Intuit Creative Design News

Antique Eatery

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:00:57 +1200

The vision of Gillian O’Brien and Ted Waters has finally been realised with ‘The Apothecary’ Licensed Cafe and ‘The Eatery’ now open for business. The innovative Zebh Carr heads the kitchen and has worked with the likes of expatriate chefs Peter Gordon and Hamish Brown.

The Task
Ted Waters imported and entire vintage Apothecary (pharmacy) to New Zealand in 2010. With the original plans for the sale of the Apothecary not realised and a chance meeting with Gillian O’Brien the idea was hatched to set up a cafe and eatery with the Apothecary as the backdrop. The task involved brand ID, signage, wayfinding, business cards and menu design.

The Insight
Develop literature for the cafe and eatery that was simpathetic to the vintage theme.

The Solution
A fresh design solution that is clean, uncluttered and sympathetic to it's environment
– Oh and now a very busy cafe and eatery.

“I loved the accessibilty of the boys in bringing this project together. Normally we’d have been in and out of the city to find a comparable creative firm but with Intuit on our door step life was much easier!”
Ted Waters, Owner.

Fall. Safe. Walk Away.

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:16:31 +1300

The Task
With legal changes afoot in the building industry – primarily preventing falls on the building site, an opportunity arose to introduce 'soft landing' systems in New Zealand. The task involved naming, brand development, website and advertising.

The Insight
Develop a brand mark and messaging that delivers a very serious message to the building industry. To position Fallsafe as the only viable 'soft landing' system available. With Fallsafe – serious injury will be prevented saving time, money and stress.

The Solution
A strong name that reflects exactly what it does combined with a vivid colour palette and strong compelling messaging in support of the product.

Delorean

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:21:49 +1300

Interesting article over at 'Logo Design Love.'

Delorean

Replaceface

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:11:45 +1300

Go to Replaceface

This is too cool!

Type Delight

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:04:38 +1300

Made with food ... very delicious.

British Airways Logo Evolution

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:19:32 +1300

The evolution of a well known mark.

Have a look at Logo Design Love

Cartype - A Museum of Automobile Typography

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:19:46 +1300

"CarType features a comprehensive collection of emblems, car company histories, logos, reviews of typographical & graphical applications, design features and just about anything that is car related."

"Additionally, new sections and categories make the site even more comprehensive, like all kinds of new articles, specific car case histories, as well as a variety of car reviews ranging from green vehicles to supercars with tons of content added each and every day so visit often."

The site has been set up by design legend Carlos Segura and is well worth a look around.

Go to site

"The Golden Combover"

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:39:58 +1300

“About four years later, UPS finally was, evidently, ready to change, and the Rand logo was superseded at last with the swooshy, shiny, gradated logo that we all know today and that at the time was so widely criticized by the design community. But not by me. Did I like it? Not really. (I agreed with my colleague Tracey Cameron, who had studied with Rand at Yale and called it “The Golden Combover.”) Was it better than the logos we had presented? Not necessarily. But Futurebrand had done something that we and the others had failed to do: they had convinced the client to accept their solution.”

Excerpted from Graphic Design Criticism as a Spectator Sport, by Michael Bierut.

Sourced from logodesignlove

Aston Martin Adds Nautical Theme to 100th Anniversary Logo

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:36:23 +1300

Chris Dickman commments on the Aston Martin 100 year anniversay logo.

It's not every car company that can celebrate a 100-year anniversary but in January 2013 that will be the case for luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin, perhaps best known as James Bond's car of choice. But the celebration of its past glories seems a bit muted, given that the current CEO in the clip below makes a point of saying that, "I am not a person that looks back." In line with that, to mark the anniversary a graphical element apparently based on the nautilus shell has been added to the logo, resulting in a rather jarring mashup.

The clip spends more time polishing the image of the CEO than that of the car, with Dr. Ulrich Bez, who seems quite pleased with himself, describing the dotted pattern as embodying both the attribute of the nautilus and that of the firm, which we're told both "grow slowly but with a strong harmony." Apparently the dots in the nautilus-derived design add up to the 100 years of the firm's history.

