Typing Type can be Typographical....

A friend said to me the other day that she understood how important the “font” was and that as soon as this “font” was captured everything would fall into place. I giggled to myself at her use of words, as I realised that since studying graphic design over the last 3 years I have realised how imperatively important and essential TYPOGRAPHY is within design. Once you realise its eminence, you can’t get away from it, you see that it is everywhere around us and its what makes us go “wow!” in design. Designers use type to create inspirational designs and use it as a means to communicate their ideas through their work. Using type in the correct way is very hard, and something I have always struggled with, but it is a fascinating element of design and typographical inspiration can be a great resource for designers.

Packing A Punch....

I have been researching packaging design for my dissertation, what makes the consumer stop and look at the product, absorb it and take it in, what little details makes the consumer make THE decision at point of purchase?

People always say “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” I definitely do this, but to be honest in a world where there are thousands of competitors for every single product, I don’y have the time or the money to try all these various products, so I admit, I do “judge a product by its cover!”

I am looking into how packaging design has changed from a means of transporting and protecting goods to advertising and selling them. Surveys have shown that many consumers see the product for the first time on the shelf and therefore the package design is the most important advert for the product and therefore the brand.

Products needs to stand out from their competitors, and throughout history although designs have changed and transformed with trends, they have done this in much the same way, using simplicity, unusual shapes and forms, colours relative to the product and consumer, type and creativity.

While many products use one or more of these aspects of these, many just use one, and with that one they make such a strong impact that it holds it own. The problem is in order to design the best possible packaging, one needs to know which ONE to use. This can be found through research, and research is key for packaging design success.

Here are a few that caught my attention and have been a success within the consumer market.

Typography Of The World

A week or two ago, London-based graphic designer Ben Terrett, of Noisy Decent Graphics, asked his readers this question:
“What typographic advice would you give a third year design student?”
I feel that the type within my work I have produced so far is always weak. I don’t spend enough time analysing what looks good what sounds good and what fits correctly with the piece of work I am producing. I found a few typography tips, to keep look back over when I am working on my briefs.
“Don’t underestimate its importance. The best ideas, the most beautiful imagery, the most harmonious colour combinations will be blighted by inferior typography. So work at it, study it.” - RICHARD WESTON of ACE JET 170
“As always, make sure you play with silly ideas on paper too, they get the creative juice flowing.”— FERNANDO LINS
I feel that the importance to put pen to paper is not stressed enough and many graphic designers have all these fabulous ideas up in their head but never put them down on paper, therefore don’t fully unveil what these ideas could potentially evolve in to.

I found this screen shot from the title sequence of “Catch Me If You Can”. The way the type is used in this works perfectly with the film, and is incorporated perfectly into the opening credits.
I then went on to discover that Flickr had hundreds of inspiring ‘Typography’ groups for young designers to feast their eyes on. Amassed the groups contain over 50,000 images! I found one group called “Typography of the World”, which caught my attention. Some of the shots are really stunning and make you realise how important type is throughout the world. Not only does it convey an obvious message but it stands for something alone and can convey a brand, an emotion or a feeling, from the shapes and silhouettes it forms.

A WAPPING Idea

Living and working in London this year I have stumbled upon hundreds of unique, quirky, impressive, trendy, bars, restaurants, shops and Aladdin's caves of amazingness! I spent the week bring the boat down from henley to London and you see London from a completely different view when you are on the river, like kooky roof terraces, intriguing balconies and little hideouts that you just don’t see from the streets of London. Traveling down past St Kats dock we ventured into Wapping where we found a hidden treasure.

The Wapping Project. The Wapping Project is an ex hydraulic power station, transformed in to a restaurant come art space. It really is a venue like no other. The boiler and filter houses are stripped back to their 1890 form and provide a dramatic exhibition and performance space, as well as serving up some scrumptious and seriously impressive dishes.

‘Incendenti' Kicks off LFW

I’ve headed back to Trace for 2 weeks, where I did my final placement this year, to help out for London Fashion Week. My friend Rachel, who was with me, described feeling like she was in ‘The Devils Wear Prada’ as I sat in bed at 2am the night before the show revising and scheduling new guest-lists, show times and interviews manically trying to get it all one in time. We Kicked off the first day of LFW with Jean-Pierre Braganza’s Summer 2011 collection ‘Incendenti’. It was a hectic day of running about in very high heels, but it was very exciting to be part of the hype and experience organising another fashion show. Braganza arrived at Victoria House on his limited edition pink ‘Braganza Bike’ (see below!) and posed for the photographers with top model Jade Parfitt before she hit the runway.

