Dowling Design

Posted on January 16, 2009January 16, 2009 Posted in DesignTagged branding, graphic design, identity, stationery1 Comment

Brilliant work by UK firm Downling Design. I particularly love the work they did for furniture designer Lamerton.

Branding the Museum of Arts and Design

Posted on September 29, 2008September 30, 2008 Posted in Design, TypographyTagged branding, graphic design, identity, museum, posters, typeface, Typography9 Comments

I’m loving the branding work done by Pentagram for the reopening of the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC. The use of the MAD acronym is a nice touch which opens up so many possibilities. For the logo they created a new face called MAD that is made up of circles and squares which mimics the museums location.

In the blog entry, Michael Bierut explains their process, which includes some sketches of the logo.

Projekttriangle Design Studio

Posted on September 15, 2008September 15, 2008 Posted in DesignTagged branding, germany, graphic design, identity, stationary, Typography

Excellent portfolio by Stuttgart based studio Projekttriangle.

This was sent in by a reader but I forgot who. Sorry!

Redrawing the MoMA Logo

Posted on September 3, 2008September 5, 2008 Posted in Design, TypographyTagged branding, franklin, graphic design, identity, logo, MoMA, museum, typeface, Typography6 Comments

For me, one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of design is the details. That’s where I spend most of my time and even though the untrained eye probably won’t notice them, the details still make the design better.

So I was excited when I came across this scan of a 2003 NY Times article on the redrawing of the MoMA logo. The legendary Matthew Carter was hired to do the refresh in which the changes were minimal but the results were significant.

Update: Toko

Posted on August 27, 2008August 27, 2008 Posted in DesignTagged branding, catalogue, graphic design, indentity, posters2 Comments

Fresh new work by one of my favorite studios.

Never Ending Friending

Posted on August 21, 2008August 21, 2008 Posted in DesignTagged avant garde, booklet, branding, graphic design, myspace, printing, typeface, Typography1 Comment

I absolutely hate MySpace. Between the ugly designs and the terrible usability, it’s a nightmare of an experience. That’s why it’s refreshing to see MySpace associated with something that’s smart and visually pleasing.

Area 17 was recently hired to develop the brand identity for a MySpace initiative called Never Ending Friending. Here’s some info on the initiative.

Depending on your vantage point, social networking means something completely different – a fad, tool, disruption, opportunity or some combination of them all. In 2007, MySpace embarked on a nationwide “listening tour” in order to create qualitative research among users of social networks. Additionally, they fielded a quantitative study among a national sample of social networking users and non-users. Together, these two methods uncovered a myriad of motivations, attitudes and behaviors that were presented through a book and at an exclusive private event in Beverly Hills.

Area 17 designed a book as well as all the printed materials for the event. Great use of Avant Garde and geometric shapes.