur from the coat is drenched in blood and smeared over the youngest hunter in the pack as part of the ritual of the hunt).

The end of the video shows the young boy (presumably related to Dizzee) watching the 'kill' and ultimately becoming what one can only assume will be a trouble-maker. This suggests that although authority is put in place to stop crime it can sometimes develop or perpetuate crime.

Lucha Libre: Good vs Evil

I was watching TV the other night and I came across Jack Black's recent film 'Nacho Libre'. The film involves a monk (Black) becoming a Luchador (Mexican wrestler). Although this film wasn't particularly well received it portrayed some aspects of Mexican culture and the importance of Lucha Libre.

A common characteristic (and the most intriguing from a design point of view) of nearly all Luchadors is the wearing of a mask to wrestle.


There are several reasons for the development of the mask in Lucha Libre and Mexican Culture. Lucha Libre was very popular in working-class Mexico and wrestlers often would have a day job as well; the mask was a means of keeping their athletic career separate to the rest of their life. A more primal reason for the use of the mask is the creation of a persona.Wrestling in its simplest form is entertainment that borrows from archetypal imagery and ritual. Every society has an understanding of good verses evil through mythology and religion. Lucha Libre is no different; wrestlers fall into two categories: the hero (techino) and the villain (rudo) and the battle between good and evil is represented in some form in every match. The mask allows the luchador to fully become the character they represent and protect their true identity - this is very similar to comic book superheros who take on their status through their costume; they are no longer 'human' but instead a living icon. Wearing a Luchador mask is to deny an opponent your true identity and to become the character the mask represents. To be 'unmasked' by an opponent is to lose this identity/ reveal that the luchador is only human.

Whilst researching Lucha Libre I noticed, as with many sports, there are shared archetypal images with religion. For example, the 'church' is the wrestling arena and the battle between good and evil is well documented in many religious texts in some form or another.

Design for the Visually Impaired

"There are two million people with sight problems in the UK. Good design can make websites, information, products, services and buildings accessible to them."

RNIB Website (accessed 13th July 2007)

I have recently been doing some design-based work with my local council and have come across some real-life issues surrounding design and accessibility of information. Any document designed for the council needs to adhere to certain constraints in order to provent neglecting certain memebers of the public. For example, members of the public with visual impairements may have difficulty reading certain typefaces etc.

I found a list of a few design considerations that need to be thought about when designing for the the general public. These aren't strict rules but instead suggestions made by RNIB to maximize readability in design for print.

This is a real issue in design as nearly all of design is primarily about visual stimulus and it seems unusual to consider even thinking about design without this but making your work more accessible can be as simple as using a minimum pt size of 12.

Some of the guidelines I find difficult because they almost stifle creativity. The Marc Quinn Exhibition Catalogue by North Design uses a unique layout on some of its spreads where the breaks in text are spaces instead of paragraph returns. Although this is visually interesting the mere fact that it has broken the convention of the left-alignment and paragraphing means that members of the public with sight problems become alienated - as finding the start of a new line or paragraph will become difficult due to the fact there is no set format to follow.

D&AD Horror Film Festival Poster - Rick Banks

I was looking through some past issues of Computer Arts and I came across some work by Rick Banks (a recent graduate from Cumbria Institute of the Arts). I had a look at his site and found his D&AD entry for the Horror Film Festival poster. I really like his simple use of type and colour to create a confident and well-produced design.

I thought screenprinting was a good touch for this poster and I also thought that the glow-in-the-dark ink mask was a great addition to a good idea. It really enhanced the concept of the poster and also took advantage of the fact that when in a dark room (i.e. when the films are played at the festival) they will glow!



Check out his website for some other great work as well as pictures of his work process for these posters!

The Mangle Badge Show - Limited edition set of badges

I really like the format of these limeted edition badges designed by New Future Graphic. I like the way the underlying image relates to the images on the badge faces, it is a really simple yet nice touch and shows the company's attention to detail

Albatross Waltz - Simon Roswell Carter

Magnus Berg - Manatees CD Cover

This is a fantastic CD cover designed by Magnus Berg and featured in Computer Arts' Graduate Showcase 2007. This is a really good example of how good illustration and design can be enhanced by knowledge of printing techniques.

