Deyton Koch Blog #2

I was looking through a magazine today and I came across these ambigrams. I think ambigrams are amazing ways to play with type. I think it would be a fun exercise and I do not know why I have never given it a shot. I enjoy looking at decorative, scripty fonts, and when someone has managed to manipulate beautiful text into an ambigram, I am usually just blown away. One problem with ambigrams a lot of the time, however, is they can become very hard to read (like the bottom left hand one, I am still not quite sure what it is supposed to say). I probably like the first one the best, and I like how they incorporated the design in the real world. A beer bottle is a perfect place for an ambigram because it is frequently turned upside down :)
On a side note, I had to include my favorite ambigram in this post. I saw this a long time ago in blockbuster (before they went out of business) and I was hoping that I would not have any trouble finding it online, but I had no idea just how famous it was.
I give you the cover of the 20th anniversary edition of "The Princess Bride"...

I love WPAS. This particular one tickles my fancy because of the chosen typeface. I love the minimal weight carried, the enormity of space occupied by the "O" & geometric qualities held throughout the typeface. This particular typeface is a sans serif type from the geometric family, and is hand-lettered, possibly derived from the "Verlag" family. WPA's constantly inspire my design because of their simplicity and bold qualities. They translate well into the medium of screen-print/flat-stock. They also hold a vast selection of typefaces & are mindful of their selections.

Kara Albe

I got this cookbook at Barne's & Noble admittedly for the cover and the pictures inside. His name and "the ultimate" are a sans serif typeface that looks like a combination of Brandon Grotesque and Gotham, while the others are a blocky decorative inline sans serif that I see often but don't know the name. All of the type is letterpress into a nicely textured kind of linen cover, front and back. This book obviously appeals to a younger, maybe hipster audience who appreciates good type, good paper, nice full-bleed photographs and bright colors. Bold and to the point, two typefaces are all that's needed. Hierarchy is established and white space is well utilized along with a cute embellishment that draws the viewer in. I'm really drawn to these typefaces and would like to use these myself, I'd like to learn letterpress. The good design on the outside pulled me in, and it was continued on the inside which is a skill I feel would be valuable, especially in book design.

This is a travel promo piece for Australia. I love the use of type; I appreciate the fluidity & legibility. The typeface used appears to be a sans serif from the decorative category. Some letters have a slight serif but for stylistic purposes. This betters my design eye because it's a great example as a text only decorative piece. It also denotes the utility of typography in mediums like flat stock art.

Bria Crain: Week 1

This is a poster designed by Luke Williams that I discovered on Fonts in Use. It utilizes Bureau Grot, a Grotesque sans-serif, for the title. The text above and below is set in LL Brown, a geometric sans-serif. The poster is advertising the production of a comedic play about time travel by the Pavement Group in Chicago, and is meant to attract the attention of locals or tourists who might be interested in coming to a show. The type is big, bold, and playful; the off-kilter text helps to hint at the comedy genre, while the jumbled carbon paper letters to the left hint at the subject matter and add visual interest. I really enjoy the addition of the photographed carbon paper to the design. It makes me think about how I can utilize unconventional materials to make stronger, more interesting work.

Amber Rowland - Young Living Essential oils

Young Living Essential Oils uses a classic serif font to define the stability and longevity of not only their oil diffusers, as shown, but of all their products. Young Living believes in the power of aromatherapy and has a variety of products to help individuals, from infancy to adulthood, to improve their over all living. By choosing a typeface that is grounded by serifs, young living chooses to focus their audience on the reliability of the products. If they had chosen a more delicate font the audience may not have taken them as seriously. 

Miguel Ramirez

This is the Schecter logo on the headstock of my guitar. Schecter is known for its electric guitars that are well suited for playing heavy metal and hard rock. For this reason, I feel that it was a great design choice to go with an old german blackletter font for the company's logo. The type is reminiscent of metal band logos, and it immediately tells the audience that these guitars are made for a specific music genre. Furthermore, the blackletter font sets it apart from the sleek logos of competing brands like Fender or Ibanez.