icky ink

i ordered some replacement ink cartriges online for my printer and they came in these pathetic paper packages. it looks a lot worse in person, but the type is just plane, predictable, and the overall look is boring. i wasn't too sure if i could trust the place i bought it from because they were a discount no-name ink comany, and when they came in these boxes, it wasn't very reassuring. i just think they could use the help of a professional package designer. at leaste a few tips...

Sorry I couldn't find a better image. Anyways this is the type they use at a small restaurant in Richardson called Cafe Max. It is one of my favorite places to eat because of its unique food and muffins. The place gets a lot of business, but from the front of the building and the type on the menus you wouldn't think so. I think things could be upgraded to show the amount of business they get and make them seem stronger as a company.

what happens in Vegas...

While I realize that this sign is a classic - I think it's pretty ugly and could use a little spruce-up. It's very old-fashioned, and it may have been flashy and cool when it was created (which was 1959 by Betty Willis and Ted Rogich - I just looked it up). While it is very recognizable, and pretty much the trademark logo for the city, there is very little about this sign that I can appreciate. I count the use of 4 or 5 different types, which gives it a really unprofessional look in my opinion. Also, the fact that each letter of "WELCOME" is in its own cirlce (which are apparently representative of silver dollars) is very old-fashioned to me. The colors are fine, but overall, the look of this sign needs some serious work in my opinion.

PS - I didn't actually go to Las Vegas this week - I pulled the photo from the internet. But this sign was the first thing that popped in my head when I saw the blog theme for the week, so I had to use it!

I almost died trying to take this picture.

This sign could use some help from a professional designer for obvious reasons. I am not really sure why affordable is spelled “A-affordable.” The a’s and d’s also start looking the same causing some legibility issues. It looks like it was intended to be centered but its not. I guess that image in the middle is a picture of a transmission…not really sure. I don’t think there is one thing done well on this sign.

Help me! Help me!

This is an example of a logo which would really need the help of a designer. I see it all the time but I've never realized how ugly it is! The fonts don't look very well together, it's not original and the colours are too bright to be together...

• IN NEED OF HELP

Seek and find an example of type that could have been helped by a professional designer.

BUD....WEIS....ER (you know u miss the frogs)

i found this bottle...in the recycling bin (it was not aquired by illegal means if any government official suscribes to swingset mafia), and i noticed the typeface used on the label. Budweiser uses an elegant type font to establish its superior in the beer market and to illude that budweiser has been around for a while. Budweiser claims to be "king of beers" and this typeface adds to this royal corporate identity.

Unusual lemonade bottle

I was buying some groceries and found this fun bottle. The font is very playful and I liked how the bottle has a non-traditional square form. It's very simple, but it clearly got my attention!

A taste of the east.

I have always loved the tazo tea bottle labels for their intricate detail and classy eastern feel. They use quite a variety of typefaces, from serif to sanserif as well as some hand written scripts and foreign characters. The subtle ornamentation accent the copy nicely. The "iced tea" mock paper stamp and the "organic" mock ink stamp give the impression that it is fresh of the boat, shipped directly from east asia. The fact that they took the time to design the inside of the label has always impressed me. The horizontal and vertical orientation gives it a modern touch and relates back to the vertically written ancient characters. My favorite bit of copy is on the front at the very end of the label anad says " PLEASE RECYCLE THIS BOTTLE. It deserves to be reincarnated too."

So, I looked on top of our fridge at the good ol snack n shack. And boom! I found this beauty. I like the clean, simple design of this bottle. It's imported from Holland. The type is very linear and rigid. What is the most interesting letterform is the 'E'. The bottom leg is cut off giving it a stencil like quality. Also, it just gives the E an interesting look overall. So way to go Holland, you guys know how to make some good Effen Vodka!

