Noisy Decent Graphics

Best Credit Crunch Graphics So Far

As spotted by Mike of Surrey.

A while ago I spotted (but failed to blog) that the FT appeared to have commissioned a series of photographs of bank logos. Essentially the signs of Barclays, RBS and the others photographed in many different ways. At night, in the rain, on wooden signs, on illuminated signs and so on.

This, as we've discussed before, is because of a dearth of decent images concerning the Credit Crunch.

This would be a good one though, wouldn't it? Especially for Mandy's comments asking people to stop "bashing" the bankers.

Seriously if you're from the FT or something, give Mike a call, buy this photo off him and win front page of the year at the Press Awards.

We might as well admit we're addicted

From the Keep Calm and Carry On: Design Variations Flickr Pool. My favourite so far is probably FLAG IT AND MOVE ON.

Stop Motion Sunday

Went for a few superb coffees with Beeker and Colmatics this morning. Took a few stop motionesque pictures of the many runners who went past.

The song is called Run On and was borrowed for a bit from Moby who is a very nice man. You can buy Run On via the links on here.

What Brands Can Learn from Euronews

I always assume you lot read all the same blogs as me. Which is very wrong, I shouldn't do that.

The fabulous debate about retiring the black and white logo is fascinating and ongoing. Following on from that Michael Johnson has highlighted this truly awful single colour rebrand.

At first, I thought that was a printing error and something had been left out of the circle. But no, that white circle is their logo. Really.

That's shockingly bad, isn't it?

You should go and look at Michael's post and then look at the hilarious comments on Brand New's review of the logo and then wonder what brands can learn from all of this.

GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS

Have you bought one of Matt's lovely tshirts yet? You should. And you should buy one quick becuase they'll be gone soon. Buy one from Howies.

Graphic Design Joke

If only all print dialogue boxes were like this

Is it time to retire the black and white logo?

I'm working on a couple of identities at the moment where their primary usage is online. You could call them digital identities.

Sure, they will be used offline at some point, people still have business cards, but the over riding majority of times they will be seen online. At least 95% of the time.

A couple of times whist working on these identities we've discussed a black and white version, that's a normal thing to do. And every time someone has asked, why?. Every time it's been a struggle to answer that question.

Lots of you will be horrified by that, but most of the time, I think I'm a pretty traditional designer. Function before form, ideas will always win, etc etc. And I can put together a decent case for a black and white version of a logo. But if you start to look at the evidence it becomes harder and harder to defend. We need to be clear that in the example above I'm specifically talking about digital companies that operate in the digital world. They don't have shops or vans. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's some pretty big money in this arena these days, Amazon, Facebook, Skype, Yahoo! et al. Do they need b+w versions of their logo?

Let's have a look at both sides of the argument.

The case for having a black and white version of your logo

1. It's good discipline.
If your logo can work in b+w it can work in any situation, ever. It's the mark of a good mark that it can be stripped of colour and still work. Think of the classic logos, V&A, Shell, Apple, Kelloggs, VW, IBM, whatever - they all work just as well in b+w.

2. It's practical.
At some time in your companies life you will need a b+w, or single colour, version of your logo. Whether it's to send to the company that makes polo shirts or for the sides of the vans or for the NCR invoices, one day you'll need a b+w logo.

3. It's cheaper.
Put very simply one colour is the cheapest form of production. If you need to produce a full colour logo on every single piece of collateral costs are going to rise. Considerably if you're a large firm.

4. It's a mark of quality.
Often, if a logo can't be produced in B+w that's becuase it's some hideous 3D spinning globe of a thing. And we want to avoid all that, don't we?

The case against having a black and white version of your logo

1. Everything is full colour now.
Almost all printing these days is full colour. With the exception of till receipts it's rare to see a big brand using black and white printing. Do you ever see single colour vans? Do you ever see single colour logos on polo shirts? Come to think of it, does your company have any vans? Would you ever produce polo shirts? And in any case all that media can be full colour, at not much extra cost.

