Beauty and the web

I have spent a fair bit of time recently scouring the web trying to find out what has been happening in the design world of late. What has struck me in particular is the amount of absolutely stunning design that seems to exist for nothing more than to look beautiful. This has got me thinking, what is it that makes a design good? Does it just need to look good or should designers be aiming for something more?

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Show me the symbol

Having recently returned from an extended round-the-world trip it has become very apparent to me how much Australians rely on international visitors to speak and read English whilst in our country. Almost every airport I have ever visited in the world has their signage translated into a variety of languages, that is with the exception of Perth International Airport.

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The great debate

It was a regular Monday morning at Jack in the box. We had just finished our weekly team breakfast and were getting down to business in the boardroom. Up for discussion, a new client in need of some serious promotion. The creative department were on track with the new brand and the strategic department were working hard on the promotional plan, but then the media plan reared its ugly head. It was soon discovered that two consecutive 40 cm x 2 column ads had been booked in the local paper without consulting the creatives. The great debate was on. What should come first? The creative or the media.

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Paper, scissors, pdf

Sometimes I think designers today take for granted the technology and tools at our finger tips. It was not that long ago (well, just before my time) that a client presentation meant running around for hours with magic tape, glue, backing boards and laser prints in hand. Go back a few more years again and you would be in the age of Pantone markers, Letraset and clear overlays. These days it’s as easy as pulling together all your logo designs, livery and advertising into one sleek presentation template and making a PDF.

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Forget that font

As I flick through the local paper each week I see countless examples of why the custom designed typography from a logo should be left alone. Headlines, body copy or even big words watermarked in the background of any piece of advertising or graphic design, in a hybrid version of the logo font, does not make for good design and should definitely be avoided.

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Managing the managers

Are you an expert on colour matching? Do you have a deep understanding of the effects of varnish or laminate on printed materials? Have you ever spent time learning about the nuances of paper stocks and the results of printing on one versus another? Chances are you said no, but would you take responsibility for printing your company stationery or brochure?

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Branding abused

I am often amazed, and somewhat amused, by the overuse and damn right misuse of the word ‘Brand’. There are brand specialists and brand doctors popping up all over the place. I have even seen local print shops claiming that they can design your company a ‘brand’. The question remains, do any of them even know what a brand is?

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