Presentation Poster

To create an eye-catching and topically relevant poster for my research paper presentation, I decided to use one of the Bauhaus’ most recognizable and well-known pieces as the basis for my design. I replaced the Bauhaus face logo with the Nazi swastika to bring in the concept of the similarities between the two ideologies. I knew that, especially to those who knew the original Bauhaus piece, this would make the poster even more impactful and visually intriguing. I also changed the colour scheme of the original piece to further reflect the colours of the Nazi regime, linking the Bauhaus and the Nazis together.

To go along with my manifesto, a little wisdom from Kanye...

MANIFESTO~

Graphic design is more than shapes and letters on paper; it is the complex job of taking data of any kind - from business plans to words of wisdom - and representing them physically and visually. It is my job as a designer to take the vision, the dreams and the ideas of others and translate them into an effective and efficient visual. Whether it be a magazine or a wedding invitation, I'm here to do the best work I possibly can, regardless of circumstance. As a human being, I'm here to support and communicate concepts, movements and dreams that better the world. To run from opportunities to promote hate, greed and selfishness, even if it means a week with no milk in the fridge. To help share words of encouragement, fight for the wellbeing of others and do my best to make the world a better place through my skills and talents.

ICONS! Star Wars Edition

I made some Star Wars icons! R2-D2, a lightsaber and a feisty Ewok wielding a spear.

Simple, a-la Swiss International Style symbols. Woo!

The London Underground Map

The London Underground was highly influential in terms of the evolution in the era of modern design. In 1933, a new map was needed to guide travellers within the subway system and this necessity was the catalyst for the creation of a progressive piece of graphic design.

The map was designed by draftsman Henry C. Beck who presented a clean, diagram interpretation of the underground system. Edward Johnston originally designed the typeface - Johnston's Railway Type - in 1916 for use exclusively in the London Underground. Beck used this typeface for his map, rendering the over 2400 characters present in the map by hand.

Johnston's clean, geometric, functional typeface was revolutionary at the time - there was no embellishment and its purpose was to be effective. It went on to inspire many of the sans-serifs we know and are accustomed to today.

Maps in this time period, although quite accurate, were often cluttered with wandering geographic lines. Beck revolutionized map design at the time by eliminating unnecessary and confusing elements, replacing them with a diagram built on a grid, with strict horizontals and verticals. He used bright colours to differentiate between routes, increasing the functionality of his design. The public loved the design.

Personally, I believe Beck's design is beautiful. The simplicity and legibility make it extremely effective for its purpose, but the styling of the lines, the crispness of the lines and the colours makes it aesthetically pleasing as well.

BLAWG 4: swirly coffee logo

I decided to attempt to render a Art Nouveau-esque Serious Coffee logo. There were no specific artists who influenced this design, I just took this blog assignment as an opportunity to attempt to try out the decorative, ornamental swirls of the era. I'm not entirely happy with the results, but it was an interesting process.

The typography was directly influenced by this typeface, found through research on the internet:

http://www.identifont.com/samples/bannigan/ArtNouveau.gif

I thought it was interesting to try out this style, the loops and odd shapes of the letters were really fun to replicate. The mug used at the bottom of the image was originally a simple paper cup with the Serious Coffee bean logo on it, and I'm starting to wish that I kept it! The mug I drew over it was loosely influenced by some teacups I looked up online:

LIke this one: http://www.ascentimentaljourney.com/tearoom/f_The%20Tea%20Room_34%20Tea%20Ware/01_Art-Nouveau-Tea-Pot.jpg

Overall, I think the audience for this piece, nowadays, would be and avid drinker of coffee who enjoys cosy cafe atmospheres. For back in the Art Nouveau era, probably more casual, middle-class coffee drinkers, those who enjoyed Art Nouveau style.

BLAWG 3 ! Victorian Era Ads

The Victorian Era was often seen as a time of class and elegance. In my mind, for some reason, I had placed it, chronologically, somewhere inbetween the medieval times and the Renaissance. Actually, I sort of believed they were all the same thing, especially due to the fact that Victorian culture seemed very close to Renaissance culture. In reality, the Victorian Era was during the latter half of the Industrial Revolution, a time of great innovation and of cultural shifts that would last for centuries.

I found this advertisement for the B&O Railroad Company in my copy of "Lettering and Type - Creating Letters and Designing Typefaces" by Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. I was drawn to it initially because of the colours and the large circular globe. The design overall, in my opinion, is very interesting. I think there's an intriguing juxtaposition between the cherub - an element of Victorian style - and the odd, electric-looking type. The cherub and swallows circling the globe seem to represent the old and natural, whereas the rest of the imagery - telegraph wires and factories - seem to reflect on the booming industry of this period.

The purpose of this design was actually as a menu cover, although it clearly advertises the company. The clash of old and new, and maybe even some foreshadowing apropos to the future of technology as the world becomes a smaller and smaller place due to the growth of communication.

Renaissance!

After laboriously toiling over this piece for a few hours I have developed newfound respect for the monks and scribes who lovingly designed and produced these meticulously intricate borders/letters back in the day. That being said, there's something very special about hand-rendering these sorts of designs, especially without the comfort of the "undo" button.

The function of my renaissance page layout would probably be for some sort of storybook, as the clovers in the border are meant to hold miniature illustrations. Seeing as it's not too intricate or extravagant, I wouldn't think that it would be used as a religious text.

I was inspired by the title page for the renaissance book "Orontii Quadrans Astrolabicus Omnibus" (a mathematical textbook, oddly enough) which I found very unique. I fell in love with the detailed linework and the movement of the Celtic cord that weaves in and out of the border. The author of the book, Oronce Finé, might also be the illustrator of this page, although sources are unsure.

I found the book here: http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Butsch-RenaissanceOrnament-VolII/pages/006-celtic-knotwork-border/#details

The drop cap is in a style that is definitively of the Renaissance, and the border design is an interpretation of a work that is, too, from the Renaissance.

Although the original text I used as inspiration for this design was a mathematics textbook, meaning it was most likely for wealthy scholars, or those who had enough money to attend university, the design I have created would most likely be for the middle class, used in an anthology of folktales or possibly even a hymnal.

BLAWG 1 - Hieroglyphics & Design

For this week's blog we were asked to find an example of a piece of graphic design from the 21st century that was inspired or influenced by ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. I finally settled on this example of a hieroglyphic-inspired font - LMS Egyptian Bookends. Many of the hieroglyphic fonts I found online were just vector images of actual hieroglyphs themselves and were more dingbat than type. I thought that this was an interesting mix of type and hieroglyph.

This font, a display type, could be used for capital type (at the beginning of a paragraph) to add aesthetic flair. For any text-based design, like a magazine article on Egypt, this might add interest.

The font itself is a basic sans serif, closely resembling Impact, with a hand-drawn strip of hieroglyphs and a bust of the Jackal-god Anubis. The contrast between the clean-cut, simplistic design of the serif and the more complex, hand-drawn feel of the graphic give the font interest and style.

I feel that the quality of the font, overall, is fair. It is by no means revolutionary, but for the purpose it was designed for, it works well.

first post

naming this blog was difficult. Now I'm watching Spice World. Holla.