The end!

At last! All 70 limes are done!

Here are my Top 8:

Enjoy!

Packaging of the Future

In the spirit of our final project, this blog will turn its attention to sustainable packaging and waste reduction. Swedish design studio Tomorrow Machine has come up with an incredible series of biodegradable food packaging, titled "This Too Shall Pass." Made from organic materials like beeswax, sugar, and agar agar, the packaging is so environmentally-friendly that it is designed to only last about as long as the ingredients it contains. Three versions of the package were designed: one for dry ingredients (such as rice), oils, and liquids (pictured here, a smoothie). The exterior can either be peeled (rice), broken (oil), or pierced (smoothie).

The packaging takes a big cue from nature, particularly fruit. Consider bananas, pineapples, or kiwi. Presumably, these packages would be handled just like fruit. One would consume the interior and discard the organic exterior. Transport and mass-production might be difficult to work out at first, but it's probably worth all the trouble if it can eliminate the buildup of waste that doesn't decompose.

It's very exciting to think that something like this could change the future of packaging, and alleviate the worldwide problem of garbage and landfills.

Source
http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/08/01/cleverly-designed-sustainable-interactive-food-packaging-tomorrow-machine/
http://tomorrowmachine.se/

Harry Potter Book Covers

This Harry Potter series book cover redesign, by Hungarian designer Kincső Nagy, is a stunning take on the books, and a huge improvement over the original American illustrations (which, in the personal opinion of the blogger, were pretty painful to look at.)

Each cover is laser-cut with a symbol that represents the title or theme of that particular book. The look is minimal, solemn, almost grown-up--a reminder that even though Harry Potter is considered a children's series, it also deals with subjects of interest to anyone old enough to read.

The coolest part of these covers is that they actually glow in the dark.

The designer comments that the effect is meant to reflect the "magic of the book." The books do indeed look like they have been made to glow by a wizard--success!

On a similar note, last year, the American Harry Potter editions got complete cover rehauls by artist Kazu Kibuishi, which, artistically, are a vast improvement over the originals. Design-wise, though, the placement and fonts of the titles looks awkward and amateurish, just slapped dead-center in the picture without any thought to the overall illustration. The way Mary Grand-Pre incorporated the title into her illustrations was genius. Perhaps she was a better designer, even if her illustrations were personally too misshapen and abstract.

The official American covers are both enchanting and flawed in their own ways. But if the publishers ever wanted to release a fantastic collector's edition, they would do well to hire Kinsco Nagy.

Sources:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/19617679/J-K-Rowling-Harry-Potter-
http://mashable.com/2013/07/31/harry-potter-new-book-covers/

Shinzi Katoh - Designer of Pokemon Little Tales

How do you make Pokemon merchandise attractive to anyone over the age of ten?

Hire Shinzi Katoh!

In 2013, Japan's Pokemon Center launched a new designer goods campaign called "Pokemon Little Tales." Apparently, the Pokemon Company realized that the first generation of children who grew up with Pokemon are now in their mid-twenties and thirties, perhaps parents of their own. They also realized that though Pokemon is intended for children, why not create merchandise for the parents of those children too? With that in mind, they sought to design goods for an adult audience.

According to his profile, Shinzi Katoh has designed over 10,000 items for many high-profile companies over the span of his 30-year career, including shoes, clothing, picture books, jewelry and other goods. His popularity is based on the "gentle touch" and "fresh charm" he gives to existing characters when involved in collaborations with companies like Pokemon.

Katoh's designs for Pokemon drop the overly cartoonish and bright, contrasting colors characteristic of the series, opting to use earthier, more sophisticated, harmonious colors instead. They have the ageless-cute appeal of Sanrio's Hello Kitty, but with a more hand-made, homier, warmer feel. The items presented are mostly practical, too--like purses, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, tea sets, and stationery. No games or cards here.

Is it effective? The campaign is still going strong in 2014.

The target audience for Pokemon Little Tales is decidedly female, but the Pokemon Company also had a line of Charizard paraphernalia marketed to men--and it's super savvy.

There's a mug, a phone case, ties, cuff links, and wallets--everything the successful gamer needs to do business. If nobody says anything, everyone can just pretend those are dragon emblems from Wales. And that's the name of the game--incognito gamer goods for adults.

Sources:
http://kotaku.com/perhaps-the-cutest-pokemon-goods-ive-ever-seen-1473497216
http://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2013/10/131011_p02.html
http://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2013/03/130315_gd01.html

Pepsi Logo Redesign... BS?

Is BS too strong a word to describe the 2008 Pepsi logo redesign?

