So it’s that time again where I need your help to make me make the tentative step forward in the creative process—this time for magazine design. I’ve recycled some old names; if you’ve realised they’re from my wine name selection. Can you imagine how bad I’d be if I were naming a child? Good grief, I think I’d spend decades deciding. So that’s another tick for the cons of having children.
Meanwhile, I’ve decided to go for a general pop culture and kitsch theme, but with a slight emphasis on personal opinions and evocative and unique collections. But there are still streaks of mainstream thought within all that indie-ness. My mind is still befuddled. It’s past midnight, damn it.
NB: You can make 2 votes!
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Hmm. I will get down to updating about my agIdeas antics. Eventually. Hopefully the memories are still preserved in the short-term bank of my brain.
Mmm, it was that time of the year again on the first Saturday of May. When we celebrate all that is good and nerdy—FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, YAY. I and my good mate Andrew went traipsing around north-west and inner Melbourne devouring any freebie in our wake. Victoria only has 2 participating stores: Trading Cards Australia in Moonee Ponds and Classic Comics in Bourke St, City.
I finally caved and bought a Rorschach action figure—the cheapest I could find was at the Moonee Ponds store. Will photograph close-ups when I next find spare time. They definitely have the action figures and most comics cheaper there… Good grief, why do I keep going to Minotaur (Then again, prices differ for various things. It pays to shop around)? Also got Catwoman #27 and an X-MEN: First Class special issue dirt cheap. Very pleased with my self-restraint. *cough*
Am curious to read more Green Lantern after the reading a good preview of Chuck Dixon’s newest take on the Emerald Guardian. At least, I think it was Chuck Dixon. I can’t remember at top of my head, but it was good! And that’s the most important part! ‘Sides, Green Lantern is HOT. I dunno, there’s something about Hal that reminds me of Bruce … Plus Chris Pine (of new Star Trek fame) is said to play Green Lantern in new film soon to be in production in Australia. Huzzah!
It’s also agIdeas Design Week, but I’m going to be attending the agIdeas Design Conference, which kicks off tomorrow for 3 days. 3 days non-stop of design! With the likes of Stefan Sagmeister and Tobias Frere-Jones speaking, will I live through it all from sheer awesomeness? Watch my blog for posts in the next few days.
Yes, Jen is alive, struggling to keep afloat but alive. And she would love for you to help her fill this poll so she can find some direction in her life. TRULY!
OK enough with the third person, I will tell you now that the current brief for my studio folio is packaging (both primary and secondary, ie. the bottle and its container) for a leisure pack for 4 wine PET bottles (No glass, I know, it’s a preposterous thought!), targeted to Generation Y (so, that’s the 18-30 year old market). I’ve got most of the technical considerations done, but now I’m struggling with choosing a brand name—hypothetical, of course.
Which wine would you want to buy, judging by the name only? Keep in mind the target market is Gen-Y (2 votes max).*
Excès (43%, 6 Votes)
Defusion (29%, 4 Votes)
Trifle (29%, 4 Votes)
Naught (21%, 3 Votes)
Plethora (14%, 2 Votes)
Zilch (14%, 2 Votes)
Loot (14%, 2 Votes)
Water Down (0%, 0 Votes)
Doctor Up (0%, 0 Votes)
Zippo (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 14
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*I will tell you also that this wine of mine is non-alcoholic, so purely 0% alcohol. Would your opinion have changed if you knew it was non-alcoholic? (Although considering they’d be placed in the aisle next to the soft drinks in the supermarkets, you’d think you would know, wouldn’t you? Don’t think too much on it!)
Would appreciate your comments/opinions! Or just tell me I’ve gone batshit crazy! If I don’t get enough responses or there are too many ties, I will probably follow up with a second poll to narrow answers down. Thanks so much!
Last Monday, as planned, I went up to Bendigo with my folks, mainly to check out the featured exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery, The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London (1937–1948), direct from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was overall a fantastic show of outfits, ranging from refined afternoon wear to the more flamboyant evening gowns, with also a collection of fashion photography from the likes of Richard Avedon on display.
Bendigo is a lovely city. Clean, vintage and with friendly people. And there was a Katies store that was closing down with the cheapest clothes! $5 a piece for most garments, zomg! Not even DFO can compare!
I sort of splurged on the gift range… The bag is beautiful and cute however, and well worth it.
Now I wouldn’t be a true type fan without noticing the amazing signage around this historic city! ‘Total Abstinence Society Inc”—well, that’s one way of putting it, eh? I love the little flourishes and the Nouveau/Deco typefaces.
The flourish in the ‘AND’ is beautiful! But I love the little stencil someone grafittied on top of the sign. It completes the set.
