HH Graphic Design Blog

Summer Days are Coming to an End

2011-08-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hopefully their readers are not looking at this magazine at night!

The end of summer is almost here...can you tell I've been busy? I haven't done a new blog entry in ages (oops!). I have had a lot of quality time indoors this summer...when you live in Antelope Valley where temps in the 100s are the norm, you learn very quickly to stay out of the sun.

However, you need the sun to appreciate this magazine ad...it is solar activated (how cool is that?!?). I don't know what inks/paper they use to pull this off, but it is really cool.

Just make sure you are wearing sunscreen when you are looking at it!

Benchmarks

2011-06-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

If I was anywhere near New York City, I would definitely attend!

June 10th - Aug. 15th

Watch Out Mac Users!!

2011-05-17T10:12:00.001-07:00

It was a normal morning. I was drinking my tea while checking my email, and then a screen popped up claiming that I had viruses and I needed to do something about it. Whoa, I've never seen anything like this on my Mac...and I could tell something was up because it didn't look quite right....

They must've uses some advanced Javascript or something, because it appeared to actually be "scanning" my computer.

Whatever you do, do not click on it!!!

Did this happen to anyone else? It looked like it was my mail program, but was actually a spyware program running through Safari. I guess Macs are not immune to threats, just be careful what you click on, and your computer will be fine!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T10:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!!

Tax Day Art

2011-04-18T21:07:00.001-07:00

What should you do with all of the leftover paper after filing your taxes? Turn it into a work of art! (Hey, if you have to keep these records for seven years, they might as well serve a purpose and look pretty).

Check out these paper sculptures from Nava Lubelski:

Cool.

This piece is titled "1997 Tax File". I wish doing my taxes was this beautiful.

Like Movies?? Play this Fun Game!

2011-04-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

I got a link to this game in an email newsletter from Veer. My final score was 38 out of 50. There were some I thought that I knew, but I just couldn't think of the title!! Click here to try your luck (I bet you can't beat me!)

Ok, here are the rules: You get 60 second to guess a movie title based on three shock photos having to do with the plot. It sounds easy, but some of them are pretty difficult.

Here are a few examples:

"Hello Clarice..." Can you figure out this one?

If you get this one correct, I'll do the truffle shuffle.

I couldn't figure this one out...any suggestions??

April Fools!

2011-04-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Happy April Fool's Day!

Check out this funny (and dorky) prank toy from Think Geek...

Haha! So many kids would want this toy! I like the mini iPads :)

Think About This...

2011-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

This video is really well done, and raises many questions about life in the digital age. It is a little old (2007), but I think the message still applies today. Take a look, and leave a comment telling me what you think!

So Cool!!!

2011-03-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

If Cirque du Soleil did a show on typography, this is what the makeup would look like.

I would like to start March off right, with an awesome idea: melding photography, typography and painting. The Spanish studio, atipo, is responsible for these posters, see more here. The website is a little difficult to navigate (my slow internet connection is probably not helping), but the content is really interesting.

Check out this well-made video showing the artist's process, I wonder how long it took??

fontface from atipo on Vimeo.

A Little Redundant...

2011-02-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's a gun!...made of other guns.

I saw a large ad for this movie the last time I went to the theater, and I must admit, it did catch my eye. It is very visually striking...but a little boring, c'mon a gun, made of other guns?? Couldn't they think of something more creative? I wonder how many guns are in the film?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

(Illustration courtesy of iStockphoto)

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope you are all having a fun day! My husband and I celebrated on Sunday, a day early. He took me to see The King's Speech (great movie, by the way), out to dinner and to Cold Stone (yum!). I had a great early Vday. Love to you all!!!

That's Using Your Head!

2011-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is a great example of an eye-catching advertisement. The minimal type with plenty of white space makes it easy to read (and the play on words is really cute). I also like how they overlaid the x-ray of the skull over the Spartan logo, genius!

I was recently back in Michigan and I saw a well designed billboard advertising the location of Michigan State University's new medical education and research center. This is the best use of a collegiate logo that I have seen in a long time...good job State! Read more about it here.

7 Billion

2011-01-10T15:44:00.001-08:00

I just LOVE the typography in this video, and it is interesting too...could 7 billion people really fit into LA? It is a big city, but I didn't know it was that big. You learn something new every day!

New Minimalist Logo

2011-01-08T11:45:00.001-08:00

Starbucks is the next company to jump on the minimalist bandwagon. Beginning in March 2011 (coinciding with their 40th anniversary) you will see this new logo at your local Starbucks. They have stripped away almost everything, leaving only the smiling siren in their signature green color. Their new logo has been receiving a lot of praise (unlike Gap, who tried to redesign their logo in 2010, met harsh criticism, and ultimately retracted the change... more).

"The brand is now evolving to a point where coffee association is too confining and restrictive. Starbucks is fundamentally selling an experience, but by no means is coffee the only part of the experience. It is important that they not have a logo that is too confining."

- John Quelch, marketing professor, Harvard Business School

Starbucks has joined the big boys, they no longer need their company name or what they do included in their logo. I like the change, I think it looks updated without going over the top.

Here are some other companies that have done the same thing...some more successful than others...

Ok, I know you guys don't play music on your channel anymore...but did you have to go and chop off the bottom of the logo? Maybe they just put a white rectangle over the words, I guess they didn't care that they cut into the rest of the logo.

The ultimate example of brand identity using no words...just a swoosh.

This one is not so bad either...you don't need to include the word apple, it's obvious.

