Holiday Fonts

Holiday fonts?

This is what I was talking about in my earlier posts when mentioning BAD and UNREADABLE fonts. It is obvious to see with this example that some fonts are just not supposed to be used. It is not easy for some people to understand what is and is not understandable when it comes to typefaces (and colour/background can and should be also included in this topic). However, with this topic I will try to explain in a very clear way.

First of all let’s forget about ‘our favourite colours’ and ‘favourite shapes’. Let’s make it simple and see what is actually in front of us. Free font websites have all types of fonts and it is our job to distinguish what can and cannot be used. Fonts like the ones I have posted on the top are not readable because of the amount of information around them. The secret is to relate the typography and the motif in a way everyone can understand both. Regarding colour and background, it is very simple if attention is given. Light colour typography over light colour background will not be as clear as a dark typography over a light background (the other way around is also suitable but not recommended as it is easier than the first option but not as readable as the second one). Subtle colours are also recommended, as bright colours distract the eye attention.

Hope this was helpful in some way.

TURNINGstyle

Turnstyle is innovative and creative. Aims to turn it around and develop a bound between brand and costumer. Looking for new ideas and ways to move people and feelings is number one priority to this studio. Exclusive character and identity are the consequence of their main concern. At this studio, you may find innovative solutions for any client, no matter what background or size.

The design created to the snowboards is simply amazing and original. Typography together with illustration and colour gave birth to these five snowboards. All different but with the same line of creativity and design, it satisfies all tastes. The red board with a Swiss look, a cross and the size. Cool colour tones to keep it fresh and simple. Triangles and lines, which creates new shapes and the wooden pattern in ‘brown-wood’ and white colour. The Japanese style with a dark background and a wooden robot with a very subtle Japanese typography.

All beautiful and fun, is a very original work from turnstyle studio.

Martin Parr in Machu Picchu

Martin Parr is a social documentary photographer from the UK. His reputation grew along the years, becoming a great photographer. Parr is recognised internationally and his photos document in a very specific way. He has a very original imagery and documents ‘culture’ not only in the UK but all around the world. Parr is not only interested in photography but also in film-making, which extends his work to a winder perspective.

One of my favourite works from Parr is his photographs about the tourism in Machu Picchu. The Inca ruins are now generating a huge tourism industry, affecting the lives of the locals. People from around the world go to Machu Picchu looking for the ancient world in a place with organised touristic attractions.

Two pictures I found very interesting are the woman pretending to be a dromedary while her partner takes a snap shot and the tourist guide showing the area around. It definitely shows how comfortable and ‘natural’ it is to be there, no matter where from you are.

(please note I can't post the direct link to his particular work: Martin Parr > Recent > Machu Picchu)

EXPLORING THE ARAB CIVILIZATIONS

Tarek is young but his work and experience is very wide.

He studied in Lebanon, The Netherlands, Qatar, Dubai and the United States where he did his MFA, taught by influenced people like Steven Heller and Sagmeister. His work has been exhibited in museums like Guggenheim, NY and the Affiche Museum in The Netherlands. Awards are also part of his life and won several. He is the founder of arabictypography.com and he a guest to numerous seminars and is now teaching in Utrecht School of the Arts (The Netherlands). Tarek has his own studio where he develops graphic work for national and international, small or big companies. He became a Dutch citizen in 2007, being both Dutch and Lebanese.

One of my favourite projects developed by Tarek is the Rahala Boardgame. It is a bilingual trivia board-game where the players are invited to travel through the history of Arab Civilizations. To find the design was the first step. Most games are usually imported from overseas, loosing the ‘style’ of the Arab culture. Tarek wanted this one to be as ‘national’ as possible. The design integrated specs like information, packaging, graphics, 3D design, visual identity, illustration and usability. Designing the image was not easy, and the actual logo for the game came later.

The map combines six eras of the Arab civilizations so Tarek had to search for the visual identity of each one. The colour coding was also very important and each era was labelled by one colour. All the process was taken very carefully and step by step, as it is possible to see in his case study.

Explores is a very interesting project and is definitely worth to take a look at.

