unstrungstudio.com // blog

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Project: Mountain Dew GLA

I am digging the work on No Pattern, including the Mountain Dew Bottles that Chuck Anderson illustrated.

You should also take a look through Mike Cina's True is True, which features a wide variety of design, illustration and typography.

Posted by J. at 2:07 PM // 0 Comments // Link to this Post

Friday, June 27, 2008

I am always amazed by the work that was done by the Test Pilot Collective. Created and maintained by Joe Kral, Mike Cina, Matthew Desmond and Graham Hicks, the sheer creativity that drove the creation of the typefaces is astounding. From 1999 to 2003, they posted an astounding number of "Firstpages," which are great examples of visually interesting design. The Test Pilot Collective type collection is commercially available through Veer.

Posted by J. at 10:40 AM // 0 Comments // Link to this Post

Thursday, June 26, 2008

This is a little bit more complicated than the tower that Meggan and I envisioned, but I guess that is cool. There is a CNN article that explains how the tower will work.

Posted by J. at 1:51 PM // 0 Comments // Link to this Post

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Kunz Posters

Take a look at the posters that were designed by Willi Kunz for the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. More information is available in this SpeakUp entry. According to Armin, these were printed with metallic inks. The posters are also in MOMA's permanent collection.

Kunz Posters

Images courtesy of Kosmograd and SpeakUp.

Posted by J. at 1:53 PM // 1 Comments // Link to this Post

Monday, June 23, 2008

I am experimenting with some new technology that instantly turns a PDF into a Flash book. This is really valuable when you need to show someone an entire book. The process is easy. You upload a PDF file to Issuu.com, and they send you a link to it. You are given a number of options for linking to or embedding the Flash file, including a mini-browser, which loads quickly. You can even add the file to Facebook. In Issuu's viewer, you can get a complete view of the document, which is large enough to read. A number of large publications are using this solution, including JPG Magazine and Beast Magazine. It's always a good idea to read through the terms before posting your work.

Posted by J. at 11:45 AM // 4 Comments // Link to this Post

Sunday, June 22, 2008

BBC Knowledge

Daniel Freytag has some excellent work, including a few innovative BBC identities. Take a look at the iriver packaging, too.

Posted by J. at 10:19 AM // 0 Comments // Link to this Post

Friday, June 20, 2008

Dante's Inferno Film Titling

I was recently reminded of type's importance in film titling, while watching the lackluster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. As I settled into my seat during the opening credits, I was shocked and surprised when I noticed that the longtime Indiana Jones' titling had been changed. The classic serial treatment of Indiana Jones had been replaced with a staid serif. For me, it set the tone for the film that followed. No more rollicking and original action; we were, instead, treated to a film where Indiana had been replaced by Dr. Jones. Upon doing a little research, I was surprised to discover that this actually change occurred during Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. No doubt, my education has honed my eye for type.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

As a lover of movies, I recognize that they are highly choreographed works of art in which many elements combine to form a whole, and even though type is not often considered to be the most important element within this visual medium, its importance should not be underestimated. As Saul Bass illustrated in his film titling, a capable designer can define the visual personality of a film through type and image. Excellent commentary on the contributions of Saul Bass to film titling can be found on Not Coming to a Theater Near You. (You can learn more about the design of Saul Bass in David R. Brown's AIGA Medalist article.)

North by Northwest

In film, the opportunity to combine type and image seems almost limitless. The examples in this entry came from Steven Hill's Movies Titles Screens Page, a great place to see a variety of styles. You should also check out Forget the Film, Watch the Titles, which aptly features the titling for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on its homepage.

Posted by J. at 11:00 AM // 0 Comments // Link to this Post

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Take a look at Pattern Foundry, a great idea and another addition to the ever growing pool of designer resources. I found it on Quipsologies, but Armin found it on Many Stuff, which is another great find. And, of course, if you are really interested in patterns, jump over to the Wikipedia entry on patterns.