Bodily fluids...

You get the title you win a glorious no prize!

So here is a nice little something I created for a friend. I am wanting to do more along this style. Currently I am being massively influced by the work of Mr Hipp with such wondrously illustrated mock covers such as http://mrhipp.blogspot.com/2011/11/does-tintin-dream-of-electric-sheep.html They just seem to work so well. Sure hope Tintin finds that unicorn...maybe he should try asking Adama. (Oh there I go more hidden jokes within jokes.)

So here's my contribution to the cross over cover/poster world.

I think this is probably one of the most enjoyable posters I have made in a long time. Perhaps up there with the Cabespace one. Perhaps it's because all the elements just work somehow. I still think the Saul Bass-ness in my is hanging around for a little longer than predicted, but again, somehow - it all seems to work. There is a wonderful simplicity in the look to it. Stark colours reflecting the shot of scene, bold text with the primary words filled in leaving the text to a much thinner stroke. It helps give a sense of foreground and background with elements filled in being closer to elements behind them on the landscape.


While not the same scale and complexity I would love to perhaps one day make something in the same vein as Mr Hipp, being a fan of the Tintin books as well makes it something even more I want to attempt. Cross overs are always fun for their madcap silly nature and I think it would be a nice project to work on that would show just how crazy/creative I can be.

We get the point, you like swords.

I apologise for the pun. But it had to be done.

Still, what else have I been up to? Well this for one!

West Fife Fencing need a new logo for branding and shirts and what not. I'm just chucking out ideas at full speed, see what ones they like and tally ho off we go and use that one.  The first three though on the left at the top where their own ideas while the others where more what I had in mind. 

The primary colours of the club are red and black so I've tried to keep to that using thinner line work to stop it looking a little too bloated. Red and black works some times, personally I feel that if that if you over use one in contrast to the other it sort of looks bloated and doesn't have a nice sense of balance. 

The red diamonds. Quite a sneaky one. But it's ment to be the rail bridge. I wish I could say I came up with that one, but it was part of their original concepts. Still, I like it. It works nicely. Right now I am seeing how much I can play/distort the original elements used here and see what I come out with in the end. 

The main part is the text, how far can I tinker with that before it becomes too illegible. Well thats what I shall find out. You'll see in the next post! 

TTFN 

Drip - 3d mockups.

Sp, I said I would have some of them lovely mock ups for you didn't I? And well lets see what we have here...

I know there are a few bits and bobs that normally sit on the front of packaging. The usual legal gubbins that hangs around there so no one gets sued. However, I'm trying to use the white...or um. Blue space to help really single out the title. It's a little harder to work with it on the smaller product. Perhaps it could be made smaller? Answers on a post card. Very little has differed from the original concept that we saw in the last post. The text is better aligned with all the other parts and perhaps the colour isn't a 100% match but it works for this preview. 

So now that I have a design I am more comfortable with working with and I feel is perhaps much stronger than it was than last time. I think I can move full steam ahead with producing visuals on a larger scale for the product. 

Drip continues.

Yikes this is a late post. But as they say time+effort over late hours = design...or something like that it's gone one am...don't judge me.

Anyway. this is one of those uber quick blog posts to reveal more astounding work! Hurrah. Basically a new layout with improved text, colouring and basically a feel that better holds the brand togeather. The thinner text was nice but I feel it wasn't holding it's own weight and there was very little to play around with.

I also felt that while the stark white was nice, there could be more variation in colour to breath more life into something that otherwise could be missed in a product market where white is an overly used colour. They retain the sleek elements but have more life to them.

I'm a little wary on the black as vanilla. While that is the colour of vanilla pods, unlike the plant that is the vanilla/white colour I was going for a more traditional feel in linking the colours to the scents rather than the colour of the packaging. An odd duck, but I'm picturing it as a fabricated product that could sit on shelves. I went with an off black so as to not feel like your looking into the void, but rather something with a little bit of substance, that could be completely different if it were ever in print. But hey, it's something to consider at the very least.

No doubt even more tinkering will commence soon, I can see a few little bits that need tinkering work. However a 3d mockup will be arriving very soon. I only wish I have the resources and the skills to produce a full sized version. I think I would pick the black. Just to prove to you how awesome it would look.

Until then though it's still working my way though it. Though at 2 am (by the time I finished this post) it's probably the oddest uses of the word fun I've come across in context with typography at 2 am. Man I bet Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann where like this back in the day...like a boss. Or bosses... 

Drip

So here we are - this is the concept in a more visual form. I think you people out there will find it interesting. My main concern with a project was trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

So - Tetra packs!

So here is the design, it's a little cruder than I had hoped. Google Sketchup is a nice free program but it sometimes lacks the power to make the more complex objects. But still this is still a good example for what I have in mind. This being, showing off the new creative brilliance that I have.

Like I said ealier. I am always focused on the environmental concerns. And packaging is a real pain for this. Mostly shampoo. It's always one that gets on my nerves, there is such a waste in packaging there that costs so much to produce, and little can be recycled. So, I looked into what would work best. BOOM! Tetra packs. Almost too perfect for the job. It's paper, it can be recycled, it's durable, perfect for storing liquids, water proof, the list goes on.