FINGER BOARD LOVE

I am not a finger boarder.

Even though my father used to skateboard when he was young and my boyfriend loves it too, I have no connection whatsoever with wheels and boards (together). Apart from it, I had to post something about the work of one good friend of mine: André Coral. André and another group of guys started the brand LOW PRO and have been developing boards, contests and events all around Europe. I don’t know much about the specs of this practice and I never tried to do any tricks with low pro decks. Nevertheless, one thing I love about it is the fact they have a brilliant design and the family develops really nice videos, where it is possible to see how much fun they are.

Because I am a graphic designer, for this post I wanted to show one image, which I found incredibly special: ‘Finger Board Love’. It is a clean and colourful image at the same time, where we can see the different designs created for the boards. The text is very subtle and organised. The words ‘Finger Board’ appear in a boldish block but in white with a light grey background, which minimises the impact of the thick letters. Next to it we see the word ‘Love’ integrating the logo ‘Low Pro’.

I really like this image and I believe it to be a very good example of great graphic design.

Mago's STRONG.

Magomed Dovjenko is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and art

director, originally from Russia but now living in Germany. He is the

member of The Keystone Design Union and he developed an amazing work

until now. Mago has very big clients; clients like NIKE Footbal, Ecko, Diesel,

Urb Magazine, Computer Arts, JWT Dubai, Toyota, Advanced Photoshop,

Saatchi Saatchi Düsseldorf.

Besides his amazing clientel, Mago has been invited to German’s top late-night talkshows TV Total on Pro 7 and Stern TV on RTL. He also worked in Amsterdam with the Dutch soccer player Edgar Davids, creating graphics to Edgar’s brand ‘Monta Soccer’.

Even though he has all this amazing history and biography, I wanted to talk about his ‘Born Stronger Athletics’ for The KDU. The illustration is very strong and certainly reflects the power of an athlete. But if we take a deeper look into the typography Mago created we see it is not readable. As it was shown before, one of the most important features of a typeface is that it can be read. In this specific case, and I am not trying to imply the image is not good, as I previously said it definitely stresses the impact it is supposed to have. Simply there should have been a little bit more care with the readability of the text.

Fake Too Fake

Fake Too Fake is a series of photographs developed by Giovanni Bortolani and Marcorea Malià using the human body as a main subject. Beautiful human bodies are shown as deeply wounded, and freshly scarred people are there to communicate about the feebleness of our exterior. This work has the aim of demystify the idea of an eternal beauty that does not exist and the battles people fight against time and age.

Insanity takes place when people search for infinity beauty and use their bodies to acquire an age that is not real. And where is the human spirit after all? Where the inner beauty and the soul-age? Somewhere hidden behind injuries and ‘nip tucks’.

In times like this, artworks like these are extremely necessary to show to people what is truly necessary and what it should be taken seriously.

Arabic Type Cookies

Oh well… and because I should have some link to my html artwork in this blog, I had to write about this amazing post from 29letters. I love Arabic typography (I love typography, period) and I love cookies, so this is like heaven to me.

29letters is a firm in Beirut founded by Pascal Zoghbi, a designer who has studied in the Netherlands and creates fonts, corporate identities and print publications. He has worked for different companies, newspapers (Middle Eastern), art events and magazines, sotware (Droid from Google), etc. Since 2006 Pascal teaches in different Universities in Lebanon and he frequently gives workshops about Arabic typography.

Apparently Pascal, the writer of 29letters blog, which I have been following for a couple of years, has moved to a new studio and had a party. The party was a cookie party and he decided to create some Arabic letters, to maintain the concept of the blog, I believe… They are EXTRA BOLD, but not sure if they look EXTRA DELICIOUS, but neither did my ‘pixel cupcakes’.

IS NOT MAGAZINE

The curious thing about Is Not is that it is a magazine in a form of a 1.5m x 2m billposter. It has been displayed in several outdoor poster sites in Melbourne city and cafes, bars and bookstores in Sydney. It is the experiment of five young Melburnians in publishing factual content in a support where people expect advertising. It is a challenge to the designer because of its medium, a tool that saves paper, using the city as a support and bringing the act of reading to life.