That's all very nice but the question has to be asked: Who cares? And beyond that, could anything less appropriate have been conceived for a firm that takes pride in its racing heritage? It's not as if an Aston Martin is a boat. So perhaps something less nautical, not to mention less aggressively modern, obscure and ugly, might have been in order. I'm not sure that Q would have approved.

There's more about the centenary available on the Aston Martin site.

The NFC Business Cards are here

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:10:23 +1300

QR codes on business cards are so last year. The latest technology in business card design is NFC embedded cards.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It’s a protocol by which a wireless conversation is conducted between two pieces of closely-held electronics.

When you say your first hello and present your business card, you're offering up a little piece of yourself - but with an NFC card it can be a great big piece.

Embedded in the card is a tiny microchip. When it's touched to a smartphone, the chip asks the phone to do something. Something you've told it to. Perhaps download your portfolio, play music or video, load web pages, maps or apps, save your contact details - the possibilities are endless. Think of it like an enormous, dynamic and exciting third side.

The Importance of Brand Identity Style Guides

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:04:39 +1300

An interesting article from Chris Dickman

So just what is a brand identity style guide, or standards manual, as it's sometimes called? Such a document defines a corporation's or institution's (or even a country's) graphical identity, including its logo and how it's used, as well as logo straplines, fonts, colors, numeric styles, you name it. Such guides can be extremely thorough and extend to concrete examples of how these elements must be used for such things as business cards and letterhead, as well as for digital media.

The idea is to ensure a graphical consistency that will unfailingly support the brand identity. The brand guidelines for the Cunard cruise line express this very clearly: "This information has been designed and presented to ensure that the Cunard brand is marketed in an appropriate and consistent manner. It is essential that the heritage, quality, elegance and reliability of one of the world’s leading brand names is upheld and adhered to in all circumstances." Cunard employees, whether designers or those simply employing design elements for creating marketing collateral or other documents, thus know exactly what to do and not do.

Edward Tufte, who knows a thing or two about the importance of clear and consistent design, throws some additional light on this: "In a large corporation, it is very hard to get hold of graphic design. Thousands of employees are putting vast amounts of visual material out for public consumption — forms, advertising, interfaces, manuals, and so on and on. That material represents and exemplifies the corporation and is the design presence, indeed often the very expression, of the corporation along with the products themselves. If there is a well thought-out design standard, it should be followed. In practice, great design comes from great designers. That is empirically the case. If a great designer did a first-rate standard, that model should be followed. Great design is not democratic; it comes from great designers. If the standard is lousy, then develop another standard." It's worth reading his entire statement on his site.

If you're currently in the market for a new logo, you'd do well to spend some time looking at existing guidelines, to better think through how your new logo will be consistently used. And if you're a designer? Well, guidelines are no less than a gold mine of design and deployment practices. Close study of these amounts to the equivalent of an entire graphic design education. So where do you find them? While some are only available in printed form or via corporate intranets, a surprising number can be found simply by searching. Or you can start by working your way through lists that others have compiled. A great place to begin is with one of the most recent of these, a collection of sixty guidelines created by brand identity designer David Airey. I've included a few examples from style guides below to give you an idea what to expect.

Mixed Up Brands

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:00:01 +1300

These little gems from Alex Fioratti

Apple's CEO Tim Cook on Creativity

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:53:28 +1300

"So just to be clear, I wouldn’t call that a process. Creativity and innovation are something you can’t flowchart out. Some things you can, and we do, and we’re very disciplined in those areas. But creativity isn’t one of those. A lot of companies have innovation departments, and this is always a sign that something is wrong when you have a VP of innovation or something. You know, put a for-sale sign on the door."

Read the article here

The Past and Future of Famous Logos

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:38:35 +1300

This from 'Stock Logos'. A very funny look at the future of some of our more well known (and loved) brands ...

Apple

Kentucky Fried Chicken (Sounds better than KFC)

Shell switch from burning fossils to solar energy

Coca-Cola

Xerox

Firefox

IBM

Microsoft

Nokia

2013 Colour of the Year

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:31:06 +1300

Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, lush green, as the Color of the Year for 2013

The 2012 Color of the Year, PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a spirited, reddish orange, provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward. Emerald, a vivid, verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight, as well as promoting balance and harmony.

Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity – no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

Emerald for Fashion
The prevalence of green has been steadily rising for several seasons, especially in the fashion and couture markets, and even on the red carpet. Appropriate for every occasion, Emerald’s classic elegance makes for striking and irresistible women’s formal and everyday wear as well as accessories. Emerald also makes a strong statement in men’s sportswear, knitwear and ties. Fashion designers featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2013, including Tracy Reese, Nanette Lepore, Barbara Tfank, NAHM and Marimekko, are incorporating Emerald into their spring collections. Balanced yet sophisticated, Emerald enlivens all colors in the spectrum and will continue to make a statement beyond spring and summer into fall and winter.

Emerald for Beauty
Equally harmonious on the cosmetic color wheel, Emerald dramatizes all eye colors as it beautifully enhances green eyes, is compatible to blue eyes, emphasizes the green undertone in hazel eyes and intensifies brown eyes to make them appear deeper. Emerald is also a perfect complement to peaches, pinks, roses, ruby reds and aubergines – offering a variety of lipstick and blush options. For those who want to sparkle and stand out, Emerald is the perfect punctuation point in nail color because of its complementary nature.

Sephora and Pantone proudly announce the SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE™ 2013 Color of the Year beauty collection featuring PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, which will be available exclusively at Sephora in March 2013. Sharing a strong passion for how color can transform a face, mood or even an attitude, Sephora and Pantone continue to change how consumers wear, feel and think about color through the second annual radiant and modern Color of the Year beauty collection.

“At Sephora, we pride ourselves on giving our clients first access to what’s on trend – whether that’s a color, a formula or an ingredient story. With the 2013 Color of the Year collection, we achieve all of the above and we couldn’t have a better partner than Pantone,” said Margarita Arriagada, senior vice president of merchandising for Sephora.

The limited edition 2013 Color of the Year beauty collection features a variety of products in Emerald, including eye shadow, nail polish and accessories, and will be available at Sephora stores across the U.S., Sephora inside JCP and Sephora.com.

Emerald for Interiors
Enhance your sense of well-being at home by rejuvenating the interior with Emerald paint, accents and accessories. This jewel-like hue will create a luxurious feel in an entryway, powder room, dining room or study, and bring life to a living room as an accent wall. Add a splash of color to the kitchen and dining room areas with Emerald dinnerware, stemware and appliances.

Enliven your home with Pantone bedding, pillows, bath towels and accessories in Emerald available exclusively at jcpenney stores and on jcp.com beginning Feb. 1, 2013.

“As we re-energize our home department next spring, we are excited to partner with the leading authority on color to introduce the first-ever line of Pantone bedding and bath products,” said Paul Rutenis, jcpenney general merchandise manager for home. “The cheerful array of on-trend pieces will make it easy for customers to infuse the perfect color into any home décor.”

It's a Wrap

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:27:41 +1200

Recent vehicle wraps for Total Supply.

Inspired Every Day Ideas

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:02:05 +1200

A warm welcome to 101 who have just arrived in Howick. We were approached late last year to help them with the store naming, identity, collateral and environmental design.

With a name like 101 the final solution was type driven with the fantastic 'Sahara' - a redesigned 'Bodoni' look which is extremely powerful but also elegant! It was a solution befitting 101 - 'inspired every day ideas.'

Old School Drawing

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:30:44 +1200

We are enjoying a manic week illustrating. Pencils, pen and ink. It brings back memories!

Logo Tangrams

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:14:44 +1200

Well-known logos deconstructed and rearranged.

HSBC, designed by Henry Steiner

NBC, designed by Chermayeff & Geismar, 1985

“I’m fed up with the latest design trend."

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:03:59 +1200

“I’m fed up with the latest design trend. Everything has to be ‘vintage’ style, type has to be centered, all-caps, or written calligraphically. There are lobsters, birds, ribbons, anchors, crowns, arrows, crests, and the famous X everywhere. Personally I like this kind of style. But slowly but surely these cliches are getting overused.”
— DAVE SPENGLER (Originally published on 'Logo Design Love.')

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