Here is a few examples of really good print ads I have seen and collated over the last couple of years. I apologise that I can’t credit them all correctly but it would take me far too long.
Most of the examples show just how powerful a tool Photoshop is and how great graphic design always begins with a great idea. As Flint & Tinder it is my job to specialise in great ideas so if you’re looking to get any graphic design for either or web or print commissioned, particularly if you are in either Portsmouth, Southsea, Hampshire or West Sussex, then please check out my site at flintandtinder.co.uk and see just what I can do for you.
I know it’s a bit self-indulgent, but I thought I’d put in one of Flint & Tinder’s own designs in here as well. Below is a concept for a cleaning company I produced during my last agency position. Unfortunately they decided to go for a more human approach to their imagery instead. This does mean of course that this idea is going to waste, so if you’re a cleaning company looking for some new ads or a new website, get in touch here.
Whilst I was out in Southsea the other day, I stopped off for lunch at ‘The Belle Isle’, Portsmouth’s new bar situated in Osborne Road.
My first impressions of the place were good, it is a nice airy feel to it with lots of natural light coming in through the wall to ceiling glass front panels. The attention to detail of all the branding was impressive and definitely helped give the place a laid-back surfer ‘vibe’. The furniture still left a little bit to be desired though – once again it seems a Portsmouth bar has opted to buy up a load of mismatched uncomfortable old school chairs rather than actually invest in something better – however it did all fit in with the style of the decor and there did seem to be a few sofas tucked away.
The menu head-chef Dave Wooly has put together was impressive and reasonably priced. I could have quite easily selected several dishes off the menu that took my fancy and none of them would have been over a tenner. I think I would probably describe the menu as pre-dominantly Mexican but with a selection of various other dishes from around the globe and a couple of fresh seafood dishes (which is always welcome considering where Portsmouth is!). A few notable ones I jotted down include jerk chicken curry, mango chicken salad, warm chorizo potato and halloumi salad & shipwreck mussels. In the end though, I opted for a Chilli Beef Burrito. When the food came it was beautifully presented and came with all the trimmings I was hoping for: salsa, sour cream and guacamole. I eaten a far view Burritos in my time and this was definitely up there with the better ones. The consistency was thick without being to sticky and the tortilla was crisp rather than soggy. For £6.95 the Burrito was a decent size and did a good job of filling me up for the rest of the day. If I had one gripe I would say it could have been a bit hotter spice wise, but I understand that that is more personal preference than a real criticism. My partner opted for a lunch-time bagel filled with cream cheese and chives and for only £3 she was equally impressed.
Considering the surprising lack of real diversity and quality of pub cuisine in both Portsmouth and Southsea, The Belle Isle is a welcome addition especially considering how reasonable the prices are too. I will definitely be putting this on the list of affordable eats along with The Vines, A Bar Bistro, Cafe Parisian and the 10th Hole. I am yet to experience the venue with just drinking in mind, but judging by the clientele, the style of the venue and the people who run it, I’m sure I will be soon.
To follow on from my own post on the subject yesterday, I thought I’d post the 10 principles of good graphic design according to Dieter Rams.
Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer mostly associated with the consumer products company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design. In the world of product design, Rams is an hugely inspirational figure and has influenced many of the current designers whose products we revere for their aesthetics and functionality such as Jonathan Ive, the British designer and Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple.
Back in the early 1980s, Dieter Rams was becoming increasingly concerned by the state of the world around him – “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises.” Aware that he was a significant contributor to that world, he asked himself an important question: is my design good design? In order to measure his success he devised the following principles which are also know occasionally as the ’10 commandments’. Reading them back now, I think many of the points relate to graphic design just as much as product design.
Quite often in the business world, graphic design concepts for projects such as branding identities, website design and direct mailers can get diluted by the subjective opinions of both the person or people who commission the work and the designer himself. Sometimes these subjective decisions are not always what is best for the end-user or the target audience of the work. As a result I believe anyone producing or commissioning design work could do worse than to study the following principles from time to time as they will help bring direction to a project and help make sure that the fundamental questions that a graphic design project must be able to answer in order to be called a success – such as, ‘What does this piece of work say?’, ‘Who is it for?’, ‘What does it do?’ – are never forgotten amongst our own subjective opinions.
It does not copy existing product forms, nor does it produce any kind of novelty just for the sake of it. The essence of innovation must be clearly seen in all of a product’s functions. Current technological development keeps offering new chances for innovative solutions.
02. Good design makes a product useful
The product is bought or used in order to be used. It must serve a defined purpose — in both primary and additional functions. The most important task of design is to optimize the utility of a product’s usability.
03. Good design is aesthetic.
The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
04. Good design helps us to understand a product.
It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.