This magazine is the collection of stories and illustrations from different people that contributes to each issue and it has no editorial objectives. It is seen as a piece of street art, drew on Melbourne’s existing comic, stencil and street art culture. Even thought it is an initiative from Melbourne it receives contributions from all over the world. It featured tee designs from Buenos Aires, architecture reviews from Helsinki and short stories from Vermont.

It is also an interactive medium, as the reader can also contribute on the magazine while reading it. Everyone is welcome to fill the crosswords, write their own thoughts on the poster. It is a canvas waiting for everyone’s comments.

I was accessible internationally by a cheap price and is definitely unique anywhere in the world. It is a shame it is no longer being developed.

Bąk's LOOKSFERY

Edgar Bąk has the kind of graphic work I really enjoy. There is no much information about him in his website but it is notorious the number of awards, published magazines and books and works in blogs and websites.

This designer bases most of his creations in typographic games, developing a very interesting compositional language. Also the colours are very bright and cheerful, giving a sense of happiness to every work.

One of the most interesting features of this designer is the fact he creates animated logotypes. This format breaks all rules of a logo, inventing a new way of developing a corporate image. The one that caught my attention was LOOKSFERY.COM. It is a dynamic image and it can be used in many different ways without loosing its major shape, which is the key feature of a logo. The problem with having an animated logo is that instead of one image we have several and it makes it hard for the viewer to identify the ‘object’. Edgar managed to create and animation keeping the main shape, making it easy to be identified.

Sagmeister's billboard NY//LIS

Stefano Sagmeister is one of the best designers in the world. He has influenced designers around the world and his work is always taken as a mark.

His company is based in NY and develops all sorts of printed supports: posters, brochures, books, annual reports, identity systems, perfume packaging and CD covers.

It is obvious to see they love to develop CD covers and work with music. In website comments from L.D. Magazine, Time Magazine, Rolling Stones and Idea Magazine are positive and dignifies this company.

Even though I love all kind of graphic work that is developed with and for MUSIC, this time I wanted to point out the latest project that started in the US and ended in Lisbon, my home town.

A billboard was developed with newsprint paper. This paper has the characteristic of becoming considerably yellow when exposed to sunlight. It was firstly exposed under stencils on their roof in NY and then shipped to Lisbon. As it is known, Lisbon has around 300 days of sun per year. After being exposed to the sun, the typography gradually disappeared.

Sónar & Mongolian Hybridisation

Sónar is the cataloes festival of multimedia art and advanced music that takes place in several venues in Barcleona every third week of June since ’94. Its format, concept and content is unique and thanks to the range of culture combined, the avant garde and experimental art, Sónar is a pioneering festival. Its program is divided by Day and by Night. Day is the tima to concerts, showcases, professional zone and exhibition area. Night is the time to leading international djs to show their landscape music skills.

In 2008, the image of Sónar was HYBRIDISATION of human heads and animal bodies. This is an experiment based in a remote and mysterious laboratory in Mongolia, with the plan of creating new kind of pets. These disconcerting experiments were filmed and uploaded on youtube, retrieving Sonar as the image for 2008.

The reason I have chosen this link is because I find it very disturbing and I wanted to share it with all the readers of this blog. I think this is a very disconcerting idea and it was pretty well thought of Sónar to use this theme and show it to the world in the festival. The concept and art direction is from Sergio Caballero, graphic design is from Aurelio Sánchez and his assistants Martina e Alba and Esther Pacheco.

TYPing about JOS TYPefaces

Josbuivenga is a typography designer from the Netherlands. His website exlibris Font Foundry is where I find some of the most well design typefaces. Amazingly his work is completely free and I had the chance to use his fonts FONTIN & FONTIN SANS for the book I have developed in Australia with the writer Tom Bird.

This typeface is beautiful designed and is very easy to read and work with. I used the serif one in the titles of the book and the sans serif in the body.

Besides these two, Jos has others that are different, but also well developed. Diavlo is another typeface I fancy a lot, but I wouldn’t use it for a book because of its drawing and curves. On the internet it is possible to find all kinds of typefaces and this is because each typeface is designated for a certain type of work and medium. Serif typographies are not good to use on the internet, but on the other hand are easier to read on a printed support. Any designer must be careful with this and understand how to all different sorts of fonts.