In my opinion, the before logo is WAY better. The after logo doesn't really read "organic farming"...more like "green space ship, powered by plant material".

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

Candy Cane Lane, Lancaster, California

They don't have snow out here in the desert...but they know how to make up for it by making their houses extra festive! The whole street looked like this!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season! I had a wonderful day yesterday here in Palmdale, CA with my family. We saw the famous Candy Cane Lane in Lancaster, decorated cookies, went to church then out to dinner, exchanged presents (I got Adobe CS5, woo hoo!), and took the dogs to the park (it was 60 degrees and sunny, very different from the Michigan blizzards that I'm used to).

I saved some images of some Christmas Tree themed emails that I got that I thought were cool:

This email from Anthopologie was super cute, each underlined gift idea directed you to that product on their website. I also like how it helps you decide what to get for the people on your list.

This image from an email from Apple caught my eye immediately. It is very creative and visually stimulating...I'll take one of each of the products featured on that tree! :)

Sugar Overload!!! Here is one of the cookies that I decorated this year, yum!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great this year! It was our first west coast Thanksgiving dinner, and I think it knocked the socks off of our east coast tradition. :) My friends from San Francisco came to visit, adding two more to the 10 people who came to dinner. We had a full house! Here are some pics:

You can't have Thanksgiving without the excess of tasty food!

We rented a table and chairs from a local rental place, this was the BEST decision because everyone could sit at the same table! (and it looked good too).

This plastic silverware looked so real, and it made clean up a snap.

I got some cool appetizer plates and napkins from Target, I loved the design so much I might use the leftovers again next year!

Information is Beautiful

2010-11-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

We are inundated with information every day, but how much of it is visually pleasing to the eye? Not very much, but David McCandless is out to change this using pictograms of data to illustrate issues facing the world today in beautiful ways. Click on the video below to view him in action (it is about 20 min. long, but it is worth it).

Here is one of his pictograms showing the differences between the two political sides. The data and information is organized in a very interesting and visually stimulating way. The reflective way that he designed it depicts the pluses and minuses of both ways of thinking.

For more visualizations: click here

Packaging Spotlight - Justin's Almond Butter

2010-11-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

I found this product in the health food isle of my local grocery store. It is called Justin's Almond Butter, and it is amazing!! I love the design of the packaging, and the taste of the product is just as good. Another plus is that it comes in small 1 oz. packages, so you can try it before you buy it (the full size product is kinda pricy at $12.00 for a 16 oz. jar). If you like peanut butter, I dare you to try this product!

Proof that simple packaging works, especially with all-natural food items. The packaging design makes me think that there isn't a lot of nonsense and fillers in this product, and I'm right! There are only 4 ingredients, and 2 (almonds & maple sugar) are featured in the clever illustration. It has been my favorite snack lately...on celery sticks, apples, and by itself!

Cool Halloween Poster

2010-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this poser in downtown LA while I was shopping. I made my husband take a picture of it with his iPhone because I wanted to share it with you guys! I think the way they connect Halloween costumes and their logo is ingenious! Goodwill did a good job!

This poster definitely made me look twice, it is so cute! It is a perfect example of a large company being playful with their logo (Google also does this). It would've been fun to work on this project and decide which "costumes" the Goodwill guy would dress up in. The werewolf is my favorite! :)

Who Says a Band Needs Musical Instruments...

2010-10-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

Has the iPhone made musical instruments obsolete?? Check out this cool video of Atomic Tom playing an inpromptu concert on a New York subway...using only their talent, iPhones, and an amp. So cool!!!

Graphic Design for Kids

2010-10-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool book (Paintbox Press, $24)...I guess it is never too early to teach kids about good design. I would've LOVED to have this book as a kid. It would've fit right in on my bookshelf, next to my ancient Egyptian "Create Your Own Hieroglyphics" book and The Klutz book of Magic. :)

Gap...What were you thinking?!?

2010-10-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

True redesign...or PR stunt?

I just had to write a blog about this monstrosity of a logo change...

Last Monday, Gap replaced its iconic 20-year-old blue box logo with "Gap" written in Helvetica with an echo of their blue box perched on the "p". I'm not against Helvetica, I think American Apparel does a wonderful job incorporating the typeface into their identity (see below), but Gap's redesign seems to have cheapened their image.

Tons of people Tweeted about the recent change, with one saying "The new Gap logo looks as if it were done in Microsoft Word"...ouch, that hurts. However, Gap stands behind its new look saying (via facebook) "...We love our version, but we'd like to see other ideas...". This leads me to believe that they want to see what the design community can come up with. What a perfect plan...

1. A big company releases a new logo that gets everyone all fired up

2. Then they suggest that designers come up with other better ideas

3. Wait for designers to send them ideas (for free!)

Will they keep their new logo? or Will they use someone else's idea? I'm interested to see what will happen!

A nice use of Helvetica. It's clean, simple, and to the point.

Viva Las Vegas!!

2010-09-29T10:35:00.001-07:00

We stayed in the big pyramid!

Last weekend we went to Las Vegas for the second time in three weeks. I know, I know, you're thinking "Isn't that a little excessive??"...but it is just so close (we can drive there), and trust me, there is nothing to do in Palmdale. We probably wont be continuing this trend though, I think we have now seen all of the major casinos and attractions (not to mention, my wallet gets emptied each time we go).

