Tea Rex Teahouse Letterhead

Fresh Ideas in Letterhead and Business Card Design, p.102
Gail Deibler Finke

I found this in the "budget design" chapter of the Fresh Ideas in Letterhead and Business Card Design book. It is simple, yes, but it is also effective. The typography is clear and the brown ink and cream-colored paper are an effective color nod to tea. It's hard to make out in the picture, but the tea house's logo is very cute. A T-Rex Teapot!

Monokuro Boo

New Packaging Design, p.180
Janice Kirkpatrick / Graven Images

Monokuro is the Japanese word for monochromatic and "Boo" is Japanese for "oink", so Monokuro Boo translates to Monochromatic Oink?  Whatever it means, it is adorable.

I've heard that a big reason for Hello Kitty's popularity is that, without a mouth, her expression is up to the interpretation of the viewer. Are you sad? Hello Kitty is sympathetic. Are you happy? Hello Kitty is happy with you. Etc. The Monokuro mascots seem to follow a similar principle. Depending on your mindset, the piggies could look mischievous, playful, conspiratorial, or anything else. Personally, right now, the black one's hollow white eyes are kind of creeping me out, but maybe I've been staring at these two too long.

Purex

Communication Arts, 2007 Sept/Oct Interactive Annual; p.93

This ad makes my skin crawl. It looks so icky, like some sort of particularly nasty skin condition. Still, for that very reason, it is very effective at what it's selling. Looking at it certainly makes me want to wash up. Ick.

Heart Wood

Communication Arts, Sept/Oct 2010 Design Annual; p.150

Heart Wood is a South African based company which delivers attractively packaged saplings as an alternative to giving cut flowers.  The concept appeals to me, but if you're the sort that gets flowers a lot then you might end up with a small forest! The brown and green packaging is both natualistic, and reflects the colors of the trees they deliver.

Arroz Sivaris Rice Tubes

New Packaging Design, p. 29
Janice Kirkpatrick / Graven Images

Yes, I am kind of recycling this from my Project 3 research, but I really like the look of these. I love the bold typeface, and the unusual package shape (tube rather than box). The cardboard material is left more or less au naturale, which gives it a nice "handmade" sort of feel.

Breast Cancer Awareness T-Shirt

Graphis 2010 Design Annual, p.163

This would've been better posted in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it's still fun. I like the use of typography as a graphical element here. It reminds me a bit of the "henohenomoheji" illustration in Japan, which uses hiragana characters to make a face.

Canadian Beaver Postage Stamp

Communication Arts, 2007 Sept/Oct Interactive Annual; p.93

The layers of design in this stamp are impressive.Designed for the 50th anniversary of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, the beaver's body is made from the group's acronym (GDC), with '50' nestled inside the G. The choice of the beaver is a nod back to Canada's first postage stamp, designed by Sir Sanford Fleming, and the typeface, Cartier, was designed by Carl Dair, a GDC member, as a gift to Canada on its centenary.

Side Job Cellars

Graphis Logo Design 7, p.226

This logo is a very simple and effective use of typography. The typeface has a serious, formal air to it, but by using the D and the middle arm of the E to create a sideways goblet, the designer created a clever little visual pun. The overall feel of the logo says that, while wine making is serious business, these wine makers aren't afraid to have a sense of humor about it either.

Keane Album Covers

New Packaging Design p.157, 159
Janice Kirkpatrick / Graven Images

I'm not familiar with Keane, but these album covers caught my eye. The top one is for the CD album and the bottom two are for vinyl singles. The art is very distinctive and would certainly stand out on the shelf. It seems reminiscent of a Russian story-book.

Eye of the Swan barcode

Thinking Creatively, Robin Landa; p.149

I always thought that barcodes had to remain inviolate and untouched or else the scanners wouldn't read them, so this design was eye-opening. I love the playfulness exhibited with the design here; the barcode becomes part of the design rather than just being tacked on.

Rishi Tea: A Taste of Origin

Communication Arts, Sept/Oct 2010 Design Annual; p.76

I'm a bit of a tea nerd and I've enjoyed Rishi's offerings in the past (and the present), so it's nice to see a brand I like get recognized for good design.

Into the Woods

Print; December 2010, p109

Into the Woods is one of my favorite musicals and this poster captures the feel of it well. The type has been just a bit twisted, much like the fairy tales in the play.  In the play, the woods are mysterious and unpredictable. The characters go into the woods as they pursue their goals, but the woods are dark and unpredictable, serving as a catalyst of change. The trees silhouetted upside-down within the silhouette of the wolf reflects the dangers the woods present, both to the characters' heath and their view of their world.

Avaira AM/PM Beverages

Print; December 2010, p 66

I find the rich colors and the contrast of bold type with the swirly, curly graphic in this design very appealing. This is a good example of the importance of color in a composition. The typeface and graphics are the same on both bottles, but the mood of the orange-gold AM bottle is bright and cheerful, like the dawn of a sunny morning. The PM bottle's deep purple color is calm and relaxed, like it's inviting you to unwind after a long day.




Bonus!
These aren't exactly "award winning graphic design", but they are pretty funny and that's award enough for me. Plus, they're relevant to our project!



Designers get carried away sometimes.







Something to look forward to.