So yes, shampoo in a tetra pack. I'm not sure if it has been done before, hopefully I've started something interesting. Naturally there are more details to add. I've not too keen on the "Tangy lemon" text. It's a little off but it works for simply telling you what it is. I'm looking into the other details that would be on the container. I am looking to make them look/feel a little ultra modern/minimalist to really try and give the "Wham" feel for a design like this. 

I'm also thinking of exploring outside of the confines of larger bottles for just shampoo, I think something like the smaller units could be used to perhaps traveling, or maybe even liquid soaps. Who knows? With the right ideas I think the possibilities are endless really.

Gloop to Drip.

So in my redefining my ideas on my own concepts for Gloop - it's been changed around to something a little more sophisticated. Enter Drip!

Still rather rough, but this has become a lesson in both packaging design and environmental considerations.  This is still a work in progress but it's a much stronger concept than my previous design. 

But now, the observant people in the audience will have noticed - A tetra pack, and shampoo. Well I shall explain it to you when there is more to show. But like I said, environmental considerations. I'm working this as close to my own perfect form of product design as possible. Clean, efficient, waste not. I think this will be the package that will be able to tick every box. 

Next post we shall be looking at 3d digital concepts. Fun fun! Until then, see you around. 

Little bit of Gloop.

So, as design work continues I dip into looking at the concepts for "Gloop" it's simple enough. Though I am trying to push for a more creative solution. So far I have an idea for packing relating to bioplastics and being as minimal as possible.

The gloop is just an idea though - As they way things look, it might become more of a minimalist style design. Perhaps more fitting with the design of the packaging I have in mind.

The ol' IV shower gell bag has been a bit of a gag gift, but I've been thinking of perhaps making it a slightly more interesting package for shower gels and what not. I've been trying to think of ways to reduce the overall amount of packaging to only a few components that would be both different and perhaps useful.

I'm also looking into bioplastics to help think of ways to make it more environmentally friendly. Lacking any real experience in science it's a bit of a struggle. But I am getting some interesting ideas...I think.

Hence really why there are two concepts - a silly faced on, the "Gloop" and perhaps a more serious faced product that has a slightly more designer edge to it. It moves away from the novelty edge and perhaps gives it more staying power. We shall see. I plan on developing the second idea a little more. I have an idea, but I still lack a name, I don't think Gloop would work in a more serious format, but who knows?

Until the, TTFN.

What ever happened to the project about the caped crusader?

So, as the horribly stolen Neil Gaiman title reads, this is a little bit of an update on my thoughts surrounding bringing back my Batman Live project. To be fair, I had never really liked the outcome of the project. With the final details of the show being released when my project was nearly under wraps it was too late to do anything about it. So there is that horrible feeling of awkwardness when you have two things that aren't going to work with each other.

There was also the feeling that what I had done was never going to feel like a proper project. So, today I sat down, shoot the sleep from my eyes and began re-exploring the artwork of Batman. An hurrah! I struck gold.

When I was looking for an era of Batman I wanted something that could be colourful, but not campy. The campy era...well I don't hate it, but I can't enjoy it as much as I enjoy Batman being the detective rather than attending a stamp collection fair. I needed something that struck a balance.

And lo, it happened - please enter the artwork of Marshall Rogers. Probably one of the most creative artists to have draw Batman he did something that - on paper - sounds almost impossible. The costume was blue. 

And I really don't have a clue why he did it, but honestly it has always looked fantastic. Perhaps it was coming from the camp era of Batman that the costume still retained the colours much like Miller did in The Dark knight. But that's not really important right now. What it is is perhaps the starting point for my new Batman live designs. 


It's odd actually that the costume would be so colourful. In this portion of Batman's life, well things where a little grim and dark, the Second Robin died, the series became far more dark borrowing from Miller's notes. So really it is the perfect blend of the redesign. It contains the weight of the darker elements of the series, but with a costume that is always larger than life. Hell it even manages to have the yellow and black Bat-symbol, something personally has varied in success throughout the series. Rogers also had a thing for making the cape billow out and flow behind him, giving him an other worldly and perhaps a little bit of a operatic appearance.


The best example being here -

This image on it's own his now a new starting point for the posters. It's far more theatrical than my original designs and focuses both on the dark imagery of the character, but it's not shying away from the flare. Something I think I missed completely when working on it originally. 

And then there was the poses. Because of Batman's style and history there have been a number of look's he's been given, the icon shadow of the cowl. The problem is, well they have become stock images. The same soft of composition and visual motif being repeated over and over again felt tired. Hence why in the original posters the text was vertical against the left side, and in the yellow of the Bat-symbol's oval. It was unconventional, something that wasn't normally done on comic covers, admittedly I was taking cue's from Dave Gibbon's cover of the Watchmen, with the massive smiley and blood stain, the iconic image for the cover, while the text bold and powerful runs up the side. I was intending it to be a bit of a homage to the original idea. Though looking bat the way the text was placed and the eventual lay out ment that there wasn't much of a resemblance to it. 

Before I ramble on about how DC are running out of interesting poses for the Dark Knight - I will instead talk about the kinds that have potential for a poster. 

