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.