Doing GOOD

Recently I have been looking at GOOD.is site. They have an amazing breadth of infographics. This particular one is based on the amount of e-waste which has been and will continue to be our growing problem around the world. Most of the time we just leave products to junk and rust at some junk yard or even in our local dump. I encourage you to look at what digital products you don't use or thinking of getting rid of them and find resources in your area for recycling. Most places have free recycling but even if you have to pay it will be a cheaper price now than the one we and our children will have to reap later.


http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1010/digital-dump/flat.html

New Selections

Walking through the freezer section of my local Kroger store I noticed a new brand sitting on the shelves. Private Selection has changed the look of their brand for a more sophisticated look. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me to be able to show you the new look. But I enjoy the minimalism and sophisticated of the simply elegant type and black label. Really makes generic look upscale. They seemed to have new flavors to go with this new branding. I think it looks wonderful and has the promise of increased sales for the brand.

Growing Packaging

It's hard to develop packaging these days and not consider making it a little more green. Whether going green means limiting the packaging used, the chemicals and ingredients that make up the packaging, and whether it can be easily recycled by customers. Something that could fit within all these categories is bio-polymers. They are degradable, durable, able to be safely used with food packaging, and some are even compost-able.

As designers we not only need to be concerned of how our product looks, but its function and its longevity on this planet. In order to provide a better future we have to be designing our products now for future.

Always the Box

You often hear about children preferring to play with the box their toy came in. Heck if packaging design continues to progress (and it will) I could prefer playing with or at least admiring the box my product came in.

A couple of days ago my niece got a new to: a set of play keys. B. Funkeys. Not only a fun name but the packaging was sophisticated, modern, yet fun. Packaging made to appeal to the person who would buy the product: the parent! Babies can't pick out their own toys and care very little for the design aesthetic. The box not only was beautiful the packaging could be reversed so that the box became a wrapping paper and an easy gift to give.

http://www.target.com/B-FunKeys/dp/B0030FC69A

It was a fun inspiring design. The whole package was conceived in and out. Looks great for child and parent.

Coding and Design

My boss sent me this link today http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2010/09/research/C++Code-images.aspx

It's about a professor who makes images using C++ coding. I think that is pretty amazing, and a lot of work has to go into that.

Henrik Wann Jensen must have a lot patience. Using artistic ability along with conventional in depth coding is an odd twist for the art world today. Maybe artists can pass the boundary and discover a relationship with coding.

It's Live!

I am glad to announce that my website went live this morning!
www.mrosegraphics.com
Please check it out and leave any feedback.

Vs.

while in school we were educated that 12 pt is horsey (and it is) that smaller is better and white space is optimum. In the "real" world I continually find that clients request larger type and want to shove in as much type as they can into a single poster or ad. School I found myself continuously at 8pt (and I think for most designers that is acceptable), but taking it to a client it seems impossible. I continuously make it larger and larger. I do avoid 12 pt at all costs, but it seems now my normal is 10 or 11.

It is important to have design aesthetics and appreciate the simplicity and look of small type, but schools should also emphasize the need to fulfill the market of growing population of elderly. Most non-designers I have met over 40 cannot read 9 pt type. And maybe it is just a time of readjustment after school for theoretical design into practical.

Deadman Walking

A collaboration between GOOD and Amanda Buck. Interesting info graphic, applicable, different, and easy to interpret the data.

All of those are great tools to use for an infographic. We don't have to keep making pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs. This one is a twist on the pie graph.

Starting from a Dead Stop

http://the99percent.com/tips/6815/the-art-of-momentum-why-your-ideas-need-speed?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALL&utm_campaign=MIH+Sept+1+2010

This is a great article for any creative person. In order to keep our creativity momentum going we can't stop we must continue. With graduation and lack of job availability has made me a lazy designer. I have to start from a dead stop. As the article says I want to set a goal for myself to work on two things: my website and a raw website starting with 1 hour and working myself to increased time totally focused on these two things.

that's my commitment

Not Musically Inclined

It seems increasingly I have noticed to more and more websites using music. This is a fatal error for almost any site. Ones that sell or about musicians it is understandable that they would play music (although I don't think any website should automatically play music it should have to be selected). Music is a lead turn off for me of any website. Most of the time it isn't music I like (a big problem is that there is only a small selection of people that like the same type of music). When I am on my compute I typically am playing my OWN music so the websites contribution just makes noise to drive me nuts.

