Kris Atomic: iPad as a Graphics Tablet.

http://blog.krisatomic.com/?p=2239

Really cool blog post from one of my favourite illustrators, known as 'Kris Atomic'. Showing here, her wonderful versatility in illustrative methods and techniques. Recently disappointed by the way I have been producing images, this has really inspired me to try something new. Hopefully, in the next month or two (when I've saved a bit of money!) I'd like to invest in a Graphics Tablet to try illustrating- for a much softer colouring style which will still print to a high quality. 

Darling Clementine.

 

http://www.darlingclementine.no/index.php/paris.html

Cute, distinctive prints from the design company 'Darling Clementine'- discovered whilst researching my tea towel designs from website 'To Dry For'. Love their minimal colour, bold, wood-block-like prints. Really bold- fun and symbolic. Totally minimal, good design.

Simpsons Typography and Info Graphics.

Although I never really watched Simpsons as a child (I was banished from it, as my literary-Goddess Mother thought it might give me a lesson in bad grammar- in hindsight, I completely agree), I can't help to love these Simpsons- inspired designs. A creative, colourful typeface made up of the individual characters, and an Info Graphic design, showing the correspondence to the voice-over artist and the Simpsons character. Really cool designs.

What Is Graphic Design For?: Type- The Periodic Table of Typefaces.

http://78mangos.wordpress.com/category/typography/

Amazing design concept- utilising a known method of structure and griding (Mendleev's Periodic table) to create a new, exciting design-based structure of typefaces- with each element symbol being represented by a different typeface. Really great idea- would prove very useful- a quick resource, and with time, the typefaces would become very familiar.

What Is Graphic Design For?: Type- Post-It Notes.

Really clever use of tactile materials, this typeface was created by Sanda Zahirovic, a student at Kingston University, using Post-It notes. Really brilliant idea. Love the blend of acidic colours against the dark background too- really well photographed.

A fun and inventive use of materials.

Speaking from Experience: Past Year's Work- Rosalind Stoughton.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/2010-Typeface-Diary-for-Design-Students/1147017

I came across a previous year's design from a member of the LCA BAGD design group, Rosaling Stoughton. I really love her original and unique idea to encorporate timetabling with the graphic design practice by introducing a typeface coding system, as well as introducing the typefaces to the students.

Her Behance Network page states...

"

Brief: Create a product to help new students on the Leeds College of Art Graphic Design course manage their first year better. 

The diary introduces one typeface every day, including a brief history of the typeface and a piece of design that features it. The idea was to keep students inspired every day, while helping them to manage their time efficiently. It is aided by a space to sketch out ideas, and a checklist of things to complete each day in order to stay on top of the workload.

"

A really cool idea...given the chance, I would of perhaps liked to explore something a little-more design focused like Rosalind has done. I have a tendancy within my work to veer off track, so this is a great example of how specific and aligned with the brief you can be.

Great variety and use of different stocks to suit the typefaces and subject matter chosen.

Also, really interesting use of wood as a material as the outside cover- definately one to try!

InDesign Brief: Interesting Design Layouts.

A series of interesting or unusual magazine DPS' that have inspired or given interest towards my InDesign brief. All images sourced from the Behance Network.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Art-Australia-Magazine/229843

A DPS from Art & Australia Magazine, designed by Clinton Duncan.

Good combination of a simple grid structure with a more abstract choice of colour palette and type overlay. Really love this idea of highlight each of the magazine supplement sections with type- direct, and the reader instantly knows what the subject matter is about. Very eye-catching. Good use of reversed- out type to make the background attention-grabbing and bold.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Mono-Magazine/370793

Mono Magazine- a monthy publication aimed at the over 50 male age bracket. A sophisticated and elegantly- designed publication which highlights design, fashion, culture and current affairs (similar to magazines such as GQ). 

A really impressive design by Graphic Designer, David McGillivray- even creating his own unique 'Mono' logotype for the typeface of the magazine- creating a defined and unique identity- creating a really modern, design influenced san serif typeface- simple, structured and light- perfectly minimal.

A really interesting publication, with a lot of variation of layouts throughout the magazine, with type and image often juxtaposing in unusual ways- but with a consistent typeface and style. 

A really modern and bold feel, a magazine that could really open up a new market of publication for the modern middle aged gentleman.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Piste-Magazine/351661

Piste magazine, created by Finnish designer, Tuukka Koivisto. 

Quite reminisant of Swiss design, Piste showcases bold minimalism with monochrome colouring and a photographic influence. A really interesting use of textbox overlays on the photographs- ensuring that they are both working, and not against, one another.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/MOD-Editorial-Design/209912

Mod Magazine, created by Sydney-based designer, Michael Schepis.

What really interested me about this publication was the contents page, which balances abstract imagery with clean and vast use of negative space- which creates real impact, using bright colours and bizzare line drawings spread over the DPS. Regimented, yet random. Really cool design idea.

Speaking From Experience: Researching Recipe Cards.

Researching recipe cards for inspiration and source material for my own 'Speaking from Experience' brief (see my design practice blog, www.s-wilson1013-dp.blogspot.com for developments!). All images sourced from the Behance network...

