JCPenney Poster 1979
September 7th, 2010I first saw this poster a few days ago, and I’ve been in awe of it ever since. I always dig classic sequence designs. You don’t much of that today. It was designed in 1979 by George Tscherny. More info on this poster and Tscherny’s influence on the JC Penney brand over at Container List.
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Volkswagen Literature 1938 – 2005
September 3rd, 2010Here’s a great find by Paul Soulellis. A massive online gallery of Volkswagen product literature dating back to 1938. Some real gems in there. You can get lost in it for days.
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Process Journal: The Grid
September 2nd, 2010Thomas Williams, one of the talents behind the excellent Process Journal, has documented the changes that were made to the grid system for Edition Two of the journal. Thomas writes:
The Process Journal grid has undergone several updates for Edition Two, the major change being an increase in the size of the internal gutter from 30mm up to 40mm. Although this may appear to be only a minor adjustment, it changes the dynamics of the grid in several different ways.
The extra 10mm was taken from the outside columns, otherwise reserved for image captions and room for the reader’s thumbs to hold the publication (with minimal overlay of the content). The space was removed evenly from these columns to minimize the change in visual consistency from the previous edition.
Increasing this gutter also proved to be advantageous to the overall layout of the publication and resulted in three outcomes: firstly, by centralizing the content further into the middle of the page allowing more padding and easier reading of type that falls within the two central columns; secondly, it allows a larger clearance for images placed over or near the edge of the gutter — thus minimizing the loss of image into the spine; and lastly, the increase results in an overall wider area of content.
The original objective was to create a grid that was flexible enough to deal with a wide range of content, enable flexibility and retain visual consistency. This objective still remains; hence the vast majority of grid has been unaltered and has proven itself worthy for a second time. In our experience it is a rare to have the chance to revisit and refine a project so we have embraced the opportunity and believe that small changes like these contribute to our endeavor of producing an always-improving publication.
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The American Poster
August 29th, 2010Not only does the movie seem like it’s going to be great, but the poster is really well done in my opinion. Designed by Mojo House, the design is reminiscent of the minimal style seen during the 60s, but with a modern touch. The paper is even distressed to give it an authentic feel.
Here’s a good write up on the poster, with some nice examples of original posters from the 60s.
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Oppositions Magazine 1973 – 1984
August 25th, 2010Oppositions was an architectural journal by the Institute For Architecture And Urban Studies that was published from 1973 to 1984. The magazine was designed by the great Massimo Vignelli and it sure doesn’t disappoint with its obvious grid layout. This Flickr set includes a bunch of the covers, some of which feature black illustrations, and this set by Paul Soulellis has some shots of the inside spreads.
I was outbid on a copy of this a few months back. Would have made a great addition to my collection — maybe I’ll start to obsessively search for them now.
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Toko
August 23rd, 2010Sydney based studio, Toko, has been one of my favorites for a while now. They’re always pumping out fresh new work that’s inspiring. They updated their site with a new look and a plethora or work.
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Sunn Amplifiers 1968
August 22nd, 2010Category: Advertising, Design, Grid Systems, International Typographic Style
Comments: 2
Simply perfect 1968 ad for Sunn Amplifiers. After a quick search I found some more.
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German Matchbox Labels
August 22nd, 2010Fantastic collection of German matchbox labels from the 1960s and 1970s. Simple graphics and beautiful color palettes.
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Limited Edition Helvetica Poster
August 18th, 2010Sorry for the lack of posts this past week, I was under the weather.
Swiss Dots, the producers of the Helvetica documentary, have create this new limited-edition screenprint for the film. The print is inspired by a 1960’s design that has been seen on D. Stempel AG brochures, type specimens and posters — which has been making an appearance on the TV show, Mad Men.
The poster is hand screenprinted on archival 300gsm paper, A2 size (16 1/2″ x 23 1/2″) in a numbered edition of 100 copies, each signed by director Gary Hustwit. You can order one here for $150.
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Wrench Monkees
August 9th, 2010When it comes to minimal design, my passion for it extends way beyond graphic design. When it comes to design in general, whether it be a house, a shirt, or a spoon, I also prefer a minimal approach and aesthetic. So when I saw these custom motorcycles by Copenhagen based shop Wrench Monkees, I immediately fell in love.
Most of their bikes have a cafe racer style which I love, and the bikes are stripped down to their bare essentials: a motor, two wheels and a handle bar. The bikes have more a mechanical look to them as oppose to the mainstream bikes that are all cover in plastic.
When looking for inspiration, even motorcycles can influence my designs. I love it.
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Project Thirty Three
August 3rd, 2010Project Thirty Three is a fantastic blog that features vintage album covers that have been scanned and archived by the owner of Seattle based used vinyl store, Jive Time Records. Lovely.
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Laurent Nivalle Photography
August 3rd, 2010French photographer Laurent Nivalle has a stunning portfolio, but it’s his Le Mans Classic series that just blows my mind. The mix of vintage race cars, and the faded colors trick you into believing that these are photos from the 60s. The crops and compositions are just perfect, and the buttery shallow depth of field make the images irresistible. Makes me miss DSLRs. Laurent does also have an excellent gallery iPhone photography.