Wolfgang Weingart

I was recently introduced to the book My Way to Typography by Wolfgang Weingart. It's a brilliant book full of loads of interesting and beautiful typographic experiments. The piece above is from a series called Typographic Process. I have read that Weingart is "the father of Swiss Punk Typography". The experimental and carefully considered style is, in my opinion, brilliant. Weingart is said to have taken apart Swiss typography and then re-structured it to create something new, which turned into a new style of working. This process of working with what is around you and taking it apart to build something new is one key element in design. One has to take what is given to them in a brief and work with it to create something new and unexpected. This is something that come across in Weingarts work.

Pistilli Roman

I was recently sent a link by a friend to the What Type Are You post on the Pentagram blog. At the end of the questions you can see all the typefaces that people potentially are and I came across Pistilli Roman, I thought the typeface amazing. The line weights, curves and serifs used made it seem contemporary yet very retro. A brilliant combination when done correctly.

Robert Brownjohn

After my previous post about Robert Brownjohn I found this. It's so simple yet very witty and clever.

Siegfried Odermatt

While browsing the Internet the other day I found this poster designed by Siegfried Odermatt. It is one of those images that I saw and thought that's brilliant and then moved on. However after I found it again I realise how much it has inspired my work. It is striking, minimal and yet incredibly clever.

Gerhard Richter

I found these amazing pieces by Gerhard Richter the other day, really interesting to see the contrast between the photography and the surreal colourful paint. The sporadic composition of the paint is also really interesting, it gives the images a kind of movement that is sometimes hard capture in photography.

Niessen & de Vries

I recently found out about the work of Niessen & de Vries, it's incredible. A brilliant use of colour, pattern and typography which combined create amazing work.

Watching Words Move

A while ago my friend Lucy Vann lent me a book to look at called watching words move and told me she thought I may like it. She was right. Every page had an interesting and clever variation on a common word that animated it. The creators of the book were Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Geismar and Robert Brownjohn, although Brownjohn isn't credited on the cover however he is on the back. The book was created in 1962 and still seems completely relevant today. Although only one typeface is used throughout the book it visualises the words brilliantly. This is a reference that I will always use to remind me that even the simplest visualisations can make a big impact.

Francois-Marie Banier for DvF

My girlfriend recently showed me one from this series of adverts in a magazine, she is not normally one to be absorbed by advertising however this advert was different. Soon I was staring at the page as well. These pieces were created by Francois - Marie Banier for Diane Von Furstenberg. Banier shot the images and then had them printed on a large scale and painted, wrote and drew all over them, the results are quite incredible. The elegance of the model Natalia Vodianova is highlighted with the black and white photography and then the vibrancy of the clothing DvF creates is captured in the use of inks and colours.

Apart from the visual element of the adverts I also like the concept behind the work. It evokes and attitude and stands out from other advertisements in a magazine. It has its own artistic credibility which I think is very important in design work and advertising.

You can see more about the whole series on the web site www.dvfprojects.com. The site is well worth looking at.

Angela Lidderdale for Vitra

The image above was created by Angela Lidderdale for Vitra. I really like the idea that the objects that surround the chair were sources of inspiration when it was designed however I'm not sure this is the case. Even if it isn't I still really like the was the surrounding objects create a mood board for the chair. The objects create an atmosphere that gives the viewer a whole other perspective on the piece. In my opinion there no clever copy is needed the image conveys the message brilliantly.

Yusaku Kamekura

I was recently look at the new project from Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy called Unit Editions. It's a progressive publishing company that specialises in affordable books about Graphic Design and the Visual Arts, which sounds amazing.

When I was on their new web site I found a link to their flicker which had images from the book "The Graphic Design of Yusaku Kamekura". The images are incredible, the work is so simple yet so striking. I have attached 2 images above however it is well worth looking up more. Even in black and white each symbol seems to have a three dimensional quality with depth and detail. It reminded me that good design doesn't have to be over complicated with colour and composition to be striking, bold and engaging.

Herbert Spencer - Typographica

I recently went to the Design Museum and saw Super Contemporary. I wasn't sure what to expect as I had read the press surrounding the exhibition and it heavily concentrated on the work that had been specifically created for the exhibition. This was a great part of the exhibition, Paul Smiths rabbit bin and the Lamp Post Chandelier by Thomas Heatherwick were particular highlights, however what I found brilliant about it was discovering the creative history of London. All the people, studios and work that have come out of the city, I'm sure my posts will soon feature some of the people I read about at the exhibition.