Fiji water has really nice and recognizable bottles. When I thought of them originally for this week's blog, I was under the impression that the entire label was seen through the bottle, but as you can see, the text is all on the front of the bottle, and only the beach backdrop is seen through the bottle. The disign of having anything seen through the bottle is nice. If you've seen the bottles for SmartWater (at least the ones sold in Frog Bytes), there is a lot of text that can only be read when looking through the clean, clear water to the interior of the other side of the bottle. I don't have a photo of this example, but here is a photo of the bottles at least (which I just got off the internet) since I didn't have any bottles to take the photo of.

These are also nice bottles. Both examples have a nice, simple use of text which is easy to read. Instead of trying to wrap around the bottle, making it harder to read, each segment of text is on one "side" of the bottle, making it possible to read in one quick glance. This, combined with the text seen through the bottle, makes both of these products very nice.

This beverage has a label that contains a clear and defined heirarchy. The contrast is strong between the headline and subheadings. I really like how the designer arranged all the text for the bottle on a single label which helps the customer know everything about the beer while it sits on the shelf. Oh and sorry about the flash showing up on the bottle...my bad

I really like the simplicity of white text on color here. The contrasts in lowercase and all caps makes an interesting variation in design so that the simplicity doesn't become boring. The drink itself tastes funny, but if you can get it all down its a much healthier way to get energized.

Ahhh....the Reserve

Dang, there's nothing more refreshing after a hard week than a nice 16 ounce can of Fort Worth's own Steel Reserve. Yea right. Well, the can has always stolen my admiration with it's solid steel color, black all-caps san serif type, and large red 211. The type used throughout the can creates a heavy metalic feel. It looks very industrial, which is great in conveying the idea that this lager is very high gravity. It will make you sick, but as Samuel Jackson says, "It'll get ya drunk!"

I included a picture of one i have flattened out so you can see the details better.

This is the lable of a ginger ale bottle. I liked the bottle cap the best though. There is alot going on with in the bottle cap but it is well organized so it is not cluttered. It is not the typical colors you would think of for gingerale. i usually think of green and gold (like canada dry). Hott pink and blue sets its apart and makes it different. Although the type face and the orientation of the brand hinders its legibility i think it still works.

DO what tastes right.

I decided to stay away from bottles, and chose to use this Wendy's beverage container because they've recently started this campaign putting entire paragraphs about the food or drinks on the plastic cups. I like the typeface they use for this because it resembles the san-serif font, Trade Gothic or it may just be a condensed version of Helvetica. Either way I like how its laid out on the cup making you rotate it just to read everything on the cup. The large type with appropriate leading entices people eating Wendy's to really read the cup. Also the white type on a red background makes it stand out easier to readers. Like Galyean told us in Intro to Visual Communication, restaurants see the effect of the colors Red and Yellow and the effect it has on the hungry. Finally, I really like what they've done with the yellow text combining the first word with the last phrase, "Do what tastes right."

Snow Day

Snow Sparkling Beverage. "This unique beverage is subtle, lightly sweetened and distinctly refreshing. It combines peppermint with other natural ingredients to create the crisp sensation of snow falling on your tongue. Serve chilled over ice, after dinner or mixed with your favorite spirit."

Great design, great copy writing, terrible drink. I was certainly not reminded of the "crisp sensation of snow falling on [my] tongue," nor would I ever "mix with [my] favorite spirit." It tastes like a liquid candy cane or mouthwash maybe. But I bought it because of the great design and tempting copy. The bottle provokes a sense of snow and ice with its clear design and silver bottle cap. The letters of "Snow" are simply outlined to maintain a clear, crisp feel. A very tempting design.

Peppermint aqua

Last summer, I ate lunch in a small cafe back home in Georgetown and bought this bottle of peppermint water to drink just because I thought the container was so cool. Soo...when I looked at the blog assignments I knew exactly what I wanted to do for this one. I was able to find the same drink at our local Central Market. I love the contrast of the plain silver side to the texture on the left side of the bottle. I think their choice of color was perfect...it reminds me of those cool,blue, refreshing mints that comes in the bags of assorted candy. The typeface was also great to add to the overall modern feel of this beverage.

Ps-the colors are totally off...but they look fine on my screen! Anyone have any ideas?