Anyone even remotely familiar with Adobe Illustrator knows that it only takes an hour to move around a couple of anchor points to get this kind of logo "redesign." Please.

Could this have been another "thirty years in five seconds" Paula-Scherr-Citigroup-like concept? Perhaps. But somehow, it feels like a million dollars was a little too much to spend on arbitrarily shifting around some vectors.

To be fair, this design does have some perks. It is cleaner and flatter in keeping with the current "flat" design trends. The colors have also been slightly tweaked, perhaps, to appear more modern in slightly lighter hues. It's more dynamic than the original, which was admittedly boring and starting to show its age. But what is with that white squiggly shape? It bugs. Reportedly, it's supposed to be a "smile," but it doesn't remotely resemble one, until someone tells you what it's supposed to be. Isn't that the antithesis of a good design?

Worst of all, there's a 27 page document detailing how this new Pepsi logo is supposedly the pinnacle of all design, probably created to convince the executives of Pepsi that this revamp was worth $1 million. Yeah, it's a little more 3-dimensional, but it's not the pinnacle of design.

Let's pretend Pepsi was funding some creative writing pursuit instead, if it makes anyone feel better.


Sources
http://gawker.com/5150582/breathtaking-document-reveals-pepsis-logo-is-pinnacle-of-entire-universe
http://adage.com/article/agency-news/breathtaking-word-purported-arnell-pepsi-doc/134552/

Flaunt that fruit!

Fruit is naturally gorgeous, so designers can find endless inspiration in the appearance of fruit itself to package any fruit-based product. South African designer Marcel Buerkle keeps this in mind, using the beauty of fruit to showcase the lid of each respective product--fruit flavored jelly, in this case.

Detail is what makes for a successful design, and in this case, no detail has been left out. The logo "Quick" uses a spoon for the tail of the "Q", creating an instant visual that instructs the consumer how to use the product--eat it with a spoon! The fine print runs around the rim of the circular lid, an attractive and effective use of space. The colors are bright, the design simple, and everything goes toward effectively communicating the product.

Surprisingly, this is not a real product, just a digital rendering--props to the designer for rendering such a realistic package.

Source
https://www.behance.net/gallery/216596/Quick-Fruit-packaging-concept

Pearlfisher: Help!

Anyone who has ever been to an airport or a convenience store has probably seen Pearlfisher's "Help" packaging series. Composed of common remedies to everyday problems, it cuts through the competition with a simple, straightforward and clever marketing strategy.

This packaging campaign is particularly effective because it masks everyday medicinal aids like ibuprofen and band-aids as something novel, while pointing out the "obviousness" of the consumer's choice to use the product. It also appeals to the consumer's anticipated desperation with a sympathetic solution. Making the product appear indispensable, even inevitable, is perhaps one of the most successful marketing approaches in existence.

Source
http://www.pearlfisher.com/designs/help_packaging/

Thirsty Font

Thirsty Font by Yellow Design Studio is absolutely everywhere, and it's not even a major font-foundry typeface. It's the trendy font of the year. And a lot of the big dogs--Marie Callendar's, McDonald's, Hometown Buffet and Denny's, to name a few--seemingly have jumped on the Thirsty bandwagon and incorporated it into their menus and advertising, one way or another. (No joke--a casual flip through this month's coupon section of the newspaper reveals at least 6 instances of Thirsty in use.)

Marie Callendar's, McDonald's, ModCloth, Buco di Beppo, Denny's, World Cost Market, and HomeTown Buffet all use Thirsty in their promotional materials

This is great news for an independent design studio, of course, but it's great for consumers, too, because this is a very attractive font. Flowing, elegant, but still legible due to its tall x-height, it adds a friendly-yet-vintage flair to pretty much anything. Each letter relates to the next in a very comfortable way, so it's easy on the eyes. It's marketed mostly towards food and drink, but as the coupons section show, it's flexible enough to use anywhere. Congrats, Yellow Design Studio!

Source
http://www.yellowdesignstudio.com/

Chipotle

Chipotle. CHIPOTLE.

Say what you will about their food, their design is one-of-a-kind.

Its primary feature (and genius) is the chaotic, hand-written messages that pattern their napkins and cups of their burrito joints. Reading the messages is far more of a rewarding experience than even eating their food, sometimes.

It's a literal love letter to a Chipotle burrito. Why not, right?

Whether the messages of "no hormones!" or "INTEGRITY" are real don't even matter. The marketing is unique, hip, funny, often weird, but super-relatable. It creates the impression that Chipotle is having an earnest conversation with the customer, that Chiptole really gets what their clientele need and want. They want to eat at a place where it is okay to write love letters to their burritos. Definitely memorable.

