Trending in Monotone

Recently I have noticed some work that is utilizing monotone. Whether it is to save money, simplify design, or in order to break through the distraction of the loud and colorful advertisements that are flooding our environment. Using 1 or 2 colors were mandatory for beudget contraints 30 years ago, and that is just not true any more. I find that one color creates its own challenges, but that it can create a striking contrast to the mutlitudes of color overwhelming the market today.

Designed by EightHourDay

My lunch from Chipotle

Jones Winter Jumble by SuperBigCreative

Duct Tape & Glitter by Luke Bott

 

By Tang Yau Hoong

Getting the Angle on New Trends

Faceted Designs. Okay, this trend has been around for awhile, but it is lingering and becoming as prevelent as the chevron that has been styling our shelves for a few years now. Facets can add the appearance of depth, even when there is none, as well as create a depth of character when used with the human figure. Facets also bring the idea of jewels and jewel tones to the surface. The vareity of angles also ad a dynamic quality to these designs.

Found Here

Found Here

Found Here

Found Here

Dark Inspirations

Another inspiring hero of mine is Tim Burton. He definitely has his own style, a true artist who happens to be highly successful. My first Tim Burton film (he was a producer) was James and the Giant Peach; I love the stop action animation and the charisma he provides these characters. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories is dark humor stories and poems of Tim Burton's own creation. In college I was inspired by this collection for my own small story "Creature by the Sea". My favorite films tranfer constantly between Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I can watch any of his films and be inspired.

White Space

I am sure I have mentioned the importance of white space before, but as the holiday seasons approach clients want to fill their ad spaces with holiday specials and other information, and most of the time you can send a better message if you just cut the

CRAP

Keep your customer's attention by focuses it on one or two promotions (depends on ad dimensions). Verbal vomit and plethora of holiday graphics will not make your ad stand out in the sea of other ads doing the exact same thing. Simply by allowing dramatic white space and bring you more attention then LARGE ALL-CAP LETTERS IN RED and flanked in holly, especially when all the other ads look the exact same. Readers/customers will just pass it over.  

It can be hard to hold back when you have so many great things that you want to share with clients, but rather than over cluttered ads, utilize the different mediums available for advertising today: print, online ads, tv, and social media. In fact using different (but similar) promotions on different mediums might help you discover if the location of advertising is working the way you want it to. This also allows for greater saturation in the market.

This is a good lesson year-round, not just during the holidays. 

Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year is approaching on January 23rd, and next year is the Year of the Dragon. I want to throw a themed party so that I can enjoy some tasty Chinese food.

Inspired by Ugly Betty

Netflix has enabled me to watch a bunch of shows, that I would never have thought I would like. Currently I am doing a series marathon of Ugly Betty. I love Betty's quirky style.

Color Fan: Yellow and Grey

Lately I am really inspired by the yellow and grey combination.

Iconography

An icon is simply: a representation or if you want to ad to it: a representation that stands for its object. Iconography is becoming more entrenched in our modern visual culture. We see icons on the apps on our phones, street signs, and even in our browsers.

I recently designed the new website, and we decided to use iconography for the navigation. It was challenging, yet fun to come up with icons to use for this site. Icons are almost simplified logos. A logo acts as an icon for a business, but usually more meaning is involved versus an icon. Icons are typically made as simple as possible, because they are used small and need to be universally understood. Icons were some of the first art made by humans. Simple figures that stood for people, weapons, and animals. A way of recording culture. How we have created the symbols has changed through the centuries. We began with simple cave paintings, added color, then used more developed tools for etchings and other art making techniques at styles, and now we have computers and the cellphone has really sparked a new need for unique yet universal icons .

We need unique icons for the personality, customization, and style that we crave as a way of expression. Companies needs the uniqueness for brand identity. Universal icons are needed become a global society. Icons need to relate across cultures and languages. Because we have this rich history in iconography there are still many styles and techniques used for making icons, but there has been a return to simple illustrations, due to the nature of cellphones. The icons used on cellphones (smart and not so smart) and it is difficult to read an illustrious icon because the detail will be lost in small sizes. App icons help us identify the program we want to use and assist us in a quicker many than we would be able to with words.

I encourage you to observe the world around you this week and identify the icons around you, and make some icons of your own to some how help facilitate your life in some manner.