At this point, this style is a hot contender. It's actually a rather nicely done image, again theatrical and rather bold with a stark colour contrast. I will need to track down the artist who did this because I really do enjoy it. What sells it to me is the way the cape moves around him, being far more free and less stiff and confined, it makes him feel as if he is on up high watching over the world. 

This one - more in line with the my original idea. This one more action orientated. Posed for a fight, it's a tense picture, with minimal focus on Batman, instead giving us a shot that focuses on his foes as much as it does him. But reducing him only to a cape and shadow, because really, that's how he fights. You don't see his face, you see a blur, a whirlwind of shape and colour. He's also hunched, like a monster or perhaps more appropriately a trained fighter ready to give it his all. 

Another by Rogers, and this one is a cracker, we see Batman, his face like the Joker's grinning, standing over the bodies of three people with the same face, and swept into the cape is the title. All the while with rain and lightening filling the air. It's tense, and the intrigue of the cover baffles me as to how we get here with this situation. Again though there is that flare making it more like a film poster than a comic cover. It's these elements that I'm attempting to capture in the hopes of making something big and entertaining for my revised Batman live project. 


So thats some of the working as to how I got here. Hopefully, I will be able to share of my of working/reasoning, and perhaps even the sketches that take me to the final idea. Until then, be seeing you. 

Updating - back in the world.

So after a short holiday in Kelso. I'm back to designing and doodling - a mixture of a simple branding idea, cv booklet, and my Valve posters. It's coming along nicely. I've got a fair amount of work on my hands to keep my nice and busy.

And of course the boxed set of TinTin's adventures was released the other day...ah many fun times.  I've still to watch all of it as work calls, but I say it's a form of inspiration so I can watch more. It's sort of like writing something off on your taxes in a way...if that makes sense.

Still, three posters in the valve series to come along. Left 4 Dead, Garry's mod and Half life. I've actually been having a lot of fun working on posters and I am seeing it as one of my stronger areas of design. Something I think I would like to be doing more on a professional level come the time when I have a nice shiny graphic design job.

Until then though it's just designing and doodling.

Goodbye Steve.

It's going to be a slightly odder world of tech without the man of Apple at the helm.

Have fun in the great Apple store in the sky Mr Jobbs. You deserve it.

Shop fronts!

Ah now this was fun, another haul from the Batman live project, a wee bit of fun involving modifying the shop fronts of Forbidden planet in order to become a form of rather overt Guerilla marketing. The idea is that any villain featured in the show would have an appearance in the form of shop from in the coming months.

This also tied rather nicely into the online hunt. The idea was to entice people into finding out more by offering them rewards such as goodies and even tickets to the event. The website would have hidden details in a viewing gallery that featured these pictures. People would be able to search for clues that would lead to them accessing more of the site as well.

Naturally these shop fronts would also have hidden clues hidden in the form of QR codes allowing people to instantly access the website and other content/clues in the hunt for free stuff.

This sort of plan would have been marketed at the teen/older batman fans - using smart phones to tweet and  scan QR codes to work out what is going on. The Overhauled shop fronts where essentially designed for any aged batman fan, even the really young as the designs embrace the more silly camp nature of the series that I think is probably the best known part of the series. Ahh Adam West.

Thinking about it, wouldn't it have been awesome to have the "Riddler Planet" in neon? Oh come on you know that is seven flavours of awesome right there. 

37c

Huzzar, yet another project gets uploaded. 37c. Quite a fun one. Creating some form of advertising for Art galleries coming to hospitals.

Well I tried to avoid the doom and gloom feeling that hospitals seem to evoke. Because, lets be honest, if they do the best thing it's making you feel misreble. Perhaps that is just me but the scale of bad things vs good things on visiting on a hospital...bad out weighs good sadly.

So I went for something a little joyful and fun. Of course the 37 degrees joke is only going to make sense if you know human biology. Thankfully I do - the wonder temperate of the human body is 37 degrees celius. So it's more medical humour in there for you.

I went with the multiple variations of colour, I think it helps fit into the more bright and optimistic view we try to have with hospitals. Surprisingly I think this is one of the few usages of the colour red in a 'feel good' poster that I can say works and has context. And it's one of the few occasions where I will break my own personal rule of never using green and red together. But that works out fine since the green is made of two nicely contrasting shades that help lift the red off and stopping that freaky illusion you get when your brain tries to focus on a 'agressive' colour over a more 'passive'.

But oh wait, thats not all. I've got a mite more to show you kiddies. See that little smiley? Well the brilliant thing about an icon are ones that we've used so much they become somewhat generic until you make a change, we notice the altered ones more often because it's a sudden change from the norm. Probably the best example is the Watchmen 'smiley' that is used all over the place.

So here are a few variations -

In keeping with the concept of different artistic movements, I decided to try and keep the same idea with the face. Though doubtful there would ever be a horror exhibition it's a nice little example of how diverse the logo can be when the situation demands it.

Batman live - that old chest nut.

