Personal Pro Practice.: 1

Examples of graphic design appearing in different contexts

First example that comes to mind is graphic design to inform and communicate information in an informative way. Infographics. This can be through a handbook or a poster, or both combined. I found this piece on recent LCA graduate Tim Wan's website which I quite like, called 'Dimsum'. I like how it has a combination of functions - it's a fold up booklet that also folds out to create a poster. It appears to inform, obviously, about Dimsum. In his own words:

The solution is a booklet that can be produced within a tight budget, while fulfilling the brief’s requirements. The booklet is made of a single sheet of paper that contains 3 spreads of history and background information, which eventually folds out into a poster, driven by the infographics that aim to intrigue and tempt people to try Dimsum.

-Design materials can expand covering a range of alternative printed and digital outputs.

I really like the regimented, clean cut look of this, the way he combines simple but effective imagery with, again, simple but effective type and layout. This is a style of design I enjoy, but also a style of design I have a lot to offer and learn about.

Another context of graphic design can be through interactive media - an interface. Tim Wan, again, translated Dimsum into an iPhone app. Looking through the pictures, this also looks really cool and a nice app to navigate around. This is another area of interest, I have no experience in doing something like this but if it feels like a natural progression to take something from paper form to digital form, as Tim has shown then I'll definitely look into this at some point. Mobile apps are a big thing nowadays with the rise of the mobile platform. Here's some pictures:

Another area of design is packaging. This is an area that also interests me, I have limited experience in this side of things but it's an area that excites me. One thing that always repeats itself in my head no matter what work I do, is KEEP IT SIMPLE. This series of clean packaging by Antrepo feature simplified designs for Nutella, Pringles, Corn Flakes, Red Bull and other famous brands. Check them out:

Design can also be through an exhibition. I really like Ai Weiwei's stuff (is he out of prison or whatever yet?!)

Web design is another context of graphic design. Personally, I don't want to be a web designer in terms of the coding and html/flash side of it. Websites also need designing aeshtetically, if I could build the website myself that would obviously be a bonus because I like doing everything myself but for now the actual design of some websites interests me. Like so..

Branding is another area of graphic design. The graphic design side of an important's brand is incredibly important as it conveys alot about the company itself. It's audience, ethics, purpose, role, etc. Here's some really creative logos I found.

An often overlooked logo. The arrow doubles up as a smile to show customer satisfaction but also communicates that Amazon sell everything from A-Z. Clever.

I've noticed, some of the best logos and design in general, that I've enjoyed the most, really exploits negative space in a big but effective way. I find negative space really interesting and I'm going to practise exploiting it in similar ways to the designers who made these logos.

Another context of graphic design is obviously type. Making type, selling type, using type. Type can make or break a piece of graphic design and it's obviously really important. Here's a few of my favourite typefaces

Helvetica, obviousleh.

Century Gothic is also pretty cool

Futura

Rockwell

Baskerville

You can't really go wrong with these typefaces in most contexts, they can serve loads of different purposes. They're clear, concise and to the point which is why I like them. I'm not really from a straight up graphic design background from college, so I have limited knowledge of some of the fundamentals of graphic design like type. The little I know is just from my own interest and experimentation. I want to be a great graphic designer and a great graphic designer knows his type inside out, so I'll be learning alot about type over the next 3 years.

Examples of graphic design performing different functions

Graphic can be to inform. As seen here in studio 2 with the D&AD poster

Graphic design can also be used to warn as seen here on these anti-smoking posters.

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There's also advertising design. Here's a McDonald's campaign which is pretty cool. Show's how wide a context and role graphic design can have. It's literally everywhere.

Really like this kind of work, because I'm quite into a more hands on approach to design, where people can interact and play with something. Or not going straight to the computer, using simple everyday objects to create something interesting - photographing it and creating the same effect. Or even using something as natural as the light to create a piece of work that's always changing, like with the sundial billboard. These campaigns by McDonald's combines all these kinds of elements and in my opinion is really effective.

Packaging is also everywhere. Pretty much any product you buy from Tesco or anywhere, the aesthetics have been through the hands of a graphic designer. Here's some cool packaging stuff.

Creative sliced fruit juice packaging by Yunyeen Yong

Unique packaging serves as a straw for stirring and sipping coffee...

Graphic design is also everywhere when it comes to film/gig/live event posters. Off the top of my head here's some I really like

Saul Bass is one of the best ever. Simplicity, again. Looks simple but wasn't easy to design. Saul Bass is someone I will definitely look into for my PPP.

Olly Moss' work. Really, really like his style. Another artist and style of work I will look into as part of my PPP. Everytime I look at his work I always think "Gosh, why didn't I think of that?" Always a good sign!

