ZEITGEIST

an extract from Zeitgeist.

the past few years, possibly due to my new found love of pessimism, i have started to read up on conspiracy theories. 'zeitgeist' is a Michael Moore style of documentary, but directed by Peter Joseph. the aim of the film is to inform people of the governments big plans. the overall message being that people in power are greedy for more, more power and more wealth which they plan to gain by tricking the passive tax payers. the film is highly informative although is edited horribly, some still shots of what appears to be a sun set being screened for far too long. the voice over explains what the visual (usually an animation or a press cutting) means in sometimes a overly complicated way, but mostly on a wave length any one could understand.

it is definitely worth a watch (so long as you were already grumpy and often ask 'whats the point in living then?')
the director encourages the film to be copied and distributed to as many people as possible to get the message across.

it left me feeling like i could not possibly change what will eventually happen, and that the people in power will always have the upper hand making the decisions and manipulating to their advantage. i dont know whether i feel better knowing, or whether i should have just gone along with 'what i dont know cant hurt me'.

you can watch zeitgeist online
www.zeitgeistmovie.com

PEOPLE COLLECTOR

peoplecollector.net

a 'just for fun' site collecting and displaying images with the same 'tag'.

uninteresting on their own, but as a collection these photos become brilliant.
there are hundreds of categories you can view, each showing pictures of different people in the same situation, or in this case.. wearing a green jumper.

very simple yet inventive.

WWF

not wrestling.

i found this after being prompted to sign up through an email.

'get on board' is the latest campaign to reduce carbon emissions from the world wildlife fund. a huge paper boat was placed on London's south bank to draw peoples attention to the issue, and to the campaign, and to illustrate to politicians that they aren't doing enough about it. the boat is a visual representation of the scale of the problem and the amount of people who want to change it. giving meaning to the phrase 'get on board', it refers to the boat and to the campaign.

after being directed to the website in the email, i found it interesting.

there are sections which seem cut out, and three dimensional. i liked the idea of a colour showing through, as if the web page had been cut to reveal an underneath layer of paper.
there is a friendly and organic feeling about the site. the colours, typography and layout arent the best, but the use of origami and the cut out sections are playful and manage to illustrate a very serious problem in an interesting and clear way.

ORANGE

http://unlimited.orange.co.uk

this image shows the loading screen of a section of the latest orange web site. being very simple and very orange, it reminds me of the old lucozade advert. most of the phone company websites are functional, but always seem dull. this breaks away from the norm, being very simplistic yet still as informative. a lovely site and a fresh way to advertise orange products.

GIFS

www.sweetgifs.com

gifs remind me of boring forums, these are totally different, each one is a little animation rather than a pointless moving picture

reinventing the usually quite dull gif. on this site there are a series of works by two guys who have taken fun subjects and created a short animation.

some more imaginative than others, but all an improvement on the rest of the gifs out there.

PHOTOSHOP DISASTERS

i can spend hours on this website. it is the perfect place to learn how NOT to do things.

there are some classics on the site

http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com

it is proof that you cannot trick people with bad or lazy photoshopping as someone (or in some cases, everyone) will always notice, and most probably post it on this site.

INTERACTIVE DRAWINGS

by Henrik.

these drawings (with a little help from Photoshop) interact with the creator and the viewer. each one has a twist which flips the image from seeming 2 dimensional to being 3D.

an amazing idea which works really well.
i found a collection of them here

www.humoric.net/2008/09/17/14-amazing-interactive-drawings/

some of which you have to really study before realising the contrast between reality and fantasy.

HELLOSOURSALLY.COM

a lovely website made for promoting a frozen yogurt brand in the US. even the loading screen is nice to watch.

it then takes you to the main site, where you are greeted by a big tub of yogurt, there are also instruction on how to navigate.

you can guide sally around with the cursor guiding the balloon where you want her to go.


it's a lovely and simple site done in an illustrative style. the music becomes a bit annoying, but at first suits the design of the site. there's something about it which seems organic and fresh. the few colours that are used are very bright and natural, and the white back ground helps to suggest purity. its quite girly i guess, but well worth a visit.

www.hellosoursally.com

HAND JOB

A catalog of type. by Michael Perry

this book wasn't really what i was expecting. i thought it would be a typeface a page, a-z and 1-9 , instead they are full of words, lettering, scribbles and colour. much more fun than i had anticipated. it collates all kind of hand drawn typefaces, some photographed in context, others doodled on the page. the range is fantastic. i will definitely take inspiration from the designs, i wouldnt say were all usable (like some of the graffiti designs) but were great to study anyway.
all typefaces started as a hand drawn idea, this book is an interesting and inspiring reference for designing new ones, and reworking traditional ones.
my favorite typeface designer featured is Curtis Flanagan

