Sony Bravia Bunnies

I have waited for this ad to come out for so long, and it was well worth the wait. Just look at the detail. Apparently hundreds of play-doh rabbits were shipped in from the UK and then animated in New York city by an animation team. I do not need to say much about this. Another great and original advertisement for Sony Bravia televisions.

Diesel Website

This is one of the most interesting websites that I have come across in a while. On a sheerly interactive level, this could keep me entertained for a long time. It seems that the aim of the website is not to provide direct information, but instead it is experiential providing the user with an insight into Diesel's 'world'. It is more of an adventure than an information based site. That is not to say that it isn't functional. It is. It works very well and seems to be very intuitive.

The screen shot below is what most impressed me on the site. This section appears to be stitched into the screen by two enchanted needles. The design is beautiful. Type is just right and on brand. Is this the future of the website? A complex all singing all dancing space which leaves the user engrossed? It could just be.


www.diesel.com

Sketches Of Frank Gehry

I saw this documentary film about a year ago. It was shown to me by my tutor at the time, Connie Hwang of the University Of Florida, Graphic Design program. It truly left its mark and has been an inspiration to me ever since. Directed and narrated by Sydney Pollock, it takes you on a voyage into Gehry's life, his stunning architecture and the way he creates such breathtaking buildings.

What I find most intriguing about Gehry's work is the human connection that he has with a building. He personalises it so intensely, with an innate feel of what will work and what will not. The faith that he holds in his own judgement has led him to create such buildings as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, USA to name but a few.

The films real focus is upon the transition from his sketches: mere scribbles on the paper, to fantastic works of art, which some say can be threatening to artists wanting to exhibit their work in his buildings. I really admire Gehry's involvement in all projects and how he is not afraid to fail. Yet he often does. Critiques are never too easy on Gehry's buildings and they often cause a stir in the public eye. But this film has reinforced my already admirable view of a talented and hard working man. His wisdom and patients come through in the documentary and make him my number one modern architect.

Hitchhikers Choice

This stop motion music video for Minilogue was created by Kristofer Strom. The video is brilliantly complex, showing wonderful characters morph in and out of being, altering their arm lengths, body shapes and expressions throughout. It was all done on a white board, enabling the artist to erase parts of the illustrations without disrupting the flow of the rest. It is a very impressive piece of art and a compelling music video. Strom's website is also fun and full of character.

www.ljudbilden.com

www.minilogue.com

Inland Empire

David Lynch has outdone himself here with an epic, chilling film about...well I don't know. The truth is I have no idea. It is so complex and flitting that the true meaning of the story is very hard to get at. Its core plot is based around cast and crew who are making a film which is said to be cursed. All the lead roles who have played the film have died under suspicious circumstances in the past.

Lynch makes it very difficult to distinguish dream from reality and from reality to script. The whole film grips the viewer from start to finish despite it being three hours long and leaves you with a dizzy feeling. I was totally speechless. I didn't even know the questions to ask to begin to understand the film, and I think that it's because of this that the film is such a success.

The film is both written and directed by Lynch and stars a spattering of big hollywood names such as William H. Macy which disappointingly is seen as much in the film as in the trailer. Jeremy Irons plays a small but important role, whilst the rest of the film is dominated by female lead Laura Dern who also starred in Lynch's Blue Velvet and who co-produced Inland Empire.

It is the kind of film that I would never watch again but which I will always remember. If anyone has any theories on what deeper meaning of the film is intended, please enlighten me.

Blake Suarez & Flyover Gallery

It's about time that I paid tribute to this man. Blake Suarez, has been a major influence in my design work in the past year. And yes, he is my boyfriend and I am of course biased, but his illustrations have such character and humour to them. These latest posters have been designed for a show at the Flyover Gallery in Madison, Wisconsin. www.flyovergallery.com

The retro movie posters have been adapted by Suarez to include some of his own characters, and creates a more unusual scene. Some of the original characters seem to be reacting to their new mates in a humourous way, and that is what I think make these pieces most successful.




For more information or to purchase some of Blake Suarez's original work, visit plaza.ufl.edu/bsuarez

Eight Logo by Stylo Design

This logo caught my eye whilst browsing for inspiration. Stylo Design, based in Covent Garden, London, has produced this clever logo using only number 8's, omitting sections to create the letters of the brand. Eight is a business lounge bar. I enjoy its simplicity and boldness. Let me know what you think.

www.stylodesign.co.uk

Business Card Fever

Having recently embarked on some freelance work, designing business systems for friends and family, I have become obsessed with original designs and outstanding execution. The one shown above is a card for a fitness instructor which is made out of rubber. The information on the card is unreadable until the user pulls the two edges and stretches the rubber surface to reveal it. I personally think that this is precisely what a business card should do. It should demonstrate exactly the business of the person named on the card. Execution such as this isn't seen enough in the working world and deserves to be noticed. Often the design will make you laugh like the one below which is the business card of a debt recoverer, giving the clear but tongue in cheek message that if you do not repay your loans then he will break your bones.