There was so much to look at, I knew I had to do a blog on Vegas advertising when I got back to California...so here are some ads that I liked:

I saw ads for this place EVERYwhere...but I never actually saw the store. I like how the colors of the letters in "factory" echo the colors of the balls (gum balls???), but I don't understand the use of the rubber ducky... What does that have to do with candy?

They used celebrities as spokespeople for their rhinestone encrusted lollypops (here's Whitney Port). There is a series of pictures on the side of a construction walkway depicting various celebs eating the suckers, can you guess which person was the only one who was defaced with a Sharpie? It was Britney Spears, poor Britney :( However, it was washed off the second time we went, so Vegas does care about the Pop Princess.

This display really caught my eye. It is a Statue of Liberty made entirely of jelly beans!

I saw a bunch of these billboards advertising the Monte Carlo along Highway 15. They use phonetic spelling in a very clever way. I reminds me of this game.

Another rubber ducky...must be a Vegas thing...

The ads for Cirque du Soleil's "Zumanity" were my favorite. They featured stock photos of everyday boring items and situations on the top/left and crazy Zumanity images on the bottom/right. The contrast of the colors, content and typefaces was really cool. The show was also very entertaining!

Robot Logos!

2010-09-21T10:17:00.001-07:00

Check out this collection of cool robot logos! All were obtained via logopond.

I like the combination of the hand-drawn typeface, sans serif font and the robot sketch. Does anyone else read this as "First One"?

Clueless robot...?...?...?

Mad robot!!! This logo has a retro feel, and it reminds me of Nick at Night.

I like this one a lot...especially the corresponding dots.

This one is really cute. I like how the investment arrow is subtle and not in your face.

This one is my favorite! I love the robo-cow, the colors, and the typography!!!

Is the red background square tilted, or is that just an optical illusion? Either way, it makes me look twice.

I probably would've used the second "o" for the body of the robot, it would make the word easier to read.

Thumbs up! This one is great! I love it when designers omit spaces in words, but also make it easier to read.

The Girl Scouts Logo get a Haircut

2010-09-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

The Girl Scouts logo recently was upgraded. It got a new brighter color and a haircut, she has bangs! I like the change...it looks fresh and updated. I'm glad they didn't alter it too much, the original message of unity and friendship still stands. Good job! Now...if they could only do something about those uniforms...

So that's how they got their names...

2010-09-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder where companies get their names? Where did companies like Adobe, Pepsi and Google come up with those catchy names that we remember in an instant? Well, the answers might surprise you...

The name "Adobe" came from "Adobe Creek" which was located behind the house of one of the founders.

It is rumored that Steve Jobs named his company after a farm in Oregon or a record company. Either way, I couldn't picture any other logo on the back of my laptop. This fruit is now synonymous with technology.

Did you know that Google used to be called "BackRub"? Can you imagine getting into an argument with your friends about a meaningless piece of trivia (like Arnold Schwarzenegger's age, for example, yes...my friends had an argument about this) and then having someone say "I'll figure it out, I'll just BackRub it". Haha, that would be hilarious. :)

Intel is short for "Integrated Electronics". I always thought it was an abbreviated form of the word "Intelligent".

Pepsi was crated under the name "Brad's Drink", named after the pharmacist, Caleb Bradham, who invented it in 1893. Five years later, it was renamed Pepsi-Cola after two of the ingredients: "pepsin" and "kola" nuts. Pepsi is WAY better name than Brad's Drink, which would only be cool if you were named Brad.

Did you find these interesting?

Check out more back stories here.

Missing Missy

2010-08-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

If you are a graphic designer (or just someone who apreciates design humor), you should read this email exchange written by David Thorne:

http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

It is hilarious!!! :D

Traveler

2010-08-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you have noticed my lack of posts lately, it is probably because I have been busy moving and traveling around the country. I used to live in Fort Worth, and now my husband and I have moved to Palmdale, CA. I do miss Fort Worth...hanging out at The Saucer, going to dinner at all of the tasty restaurants, walking my dog on Trinity Trail, and my favorite frozen yogurt place, Yogolait (The espresso yogurt with oreo cookie pieces and choc chips is to die for!) nothing else even compares!

However, I think I am fully adjusted to my new home, but I did have my reservations at first...

Where are all of the trees?

What!?! It is going to be 107 degrees tomorrow???

It takes how long to get to LA? But it is just over the mountains!

I just saw a real tumble weed...I guess we do really live in the desert!

Just as I was getting used to my new home, this happens less than 2 miles from my house:

Thankfully the fires were out in a few days. After the stress and all of the smoke inhalation, I needed a vacation. It was perfect timing that we had already planned a trip to Canada with my family. We spent a week in the North Channel, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Just check out this pic of a secluded mountain lake, aptly named Lake Topaz after its brilliant blue color:

Lake Topaz, Ontario, Canada

I am now back in California. The fires are gone, the temperatures are down, and I am busy with freelance jobs. Look for future posts on my recent work!

Inception: It's a must see movie!

2010-07-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my husband and I went to a matinee to escape the 100+ degree temperatures. Which movie did we choose? Inception - directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

This was one of the BEST movies I have seen in months (maybe even years). Everything came together perfectly, as a result, the audience was entertained throughout the whole movie. The cast did an exceptional job, the direction was awesome, and the creative storyline blew my mind. My husband and I discussed the plot on the car ride home, and then later with friends over dinner, and I'm still thinking about the ending. I would highly recommend seeing it!