So I finally graduated, much larking around in robes by all. And suddenly I realised that I hadn't actually uploaded much in the way of my Batman work.
Well hindsight sucks, but looking back on that project I don't think I had as much fun as I really could have. Out of most of the artwork that I produced I get the feeling the main poster was something I am most proud of. It's by far not the best, and perhaps the wanted posters I have produce surpass it artistically, but I feel that this -

Probably hit nearly all the nails I was aiming for. Though that said, I am more than tempted to go back and perhaps make something new of it. As I write this I have the urge to go back and re-examine the more complex or perhaps unused designs that I didn't use, primarily due to time constraints, and also because during the production of this project, there was hardly any information released about the Live event. So perhaps knowing what the show is now could perhaps I could make something better? Who knows, that said though I loved working on this poster, the final moment of the artwork, just getting it all to work together. I wish I could have evoked a more comic book feel. Perhaps that will be something to investigate on a potential re-design. My recent work with the Valve posters have made me want to produce more poster themed artwork. 

For typography...you monster.

So here it comes - drum roll please.

A totally different take on the look and feel for the posters with this one. With TF2 it was the focus on the cast, hence the very stylised look borrowed from the Burn after reading poster. This one is something more akin to the games rather than directly lifting from Bass's own style. 

Portal (at last the first one) has a large section of the game set within the test chambers. The colours are bare with flecks of reds blues and tones of greys in there for good measure. But on the whole, typical looking lab colours. I decided to use this to my advantage in giving the poster it's own feel that relates to the games. Instead of smaller gritty details I really went all out with the idea of white minimal feel. 

If I listed all the variations of the portal placements as well, we would be here for a while. Suffice to say, there where a few, ranging from text going in the right side of the page and coming out the top downwards, some text being throw in at odd angles. But all the while maintaining the link between the two shapes.

Of course if there is one gripe I think people will pick up on is that it's Portal not Portals. Well yes this is true, but I consider these Posters more of a tribute rather than a means of selling a product. It's more fun than anything else. 

And there will be a special bonus for those who stick around, there is an alternate poster design for this kicking around - it uses far more Bass like elements but it was scrapped because it didn't feel as unique as it could have been, the it still lingers somewhere on my hard drive. So when all of these are done I might dig it out and show the world. 

Until then, it's off to Garry's Mod and Half Life. 

Burn after playing

So, remember that stuff I was on about? Well here comes the first one, in leu of my love for Valve, I have produced this.

I just woke up one day and decided to produce posters that where based around the Saul Bass style. Looking at the Burn after Reading poster I noticed it deals with a large cast list, much like the large list of characters in the game. I decided for a little fun, sadly the film and the game have nothing in common, but I would like to think that there are fans of both out there. (Which makes me think I actually need to see more Coen Brothers films)

So, for everyone's enjoyment here it it.

Entire team is babies!

Continuing to build an internet face.

So, as it goes things have been quiet, more of a week of filling out forms, more writing and more of the above. Not saying it isn't all fun. I continue the day when I can tell Nintendo how to make a game properly and fall at the feet of Valve for being one of the few game designers out there who know how to make a genuinely fun game.

Yes I've been in a bit of a gaming mood. Though it's justified on this blog since I think it totally counts as graphic design...

Shut up, it does.

So I think a promised a few bits and bobs didn't I? Well I did, and I think you get to see said bits and bobs.

The double L is intentional...just so you know.

So this is some basic concept work for a little branding I was tasked to do. A little odd with the whole double LL. But hey it was in the brief, who am I to judge? 

It's a cumbersome word to work with really. But I tried to avoid the more stodgy kinds of designs that cab be associated with this sort of work. A lot of my previous ideas started to fall into clip art areas. I though that was probably a good idea that you didn't see it. There is perhaps a lot of work still to go on it. Most likely tweaking, lots of that. It's a necessity in design these days. 

With this idea I tried to avoid using an overt logo and tried for a more simplistic feel. The idea of 'productions' allowed me to latch on to something like move production. (In reality this company deals with RP and what not). I felt that drawing subtle aesthetic comparisons to the styles of move company logos would help it just feel a little more alive and less corporate.  

However I'm still not getting my usual pazzaz from it. Still needs a little life. So hence the tweaking. Something about it to me feels a little flat. But hey I'm just waiting for feedback on it the now. Any thing that gets updated will be more or less portfolio material. 

However, that's not all I am working on. I do have something in the mix. (I get the feeling I've been saying that a lot recently). It's more of those personal projects, but I get the feeling this is VERY worth it, one of those nice little things that only come along once in a while. But it will be done very soon. I think you guys out there will like it. 

West end village and more

So, the I get the feeling the west end village project will be drawing to a close soon. Various files have been sent to various people, and while I think that most of my work is over (I think...) I get the feeling that I might be able to stick around to watch the whole thing take shape. Would be nice to see it all come together. I've been working on this project since around about early July/late June and it's been quite a blast. The final meeting with all us designing folk is scheduled for next week. It's just one of the "So what are we doing meetings" the kind where we say we've actually spending our time doing something productive rather than drinking heavily and wondering what to go see at the Fringe - Which reminds me, I really should go see something before it's all over...

As for other things going on in my big ol' design world....weeeeell it's quiet. And to coin an over used phrase too quiet. But to be fair I have great plans for my folio. Within the next few months some of my work shall be cherry picked for a very nice overhaul. Everything remade to be nice, bright and shiny. And yes! To the one follower that watches this blog, you will get to see the up/dates/grades to my work. With the more advanced skills that I have picked up over the last few years I think I can stretch myself to work on some fantastic new stuff.