With MIA, Sleighbells. and How To Destroy Angels pumping through the basement the models took to the catwalk debuting Braganza’s soft yet sophisticated SS/11 collection. Comprising of a soft pastel palette with occasional hints of deep turquoise and pink, Braganza added an elegant flowing take on to his contrasting trademark structured look.

After the show we spent the afternoon sending our press releases and photographs to all the magazines and .com’s before hitting the after party at Alto club off Carnaby Street, where we danced till the early hours to Adam Ant and Jodie Harsh.....

All together frenetic, feverish and frenzied, but fantastically fabulous!

Forget Chauffeurs.....Braganza Bikes Are The Way To Travel This LFW

What better way to get noticed at London Fashion Week than to arrive on the limited edition “Barclays Braganza Bike”.....which is exactly what Jean Pierre Braganza did! To get things kicked off for LFW, Trace Publicity fused with Barclays Bank and the Transport For London team to create 4 limited bikes which had been given the Braganza treatment. The Canadian designer gave London “a little teaser” of his Spring Summer 11 collection ‘Incendenti’, by designing a fabulous print featuring flashes of flesh-coloured, rust-infused digital print, featuring darkly romantic roses, sinister-looking crows and hungry flames, all to be skinned on to the 4 special bikes.

The office was ridiculously over excited when the bikes arrived and the PR that we have received over them is amazing and Jean Pierre was thrilled at the opportunity to become involved in such a good cause. I spoke to Kulveer Ranger at Jean Pierre's Show on Friday and he seemed keen to expand on this idea and maybe take on a few other different designers, but assured me that London would never be a sea of multi coloured bikes and that the Braganza Bike would always stay unique and special, go Trace!

Above: Jean Pierre Braganza meeting Kulveer Ranger

I CAN, you can, we can!

I CAN is a children's communications charity that helps ensure that no child is left behind because of a difficulty in speaking or understanding. Thousands of children are just about to embark on the first year of schooling and education, however 1 in 10 of these children wont be able to find the words they need in order to join in, interact, learn and go forward. Communication difficulties are life limiting, and nobody wants a child’s potential to be wasted! They need help! I CAN’s mission is to make sure that “everyone in contact with children knows how important communication is, what a communication difficultly looks like and what they can do

to help.” They do this through increasing public awareness, helping give parents, teachers and families advice on what to look out for and what to do. Teaching them skills to help children who are struggling and providing assessments for children, so that their families know what support will meet their needs.

I CAN has launched a fundraising initiative called ‘Adopt a Word’. Throughout my 3 years of studying and learning about design, branding and advertising I have learnt how important, powerful and meaningful words are. By adopting a word, for just £20, all proceeds go to I CAN, and you will be helping these children who struggle to. You will receive a little pack of certificates, book marks and other little treats all flaunting your word! You can even buy mugs, T-shirts, key rings all emblazoned with your word.

Even celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney and HRH The Dutchess of Cornwall are loving flaunting their words; Stephen Fry adopted “Wordy” because: “Wordy is so ... well, wordy, isn't it?”

My word is smiley.....because it makes me smiley! Do it, it’s fun, creative and gives a tiny bit back to our over privileged society!

Going Back To My Youth.....

Last week I got taken back to my childhood when I went to see the awe-inspiring 'The Railway Children" on at the old Euro Star platforms at London's Waterloo station. The Euro tunnel and platform were stunningly transformed into a 1000 seat venue, sitting either side of the real railway track. The best bit by far was the featuring of the Stirling Single Train, the real 66 tonne steam locomotive used in the film. The actors acted to an audience in 360 degrees, performing on huge wooden stages which were wheeled in atop the tracks. These wooden blocks symbolised different areas/rooms/places within the scene, which was really effective and interesting to watch.

