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.