One of the amazing things I found was Typographica magazine by Herbert Spencer. There was one issue on display which featured a sliver screen print onto black colourplan paper of TYPOGRAPHICA running down the side. One couldn't flick through it which was a shame however the cover was brilliant enough. Since I have looked up more about the magazine and although it is not that well documented, that I have found on the internet I did find this cover. It has a confused Swiss style about it which I find really interesting and cuts up and rearranges typography to great effect. It makes the viewer look closely at the cover to see what is going on and it's then one realizes that all the text on the cover is printed backwards. It is experimental and bold and really stood out to me.

Daniele Buetti

This is the work of Daniele Buetti, I came across the work while on the Haunch of Venison web-site. The work is created by punching holes into the photographs and then putting them on a light box. The result is brilliant. The text has a glow about it, which is explained by the use of the light-box. The typography is also brilliant because of the way it meanders across the piece displaying these thoughtful qoutes. I find them almost quite dream like, very interesting.

Campari Soda Bottle - Another Classic

After posting the piece about the brilliantly designed wrapper I found at my friends house I decided to try and find more examples of where graphic design doesn't need updating and gives off an sense of elegance. One example I found was the Campari Soda bottle designed by Fortunato Depero. I really like the fact that print wasn't used instead sculpted into the bottle was the information needed. Also the textured surface has more importance than just grip. The tactile element on the bottle also leaves an impression on the user distinguishing it from other bottles of drink.

Depero was primarily an artist involved in the Futurist movement however designed this bottle for Campari in 1932.

Edward Ruscha

I visited the Tate Modern the other day while walking down south bank. While wandering around the gallery I found many interesting and beautiful pieces including some work by the brilliant M/M Paris, however that's another post for another time. While walking around the space "artist rooms" kept coming up, this was simply a room full of one particular artists work. One of these rooms was dedicated to Edward Ruscha, his work really stood out to me. He used typography boldly and made messages really stand out using cleverly chosen typefaces along side striking colour or images. Some of his work is pictured above and more can be found at www.edruscha.com, his web site has some amazing work which continues to experiment with typography and language.

My 2 favourite pieces were the top 2 images above. This was due to the amazingly painted landscapes that incorporated intense bright natural colours and amazing scenery contrasted with a very modern, electronic and almost robotic typeface that carried messages about modern society. The pieces are very large in the gallery, perhaps 8 x 8 foot, this gives them a huge impact on he viewer and really draws one in.

In my opinion his work offers an interesting take on how typography and language are used and how they can be used along side images or colours to enhance a message.

Classic Packaging Doesn't Age A Bit

My friend has a bit of an obsession with Tunnock's biscuits and, as a result, has a lot of these wrappers lying around his house. I think his appreciation for these sweet biscuits is as much for the packaging as it is the product and I can see why. The wrapper above is a brilliant design. It has a classic style that seems to always be relevant and makes it stand out amongst other mediocre designed food packaging. The classic striking use of red and silver coupled with the circular text is really interesting and made me want to find more packaging that has a similar effect.

Sara De Bondt

I saw this work by Sara De Bondt a while ago and thought it was really clever. The logo (above) is for the building pictured and, in my opinion, it work really well with it. The bold, striking typeface and the and bright colour really seem bring life to the building and make the viewer look at the building in a different light. Also the detail on the E is brilliant, the way it picks out that detail on the building is really interesting.

Greg Lamarche

Greg Lamarche is based in America and has some really nice work. I found him on www.itsnicethat.com which is a great design blog. His work reminds me of the brilliant typographic experiments Alan Fletcher did in his book Picturing and Poeting. The playful use of type using different colours and fonts I find really interesting and when done well it looks very striking.

Jiminie Ha

Some really interesting typographic experiments from Jiminie Ha. I really like the fact that he has experimented with the type by folding the paper by hand. Keeping it simple sometimes really pays off. It reminds me of the work I was doing for my AH UM brief.

Street Style Photography

I regularly check The Sartorialist, most people do, his pictures are beautifully shot and everyone he takes photos of is dressed really well. It's a great source of inspiration. However I chose to post this image because of the colour and the really interesting typography on the wall behind the lady. All these elements combine made this picture stand out.

Pentagram for The Public

After posting the old Paula Scher poster for The Public a couple of weeks ago I thought I would post the new poster campaign Pentagram have created. It is a stripped back and brilliantly thought out poster that references the style of the older posters and has wit and attitude which is what I feel Alan Fletcher used to do so amazingly.