'ribbon' typeface.

www.curtisflanagan.com

DEREK BACON

this image, which on his website is called 'the horse and the cow from the dog heads', is an example of how Bacon combines illustration with photography and collage. the effect being a confusing jumble of reality and imagination. his images are always strange, but done in a photographic style, making them seem like a record of a moment which actually happened. i don't normally like clean and perfect pictures which are heavily manipulated, but Bacon has a very innovative and unique style, and his subject matter is always entertaining.
www.derekbacon.com

FISH PEDICURES

i don't think this is particularly relevant to design, but i thought it was interesting enough to mention.
"Owners of Yvonne Hair and Nails in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington DC, estimate 5,000 customers have so far tried the unorthodox treatment, in which customers immerse their feet in warm water filled with tiny, voracious carp." - telegraph.co.uk

this new method removes dead skin from feet before having a regular salon pedicure. customers sit for up to 30 minutes with their feet in a tank full of fish whilst they nibble away at hard dead skin.

i don't know comfortable i would be with fish eating my feet.

they haven't got teeth, so surely it would tickle?

HOT HEINZ

an interesting way to illustrate Heinz's new hot ketchup product. taking a recognisable image and subtly changing it to suit the product and its selling point.

by Shalmor Avnon Amichay / Y&R for Heinz

JOHN NOUANESING

'Paint or die but love me'

this piece by Nouanesing appears to be floating. it cleverly uses the runny characteristics of paint to disguise the tables legs. its reflective finish also makes the paint appear wet. a fun alternative to a regular table.

CAROLINA PATCHWORKS

a very usable, attractive and retro design to reinvent the traditional patchwork quilt. with the come back of 8bit video games as people respond to advances in technology by reverting back to retro items and games, these are a brilliant idea. the pixelated nature of older games such as 'super mario' lends itself perfectly to patchwork. there are only very few being made including characters such as pac man.

www.carolinapatchworks.com

NIKOLAI SUTYAGIN

"The Russian gangster who built this awesome building call it “the eighth wonder of the world,” while others dismiss it as an abomination. But one thing is certain: Nikolai Sutyagin’s building is not something you see everyday." - Telegraph
with 13 floors, this is the world’s tallest wooden house and is in Russia. However, it is under threat of demolition from city authorities as they fail to realise its beauty. i think its great, there is a sense of fairytale about it and should be praised rather than hated. it is original and doesnt conform to the regular red brick housing estate homes which we see too often.

i say keep it and celebrate it.

DRESS FOR DINNER

an ingenious napkin design to advertise a tie company. the range is called 'dress for dinner'. these could make any outfit appear smart whilst still serving the purpose of a napkin.

CLINQUE

by WE marketing group, Shanghai
client: Clinque.

an elegant way to present Clinque's new mascara. by simply cutting the top of a page, which only become separated and 'lash-like' once the page is turned, making you look at the advert twice. a very clever way to draw attention to the product, and represent the mascaras promise of defined eye lashes.

ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG

featured painting: 'estate' 1963

"i work in the gap between art and life"

since discovering Rauschenberg whilst studying art at high school, i have admired his ability to create such captivating paintings and collages which simply yet accurately describe his environment and subject matter. his paintings always seem a bit 'messy'. they are obviously very spontaneous which adds an element of danger and offers a true reflection of his feelings towards his subject. all of the elements included in his paintings, even if completely unrelated, seem to gel together as he used smears if colour and thoughtful collage to create an overall emotion.

it is only when you try and recreate or equal a Rauschenberg piece, that you truely understand and appreciate his talent.

OREO

by Draft FCB, New York for Oreo.

as the lift (which has a picture of an oreo biscuit on it) comes down, it meets a massive glass of milk. a serving suggestion on a huge scale and an innovative way to use the motion of a lift as a form of guerrilla marketing.

HP

rebranding.
to me this logo has always read "no" the arch of the H with the middle of the P, maybe a hidden message? in the new logo, i see "no" more, maybe due to the position of the added highlights.
i don't know why companies see the appeal of having shiny, silvery and beveled logos. to me the old one works far better. i think if they had kept the oblong design, maybe reworked it a little to update it, but ultimately leave it how it was, it would become timelessly stylish and remain instantly recognisable. the re-branding looks too fancy and is unnecessary.

not a fan.