On a different note, the publicity for the movie was equally as impressive. Just check out these cool New York City billboards:

Cool Music-Making Flash Websites

2010-05-26T10:11:00.004-07:00

Check out these fun flash websites when you have some time to kill...don't worry, they are worth the loading time!

Make you own beat box group! (this one is really addicting, in English or French)

Check it out!!

I just LOVE this concept! You can use a live feed of people walking around Hamburg to create your own symphony orchestra! Just assign instruments to pieces of sidewalk, street or river, and when a person or vehicle touches them you instrument gets played. It was a little jumpy on my computer, but I didn't mind because it is such a cool idea.

Check it out!!

I just couldn't take my eyes off of this one. The animation is amazing...the butterfly and "square with frog legs" thing look like they are going to fly/jump right off of the computer screen. The drum beats are cool too.

Check it out!!

Google Pac Man!

2010-05-21T09:36:00.003-07:00

I just went to Google to search for a shuttle to LAX (yes, I have moved to the west coast!!! More on that in a later post...) and I was pleasantly surprised, their logo has been transformed into a playable Pac Man game! I played it for a little while and completely lost all motivation for what I was trying to get accomplished this morning...haha. Google should definitely make more interactive logos! :D

Click here to learn more.

HH Graphic Design at Target

2010-04-20T18:02:00.010-07:00

A little while ago, another designer commented on one of my design comparison posts saying something like "I've never seen those logos, why don't you comment on designs that we see around?". I wrote this post is in response to that comment.

I decided to take my digital camera and my discerning eye to the local Target to see what kind of great (and greatly disturbing) designs I could find...here's what I came up with...enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to leave a comment to tell me if you agree/disagree.

COSMETICS

I really like this packaging...it's says "Pow! Buy this mascara!!!"

This is just...plain...boring...

Sorry the pic is a little burry...but I like this packaging, especially the color scheme and the border. The logo is really cute too!

Ugly, ugly, UGLY!! The grey and light pink are extremely washed out, and they look terrible together. What is with the crackled background? It makes me think of wrinkles...I guess they were trying to echo the shapes of the surface of the product...lame.

HOUSEWARES

I absolutely LOVE everything about this packaging! It has a cool, simplistic design, and I like the bright green and grey color choices. The logo is also very cool, I like the interlocking "u" and "m".

This is sooooo bad compared to the previous one. What is with the line at the bottom of the "t"?? It looks like they were trying to make an interesting logo, but only spent 5 seconds designing it. I can't believe this got approved and produced.

I am a big fan of Method products. My eye is always drawn to their line because it looks so classy compared to other cleaning products on the same shelf.

See what I mean? Cheap and cheesy looking. :(

GROCERY

Beautiful design...everything goes together and flows very nicely.

Weird packaging...I don't like the colorful fruit placed with the stark black and white photo.

CHILDREN'S TOYS

Crayola has had the same packaging since I was a kid. When it is mixed with a TV character that kids love, you get a winning combination, and kids will want it.

Just a mis-mash of colors, gradients, and fonts...too much is going on here.

TECHNOLOGY

Lexar uses color and gradients in a smart and inviting way. I also like the drawings on the front of the packaging that help guide technology inexperienced people.

Come on Motorola...This is boring! It's simple, but not in a eye-catching way. Also, the blue they chose bothers me for some reason...

Well, there you have it, my collection of good/bad design strait form the shelves of Target. What do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Let me know!! :)

Fascination with Jumping off of Buildings?

2010-04-15T08:08:00.006-07:00

I know that the economy is bad right now...but jumping off of a building is NOT the answer!

No, don't jump! Wait, is that...Mr. Gormley?

This above image is a piece by artist Antony Gormley (check out his website, he has some really interesting things!). He set up life-size figures on top of New York buildings in order to inspire people to think about their surroundings. Oh, did I mention the figures are molds of himself? Read more about it here.

I like this ad...it is simple, but creative. As someone who is searching for a job in this economy I definitely get it. Good job Career Builder!

Copy Cat

2010-03-31T15:10:00.008-07:00

Although the packaging for Red Jak looks great (a few of my twitter friends were singing, I mean tweeting its praises)...I just can't get over the fact that they pretty much ripped off the colors/ideas of one of the most well known drink brands...Coke.

The reds of the two brands are slightly different (probably because Coke has trademarked their shade of red) but the overall color schemes are the same. If you took away the vertical red strip, the "low carb" version of Red Jak has almost the same packaging as Diet Coke, even similar flourishes (though Diet Coke uses them more subtlety).

This is iconic packaging.

So, Red Jak, even though I understand where you got your motivation, I wish it wasn't so close to the inspiration. Your packaging just reminds me of Coke...by the way, I think I'll drink a Coke right now!

I [LEGO] NY!

2010-03-18T17:56:00.004-07:00

These "legoisms" depicting different aspects of New York City were created by Christoph Niemann. He even published them into a book! I love how he takes this iconic toy and makes its pieces into a quirky statement. I found it extremely entertaining to see what he can do with only a few blocks and his imagination. Here are some of my favorites:

This makes me think of American Beauty... "It's soooo beautiful..."

I suddenly have a craving for sushi...

So simple, but very amusing.

This one is my favorite. The first time I was in a NYC subway station , I said "Did I just see a rat the size of a dog?!?...yes, yes I did, ew."

He also has some funny Google Maps images, check them out here.

Time to Get Outside!

2010-03-09T15:48:00.008-08:00

The thermometer hit over 75 degrees today, and I certainly took advantage of it by taking the dog on not one, but two walks! It is so beautiful outside!!!

