Be a team player and set your boundaries

When I think of a team, I often think of the human body, each part of the body serves it’s own purpose, and without one part of the body doing it’s role, other body parts will either suffer or have to overcompensate for the failing part’s faults. 

As Designers we are given responsibilities and deadlines that must be met, because of this we must be accountable to the people around us and pull our weight as part of a team. However, with this, others also need to also be accountable to us. So like these body parts, we must be team players. 

Something I have learned while working in a studio environment is the importance of a timeline. This sets out exactly when things are due and how the project will be completed by the deadline. It also stops things from being left till the last minute and causing great amounts of stress for the whole team. In the human body when the ears can not hear, or the eyes do not see, the brain as a result of this does not have the information to process. Like this analogy, when people don’t respect deadlines within a timeline, this often has implications on others, and as designers, this implication falls on us. How can we complete a brief if the information promised is not provided? It is not possible.

The sad reality though is that PEOPLE ARE UNRELIABLE.

As a designer it is extremely important for us to set strong boundaries with the people we work with. By doing this we are showing that we respect ourselves as designers, and ask that others also do the same, and understand that the work we do is important and takes time, effort, and skill. Because lets face it, (and not this is not intended in an arrogant way), not everyone could do the work we do.

So I guess the key think I’m trying to say is do your bit, and set your boundaries, you are designer and this is something that people should respect.

The Distillery

Last week, our Design Studio class had the opportunity to accompany our second year 'babies' design students to a really unique and exciting place in Sydney.

The Distillery is the only one of its kind in Sydney with the capability to produce high numbers of specialty design pieces. They have 3 ‘Original Heidelberg’ printing machines, which require a higher level of manual operation than todays printing methods.

Their main area of expertise is in letterpress, which uses a ‘kissing’ technique to create an ink imprint into the surface of a paper. This technique has become incredibly popular in the past few years and everyone on the excursion was excited to see what The Distillery does.

Whilst there, we were given an opportunity to mix paint to create a specific Pantone swatch colour. This was interesting to me, as I was able to see how manually laborious this process really is. There is no way that this technique could be achieved without human interaction (unlike the digital way of the world nowadays). Unlike what we are used to, sending a document to a printer and receiving it back almost instantly; this printing process can take a number of days on production alone. There are significant checks and tweaks that needs to happen even before a project can be considered ‘ready for print’.

We were also shown through the process of setting a machine up for print, and how each mechanical part in the machine performs its individual function. While the machine operator was explaining this, it seemed an awful lot like trying to learn to drive a manual car (it seems complicated and detailed but once you understand the steps, it becomes easy and fun).

One of the most interesting points that I’ve noted for a later date is that when designing for letter press, the more detailed the design (covering less of an area of a page) the better it will look. Also, the less colour the cheaper, quicker, and easier the job will be to produce.

In summary, I found the printing technique of letterpress to be an art form in itself and have a high appreciation of it. The results are beautiful and unique and definitely something I hope to design for in the future.

Check it out here. 

The Importance of Colour in Branding

The importance of colour in a brands design it recognisable and stand out. Colour is the first thing we notice when looking at brand. Majority of people remember a brand by its colours. Colour communicates moods to the audience. It signifies different meanings and interpretations. When the audience first sees the corporate brand design they react to its colours. The colours of a corporate brand design can either make it memorable or easy to forget.

Whilst restocking the fridge at work I noticed a change.. Some of the drinks and packaging were different. At first glance I didn’t like the new designs, simply because there weren’t what I had expected and was used to. When I got home I googled these new designs to compare them.  This is what I found and my opinion of the new designs.

The first design I noticed was Powerade.
  

Old Design

New Design

They have kept the same colours but changed the logo and style of the bottle. The new bottle is more rounded and slimline. It looks nicer to grip and hold in your hands opposed to the original square rigid shaped bottle.
  The new logo is flat and straight, but this makes it look more stylish, contemporary and modern. The typeface is different to the original. The black outline effect and slant on the old logo looks dated. I like that they have kept the original colours as the previous bottles. This makes the brand still recognisable despite the design change that also makes restocking the fridge easy.
 I personally think that by keeping their original colours, the brand is still recognisable as Powerade, it is just a new modern look.
 The second design change I noticed was Cool Ridge. They too, changed their logo, but did not keep their original colours.
 