Source
http://assets1.sequence.com/#/ourwork/chipotle

Dirty Apron Foods: Spice Labels

Even though Dirty Apron Foods label redesign might seem a bit boring at first glance, its minimal and modern appearance is actually quite effective.

If in fact the hexagonal shape in the lower left-hand corner is the logo of the company, then it's a brilliant use of a logo; not only to add interest to the logo, but also to showcase the beautiful colors of the spices within. It almost gives the appearance of jars of paint, as opposed to spices -- conceptually linking the idea that cooking is an art. It's a simple concept that can be translated across multiple products, and that is a mark of good, clean design.

Source
http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2010/11/4/dirty-apron-foods.html

Tumblr Dashboard Redesign: Thumbs Down!

On October 30, Tumblr had a nasty surprise for its avid users: A "li'l" dashboard redesign. And it is not pretty.

What's wrong with it? Chief among its problems is the fact that images uploaded to Tumblr, originally modified to fit a space of 500px wide, now must expand to fit new parameters of 540 px. If a blog owner doesn't re-upload images for the new size, then the awful result is a dashboard full of pixelated images. Sure, it may seem nice to some to have bigger images, but the way the images cut off to the background is just awkward.

Secondly, the notification at the top of the screen used to be red--now they are white and blend in completely with the icons in the back. With a quick glance, a blogger wouldn't be able to tell whether or not they have a notification, which is totally not the point of notification. Bad design choice.

Lastly, the previous composition of the dashboard was more self-contained; now the navigation bar expands to fit the whole top of the screen. While that may be considered a better use of space, in practice it is awkward--now Tumblr looks like it's trying to escape from the screen. Maybe it's for good reason!

One GOOD change: The header is now a "sticky header," as it scrolls along with the viewer. And getting rid of the two-tone background is possibly an improvement, simplifying the viewer's experience. But it really doesn't outweigh the other criticisms.

Moral of the story, Tumblr, if it's not broke, don't fix it!

Sources

http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/101537464927/tumblr-dashboard-change-gif

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/101343889090/two-lil-changes-to-the-dashboard-rolling-out

Citi Logo by Paula Scherr

The Citigroup logo is quite famous (or perhaps infamous) for being designed in a matter of seconds by Paula Scherr of New York-based design firm Pentagram. Citicorp changed its name to Citigroup after a merger with Traveler's Group in 1998--one of the largest bank mergers in history. At this point, the newly minted Citigroup was in great need of a new corporate identity to communicate the merger and revived corporate presence. Therefore, Citigroup approached Paula Scherr of Pentagram to design the new logo. 

After an initial meeting, Scherr sketched what would become the final logo of Citi on a napkin in a matter of seconds. Citi's executives were understandably irked by this, and were reluctant at first to invest in her design, as Scherr notes corporations often operate under the belief that more time or "process" spent on an idea equates to a better quality design. However, the Citi logo demonstrates that just because a design is generated quickly does not diminish its value. Rather, Scherr explains, her "one second" design was actually the culmination of her thirty-four years of design experience--it takes decades of hard work and knowledge to come up with great designs on the spot.

The Citibank logo is combined from the red umbrella icon of Traveler's Group, and the word "Citi" from Citicorp. Scherr observed that the lower-case "t" in Citi could represent the perfect umbrella handle. Scherr added a red arch over the lower-case "t," connecting the dots of the two i's, to fully integrate the red umbrella concept into the word "Citi." The result is a seamless and iconic visual merger of Traveler's Group and Citicorp. 

Sources

http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Citibank

http://breezycreativedesign.com/2010/05/04/citi-logo-by-paula-scher/

http://famouslogos.net/citibank-logo/

http://hillmancurtis.com/artist-series/paula-scher/

Iku tame ni: Sushi to Go Box

Brilliant sushi-to-go box by graphic designer Ashley Buerkett on Behance.

The design concept is to use chopsticks as a handle for a cardboard bento box, so the user can conveniently take their lunch with them and eat it at leisure--wherever, whenever. Take out the chopsticks, slip off the obi, and the box is ready to unfold in a matter of seconds. The Japanese text says "行くために (iku tame ni)" which roughly translates to "for when you're on-the-go." The design itself also has the feel of "origami" and a visual simplicity that is historically authentic to Japanese design. Just be careful that the chopsticks don't slip!


Source
https://www.behance.net/Gallery/Sushi-To-Go-Box/47656

Candle Packaging

Sometimes effective designs can be found just from looking around Flickr.

This design for candle packaging is a simple, yet effective way to package candles. Using only color, typography and a single pattern, this designer was able to create an infinitely versatile container.

