EDITORIAL : FRONT COVER DESIGNS

NEW PROMOTIONAL POSTER : MEN IN BLACK 3 (MIB 3)

Early images of the latest promotional poster for the film "Men in Black 3" have just surfaced online and they are verrrry good! Working with the abbreviation "MIB3", the designers have chosen to use different weights of the type, to create an image of the main characters' faces. Simple. Effective. Love it! 

BRANDING IN CONTEXT : MAILER MAQUETTES

With my maquettes, which will eventually be made into a mailer, I wanted to base he design around my "W" logo. I felt the shape had such a strong, yet simple, feel to it, that it could translate into pop-up quite easily and effectively. Below are a selection of some of the more stronger maquettes, that I have coupled with lighting and coloured backgrounds to show where I could take the design next.

UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON : CONTROVERSIAL ADVERTISEMENT

the italian luxury fashion brand has hit another nerve with its latest advertisement campaign featuring doctored images of oppositional world and religious leaders...kissing. this is definitely not the first time the company's adverts have ruffled some feathers, the guardian has pulled together some of their most controversial images and it is an interesting portfolio. what do you think of them? personally, there's shock tactics...and then there is shock tactics. all their campaigns feel very forced to me, nothing effortless or truly creative.

check them out here.

UPDATED : EDITORIAL LAYOUTS (2 SETS OF DPSs)

APPLIED NEW MEDIA DESIGN : INTERESTING MICROSITE EXAMPLE

This microsite is to showcase work by artist Justin Marazita. I like it's simple interface, but the fact it still holds a very graphic look and is thorough throughout:

http://www.marazita.com/appendage.html

EDITORIAL LAYOUTS : "PROBLEM DPSs"

2012 OFFICIAL OLYMPICS POSTERS

Continuing on with the "re-branding theme": for each Olympics there is always a strong redesign, to make each one unique and individual to the city that is hosting the event. For London, official posters (representing the Olympic and Paralympic Games) have just been released, all designed by successful artists (such as Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin and many others). It really shows the eclectic range of visuals that can be created and designed from the basis of one starting point (in this instance, the Olympic Games).

Check out the selection of 12 posters here.

(source : guardian.co.uk)

ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH

For all three modules I have decided to somehow intertwine research on the architecture of Wolverhampton into the projects (The logo form will be based around the architectural shapes for Branding in Context, that logo will then affect the animation for Applied New Media Design and my problem/solution will be based around the desolation of buildings and the editorial forms will also be affected by building structures in Applied Editorial Design). So here are my images of the types of forms I am basing my ideas/designs around...

APPLIED NEW MEDIA DESIGN : FINAL LOGO ANIMATION DESIGN

Here is the final design for my logo animation, featuring the rebranded Wolverhampton logo I have created and how I want the final ident to look.

APPLIED NEW MEDIA DESIGN : ANIMATION TESTERS

I had already posted about my "W" logo designs, and it was important while considering my design process that I had to remember the Applied New Media Design module. Considering the fact the animation has to be visually interesting, I wanted to experiment with how I could "fold" up my logo (by creating it physically in paper form) and then begin to translate that to the screen. 

BRANDING IN CONTEXT : WOLVERHAMPTON LOGO DESIGNS

Here is a sheet I have selected from my initial degins for my "W" icon, to accompany the type of "Wolverhampton" and a strapline, that together will form my re-branded logo.

The "W" below is the the icon I believe is strongest visually (mainly in its simplicity and I feel it holds the qualities I wanted to incorporate - architectural structure, inspired by the buildings of Wolverhampton). I also feel it will cross over well into the Applied New Media Design module, as I feel the structure of the icon will lend well to an animation (such as being animated to appear as if it is paper unfolding).

RE-BRANDING MELBOURNE

I found this video ident from a 2009 campaign where the logo and visual brand of Melbourne was redesigned and re-branded. It feels extremely relevant to the "branding in context" AND "applied new media" modules, incorporating logo/brand design with animated logo details. I believe this video shows a very successful design, feeling sleek, uncluttered and relevant to today's visual landscape. I hope to incorporate the same fundamental values in my own work.

LINK : BRANDS NEED TO BECOME 'FRIENDS' WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS

On the telegraph website there is a new article detailing facebook's new plans for it's website and brand (which is still slowly taking over the world, one computer screen at a time...). The writer, Emma Barnett, talks about advertisers taking a more focused look at people's movements on their facebook page to 'get to know them more', or, to advertise more specifically and individually to each person. She questions whether this is a healthy approach and also if other brands will take head from the global giant. On one hand the advertisements would be focused to the individual, relevant pieces or products and would be helpful for something they needed/wanted. But, on the other hand, it does have a hint of "big brother" about it...

What do you think?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/management-advice/8799480/Brands-need-to-become-friends-with-customers-on-Twitter-and-Facebook.html

FIRST POST

So, with this blog I'm hoping to tie together all the research, initial ideas and designs for my semester 1, year 2 modules: Branding In Context, Applied Editorial Design & Applied New Media Design.

The briefs outlined are based on the idea of "re-branding" Wolverhampton, much in the vein of the cities of New York or Barcelona's city re-branding.

I'm hoping that this blog aids me in showing the journey my work will take throughout the design process.

Enjoy :)