by Annie | Other
Did you know that each snowflake is made up of roughly 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 water molecules? That’s why it’s practically impossible to have two identical flakes, since all the water molecules grow at different rates. I can’t think of a single thing that I could design with infinite variations. Thumbs up, Nature. Job well...
by Annie | Adchievements, Illustration Station
Let’s face it. Silhouettes are different. They make you stop and look because silhouettes are not what we see in daily life. When we see silhouettes in ads or logos, our minds are drawn to the simplicity of the image, the beauty of the form, and the outline of the object. Apple’s iPod ads, one of the most popular silhouette ad campaigns, have caused quite a stir. Featuring silhouetted dancers with white earbuds against brightly colored backgrounds, the ads use stark contrast and carry a simple message, garnering attention on a world stage. Since the iPod ad campaign started in 2001, countless variations on the famous silhouette ads have been created. The most successful, however, are those in which the silhouette is instantly recognizable: Think about people or characters you know. Who would make good iPod silhouettes? Who might make less effective...
by Annie | Logoland
I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, so I was extremely excited when I realized that this February would be filled not with pink doily hearts, but rather with ski jumps, figure skating, and curling. Miniature cupids, make way for the Winter Olympics, beginning with the opening ceremony on February 12th in Vancouver. This year, couples can bond over nail-biting triple lutzes and 70mph ski maneuvers. No cheesy, sentimental cards needed. The Vancouver 2010 emblem was chosen from among 1,600 entries. It represents Ilaanaq, the Inuit word for friend, and features five stone-like formations in vibrant colors from the Olympic logo, nature, and Canadian pride. Here’s a look back at Winter Olympic emblems from the last 30...
by Annie | Adchievements
I very clearly remember teaching myself how to blow bubbles. Many hopeful tries, many failed attempts. My mouth seemed too small, the bubble gum too slippery, and my teeth-tongue coordination just not quite mature enough. Evidently, perseverance is a wannabe bubble blower’s best friend. After many attempts, I finally got the hang of it without drooling or spitting my gum out along with the would-be bubble. Bubble Yum, Bazooka, Juicy Fruit, Bubble Tape – any and all types and flavors of bubble gum were good for an afternoon of bubble blowing fun. Bubble gum on your face, on your clothes, in your hair, and in your friend’s hair were all signs of fun times. Here are some fun bubble gum ads if you’re in the mood to reminisce on childhood bubble gum...
by Annie | Logoland, Typographically Speaking
I recently watched the book-turned-movie Julie and Julia, a very fun movie based on an inspirational story that brings together modern day young professional Julie Powell with famous TV chef Julia Child. The title screen of the movie incorporates a scripty ampersand, representing the unity of time periods, locations, and styles. So I got to thinking, where did the ampersand come from? According to Wikipedia, the word ampersand comes from the phrase “and per se and,” meaning “and [the symbol which] by itself [is] and.” I recall hearing in high school Latin class that the ampersand comes from the Latin word “et,” meaning “and.” In fact, you can trace the evolution of the symbol back to Old Roman cursive, in which the letters E and T were sometimes written together. These days, you can find the symbol practically anywhere: 1. In logos 2. In clothing and accessories 3. Around the house What was once a quick shorthand symbol has now become an icon of class, unity, & enterprise. Bravo, ampersand....
by Annie | Adchievements, Illustration Station, Typographically Speaking
Frustrated because a dead or misspelled link landed you on a 404 page? Everyone’s been there, and no one likes it. Web designers should account for this mishap, creating fun, memorable, and creative 404 messages to appease grumpy users. If you happen to find a dead link on my site, this is what you’ll see: While working on the design for my 404 page, I came across some inspiring and creative 404 messages. Here are a few of my...
by Annie | Illustration Station
It’s not hard to see that the world is changing. Every time we blink, a new technological device pops up. Transportation is making it easier for people to travel farther and faster, to places inaccessible to our ancestors. This melting pot of cultures and languages brings with it fresh ideas but also fresh challenges. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no good at languages. I think my brain just didn’t develop that piece needed to retain new vocabulary and verb conjugations for long periods of time. So when I travel to a foreign land, sure I take some time to learn the basics: hello, thank you, bathroom. But more often than not, when I’m standing face-to-face with a native speaker, most of what comes out of my mouth sounds more like, “Uhh…mm…” Apparently my language deficiencies are not too out of the ordinary. Countries are recognizing the need for standardized and pictorial signs, especially for foreign drivers. Here are some of my...
