Applied Works.

“Dealerward supplies bespoke furniture and joinery to a range of clients in the corporate sector. Applied Works created a new identity for the company in collaboration with Studio8 Design.

Alongside stationery, brochure and signage we built a new website to showcase Dealerward’s extensive catalogue of work.

The logo is assembled from 8 different shapes – each constructed from square and quarter-circle base elements. The shape set is also used in different configurations to create supporting patterns, used elsewhere in the identity.”

Alva-Alva.

Perfect example, of how stock choice and finishing can make a final design. 

Rodrigo Fuenzalida

'A geometric font based on the circle and the line.'

Love the idea of utilizing two aspects of a shape to form letters. I like like letterforms that come across as shapes as well as letters. This is an illustrative font, which I can see working quite well across magazine layouts with contrasting photography. 

Two typographers collaborated with a car racer to design a font with a car!

(links to note:

http://www.counter-print.co.uk/

http://www.dirtymouse.co.uk/category/typography/)

Letterforms Collected

These scans don't really do it justice. But this was a lovely little book about a collection of typographers favourite letters. The contrasting colour of stocks really caught my eye too.

Hello Von.

(Graphik review)

Stunning.

''The brief was very simple, to use the word 'open' and to keep it black and white. To convey the sense of an object, a much more three-dimensional, unravelling, fluid treatment came to mind immedietly and luckily Jon was sold on the inital sketch.' Vons treatment emerged as a hand-drawn pencil and graphite image. 'The colour comes from the product, the excitement comes from the product. For me the ribbon echose the ruled compartmenalisation of the website but also acts as the complete antithesis of this constraint - it is fluid, hand drawn and not at all regimented.''

I came across more work on her website.

She has a lovely hand sketched decorative style that is really unique because it relies on the hand rather than technology. This is the typography side of her portfolio, she is also a really strong illustrator, which shown through into her type, Here, she is really just illustrating with type rather than image.

James Langdon.

 

(Grafik Feature)

'As the producer of an impressive back catalogue of Artists' books and exhibition work, James Langdon is confident in his somewhat featherruffling views on Graphic Design and art. While he is not yet well-known, he might well be one of the most influential designers of the future.'

I have found myself being drawn to simple pattern design, that has a geometric feel to it. It seems to have no fuss about it and is just simple and straightforward. This is why the first two pieces on this post appealed to me. The 'novel' piece. I really like the typeface. It has a crafted feel to it, reminds me of masking type the way the corners have been rendered. (this might be due to the colour too.)

The context of the red piece is an invitation. It is interesting to see an invitation that works as a piece of design on its own.

Non-Format 2

Delphic CD cover. I think this is a bespoke type, but even if it isn't it stands out as being really unique and works well against the photography. I like how they have simplified the letterforms, so much so they certain attributes have been removed, like the E has been cut down to look more like a C. But it is still so obvious it is spelling out delphic. The treatment of the type is really considered, but not over complicated and decorative. 

This is an LP design. I absolutely love this type. The only criticism is that it is not entirely legible. It says - Moog Acid. But I don't think this was an important matter for them, it was not the front of the cover and works well just a piece of typographic art. It does have an 'Acidy' feel to it - i think because it has a drip/liquid feel to it and the harsh contrast between thin and thick lines gives a contrasting, disagreeing feel. Sums up Acid perfectly with just the use of line. 

Bespoke typefaces for Magazine spreads. Thin white type is not always legible against a photograph such as this one. But the way they have filled in certain aspects that make the letterform stand out as being that letter. For example, just the circle of the top of the R is highlighted, the right side of the G is highlighted.

Non-Format

The wire magazine, april 2005.

Really beautiful mixture of type and photography. They have used the same typeface across the pages here, which is what I like to see. And then used the concept of flowers with type. I picked up on this after looking at Seigmeisters use of type on flowers. It is just such a contrast to have something natural mixed with really harsh black computerized type - but looks so good. Something I need to think about exploring in my work. 

The Vennice Biennale, 2005.

Really intriguing. I think that ink splatters has turned into a bit of a cliche now - I rinsed this idea in A-level and think that has put me off ever since. However, here it is been done with sophistication and elegance. It does not look tacky because it is not just ink splatters, it is part of the letterforms, it does not look like an add on just to spruce the page up a bit it has been carefully executed to look as if the letterforms are actually being shattered and broken up. 

Recessional, CD cover and inserts, 2003.