• BEVERAGE CONTAINER

Seek and find an example of type used on a beverage container.

german engineered yaaah

i found this on the cover of a parts magazine when we were ordering floor mats for our rabbit. any who, i think it is a very nice design concept. they took the popular commercials with the vw hand signs and put it on paper, which i thought was really cool especially since it is done in such a different style than the commercials. very cool vw, very cool.

colt 45 and two zig zags...

your boy afroman is coming to town...and he's bringing some crazy interpretive type with him. what you see here is his band logo. the circular shape of his afro assumes the shape of the o in "afroman." typographic innovation has entered the rap community. watch out...is that a cigarette?

It's all happening at the zoo...

The FTW Zoo logo here is a fun example of interpretive type. They use stylized animals to create the shape of the letters FW. This is very fitting for the context. It is clean and legible, while maintaining its friendly feel that connects to kids. It is contrasted nicely by the traditional serif font to the right. It is simple enough to be a recognizable brand and it is placed all around the FTW Zoo area.

Rolling Stones

I found this randomly in Rolling Stones while flipping through searching for letters for our ransom note assignment. Talk about convenient! (It is a title for an article in the magazine) The concept is simple yet clever. I like the contrast of the clean lines of the main typeface with the floating, airy quality of the smoke Os. Rolling Stones handled the smoke Os well…they could have easily been too solid (which would lose the light quality) or it could have been too airy (causing illegibility and confusion). Way to balance the two! The designer did a good job of aligning the title so that the two Os are on opposite sides. If they were too close together it would look messy and would probably mess with the legibility.

BIG BURLY BUTTON

Here's a fabulous clothing store I found on rodeo drive when I went to California last weekend. It was a top of the line luxury clothing store with exquisite fabrics and styles. J/K kids, j/k. Anyway, this is a simple store here in Fort Worth, and the sign pretty much says it all. The "O" in Dots has been replaced with a gargantuan shirt or blouse button, but I think it is successful in delivering a clothing store brand in a simple name like Dot. This business could probably lose the word FASHIONS and still convey an apparel store logo just using the button imagery
dot dot dot im out

good times with interpretive type

Here is a sign i see on the way to the thrift store. It's using the $ as the S in CASH. We've all seen it before. It's not very original, but it's a good example.



And...Here i have another example. I remember driving through Amarillo over break and i saw this sign everywhere in the city. The boots are taking place of the L's. It's part of a project to make the city more touristy; it's saying, "Hey, Amarillo is a fun texas tourist attraction because we have boots in our city's logo." It's kinda cheesey, but i suppose it works because it looks texan and I'll always remember Amarillo for that. Anyway, i didnt take any pictures, but it's the first thing i thought of when thinking of interpretive type. I pulled this off the world wide web. Enjoy.

turn your head and cough

This is the sign for a Pediatrician's office a block down from my apartment. I drive by it pretty regularly, and have always thought it was a clever use of imagery mixed with type. As you can see, the "Y" in "TYKES" is replaced by a stethoscope. While the overall look of the sign is not that fantastic, the use of the stethoscope Y is nicely done. It represents that this is a doctor's office, but in a playful way that is appropriate for a children's doctor.

I'm seeing stars!!!

After finally figuring out what interperative type is, and not confusing it with logos or symbols, I am starting to see stars. Seriously!!! (p.s. this blog by no means implies that I am a hockey fan. but hockey's o.k.)

Guitar yeah!

While riding in the fun Jetta with Jenna we spotted this awesome store. How could we not take a picture of this beauty? The guitar shape helps form the natural curve of the capital letterform G. What's cool is you can definitely read the Guitar Center part while still enjoying the art form of the the Guitar/G. The guitar shape symbolizes and creates the letterform G.