Above is another great card for a dentist, which shows embossed teeth that reflects the patients teeth cast which they often have during treatment. It provides the card bearer with an idea of what is to come. Therefore it acts as more than just the container for basic information and contact details. Instead it goes beyond to hint at the experience or service to be provided. Whether that is good or bad!

I recently purchased the book Business Cards 2: More Ways Of Saying Hello which has some fabulous examples of great card design. This website
Cool Business Card Designs has a good few examples also. I should mention the film American Psycho here, since there is a funny part in that about business cards. That can also be found on the site.

Dr Stuart's Tea

I love this new packaging from Dr Stuart, a range of herbal tea's with active botanicals which do exactly what they say on the tin (so to speak). The illustrations describe what the purpose of the tea is. Detox is one of my personal favourites, displaying an illustration of a lady with a washing machine stomach. The characters are witty and their rendering gives a sense of homeliness which is ideal to describe tea. Brett Ryder is the illustrator and he has some very cool stuff, well worth a look.

www.brettryder.co.uk

I was tempted to buy the whole range just to give a face lift to my kitchen cupboard, and I don't even drink herbal tea. Strangely I came away with a box of the peppermint. Such is the power of packaging.




The Dr Stuart's website is also very cool with animated versions of the characters popping up all over the place.

www.drstuarts.com

Karlssonwilker Inc.

Last year as part of Ligature 2007, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop and lecture with Jan Wilker of Karlssonwilker Inc.

Karlssonwilker Inc.

He inspired me to use more experimental forms of design, and approach briefs with an open mind. In his workshop, we used vinyl to create forms which we then ironed onto t-shirts. His lecture involved him talking a lot about his company based in New York, and showing us some of his best loved work.

He showed us video footage of his search for inspiration whilst on a twelve day visit to Serbia. Each day he and his business partner, Hjalti Karlsson would gather enough information to design and represent one of the months of the year. He also showed us the cover of The New York Times Magazine's Annual Design Issue, which Karlssonwilker Inc. produced. The design features in this months (September) issue of Creative Review (pg.34) However Karlssonwilker Inc. are not credited for its design. This puzzles me, but I imagine the two designers are a little annoyed too.




Above is the featured front cover, as well as some spreads which have personally inspired some of my own layouts in past projects. I think it makes the information both interesting and accessible with a strong iconic feel to it. I think this pair really benefit from their mixed heritage and worldly experience.

Bug Wallpaper

Interior designer Brad Ford (pictured left) created this 'Mudroom' for a show house in the 2007 Hamptons Cottages and Gardens Idea House Show in New York state. He collaborated with Jennifer Angus, an artist from Wisconsin who regularly uses nature in her patterned wallpaper designs. Ford said, “I wanted to play with that idea, to literally bring the outside in.”

He brought in hundreds of preserved insects for the project, including cicadas, walking leaf insects and jungle nymphs among others. It took two and a half days to attach the bugs to the walls and the final outcome is a whirl of colour and texture. It is fair to say the decor is not too practical but interesting for the pioneers of design out there.

Happy Design

I found this late one night whilst scouring TED for some inspiration, and wow, Sagmeister gave me just what I needed. It really brings into question the purpose of design in our lives. How it effects all that see it. Whether or not it is responsible for our current moods, our life decisions and ultimately our happiness. I thought I would share it and gather some opinions. Comment away.

Back In Black

I just remembered this fantastic advert by Laird & Partners I saw last year in America for GAP. More specifically it was for the skinny black jean. It involved the legend that is Audrey Hepburn looking rather amazing as usual and dancing to Back in Black by ACDC. I have debated many times whether the Audrey you see throughout the ad is actually the real one all the way through. But let me know what you think. I couldn't get it out of my head for ages and whilst it is a fairly old advert, it occurred to me that it probably wasn't shown on UK TV.

It has triggered many spoofs and copy cat ads, which can also be found on youtube. It is by all intents and purposes a traditional GAP advert, keeping the kaleidoscope effects and split images, paired with the simple white background and figure focus. However I think this is one of their best. You instantly know it is GAP being advertised, and yet the use of a classic celebrity in a modern context keeps the viewer interested. They have also aged the background to emphasise the vintage effect and used vignettes around the edges. Original voice over is also employed to push the carefree attitude of Hepburn which characterises the product. I love it!