05. Good design is unobtrusive.
Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
06. Good design is honest.
It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it normally is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
07. Good design has longevity.
It does not follow trends that become outdated after a short time. Well designed products differ significantly from short-lived trivial products in today’s throwaway society.
08. Good design is consequent to the last detail.
Nothing must be arbitrary. Thoroughness and accuracy in the design process shows respect toward the user.
09. Good design is concerned with the environment.
Design must make contributions toward a stable environment and sensible raw material situation. This does not only include actual pollution, but also visual pollution and destruction of our environment.
10. Good design is as little design as possible.
Less is better — because it concentrates on the essential aspects and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity!
Good design takes time and co-operation. I understand that design is a business investment and as a result I will involve you in the process as much as possible. I want you to feel as passionate about the project as I do.
SIMPLICITY
There’s no need to over egg the pudding. Sometimes less is more.
SUSTAINABILITY
I aim to make sure that every project I do has a long shelf life. A really good piece of design should be timeless. Short term fixes inevitably require more time and effort than doing the project properly in the first place. I believe in all round efficiency.
I believe that it is every business’ responsibility to make sure that the work they produce doesn’t have a detrimental effect on our environment and whenever possible should try to use recycled materials.
HONESTY
I want you to get value for money when it comes to graphic design. I will work with you to develop and refine your ideas and wherever possible suggest alternatives that you may not have thought of. I am open about my strengths and weaknesses and if there is something that I cannot do personally, I will inform you of my intentions to bring someone on board who can.
I believe in being truthful in advertising and marketing. As a consumer I know what it is like to be disappointed by a sub-standard service or a false claim. I like it when businesses exceed my expectations rather than fail to match up to them.
RESPECT
You know your business; I don’t. Sometimes I might ask apparently simple questions about your business, but the more information I have about what you do, the better prepared I will be to deliver the right solution.
What I know about is graphic design. Every decision I make about a design solution is calculated and made for a reason. I want the aims and objectives of your business to be visually communicated in the best and most potent way possible.
TRUST
Some say good design can be a risk. Yes, it takes a bold client to do something different from their competitors, but I believe it is more of a risk to blend in with the crowd than to stand out. My aim is not to see your business fail, I want to see you grow and develop and push forward to bigger and better things.
PASSION
I want to create you something beautiful. I want my designs to stir emotions and ask questions. I have the utmost pride in my work and will stop at nothing to find the right solution to your needs.
SINCERITY
I believe in what I do and the benefits of good design. Good design doesn’t have to be unachievable to the small business owner – there is always an effective solution available. Design is about solving problems as much as attracting the eye.
Throughout my web travels I’ve learnt about a few different sources that offer a wealth of inspirational ideas via video lectures for free. Here is a list of the best ones I have seen so far:
TED – Ideas worth spreading
TED is a non-profit organisation that organise conferences bringing together important people from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment & Design. Each year they hold two annual conferences in the US and one TEDGlobal conference in Oxford. The Oxford TEDGlobal conference this year is to be held next week (12th – 16th July 2010).
Unfortunately tickets are out of my price range at the moment, however one of the main principles of TED is to offer all their lectures free of charge on their website. Using this resource, I have watched impassioned speeches from a broad topic of people including Prof. Brian Cox, Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Richard Dawkins, JJ Abrams, Phillipe Starck, Richard Branson, Jamie Oliver and many more. I seriously recommend that have a look around the site because I’m sure you will find something there that will both interest you and inspire you.
To give you an idea of the type of content offered at TED, here is one of my favourite speeches from Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation:
99% is the research arm of Behance, a company dedicated to organizing the creative world to make ideas happen. 99% again holds an annual conference in the US and last years speakers included luminaries such as Pentagram’s Michael Beirut, Google’s Ji Lee, bestselling author Seth Godin, and Threadless founders Jeff Kalmikoff and Jake Nickell.
One of my favourite videos from the site is by the Behance Founder Scott Belsky titled ‘Don’t Let Your Genius Go Unnoticed’. In the presentation Scott describes just how vital marketing is to any business or project you may undertake and why it doesn’t matter how good you are at something, if you nobody know you are doing it, it doesn’t really make a difference.
Scott has also written a book called “Making Ideas Happen’ which I have been thinking about purchasing for a while now. Once I do get around to it, I will be sure to put of a review of it on this blog.
One future event worth looking out for will be The Do Lectures. The conference takes place in West Wales on the 16th – 19th September this year. It looks so interesting in fact, that I would have bought tickets if they weren’t £1000 a go. What a shame because the campsite FForest looks amazing too.
Still, the website promises the videos will be uploaded once the event is over, so this may be a site worth bookmarking and returning to at the end of the year.
Graphic design, Web design, Art, Music, Film, Food, Advertising, Marketing and what it feels like to be a freelance graphic designer living in Southsea, Portsmouth.
