Cosy

This is such a nice ad which allows the Natural Gas company to be a much more homely name rather than the corporate looking and sounding Scottish Power, British Gas, NPower, etc.

The idea of it being softer than other gas combined with the handmade/kitsch/homey knitting gives it a much more appealing approach.  The advert will be noticed by more of all ages - not realising that it is for a gas company until the end.

Original Source

As part of research for the Body Shop packaging brief I am looking at Original Source packaging, after getting a bottle in my stocking. 


I was expecting to find that their packaging very 'green' but I am still unsure about the extent. There is little information on the website. The design for the new Original Source packaging were by Alloy who focused on the colours and shape of the packaging ensuring that it resonated nature.


I have found on the bottle that it is 100% recyclable, including the cap, but I thought that the environment would be much higher in their priorities. Through research for my Report I found that many authors writing about the environment say that recycling is like a 'get out of jail free card'. It allows for continual consumption but offers an aspirin to hide the pain.


I will look more at Original Source and other brands as part of my research for The Body Shop.

Vogue Layouts

SourceAn article on Creative Review Blog showed the covers for all of the 2010 editions of UK and Italian Vogue. The layered images show a clear template for the design of the covers. The outcome of the layered covers caught my eye. The eerie layouts portray a completely different Vogue to the one we know. It is also interesting to see the difference between the Italian and UK covers. The UK design being very light and colorful compared to the heavy and dark Italian design, is this because of the magazines that the UK popularly read? Celeb, glossy magazines have a similar appearance to the white and pink Vogue covers seen above.
Also interesting is the use of a template. A design consultancy I had experience with was recently faced with the suggestion of using templates for the majority of their work. I can see the advantages of this practice, consistency being the key advantage, but templates almost deem the designer void. Art-workers are mainly used to place work into a template.  However, in Vogue, im sure the designers have plenty of work to be doing and by using templates they can keep their covers consistent and recognizable whilst also being fairly quick to put together.
This does make me consider, what was a favourable option, a career choice into editorial or magazine design. 

Business can now measure the carbon impact of advertising

Article on Greenwise

Programme CarbonTrack will allow companies to measure the carbon impact of their advertising from beginning to end. This programme will allow companies to choose the best option for advertising. They can compare their other advertisiment analysis' with the CarbonTrack data and decide which will be most cost effective, effective and most environmentally friendly.

This is a great programme for companies but will it actually be used? The popularity of CarbonTrack will show us how much the environment is actually a concern to companies.

I am unsure of the workings of CarbonTracker but it sonds as if it may also be useful to designers who can use it to research the impact of the designs they are producing, letting them then develop and improve them so that the carbon impact is reduced.

Illustration Inspiration II

   

Sonia Roy, has quite a different, unusual illustration style. The collages always have a slightly awkward feeling about them that I like.

Her work gave me inspiration for illustrations for the competition brief which I started but soon realised that they weren't very relevant or suited to the brief. The illustrations need to have minimal colour that impact, also an image that isn't too complicated to have in a story - it can't detract from the story but add to it.

Illustration Inspiration

As part of my research for the House of Illustration competition brief I have been looking at a variety of illustrators. Who best to start with than Quentin Blake who has been one of my favourite illustrators since I could read a Roald Dahl story.

I think the reason I love his drawings so much is because of the identifiable style thats never precise - clumsy almost. Also, the use of watercolours create a depth and texture which gives further explanation of the image.

End of term

So I finally finished my Dissertation, Report 1. It is ready to be picked up and placed in the box with fingers crossed until result day.

My other projects have been put on the back-burner a little recently, but not forgotten about! I am almost there with my Illustration brief. The illustrations use minimal colors with lots of texture. They were developed from the experimental screen prints I did of one of the illustrations.

I have also been doing a bit of upcycling. Screen printing onto my old promotional postcards, which I no longer need, use or particularly like. They are now a collection of Christmas cards to be sent out in re-used, scrap envelopes taken from a studio.

Bringing it home

Climate change will cost people their homes, claims this article. Due to the rising sea levels countries will loose land and therefore people will loose their homes, Venice is already feeling the effects.