It was such a surreal experience, as you walk through the old check in desks and passport control in Waterloo. There are still old fashioned signs for WHSmiths and Costa Coffee as you walk through towards the transformed auditorium, you can even visit the old VIP lounge! It is almost quite eerie as it is has gone from such a busy, active place to this desolate area which has just been left untouched for years. It was so nice to see someone make use of such a wonderful and memorable space.

Go see it, its phenomenal and such a fun, different and unique night out!

We DON'T Need To Talk About Kevin

Has anyone read 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' By Lionel Shriver? A book written from the prospective of a killer's mother, Eva. The Killer being Kevin, a teenage boy who displays little to no affection or moral responsibility towards his family or community, commonly distancing himself from people to avoid attachments.

I am not a big reader, but treasure the summer moments, by the sea or pool where you can delve into a book and actually have time to fully immerse yourself within it. 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' was a funny one for me, I took 2 weeks to reach a mere half way through the book and found it hard, dragging and non enjoyable......as usual since I have been home it has sat by my bed and I have no inclination to pick it back up. However, I have found that I cannot stop talking to people and thinking and analysing the book.It is based primarily around the idea of nature and nurture. The mother Eva does not want her baby from the moment it is conceived, and the book starts to look at whether it is, in fact this maternal hatred, rather than innate evil, which makes Kevin begin to closely resemble something of a sociopath.

Maybe I should go and pick it up again......

I Heart Maria Francesca Pepe

My year in industry hasn't just been about experiencing the design workplace. I wanted to immerse myself in what I was doing and meet interesting people who are also passionate about design. At Trace publicity, my final internship, I watched as the 'Big Boss'(Fabulous Lian) started up her own company from scratch.

I watched how she manage her time to get her company up and running whilst still working hard for the clients she rapidly gained. It was a very exciting time and her strong work ethic and magnetic relationship with the sensational Roberto (her business pa

rtner) together brought the clients flying in and I loved being there to watch it grow at such speed. From Trace I learnt that I need to work within a team that I more than just get on with. Relationships at work are vital and I giggled, smiled and loved everything about the months I had at Trace.

I met up with Lian last week for a glass of wine, or 3 (she’s an increasingly bad influence on me!) and she was telling me about her latest client th

e Fan-Tab-Bu-Lous Maria Fracesca Pepe. Born in Foggia, Italy, and destined to a life of design. Lian t

urned up in Covent Garden bejeweled in MFP’s statement metal 3D cross rings. I fell in love! Maria Francesca Pepe’s AW/1011 collection explores the “state of transition from human to animal, from life to death and vice versa as a condition of beauty.”

Leather, Metal, Wolf Fur, Teeth and Eroticism makes up her new collection “In the Woods”. I’m off back to Trace next week to help Lian with Maria’s London Fashion Week show.....lets hope I’ll be decked out in MFP’s stunningly luxurious and unique pieces for the show!

Colour the Colourless

I've always thought that selective colour photography can look at bit naff, the typical red rose or red cherry touching lips, lurched out from a seen a 1000 times unoriginal photograph; making it harsh and overly obvious.

When I got my beautiful magnificent fabulous Nikon SLR I loved playing around with the auto selective colour mode and sometimes, accidently, I got some really good selective colour photos. Being selective is a quality that every human being possess, but sometimes its more fun to select not the daringly obvious but

the things you may not see or appreciate. The trick used in this is to select the areas you want to preserve the colors, inverse the selection and use the ‘desaturate tool’ to turn the image into a black and color photo. I especially like the one above of the Teotihuacan Pyramids, as If your trying to select colour it will always work best when the selected part is full or stunning interesting colours.

I can't Help But LOVE the New LOVE cover.....

"And God Created Woman"….. Love Magazine’s September issue featuring British beauty Rosie Huntington Whiteley. This seriously photoshopped editorial has an almost cartoon-like twist, like the Caramel Bunny, Jessica Rabbit or Betty Boop. Lately there has been much debate and discussion about retouching’s perceived effects on society. Magazines and advertisers creating an ideal, which many people believe is not healthy for society. I personally believe that banning re-touching and photoshopping in magazines and advertising companies would only create more economic hardship within the design world and that just adding a disclaimer is better than an outright ban. Anyway I HEART these LOVE covers so much, me and my housemates bought three just for decor for the new flat!