So just around this time in the States, the most important (or what seems to be) election is in full swing, for the newly voted-in President for 2008 will not just affect Americans, but the entire world, either directly or indirectly. We can’t really reiterate our anxiety, disbelief and frustration at the current financial crisis, which hit home how dependent the world still is on the US performance, and how a certain someone needs to be kicked out of office. Stat. Pronto.
I’ve been paying a lot more attention this year than in ‘04, possibly because I understand the whole system a bit more, and the candidates (and their running mates) are just so much more “intriguing” and “different” to say the least.
Now as a designer, and having written a mini-thesis (well, it sure felt like one) on propaganda and advertising, I’ve been particularly fascinated with their design campaigns, and I know it’s probably late now to talk about it, but I’m going to anyway.
I noticed when watching footage from a 2004 Obama campaign, there hadn’t yet been the use of the iconic Gotham typeface, now made ubiquitous through the rigorous campaign front. (Of course, he hadn’t had the popularity and following he has now.) Back in ‘04 it was just some conservative-looking serif font, lacking the vitality and modern look and feel to push Obama’s message of “change” forward. It then struck me what an excellent choice Gotham was (designed by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2000), quintessentially American, but with all the sentiments of a modernist typeface.
Gotham aside, another great symbol of Obama’s pledge for change is his logo. There are two versions of this, one with the gradient and one with just solid colours. I love the gradient version. It evokes hope, like a beacon of pure light, a star rising above the horizon. The round O not just stands for Obama, but the united stand for change, as one people, one nation. This is further emphasised with the familiar, trusting and patriotic colours of the American flag. Idealistic, to be sure, but extremely well visualised. And simple! We loves the simplicity!
McCain, the ol’ maverick, is obviously on the other side of the coin, and his logo reflects that with a more military token style. Look at that pointy, shiny star! It screams Vietnam veteran! A man who’s been there, and knows what to do, just because he says so! To be fair, it’s simple, and probably easiest to identify from a distance, what with those pervasive horizontal lines converging at the centre. It’s a nice touch.
Interestingly the typeface used here is Optima (designed by Hermann Zapf between 1952- 1955). Personally I rather loathe Optima, because it never seems to fit into the context of what I’m working with. Yes, it’s a sans serif, but on the other hand it has humanist leanings. It is most famously used as the typeface for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., which is possibly the reason why John McCain’s crew took the typeface on. It suits his persona, to be sure. The navy blue background is the perfect tone as well, although I have seen the logo on black backgrounds as well, which is too dark, I think.
On Another Note
Just for good measure I checked out each candidate’s websites, Obama clearly being the winner in probably all aspects of usability, design and accessibility, not that McCain’s was bad, but the layout lets it down through inconsistent use of fonts (from condensed to bold to wide face, ugh!), not to mention different font sizes, all contributing to a garish, overblown impression. There’s no room to breathe! On print, you should really only stick to no more than 3 different typefaces and keep the sizes and alignment consistent for a steady and relaxing read; I think this rule should be adhered to even more strictly on the web. It’s the inconsistency that will frustrate any web user. It’s actually quite a poor attempt at web 2.0 standards. Conversely, Obama’s website is understated with a serious tone but it’s elegant, clean and quite easy to navigate. The message for “change” perpetuated in the Obama campaign is consistent through the familiar colours and fonts. Still, one good thing I like from the McCain website is that the type size in the logo for “McCain-Palin” is the same, rather than the Obama outsizing Biden on the Obama website. It shows an equal partnership. Minor point, but it’s those little things that always make a difference.
Verdict: if US Presidents could be voted on their design ethics and aesthetics rather than their government policies, then Obama wins, by quite a high margin!
I wonder what the design of this year’s ballot is like? Did you know that apparently Bush won Presidency in 2000 due to the structure of the voting boxes on the sheet? I’m rather appalled.
You know, Melbourne has an awful lot of brilliant independent bookshops, galleries and cultural avenues that I don’t know half about. Well, not really, I just don’t have the means to go to said places. I wish I lived next to Hoddle St, Bridge Rd, Chapel St, Brunswick St, Gertrude St or Clarendon St. Pooh. No, I live in a working-class suburban hole.
The Royal Melbourne Show is in its final two days, and the Melbourne Anime Festival (better known as Manifest, such a clever name, eh) has just kicked off. I cannot afford either, nor do I really care for it nowadays… although I should like to go to the latter just for all time’s sake. Or when I come up with a snazzy costume to wear. Perhaps next year. I was checking out the Show’s website which lists the assortment of showbags. Once upon a time, I eagerly waited for the Herald Sun to publish the exclusive liftout. It still does, of course. Just the other week on a busy morning peak-hour train to the city I was stuck between a delightfully hyperactive school girl and boy who were ecstatic when an old man gave them said liftout from his paper. Oh boy. It was a long ride to Flinders St…
Anyway, I was browsing through the utter crap when I found two Batman showbags (I pretty much surmised these would appear). The lameness and marketing scheming is just the same as it always was. Each showbag has a bunch of rejected factory items, barely dusted off from sitting too long in boxes, with value figures and then a significantly cheaper price.