Old Design

New Design

Coolridge has also changed their bottle to a more rounded and slimline shape. They have changed the original blue to a deeper and richer colour. And then added red. I don’t like their choice of having red to resemble ‘Australian Water Springs’. I don’t know their rationale behind that choice either so I’m not looking at these designs objectively. But for me, I don’t associate red with water; I associate red with fire, heat, roses that are quite the extreme opposite of water.
 They have changed the typeface of the logo, the positioning of the words is slightly similar. I noticed that in the new design the ‘r’ is the only letter capitalised which is interesting. I personally prefer the original design, because it resembles water more then the new design does.
                   

As designers we are asked to all design sorts of things, sometimes we love the brief we are given, and sometimes we just want to cringe…for me, this was poster design. It didn’t matter how I tried to look at it I just couldn’t get my head around poster design. I mean why do we need to design on such large pieces of paper for a small amount of information anyway? I just didn’t understand what the relevance was.

However, once I started finding posters that actually inspired me—rather than making me cringe, I started to see how poster creation could actually be an art in itself. Here are a few posters I love and a little bit about how they changed my opinion from hatred to love.

My City—by Michelle Carlslund

http://www.etsy.com/listing/119795715/my-city-poster?utm_campaign=Share&share_id=5729584&utm_medium=PageTools&hmac=2cce125fccb6c1d8fad1d77d9891b9b44ee2e028&utm_source=Pinterest

This poster incorporates texture and pattern in order to create interest in the design. What I found interesting about it is how texture can be used in line with elements of distortion to create an image with depth. I also loved the colour palette used—which mixes soft and rich tones creating a contemporary feel to the design of the poster.

Save Trees Save Earth—by Flyerfolio

http://designspiration.net/image/417982228022/

This design was one that I fell in love with instantly. The poster promotes the environment using simple imagery and a fresh colour palette, as well as geometric shapes, which draw in the eye.

Built to Spill—by Justin LaFontaine

http://holykaw.alltop.com/clever-built-to-spill-concert-poster-design

This Poster was designed to promote the band ‘Built to Spill’ in one of their 2010 shows. The poster is extremely effective in promoting the band’s name through the illustration of an oil spill in the ocean, which has links to the name ‘built to spill’, and draws attention to the poster. I also loved this design because of the use of white space, which helps to emphasize the importance of what is said and doesn’t overwhelm the viewer, as well as the contemporary colour palette, which is calm and on-trend.

500 Days of Summer—Screen Play

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e3/56/4c/e3564cfaddcf38f5b4702aaea9516184.jpg

This Poster uses Minimalism to illustrate distinguishing features of a girl and a boy in order to emphasize the concept ‘girl meets boy’. What I loved about this was the basic eye catching colour palette and illustration which is simple yet extremely effective.

Les Americains—by Robert Efurd

http://www.graphic-exchange.com/04cd.htm

This design is calming and beautiful to look at, and has been extremely effective in promoting the band ‘Les Americains’; giving people a taste of what their music is like. The typography used is easily legible and allows the subject matter to take the focus and draw attention. What I really loved about this design is it’s ability to be bold yet calming all at the same time.

Market research can be fun?

Over the weekend That Design had the opportunity to do some market research for our clients Signs Publishing. The focus group we conducted was held over an afternoon tea. Having this relaxed environment surrounding the group helped it to be less awkward and afternoon to run smoothly. As you can see from the images the afternoon was a success!! We were so excited to have the opportunity to host this for Signs. After a couple of hours talking and eating with our focus group we were able to draw together some very valuable research. Who knew holding focus groups could be so much fun, we had a great time. Thanks to all involved.