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Sweet-Tooth-Recipes/1048695

Love the composition, layout and method of delivery used to produce these cards- really inventive use of the photography from an up-shot of the ingredients used. Really bright, bold and distinctive cards, which also work well as a set. Great contemporary design.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/they_draw_and_cook/1286327

Charming illustrative and hand-painted designs, absolutely crammed with detail, obviously a lot of time and skills put into creating these design cards. Perhaps a little too intricate for my target audience- the first year Graphic Design students- need something a bit more punchier and direct, that will hold their attention.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/RECIPES/677853

Great colours and simple vector illustrations used in this design- the sort of design style that really makes me tick- taking inspiration from signage and pictograms. The pictures are simple, yet represnetative enough to make a clear representation of the methods used in the diagrams- great series. Works really well as the right-hand side of the DPS in the image below- great order of structure and layout without being too formal.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/ABC-recipes/1121873

Fun A-Z of food alphabet, with written ingredients and method of producing recipes on each single page. A really fun typographic experiment- the monochrome ensures that it works well with every colour palette page throughout the book.

Fun idea, though I think that the illustrative typography might be a little too fussy here- simpler line drawings would work just as well, and not make the page look so top heavy- detracts from the information beneath, need more balance in the design layout.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/5-A-Day-Type/220919

A five-a-day guide by previous LCA BAGD graduate, Jimmy Smith. A really fun, well laid-out booklet, but the most inspiring stand-out feature is certainly his fruit and vegetable typographic photography alphabet- a great way to visually communicate his design outcome, and innovative- incorporating the design feature and it's purporse.

What Is Graphic Design For?: Type and Image- Mast Brothers Chocolate.

http://www.mastbrotherschocolate.com/

Beautifully luxurious chocolate wrappers design from the Mast Brothers, a Brooklyn-based Chocolate making partnership, with a real contemporary, and fashionable feel.

These chocolate wrappers and undoubtedly unique and eye-catching, using a style reminisant to the arts and crafts movement, with a similairity to the designs of William Morris- making the chocolates appear as a revered and long-established brand; a heritage that can be trusted.

Really great idea, as well as being very eye-catching on the shelf, memorable, and like no other wrapper being produced out there. Great design.

What Is Graphic Design For?: Image- Rocks and Fossils.

http://precipice.tumblr.com/post/4954919408

Another design piece found on the Vice 'Principe' blog- more great hand-rendered line drawing.

I really love the textures and weights of line created in this design- creating and mimicing the natural forms well, with light and shadow created with the pointlism and hatched lines.

Illustrative designs like these would work really well in a contemporary natural history magazine- a "National Geographic" esque publication...with great design to give a more edgy and youthful feel.

What Is Graphic Design For?: Type and Image- Underwear.

http://precipice.tumblr.com/post/5099054523

An image found from the Vice 'Principe' Blog- really fun, spotaneously layout of the photographed underwear items, with a playful, elegant, hand-drawn typeface with the numbers of the garments- presumably going on to a magazine article, sourcing the garments with more written detail.

The hand-drawn numbers work really well with the underwear style- quite playful and flirtacious, a really interesting and unique blend of delivery methods.

Would work well in a high-end or independent arts and fashion magazine- like Vouge, Elle, or 'Oh Comely'.

What is Graphic Design For?: Type and Image- "Fuck Grapefruits".

Fun, hand-drawn info graphic about the ease and taste of preparing and eating fruit- a really fun, playful design that could be used as a piece of infographic design.

Personally, I think that other formats could have been chosen to make the design more aesthetically pleasing and understanable, but a clever use of the x/y axis as a barometer level. Could be a great student design- informing freshers about healthy living, along with it's practicalities and faults.

What is Graphic Design For?: Type and Image- Film.

Great infographics design by Film Studio, Studio Canal- with lots of intricate, fine details but mapped out in a flow-chart style that is clear, and simple to follow and read.

Great use of colours too- keeping the spot colours minimal to reduce printing costs, as well as ensuring a visual concistency. 

Simple pictograms and a clear, strong typeface used- would work great as a large-scale poster to ensure that all the details are readable. 

What is Graphic Design For?: Type and Image- Hair.

I've always been a fan of intricate line drawing, and this design is no exception.

Interesting use of colour to depict the hair, a unique turn on the commonly used black fineliner, and with great tones and shadows created from the thickness of line used.

Also, love the reversed-out type- a method which I really like to use- always makes a piece look slightly more interesting- creating interesting forms of the lines surrounding it.

This style of drawing would work wonderfully in a fanzine or poster- the intricate lines ensure that not too many fussy details are needed elsewhere, yet still maintains interest with the drawn outcome.

Definately need to produce more line drawing and freehand drawing over the summer- a great technique that works wonderfully alongside typography in Graphic Design.

What is Graphic Design For?: Type- Being Super.

Really cool DPS design... "being super ain't easy"...the use of informal langauge being easy to relate to, conformtable, informal, and, of course, super cool.

Great use of bold, impossing, italicised text with the faded monochrome texture- gives an urban feeling, and with a really unique layout that makes the fold look more like a poster design. Great typeface.

What is Graphic Design For?: Type- Before I Die.

'Before I Die' is an urban project, set up in New Orleans by artist Candy Chang, of which I was directed to by tutor John. A great design, getting the community involved and using public space to really create an inspiring conversational arts piece, whereupon chalks were distributed for people to write what they hoped to achieve 'before they die', with the rain washing away the chalk writing for new ideas and hopes to be written down the next day.

A great design feature for any audience- all capturing different hopes, dreams and aspirations, highlighting the differences and similiarities within cultures and social groups.

A really inspiring project, and a great use of brownsite space- really captures John's "THINK BIG" outlook- showing that big ideas can be achieved in reality.

Speaking from Experience: Love Food, Hate Waste.

 http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

A source sited from a suggestion by tutor Jo in a previous progress crit- a really inventive and resourceful site- telling you what meals you can make with the left-overs in your cupboard..."bung it" meals, as I like to call them. Could have been a really interesting development for more project, given more time- A LOT of research would have been required which sadly I don't have time for- but a great idea- would work very well for the student audience.