I saw some chalk drawings on the sidewalk today, but NOTHING compares to these by artist Edgar Mueller:

Product placement anyone??

The artist at work...

...the final presentation...cool :)

This one is absolutely amazing! It looks like it was adjusted in photoshop, but I don't think that it was. I can't even imagine how long this must've taken to do!

The Sixth Floor

2010-02-28T18:11:00.004-08:00

Today, the family and I toured Dallas. We stopped by the Sixth Floor Museum and saw the recreated scene where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. The entire floor was devoted to that fateful day including the conspiracy theories.

I, on the other hand, was more interested in the logo for the museum:

I really like the simplified graphic image depicting the building. It communicates "the sixth floor" extremely well. However, the typography is a little off... the font choice bothers me... so does the fact that the tracking is applied differently to each word/phrase. The word "Museum" seems to be overly cramped by both "the sixth floor" and its own letters. I would give it a little breathing room and also change the font.

So, who do you think did it? The Cuban government? The Mob?

My Trip to The Modern

2010-02-19T13:49:00.015-08:00

The Modern, Ft. Worth, TX

Architect: Tadao Ando, 2002

Even the building is a work of art.

I absolutely LOVE visiting modern art museums. They feature pieces that aren't traditionally beautiful, but I find them fascinating. A modern piece of work can mean two completely different things to two different people, and after the museum employee explains the artist's intent, both of them think "what?!?" I never know what I am going to see, and I am always pleasantly surprised.

Here are some of my favorites:

Martin Puryear

Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996

This was so cool to look at. Two words came to mind: Overcoming Challenge.

Hamish Fulton

Rock Fall Echo Dust, 1988

This is supposed to make you picture a rock falling off of a cliff, but when I looked at it, I just admired the typography.

Gerhard Richter

Seestücke—Welle (Sea Piece—Wave), 1969

This painting was so haunting...it was hard for me to take my eyes off of it. Is it night or day? After a storm or during? From the perspective of a boat or the shore?

Nicholas Nixon

The Brown Sisters, 1975–2007

This piece features the same melancholy picture of four sisters taken every year for 32 years. You could see how each woman changed form year to year, it was very interesting.

Mark Rothko

Light Cloud, Dark Cloud, 1957

I love Rothko's work...it is so calming, I could look at it for hours.

Cornelia Parker

Rorschach (Endless Column 1), 2005

This was one of my absolute favs. Each piece of silver (bowl, candlesticks, spoon, etc.) was crushed in an industrial press until it was completely flat. Then they were hung from the ceiling a few inches from the ground. If you bend down and looked at it, it resembles a Rorschach test. What you see after that is up to you...

Andy Warhol

Four Marilyns, 1962

I got to see a special exhibit featuring over 50 works of art by Andy Warhol. This one was my favorites because if you stood in front of it, you could see the Marilyns, but if you stood at a 45 degree angle to the painting, it simply looked like a plain black canvas.

Click here to visit a website where you can change the color of Marilyn's face, eyes, lips and background, it's fun!!

Olympic Posters

2010-02-15T13:41:00.008-08:00

The Olympics are under way! So far I've caught a quick snippet of the opening ceremony and watched the men's speed skating while eating at a local sushi restaurant. I'm looking forward to super-G downhill skiing and ice hockey, go USA!

A lot of effort goes into promoting the Olympics, and posters are a great way to convey important information in a short amount of time. Here are some of my favorite posters of past Olympic games:

St. Moritz, 1948

I love the illustration on this poster, it makes me think of the perfect ski day.

Grenoble, 1968

The typography is very cool on this poster. I like how the text is right-aligned and the moving Olympic rings are speeding towards the right corner of the poster.

Sarajevo, 1984

This poster uses a striking symbol as well as the always eye-catching orange-blue color scheme. On the other hand, I wonder how the designer got away with changing the classic Olympic rings from multicolored to just orange...it changes the meaning a little bit, and makes it look less like an Olympic advertisement.

Torino, 2006

This poster expertly uses the colors featured in the Olympic rings to create a design that stands out, um, I'm just not sure what it is...Is it supposed to depict a specific sport or is it just abstract?

Vancouver, 2010

Here is this year's poster. I like the echo of the Canadian Maple leaf, but I don't think this poster is as memorable as some of the others.

To see all of the winter Olympic posters from 1924-present click here.

Snow!

2010-02-11T13:50:00.004-08:00

This is what it looked like about an hour ago, and it is still snowing! Not as impressive as what Maryland is getting, but hey, Texas is a southern state!

Geordi loves the snow! Ha, it looks like he doesn't have any legs! :)

I was wondering when we would get our share of the snowstorm...now if only I could go skiing...

Mac Users: Camouflage Your MacBook!

2010-02-06T12:45:00.005-08:00

Hahaha! This is awesome!

Have you ever wondered "I think I want my MacBook to look like...well, just a book"? Now you can!

Each of these cases is unique, and made from an actual vintage book. They even claim that your precious computer will get stolen less often:

"Sitting on a coffee table, dorm room or desk, BookBook looks like a vintage piece of literature, not an expensive laptop. It’s a great disguise and a simple way to reduce the risk of your MacBook getting stolen."

Unless, of course, you are in a coffee shop with an antique books dealer...

Learn more about this product here.

Ode to Coffee!

2010-02-02T18:55:00.010-08:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Even though hot, frothy coffee helps to hone my concentration, letting me work tirelessly for hours on end, I don't want to talk about the actual drink...I'd rather talk about coffee logos!

