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I was recently asked to create a flash portfolio website for a photographer. He wanted a clean, simple design with a nice flash navigation. While I am confident of my abitily to design the site, I had a look for navigation inspiration and found a few innovative examples. Dominico Tedone's site is far more complex than any I would produce, however it is a great piece of skill that sets his portfolio apart from so many out there.
His wheel navigation gives the user ultimate freedom of movement in a seemingly three dimensional environment. The mouse controls whether the wheel zooms in, out or rotates to a new piece.
The navigation is best experienced in person. To visit, click here
Identity
Having recently completed a college-set identity brief for a youth center in Newcastle, I was interested to observe the visual style of the newly branded St David's Center in Cardiff, Wales. Interestingly, the concept is quite similar to the one which my group produced. It focuses on the idea of many people coming together to create a whole, and this is the basis for much of the design within the identity.
Above is the concept of gathering realized as an image of a crowd producing the letter 'D'. The shadow of this idea becomes the logo that is hung above the center in Cardiff and has been applied the poster and signage design. The logo as it appears in the center is pictured below.
While I feel that the logo is reasonably dynamic and energetic, I am undecided whether it is successful in visualizing the concept of coming together. Having spoken to a number of non-designers about the logo, it would appear that I am not alone in this trail of thought. Some were explicit enough to call it childish and mediocre. When I explained the vigorous process of design that must have constructed this outcome, my defense was undermined by the famous phrase 'it looks like a two year old could have done it'. Admittedly, this view would be one of the extremes of my findings, but it serves as a testament to the difficultly of pleasing everyone in commercial design. It reminds me that designers often have a different opinion to non-designers and illustrates the need to take a look from outside in in order to communicate to the target audience.
While I am relatively impartial to the identity, I am sure that there are admires as well as critics regarding this style. The design was developed by a London based company named Johnson Banks. More of the St David's visual identity can be found here.
I was lucky enough to book a seat for the D&AD talk last week at the Radisson Blu, a lecture where the upcoming briefs would be outlined alongside help and advice on gaining a foothold in the creative community. There was also a portfolio surgery where students could have their portfolio critiqued and valuable advice given by creative professionals from both London and Cardiff. Unfortunately I missed out on putting my name down in time, but the lecture itself was a more than worthwhile experience.
A speaker from the D&AD panel ran us through what makes a successful entry. This was supplemented by examples of both student and professional work that have impressed in the past with a combination of a great idea and professional execution. Below is an image of a poster that was particularly stirring:
Techniques commanding the attention of the public were showcased by two Wonderbra campaigns. The first 'Hello Boys' was a bold effort to draw the eye with a half naked model that most should be familiar with. It was explained that on its release, this poster caused a huge stir and saw people (men) causing traffic jams as they rolled past, staring at the provocative imagery. Now that we have become accustomed to such visuals, they no longer have the shock factor and companies like Wonderbra need to change their angle to achieve such commotion again. Above is the response to this problem, and uses a cryptic technique to challenge the viewer to discover what it means. It caused a few rewarded smiles at the talk as people cottoned on to the subliminal meaning giving them a sense of achievement, thus making the poster and brand memorable. I won't spoil the fun by writing the answer to this puzzle, but it is an excellent example of observing a problem and solving it.
The second part of the lecture saw Emma Booty take to the projector. Her career boasts a wealth of experience in a number of countries and agencies. She recently ended a long career at Landor, and let us see how things work at such a large company. She showcased her impressive communication skills as she offered her knowledge and working method to an interested audience.
It was in insightful afternoon for me, and one that I can draw inspiration and insight from in the upcoming D&AD competition briefs.
Below is my respose to a Christmas card brief set by UWIC.
When the brief was given, it was made clear that UWIC wanted a seasonal card that was welcome to all. As a result of this, it was advised to avoid typical Christian or stereotypical Christmas imagery. Furthermore, it was emphasised how UWIC desire to celebrate this international relationship in a cool, friendly manner.
My response plays on the idea of combining landmarks of five main inhabited continents: Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas to build a towering structure. The hand drawn rendering adds a playful element to an inclusive gesture.
As an incredibly wide field of design that is featured so many times in blogs, I won't try to do the same and attempt to showcase the genre myself. Instead, I have picked a few examples of infographics that use simplicity to present information in an appealing and digestible fashion.
There are so many beautiful pieces of graphical or schematic design in existence, and here I have focused on the more functional side of the subject. The simplistic ease of communication that this coffee guide displays expresses the primary function of the infographic. An instruction graphic that is effortlessly interpreted.
Here I have featured a more complex diagram that is no less easily read. The circular graphs are less friendly than the coffee example, but they show the same expression of the ingredient theme in a different visual style.
The subject of infographics is one that I will explore in more detail, as it is such a fascinating field of communication.
Above is the concept of gathering realized as an image of a crowd producing the letter 'D'. The shadow of this idea becomes the logo that is hung above the center in Cardiff and has been applied the poster and signage design. The logo as it appears in the center is pictured below.
While I feel that the logo is reasonably dynamic and energetic, I am undecided whether it is successful in visualizing the concept of coming together. Having spoken to a number of non-designers about the logo, it would appear that I am not alone in this trail of thought. Some were explicit enough to call it childish and mediocre. When I explained the vigorous process of design that must have constructed this outcome, my defense was undermined by the famous phrase 'it looks like a two year old could have done it'. Admittedly, this view would be one of the extremes of my findings, but it serves as a testament to the difficultly of pleasing everyone in commercial design. It reminds me that designers often have a different opinion to non-designers and illustrates the need to take a look from outside in in order to communicate to the target audience.
Techniques commanding the attention of the public were showcased by two Wonderbra campaigns. The first 'Hello Boys' was a bold effort to draw the eye with a half naked model that most should be familiar with. It was explained that on its release, this poster caused a huge stir and saw people (men) causing traffic jams as they rolled past, staring at the provocative imagery. Now that we have become accustomed to such visuals, they no longer have the shock factor and companies like Wonderbra need to change their angle to achieve such commotion again. Above is the response to this problem, and uses a cryptic technique to challenge the viewer to discover what it means. It caused a few rewarded smiles at the talk as people cottoned on to the subliminal meaning giving them a sense of achievement, thus making the poster and brand memorable. I won't spoil the fun by writing the answer to this puzzle, but it is an excellent example of observing a problem and solving it.
The 3d projection can be worked excellently for the rendering of schematic drawings or diagrams. It gives a sense of perspective on an otherwise flat object.
This technique is a fairly simple way of creating artwork that appears 3d. I may find myself applying this rule when a simple drawing could do with an edge, a characteristic that can take it off the page without the need for specialist software.
My response plays on the idea of combining landmarks of five main inhabited continents: Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas to build a towering structure. The hand drawn rendering adds a playful element to an inclusive gesture.
