Fancy Type Focus

When I was looking for something to wear, I ran across this t-shirt in my closet that I got for being in the 10K race at Arcola's Broom Corn Festival. There's a bit of a mixture of styles in this design. I can see elements of Victorian and American Kitsch styles. The "Coca-Cola/Campbell's Soup" styled font can be seen as Victorian and American Kitsch. The Victorian era had a lot of fancy looking typefaces, but the American Kitsch style also has a lot of script typefaces. There's a happy-go-lucky vibe going on, so it definitely leans more towards the American Kitsch vibe. The banner and clip-art styled graphics further exemplify the style usage. I really enjoy the simplicity of the design, especially the focus on the typography and the few colors used. The function of this design is to get people to check out the Broom Corn Festival.

Running Utensils

I got a huge American Kitsch vibe when I saw this 1994 poster for the Waiter/Waitress Olympics. It's very lighthearted, cute, and fun. Even down to the color choice of a yellow background, it's a very inviting and friendly design. The bending of the two left tines on the fork symbolizes the bending of a runner's legs. It's all very cartoon-ish as well. The font choice also looks like an American Kitsch type usage as well. The function of this poster design is to garner interest and get people to check out the Waiter/Waitress Olympics. I found this image in the 1995 July/August edition of Print magazine.

Electrifying Design

This image by Andy Warhol is scary and thought provoking, much like most of Warhol's works. This poster was created to help the finance the defense of the "Chicago Seven." Warhol must have felt a lot of compassion for the "Chicago Seven," otherwise he wouldn't have made the effort to give a helping hand by making this poster. The colors are very eerie with a black and green grainy and grungy looking electric chair photograph. The message, "Conspiracy means to breathe together" jolts the viewer's attention with the accompanied electric chair. The message is in a bright red, which sticks out perfectly against the dark image. The red also hints at death. The function of this design was meant to garner compassion and sympathy for the "Chicago Seven" and help finance their defense. I found this image in Power to the Imagination: Artists, Posters, and Politics by Jürgen Döring.

Art Nouveau From Under The Sea

This poster for Pearl Beach is very Art Nouveau styled in my opinion. There's a lot of swirling and curvature in the line usage, there's a female figure motif with the swirling flow of her hair strands, and there are floral motifs present as well. It stuck out to me because of the vibrant color choices. Mostly greens and yellows are present, but there's a splash of red here and there. There's a very decorative border, which fits in nicely with the sea elements. The overall feel is very fairy tale inspired which works well with the function. I believe the function of this design is to get people interested in visiting the "awe-inspiring and beautiful" Pearl Beach. The typography on the left and right side as well as the bottom does throw me off, however. There's different phone numbers and locations listed, as well as a stock image purchasing option, so perhaps the function is actually about purchasing images such as these that are available at different locations. The book didn't give me a clear answer, so all I have to go off of is the image itself. I found this image in The Workbook Illustration Vol. 21.

Fear the Ruins

Ever since I read the book, I had to see the movie for "The Ruins." It was pretty good. I'm always into the book more, but that's okay. What's incredible about the movie, however, is the front cover. I absolutely love it! This is totally up my alley and exactly what I'd like to create. I don't even mind that it's all symmetrical. The title looks great all rugged and grungy against a dark background. The center figure is up against a glowing red background, which further puts the spotlight on her. The image is very creepy: a human seeming to fade into a ruin with vegetation growing over her. I'd say by the look on her face that today's just not her day. The image works very well with the movie and book's concept, if you've ever seen or read it. The function is obviously meant to captivate interest amongst horror film fans to get them to watch or purchase the movie. This image belongs to DreamWorks Home Entertainment.

Realizing Blessings

Have you ever stopped to think on your drive home from work or class just how blessed you truly are? Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you were born as someone else with more shortcomings? This set of billboards really can put things into perspective just by glancing at them. In all three billboards, you see a side-by-side comparison of figures seemingly in the same similar pose, but in drastically different situations. The right always shows people enjoying life, while the left depicts the hardships that many people have to suffer through, based on their location. These situations are based on what family you were born into. You don't really have a choice how you are raised or what world you are living in. I love how simple, yet striking these designs are. The website for Save the Children Foundation is listed at the bottom of each image in bold white lettering. The function of these designs is to make an impact and make you want to check out the foundation's website, maybe even donate money towards their cause. I found this set of billboards in Goodvertising by Thomas Kolster.

Spellbinding Design...Well...Maybe...

Just in time for Halloween! I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist posting this. Okay, okay, I know... it's not the best example of Graphic Design, and that's the whole point of this blog: to show great examples of Graphic Design. It may not be the best, but it certainly serves it's purpose well in this design! If anyone has seen this movie, they know just how hilarious it is, and the cover reflects that very well. This cheesy DVD cover has an over-sized moon as the backdrop of the town. The title is a typical sci-fi/fantasy Disney styled serif font, somewhat resembling the Harry Potter logo. The image of the three Sanderson witch sisters is hilarious, especially Bette Midler character's lips! It's all topped off with the corny special effects fake lightning powers coming from her finger tips. A cheesy cover for a cheesy movie is the whole point of this design. The function of this cover is to spike a humorous tone and get people to purchase the movie. It's one of my favorite Halloween flicks, and if you haven't seen it, you definitely need to check it out! I couldn't find out who exactly did the artwork, but it is owned by Disney Enterprises, Inc.