Here are some I love:

This could've been really cheesy, but it was done in a chic way with a subtle gradient, nice!

I don't know if coffee is necessarily healthy (especially when I add five sugar packets, vanilla flavoring, and frothed milk...mmmmm) but I love this logo, and it makes me believe that it could be healthy!

This one is just too damn cute! Making the handles into noses was a great idea! I didn't see the profiles right away...btw, I love when logos make you take a double-take.

You can't talk about coffee logos without mentioning this one! Some people snidely call it a "symbol of corporate America", but I think it is a beautifully designed one. You can recognize it from a mile away! Wait, maybe not that far...30 feet?

Ok, now for some unfortunate ones (a.k.a. UGLY!):

I can see where they were going with this one...but it is just too blocky and technical-looking. The "b" fitting into the "c" should've been cool, but it was poorly executed.

This one is a nice logo...for a fast food restaurant. It just doesn't give me the impression of fancy coffee drinks in a hip setting, more like hamburgers and onion rings, which do NOT mix well with a vanilla latte!

We all remember when Starbucks decided to shake things up and brought back this 15th century drawing in their logo...it just looks sad, and frankly doesn't make me want to drink coffee.

Samurai Vodka: Awesome Packaging!

2010-01-27T10:16:00.003-08:00

I love love LOVE this concept!

The simplicity of the typography, paired with the cool textured box and innovative "sliced" bottle makes this brand stand out. I can see this brand being one of the bottles on display at a chic restaurant or bar...anyone in the mood for a martini? Sliced, not stirred.

See more creative packaging here.

Recent Creative Ads: Clever and Weird

2010-01-20T09:48:00.003-08:00

Here are some ads I found via graphicdesignblog.org:

*Warning* Some are a little weird...

I'm actually embarrassed that I didn't get this one at first...(what's with the weird looking hamburger?). After a few minutes, I realized that it was a coffee bean...I wonder how long it took someone to come up with this one? It makes me want a cheeseburger and an iced latte at the same time! (not really, that would be gross!) ;)

I love this one! At first it just looks like a normal Ikea ad...but then you look a little closer and think "what is that outside the window?". Genius.

This one is cool, but also a little weird...it got me thinking, "do I have enough hand sanitizer in my purse?"

I had to put this one at the bottom because it FREAKS me out! I don't care what they are selling...just allow me to stop looking at it...please!

To see more clever ads go to: http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/latest-creative-print-ads/

Comic Sans: The #1 Hated Font?

2010-01-17T14:08:00.005-08:00

A funny Illustration by Nebojsa Cvetkovic

There has been a lot of talk lately about the #2 graphic-designer-hated font, Papyrus. Just check out the response to this blog post at prtty shtty. (The letter is hilarious and very witty, but the responses from various designers are even better!)

This got me thinking...where did Comic Sans come from? Well, according to Wikipedia...

Comic Sans is a casual script typeface designed by Vincent Connare and released in 1994 by the Microsoft Corporation. It is classified as a casual, non-connecting script, and was designed to imitate comic book lettering, for use in informal documents. The typeface has been supplied with Microsoft Windows since the introduction of Windows 95, initially as a supplemental font in the Windows Plus Pack.

1994? I thought it was older than that...oh well, I remember using it on countless grade school projects...I think it just naturally jumps out to kids.

Connare had already created a number of child-oriented fonts for various applications, so when he saw a beta version of Microsoft Bob that used Times New Roman in the word balloons of cartoon characters, he decided to create a new face based on the lettering style of comic books he had in his office, specifically The Dark Knight Returns (lettered by John Costanza) and Watchmen (lettered by Dave Gibbons).

So this is where it got its name...it makes so much sense...comic...sans

The Boston Phoenix reported on disgruntlement over the widespread use of the font, especially its incongruous use for writing on serious subjects, with the complaints focused around a campaign started by two Indianapolis graphic designers, Dave and Holly Combs, via their website Ban Comic Sans.

Who would use Comic Sans for serious subject matter? It is obviously a whimsical child-like font, which would definitely look out of place on say, a cigarette warning label.

So, if everyone supposedly hates it so much, why is it still around? I think Vincent Connare answers this question beautifully when he says "Because sometimes it's better than Times New Roman, that's why".

A Guide to Understanding Flow Charts

2010-01-14T10:13:00.003-08:00

Hey, check out this comic from xkcd... hahaha.

Want to see more? There are tons more at: xkcd.com.

Great Image for Photoshop Lovers

2010-01-06T14:29:00.003-08:00

I came across this image via a twitter post from ilovetypography's Twitter feed. I can't even imagine how long it took to execute this real-life design. I was floored when I first saw it! It definitely gives new meaning to the Photoshop workspace that I use everyday.

What would we do without computers?!?

(Click here to see the image at Flickr)

Christmas Card Designs

2009-12-29T12:47:00.003-08:00

This year I received many wonderful Christmas cards from friends and family, but also a few from companies vying for my business. Sending out a card to potential customers during the holidays can be difficult, especially for a big companies who don't want to offend anyone, doesn't it seem like we get more and more PC with each passing year? But, if they are well-designed and sincere, they can play a vital role in collecting more business during the holiday season.

Here are two examples of holiday cards I recently received in the mail. Both are from companies that I am currently using, but one struck me as containing much more holiday cheer and elevated design skills than the other.

