The Museum of Brands and Packaging

I recently visited London's Museum of Brands and Packaging, an experience which I doubt many others have achieved as the place is harder to find than a PC in a design studio. Once discovered within the labyrinth of streets and alleyways however, it is well worth the visit. Boasting a considerable collection of packaging and and posters for all of our favourite consumer goods from their conception up till the more recognisable recent designs, it is an exercise in nostalgia as well as an insight into the progression in the discipline. The sheer number of collected pieces combine into a dizzying plethora of colours that toy with your eyes in the dim light of the exhibit.
It was difficult to photograph in the low light without the use of flash, so alas the images below do not do the items justice. I have included them as a taste of the museum experience, and strongly recommend a visit if you're ever in London:







At the time of my visit, there was a feature on the history of Guinness design. Seemingly before the days of controlled censorship and trading standards, Guinness could make you healthier and stronger; and was what appears to be the pint of choice for large birds and lobsters. Below are a few examples of the many on show, and make a charming collection in my opinion.

Century Gothic

It must be the curse of the designer that he/she must recognise typefaces anywhere and everywhere. There is so much signage, packaging and printed word to be silently critical of that not a day goes by where I don't think about type. As refreshing as it is to see a typeface used nicely to the benefit of the work, it is equally frustrating to see poor or unoriginal ideas littering the visual world. And while terribly inappropriate fonts may force a smile, possibly even a laugh, seeing the same type treated in the same way over and over again on countless products, signs and pages is just pure old fashioned murder.



Century Gothic is a nice clean sans serif with generous features that combine to give the type an edge. It is one of the fonts that I have always liked, and I'm sure that I cannot be the only one that appreciates its unique appearance. I'm also sure that I cannot be the only person to notice that it is used everywhere for everything often in the most tasteless of contexts and vile of layouts. Century Gothic has been abused by the talentless copycats for the purpose of 'this will do' work to the point where I am put off a product from the mere sight of it. For me, it has become a symbol of laziness, unoriginality and robotic mass production. The next Helvetica if it is not too bold to suggest. Century Gothic has been drained and drained until it has nothing left to give, and I fear that it no longer has a place in any of my future work.

OK... rant over. I guess that if you haven't noticed that Century Gothic is everywhere, a walk down the local shop's tin aisle, or a glance at today's junk mail will undoubtably illustrate my point perfectly. Below are a few quick examples of Century Gothic at its worst...