So, I actually have been keeping myself busy on the side. A little design thing here and there. Recently got a little request to do some design over haul - it was less than purdy. The kind that aches of that 90's era of design where there are loads of Bizzaro Helveticas lingering around the place being used in what could actually be a breach of the Geneva Convention. It's been an interesting little jaunt to keep the cogs turn and stopping the rabid insanity from taking hold.

So, it's been quiet, but I am hoping to get a job soon. The recent hail of CVs in Edinburgh should yield something, and hey, another one will strike soon. So if any design agencies do actually watch this blog, well keep an eye out for a little white envelope coming through your door.

An open letter to Nintendo

I doubt this letter would ever reach anyone of importance to company, and I doubt anyone with any connections to the company ever reads this blog - but I would like to know that somehow it one day could. Wishful thinking.

I'm a fan of video gaming. I won't deny it. Always have been, always will be. Most likely I will encourage my children to play video games. And perhaps even in the distant future when I am old and grey, I will still play video games.
That is not to say I am creating a wold devoid of life and creativity. On the contrary, I'm a designer. I'm a sociable creature, I greatly enjoy the time I have with my friends and family. Sadly, the ones who are slowly suffering from is a lack of creativity is Nintendo.
It is almost with a heavy heart that I write it. Nintendo? Lacking imagination? Surely not, they've created one of the first motion controlled consoles to sell worldwide. They took something as horrible as the virtual boy remade it and created the highly popular 3DS...and while these are all brilliant innovations, it's somewhat like have an incredibly fine dust jacket for a book. Wonderful to look at, hold and feel. But what's inside is somewhat lacking substance.

Perhaps it is me and I am feeling a little jaded at what I am being offered for games on the wii. It's so very lacking. There are good games. Yes. But they could have been so much more.

Super Mario Galaxy was probably the biggest leap forewords in Nintendo's Mario series within the 21st century. It gave us something fantastic to look at, feel enjoy and experience. The game was flawed in certain areas. However I forgive this. They tried to do something new, if a little formulaic. Galaxy 2 however. It was just something with another number added onto it.
In an age where consoles can instantly have downloadable content to add to the overall feel and the depth of the game, a plot can be expanded, altered, levels could be made harder, enemies could be added we have never seen before and we a perhaps paying just for those individual items rather than just a whole new game.
But thats what Galaxy 2 is. It's DLC, but it comes as a new game. There is nothing new to the gameplay, layout feel, look, music, not even the plot is any different. Of course, yes Mario plots are thin, but there is the difference between using the "Kidnap Peach" idea to completely recycling ideas and presenting them in a manner that they are ment to be new. Nintendo didn't ever really try that for Galaxy 2. And thats why I'm quite bitter about it. I enjoyed the game of course. It's fun to play, but it never offered me anything more than Galaxy did in the beginning. And thats the problem, no matter who your audience is your need to give them something new otherwise they are never going to see the point in buying your products if you can't be brave enough to look outside your box, or comfort zone, or the area of definition.

This is sadly's Nintendo's defining flaw. There are only a few occasions where a team has been brave enough to take a game idea and actual make it real. The best example? Super Paper Mario Witty, fun an actual plot it holds more water than the Galaxy series. And the sad part? Super Paper Mario is a sequel. Yes. It sits in the same corner as Galaxy 2. But it tries. It gives us something and doesn't take the audience for granted.

Of course, you could argue "But it's a children's game. Are you that petty you will try and dissect something that is intended for children?"

My response? It's not just for children. Nintendo broke into the world of family gaming when they created the wii. Creating a console that could span across a much wider audience than they ever did before. Perhaps not just with the wii, but with their entire business model was made with a family in mind. So why talk down to your audience with a game that doesn't try? I honestly have no idea. But I think sooner or later Nintendo will need to show some creative innovations within their games that need to show that they not only have good ideas for consoles. But good ideas for games as well. Maybe the second Wii game will do this. But I'm usure. Hopeful but unsure.

So, what do I want from Nintendo? Well, I want a Mario game that will make me stop and stare at what is happening. Something that will finally top that feeling I got when I fist played Mario 64. Do something no one has ever dared to ask. And don't talk down to us. There was a helping in condescension in every aspect of Galaxy 2, the protective box on the cd case game with instructions, it came with a tutorial DVD,  and a poster on how to play the game, and with an instruction book, not to mention the game gives you constant controller prompts. This just feels backwards. Playing a game and getting to that point you've been struggling to reach for so long is such a good feeling because you got there yourself, and you didn't use cheats, you got through on skill. How does it make me feel then that at every turn I am reminded how to play the game? As if I am too ham fisted to use the controller, I can't possibly jump a ledge without a helpful NPC to remind me to do so?
In the future I want Nintendo to actually look at what they are producing, and think. "What do the fans want?" Yes we could do with another Mario game. But a better Mario game. Perhaps even make a new addition to the Nintendo family? All your characters that you featured in games such as Super Smash Bros Brawl? Perhaps introduce someone else? Create a whole new character that can carry the weight of the Nintendo legacy. Perhaps even let Mario rest for a little while. Create us something truly new and origonal. And don't treat us like children when you show it to us.