Card #1: AT&T winter special offer holiday card

The blue envelope is addressed in a font that looks like real handwriting with an actual stamp. The front of the card is colorful and includes a funny winter story (there is no mention of any particular holiday, so it can be used for anyone). The colorful snowflakes add to its whimsical nature. The back features the Hallmark logo, which makes it seem like they went to the store and picked it out themselves.

Card #2: NetFlix holiday card

Although I like the color choices (red, light blue and white as opposed to the traditional red and green), this card is boring. The sans-serif "Happy Holidays!" seems typical and not at all heartfelt. The ornaments at the top look like there was no thought whatsoever put into them. It was sent in a plain white envelope with "To our neighbor at..." printed in the center. I almost threw it away without even opening it.

Card #1 (inside)

The inside of the at&t card features a cute message in the same scripty font as on the envelope. You also receive a coupon for $200 off of a service package. This coupon matches the design theme of the card (repeating the colorful stripe and snowflakes), but also introduces at&t's signature orange color (which contrasts beautifully with the blue envelope). Overall, I think that this holiday card was well designed and perfectly thought out.

Card #2 (inside)

I am all for using strategically placed white space...but this card uses way too much of it. It is so boring I think I am going to fall asleep just looking at it. I do like the repeated ornament, but maybe they should've included instructions on how to "enjoy the gift of Netflix". I currently have a Netflix account (which I love by the way), but if I didn't, this holiday card would not do anything to make me research their company. It just looks cheap and tacky. :(

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-25T11:56:00.004-08:00

Well, I got my wish...we had a white Christmas in Fort Worth Texas! I wasn't very optimistic when only a few days ago the thermometer hit 70 degrees, but Friday brought a snow storm, and we woke up to a sparkly white blanket of snow. Yay!! Being from Michigan, it doesn't really feel like Christmas without snow, so I'm happy that we got some!

Geordi didn't know what to think...so he just ate as much snow as he could :)

We didn't get a lot of snow, but at least we got some!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! May you all have a safe and fun Holiday Season. -Holly

Twitter Background Update

2009-12-22T10:41:00.003-08:00

My New Twitter Page!

I finally changed my Twitter background from the simple cloud design to one that I created in Photoshop. Being a Graphic Designer, I couldn't just use the template backgrounds...that's too easy! What would that say about my creativity? Nothing, that's what it would say. ;)

I saw this tutorial on abduzeedo.com on how to create digital bokeh in Photoshop, and I adjusted it a little to make my background unique (I used Hs instead of circles). I think that it turned out really cool, and now I can say that I have a designer Twitter page!

I had to finagle the image a bit to make it fit most screen resolutions, and these are the dimentions that I came up with (with a little help from various Google searches):

Total image size: 1728px by 864px (100px per inch, optimized for web view)

Left content: starts at about 15px from the left, ends at about 260px from the left

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Return From Obscurity

2009-11-09T14:56:00.007-08:00

I know, I know...my last post was about 5 months ago, but I have been SO busy lately (I promise to keep up in the future). So many things in my life have changed I don't even know where to start!!

Exhibit A: A New Addition to the Family

Geordi, our Corgi puppy

(Yes, he is named after Geordi La Forge, can you tell my husband is a Star Trek fan?)

My husband and I recently adopted a Corgi puppy from a Connecticut breeder. To say that he is a handful is the understatement of the century! Before we got him, I re

searched all that I could about Corgis. I learned that they are working dogs, so they always need a "job" to do, or they'll misbehave. This is so true! I can't leave him alone for a second or he'll pull a sock out of the laundry basket or chase the cats. He is a force to be reckoned with! He makes it difficult to do anything productive around the house (like, I don't know, updating a blog?), but I'm glad we adopted him, he is the best dog ever.

Exhibit B: A New Place to Call Home, Yee Haw!

One week ago today, my husband Ben and I packed up our Honda Civic (yes, you read that right, we travel light) with our puppy Geordi, our two cats and all of our everyday things to move from Middletown, Connecticut to Fort Worth, Texas. What prompted the approx. 1,700 mile move? Ben's job needed people in Ft. Worth, and he was chosen to meet that need. At first I was nervous, but I am quickly becoming accustomed to my new home.

My First Week in Texas:

Learned the Texas Two-Step and strutted my stuff at a local bar
Attended a Rodeo at the Ft. Worth Stockyards
Ate real Texas BBQ at The Railhead (I had beef for two out of the three meals on Saturday, this is not the place for vegetarians!)

Exhibit C: A Happy Event

My sister got engaged!

My sister got engaged about a year ago, and the wedding is December 12th! I can't believe it's only a month away! I was chosen to be the Matron of Honor, and I don't take this job lightly. I have been helping her with all of the details especially the invitations, place cards and programs. I finished the invitations mid-October, and everyone absolutely loved them. (I'll be sure to post some pics because I am very proud of the way they came out).

As you can see, my life has been very busy...but now I finally have some time to update my website, blog and twitter posts, look for my updates in the near future! ;D

Invitations Galore!

2009-06-16T14:50:00.011-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last post...but I have been working like crazy doing multiple freelance projects. I have been working on websites, a logo, and (the subject of this post) invitations! I quickly found out that I really like designing announcements and invitations. Usually they accompany a happy event, and I love channeling that happiness and excitement into my designs.

Here are some examples of things that I have done recently:

This is the invitation I designed for my sister's bridal shower. I wanted it to look classy, but not something you could buy from any store. I right aligned the text for a bit of a unique look, and chose the hand-made paper from hundreds of options a a local art store.