2. You're online almost all of the time
If you're an online firm, like say Google, then you hardly ever exist offline. You don't have shops, or vans or carrier bags. So why do you need a black and white logo? Have you ever seen a single colour version of the Google logo?

Full colour Google logo on stickers, bags and err, a tin of mints? Picture borrowed from Mex Beady Eyes, usual rules apply.

3. It doesn't affect quality.
I've never seen a single colour version of the Google logo. Or the eBay logo. The Tate have a single colour logo, but it's always used in glorious full colour. It doesn't seem to affect them.

Sure, there are some companies who will always need single colour versions of their logo, a brick making company for example. But more and more we're going to see firms who simply have no need for a black and white version.

So, what do you think? Should we retire the black and white logo in 2009?

Decision Paths

We live by the Thames Path. Our bit of it is closed at the moment for some building works. It's pretty well sign posted (as well as you'd expect) and the diversions are clearly marked. The diversion would be obvious to locals but the Thames Path gets much traffic from walkers and cyclists.

I've noticed something about peoples decision process when faced with this sign.

Everyone walks up to the sign, and the barriers, and peers round to see if it's true. Is the path really closed? Could I make it through? Whether they are a single walker, some elderly ramblers, a group of cyclists, American tourists or mums and buggies, everyone goes up to the sign to see if it's true.

Once they've established it is correct, they look around for an alternative route. If there is more than one person, some discussion ensues. Even though there is only one possible route round. It's sign posted and it's obvious, ie it's either follow the signs or go back the way you came.

So far everyone has done the same thing. But here's where something changes. The more people there are in the group the longer that decision takes. Every time. Direct correlation between people in group and time taken to discover the new route (even though it's sign posted).

A lovely thing I saw today

I saw this too, which is lovely. By the nice people at Love.

An ugly thing I saw today

I saw this s'morning. Awful isn't it.

 

I can see what they're trying to do with the whole orange and passionfruit and water in the middle thing. But, seriously, the execution is shocking.

And it the graphic device is so fucking big. It's like the opposite of when the account people make the logo bigger and the device smaller. Awful.

Which is a shame, because I always liked that Brains ad...

Decay

Lovely. From Tom T.

The Changing Face of Letterpress Reminder

Remember I said I'd remind you of this? Well, true to my word I'm reminding you of this.

A series of pretty amazing line ups (and us)

I'm very flattered and slightly apprehensive to be able to announce some forthcoming live dates, both at wonderful events.

On 24th March the Really Interesting Group will be speaking at the Eighth annual Friends of St Bride Library Conference, this year called Revival!

There are some great people speaking. David Pearson of Penguin fame, Yulia Brodskay who does that amazing paper craft lettering and Officina Tipográfica São Paulo who did that lovely Creative Review cover in January. That's a pretty amazing line up (and us). Tickets are a very reasonable £100 (look at the speakers, that's great value for money) and are available now.

The work of David Pearson, Yulia Brodskay and Officina Tipográfica São Paulo. Note to self; it's worth not being shit.

Picture borrowed from and copyright of Moleitau, with many thanks.

We'll also be talking at This Happened on the 12th March at the BFI. This Happened is a series of events focusing on the stories behind interaction design. Past speakers have included Troika, Semitransparent and UVA. Speaking with us are Universal Everything and Artwise. That's a pretty amazing line up (and us). Tickets usually sell out on the day they're issued so keep your fingers on your buzzer.

Cripes. Hope to see you at one of those gigs.

READ THIS

I have very little rules for this blog, but one I try and stick to is 'never just link to stuff'. I hate it when people go, "Oohhh this is cool look at this!" That's lazy and it's what delicious is for.

Anyway, I'll break that rule now.

Mike Dempsey has written up a talk he gave to he RSA in 2005. It's about all sorts of interesting things but essentially it's an overview of graphic design from Caveman to Spray Can. Sort of, it mainly talks about RDI's, obviously.

It's very hard to find a coherent concise history of graphic design. Especially one that covers more than just the Sixties onwards.

You should read it.

If you're a graphic design student, you must read it.

From Caveman to Spray Can.

Colourful.

There is something so lovely about hand painted type. And a colour spectrum. Independently and together.