Friday 14 December 2012

OUGD402 - Study Task 4: What is Graphic Design for?

Identify, record and evaluate 5 websites/blogs that:
  • Help define information & way finding design
  • Help define product & packaging design
  • Help define branding & identity design
  • Help define editorial & publishing design
  • Help define retail & promotion design.
Then:
  • Write a brief statement defining your understanding of each of the design areas
  • Identify 10 examples of each discipline and categorise them by genre, audience, content, sector, budget and/or any appropriate methods.
  • Comment on the effectiveness of the examples with regard to content, format, function & media

Information & Way finding
Information & Way finding is about making life easier for the consumer. It is an aid or visual representation of data. These are mainly environmental, such as road signs or directional signs, but also come in the form of data visualisation or maps. Media form depends completely on context & use. 

http://wayfindinguk.wordpress.com
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
http://www.lonocreative.com
http://www.thedesignsurgery.co.uk/#Infographics
http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/
Brighton Map
This map is an effective piece of information & way finding design as it is clear, in context to the media and large. The map shows the different locations around, as well as where the map is located, with very clear markers defining different buildings/facilities. It is placed out in the open on the street, which gives the viewer a clear perspective as to where exactly they are in comparison to everything else shown on the map.
Categories: Maps, Outside, Environmental, General Audience
Cardiff University
This is an interesting way to put up information. Instead of a poster or large piece of media to have this up, projection is used.
Categories: Projection, Event, Scale
The Design Surgery for The Times
This is a more classic way of representing data and information created by the Design Surgery for The Times. Using simple pie charts, graphs and percentages it clearly represents the information it needs to and makes it very easy to read, especially with the use of colour.
Categories: Editorial, Charts
The Design Surgery for The Times
Another design by The Design Surgery, which is created using the same kind of basis, however this one uses the world map instead of charts, specifically designed for the content it is representing; coffee flavours. Once again the layout is simple, making it very clear to understand all the information.
Categories: Editorial
Lono Creative for Tropicana
An interesting spread from the annual report created for Tropicana by Lono Creative. It shows that annual reports can be playful and colourful instead of serious and bland. Using the fruit with percentages makes it very easy for anyone to understand and read, and the colours and simple design help this as well.
Categories: Editorial, Reports
Axel Peemöller for Eureka
This is an effective piece of way finding design as it was specially made so that it can be viewed the right way from one direction only, the correct direction to go. It is placed in a car park, and with the large letters and bold colours, makes it very easy to read when in a car. The way it is aesthetically created will also make it easy for the driver to see where they need to go to read it correctly, and by this time, they will be going in the right direction.
Categories: Environmental, Scale.
Lono Creative for Euro 2012 Campaign
Another design by Lono Creative, this one of a very different client. The same principles are used however, colours to represent each individual piece of information, but on this one it is done in a way not to overpower the viewer with it, using grey to balance it out and using the colours in a limited sense.
Categories: Editorial
M&S cardboard signage by Grafic Thought Facility
This piece of way finding design is effective in the fact that it is very clear with the typefaces, arrow directions and colours used. As there are only five different locations, all with different directions, it makes it easy for the viewer to know which direction to go in to get to the appropriate place.
Categories: Environmental, Inside, Retail.
Selfridges London designed by Cartlidge Levene
Like the image above, this piece of way finding is also located in a retail centre. This is a more general way finding design, split into floors instead of being as specific as a way finding system dedicated to one floor of the shop. It is effective in the fact that it is a concise list of what is available on each floor, and is especially good in a situation of a shop with many floors.
Categories: Environmental, Retail, Inside.
Annual Report by Service Plan
A visually interesting Annual Report by Service Plan. There isn't much information on each page, but the way it is laid out and shown is the most interesting part. It shows that information graphics can be very simple and don't need to have a huge amount of data on each sheet. The clear colour scheme makes it easy to read each part of the information as well.
Categories: Editorial.

Product & Packaging
Product and Packaging is the relationship between the product, it’s packaging, and how it is represented to the audience. It is all dependant on how the client wants the product to be seen by the audience. Packaging can either be part of the product, something diverse, or just holder of the product. 

