Overhead and Underfoot

While I appreciate this image and its strength and simplicity - I do think it is a bit cringey to appropriate all that power to sell a yoga mat. I would love the image if there was no product placement involved - it is my main reservation about Yoga Journal as a publication.

Not the proudest moment in American history. But a reflection of a key point in our lives - and I suppose you could call it the bitter fruit of fake news. No pleasure in saying that though. Photo credit goes to Time Magazine

You’ll find their article here:https://www.canva.com/learn/what-is-the-golden-ratio/

Original article is here:  https://www.you.co.uk/strangers-words-that-saved-my-life/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Looking at interesting typefaces and eye catching signage for local brands in Sligo. The elaborate serif typeface on the metal gates for Egans is class, the sign above the gates is completely different - 1980s Egan and Son in Seriif - not beautiful and incongrous, and not really a good match.  The Connolly’s logo is a classic and really reflects the ethos of the pub. My favourite though is the Wild Atlantic Wheels - so clever that way they reflecting the Wild Atlantic Way both in name and in the logo mark. I also think that the modifications on the T in trek are really fun - and the Electric Picnic reference is clever and speaks directly to their target market. It is just really satisfying for the eye and I’d be curious to see more of the designers work.

A lot of images in this post albeit all for the same opera, I thought it was interesting to look at all the drafts tried out for the Close typeface. The designer uses a lot of variations on the reflection technique we covered in VC labs.  The final one is the version chosen, if the choice was mine I would have gone for the fifth one, the art nouveau typeface centrally placed without the reflection. I suppose that is what keeps it interesting looking at other people’s choices.

Some of the typefaces used for 20 Shots of Opera, each bespoke for the opera in question. The designer went to a lot of trouble to view the films and interpret each opera creating a bespoke font for each. A big job for 20 operas. Some are very literal - like Dust, but the colour matches the palette of the opera design. In La Corbière - about a shipwreck - we see the light stream from a lighthouse. The typeface for A message for Marty matches the instant messaging it portrays. Touch clearly reflects the isolation and separation of the two singers, while A Patient Woman reflects the period of the setting of the opera. Plenty of material to ponder.

Even though I am thinking more Magic Realism for my film and film poster,  I do like the overt drama and suspense in these horror movie posters. A bit cheesy I know, but they are very direct and clear and speak straight to their audience. Who will know that they will get exactly what they expect.

This is a really evocative still life by Simon Piercy created with Ross Boyd as part of a participatory arts project in the UK in 1990. Simon made this piece about moving from a care centre run by Trent Authority into independent community living. Hence the Trent Bitter and and door key !  I think this is a really good example of subtext in images

So much food for thought

Don’t forget about the polar bears.Simple but effective ad from the World Wildlife Fund

Some interesting covers from Time Magazine reflecting the state of life in 2020

Spotted them on http://enfuzed.com/16-creative-packaging-examples/

Some more food for thought on the Magic Realism movie posters. I love The Shape of Water poster - but have to say that having recently watched the movie on Film4, they completely edited her skirt in the poster - in the film it billows out giving a sense of the water - but for advertising she looks skinnier when it is flattened towards her body. Have to admit I thought there was a greater sense of freedom and movement in the original shot. Love the typeface too, it really works with the image. Before I Wake leaves a lot to the imagination fed by the rich blood red colour, excellent and there is ambiguity to the typeface which I think works well. I remember when The Company of Wolves was out and how racy and innovative it was - I don’t think this poster reflects that in the slightest. But I do like the typeface they used, I think it is evocative of a different time and place.

Looking at Magic Realism film posters for some inspiration - some really interesting ones around. The Perfume image draws you in instantly. Very storng and great colours. Not so keen on Donnie Darko it is a bit bland.  Into the Sky is interesting but actually quite simple for the genre however I do like the typeface.

Inside the flight case there are two compartments, one includes a hard cover catalogue featuring all the prints in “The Beaten Path” collection, a book stand for displaying the catalog, a certificate with a Dylan signature, a pair of white gloves for handling the print and of course in the second compartment the actual print. True to their attention to detail, the actual print is tucked away carefully in a folder and covered with a sheet of tracing paper to protect it. Pretty impressive packaging - and in this case the gallery threw in a free 200 page hard back Dylan book as an additional gift.

I totally underestimated the amount of time involved in creating an infographic. I thought you just drop a few icons on a page and add text. What I hadn’t realised is that the whole point about summarising content in a visual means collating and condensing that information first. So in this example I had to get the percentages in an excel file, generate and export the doughnut chart, then resize the icon to fit the circle, add the icon to the doughnut in PS then do same for the other stats, add them all to the final image trying to keep the sizes consistent. I will appreciate infographics I come across more thoroughly in future.