Entries from October 2007 ↓

Recently there have been some heated discussions (1, 2, 3) in the online design community about the similarities between Apple’s product line and Braun’s product designs from the 60’s. Instead of adding more to the controversy, I would like to take a moment here and concentrate on Braun’s design aesthetic from those years, which is still impressive by today’s standards. During an era that is known for its stylistic trends and visual icons (space age, plastic/fiberglass bubbles, Sgt. Pepper, op-art, psychedelic forms, etc.) Braun approached product design from a purely functional angle, and focused on core design principles, such as innovation, endurance, honesty, usability, and consistency, that resulted in great products with timeless design. Continue reading →

I think I’m becoming a big fan of Marian Bantjes. This little project on her website is an excellent example of her refreshing approach to typography. Very inspiring.

I just saw this 30 second short by Bück and I am impressed by the simple, yet effective visuals. Own your C is a youth tobacco prevention media campaign seeks to help teens make the connection that their choices define who they are and who they will become, kind of similar to another youth campaign: “Above the Influence”. What I like here is the conceptual take on the story, and the allegorical treatment.

The whole piece is simply an art direction tour de force, tastefully done and quite understated. Every second is embellished with elements that support the fairy tale style, from the color palette to the typeface selection for the tagline at the end. Visual references such as the “tree tunnel” at the beginning, luminous windows in the middle of darkness, and the planting of the “c” in the forest all relate to the entangled inner psyche of a youngster, surrounded by a hostile world outside. Upon second view you notice some subtler support elements around the main character: the cuddling sapling, bentwood furniture, the pattern on the comforter, and who knows what else. Amazing…

The only thing that bothers me about the campaign is the name itself. “Own your C” doesn’t really mean anything if you don’t know that C means Choice. And is it not risky to use that letter, since it could also stand for the word cigarette? Maybe it is intentional? Beyond me.

You can watch the animation on Bück’s website.

If you have seen 300, or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, then you know what I am talking about when I say CG sets: real actors shot against green screen and composited over 3D backgrounds in post-production. Both examples above were simply amazing—technically and visually—and they made me ask the typical “what are they going to do next?” question. But until I heard about this next example, all I could think was that “next” would be something like more seamless integration of live action footage and CG backgrounds, or better acting in front of green screen. Continue reading →

If you live in the north like I do, then this should be a very familiar sight to you: cracked asphalt. Basically, when moisture enters a pavement crack, it slowly works its way down to erode the base. Add to that the freeze/thaw cycle of our tough winters, and you get fissures in the asphalt, typically on large surfaces such as parking lots in strip malls. These cracks then need to be sealed with a hot rubberized crack sealant which is a flexible material that extends the life of the surface, for maybe another year or so. Now, let’s go back to the title of my post: asphalt art. Continue reading →

This has to be the best use of PaperVision 3D I’ve ever seen: TiltViewer by Airtight Interactive. Since 3D in Flash is pretty limited, I think it was smart of those guys to use it simply as an environment to show 2D images in a 3D space, instead of the typical low-res models you see on experimental flash sites. Subtle yet effective.