Intelligent packaging, clever design or simply a throw away gimmick

by antisocialskateboards

In todays over crowded society there appears to be and endless line of companies popping up almost over night and vying for there place in an already saturated market. Many of these companies and their products are short lived, but what about the others ones that stand strong and survive. What makes these companies so different form their competitors. Are they really a more superior product, more competitively priced or does it come down to intelligent packaging. With so many similar items for sale, isle after isle in any given supermarket or store it would certainly make sense that standing out and being noticed will in all probability give you an edge over  your competitors. Clever packaging design is certainly one simple way of achieving this goal. Below is a selection of various different products that have been designed to grab your attention. Are they simply gimmicks or clever design.

                                       These are just some of many great and maybe not so great packaging ideas I came across. Hope you enjoyed having a look at them. And please check out the links bellow as there are so many great packaging designs out there to discover. Enjoy.

http://creativenerds.co.uk/inspiration/30-clever-and-creative-package-designs/

http://www.presidiacreative.com/179-totally-clever-and-creative-package-designs/

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2010/01/design_07.html

http://www.graphicfetish.com/31-clever-packaging-ideas/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Clair – Infographics

by antisocialskateboards

First gaining experience in the creative industry by donating his time as a runner on film shoots in Brisbane, over time Clair gravitated toward the post-production side of things and started working as a designer, editor, writer – and taking whatever work he could find really. After a few stints working for production companies, Clair headed south to Sydney to study motion design at AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School), an experience that formed the basis for the many great things to come.

After graduating from AFTRS, Clair scored a job with MTV Australia, where he was encouraged to push himself to make work that was creative and original.

Specifically, it’s information graphics that Clair really enjoys and excels in – design that makes people think, and, regardless of whether it’s a documentary or news story, he finds it most satisfying to work on pieces that are about sharing information and telling a story.

 “Motion design can be a great medium to have fun with. The technology is changing so fast that new techniques become possible all the time. You can use motion design to mash together pretty much any other medium, and I’m really passionate about innovation and finding new ways to create visuals. Motion design lets you do that.”

It wasn’t long before Clair started working for the ABC’s The Chaser, which he describes as a ‘wild ride’. Being a satirical current affairs style program, the jokes had to be up-to-the minute, which meant that most of the graphics for the show were made the day the program went to air.

 “It can be really exciting starting a sequence from scratch when you know it’s going to be in people’s living rooms in just a few hours,” says Clair. “At first it just scared the hell out of me, but now I find it kind of addictive, working through the panic of it all.”

http://patrickclair.blogspot.com/

http://vimeo.com/patrickclair

http://hungrybeast.abc.net.au/users/pclair

Apple – The Evolution of a Logo

by antisocialskateboards

The apple logo used by Apple Inc is a perfect example of simplicity. And a logo that in it’s simplicity is perfectly suited to Apple’s beautifully streamlined product design. However just as the Apple 1 was not as beautifully simplistic in its design, neither was Apple’s first logo. The very first Apple Computer logo, was an illustration that depicted Issac Newton under an apple tree.

Although it was a beautifully illustrated logo, It only lasted one year before Apple decided on rebranding the company with a more modern logo. The Issac Newton logo was replaced in 1977 with the first ‘Apple logo’.

This logo lasted up until 1998, when Apple replaced the coloured apple with a more simplistic, modern apple. Which was in turn to complement the companies more modern product designs.  It was rumoured that the coloured stripes where used as a means to ‘humanize’ the company. Whatever the reason, the logo lasted 22 years as the company logo.

In 1998 Apple dumped the colourful stripes and went for the ultra modern, almost futuristic look of a monochromatic logo. The overall shape of the logo, however, remains unchanged from it’s original inception 34 years ago.

Today the ‘apple’ logo is one of the worlds most recognized logos. World wide. It is a simple design that is extremely effective. And as Apple continues to go from strength to strength, has proven to be a highly effective and successful rebranding excersice.

Children’s Books, The Illustrations and Illustrators

by antisocialskateboards

A real passion of mine is illustration. I can often be found sketching out ideas and am rarely far from a pad and pen. Although I am comfortable with many styles of illustration, I prefer a more light and happy approach to illustration much like that found within the pages of Children’s books.

It will probably be of no surprise then that I am particularly fond of the light, happy and brilliantly coloured illustrations found within the world of Children’s books.

Books specifically for children existed by the 17th century. Before this time period it is generally believed that books were written mainly for adults. However some stories popular among children were written in the 15th Century. Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur (1486) and the tales of Robin Hood (c. 1450) were not written with children in mind, but children have been fascinated by these stories for centuries.

Children’s books are often illustrated, sometimes lavishly, in a way that is rarely used for adult literature except in the illustrated novel genre popular especially in Japan, Korea and France. Generally, the artwork plays a greater role in books intended for the youngest readers (especially pre-literate children). Children’s picture books can be a cognitively accessible source of high quality art for young children.

Many authors work with a preferred artist who illustrates their words; others create books together, and some illustrators write their own books. Even after children attain sufficient levels of literacy to enjoy the story without illustrations, they continue to appreciate the occasional drawings found in chapter books.

    

There are so many talented Children’s book illustrators, above is just a small selection of talent. I hope you enjoyed  the illustrations I selected. And please check out the links bellow.

http://www.thestylefile.com/

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

http://cbca.org.au/default.aspx

http://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.wordpress.com/

http://www.illustratorsaustralia.com/portfolios/finder/category/childrens_books