A Zed & Two Noughts

I checked this film out at the library earlier today because it had an intriguing title and the blurb interested me. It is a Peter Greenaway film from 1985. After watching 'My Beautiful Laundrette', another film from 1986, I have realised that the British Film scene of that time was quite something. I was born in 1986 and so was unable to appreciate these films at the time of release. However, I am grateful for the Leeds University Library's arsenal of 80s films, to allow me to catch up.

The storyline is quite complicated, so I am just going to cite the back of the DVD case to enlighten those who have never seen it before. "Two women passengers die in a car crash as a result of which the female driver has a leg amputated. The zoologist twin husbands of the dead women are fascinated by the processes of decay, start an affair with the amputee and liberate animals from a zoo." In short that is what the film is about but it is wonderfully compelling and beautiful to watch. The opening few scenes reminded me of the photography of David LaChapelle. This, I think is due to a rather limited reality as well as an abundance of neon, jaunty angles and wild textures.

I can imagine this film translated to the stage, and think it would work very well as a play, due to perhaps the static nature of the camera, as well as the large stage like scenes. The director is constantly playing on symmetry, which also provides a pleasing aesthetic. Since the film is about nature- or in fact the rise and fall of it, it echoes the natural beauty in both life and death bringing in concepts of balance and justice. I enjoyed the seemingly effortless depth of this film as well as its compelling entertainment through dramatic cinematography and elements of dark comedy.

Clarks & Hewett's Alphabets & Lettering for Signwriters

I am currently freelancing, and am carrying out a project for a local Blacksmith. To help with research, he provided me with a book that was given to him by a fellow Blacksmith. It is called Clarks & Hewett's Alphabets & Lettering for Signwriters. It's a first edition from 1921 and I am honoured to be able to look after it for a bit. It contains traditional style typography as well as images which might be useful for anyone in the signwriting trade.

It has a variation of stock throughout and some pages are in full colour. It has slight damage and discolouration to the pages, but what I find the most interesting are the phrases throughout which aim to encourage the use of multiple typefaces and styles. One page reads, "Ideas for the treatment and manipulation of letters in various colours and shadings". Another "A patchwork page of colour effects and different styles". Much of the advice contained in the book is a modern graphic designers worst nightmare, however I was interested to see that some of the 'rules' still ring true.

"A good sign when it reads well"

"Surrounding space gives Prominence"

I think this book is a great example of fashions and trends within typography and whilst times change the hard and fast rules prevail.

Perrier Campaign

I really enjoyed this new direction for Perrier mineral water created by Ogilvy & Mather, New York. Illustrators Al Murphy and Paul Davis collaborated on the campaign to encourage a younger market for Perrier. I first saw it in Lurzers' Archive magazine in the non alcoholic beverages section. This is a section that I keenly monitor since, as a non drinker, I am always pleased to see non alcoholic options being pushed by clever campaigns.

The illustrations themselves are very simple, but carry a humour throughout the campaign and an absurdity that gets them noticed. The posters show images of things such as running with scissors, the tagline being "crazier" and taking a bath with a hairdryer with the tagline "riskier". The Perrier green is used in all the drawings and an altered version of the bottles label reads words like, 'Manlier' and 'Sexier' depending on the illustration. Every poster pictures a bottle of the product somewhere within the illustration. I really admire the new dimension in which they have taken something as simple as bottled water.

Below are a couple of examples of the TV ads. I think they are only aired in the US but let me know if you have seen them here.





More information about the campaigns of Perrier can be found at these sites.

www.perrier.com
Perrier on Lurzers Archive

Carlo Giovani

I recently came across this site through a illustration forum called Drawn. The work of Carlo Giovani is different from any I have seen before. His origami especially drew me to his website. Above are a few examples. He also employs his origami talents to create state of the art packaging and produces graphics and illustrations which are just as impressive as his craft work. Gordo's freak show is definitely worth a look in the motion section as well as his freehand illustration, infographics and prints.

carlogiovani.com

House Industries

I love this foundry! Last year I was lucky enough to attend a workshop and lecture with Ken Barber of House Industries. He gave a great lecture about hand lettering which was proceeded by a workshop which encouraged us to do a bit of it for ourselves. House Industries are responsible for a number of great logos including that of Agent Provocateur. They also sell their digitized versions of the font families and design all their own packaging. They have also dabbled in furniture design, clothing and publications.



www.houseind.com

The Polaroid Kidd

I discovered Mike Brody's work last year and was astounded by the quality of light he managed to capture in his Polaroid's. His photographs are the most interesting I have seen in a long time and you can really feel a sense of connection between photographer and subject. Further reading reveals that the young Brody travels with his subjects and finds out more about their lifestyles before shooting.