Melting Arctic Sea Ice May Actually Cause Colder Northern Winters

The article from Treehugger is very important to the climate change arguments. One of the most popular statements/questions is that, how can global warming actually be happening when it is so cold and we have so much snow? My understanding of this is that global warming is melting glaciers which in turn effects the transfer of heat, mostly in the seas, which is changing the temperature of Europe and other northern altitude areas.

This is definitely an area I want to clear up with my project.

The Outsider Covers

I am (trying) to complete work for the House of Illustration and Folio Competition, this year the chosen book is The Outsider by Albert Camus.
In order to get an idea of how the story has been visually represented before I gathered images  covers from different editions.
They all have a slightly eerie atmosphere and definitely highlight the  characters emotionless and solitary existence. Another important factor seen in these covers is the colour choice. Within the story the sun and heat symbolises the society and culture that the main character, Meursault, finds tiresome and difficult to bear. He is uncomfortable in the sun just like when he is surrounded by members of his community.
The covers that have only a few elements I find the most successful, they convey the 'outsider' much more effectively than that of a detailed cover.

Apology

Please excuse the huge amount of posts under 25/11/2010. I combined an older blog with this one and had to repost everything. But I hope you enjoyed it!

For Allan

Taken from Good
This advert hit me and it proves that the shocking imagery is not necessary to send a message. This advert hits you emotionally. The characters are goofy and warm and you become absorbed as if watching your favourite show.

Helvetica

I just watched the film Helvetica again, properly, and now I don’t know where I stand. Use it because you can give it a voice or don’t use it because it has no voice (or appearance, we have been numbed)?

Hense the overuse of Helvetica on this blog. I am deciding how I feel about it, unfortunately a blog doesn't really give Helvetica a voice as their is no deliberate, personal design surrounding it to make it shout out the answer.

Aerosol Amoeba from Pahnl Whatnow on Vimeo.

Aerosol Amoeba from Pahnl Whatnow on Vimeo.


Who says design has to be digital? This is effective, quirky and glorious design all in one go without a vector in sight.

Tree of Codes

Interactive Paper Sculpture
Highly complex layout and cutting taking over a year to produce.
It is interesting seeing the words ‘interactive’ and ‘paper’ together when, now, interactive is more commonly used in a digital context. This sculpture brings a new level to the non-interactive, everyday book.
This book has been appearing all over Twitter and blogs. It's really hit a spot in the design community, I think we are all able to appreciate the craftsmanship and ideology behind it.

Ming Makes Cupcakes

Ming Makes Cupcakes
I thought I'd give you a break and treat you with these yummy (as far as I can tell) cupcakes.

Advertism before Brand

Signature have decided to post their web address as their shop front, although their logo is on the window the eye is drawn to the web address because of its boldness. Why do they want to promote online shopping more than invite customers in with an indicative, decorative store style? Is this suggesting an online-shopping only future?

Santa Pringles

Does anyone else find this Pringle Santa creepy and a bit weird?  Made even worse because its still November.


There is no Christmas softness to it. Santa is supposed to be jolly and welcoming not a salted crisp!

New Balance Sneaker

New balance sneaker Projection mapping_01 from Hayoung Jung on Vimeo.


Taken from Fubiz.


old trainer old technology new visuals

Home is Best Cookbook

New visual take on the traditional cook book, Homemade is Best for Ikea.

When a designer comes up with a new style or method of producing something its like designing the wheel. A new trend, or fad that will take over the pages of bloggers everywhere. This may have been done before but it is new to me and I like it. Not only have they illustrated a book but they have illustrated food, considering how each ingredient takes shape on the page. Details like this pull an idea together to make it a design.

The Ikea Kings - http://demo.fb.se/

MATTHIAS HEIDERICH

MATTHIAS HEIDERICH 
Literally chilling photography.

ISO50

ISO50/Scott Hansen Blog.
I came across this work last week also on The Dieline. The blog shows a lot of interesting work, they are suckers for a retro theme with loads of texture or noise.

Chandeliers and white wash

From Element Eden 
Don't you just want to get lost in there?

McBess

McBess is an illustrator who I read about in ArtBox months ago and ever since he has been popping up everywhere. Amazing early disney/steamboat drawings, humourus with a dark edge. We love McBess!

Kirra Jamison paintings are beautiful

Kirra Jamison produces these beautiful paintings. The amount of detail in them is amazing, I still find them very tranquil, I think because of the amount of 'breathing room' there is on the canvas and because of the organic content.