Limited to only three colors per package, the designer had to select the three colors she felt most appropriate to evoke the flavor (or in this case, smell) of the product.  

The typefaces, too, are also carefully selected to make the product seem elegant and luxurious, with a touch of vintage flair. Very nice design.

Source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brookemarton/2941564011/

Pearlfisher: Nibmor Packaging

Pearlfisher is a very famous design agency that has produced packaging for Starbucks, Absolut Vodka, Nabisco & Cadbury, to name just a few big names. Pearlfisher's Nibmor Chocolate packaging could be considered to be one of their simplest, yet most stunning designs.

Without knowing much of anything about the product, the design immediately reflects both a sense of playfulness and casual-ness, without seeming like an everyday, mass-produced product. The hand illustration invites the viewer to pick up the chocolate and try it for him- or herself. Organic and Fair Trade appear to be one of their selling points, so with its straightforward and uncomplicated packaging, it appears to have nothing to hide.

Yet the true genius comes in when one views the back of the package.

All of the arm/hand illustrations line up perfectly with each other, creating a sense of collectability. The result is a design that makes a lasting impression.

Source: http://www.pearlfisher.com/live-item/nibmor/

Designer Milk Packaging Concept

This milk package was conceived by New York-based designer David Fung. Fung explains,

"This was a personal experiment in form, function, and fun. The goal of this redesign was to use a standard milk carton as the canvas to create a clean, modern, and functional design yet still approachable for the average consumer."

There's no doubt that the package is clean, modern, and beautifully put together. Its minimal use of color deliberately showcases the white of the package, perhaps a visual cue to the whiteness of milk.

The droplet icon represents the liquid nature of milk. Its length is used, almost like an infographic, to differentiate the fat content of the milk; longest for whole milk and shortest for one percent. At the bottom, a tiny 2-D splash completes the concept of milk dripping from the mouth of the container.

While this design is beautiful, is it really "approachable for the average consumer"? There is not much of anything to inform consumers of the product they are about to buy. The length of droplet and solid colors are the only indicators of product differentiation. Granted, this is a fictional, bare-bones package, but still. Is "minimalism" the only thing about this particular brand of milk that makes it unique, and if so, why should that make anyone want to buy it? Furthermore, what do the choice of colors have to do with the type of milk? Was red the best choice for whole milk, green for two percent, blue for one percent, and so on? There does not seem to be much of a connection at first glance--and unfortunately, in a supermarket, one glance is often all a product has. Unless Ikea decided to pick up this design, on its own, it probably wouldn't fare so well.

To conclude, this is an elegant milk package for designers, but probably not for many other demographics.

Source: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2009/3/13/milk-by-david-fung.html

Human Being T-shirt

The "Human Being" t-shirt from Origin68 design studio is a reductionist, tongue-in-cheek take on being a human being. Designed somewhat like a nutrition facts label found on a food package, it takes the basic facts of life--and death--and reduces them to an infographic, perhaps for use by another species?? Though it is clever and eye-catching, is it effective in getting the viewer to think about its message? Absolutely.

The icons along the top remind the viewer of simple truths about being human that people all take for granted--"This Way Up," for example, "Fragile," "Handle with Care," and "Keep Dry." Nobody wants to be wet or upside down for very long, and everyone wants to feel cared for, because the simple truth is that humans are quite fragile indeed.

Also included is an ingredients list, the tagline "100% Organic," and "Please Recycle"--blunt reminders of human mortality.

Finally, the line "Contents may vary in colour," is another subtle reminder of the great diversity of human appearance, and that this variance has no value whatsoever, except that diversity exists. Its neutral tone is an egalitarian one. No matter what we look like, we all want the same things, and we all go to the same place. Handle with care.

Source: http://www.origin68.com/product/human-being-black

The Nissan Leaf: Car Design

The Nissan Leaf is a fantastic car. It's sleek, ergonomic, even iconic in appearance. Since there's no gas engine, it's quiet, only making noise when it needs to: for example when backing up, or when using the turn signal. It's all-electric, so it's eco-friendli(er) than most other cars on the market. Plus, no trips to the gas station. It charges right in the comfort of home.

But the Leaf has one major design flaw.

The car's charge-point is located at the front of the car, where the gas engine would normally be. The driver just flips a switch on the lower-left-hand side of the steering wheel to open the charging hatch, attaches the plug, and voila, the car battery charges like a laptop.