Now perhaps this ramble was something I needed to get out of my system. A collection of thoughts that I felt I needed to share. And I know people have done it before. But I'm doing it again. But I want to remind people that I love Nintendo, I love their contributions to games young and old what they have done has been so interwoven into my childhood that if it never existed I would probably never be where I am today. So deep down I would somehow hope this would reach them in an effort to show them from a fan's perspective what is so very wrong. And perhaps prod them into a direction. And who knows what comes of this. If Nintendo ever wanted someone for their ideas team. Well I would be more than willing to live out my life's dream of making games.

So, if anyone from Nintendo does somehow manage to read this. It doesn't matter what part of the building your in, you could be the janitor, or Miyamoto himself. It would just be nice to know that someone out there has read this. And perhaps would agree that things could be changed for better.

Well. That's that out of my system. See you people around.

So now what?

Well it's already August, holy crap did time move fast. Looks like things are moving at a pace I'm only just getting the hang on. So, it was my birthday a few weeks back and I was graced by the gods of Apple with a shiny new Mac Book. Ahh the wonder of it...

So of course that ment I got steam straight away and downloaded Team Fortress 2...it's to help cope with my Fallout and BioShock addiction....it's not working but hey it's something to do after all.


That said, it's not been all without design work, as I quite happily much on some skittles sour I reflect on the upcoming hand in for this west end village. More technical stuff this time, focusing on the nitty-gritty bits and bobs of signage. The designs are a little stripped down from when I started, but I'm trying to retain the ideal amount of individual look/feel while keeping it within the sort of workable level I've been assigned. Not that hard when you think about it. Stuff will hopefully be going up.....sometime. There is all the legal rhubarb about sharing design stuff like this, so for the mean time I'm going to keep those designs nice and snug on my hard drive, despite how mind blowingly awesome they are.

So as I continue to carry on with job seeking - and noticing that Skittles sours have gotten less sour over the years... - I've been working my way to any job graphic or not if it will be enough to have some paying. I'm really also focusing on perhaps going back and continuing to tweak my folio before I go back to the real work, take some time out and treat myself, and by treat myself I mean learning to drive, getting a bog standard job, getting a few of the things I've always wanted to do, but never had the chance purely down to my commitment to college. Hopefully with a part time job I can get a few of the more daydream related stuff done. It's a sizable list, but you never know. No time like the present.


Speaking off a tangent that I need to take... the fantastic web series Back Yard FX has sadly come to a close today, four years old, probably lasting longer than most other web shows. (Or web shows worth talking about anyway). It's been a rather insightful view into the world of creative film making for low budget prices. From Idiana Jones style melting heads to Halo Armour. It was one hell of a show. And I would be lying if I didn't say I would be somewhat sad that it was going, but then again Wayside creations are starting their own show on their separate channel.  They are the wonderful little people behind Nuka break, so it's nice to know that we shall be seeing Zack Finfrock in the future still working on little bits and bobs for us creative folk how have nothing better to do than waste our hours fiddling with hot glue and bits of card.

So I've finished my packet of skittles, and promptly forgot why I was really even making this video. Probably to elaborate on something big, or just to show that I'm still alive. Anyway. Seems that I should be getting back to work. Cv's don't write themselves.

How not to write a CV. A lession in the fricking obvious.

It's come to my attention that being a fresh and new faced graduate means that eventually your going to have your dreams crushed into the dirt pretty quickly. This is because you have no work real experience, no proper design job and only a diploma to your name that says that in theory you might just be able to do the work your given in an agency and not be to terrified by everyone around you.

So you need a wonderful portfolio and a CV to help you get your way though to an interview.


Cv's are awfully annoying things. Well, not really the CV that you hand over. (Though that is variable. I've heard of people attaching poetry to theirs...) It's more just trying to super compress your life's work into one piece of paper, keep it interesting, keeping it fresh and trying not to bore a potential employer while your at it.

And the real dilemma is why should they employ the graduate with neary a job to their name? Well this could turn into the blog of how to give up with as little shame as possible. But I try not to give up. Unless it's really hard, then I just complain about it and then get back to work.

I think it's that visual punch to the face. (Okay not the best expressive turn but you will get what I mean). It's that "Wham" or "Wow" effect that makes that one CV stand out in front of aaaaall the others. It's tricky, there are the brilliant, and then there are the insane, and then there are some that are so mad I could almost give the person the job for having the balls to do it.

The direct approach rarely works for me. 

Thing is how do you be direct and not scary, how do you be subtle without being invisible. Writing the perfect CV to me is akin to a Zen riddle. There are some good examples out there. But it all depends on who your targeting. If it's something design related then there is the elbow room to do something totally new fresh and interesting.

I've been tempted to port my current CV to another more interesting format. Perhaps something a little funky and different, something you don't see on a day to day basis that gets noticed...how I have no idea yet. But as a designer it seems somewhat odd just to offer up a simple sheet of paper to get someone's attention. Okay, its cheaper, but when has that stopped a designer from doing what a designer does best?

Well I'll think of something...eventually.

Laters.

Cabespace AGAIN!?

Herp derp. Again! Yes again!