by Annie | Other
The end of the year can be a hectic time, especially with family get-togethers, travel plans, and holiday gift bills. Thus, it’s easy to overlook New Year’s resolutions or to hastily make a tentative list in your head. Most people have a neverending list of things they’d like to change about themselves and their lives, so making a definitive list of resolutions can be daunting. However, I suggest that you make just one. One resolution that you’re resolved to achieve. If you make just one change in your life, it can have lasting ripples in other areas. Can’t think of any? Here are some ideas to get you started: 1. Start each day purposefully doing what’s most important to you. Perhaps you love to draw but never find the time. Make a commitment to wake up 20 minutes earlier and sketch something every day. 2. Work on something outside of your comfort zone. Take on a project you might normally pass up, or try a different style you don’t normally use. Test your limits. Surprise yourself. 3. Take one purposeful break per day. Schedule one short outing per day that gets you out of your work chair. Try a new coffee shop, sit outside and people-watch, or just walk around the block looking for things you hadn’t noticed before. 4. Clean. An organized workspace can save you tons of time and can be a source of inspiration. 5. Just do it. So many people wait for the ideal time to do or buy something, and often they wait too long. If you’ve been saving a bottle of wine, waiting...
by Annie | Logoland, Typographically Speaking
When you think of the ABCs, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Pre-K, the ABC song, Sesame Street? Most likely, art and design don’t immediately pop into your head. And who can blame you? Most people first encounter the ABCs in early childhood, strange symbols printed on paper or posters next to illustrations – the “real” art. The letters are rarely studied for their own artistic value; rather, they are strung together in words and sentences to describe other pieces of art. A recent report published by the University of California, San Diego, suggests that the average American consumes 100,000 words of information in a single day. That’s not hard to imagine considering we can so easily access television shows, video games, emails, and text messages – often simultaneously! Most adults can read a word in less than a second. In fact, many words, such as “the” and “dog” are memorized in early elementary school as sight words, so readers don’t actually read them so much as recognize them. In a world that moves so fast, it’s often difficult to stop and appreciate the simple beauty behind the letters we read and write every day. That’s where letterforms come in. In typography, letterforms refer to the study and design of individual letters. Letterforms help to highlight the aesthetic value of the lines, angles, curves, and shapes that make up letters and are often linked to emotions and hidden meanings, hence their importance in advertising. So the next time you scan an article, pass by a store sign, or read a book with your kids, stop and take...
by Annie | Adchievements, Typographically Speaking
When I decided to venture into the field of digital design, my mom’s main worry was that my college degree in psychology was completely unrelated to design. But in fact, the two fields are inextricably intertwined. Color and typography both have emotional underpinnings, and the subliminal messages behind logos and ads often play mind tricks on uninformed consumers. Take menu design, for example. Did you know that restaurants (along with the menu engineers and menu consultants they hire) spend hours and hours painstakingly obsessing over every element on their menus? Pictures, no pictures, size of text, fonts, colors, adjectives, price display, and spacing are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to designing an effective menu. Researchers have found that the following can subconsciously massage consumer wallets: 1. Remove dollar signs and cents from prices. Dollar signs remind people of money they don’t want to spend. Cents remind people of pennies they don’t want to deal with. 2. Choose the right colors. Apparently, red and blue stimulate your appetite, while gray and purple make you feel full. 3. Use descriptive menu labels. Packing in adjectives, geographic markers, and even relative names (e.g., Aunt Sally’s Famous Potato Salad) will make dishes sound more appealing. 4. Remove pictures. Imagination always trumps even the best picture a camera can take. 5. Employ the art of contrast. Place an expensive item at the top of the menu, and suddenly everything else seems more affordable. So you decide: which restaurant would you spend more money at? Restaurant A: Restaurant B: For more information on the psychology behind menu design, check out...
by Annie | Logoland
When it comes to logos, are you a believer in evolution or, perhaps, intelligent design? Just as people change and technology develops, corporations evolve over time. Companies often adapt their logos to stay in touch with their clients, but too much change can alienate their audience and change their brand identities. Though logos start out as just sketches on paper, they eventually embody the values and vision of the organizations they represent, so even minor tweaks here and there can cause lasting ripples. Let’s take a step back in time and take a look at the evolution of some logos we all know and love. 1. Apple 2. Firefox 3. Starbucks 4. Volkswagen 5. Canon 6. IBM 7. Wal-Mart 8. Morton Salt 9. UPS 10....