A Town Called Panic - In breathtaking 2D!


I always loved the Cravendale Milk ads and now there is a whole movie in the same style - a must see! 

Living Climate Change

Free Ride from IDEO on Vimeo.

IDEO Design host Living Climate Change which supports and promotes new ideas within a new time in design. It is very much about change rather than debate when it comes to climate change.

This video offers an interesting take on energy solution. I really like the way IDEO go about their sustainable ways, they are never pressurising, always light hearted yet subjective. 

Upcycling

'Plastisoil' - I think this is brilliant!


Temple University students have developed a new material from plastic bottles and soil which can be used to construct pathways, roads, etc. And may have benefits to regular roads such as its ability to absorb some water which could help prevent accidents.


I am unsure of the other benefits or disadvantages damaging the the earth but this kind of innovative thinking is the way forward. Using our problems to make a solution. If all products were this brilliant designers would not have any dilemmas about whether or whether not to design. This is constantly in my mind at the moment as I am writing my dissertation on design ethics. One of the conflicts designers face being whether to design for products that they feel are ethically wrong.

earth.350.org

"We need a big enough movement to matter. So, lets inspire, on a BIG enough scale" 350 Tweet, 24/11/10

350's global art climate project is big in every way. They are asking for art big enough to be seen from space to show how climate change is already impacting the earth and offer visions of how we can solve a crisis.


This is a great project for bringing awareness, especially because they are demonstrating 350 EARTH on the eve of the next United Nations climate meeting. Their aim is to show the publics support for helping in the climate change issue.

Pepsi Refreshes the World, Who Knew!?

Pepsi Refresh Project  in collaboration with Good.
Their project - We're looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it.

I certainly didnt know that eco was on Pepsi's radar, and this project doesn't stop there. It is also supporting arts, health, education, ... I think the idea is that you submit an idea to a category and people vote on it, the idea with the most votes get funding.

Maybe Pepsi is feeling their heavy conscious for all those cans being thrown away, atleast they are doing something but it would be good to see them invest as much money in find an alternative drinks packaging, maybe something reusable or more bio-degradable. In a group sess yesterday it was mentioned that Germany have stations where the public can take empty bottles. The machine recognizes what kind of bottle it is, and then sends it back to the company to be re-used. Clever.

This week

This week has been tiring, full of books and word counts; the beginning of many.


But has also been the week that I became a fully fledged Tweeter and Blogspot-er. From the advise of a tutor I enrolled in Twitter and have found it inspiring. I feel so much more in touch with what is happening in the world, especially the design world. It may be a distraction, and another way to procrastinate, but the guilt is slightly more muffled by the fact that it feels more productive and beneficial than that of trolling through Facebook!


The previously blogged questionnaire has given me some insight into others awareness of climate change and its affects on snow sports. Results at the moment are suggesting that most have not linked the two yet but if were further educated and if solutions were readily available they would be much 'greener'. I found it really interesting that most were completely unaware, but then so was I until just few months ago.


Next week will bring even more books, word counts and tea but also a trip to Inverness for a meeting with a Ski Journalist which will hopefully be the beginning of an exciting project (stay tuned). I also hope to hit the slopes of the Cairngorms, which should allow me to get some practice and photos to blog, unless I fall on my camera in which case donations will be welcome. For research purposes of course.

Snow sports vs climate change

As part of my research I have created a small questionnaire on climate change awareness.


If you have a minute, please have a go, it only takes a minute and no details need to be given. Click here to be redirected.


Thank you!

My first Blogspot/Generations Video

Aww, so its my first blogspot.

I will be using this blog to document and summarise my research and findings for my main project for 4th year. The project looks at climate change, in particular global warming, and how it effects snow sports.

So for my first blog I would like to introduce Generations. A video by North Face, in collaboration with my favourite snow warriors, Protect Our Winters, Teton Gravity Research and The Clif.


This video led me into the depths of the climate change subject. Although I am a snowboarder, although not a very good one, and a little bit 'green' I had never linked the two or realised the changes that are already happening. After watching this video I decided that I could help bring attention to this area of climate change so that we, as well as future generations can enjoy snow sports for longer.