DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the images used in this post, nor is the original artwork mine. The assignment was to seek out designs that embody concepts of design that I have opinions on merely for understanding design purposes and concepts. All photographic content belongs to the rightful owners. The below images will not be used for any professional promotion.
I've gathered designs that embody concepts and styles within graphic design that I have opinions on. Whether I always consciously acknowledge it or not, my opinions about other designs influences my work--either because I find it appealing or repulsive. Hopefully by analyzing designs, I will be able to understand my own design choices better.
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| http://pinterest.com/regaladys/activity/ |
I really enjoy the constructivist art movement, and I find the simplicity of style as well as the execution of principles of design make the style timeless (or, if nothing else, very easily modernized and versatile in nature).
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| http://designspiration.net/image/115736673466/ |
While I feel to some extent the staggering, choppy circles are moving into a trendier genre of design (particularly with certain infographics), I still find the style pleasing when kept conservative and minimalist. Circles, in my opinion, are the most harmonious shape because of their curved lines that don't jut out with sharp corners and angles. The usage of circles in a subtle way brings harmony to the piece as well as creates a very dynamic sense of movement within the piece that continually draws the eye back to the focal-point of the design (rather than off the page).
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| http://papertastebuds.com/?s&paged=81 |
Conceptually this is a very interesting way to go about an infographic. When designing my own infographic, I was overwhelmed with the project seeing as I thought it should be packed with information. The shape and simplicity of the infographic above does not overwhelm me as a viewer because it's a more abstract way of representing information. As someone intimidated with math and statistics, the simplicity of this infographic makes me want to explore the shape and understand the building blocks that make it up (as opposed to immediately shutting down when my eye falls upon pie graphs and "%" characters).
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| http://www.noupe.com/inspiration/stunning-infographics-and-data-visualization.html |
Like the infographic above, the simplicity and abstractness do not put me off as soon as I lay eyes on it; my eyes want to explore the graphic much in the same way the one above does, but, like the Beethoven poster (also above), there is the harmony and repetition of circles that is calming and unified.
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| http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/ready-for-print-typography-posters/ |
Much like the image from my previous blog post ("Good and Bad Designs"), this poster takes typography and makes it organic in ways that start to cross over into the fine-art realm. Because of the simplicity of the design, there is a strong visual impact as well as a strong correlation to the tagline that is more intense and emotional than if a bunch of extra unnecessary elements were crammed into the design. Because of the smokey, almost toxic, chemical nature of the type design, I do almost feel as if I should hold my breath with a tagline that says, "Typography can be a strong weapon". I'm not so sure about the frilly vector art at the bottom foot of the "K"; I think it really takes away from the idea of a weapon and brings in half-way-feelings of maybe nature. Aside from such a minor flub, overall, I am still satisfied with the impact and advantage of one strong visual element with supporting, equally strong text.
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| http://abduzeedo.com/typography-mania-34 |
I really enjoy being able to see the grid of a design. Being able to see the grid creates a rhythm and structure that helps stabilize the design.
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| http://grainedit.com/2008/08/04/450-examples-of-german-and-swiss-modern-book-design/ |
Carrying over more graphic elements of design to other grounds such as a book-cover makes the ground more dynamic. We do not normally see graphic elements on a book (which is ironic since print is a huge part of design, and books are the direct result of print). Book-covers tend to have an unspoken formula viewers expect (title, image, author--boom boom boom), and when viewers have the formula distorted, curiosity alone makes the viewer want to pick up the book and explore it.
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| http://www.behance.net/gallery/Tumblr-Posters/3938803 |
The retro-look is incredibly played out. While at first the retro look was charming, now every time I see designs like this I think of Urban Outfitters (which can be problematic since it really limits the demographic of the audience). I find this particularly troublesome because the poster advertises a call for graphic projects, but because the poster alone makes such a specific statement, I feel it limits not only what type of people would submit art, but I also feel it narrows the creativity of designs by persuading artists to submit work that would appeal to the specific demographic of the people organizing the call of art.