http://designmuse.typepad.com

Swear Words for Jacqueline Evans
This is a simple take on packaging. It is straight to the point, in an easy to read font with nothing to distract you from text. It's effective because of this.
Categories: Simple, Label, Drink
BVD for LemonAid Beverages
Like the image above, this is effective because of how simple the designs are. Instead of a label, the text is printed directly onto the bottle and working completely on a minimalist level, taking away everything and anything that could be distracting to the consumer.
Categories: Simple, Drink
Experimental Jetset for Helvetica
This is an interesting piece of packaging because of how simple the concept is and how it has been manipulated to be a visually interesting piece of design. There's no colour to cause distraction and no decoration that is unnecessary, with a clear title on each of the designs to indicate what is inside.
Categories: CD packaging
Parker Williams for Telco
Studio Conran for Gordon's Gin
Mash Design & Design Museum
These are effective pieces of packaging because of the simplicity and personalisation of the text. It is very to the point, so the consumer is clear on exactly what it is, and the personalisation element gives the consumer a sense of connection to the product.
Categories: Selection, Simple, Stationary.
JWT Brasil for Smirnoff
This is an effective piece of packaging design purely down to the fact it gives an interactive element to the bottle. Peeling off an outer shell, like it is a present, gives the consumer a little extra to make it that bit more exciting.
Categories: Drinks, Interactive.
Heinz Grünwald for Ducats
George Tscherny for Lark
Bedow for Nostalgi

Branding & Identity
Branding & Identity is the visual representation of a business. This directly affects how they are perceived by the general public and targeted audience. It can be as little as designing a simple logo for a brand, to designing and creating a whole interior for a retail space or creating environmental designs. 
http://justcreative.com

1968 Mexico Olympics
This is an effective piece of branding & identity because of the fact a typeface has been created for a specific purpose. It can not be associated with anything else or confuse anyone. It is very clearly for this one purpose and will be recognisable when put on promotional items.
Categories: Sport, Type.
Manic Design 28 HongKong Street
The Consult for Stack Architects
Burberry
This is an effective piece of Identity design as the company Burberry is completely recognisable because of this single pattern, colour and aesthetic look. It might not necessarily be classed as graphic design as such, but someone created it with the idea that it would be the identity for the company.
Categories: Retail, Clothing.
Inhouse for Caravan
This is an effective piece of Identity design because it sticks to the same visual look all the way through the products, keeping the same typeface, colours and design. It creates a strong company identity and one which makes each drink relatable to the other.
Categories: Drink.
Paul Rand for Next
Paul Giambarba for Polaroid

BVD Identity
BVD's own personal identity, using embossing and a colour scheme using the stock instead of printed colour is an interesting way to brand themselves. It is simple, contemporary and clean.
Categories: Visual Identity
BVD for 7-Eleven
This branding identity is definitely one of the most visually consistent ones I have come across and appeals to me as a designer. BVD reinvented the 7-Eleven brand by reusing their original branding and giving it a contemporary update. It is memorable and the colours used are simple yet very effective.
Categories: Food, Drinks, Visual Identity
Mucca Design for Brooklyn Fare
The main thing that makes this a strong piece of Identity design is the use of the typeface and consistent use of block colour backgrounds with no kind of decoration. It is simple and to the point on each element, and has a slight sarcastic humour throughout which gives off the idea that the company is quite a playful one.
Categories: Food, Drinks, Humour.

Editorial & Publishing
Editorial and Publishing is the relationships between image and text on a page. It involves putting the message across in an appropriate way, visually and con- textually. It includes; format, presentation, typefaces, point sizes, grids & guides, stock. It could be creating one single page, or a whole publication. 

http://www.tm-research-archive.ch
http://www.designingmagazines.com

NewWork
Mazzybox & Deadline 'Cover' Magazine
Acido Surtido
Conundrums by Harry Pearce

Experimental Jetset for Uitgelicht
This is an interesting piece of editorial work because of the nature of it. The fact that the front cover is done like a calendar is something different, especially with the large black square. It's not something usually seen on a front cover, but it is so simple it is effective and directs the viewer to the text.
Categories: Books, Covers.
Carine Collin

John Broadly for Codex magazine
Ryan Atkinson for HypeForType Magazine
Jean-Pierre Graber - 1985 Issue 6
Andre Meca - London Guide

Retail & promotion
Retail & promotion is all about the consumers experience in a retail environment, or when seeing a promotional piece. This can take the form of shop displays and environmental designs for retail spaces, but also includes events promotions and advertisement for a client in the form of posters or leaflets. 

http://jwh-creative.net/Digital/
http://www.dexigner.com
http://thewindowdisplayblog.com

Ted Baker
Hogan
Milka
Munich 1972 Olympics
This set of items are effective promotion because of how they reflect the Olympics of 1972. There's a clear colour code and structure to each of the items which makes them inter-relatable.
Categories: Sport, Promotion.
JWH
Foyles
JHP for The Parlour
John Evans for Bensons for Beds
designLSM for Lacoste
Braun
This array of promotional items are effective because of how simple and to the point they are. They show the product and have the information below, each with it's own colour coded system.
Categories: Promotion, small scale.