A Level art work

AOL logo

As I was looking over more of the logos from the under consideration website, where I found the new AOL logo, I stumbled upon this gem. I must say I was quite surprised because it seems to be a completely different tone of voice. The black is incredibly strong and with the simplified type, it seems to have seeped into a completely new realm of internet surfing. I must say that i am very glad that this move has been made though, because I'm really not a fan of old logo. The overused, slightly childlike type doesn't really convey the sophistication of AOL which I've always recognized against other internet providers such as internet explorer and safari.

The new logo almost feels like a piece of art in itself. I think that it needed this renovation as it has become slightly dated and unused, just like the old logo, so it was definitely time to give this style a good kick up the backside. Good job

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Sample of self promotion book

NEW BARCLAYS BUILDING LEEDS

I was walking round leeds city center shopping areas and this building suddenly caught my eye. I knew there had been scaffolding and building works around here for as long as i could remember, but never knew what was hiding under all the work. This Barclays bank store really stood out with the gleaming new glow to the shop front and the innovative curved frontage. The shining blocks surrounding the glass front beautifully compliment the business like reputation of Barclays the company. I was very impressed that it had so subtly been slipped in between a Superdrug and a Greggs store, while still standing out so respectfully and looking so clean cut. 

AS sample

This is a little sample of my A Level work when i finished the unit and then went back and created an entire digital add on to my project. This was an indulgence project where we explored tonnes of different media and ways of creating 3D aspects of the artwork. I really enjoyed the exploration into new styles and working with the theme of 'Indulgence'.

FLYING ADVERTISEMENTS

Just found this absolutely bizarre new type of advertising that includes flies. As in the small annoying animal that under normal circumstances you would swat immediately. Yes thats right, a german based company have decided that attaching small labels to flies and letting them roam free would efficiently spread the word of their company and product. I'm afraid my first reaction was just to laugh at the sheer fact that they thought that this would work and not frighten people. I honestly think that most people would just become very confused, but i just love the obscure and abstract thinking behind this strange new idea.

ZARA

This is the Zara clothing store's website that i found myself on recently and think that everyone should get on here just to admire the entire website itself. The sleek transitions and clever catalogue with not type on the screen, just control using the mouse to flick from one image to the next. 

This whole composition is beautifully sleek and gives a very expensive and exclusive feel to their products. I personally occasionally shop there, but i know my mum loves everything in the shop and can often spend hours in the shop itself. She always come out with good items of clothing that can act as a base for a wardrobe which makes it a very good purchase.

It is also very surprising that the items are generally not actually that expensive, they actually are very accessible to so many more people due to the high street prices that they employ across the range. I am so impressed by this and now really feel encouraged to get into that store a bit more often.

BRANDS

This is the redesigned logo and brand of msn, the instant chat application that changed to world. It has visually made a subtle change with the logo, but the web page has been dramatically altered. The product itself is fascinating and the new imagery isn't as recognisable, however it is new and looks sleeker and more user friendly.

FILM POSTER

I am very passionate about horror films and find that the application of the actual movie poster can be the success of a new scary film. I personally have watched a good number of this type of movies and have come to the conclusion that there are only two that truly engage with a story line and properly develop the character's background. The Descent especially is one that truly delves into the character profile's of the people who inflict the pain and gain a level of sympathy with the which i felt is so much more effective.

The visuals for the 'part 2' of the descent is engaging and exciting with the subdued background of the violent terrifying creatures. The colours immediately instigate a 'horror' tone of voice and the facial expression on the woman's face is so enticing and makes you want more. Or at least this poster and my respect for the first film is what makes me want to see this film. I cant wait and will blog my verdict and see if it lives up to expectation.

MOLTEN BROWN

Love this brand - It oozes sophistication and expensive luxury. The font is just beautiful and so recognisable. This is a boys gift package so it really transfers the luxurious feel across as it is usually so difficult to target men from such a feminine brand. I really admire this ability to aim at all audiences and the simple tube products don't take away form the quality of the products themselves. I do think it is quite expensive though and am not sure, as a student, that i would part with my money for these products.

