PRINSENSLUIS:Amsterdam Signage | Caitlin Landingham

Prinsensluis Bridge

This is beautiful typeface my good friend found while visiting Amsterdam. It's a street sign of the name of the bridge above the canal shown in a heavy sans-serif. I enjoy this type and how successful it was in environmental design. It's easy to read, it's white, and it has been around for quite a while. 

The Boston Globe Fresh on Today's Design Market

Classification: I am focusing on the 25th Anniversary font as well as the "logotype" of the "25." The type is a Sans-Serif font, and the type "Anniversary Issue" is a medium condensed version of the font.

Object/Audience: The object was to create an inciting 25th Anniversary edition cover for the people who subscribe to/read the Boston Globe. They wanted to illustrate a modernized type, seen clearly through the stainless steel overlays, as well as the 3-Dimensional typography.

Message: The simply type chosen not necessarily enhances the communicated message, but it's what they've done with it that makes the message so strong. With the use of the stainless steel/3D typography it is known just by the cover they have been around for a long time and have adapted to not only the times but design standards as we know them.

Influence: Not only is this a great technically sound showing of typography, but it is also an extremely creative design pairing the "2" & "5." This pushes the boundaries of design nowadays, which I think is necessary. There's enough tools out there to where nearly anyone can try there shot at design and being a "designer." This shows creativity and function as it is done in 3D. This is extremely beneficial as well as fresh for the designers of today. It is a quality break from transparent design to something all us designers can appreciate.

Classification: The logo is with a sans serif. the writing under is a loose script.

Object/Audience: the type is used as the logo. It works. 
Their audience at that time is a more younger crowd, with the vibrant colors and the fun use of type. 

Communication: The packaging changes in color with the type it is but the main type always stays the same. Its fun. It could be the worst food ever but the type and packaging would make me purchase it. 

Influence: Its influencing because it shows you that its okay to play with type and packaging and colors. This packaging wouldnt be the norm for stew or curry but its very pretty

1Q84

So I recently came across a TED talk featuring Chip Kidd, a designer at Knopf publishers. (link)
Towards the end of his segment he mentioned the design for a book called 1Q84 that is really remarkable. The story is a bout a girl who finds herself in a slightly alternate universe, almost exactly like hers, but different. The solution to the book cover is this. The actual book had an image of the girl with white text spelling out 1Q84, while the sleeve was printed on velum with the image in the text 1Q84. The end result is the image of the girl straddling two planes just like the story.  I chose this as my entry not only because it is a brilliant design, but because we are working on our own catalog designs in class and can use it as inspiration. It is a reminder to always create designs that tell a story, not because "you like the way it looks."  I plan on trying to use a similar thought process when working on my exhibit catalog.

source/description: This is packaging for electronics. It is in sans serif and has very strong imagery. Inspiration: I like the natural feel to it. Its showing of the clarity of the screen with images of nature and its in a brown box, goes to shoe that 360 degree branding is super important!

Highway Message

I was driving home to see my family quite a long time ago, when I drove up behind this 18 wheeler. Didn't really pay attention to the text at first, but then as I got closer I was able to make out what it said. Felt God speaking to me, so I thought I would snap a picture. Such a simple typeface for such a powerful message. I'm always a fan of a simple sans serif. Nothing too technical about it, just simple and clean. The message is easily legible to other drivers as well, so the point size is successful. And the simplicity of the typeface does not overshadow the brand or company name on the opposite door of the truck. Super simple, not much to talk about, but I don't think text always has to be extravagant to be powerful, or to get the point across. 

Jen Stephenson

Source: Internet
Typeface classification: Typeface is mostly hand drawn but appears to be serif
Description: This is an illustration by Laura Varsky to introduce her first typeface, Lady Rene
How it enhances the message: I found it interesting that the person who created the typeface also made an illustration to display it instead of actually bluntly putting the alphabet for the viewer to see
Influence: Creating my own typefaces is not something I have fully tried yet but I do think that that can make a huge impact on your own design and shows a sense of self to improve your work