Alex Lloyd, 2003

The 310 type is good, I think it has just been done on illustrator- when you look closely it is just a vector outline which has been carefully added onto a beautifully simple background. I don't think it is obvious it  has been done on the computer, because it has be executed really well. I like how the type has been carried across onto the other components too in a really simple and subtle way, and lovely photography. It all links together without over using the 310 photography and just basing it on the idea of cables. 

Again, I think this is something that could be really cliche and overused but they way it has been produced and but together avoids this - I am finding this in a lot of there work. 

These pages are taken from the book non-format.            

An Article from Mind Design.

What makes designers so different from hairdressers?

This is from an e-mail I sent to our printer a long time ago as we often share the frustration of delayed payment. The credit crunch made the subject very relevant again (there even is a similar film on You Tube now — someone may have stolen my script). I never quite understood why some clients think that as soon as creativity is involved the rules of payment are different to those applying to other services. All that designers want is to be paid fair for their time like everyone else — carpenters, plumbers, cab drivers or hairdressers.

Unfortunately, compared with hairdressers it often goes like this:

Can I get a haircut? I will not pay for it today but go home first and show it to all my friends. If they like it I may come back tomorrow and pay half of it. If I find a girlfriend within a week because of my new haircut I promise to pay the rest. Next day: My friends basically liked it but they criticized how you cut it around my ears. Can we fix that as part of the original agreement? Two days later: I met a nice girlfriend now but she hated the haircut and introduced me to her friend who is also a hairdresser. So I won't pay you I am afraid but I gave your address to a friend who also needs a haircut and knows many other people. This will be great for your future business but you don't have to thank me.
— posted by Holger

Mind Design.

Interviews with Mind design. I have highlighted points I find interseting in purple, to show what I am reflecting on when reading through the interview. 


Interview for IdN Magazine, 2009.

Is there any special reason naming your studio as Mind Design?
The name was more of a coincidence. In college I was very interested in visual poetry and word games. I just liked the fact the word 'in' is inside the word 'mind' so it could literally read 'in mind'. I still find it fascinating how subtle typographic arrangements can alter the meaning of a word. My first job after college was to design a window installation for a chain of fashion shops. I worked with words on large blocks and the word 'mind' was on one of them. Just when I was standing on a ladder my accountant rang asking what I wanted to name my company. At the time I didn't expect to last very long as self-employed so I didn't give it much thought. The word 'mind' was just in front of me and I told him to call it Mind Design. We actually never liked the name very much as it sounds a bit too clever. Nowadays we use all kinds of phrases that include the word 'mind' on our stationary so that it becomes a bit more random.

From your professional point of view, what makes a good identity work?
A good identity should be honest. It's like the face of a company, organisation or product and you do not want to be looking into a mask. Obviously it is nice when a visual identity has a certain design quality but this is very much dependent on personal taste and the fashion of the time when it was designed. I find it more important that an identity is applied in a consistent way. A logo on its own doesn't really make an identity and I would prefer to see a bad logo applied in a consistent way to a good one in a messy overall environment. Consistency doesn't mean that everything must be the same, it just means it should be consistently well designed and thought through.

The natural of identity has evolved greatly within these few years, it changes from being one single logo to an entire system. How would you respond to such evolution and do you foresee how far it would grow into?
Flexible logo systems are interesting and challenging for designers as they are more playful. They often work well for clients but not always. On the one hand they add more variety and move away from the rather stiff and authoritative aspects of traditional corporate identity, on the other hand they are much more difficult to control in their day to day application. We design many flexible identity systems but only do so if we are fully in control of their application, which is mostly the case with smaller companies. The last thing you want as a designer is the marketing department calling you every day asking 'which logo do we use today'? Even a single logo needs variations: a black and white version, often a version for small sizes, it must be saved in different file formats and colour modes. So one logo can mean ten different file formats; if you have five different logos the numbers can easily spiral out of control. Flexible logo systems either need a very detailed identity manual or the long term commitment of a design company.

What is the major difference you found designing an identity than any other design project?
Unless an identity is for a specific event or exhibition that has an end, they develop a life of their own. They almost become like children — when they move out of their family home, their parents are still concerned how they are doing. It is important to plan identities carefully and consider their possible applications in the future. Other design projects come back from the printer and they are finished. When they look good it gives you great satisfaction, but after a while we put them in our work archive and start to forget about them.

