Many know designers can have a very strong option about layout, color, and especially typefaces. I remember a friend asking me what I thought about a font she liked for her wedding invitations and without saying a word, I just squinted. Then she asked “What!? What’s wrong with it?” As I reply, “Umm, I hate the r’s. There ugly and the top of it goes too far out and touches the other letters. This is not a cohesive font.”  Needless to say I got a blank stare with a “your weird!” and no more questions about what I thought about her invitations.

What non designers don’t realize is that a typeface sets the mood and style for a company. Example, look at Wells Fargo Bank, it’s all capped with a strong, roman look. It means business and trust, we are professional and serious about banking! This also sets the mood for the images they use, like the old school carriage being pulled by horses and the colors of red and gold. This all together sends a message to a customer that they get engraved in their heads and whenever they see this logo with its typeface they know what to expect.  Now imagine the Wells Fargo type changes from a all capped serif to a lowercase sans serif. My first thought would be they are no longer this big, bad ass of banking that was build on years of trust and seriousness but now they are this softer, hip and in some ways more approachable.  To people that have been with them for many years this change can be unwelcomed. People build a relationship with a brand and sudden drastic changes can really affect the sales of a product. Ever heard of Tropicana and the backlash of the new look that lasted all of a month, if that.

The new backlash has started and it’s directed towards Ikea and replacement of futura with verdana. The new catalogs, newspaper ads and billboards will now have verdana instead of futura. If you know how they both look without having to run to your computer to check it out you’ll realize they have made a mistake. For one, verdana is a computer font, it’s not meant to be printed out since the spacing is all wrong. Plus, it’s just ugly. Even when I design a website that would be the last font I’d choose. Basically the reason they changed it was to save money. Since it’s a font that’s common in all computers and is translated into other languages it’s basically easier for them to use it than to make an effort and keep their cooler and better font of futura. Read the article and let me know what you think.

Posted on August 31, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Pearlfisher designed a new packaging label for This Water, a company located in the UK. What do I love about this? Everything! I really have nothing bad to say about it. The logo is simple but not generic and the illustrations help categorize them. It also just looks cool. I remember first getting into design to create things that just look cool without ever thinking they needed a concept behind it, not saying This Water doesn’t have one. I remember just wanting to make pretty things and now I’m so bogging down creatively because of style guides and rules that when I see a company not afraid to step out of the box it’s a sigh of relief. I just really like this packaging and hope they bring it to the states soon so I can fill up.

Posted on August 26, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Since working on creating a website that is strongly centered around retro design from the 50’s and 60’s my eye has become more sharp on picking up the beautiful elements of retro. So, when I saw some tiny thumbnails of this work I knew two things. One, it was gonna have a retro feeling and two, I was gonna like it. Bannecker is an illustrator that has worked with such companies as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca Cola, LA Film Festival and Target.

Posted on August 25, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

K, I have to admit I heard about this chica a long time ago and just decided to share her with my Daily Dose followers, sorry. I say sorry cause once you see her stuff you will know why I think her work is so awesome. She basically takes clippings from old newspapers, books and magazines and creates some magical and oddly beautiful work. I’m so impressed with her scissor and gluing skills, not to mention the patients it takes to finished one of her pieces. I also love seeing the studio space of artist and realizing that my mess is not as bad as I thought it was.  Please enjoy!

Posted on August 24, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Your Invited!

Posted on August 24, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

If you’re a person that always has a digital camera in your purse, car or pocket this can easily take the place of your digital for more of a vintage feel and look. INTRODUCING!!!! The Mini Diana. Or Diana Mini as Lomography calls it, but I like calling it Mini Diana better. Any who, this pretty baby takes 35mm film and can shot the conventional 36 images as a square or double your pleasure and get 72 rectangular images by using half frames. So get your photo fix and show us here at Westminster what you came up with.

Posted on August 19, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

I have seen some apparel directly targeted to designers and wondering if the regular folks will even understand or appreciate these. But then again, who cares? They are awesome and funny to us as a community and why can’t we have our own silly geekery? Represent my fellow type and designer geeks. REPRESENT!

My Fonts

Design Warehouse

Rumplo

Veer

Veer

Posted on August 18, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Since Westminster has been designing some great book covers we here have more appreciation for the designers of book jackets. As so we also love to know how they got to their final design and seeing the lost and forgotten designs that the author nixed. At printmag.com they compiled some books and show the previous designs that never made it and why. Some you will see a similar style, look and color palette. In others you will see nothing in common with the overall look jumping from one idea to another until they hit a target. It’s interesting to read the designers thoughts behind a cover and whether or not they agree with the final product.

Posted on August 17, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Ever wonder if your sub-conscious is truly as strong and people say it is? That you can never think of anything original and you ideas are just a mixture of what you see every day. Now think about if it’s your job to come up with ideas that have never been produced. Is it truly possible or not? Watch the clip and let me know.

TAXI.AD

Posted on August 12, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

A new documentary based on advertising is soon to be released and I can’t wait to see it. I have always given a tip of the hat to advertisers because of the genius commercials and ads some produce. They never know what’s going to stick or not and if people are going to react good or bad but they continue to make you buy products just by using words, images, color, music and especially feelings. Tell me once your done seeing this is your really not interested what these people have to say. I know I do.

Posted on August 11, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink