sooo cool

http://www.industrial-technology-and-witchcraft.de/movs/roundabout.mov

I Met The Walrus

So I was just wandering around downtown and came across this poster that caught my eye with the big caps, san serif font of a seemingly arbitrary phrase ‘I Met the Walrus.’ I don’t know what it was about this poster that caught my eye, the random phrase that amused me somewhat, the medium, or that it was relatively nicely designed compared to the rest of the posters that were ostentatiously demanding that I go to some event or another. Really, the phrase meant nothing to me but after researching it, I’ve discovered that ‘I Met The Walrus’ is a short animation on an interview that a young Beatles fanatic, Josh Raskin, managed to swing having followed John Lennon to his hotel room during the infamous hotel ‘bed-in.’ I find myself wondering if I’m missing some popular culture information because the title still doesn’t make any sense to me. It must mean something to Beatles fans otherwise there would be more information than just the title of the short animation. How many people would remember this poster long enough for them to get home and look it up? The only logical explanation would be that this phrase is a widely known connection with the Beatles, specifically John Lennon and his stand against war and how the government was trying to keep him out because he was promoting peace, blah blah blah…It’s a modern day connection…like William Hong in relation to American Idol rejects.

~Teri Yeung

Bulthaup

Bulthaup is a modern kitchen cabinet manufacturer located on king west. They are simple beautiful designs and are tailored towards different individuals. Designs are geared towards the needs of a changing society and architecture. The image being displayed is their brand logo glazed on the front entrance doors of their retail store, it is a typeface tailored to meet their brand, a very simple sans serif. The context bulthaup applies to their branding on the front door is very slick and sheik, you are able to see through the panel of glass but the bright white brand controls your eye and really controls the segway into the store.

this is what my dvd player tells me when i insert any disc that it cant play... either burned or other wise. i thought it was funny how the description for this is just to tell me that i've used a "bad disc". i thought maybe their could be more information, maybe why its a bad disc.... is it too scratched to play? is it burned or copy written etc.

-sarah-

reflected type

It's interesting when type shows up in unexpected places - reflected onto other surfaces like this image where bits of type are reflected in these funky stools. Sometimes signage is offset from the wall which then casts a shadow - which I know is is common - but it always appeals to me. Maybe it's because it changes depending on the time of day - or whether it's cloudy or not. Type that moves is always more dynamic, and when it does it in an unexpected way (like here) it makes you want to find the source - smart.

Angela

Mmmmmuffins... Please.

mmmmmmufffins...

I look around my usual surroundings at union station. Pass by the same old stuff everyday. However, something seems different this time. Ah ha, it's the muffin place! They must have changed their logo. I though to myself, this kind of works for me. Not to crazy about the wavy coffee-steam "i" symbol, but the "m's" as muffins is kind of sweet. Then i look at all the other cliche and bland logo's around me, and i further realize how somewhat special the existence of this Mmmuffins logotype is. I'm usually not one for logo's that mimmic their product in the type, most appear very kitchy or just don't work out. But for me, this a surprisingly effective solution. There isn't significant change but something about the whole grpahic type thing that makes this a lot less bland. Some of the other chains could get some pointers.

- Phil

Saw this LP at a used record store over the weekend and was moved by the photograph. It's an album by French house producers Alex Gopher and Demon and this project is called Wuz. The designer (H5) photoshopped the Wuz logo in order to mimic the rest of the neon signage. I just realized that my last entry featured neon signage. I guess it's just attractive to me, which I think is the whole point of neon. It's main purpose is to attract. Anyways, I was just into the cheeky humour that went into this sleeve, even though it's a little ambiguous, and I admire the skill that went into crafting the faux-neon logo.

-Colin

The above piece was chosen because of the very utilitarian nature and purpose of the signage. Typography stripped down to its bare bones. No serifs, no decoration, just hierarchy of what you see first, resolved only by the relationships in scale and weight contrast between words. The words are set centered on the plane, reading the sign attracts attention immediately to CAUTION, then buried cable, then an explanation of consequences of what tampering can do—entry may result in physical injury. The sign communicates WHAT >WHERE HOW > WHY > WHO in that order precisely just from the visual hierarchy.

The cold, unattractive utilitarian nature of the typography is the effective element that forwarns a person from injuring/killing themselves, and it probably wouldnt be as effective if it were otherwise.


—Brian Gerard Elicierto

I was down on Queen st. and looked up noticed the sign for the first time. Typographically it stood out. It was striking because its above the eye level of all the signs on this busy street and when i noticed it, it almost hit me over the head because it was so so big and informaly stuck up on the wall out of the blue. it doesnt look like a retail sign but a message hovering over everythign else. If it werent for the windows revealing whats inside I would have never thought it was a store. It was just so bold and striking - I like the old type face, as well as the irony it creates "so hip it hurts". it definitely stands out and although in this photo, the colours are faded, i like the gradient of orange/red used against the black background.

Sally Kim

Ancient Arabic manuscript

This could be a recipe for tabouli for all I know, or maybe a tasty broiled pheasant - but when I look at it - I think "lost secret manuscript", " holy grail", "dead sea scrolls" - old old old - and with old comes the idea of secrecy, since no one really had books or knew how to read in the olden days, thus evoking the idea that secret societies would create and bestow such documents to worthy educated members of the elite (most probably the church) which would then be buried in the tallest tower of the well guarded library in some ancient Mosque. The pages would be coated in Arsenic so that while the reader might somehow gain access in the style of Indiana Jones, she would never again leave the hidden cavern, doomed like Cassandra to have knowledge but without the ability to share it. She would be haunted by what she read and die a slow painful death among the surrounding corpses who had foolishly ventured to gain access to this cursed manuscript.

Anyway, that's what it looks like to me.

Angela

Hello, Goodbye!

Hello,

I saw this mug and thought it was pretty neat. Yes, the word "Hello" represents the identity of a magazine i have no concern for, but i found the use of the word more interesting. Often, in the morning, the good'ol cup of joe usually acts as a wake up call too all. Also in the morning people are often barely awake and somewhat grumpy, etc. To me, this cup (A) is like putting into text its own function, by welcoming you to the morning, just as the beverage it contains usually does. Then (B) it says hello in excstatic large CAPS, even when you may not be willing to do so yourself. You will look so polite with a mug like this, everyone would have to be nice to you!? I find the red and bold, large, capitalized type simple and very effective, no holds barge i suppose, and hard not to notice. This use of type reminds me of comics and how one can always find a word to describe the action that is present, in many ways this follows the same guide. Though its all accidental... maybe..

Goodbye,

-Phil

James Brown

Immediately, one is struck by the similarity between this and Milton Glaser's 1966 poster, Bob Dylan. While the original image was created mostly of blocks of colour and form, this designer has taken a few aspects of that but has taken great care in composing the image predominantly out of type. It's so effective that one almost forgets to read the type until they've looked at the piece for a while. Upon reading it you could find yourself looking it over for ages as there is so much information available to be taken in.

The dominant typeface itself harkens back to the 1960s psychedelic movement when this style of poster was common, yet I believe this one was done within the last few years with the intention of appropriating that style for its own uses. The use of colour to form a halo is very effective since the artist uses it so sparingly.

Park (here)

The conventional ‘Park’ signage. Except not really. Well, the ‘P’ in the circle is probably more recognizable as a parking sign and more instantaneous in comprehension that there is parking. I am just waiting for the day that I encounter a ‘Park’ sign that is in a serif font so I can ask ‘Why?’ but this parking sign is understandably in a sans serif because the design does not require a decorative font but rather calls for an efficient font that will allow for a rapid informative purpose. Although I know that this sign indicates that there is parking for cars, I can’t help but wonder about tourists from other countries where the conventions differ. Would they interpret this sign the same way as we do? Or maybe they are more inclined to think that there is an actual park beyond those red arrows. There is no iconic symbol accompanying the words so now it just seems kind of empty to me. Those arrows also kind of irk me because I keep thinking that the parking is ‘downstairs’ although I know it means it’s forward.

~Teri Yeung

The 'Chinese Restaurant'

Yet another bit of typography that I discovered and pondered while at work. Naturally I encounter numerous examples of bad typography while at work seeing as I work in Chinatown but this little bit of typography (once it was explained to me) was so bad it had to be acknowledged and ranted about in some way. When the restaurant first open (a couple of weeks ago) I was thought ‘Hmm…’Chinese Restaurant.’ How unique.’ Note the dripping sarcasm. It didn’t really stand out from the rest of the bad typography in the neighbourhood (notice the use of 3 different fonts not counting the Chinese characters). After a recent conversation, I realized that the words ‘Chinese Restaurant’ wasn’t actually the name of the restaurant but rather the description and the actual name was ‘Grand Treasure’ but it’s shoved into the top right hand corner of the sign. Apparently the typographer decided that underlining it was enough emphasis. I find that this sign must be confusing for both English and Chinese-speaking parties as ‘Grand Treasure’ is in Chinese to the left but not the words ‘Chinese Restaurant’ so really the venue could be anything (i.e. hair stylist, etc..) whereas those who don’t read Chinese would get confused by the misguided hierarchy. Kudos to bilingual Chinese/English speakers, they will only be slightly confused.

~Teri Yeung

Porking

The above photo was taken with my phone on the corner of Gladstone & Dundas. The location is a butcher shop with a facade entirely made of glass so as to see everything they do. One of the things they sell is pork, but the way in which this is photographed, it wouldn't necessarily have to be a butcher shop at all. The photo is shot so that you can't tell what context the word is in. It is photographed at night which could suggest a few things. Seeing the word "Pork" in neon-script at night could suggest a seedy gathering place for lonely men, or it could be the new nightclub on Queen West with it's ironic sign glowing above the entrance. In any case, I wouldn't usually associate neon signage like this with a butcher shop — I would more likely expect to see a hand made sign, whether it was painted or drawn in chalk on a blackboard.

—Colin

Above: One of the most memorable, and adored pieces of graphic design ever created, courtesy of Milton Glaser.

The piece can be displayed horizontal as it is above, or stacked 2x2 as commonly found on many a white T-shirt. The typeface is a very soft, yet mechanically serifed face, reminiscent of Ink that has bled onto paper after being stroked by a slug from a typewriter. Despite the superficial imperfections that have been built into the piece, upon close inspection, it is very well-kerned, and seems to have taken quite a bit of planning in regards to its composition. The heart that seperates the I from the NY is a contrasting heart, not only by the psychoactive bright red that it is coloured in, but also the round, and perfectly clean edges that are nothing like the typeface that surrounds it.

Just being able to read the design message as "I love New York" reveals just how heavily encoded this symbol really is in North American culture since the reader must recognize the text as an acronym, then translate the heart symbol as "love", and NY as "New York." —I love New York abstracted and simplified in to 3 letters and a symbol. Further associations between the graphic and the place of which it denotes can further be read into the choice of typeface Glaser has chosen to use. Cultural meanings can be dervied from "typewriter" looking faces which allude to paper, papers being pushed in businesses, businesses being related commerce, American Commerce to the Wall Street, or similar associations to papers fresh from typewriters of newsrooms from the NYTimes etc...

—Brian Gerard Elicierto

Socialista

This was one of many political propaganda signs around Cuba. This picture was taken from the tour bus on the way to Havana (out of the tourist area). I thought the black silhouette of arms and weapons was particularly shocking. Although it is very abstract, it only takes a second for your mind to assimilate the black shadows as pro-war. The message is bold and proud, but harsh. The use of red, black, and white contributes greatly to the strength of the message and the simplicity of the overall graphic is powerful. The capital red lettering appears hand-drawn, which is likely because of the economic state of the country. Although the revolution took place nearly 50 years ago, it continues to be a prominent topic in Cuba. I imagine the response this sign would get in America if it were on a billboard in Times Square with the word ‘Socialista’ replaced with ‘Long Live America’. It certainly would be controversial at the least. But, in Cuba where their educational system focuses so strongly on the revolution of 1959, this sign is a positive reminder of their feats.

Nuts About Bolts?

Looking through the content of my gf's basement/laundry room area, I'll find tons of old goodies lying around. It's a great place for me to peek around for some type. I found this old tool box, and since we have all just dealt with this whole type as image deal, i thought this piece would be an excellent subject. Though it in no way tries to imitate specific tool forms or symbolic references, i get the feeling of tools, calculation and related subject matter through its subtle characteristics. It doesn't feel like just another modern typeface. Through perspective, dimension and layout the type seems to feel authentic and one with the content of this toolbox, a visual harmony that seems a bit different then most toolbox labels. There seems to be that element of playfull attitude that lets it stand out in comparison, yet it still feels precise.

I dunno, i think I've gone mad... maybe I'll start to seeing new things in helvetica!? ( bad joke..who knows)

- Phil

Exit Sign

This is the standard exit sign used at the resort I stayed at in Cuba over reading week. I giggled a little when I first saw it because of how contradictory it is to our own. Our exit sign uses red lettering to insinuate caution and in the event of a fire we are taught from grade school to remain calm and walk in single file out of the building. This exit sign however, sends a visual message of "run like hell". Using the colour green, a colour with the obvious connotation 'GO' and the image of the figure running out the door doesn't exactly set a calm mood in the event of an emergency. I also giggled a little at the little shadow off the figure's foot. The image is abstracted to minimal detail, but then there's a shadow added in, perhaps so you don't think he's jumping out a window. Further, the "run like hell" idea is enforced by numerous postings of a shortened version of the sign, with just the person figure and no text. They could have gone the other way and used just text on these signs with an arrow, but clearly they really want people to follow the example of the running graphic figure.

Mountain Lion Taxidermy Studio

I recently bought my girlfriend a pair of mounted deer antlers for her birthday. Looking through the phonebook for antique stores, I remembered this studio on Broadview Ave. north of the Danforth which is the neighbourhood I grew up in. This polaroid was taken a few summers ago on what looks like a sunny day. The sign is made up of wooden letters painted white mounted on a wooden board painted black. The look to me is a mix between rural and urban. The modern, simple letterforms are neutral enough to be applied to a number of other business, but the context that they're in and the application of the letters feels somewhat primitive but intuitive as well. There are visual flaws, as well. It could potentially read "Mountain Taxidermy" "Lion Studio" due to the close proximity of those words, and you get the feeling that the words aren't quite sure whether they are aligned left or centered. The sign, however, also looks very stern and serious. It is definitely NOT playful and gives you a sense that this is a serious business. The colours (or lack there of) support this idea as well. The sign also appears to look quite outdated, but perhaps it is the medium of the polaroid that adds to this.

-Colin

Flip Media

Flip Media is in the business of culture jamming – the act of transforming existing mass media to produce a negative commentary about itself, using the original medium’s communication method. It is a form of public activism which is in opposition to commercialism. Flip Media - the act of flipping mass media on it’s head in an effort to reveal that advertising is little more than propaganda for established interests.

I love that the “p” in “flip” becomes a “d” in media. Smart and effective typography that compliments ideology. The font is simple, unpretentious, clean and friendly (like someone you can trust) - maybe helvetica neue? The colours are horrible - 2 less appealing coulours would be difficult to find, but in combination, they work well – it’s like they cancel out each others repulsiveness.

Angela

Typographic playing cards

Here is a deck of cards with very expressive typographic treatment.
There seems to be a number of different typefaces; a mix of old style vs. ‘modern’ fonts; serif, sans serif, which is consistently used according to the suit of the card. In comparison to a regular deck of cards, which is static and consistent in layout, every card is different using typography to replace illustration (jack, queen and king) and words instead of just symbol and number.

I like how it’s so dynamic using a lot of different design elements; extreme sizing and cropping, a lot of layering, diagonal lines, and creative exchange between numbers and letter (i.e “6 of clovers”). It seems so chaotic, but at the same time it’s easy to identify.

I also like how typography is used in such manner that would go against the practical use of the cards; as you know official cards are very formal and simple in typographic treatment (which is crucial for its purpose), yet the designer has chosen this medium to experiment with type in a dynamic way yet achieving heirarchy and visual ease . Although, these cards probably wouldn’t be suitable for professional play, it can still be practical. Perhaps this kind of type can also be familiarized to the reader. At least cheating would be difficult for the new user.

Sally Kim