Lets Go Green with IDN

IDN is more than a magazine, it id definitely and as the name describes: International Designers Network. The reason why I love IDN so much and have been subscribing it for so long is because it always has a different issue, presenting all sorts of artists and works well worth to take a look at. This magazine is developed in HK and shows the work of designers from all over the world. It is very ‘open-minded’ and critics any issue related to the every day and design.

One of the latest issues I liked the most was the v17n3: Eco-Graphics Issue ‘Lets Go Green’. In this edition the ecologic topic was approached in a very creative way, as it possible to see by the front page. The work of Marco Martins for the environmental consultant Andrea Romani is absolutely amazing and really got me thinking. Basically, instead of creating a business card make of ‘tree-killing’ paper, Marco decided to develop a rubber stamp. Andrea could use it in any piece of paper or support she could recycle. That certainly reflects the spirit of an environmental consultant and it is protecting our Planet.

Friends With You Store

Friends With You have the cutest website ever. I do not consider myself very girlish, but I really like this one. It is not only adorable but well developed and organised.

The main menu takes us to Brands, Store and Company, where we can read about the concept and how this company started. The work developed by Friends With You is related to Experimental Art, Creativity and the development of brands, merchandising and IP. The concept is, as the name points out, FRIENDSHIP. Ideas like magic and luck are also shown and very clear in every bit developed by this company.

I have chosen the store link because I simply love every piece Friends With You create, specially the accessories. From ‘Bingo Bango Tote’ to iPhone Skins, from extremely delightful and charming patterns to fun illustrations, the company has numerous range of choices.

Toys, Apparels, random Art, Books and Printed Items are also in this section and they are worth to take a look to. Have fun, because Friends With You is all about that.

Merry Christmas from GAS NATURAL 2008

Boolab is a production house to which I worked for in 2008 in Barcelona. It is a company dedicated to motion graphics and animation, developing all kinds of visual techniques. It is not only a benchmark in Spain but all around Europe, having clients from different countries.

While I was working there I participated in commercials that were shot to Greece and Germany. Also I had the chance to understand how a production house works, from draft to final cut.

The work I have chosen for this entry is the one we shot for Gas Natural (Christmas and New Year 2008/2009). In this project I worked and a production and postproduction assistant. The reason why I have chosen this project is not only because I had the opportunity to work in two different departments but also because it was a lot of fun working with so many people. The candles used in the postproduction were previously shot and we had a lot of people from the company Gas Natural contributing to it. Also I found it very interesting that the company was developing a commercial to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all their clients and the people in the commercial were in fact the company itself.

Nachtwey's 'Indonesia'

James Nachtwey is one of the best documentary photographers of our times. He grew up in Massachusetts and has studied Art History and Political Science in Dartmouth College. What moved him to become a photographer were images from the Vietnam War and the American Civil Rights movement. Along the way, James worked aboard ships in the Merchant Marine and he was an apprentice news film editor while he was learning photography by himself.

James was devoted to document all kinds of conflicts and social issues. He worked in developed broad essays in South America, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

Nachtwey has an extensive curriculum and he worked for Times Magazine, has been associated with Black Star from 1980 until 1985 and was a member of Magnum until 2001. His work has been exhibited in several different places like San Diego, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, etc. Also several honours were given to him, being the Magazine Photographer of the Year seven times and getting a World Press Photo and Leica Award twice, among others.

I have chosen the picture ‘Indonesia, 1998 – A beggar washed his children in a polluted canal’ because of its impact and strength. This picture is not only a social portrait of poverty, physical dysfunction and environmental issues, but also political. Somehow this picture also shows the love and care that is always present, no matter what circumstances a parent is into.

Mathew's Movie Title Screens

Mathew Lyons is studying illustration and animation in England.

For this entry and website I have chosen the Movie Title Screens section of his online portfolio. The reason I have chosen it is because I believe to be the most interesting one. Mathew is a student of animation and illustration, so he obviously has knowledge of both areas. In his website and in Locations and Illustrations it is clear to see the coherence of the line and the continuality of his style.