So if you are looking to enhance your website look for something besides music. Especially photographers seem to be the worst at it. Don't choose music, choose a cool transition effect for displaying your photos. Learn some Java, anything but music.

Remember friends don't let friends put music on their website.

Getting Inpsired

One of my favorite movies is Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas. And I am sure like those before me have taken his or her own spin on the idea/motive/lesson behind this movie. For me I see the frustration of being in a creative rut. Doing the same thing day after day and year after year. The inspiration and motivation seem to leave you. Now mine is not a creative rut due to years of producing work, but only months. Being not at school (and with the new semester starting) I am somewhat feeling left behind. Sure I have graduated, but you can never know everything.

Especially in the graphic design field. It would be next to impossible to always be on the cusp of the up and coming and too know and be an expert in all the mediums available to us.

My current goal is get my inspiration back! Time to create like I have never done before. If anyone has points or sites that excite their creativity send me a link. I want to cast a wide net for this one.

Refreshing

Logo re-freshing has been on my mind quite a bit lately since I am working on a project to do just that. There are some definite benefits to refreshing your companies logo, but some disadvantages too.

A new logo always you to modernize and relate to need services or features your company offers, but you may loose the brand recognition that you had already acquired with your current logo. A new logo could relate to your customer demographic better, you may have never had quite the right logo for your needs to begin with, or really want to emphasize a brand beyond just an icon.

I have done some looking around and some things I find to be good in considering a new logo is:

Make is memorable, get the customer to connect with you and your business. A logo does not do as well if it is in no way connected to the types of services you provide, but a logo works better when it has more than one level. Where you can look at it and it makes sense, but where you can get the to know the company better and you can see that the way the colors or type is shows you that they caring and sympathetic, and the counters or negative shape shows you something else that company offers.

Scale: The logo needs to work really small or it needs to be able to be blown up really big (like on a billboard)

Reproduce: You are able to recreate the logo onto many different objects/mediums printed out, stickers, screen printed, and on company apparel.

Consistency: Keep the logo and type treatments regimented so that the identity is easily associated from different pieces from stationary to annual reports to packaging tags it all needs to work as a brand.


I will continue my thoughts in logo refreshments another day. Maybe take an old logo and recreate it in a way that YOU would want to interact with that brand or company.

Turning Japanese

A new craze has hit American stores in time for back-to-school. Iwako Eraser sets are in and are everywhere. I love the graphic nature of the forms. Idk if it is just the girl inside of me that loves things mini, but these mini foods, tools, and more are just adorable. I could not resist taking my part in the hype. I have not even attempted to see if they are good eraser I just love to look at them. A little light-hearted design is the best cure for a gloomy day.

Getting Inspired

Matthew Sporzynski is the man responsible for the paper sculptures seen in the Sherman Williams print ads. The television ads have been on air for awhile, but these handmade sculptures are pretty inspiring.

He has been creating his whimsical sculptures for Real Simple magazine since 2005.

Photos of Matthew at work for Real Simple

Sobe Reskinned

Sobe has reskinned their bottles again, but this time I am not interested. Particularly, the designs for their Lean & mean brand the label is very busy. While trying to shop for lean and mean it took 5 minutes to find the right product because the word lean can be difficult to read. The trend towards the hand written makes it fit their modern and somewhat indie market group, but I find the label just over loaded with little illustrations and text.



Images are from the sobe website

First Slice

Being a recent graduate from the University of Kansas, and looking for a career; I need to keep motivated in design. I am going to hopefully keeping this blog going with bits of design news or inspirations. This time just a conscious awareness of the ever present amount of Rockwell. It seems to be the typefaces of the past year, I wonder when we will see its decline because of over use.