Methinks the Batman Spy Ear would come in handy. Or the Batman Inflatable Mallet—you never know when you’ll be tempted to give an enemy a thorough pounding! Perhaps the Batman Sweat Band would be for more immediate use, given the fact that spring has sprung its springy self into Australia, and the intense heat is upon us once again.
A window sticker for $3.95? Are you effing serious?
It’s all very confusing, these concoctions of Batman. You have good ol’ Batman, then Batman Dark Knight, oh and don’t forget Batman Gotham Knight. Are there more than two personalities of the Bruce Wayne/Batman identity?
As for Video of the Week, I’m plugging my own! I made this 30 second clip for my digital imaging project; it was made with After Effects CS3 plus some help from Photoshop and Illustrator. The subject matter will surely not be unfamiliar to you:
I like yesterday’s Friday Five, merely for the fact that I can’t answer any of the questions single-handedly: 1. Who is your favorite author? Why are we only allowed one? I suppose Paullina Simons comes close to being my number one; I’ve pretty much loved all of her books (although I have yet to read Tully, Eleven Hours and Road to Paradise; I is bad, I know!) I have favourites for genres:
- Classics: Dickens, Austen, Gaskell
- Contemporary: Sarah Dunant, Sarah Waters, Tim Winton, Ian McEwan, John Marsden, Tim Bowler, Nick Hornby
- Historical: Irene Nemirovsky, Tracy Chevalier
- Crime/Thriller: Agatha Christie, Janet Evanovich, Alan Furst
- Fantasy/Horror/Sci-fi: JK Rowling, Anne Rice (earlier works only!), Jasper Fforde, Tamora Pierce
- Romance: Kathryn Smith, Sylvia Day, Liz Carlyle, Lara Adrian
This is only a select few; can’t rack my brains right now.
2. What is your favorite book/series?
I cannot stop at one…
North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell
The Bronze Horseman – Paullina Simons
Harry Potter – JK Rowling, for reasons far too obvious
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
The Thursday Next Series – Jasper Fforde
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Persuasion – Jane Austen
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Girl with a Pearl Earring – Tracy Chevalier
The Girl in Times Square – Paullina Simons
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Summer Garden – Paullina Simons
The Quantocks Quartet – Ruth Elwin Harris
The Immortals quartet – Tamora Pierce
The Song of the Lioness quartet – Tamora Pierce
The Protector of the Small quartet – Tamora Pierce
The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton
Hand Job: A Catalogue of Type – Michael Perry
The TASCHEN All-American Ads series – ed. Jim Heimann
3. Who is a book hero you most wish to be like? I wish I had Elizabeth Bennet’s sparkling wit, Hermione Granger’s sheer brain power, or Mr Knightley’s never-failing courtesy towards everyone, or Tatiana Metanova’s amazing resilience, also the latter’s beauty; not to be crude or anything, but the thought is there when I read the passages, you know. I envision a modest yet goddess-like figure, very beautiful indeed. With an equally gorgeous man. Eh, fiction really makes reality suck in these instances, eh. I am one of those many Asian women blessed with a complete lack of chest, and all height and skinny arms and chunky thighs. *sighs* Moving on…
4. Who is a book character that you envy?
Hermione Granger—she gets Ron Weasley in spades, and she has an incredible brain and resilience in the worst times. But I don’t envy her situation—it truly is hard times.
5. Which book do you wished you lived in?
Ooh, that would have to be Enid Blyton’s Enchanted Wood and the Magic Faraway Tree. I would love to visit the Lands above the Tree, like The Land of Goodies, The Land of Parties, The Land of Take What You Want, The Land of Treats…
How. Awesome. Is. This. New. Poster? Just out yesterday. A metaphorical collage of insanity. Brilliant. I really want to know the designer/s behind all the promos. Something to look for while watching the credits… Everything is just superlative in this production – I am just totally gobsmacked by everything. I dunno how I’m gonna feel after coming out of the cinema on July 17…
Meanwhile I saw Speed Racer yesterday (anyway, I’ll have a review later). It was pretty damn awesome, visually… I have the upbeat modern updated version of the anime theme song in my head, which is video of the week, the theme for the 2008 film, Go Speed Racer, Go! by Ali Dee and the Dekompressors:
I'm Jen, an Honours student, graphic designer and artist from Melbourne, Australia. Eveninghour is a humble home for me to display things that inspire me and an opportunity to rant and rave about art, design, craft, books, film and other facets of popular culture. I have a fanlisting collective which currently houses 20 fanlistings, and also a portfolio featuring my professional work.
Can you imagine how bad I’d be if I were naming a child? Good grief, I think I’d spend decades deciding. So that’s another tick for the cons of having children.
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