The text is printed on vellum, so the patterned paper shows through. No two invitations are exactly alike!

This is an announcement that I designed for a friend, isn't her kid adorable?
Photography by: Images by Michele

And finally, this is the invitation I designed for my sister's bachelorette party. I printed it on pearl paper, the subtle shine really makes it look great.

Green, Green, Everywhere!

2009-04-29T17:22:00.008-07:00

It's no surprise that companies all over the globe are trying to make their products more green to attract more customers (oh yeah, and save the environment too). Recycling has become a lot more cool and attractive in the last few years.

Check out these recycling fashion statements:

Do you know how the recycling symbol came to be? Well, it is an interesting story! According to Wikipedia, "...the Container Corporation of America sponsored a contest for art and design students at high schools and colleges across the country to raise awareness of environmental issues. It was won by Gary Anderson, a 23-year-old college student at the University of Southern California whose entry was the image now known as the universal recycling symbol". Way to go Gary! I bet you never thought you would see your design on the front of so many products (or teenagers' T-shirts for that matter!).

Designers have also transformed the Möbius strip-like symbol into new and exciting designs, where will it go from here? There seems to be no end in sight, at least the planet is reaping the benefits of this trend!

A Take on Pepsi's New Logo

2009-04-15T14:20:00.005-07:00

Hahaha! I saw this image on How Magazine's blog, and I had to post it up here. Lawrence Yang is the creative talent behind the drawing below. Lawrence, I agree with you, now that's all I see every time I see a Pepsi ad too!

P.S. Coke is better :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:13:00.007-07:00

Easter is here, and it makes me think of an article that I read last year about a cool and unique way that Hatch design marketed themselves. They sent out Easter egg coloring kits, and allowed people to upload egg designs to their website. What an ingenious idea! Here are a couple of my favorite designs from this year's contest:

Pretty! :)

I can't look at this one too long...its an optical illusion!

Even the president is getting some face time

Math + Art + Simplicy = Cool

2009-03-30T17:48:00.008-07:00

Hey, check out these unique pieces by Craig Damrauer. I love the simplicity of them! They are really creative, and they make sense mathematically! Who woulda thought? :)

Hit the nail right on the head with this one! Snacks make any meeting better.

See more at http://www.morenewmath.com/

Photo Shoot 3/20/09

2009-03-21T13:39:00.015-07:00

Yesterday Michele took pictures of me for my website's About Me page...and they came out great! I can't even tell you how happy I am with the results! They are creative, but I also look friendly and approachable, which is what I was trying to convey...Michele you are a genius! It is going to be difficult for me to choose which one(s) I want to feature on my website. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Nice composition, the pole and the railing frame me well.

Cool lighting effect. I look like I am at a pier, but I am really over a parking garage... that's the magic of photography!

My husband really likes this photo because 1. I am laughing and 2. You can see a nice shot of the city in the background. I especially like the way the red railing leads you into the photo.

Up up and away, I might fly right out of that alley

Michele put a dream-like effect on this photo, I love it!

Just hanging out at a cafe in Middletown

...and on some stairs, the angles are my favorite part of this photo

Last but not least, a close-up shot

I am so lucky that I have such a talented friend! She has a keen creative eye, and can find beauty and art in everyday settings. She is also a natural at making you feel comfortable in front of the camera. If you are interested in seeing more of Michele's work visit--> www.imagesbymichele.com.

Back to Basics

2009-03-09T17:34:00.006-07:00

I was eating breakfast this morning, and I couldn't help but notice the bold new graphics on the Tropicana orange juice package. What happened to the good ol' straw sticking out of the orange? They have stripped the packaged down to the essentials: white background, glass of o.j., and 100% pure statement. Plain and to the point.

Orange juice is not the only beverage that has switched to minimalist packaging. Just look at the new Pepsi can: blue background, stripped down logo, the name, nothing else. Or the Vitamin Water bottle, with is two-toned label and simple text. Kraft has also come out with cleaner packaging. These companies know that simpler is better. Each of these designs practically jump out at you from the shelf.

I have to say, even though it is are so simple, I am visually pleased with this new trend. Maybe we will finally be able to say good bye to the over use of swirls and grunge accents. I hope so. :Z

My First Entry

2009-03-02T05:59:00.003-08:00

After months and months of hard work I have finally published my website! New England is being hit by a huge snow storm right now, what better time to start my blog, right?

I thought I would start with a few pointers about publishing websites that I learned the hard way. I have worked extensively with Adobe Dreamweaver, but until now, have never actually published my work to the web. I thought it would be as easy as choosing a domain name/hosting site and uploading (voilà!), but unfortunately for me it was not that easy.

The most important lesson I learned was when you first define your site in Dreamweaver (Site-->Manage Site) you must choose "Links Relative to" : "Site Root" not "Document". This will save you a lot of time (You wont have to replace all of the strings that Dreamweaver wrote for you when you browsed to your images).

When using someone else's JavaScript, make sure to check their files to see if their urls match your images folder. For example, I used an upper case "I" to name my images folder, and the author of one of my JavaScripts used a lower case "i". For some reason everything worked when I tested it on my computer, but when I uploaded it, images were missing. It is still a mystery why it worked on my computer...but at least I learned a lesson.

Last but not least, make sure to choose a reputable site as your web host. A friend recommended Yahoo! Small Business, and it worked out great.

I know you're thinking ok, ok, enough with the tech-talk, but I just had to get that out there so someone else could benefit. Thanks for visiting my blog, check back soon!