I think this will be that one project that I will never stop tinkering...why? Because that's what designers do, we tinker, we fiddle, we are up to the wee hours of the morning running of the bare morsel and caffen to power our almighty minds and gigantic egos.

So yes, this one was probably the strongest variant I have produced so far and hits the nail on the head for what I was aiming at. Classical elements of the stars and what not fitting in and making it feel far more true to the original idea of what I was going for. The more muted colours help define the type meaning it sits out more and isn't muddled in with everything else.

Okay, a little bit of a late post I know, and I really have to find my hard drive cable to get dem fancy Batman Live posters on here. I think you guys will love the final poster designs.


Laters all.

Fallout Nuka Break Poster ideas.

A while back the creative minds at Wayside creations announced that they would be creating a full web series based on their on off Fallout fan film Nuka Break. Given that I have recently become a big fan of fallout, and I love it when creative people put their hard work into creating something so well made it stands up to high end productions. And of course anyone who knows me knows my love for poster design, so I cobbled something together.

Here are some basic roughs, knowing me though I will probably be polishing these for a folio in the future.
Wayside are actually looking for funds (at least I think they still are) to help make the series a reality. I'm somewhat tempted to approach them with these rough ideas and ask if they would like to bring in a graphic designer to make some salable promotional materiel. Hey, you never know until you try.


Going to be watching the progress with their project with a keen eye. Nearly a year ago Wayside was a big part in revolutionizing Indy Mogul Back Yard FX. They pioneer short films and have done advertising in the past. If there are any budding film makers out there watching this blog I highly recommend them.

So that's various plugging and fan-boy gushing over with. More graphic/design stuff this/next week. Where I might reveal my new branding identity, a project I am tinkering on with fellow college graduate for Edinburgh council and my thoughts on DC's new visual overhaul/reboot. Hey it's graphics! That's totally legitimate to what I do....sort of....it's my blog anyway!

Keep cool all you awesome designery people out there.
Ben aawwwwwway! ~Whooosing noise~

Nearly over.

Geeze is that time already? Well, time's a marching. Student show looms...and animation is making me pull my hair out. Though I am getting it done, sans for a few bits here and there that still make me go "What the-?" Never mind. I'll get it sorted in no time. Aside from the little tweaking that is left only the prints need to be done, the the buying of mount board and then I go and hide while I wait for it to all be over.

Urgh, I wish. But still, I'm very nearly complete with this project, only a few little bits of animation and what not to be done with. If this works out okay I will be over the moon. Hopefully I will have a means of showing it off for the exhibition as well, I may need to 'borrow' someone's iPad for the job. But we shall see...


But, sadly this update is a little short, needed to check if blogger was still working, and I need to work out if all my video is in proper shape before I go posting things up. Still, if anyone knows how to stop flash files from lagging it would be greatly appreciated. Having some real pain with the one I am working on.

Until later all you graphic folk out there. 

Nanannanananananananana- UPDATE!

Look there, an update, they can be seen after a long tiring weekend of design work and failed attempts to get the tv to work.

So, what have I been doing exactly?

SUFFERING! *Shelob shriek*

Well, it's not been that bad, just the anticipation for the final exhibition is...well....*shrieks again.* Okay that aside I've been really putting the pedal to the medal with my final project, really burning through stuff because I do have so much to do. Even if I did plan the project some time in advance I'm still working on stuff. But my aim is to have it done soon so I can curl up and hide some where in fear of what the real world holds...

So, bet you are all wondering what my project is?

It's Batman...

Nananananananana BATMAN!

Yeah, doing a complete and total overhaul of there advertising campaign, which isn't that hard given how little of it there of it there was to start with. What they had was, well very "eh" and really undersold the idea.

Here's what I have now, more stuff will be impending. Just the web design things the now, don't want to get you all excited.

These are all fancy little designs for a very the very interesting web side of the project. It's a little drab looking right now, hoping to bring colour to certain parts. Will do that soon, icons look a little lifeless like that don't they? Still big shout out to the designers of those royalty free brushes. I would be swamped without them. I had been wanting to make a set of those forever, I suppose time got the better of me, but no matter, they spur me on to make my own resources such as these so I don't have to sift through broken links for the stuff. There's a lesson learned for you. 

Still I find it incredibly funny that Batman would be one to have a twitter page...but after he's developed a coffee addiction, time traveled, been cloned, mind whipped, been turned into a baby, a ghost, robot, alien, fought Dark Seid and punched Captain America in the face...is it really that far of a leap?

My recent survey said yes but I'm doing it anyway. Still, personally I am really pleased with the direction of this project, and if I am lucky I might even be able to sneak in a little, (and I mean little) bit of animation for some of the other elements of the projects.

Okay, toodle pip. Update over, I've got to go design something with the Bat prefix on it.

I should note that all of these images are from my work in progress set, and the finals look a little better than this, but they still need polishing, call this a teaser trailer of what is to come. 

Easter already?

How time flies indeed. Well it's been a long while since I updated. So I thought I would share the news that has been going on these last few days.
And a lot has been going on. Finally submitted my YCN work. I'm quite pleased with it. Will be putting stuff online soon. I just need to review the issues around putting work that will be entered to the YCN online.