Poster Design—A love hate relationship

As designers we are asked to all design sorts of things, sometimes we love the brief we are given, and sometimes we just want to cringe…for me, this was poster design. It didn’t matter how I tried to look at it I just couldn’t get my head around poster design. I mean why do we need to design on such large pieces of paper for a small amount of information anyway? I just didn’t understand what the relevance was.

However, once I started finding posters that actually inspired me—rather than making me cringe, I started to see how poster creation could actually be an art in itself. Here are a few posters I love and a little bit about how they changed my opinion from hatred to love.

My City—by Michelle Carlslund

http://www.etsy.com/listing/119795715/my-city-poster?utm_campaign=Share&share_id=5729584&utm_medium=PageTools&hmac=2cce125fccb6c1d8fad1d77d9891b9b44ee2e028&utm_source=Pinterest

This poster incorporates texture and pattern in order to create interest in the design. What I found interesting about it is how texture can be used in line with elements of distortion to create an image with depth. I also loved the colour palette used—which mixes soft and rich tones creating a contemporary feel to the design of the poster.

Save Trees Save Earth—by Flyerfolio

http://designspiration.net/image/417982228022/

This design was one that I fell in love with instantly. The poster promotes the environment using simple imagery and a fresh colour palette, as well as geometric shapes, which draw in the eye.

Built to Spill—by Justin LaFontaine

http://holykaw.alltop.com/clever-built-to-spill-concert-poster-design

This Poster was designed to promote the band ‘Built to Spill’ in one of their 2010 shows. The poster is extremely effective in promoting the band’s name through the illustration of an oil spill in the ocean, which has links to the name ‘built to spill’, and draws attention to the poster. I also loved this design because of the use of white space, which helps to emphasize the importance of what is said and doesn’t overwhelm the viewer, as well as the contemporary colour palette, which is calm and on-trend.

500 Days of Summer—Screen Play

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e3/56/4c/e3564cfaddcf38f5b4702aaea9516184.jpg

This Poster uses Minimalism to illustrate distinguishing features of a girl and a boy in order to emphasize the concept ‘girl meets boy’. What I loved about this was the basic eye catching colour palette and illustration which is simple yet extremely effective.

Les Americains—by Robert Efurd

http://www.graphic-exchange.com/04cd.htm

This design is calming and beautiful to look at, and has been extremely effective in promoting the band ‘Les Americains’; giving people a taste of what their music is like. The typography used is easily legible and allows the subject matter to take the focus and draw attention. What I really loved about this design is it’s ability to be bold yet calming all at the same time.

Time Management

When asked to write a post for the blog I immediately thought, ‘I need to add that to my list.’ So with that came my topic: time management. 

Time management plays an important role in design (and life in general) that can often be overlooked. It is a skill that can be learnt and make balancing tasks and life a lot easier. So here are some things that come to mind when trying to be organised and efficient with your time.

The first thing I do to keep myself organised is making lists. Whether it is in a diary, notepad, stickies, phone or all of them, lists assist in keeping you on track. When I write lists I priorities tasks in order of there due date so I know which ones I need to get done first and how long I have until they are due.

Making use of free time will also help manage time. Do things straight away or as soon as you think of it. Or perhaps surround yourself with Nike; ‘Just do it!’ 

Reward yourself! When completing a task give yourself a reward so that you are motivated and continue getting through your tasks. 

Take breaks! To avoid feeling overwhelmed give yourself a few minutes between tasks to relax and get away from what you are doing. Have a cup of tea, go for a walk, stretch or have some chocolate. :)

As much as I love technology, diaries are a great way to keep on track. Physically writing down each task on their deadlines will help it to stick in your memory.

Have a weekly/monthly planner. Being able to see how many days/weeks you have until a task is due should help to get yourself into gear. 

Concentrate on one thing at a time. Do one task, complete it or work on parts of it, then move on to the next.  

Set personal deadlines and try to keep them. Having alarms on your phone for reminders really helps.

If you can, work in a team and delegate responsibilities. 

Make a place where you can go to work on tasks to get you in the zone. 