"This album cover was printed with a spot varnish and then foil-blocked in bronze. It shines!" - Magnus Berg

Graphic Design in the Middle East

Since my travels to Damascus last year I have become very interested in Graphic Design and the development of Design in the Middle East. Alot of the design produced by Arabic speaking countries is based heavily around typogrpahy as Arabic is a beautiful language with alot of elegant contours that work well on posters.

I was delighted to find work from the East that I haven't seen before on Anna Stratigaks' Blog today. The work of Reza Abedini is really interesting becuase it combines arabic typography with illustration to produce Graphic Art, this was something I have been experimenting with and my illustrtation for D&AD New Blood was probably the most successful example of this:
This was a combination of my father's Arabic (handwritten) and my illustration influenced by Middle Estern Photojournalism.

Below are some example's of Abedini's Graphic Art:


I love the juxtaposition of the elegant contours of the Arabic typography with the almost 'urban' imagery and English Caps.

Martin Hill

I saw Martin Hill's work on a postcard and felt the need to research his method and reasoning fo his sculptures. On his website he describes his work as being

'informed by cyclic principles on which nature works,'

In other words, his sculptures use natural elements but are temporary sculptures and the elements return to nature.

Here is one of his first sculptures 'Stone Cirlce'...

The sculpture uses pumice stones threaded onto a bent willow stick. When seen at the right angle the reflection of the arh creates a full cirlce. Once the photograph was taken the sculpture would have been taken apart.

Also, here is Hill's 'Floating Stones'...


Porous pumice stones can float and Hill has taken advantage of this. Small sticks were placed in the sand beneath the surface of the water to keep the stones in place. I feel this is more successful than the previous sculpture becuase this formation is very delicate and can be naturally destroyed and taken back by nature (which is Hill's ethos) whereas the 'Stone Circle' would have required some physical construction.

'I Dress Myself' Promotional Package

I was looking on Creative Review's Blog today and I found a blog on D&AD New Blood. The Blog featured screen prints from Nick Saunders as well as some of his other work. I really liked the promo pack that he developed for screen-printing specialists 'I Dress Myself'. Below are some images of the promo pack, I feel that the design really captures the ethos of the company and has a very artistic and hand-made touch which is a popular trend in the professional design world at the moment.

Leo Burnett Website

www.leoburnett.com

I was browsing the internet and found the Leo Burnett website. I really like the way the website works; the site begins as a signature (above) that falls apart into different components that eventually become links.

A really nice addition to this is the fact that your cursor is the pencil and your movements on the website become a continuous pencil line...

Night of The Marabou - Gig poster

I really like this gig poster. It is a screenprinted poster for an electric night of bands and dj's held by The Evening Tweed design company. The artwork on the poster is by Sarah King.

I really like the splattered paint effect with the hand-rendered text cut out of the paint (through simple layering in Photoshop). The detail in the screenprint also shows the 'scratchy' and incomplete pain surface which is visually very interesting.

The typography is simple hand-rendered caps but works really well; I really like the use of scale to fit longer lines within the negative space created by the large copy.

Seripop

This is a poster from the two person design company Seripop. I really like the hand-rendered typography and think it really works with the image of the cathedral.

Stop Motion Music

Marc Quinn Exhibition Catalogue

Above is a double page spread from a catalogue (designed by North) for an exhibition of the work of Marc Quinn held at the Kunstverein Hannover Gallery in Germany.

The really unique thing about this catalogue is the use of layout. The copy is set across the double page and is separated into two seemingly random sections. The information is presented in both English (left column) and German (right). The underlying structure of the page is an eight-column vertical grid, the right copy has been allowed more space as typically a German line of text is 1.4 times the size of English.

The Bibliography and any additional text is placed between the two main columns in red to create a nice visual divide. The thing I really like about this layout is that rather than using paragraph returns the designers have used spacing creating irregular gaps in the body of text. Usually gaps like this would be avoided at all costs but it works when the copy is dense like it is in this example.

The only criticism I would have of this layout is that a person with visual imparements would struggle to read the copy on many levels. The copy is too dense (not enough leading between lines), andd the lack of paragraphing makes it easy to lose track - In other words the lack of order means that things that should start in the same place, like the beginning of a paragraph, don't match up.