But I have even more awesome news!

For the last two weeks the class has been working on a collection of posters called... "Massimo's Twelve."
Whats even more awesome is that we managed to go out to find a printers to get the finals done up! It's going to look awesome. - You heard it here first.
Why will it be awesome? Well I will tell you why. First it's in A2, a size we don't normally get to work to because of the limited printer sizes at college, but we also get to have it printed off as a nice glossy look...hmmmm. That does sound nice. I await the final results tomorrow to make girlish squeals of delight.

In the mean time. here's my helvectia poster. Yes. I ended up with helvetica. Me....well I made the most of it.

So yes. The question is - is using helvetica over and over again just cheating? Or is it so good that we can use it over and over again....You make the call! Anyway enough of me waffling. I'll try to make a more important post next time. Till then, your all awesome people. Laters!

Ah-ha! Finally D&AD stuff finally done!

Huzzars! With much air punching and dancing around the computer I finally have all of the D&AD stuff uploaded. At long last it's done and I can finally get it out from under my feet.  I don't know if I can actually upload anything yet. But I think I will do so after next week, hopefully if I get a message saying that they want to see more of the work in print. And then hopefully then win. Big if, but fun to think it could happen.

And I hit the ground running!

Yikes it's been a few busy days back. But rest assured I'm still ticking. No rest for me. D&AD finished and to be presented. Roses award done, and the YCN briefs have all been polished off.

Don't anyone ever say students don't do a lot of work. Not to mention I still have a large collection of work from my placements to sort through and put online. I'm thinking that will come in a later post. But still, I've got a little while to go before I can show you my WCN or D&AD work. The rules say I'm not allowed to post anything online...shucks. So you will have to wait a little while before you get to see all of my wonderful work for the Sonic the hedgehog brief. Shame.

But still, can I entice you with a shot of my CV/Folio booklet that is in the works?

Yes anyone who knows me will admit that I don't play to the ordinary rules of convention (Not all the time mind you, but when I get the best opportunity I'll give anything a go.)

This is the rough for a working cover for my CV/Folio, based around the golden age of comics. A mix of my own personal skills, with a rouges gallery (insert folio) of what I have done in the past till now.

This is an odd one because it could either be a winner or a sinker. Only time will tell. I would like to think that I am doing something unconventional and a little bit different. But who knows. You can all win them over with a free issue of "Incredible Graphic Adventures." Maybe it will be one of those little projects you always have on the side to grow and nurture as time goes by.  It's still far from being finished. I have to do a lot more before it becomes interesting. This is more a prototype. But I am enjoying it, and you know what they say, if your not enjoying it, your not in the right line of work.

Still it's a risk, and if it doesn't work. I can rebuild, go back to the drawing board and just start a new. I suppose the classic Word document CV can always wait in the wings if it all effs up.

Before I go, quick shout out to both ThreeBrand and the Gate for taking me on over the last month. It was great fun and I did pick up a few things. Mainly biscuits may work better than a CV....hmm...

Anyway, until next time folks. I will have the work sorted out from my work placements, damn there is just so much stuff from ThreeBrand to sort through, need to work out what goes where.

Laters.

This project made me reeeeally hungry.

So, as my week at ThreeBrand draws to a close I finally catch sometime to review my little three day project.

Yeah, working on chip shops makes me hungry, but my morning danish will have to do. So while I dream of food, you can review my work of the past week.

Of course keep your eyes peeled as most of this will still get developed and updated, because I do love to develop ideas further as always.

So the breakdown is as follows, a business card, a selection of variant styles for direct mail slips. A rather family orientated poster, and at long last the menu, not as awesome as I would have liked it, but hey, we can rebuild!

All of this stuff will get a visual overhaul some time down the line. Hopefully soon as I really want to crack this YCN and D&AD stuff. Oh will you people be surprised when/if I get it done. 

ThreeBrand - Day One

First day at Three Brand and I get my own little project to myself. Creating my own chip shop. Fun times, here are a few simple logos that I've mocked up over the day, these would be expanded onto business cards as well as menus and all other forms of things that needed to be branded.

Still a little rough around the edges, but I am liking them, I think it will come down to either 3 or 4. We shall see tomorrow.

YCN - Sonic the Hedgehog.

SEEEEGAAAAAAAH!


Okay, now that I have gotten that out of my system, I can continue with the brief.

Celebrating the life of sonic the hedgehog, making something to appeal to both old school fans, hardcore fans, and the younger casual gamer who are perhaps more aware of the more modern series.

So, this was designed to be a more nostalgia trip to rekindle those lost memories of playing the games. And hey, it fits with the current image of the new Sonic 4 game. Going back to a more classic gameplay that resembles the original games.

So, celebrating the life and times of the great Sonic the hedgehog. So here is what we have, well not all of it, but a reasonably good chunk.

So here is a little collection of the ideas behind the celebration. Mainly just posters/advertising, something I love, probably even more than branding....ah posters....Happy days.


Though the top image is actually a painstakingly faithful recreation of the box art from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game released back in 1991. A leaflet advertising a Sonic The hedgehog Day. A day that is just devoted to the classic games, with recreations of villains, areas from the game. The whole load. More visuals to follow!