by Annie | Typographically Speaking
Most articles, reports, and papers we read these days are written in 12-pt. Times New Roman. The few creative ones might venture into Arial or, God forbid, Comic Sans. In the old days, type designers cast fonts in lead, or, more recently, in wood. Back then, typography was a specialized occupation. However, the Digital Age has made type design available for anyone with computer access. If you’re ready to take a crack at type design, head over to FontStruct, which features a free font-building tool. Arrange geometrical shapes in a grid to create your own font. Then download your new font and use in any Mac or Windows application. Give it a...
by Annie | Adchievements
The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most heavily ad-littered times of the year. Between Black Friday and last-minute Christmas shopping, these few weeks often fill store fronts, circulars, and online banners with holiday ads as retailers hope for looser consumer wallets. Here are some ads that have taken a creative and fresh outlook on age-old holiday...
by Annie | Other
Looking for a great gift but strapped for cash? Here’s a gift idea that’s easy, inexpensive, and useful! Step 1: Obtain a can. Larger ones are better. I saved the green bean cans I used for our Thanksgiving feast. Eat, give away, or save contents of the can. Clean out the can and make sure there are no sharp edges. Step 2: Cover with pretty papers. You can keep the label on the can so you’re gluing paper to paper rather than paper to metal. You can find fun papers in art and crafts stores, or you can design the papers yourself. Step 3: Fill with potting soil and small plant. Both soil and plants can be found in most home improvement stores or garden stores. You can also add a little whimsy by including a witty, personalized tag. Ta-da! Quick, easy, and gentle on the wallet. Lots of variations possible, so have...
by Annie | Adchievements, Typographically Speaking
It’s amazing how the simple ideas stick with us the longest. Many designers use text in interesting ways in their designs. Some use big bold text, others use scripty and flowy text. Even the fourth graders I taught could change fonts, sizes, and colors. However, the designs that we remember most are those in which the text blends seamlessly into the image. Image relies on text, and text relies on...
by Annie | Logoland, Typographically Speaking
Anyone can play around with letters, but a great designer arranges, changes, and adds to letters so as to reveal the essence of the message. Here are some straightforward logos that convey meaning in powerful...
by Annie | Typographically Speaking
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, using text as image must be worth 1,001. I first learned about the technique of using text as image in college during a book arts class. Prior to that, I hadn’t given typography a second thought, blindly using double-spaced 12-pt. Times New Roman for every paper I’d written. Teachers get cranky otherwise. The subject of the memoir I wrote for my book arts class was my journey through childhood and adolescence as a fat kid. My professor pushed me at every step to consider all design decisions carefully in order to communicate the message of my story as clearly and effectively as possible. While reading through A History of Graphic Design during one long caffeine driven night, I was blown away by the thought that text could be used as image. Since kindergarten, I’d been taught the names and sounds of the letters, how to combine the letters to form words, and how to link words to form sentences. During all that, not once did I stop to consider the shapes of the letters themselves. After all, the alphabet is essentially a gallery of 26 pictures that were eventually assigned to sounds. With that new revelation in mind, I decided to use text as image as the underlying design theme of my book. As I played around with typography, text placement, spacing, and letterforms, I rediscovered the beauty of letters and text, approaching them with the same wonderment and curiosity that I had as a preschooler. Through my study of typography, I learned that effective synthesis of text as image and the...
by Annie | Illustration Station
I learned to spell the word silhouette in third grade. It probably coincided with some story in reading class and thus popped up in the weekly spelling list. Since then, I’ve always been drawn to silhouette designs. Simple, elegant, and to the point. An effective silhouette highlights unique features without random clutter, helping the viewer appreciate lines and shapes. The stark image communicates the message clearly so that even simple designs can leave a lasting impression. No need for shading, gradients, or textures; just clean design. How to create an effective silhouette design: 1. An easy way to create a silhouette is to use the pen tool in Illustrator or Photoshop to trace an image or photograph. 2. Choose shapes and figures that are unique and interesting. Keep in mind that you don’t have to use the entire person/object. 3. Make sure the silhouette is easily recognizable, unless you’re going for a Rorschach effect. 4. Less is more. Silhouettes stand out because they’re simple. When in doubt, take it...