Would you care to elaborate the differences between identity and branding?
We never use the word branding in our studio. In my opinion it is something very different to what we do and seems more relevant to sales and marketing. Brand positioning always compares with what is already out there but we don't care too much about that. It also seems to be a very analytical 'one way' approach: if you want to achieve this you must look like that because your competitors already look like this... We have a more emotional and probably more random approach. I don't think there is one best 'solution' for an identity design. Something that I just happen to see on the street can give me an idea for a logo, if I would have walked down a different street I might have had a different idea. Focus groups don't work that way. We also put much more emphasis on craftsmanship. Often an accidental letter combination in the name can lead to a great logo or a certain form can be an idea in itself. Branding seems to develop forms out of ideas, we often develop ideas out of forms. With branding there also seems to be a tendency to overrate identity design. We work a lot for start up companies and if their product, management or service isn't good the best identity can't save them. 

What do you think is interesting and even magical about identity design that isn’t found in other type of design?
Identity works across different media (print, web, packaging, architecture, etc). I always find it fascinating when the different parts of a puzzle come together and suddenly make sense as a whole. Especially when a design shows variation and an individual approach to each application.

What is the common challenge you often face when you are designing identity?
The early stages of an identity development are the most challenging but also the most interesting. We often find it difficult to decide how far we should include the client in the process or when to stop. If we show all our sketches they might think we don't know what we are doing, if we show just one final version they may not value the amount of work that went into it. Its a funny thing, in a way the amount of work doesn't make the logo better, I think its really possible to design a good logo in your lunch break on a napkin but on the other hand when we are working on something really hard we often feel we want to show the whole process to the client. I suppose flexible identity systems still retain more of the process as well as different possibilities.

Mind design 3

Another piece from Mind design in London. The dots give a perfect cupcake feel - like the sprinkles on a cake. I really like seeing how branding can work across so many different contexts - this kind of work is what I am all about. Bespoke type design for branding which can be applied to a wide range of promotional material. 

Sagmeister.

I should have posted this along time ago really. I don't like all of sagmeisters work, as I prefer simplicity in design. But these pieces I think are quite beautiful. Especially the flowers with the type written on it. Type and photography is something I want to explore a bit more, and these pieces have given me the inspiration to do it.

Mind Design 2.

A really interesting and unique design of the logo. I think the idea behind this one is that it is all based on the idea of frames, relating to the idea photograph frames. This piece shows exactly why bespoke typeface design is so great - creating something really unique. 

Mind Design.

Amazing! Love the placemats, really clever way to put a twist on something that is usually so standard. Those kind of details show how much thought and creativity goes into their work. It is good to see how a bespoke typeface can be used across so many different contexts but all under one projects - it looks like an exciting event though.

http://www.dynamo.li/thibaud/down-the-line/

Another interesting piece from dynamo. Really nicely executed. I think the rip of the square is a reference to down the line, but it looks like a letterform too..

DYNAMO.

A series of French School Books. I realised after I had uploaded these images that it said the project had been refused. But I really like these pieces. It is an interesting take on a simple numeral cover. I think the breaking up/ripping of the numerals has a child like feel to it, but it is still sophisticated because of how well it has been executed. 

We are Individual.

Looking at some more local agencies. When looking through this commercial agency I was looking for aspects that I really liked - I don't like the corporate style or design, and i don't enjoy designing it. I really like the treatment of type in these two pieces. I love the simplicity and consideration of colour and stock in the business card. I have decided from that piece to create a really simple business card in that way. 

I was looking to use this technique for my Magic Brief so it was good to come across this piece of work and seeing the idea used so sucessfully. I like the contrast of yellow and greyscale. Black and yellow is often too harsh but greyscale is more calm and appealing.

I like how the leaflet opens up too as, it reminds of how a flash would pop on an SLR camera which works brilliant with the name click. 

My context?

Having been a bit confused over this side of the module. I thought I spend today doing a bit of design context/ppd. I have been thinking for a while that I really want to move away from the commerical side of Graphic Design now - the idea of persuading people to do something is not something that appeals to me anymore and something I am not that good at. I seem to like work that fellow typographers would appreciate or designs that can be applied to everyday objects. The only problem here - what kind of job do I want? Can i get a job doing this?

Fount this website/company called Present&Correct. Simply amazing. A site full of designs that makes you wish you were the one who had thought of that. I am seeing a link between what I like - stationary.

http://www.presentandcorrect.com