Pizza Express Menu

I went to Pizza Express this evening and was presented with the 'new look' menus. Initially all I saw was a blurry image of a couple on the front of a menu, no logo and the digital information of the photograph running down the side of the image. I was completley thrown, Pizza Express usually has highly illustrated covers to their menu and to be confronted with a holiday snap seemed to be completely unsuitable. However, I was wrong. When you open the menu the first thing you see is...


For me this blurb tied everything together and justified the holiday snapshot style of the front cover. The blurb reads '...Not the Rome from postcards, but the real Rome.' In context this suggests that the new pizzas and the new menu reflect a true glimpse of rome and doesn't sugarcoat or touch-up real life.

This is a really bold design and although I initially hated the fuzzy and cheesy images they really strengthen the concept. My only issue with some of the imagery is that while some look genuine, others look blatantly staged (which completley goes against the idea of reflecting the real Rome). Other than that this is a really strong concept.

Lyricist Lounge feat. Nate Dogg, Mos Def & Pharoahe Monch - 'Oh No'

This music video is another example of type in motion but this time with the visual aid of the people saying the words. The typography is bold and often becomes a self-contained image or a snapshot within the video. The more successful and subtle use of film and typography in this music video is where the hip-hop artists rap into the camera and the lyrics flicker around them (often overlayed and possessing keyframed opacity to suggest movement in time - e.g. when something is said it is highy visible but as time progressess its presence fades).

The way in which the artists rap has also been taken into consideration, each rapper has a unique lyrical style - e.g. Pharoahe Monch is very intense to the point of shouting so the typography used to reflect his voice is bold visually and resonates on the screen whereas Mos Def speaks softer so the type glows and flickers.

BBC Radio Scotland: Tartan Toyboys (1995)

I found this short motion piece using typographic imagery influenced by a radio conversation soundbites after looking at Callum Barker's Blog on Type in Motion. The motion piece was developed by Barnbook and can be fond on their website. The theme of the convesation is about male strippers (women talking about a strip show they are going to watch called The Tartan Toyboys). The visual style is heavily influenced by postitute cards found in telephone booths. The animation is cut to the conversation and is a collection of stills with elements of the conversation appearing in the chosen type styles creating a punchy aesthetic as well as suggesting an almost 'found' look to the images - taking typography out of context to link in with the soundtrack.

Seasick Steve

One of the many musicians who played the Carling Leeds Festival but the most interesting one of them all. Seasick Steve is a Delta Bluesman who can really captivate an audience. His use of narrative story-telling is reminiscent of folk music but reflects on the hardships and woe of his life before he was discovered.

With the Mississippi Drum Machine; A small wooden box that is stamped to provide percussion, Seasick Steve creates a constant beat that is simple but catchy. His main guitar is called 'The Three Stringed Trance Wonder'. This is a normal guitar, but with only three strings. At the gig, he told the audience the story of how he got the guitar and that he bought it for $75 in this condition in Mississippi from a man named Sherman, who later told him he only paid $25 for it the day before. Steve vowed never to add another string, and that he would tour the world telling his story of how Sherman ripped him off. After unfolding the origins of his number one guitar he goes onto claim that it is the "...biggest piece of shit in the world!".

From a design point of view Seasick Steve provides a snapshot of Mississippi culture and the Detla Blues scene that has been lost alot in modern day music. His live performance works so well because it is honest and intimate. His style of playing seems to be more about communicating emotion and wisdom from his life experiences.