FEATURING: Typography & Layout design

I am excited to share this website because I am interested in typography and layout design. I don’t remember how I came upon it but like that it focuses specifically on typography in Switzerland.It is called swisstype.net. The idea of taking pictures of cool design wherever you go is great.

The picture of these two theater posters came from the website. I think they are intriguing partly because of the expressions and gestures of the singers and also the typography. In the Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) poster the decision to hyphenate “Zauberflöte” works because it creates balance as “Flöte” and 17.12 are placed below and above “Zauberflöte.” The diagonal lines are interesting. This is a trend in design that I've noticed.

Finding these posters gave me the idea to listen to Carmen and I came across another good design. The things that stand out the most to me are the bright red illustration in the middle (did you notice the bull head coming out of the folds of her dress?). Also, the layout of the information is organized well. The horizontal line of the CD title leads the eye to the right to the vertical line of pictures. This 90 degree angle is a nice frame for the illustration.The type is also red, and the interesting use of both curves and sharp edges in the type is daring. I think the colors and type choice represent the main character (Carmen) as she is bold, impulsive and seductive.

Learning how to mix different typefaces, especially how to do it well and what to avoid, also interests me. The next example is from a Swiss sports market. I have never seen anything like this example below. A script paired with the sort of bubble slab serif looks like it actually works. The script type is taller and thinner than "sport" so the fat, spread out letters are contrasting. What really catches the eye is "sport" which describes what the store sells so I think that this contrast is a good thing.

 

One last thing that is not related at all to this post is a design blog I found with great tips for designers. The company is called Effusion and is based in AZ. There is a funny design video I found on their blog. The Process.

Broadbase Designs

While looking at packaging design on thedieline.com, I found an example of design that combines packaging and product into one. The design was created by Broadbase for Tala, a company that sells retro cooking supplies. Here is the link to the Tala Original’s page on the dieline. Looking at these designs led me to Broadbase’s website where I found other great examples of design that I’ll talk about, too. 
 

This is a unique approach to packaging design because in a lot of cases, the packing of a product is disposed of and that is the end of the design. The idea of combining a product and its packaging design helps continue to advertise for the company. If people like the old-fashioned look of Broadbase’s designs for Tala, then they may continue to buy products from Tala. Something else interesting about the design is the company looked in the Tala archives and used that is inspiration for the early 20^th century style of these products. They were brought up to date with modern day printing technologies. I like the idea of taking an old style and bringing it back by putting it on something that is used and seen on a daily basis. I kind of see it as being able to interact with the past. I have also attached a link to an online kitchen store that sells Tala products if anyone is interested in looking at more of their products. Here is a like to Broadbase’s home page, also. 

I explored Broadbase’s website and came across another cool design sample. It is for the Treasure contemporary jewelry exhibition that takes place at the Somerset House in the UK each year. The Somerset house is a venue and it was Broadbase’s job to create designs for the jewelry exhibition. Based on the photography of the event and a short video about the exhibition, I think the design company captured the beauty and elegance of the modern jewelry displayed in the exhibit. The use of swirls and script text creates the sophisticated feel of the event but the use of bright colors makes the design feel fun and fresh. In their description of the project, Broadbase explains that the color theme changes each year. It is a plus that the logo and design can change while still retaining the identifiable traits that make it unique to Treasure. Here is the link to Broadbase’s page on the exhibition.

 

The final example of design I would like to show you is of an arts and crafts book Broadbase designed. The book is titled The New Artisans and is by Olivier Dupon. I found out about this book when I clicked on shop in Broadbase’s website menu. It features current artisans and talks about their craft. Here is a link to a different blog that features the book. I like the use of simple layout and an emphasis on beautiful photography. I think the cover of the book is eye catching with the red spine and illustration of a deer with roses. Also, the use of white text against the grey background helps the book stand out. Hopefully I can get my hands on this book someday! It looks like it would be a lot of fun to read.