You can really see how artists like Saul Bass have influenced Moss

You can see from his work. He also is really good at exploiting negative space. His kind of work seems perfect for screenprints and a more traditional method of printing, with texture and small little imperfections that add to it. So I really want to get amazing at this over the 3 years I'm here and beyond . In my free time I've been messing around with aspects of these styles but it's only digital and on the screen yet, it needs development and needs improving. I'll post these up on this blog in due time.

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Graphic design is also massively used in newspapers and magazines. When the mag or newspaper wants a one off illustration or piece of art for their cover or insert, they hire a graphic designer/illustrator. Here's yet more amazing work by Olly Moss

This was supposed to be on the cover of TIME as an illustration about the Mexican drug war. For some reason it didn't make it onto the cover (Why?!) But yeah, clever boy. The aim is for someone to be blogging about me in 3 years time!

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I'm also really into graphic design used for covers. Be it video game covers, record covers, vinyl sleeve covers, album covers etc. There's tons out there that are really good - off the top of my head here's some cool stuff.

Shepard Fairey's album cover for Mothership by Led Zeppelin

Examples of graphic design delivering different types of messages

Information graphics. Infographs. Graphic design used to communicate statistics, or a message/fact in a visual way. Some are really creative and interesting. Information Is Beautiful and Data Flow are too really good books I found in the college library. Here's some of the kind of stuff you'd find in there

Missions to Mars

Ancient Hebrew Cosmology

60 years of federal republic of Germany

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Graphic design can even be used for a presidential campaign as it did with Obama. Maybe it's just me because I'm a graphic designer but the really cool and clever branding of Obama really added to his appeal. For me anyway, it was an important factor in his election. Shepard Fairey was a pretty famous artist for around 15-20 years, but only within certain circles of people e.g the OBEY stuff. His work used by Obama catapulted him to elite status around the world. He's in demand now big time. Love all his work, he's also into screenprinting. I'll be looking into him for my PPP too, in the development of my own style.

Dadaism was a movement during the WWI in Germany. it was revolutionary and involved different practises, like sculpture, literatur, poetry and it also involved graphic design. One of the main sort of messages about Dada was the idea of beind "anti-art". Here's some famous Dada stuff.

Hannah Hoch - Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany

Anna Blume

Fountain by Marcel Duchamp

ABCD by Raoul Hausmann

Logo's also convey a message. They can say alot about the company in question. Sounds cheesy but it's true that "A picture speaks a thousand words" Well maybe not a thousand, but quite a few.

ED is an electrical company. The designer has cleverly used negative space (that word again) to make an electric plug.

Designed by Mike Erickson, should be pretty self explanatory really but it actually says alot about the comapny. You've already assumed quite alot about the business before you've even seen what they have to offer. This is very important and can be very effective.

Here a film reel, given the right context, turns into a scary alien thing. Clever.

Examples of graphic design using different media

There can be media in the sense of materials used. There are traditional methods of printmaking such as screenprint. Here's some that I quite like

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Another example is interactive media in graphic design. Tthrough apps on mobiles such as iPhones..

Dimsum by Tim Wan

Angry Birds

H+M app for iPhone/Android etc

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Another media is through moving image and video. Check these out:

Kanye West - Good Life

'Stephen Fry' kinetic typography by @RogersCreations

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes

Flying Lotus - Zodiac Shit

(warning: watching this may bring about the effects of extensive use of cannabis)

Breaking The Habit by Linkin Park

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Posters are also a form of media in graphic design. These can come in various sizes and communicate different things such as a message, a quote, a car advert and an advertisement for an upcoming movie to name a few.

by Olly Moss

This vintage grindhouse style is really cool. They commonly have really simple layouts and strong use of colour. Somehing that keeps me ticking.

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Another example is through packaging. Obviously, nearly everything you busy is in a package design, this form of design is EVERYWHERE.

The Warhol & Kellog's Corn Flakes shipping cartons

"Kellogs Corn Flake Cereal" silkscreen print

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Another type of moving image media used is idents for tv shows and the like. Check these out:

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27117439?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/27117439">Wataniya TV Idents</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/linuslundin">Linus Lundin</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22669883?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/22669883">Moviebox</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5055297">BEELD.motion</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25773604?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/25773604">MTV "Close and Caring"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/sehsucht">Sehsucht™</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
MTV Hits by Sehsucht

Examples of graphic design produced at different scales

A small scale (physically) is graphic design used for business cards. Here's some really cool examples of this:

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14252441?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/14252441">Business Card for Norburn Model Aircraft Supply</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3491376">Jeff Harrison</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>