Mathew creates an imaginary scenario and a story in every illustration. He also demonstrates a very organised composition and high knowledge of space and geometry.

Movie Title Screens entails a very strong relation between illustration and typography. This relation must be direct and clean and it is. Most recent movie titles integrate a photograph and typography. Mathew works with his illustrations, which I believe to be a harder medium to send out the movie message. He does it in a very simple way and also he maintains he style. My favourite work is ‘Hiding in Triangles’. The scenario is red and warm contrasting with the green shadows. The typography has a strong impact and is perfectly integrated in the image.

Nevertheless, colour is a very important characteristic of Mathew’s work and it most likely will transmit a very real and balmy feeling.

ps.2

ps.2

ps.2 is a studio focused in architecture and design. Fábio Prata and Flávia Nalon Founded this studio in 2003 and since then have been developing a great work in these areas. Essentially, this studio works in a cultural environment creating visual images mainly to museums, art galleries, new media festivals, music labels, art and photography. It’s a work based on research, technique and knowledge achieving original and creative solutions. Concept is their key word, which establishes the formal and functional aspect of the product. Interesting results come from the attempt to develop the best work possible.

What caught my attention in this website was the solution for the menu. All the work presented is in the main page and the user can filter the information using the ‘filter menu’ on the right side. Colours were used to define each filter, creating a very interesting and simple visual effect. It is possible to filter the information/work defining Colours, Type Family, Paper and Finishing. Some filters may not be understood and easy to relate with the work in a first instance but for users that are familiar with ‘design’ and ‘arts’ language it can be very handy. It is also a very unique way to organize and present a portfolio/information.

What are you waiting for?

The Waiting Room

This is a website about the hybrid documentary The Waiting Room. whatruwaitingfor.com is a place in the web where we can find stories about people who are in the public hospitals of California. It also works as a critic to the changes of the American healthcare and a sharing spot of experiences. Here people share feelings of courage, frustration, fear, grief, faith and hope. They talk about language barriers, economy, health insurance, access to care and violence.

The website has a very straightforward main menu, captivating the viewer to explore the information available in it. Emotions, Issues and Photos is where we can find information about the stories, either written or visual. The information is also divided in those three sectors, making it easier for the user to chose which information is more relevant.

The graphic image of the website is simple and coherent. It mainly uses the colours red and white, which are linked to the hospital concept. It is also a warm website because of its content and the colours highlight this idea. At the same time, this website was created to send a very important message and that is also felt in the layout.

To conclude I believe the content of the website has a very clear relation with its graphic image and navigation system and so I believe it to be a very interesting creation.

City Life

Foam Magazine, City Life

The latest edition of Foam Magazine is about the City Life and its contemporary value. Question as how life in the city is characterized; how people spend their time; what is their relation to the environment; what relationships are developed between them. The editors don’t pretend to answer these questions judging cultures or ethnic groups, but yet portrait them with eight relevant portfolios. Mohamed Bourouissa, Takashi Homma, Nontsikelelo Veleko, JH Engström, Otto Snoek, Bertrand Fleuret, Reinier Gerritsen and Joel Sternfeld were chosen to show their work and how the city life inspires them.

Mohamed Bourisa has a cinematic style and was quickly recognized for it. The questions that rose from his work are related to stereotypes and the life in the suburbs of Paris. How power and relationships are affected by the economical disparity? These were the circumstances where Mohamed grew up and he now tries to explore with his ‘filmic photographs’.

Nontsikelelo chooses to approach the street style of the South African population. He tries to break with the clichés of how fashion can be in South Africa and shows young people’s distinctive outfits, usually created with handmade rudiments.

After an intensive study, Otto Snoek produced two monographs: Rotterdam and Why Not. Born and raised in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, lately have been focused in the identity of European Citizens. For that, Otto has been is different millionaire fairs around this continent, taking photographs of the ambiance of these parties.

What I found particularly interested in this edition of Foam Magazine is the way different professionals see the Life in the City and the different aspects they approach.