80's style

I personally really like the imagery used by this store in order to convey the idea of "cool" hair cuts. I know that when I think of cool I think of old school plastic sunglasses with neon sides, and only the coolest cool kids wear those. The "OO" of cool has been replaced by the imagery of sunglasses conveying the ideal of cool, but also the STYLED hair shown above the glasses compliments the word "CUTS". Even though the sign itself never says the word "hair-cuts" it is implied by the imagery of the hair. Without the hair, and without the hair being styled (which was key because messy hair wouldn't get the same effect of a hair salon across) the sign would just read "Cool Cuts 4 Kids" which would leave a broad opening for interpretation. Cool cuts for what? Circumcisions? Is CUTS a new slang for clothes? With the imagery of the sunglasses and hair it is apparent that the store is a hair salon for children. Very nice use of interpretational text and imagery.

Staples because Office Depot sucks

Well here in the Staples sign, the letter 'L' is interpreted as a staple OR the staple in the word is interpreted as a 'L'...either way it's just beautiful interpretive typography. The staple/L form describes what products or genre of products the company offers and the use of a simple sanserif font gives the logo a formal business feel.

This is Cafe express' menu. I think that the font they use is very soft, and produces movement which goes well with the message that their food is served fast or "express". Also, the "e" has three lines around it and looks like a shining sun, they use this e to mark the plates that are E-xceptional. The font is therefore used as a symbol.

Which Witch Wich?

When I first saw Which Wich?'s sign I was impressed by the simple detail. The typeface is inviting and seems fun. I thought the W incorporated with the lines of the sandwich was a clever design, interpreted into the food they serve. It's bold and difficult to miss. However, I think that the question mark might compete with the illustration of the sandwich. Might it have been just as effective without the emphasis of the question mark? I've never eaten here. Let me know how it is.

• INTEPRETIVE TYPE

Seek and find an example of interpretive typography.

Im Goin!

This Southwest Airlines billboard is a fantastic example of how minimal design and copy can be very effective. The keep it succinct, "GO SEE KC." It is seems to be more of a command than a sales slogan. It is like a road sign, bold type and simple contrasting black and white colors. The shape of the plane acts like directional arrow, popping from the rest of the image due to the selective use of the classic southwest colors. It is comparable to the "DALLAS LOVE FIELD" sign that snuck into frame. The message is clear, "here is your destination and this is how you get there."

Lovefield shows the LOVE

While looking through some old photography and travel pictures I've taken, I found some pictures I took at various airports. I don't know if any of you have been to either D/FW international airport or Dallas Lovefield airport, but everyone in the metroplex pretty much knows D/FW falls short in the navigation of signs for each terminal. It's confusing to those who haven't been there before, and a headache to those who think they might know it well. However, at Dallas Lovefield, the signs depict very clearly how to get around the airport and are easily read. So I decided to use this picture of two terminal signs that are a common example of directional type used at this airport. The signs are so clear and simple, and the airport takes care to not list so many terminals on one sign as D/FW does.

Like Raef said, the most important aspect of 'directional type' is readability. I spotted this billboard on John and I's way home from our afternoon adventure, and snapped a shot of it from the car. The arrow on this billboard really caught my eye because of it's boldness against the darker background. Also, the arrow reminded me of a street, and the copy were cars driving along it....don't question, just stare at it. The large scale of the arrow catches the viewers attention, while the copy within the text draws the viewers eye along the length of the arrow and ultimately pointing in the direction where the Brakes, Tires, and Detail, could happen. I think it's pretty groovy how the copy within the arrow not only tells us what the service shop has to offer, but it guides us to it.

Ghost Ridin'

Well, here we have a street sign. Yep. The sign is giving directions. It's not a terribly interesting example, but it demonstrates the idea. The 'only' is placed within a white arrow, suggesting that if you follow under that arrow, you can only go where the sign says you will go. Yep, pretty complicated. Anyway, i think the one thing i can point out about this sign is the overall arrangement. The sign is arranged virtically, so that you read the sign down toward the direction the arrow is pointing, which not many people would notice, but it helps in communicating the idea behind the sign. Toots!

Do not listen!!!

Outdoor directional type, let's talk about a fun topic. I am still downloading images until I get my usb cable if you haven't noticed. But back to this weeks thriller. Black and yellow are frequently used in outdoor signs or any sign really that needs to command attention. Due to the high contrast between the two colors it is hard not to pay attention. I chose this article of type because it commands attention, but not only is it directional type, it is the only directional type that I can honestly say noone ever listens to. Curoisity!!!