But what happens when the driver comes home from a long day of school, work, or perhaps partying, and it's dark outside, and her garage has poor lighting? (Really poor lighting?) She flips the switch and the hatch opens, she grabs the plug, and then... There's just this void of darkness. Where's the connector? Plugging this thing in never takes more than a second, she thinks. It's always been that way when she could see. So after she has been made to feel stupid for standing over the hatch, fruitlessly jamming the plug into the void for ten seconds, she realizes she needs to grab a flashlight to find the plug. Or, she could use her phone. First world problems.

This takes less time and money than going to the gas station, obviously. But it's hard to believe the designers didn't take something this simple into account. Just a tiny night-light in there would do the trick.  

Image from http://www.motortrend.com/

Rubber Band Package Concept

This rubber band package concept, designed by Ric Bixter while a student, has already been featured on many blogs and "Inspirational Design" lists--but it's so awesome it has to be featured here too!

As Bixter explains, the assignment's directions were to "Go into a pound shop and pick a seemingly uninteresting object and rebrand it, increasing the value and interest." Bixter decided to get interactive and "designed an elastic band box that looks as if it is being squeezed in by the bands" themselves. It physically showcases the effectiveness of the product through the concept of "the stronger the band, the more the boxes are squeezed." The consumer can see this not only in the gradually smaller "waists" of the box (depending on the band's strength), but also in the designer's choice of color. "Light" is represented by a light blue, "Regular" by a neutral green, and "Strong" by a bold red.

The typefaces, too, are reminiscent of the small general stores of the 19th and early 20th centuries, subtly reminding the consumer of the humble roots of the mega dollar store, in which a box of rubber bands would most likely be found today. Finally, on the back of the package is a list of the many uses of rubber bands, if the consumer needed another reason to buy them. 

The only possible problem with this design is, ironically, the soul of its genius. While its irregular shape would give it undeniable shelf presence, it might also prove difficult to ship and store in large quantities.

Despite that one potential drawback, this is a brilliant use of design to market a cheap, everyday product.

Source: http://ricbixter.co.uk/elasticbands.html

Neighborhood Crime Watch Signage

The city of Temple City recently updated their "Neighborhood Crime Watch" logo and street signs. Previously, the image was something like a shadowy figure with a wide-brimmed hat and trench coat not unlike Carmen Sandiego's, looking sinisterly over the shoulder at the viewer. The overall tone was somewhat negative and creepy, as it brought to mind not the concept of a vigilant community, but of the shadowy perpetrators themselves.

This new concept is bold and simple, but effective. Though obvious, the decision to depict an eye reflects the signage's approach in emphasizing "watch" instead of "crime," which was arguably previous design's approach. In this way, the new sign reflects a more constructive take on a difficult subject. The pink shading was probably chosen to blend with Temple City's updated logo of pink and white camellias, seen in the lower right-hand corner of the sign. While a lighter pink would have been too soft for the subject matter, the current shade and intensity is strong and eye-catching enough for it to feel appropriate.

The type is pretty utilitarian and is mainly just there to be easily read from the street. Not much to say about that. The only major criticism is that the bottom nail goes right through the word "CALL"; nails were clearly not something the designer accounted for. Whoops!

Whatever the crime level in Temple City, a sign alone probably won't reduce it, but at least this sign better communicates the intent of the signage than the previous one.

Why is Hello Kitty so Popular?

Why is Hello Kitty so popular?

As an international icon of all things cute and the face of a massively successful commercial empire, how is it that Hello Kitty was able to accomplish all this without a mouth? This is something Michael Richey was wondering over at Tofugu.com.

In his time spent living in Japan, Richey was almost disturbed by the “unavoidable” presence of Hello Kitty, saying, “I couldn't understand for the life of me why she was so popular.” In his opinion, Hello Kitty's “too simple” design and over-the-top cuteness should make her undeserving of such international acclaim.

However, as Richey would discover, the truth is that the very simplicity of her design--particularly the fact that she does not have a mouth--is what makes her so popular. According to cartoonist (and genius) Scott McCloud, the lack of features in a cartoon character allows viewers to identify with such characters and mascots more easily than with actual human faces. Long-time Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi echoes this sentiment as well. Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth, she says, “so that people who look at her can project their own feelings onto her face. [...] Kitty looks happy when people are happy. She looks sad when they are sad. For this psychological reason, we thought she shouldn't be tied to any emotion — and that's why she doesn't have a mouth”. 

Perhaps the simpler the character's design, the more likely they are to become popular. From this perspective, it's no secret why Hello Kitty has taken the world by storm.

Source
http://www.tofugu.com/2013/12/09/facing-facts-the-secret-behind-hello-kittys-blank-face/
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834451,00.html

Lime trivia / Test post

A lime was once very briefly a character in the Neil Gaiman novel Anansi Boys.