SONY AD

I really love this advert for the song bravia new television. The simplicity of the bright bouncy balls is so beautiful against the suburban background and gorgeous weather. It really emphasizes the high definition quality and liner beauty of the force of gravity on those small bursts of colour. I loved watching this and felt that it was so visually appealing, i sent it to all of my email contacts. It projected an extraordinarily professional and clean brand identity that entices prospective buyers to any of their products. Generally it is a very highly respected brand that it recognisable without the logo, an identity that i aspire to create.

PYROPHOBIA

PYROPHOBIA - to visualise and advertise this fear of fire

I had so much fun designing and creating this piece of work as i felt truly free and open to the new and different media that i was able to use in my poster. I constructed this very basic poem that was designed to reflect the features of an actual fire growing then burning out and simmering to ash. It comes across through the actual fear and a more personal approach of someone's feelings on top of that. I really had a laugh collating all of the kids fridge magnets and burning them knowingly. I had lots of trouble getting the layout perfect as the fan of the oven proved a tricky obstacle and so instead i used the shelves of the oven to give a sense of depth and intensity. I picked an oven for the context as i wanted to reinforce the heat and fire that was suggested with the burnt plastic lettering. Alternative media is always a fun new way to create the unexpected.

SYNTAX 1968

TYPO AWARDS 2009 - syntax typeface promotion poster

When researching the font, i found that the year that it was originally designed was 1968, a year of changes and fighting for what you believe in. I found this incredibly interesting and got very excited when applying the values of this period of time to the composition and tone of the poster. The layout of the text is based on the 'equals' sign to represent the equality that was reached that year after all the protests. I also limited the colour to reinforce the polar opposites of peoples viewpoints and the strength of the different sides that are going against each other.

SKY LIKE YOUR EYES

This is another sample from my first year work. It is a page of research that i used to understand the different talent aspects of a music band as i was designing an identity for a new and up-and-coming band called 'sky like your eyes'. It is evidence of some of my first attempts at combining the Adobe Illustrator software with photoshop. I was very pleased with the outcome and like the different possibilities that come with the software. I am just so excited to get stuck into working on real life briefs.

VISUAL BLOG

This is a piece of my work that i designed in my first year of university with regards to a brief of representing a fellow student. The girl in question was extremely into the music scene and going out to listen to s specific type of music. She has a very prominent and bright personality with an original and quirky style that is very visually effective. I produced this piece primarily by hand and then altered the photograph with photoshop and scanned in the hand draw aspects to compile a visually consistent visual. I love the bright and brash colours and the vibrant tone of the piece and had loads of fun taking the photo and designing the poster.

'THE COG'

This advert caught my eye a few years ago, and i later found out that it took over 600 takes as the entire ad is filmed in one take.  The ingenuity of using the car parts in this alternative way is so aesthetically pleasing and clever as it represents the skill and agility of all of the seperate parts of the car. It is just fantastic to watch even though it is a full two minutes, you are most definitely glued to the screen. There are a few similar adverts which have used the same principles, such as the Guinness ad in Italy. Another ad for Pot Noodle was released shortly after that was set in an estate and shows the values and its quality, highlighting the ease of use, i.e. just top up with hot water. These formats are so effective and visually memorable.

PEPSI

This is the new pepsi logo that i have recently come across which i think completely disregards the original principle of the classic visuals of pepsi. The typeface is overused and stereotypical of modern redesigns. The whole brand had lost its core values with the central visual being altered according to the product. This means that it comes across lacking continuity and confuses the consumer. This is my personal viewpoint as at the age that i am now, i have grown up to know and love the classic pepsi logo, along with its values and product, and to have that taken and slaughtered so that it loses the core identity and continuity lost makes me lose faith in design modernisation. 

WELCOME NOTE

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Desiree West and i am a second year graphic and communication design student at the University of Leeds. This blog is both a personal endeavour and an attempt to get a feel for the ever growing internet based design community. This is my space where I plan to take a look at design that is around today and voice my opinions on current and existing visuals of all varieties. I am an extremely creative person who thrives on variety and change. The way the design is heading these days is very direct, simplistic and modern, sometimes even disregarding the true ethos and character of a brand. I love the development of products and the idea of building on original designs to move with the time. I intend to enter the design world with a bang and make my stamp. So: welcome to my world, enjoy!