Found this one close to home in grand marc. simple and sweet. it fits its purpose without being distracting. i like the simplicity of the arrows having just the triangle lead the eye to the appropriate diriction. the large space between the lines helps seperate the two making it easier on the eyes to differintiate which way to go.

I saw the sign.

So, it seems that a street sign is a pretty obvious choice for "Outdoor Directional Type" - but after considering it, I really think that it's one of the better choices. If you look at a street sign, it's a great example of how very simple, and often limited type, is all that's needed to get the job done. In the instance of street signs, the less text used, the better. When driving down the road, you don't have the time to read a wordy sign. So instead, only a few words are used with very recognizable symbols (like arrows). In fact, words don't even need to be used in some cases (like the yellow sign above).

THE ZOO (not hippies)

The important thing in directional type is readability. this is achieved by the simplicity of the sign or design. i found this ft worth zoo sign while i was driving around. it is very easy to read and can be recognized from far away, which is necessary for traffic signs. the zoo logo is easily recognizable, the directional arrow is very prominent, and the colors are catchy but not distracting.
i took this picture while i was driving (not bad eh?) and we are lucky i didn't get in a wreck in the process (close call though)...
also in my scavengering i found this sign for hippies...i thought i'd share it with you for humorous purposes.
enjoy.

Parking limited

I see these signs all the time when I walk home from school. There must be at least 6 or something on one side of the street, maybe more. This sign uses a vibrant color red to draw the viewer's attention and make clear that they cannot park on this side of the street at certain times. The use of all capital letters emphasizes the importance of this parking issue, and gives an authoritive feel to the sign. The text is centered nicely. Furthermore, they use symbols to show what will happen if you park on the street during school hours. The only thing that stinks is that my friends cannot park in front of my house during school, and must park across the street.
p.s. I'm not sure why this picture is turned sideways, in my i-photo it's upright and correct.

Zoo

I found this sign last weekend with Lindsay in Dallas! (After the crazy hippies...but before the white van). I love the simplicity of this sign. Sometimes directional signs can contain multiple arrows for multiple locations and it can get a little confusing. There is nothing confusing about this sign...its pretty much straight forward. very nice! The little cut out horse thing on the top is a nice and clean decorative touch!

PS-I have tried and tried and tried and this picture will not post the right way! I dont know why...when I open the file its fine...So until I figure it out...just tilt yo head! thanks!

Cool ladies and gentlemen!

I remember seeing these last semester when I visited the Moma, and i just recently saw an article that showed them! Clearly they decided to give these little guys more movement and a less stiff pose...I also like how they picture the evolution from the conventional design to the actual one. :)

Park Here

So downtown Plano used to be really cool, but now a bunch of offices took over the little shops and there is now a lot of apartment living that has popped up. But I guess since this cool sign was put up its all okay. I've seen a lot of cool parking signs around, but this one is unique in its variety of typeface, shape, and color. To be honest, if someone showed me color swatches for this sign before i saw the actual design i would have wanted to call them color challenged, but the colors actually work well together to direct the eye while the variety and boldness grabs your attention.

Right this way...

Walking through downtown Dallas I spotted this sign directing cars to park at West End Parking, to the right. I was immediately reminded of Raef's work. He uses the pointy hand a lot. The serifed typeface adds a sense of authority and promise of safe and sensible parking. It remains legible as the type follows the circular shape. The sign is also concise and recognizable, easy for people driving by to understand quickly.

The Cellar

I've driven by The Cellar many times but I never noticed their logo on the side of the building until now. I assume this would be considered outdoor directional type due mainly to the fact the type is showing movement by descending down a flight of stairs. Within the logo, there is an inconsistency in the letterforms and spacing but for those who haven't been in there, the logo pretty much tells it all...you have to go down some stairs to a "cellar"-like bar area hence the name. Big Gulps ehh?...welp...see ya later