project 2 research

our next project is creating an outdoor (billboard) campaign for a local business. developing a billboard can be challenging, because you have, like, 2-3 seconds to get your audience's attention. it makes no sense to bombard them with information. you want to design a piece with bold, simple imagery and brief copy. looking through some of my old communication arts and print mags, i found a few designs that inspire me.

to me, this billboard promoting children's literacy for the greater albuquerque chamber of commerce exemplifies what a good billboard should be. the message is simple. it's clever. it contains a call to action. 
(print, regional design annual 2004)

this example demonstrates how a series of billboards works together to communicate one message: that the milwaukee county zoo is near (and you should go). again, the primary copy is short (5 words). the imagery is clever. instead of animal portraits, the design implies animals' actions (the bites, the claw marks, the--um--defecation). it's humorous without being too complicated.
(print, regional design annual 2004)

these two designs aren't billboards; however, i wanted to include them because i think the bold imagery could work for billboard design. in the first example (which is actually a postcard series for the american center for design conference), the imagery is meant to convey "everyday 'living surfaces' and show them in micro-detail," in these cases, meat and grass. i think the simple imagery, coupled with a bold message, would work really well in billboard format. the second example is a poster for mtv, to commemorate the MTV2 seattle launch. the airplane illustration, which is composed of simple lines and 3-4 colors, would also work well in a billboard format.
(communication arts, design annual 2001)

sketches.

i'm going to start with this: designing a logo is HARD. you have to consider so many things. it should look good in black-and-white, it should take advantage of negative space, it should be able to be separated from the wordmark and still be instantly recognizable...i could go on forever. the thing i have the most trouble with is the cleverness aspect. here are a few rough sketches for project 1, a logo for an area nonprofit called Hands 4 Paws. they all seem to be lacking in one element or another, which is frustrating.

project 1 — research

wow. my first blog post for graphic design II (122). we're designing a logo/identity package for Hands4Paws, a relatively local non-profit organization that helps find loving homes for dogs + cats. i'm a tad intimidated when it comes to designing a logo. they seem so simple, yet you need to say SO much. the logo needs to embody the organization and its values while communicating a message and capturing the audience's attention. successful logos are minimal, look good in both color and black-and-white, work for an array of media, and are instantly recognizable. here are a few of my faves:

 did you know that this girl scouts logo was designed by saul bass? me neither, until now!

i love the use of negative/white space in the major league baseball logo. the player is getting ready to make a connection with the ball, which seems like its floating in space, but is actually directly in the player's line of vision. the white elements—ball, player, and bat—are beautifully unified.

an english graphic designer, john pasche, developed this logo for the rolling stones in 1970. here's some trivia: it was commissioned for 50 pounds, but the stones liked it so much they gave pasche 200 pounds. this is likely the most recognizable logo for a rock band. you'd be hard-pressed to find one as iconic as this.

these 2 logos are newer, and i think they're good examples of impeccably designed, simple logos. do the designs break new ground? no, but they don't necessarily have to. both use clean, minimal shapes and classy, easy-to-read sans serif type. viewers don't have to think too hard to figure out what each logo is trying to communicate.

when i create the Hands4Paws logo, i want to keep these important elements in mind. i also want to make sure i'm capturing the essence of the organization.

2-column grid exercise

brochure revisions

here's the proof!

brochure design research

okay, so these aren't trifolds like we were assigned to design (one's actually a poster), but the way these pieces communicate to their audiences is inspiring. take a look. all have a cohesive feel throughout; the panels aren't separated into different looks. information flows seamlessly. a few highlights: the calendar. simple, colorful, clever and useful. the slanted design of the canadian water poster. (would that work with a trifold? hmmmm...) and the distressed look of the book event brochure (cleverly crafted to look handmade, which is the theme of the event). that's the challenge of the trifold brochure assignment: how to inform the audience of champaign surplus's offerings by presenting information in a clear, concise manner, yet crafting an engaging, cohesive design.

Silver Joe's Coffee Company brochure
C3 Brandworks






















Palm Beach Community College Graphic Design Program brochure
Entropia Design Studio

Architecture Week picnic event brochure/poster
RGB Design Studio

2008 calendar brochure (self promotion)
Jonathan Davies

Water Footprint of Nations Study poster
Timm Kekeritz

Bristol Artists Book Event brochure
Ginger Monkey