Avoid procrastinating and making excuses. Funnily enough if I am procrastinating I will tidy and organise things. Ill organise files on my computer, delete things I don’t need and re-organise my already organised lists. It’s a little obsessive but it distracts me from the task at hand. Once I’ve got nothing left to organise I get back to my work (or eat, have a tea then do my work). I guess its sort of win-win.

With all that in mind, we still need to have some sort of social life so delegate time for work and other activities to have an even balance. Make other activities your reward for working hard to meet deadlines.  

My Favourite Album Covers

I’ve tried all methods of procrastination to avoid writing this blog post.
Cleaning, exercising, organising, and socializing in all areas of my life not relating to the work I’m meant to actually be doing. I even try telling myself that I can’t actually get stuck into my work until I have built up a playlist to last me the extensive hours I will be spending completing the work.
That’s when I had an idea.
Whilst I’m building up this 7 hour long playlist, why not choose my favourite album covers and share them with those who appreciate good design most?
So, without further ado, here are my top 10 album covers as found in my iTunes library (in no particular order). 
(That's a lie, they're in alphabetical order).

2004-2009 – The Getaway Plan

This album art  is closely linked to it's predecessor 'Other Voices, Other Rooms', which also features an iceberg, but this cover looks better (which is why it made the list...). This album was released after the band decided to call it quits in 2009, hence the release of this 'best of' album, and the art will always remind me of my young 19 year old self.

Glorious Ruins – Hillsong

Don't tell the other albums in this list, but this is my favourite album cover of all time. Daytime fireworks (which look just as amazing in real life as they do in the album art) and gold foiling make for another successful production from the designers at Hillsong, and we all know how much I'm inspired by their work (see my previous blog post).

Homesick - A Day To Remember

When you compare all of A Day To Remember's album covers, you notice they all feature this identity-less figure. I'm not sure what the statement is that they're trying to make with this concept, but I'm a fan of the continuity it brings to their albums.

Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – Gwen Stefani

The first album I ever purchased when I was 14, there's something about the distortion and mess of colour that sucks me in and makes my mind want to discover what is happening in this artwork. Well done Gwen, you've managed to find an album cover that looks as you sound (which is a great thing!).

Plagues – The Devil Wears Prada

If you've really been reading this post, you may have noticed that this cover, and the Homesick cover look very similar. And you would be right in that assumption. The artists name is Dan Mumford and his work seems to be a reoccurring favourite of mine (he's made a number of my favourite album covers that didn't quite make the list). Dan, you're a creative genius.

Singularity – Northlane

I don't know whether it's the beautiful fusion of colour featured in the sky, or the weird ritual happening in the foreground, but I just love the album cover for Northlane's latest album.

On second thoughts, I think it's the sky that I like about this cover.

Sound of Melodies – Leeland

If I were to hone my illustration skills, this would be very similar to my own personal style. I guess that's why I like it. That, and my OCD smiles at the symmetry.

The Flood Deluxe 2 – Of Mice & Men

An ampersand that looks textured and 3D. Need I say more?

United Paper People – Kisschasy

A personal favourite of mine was listening to Debaser's presentation at AgIdeas 2013. They are responsible for this album cover (which is apparently based on oil paintings). This cover was a favourite of mine when it was released in 2005, and still continues to be. I guess that speaks volumes about the creative geniuses behind this artwork.

What Seperates Me From You - A Day To Remember

I couldn't decide between this and the Homesick cover, so I decided to feature both in my list (that's the reason why there's 11, but I'm sure you didn't notice that, right?). The figure is featured again, as is a few of the bands acquaintances, as people walking behind the hourglass.
I'm a fan of this illustration style.

Zion – Hillsong United

Yes, I wrote about this last time. Yes, this is the eleventh album cover when I said there would only be ten. Yes, it is another album cover from Hillsong.

I can't help myself! The designers at Hillsong may as well be a unicorn. They're mystical, magical, and poop out rainbows like this album cover.

So there you have it. My favourite album covers, and the blogpost I thought would never happen. 

"Album design will exist as long as music is being produced." – Debaser

Blog post by Danelle Morton