Often his subjects are travelers, children and animals. For me, each print commands attention and transports you to his own world. In my opinion, one of the best photographers there are. He has inspired me to experiment with Polaroid cameras and even provoked an in studio digital shoot where I photographed a traveler myself.

ridin' dirty face.com




This site also features some of his work but it has a great section on found Polaroid's which is very interesting.

Plrds.com

National Forest

www.nationalforest.com

This is a really cool design company which I stumbled across recently. Their work has a great style to it which I really love. This mural in particular caught my eye. They also do the Urban Outfitters catalogues which have always held their own in terms of a style statement.

Rice Art

This is pretty amazing actually. The rice farmers plant various types of rice in order to recreate famous works of art on their fields. Amongst them are reproductions of woodblock prints from Hokusai’s '36 Views of Mount Fuji'.

This site shows more works of art from the talented farmers.

www.pinktentacle.com

Bits & Bobs

I created this piece of stop motion animation last year when I was living in Florida. It was inspired by a wonderful artist, Marie O'Connor who is part of Peepshow Collective who are based in London. I was intrigued by her work which involves scraps of paper, cloth and other items of haberdashery to create fantastic images and short films. This piece was to be a limited edition release to inform people of the work of O'Connor.

Nightlights

I thought it would make more sense if I posted some of the 'Nightlight' experiment I did using over exposure, last year.

The Future's Orangehead

banksy forum

This is certainly worth a look. Yes, I am biased. He is my boyfriend, but I think you'll agree these canvasses are pretty darn good. And did I mention, they are for sale? plug-plug. Orangehead will be the new name in American illustration. Watch this space.

Dreams

Over the past year, I practiced with stop motion animation and incorporated the technique in one of my design projects, packaging Marie O'Connor. I also experimented with light drawing, using a long exposure on my camera and a small laser. Sprint (an American mobile phone company) has just released a new ad marketing their campaign "Ahead," which caught my attention, because the commercial uses both techniques, which I am now familiar with. With the help of several local artists in San Francisco, the director met up over the course of multiple nights to shoot the photographs. The artists drew out scenes with their torches, which are recorded in the exposure, and then the photographs were used to create the stop motion animation.

To see a "behind the scenes" video on the project, click here.

A Room For Romeo Brass

I very much enjoy watching films, and one of my favourite film makers is Shane Meadows. I recently watched A Room For Romeo Brass, which has Meadows distinct style of mixing humour with ruthless violence. This ensures you are thoroughly gripped through the whole 90 minutes. It's thoroughly entertaining, and if you haven't seen it, you should watch it. Yet again the lead, Paddy Considine gives us a brilliant character that you could watch all day. If you liked Dead Man's Shoes, then you'll love this.

www.shanemeadows.co.uk

In Search Of...

Recently I have been travelling a lot. From Gainesville, Florida, through Georgia, Tennesee, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. When I reached the UK, I travelled to many cities including Birmingham, London, Brighton, Leeds and then over to Dublin.

During this period, Blake and I discovered some great street art. In New York we went in search of work from the artist Neckface and were rewarded with finding one of his famous scrawls on a large wall behind the Tennement Museum. We also stumbled across some great wheat pastes of bear and a bison which we thought could have been the work of another local artist, Swoon. And of course Shepard Fairey had left his mark with numerous Obey Giant stickers and wheat pastes.

For photos of New York click here

In London, we went on a well beaten track in search of some of Banksy's work. We found a couple of stencils of rats on South Bank, opposite the Houses Of Parliament and in Brighton we saw the famous kissing policemen which dissappointingly was obscured by a wheeley bin and some pallets. After removing the said rubbish, we found a protective perspex cover, which seemed a little too 'museum like' for Banksy's style. But we went home happy after seeing some really impactful work, with a clear message.

For photos of London and Brighton click here

Dublin too had a great array of work and styles. It seemed many of the artists had taken to a new method of street art, which involved wheat pasting an image to a tile and then fixing the tile to the designated area. Around the Temple Bar area we saw some Faile stickers, and some unknowns which had great style and managed to pop up everywhere we went.

For photos of Dublin click here

Design Related

Whilst studying in the US last year, I met some people who had set up a new web environment for design enthusiasts called design:related. The New York based designers aim to create networks between established designers, design students and others with an interest. The beginnings of my newly budding portfolio can be found at this site:

designrelated.com/riannaw

Enjoy!

Save the Fradley Whale

During a grey day in the middle of the Staffordshire countryside, my boyfriend and I decided to brighten up the canalside with a bit of street art. Blake, my boyfriend is a keen street artist from Miami, Florida and a rather good illustrator. He went about constructing a huge two-part whale in my house, which we later intended to wheat paste underneath a nearby canal bridge. We mixed the paste and gathered up the whale in our backpacks and equipped with a rubber dinghy, under nightfall we pasted up the oceanic beast.