What's the Story?

Well, we are already well into 2010 and I haven't posted in quite awhile. Last year was very busy, thankfully. Looking ahead, I can only hope that this year is even more promising. With the state of the economy being so-so, it is easy to feel a little down about it. Whenever I feel down, I combat those feelings with some color, as color has been proven to affect moods.

I love color! Especially color stories! So here is my color story for this year broken down into seasons. The colors I've chosen for this year's color story represent change, struggle and optimism. I think we've all been dealing with change in our government/society, struggle with the economy and hoping things get better soon.

Creative Cover

Sometimes when creating signage for buildings or entryways, we forget that there are other elements that can play a crucial role in the overall design. By collaborating with Architects and the structure of the building, awnings, canopies, and other elements of architecture can be cleverly integrated with sign graphics to create a unique environment and impactful design scape. Below are some unique canopies that are creative and inspirational.

Design for the Environment

I've been a bit preoccupied lately with work and side projects. I am happy to report that in addition to my signage projects, I've been working on some print projects, as well. It has been a nice reprieve. Not only have I been working with a paper medium, I've been dabbling with canvas in an effort to be more 'environmentally' aware.

For some time now I have been setting aside time for my own crafty projects. I love to spend time getting dirty with paint, ink, etc. and channeling my inner artist. Sometimes Environmental Design can be very 'left-brained' work. It is nice to massage my creativity with other forms of art. A few summers ago, some friends of mine started printing their designs on reusable bags. Their message and design was pretty bold. I thought it was a great DIY project idea.

Grocery store chains have been catching on to the trend of reusable bags and I've seen many people buying the bags that the grocery stores sell. I definitely didn't want to spend my money on bags with some grocery store logo on the side or one with produce photos printed on it. The best part about my friend's bag was that it could be toted anywhere. Grant it, the message was targeted against the use of plastic grocery bags, but I started taking it to the book store, Ikea, and Target.

Then I got to thinking. Why not print a design that is low-key enough that I could take the bag to any store that I would typically need a bag for purchases? So, I came up with a few designs that I could make myself and that were subtle enough to take anywhere. Below are two of the patterns that I've designed. I designed several patterns, but have yet to print them. Most have an environmentally friendly theme. I will post more photos when I have printed more designs. The patterns below are called Sustainable Forest and Windfarm. So far, these designs have been the most popular. My sister-in-law takes hers everywhere. It makes me smile everytime I see it.

Boutique Bungalow

I ran across this post a week or so ago from Desire to Inspire about a new boutique hotel opening in New Jersey. The designers of this hotel are the talented Sixx Design. If you want to see photos of the interior, Desire to Inspire has quite a few. I pulled the sign photos from that post. It's so refreshing to see how simple and inexpensive materials can be used in such a creative and unique way. The design of these signs looks high end, but the material choice was budget friendly. If you see the interior photos, the money was well spent elsewhere! Fantastic job all around.

Keep it Simple

With the ever growing worry about the economy and corporate spending, less is more seems to be the new trend. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, you don't have to sacrifice good design and aesthetics while working with a low budget. A good designer knows how to make the most of any budget. A good designer also knows where to scale back and also what is absolutely necessary for a successful piece.

The sign in the photo above is for a newly renovated apartment community. They had a limited budget for a new sign since they were spending the majority of their budget on interior renovations. In order to make the most of their budget, the existing sign structure was refurbished and salvaged for the new sign. The photo below shows the old sign.

By using simple materials, an existing structure, and a fresh new panel design, the sign looks more expensive than it was. In order to save cost on lighting, the sign panel is a bright brushed aluminum and the letter faces have a reflective surface. Simple details such as the dimensional letters, the aluminum surround on the cap, and the spaced off main panel, give the sign a more complex look and richer feel. Again, good design can be affordable. You just have to find the right designer.

The Objects of Inspiration

Many Artists and Designers can agree that the most mundane everyday items can be a source of inspiration. Sometimes the inspiration lies in the way these items are constructed, the color of the item, or simply the material used to make them. Below are some examples of items that inspired some of my designs. For instance, an ordinary metal IKEA trash bin served as inspiration for a perforated mesh sign face for MAC Fitness.
The material and construction of metal venetian office blinds was my inspiration for a restaurant entrance sign.
The edge of my laptop's monitor served as my inspiration for construction of a fabric awning frame.
The translucent material of a ballpoint pen inspired some of my translucent sign letters. Lastly, the translucent cutting mat with printed surface served as my inspiration for a custom, translucent, matte finish ADA elevator floor level indicator.
Inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere. You just have to be open to finding it.

Design by Committee

This is just a random post linking to a YouTube video clip of one of my favorite scenes of 'The Fountainhead'. It is a good scene. Not as good as Howard Roark's defense speech, which I also highly recommend taking the time to watch. There are also clips of his courtroom speech on YouTube.

Design by Committee - 'The Fountainhead'

The Writing on the Window

It never fails to amaze me that some people are reluctant to believe that good design is often less costly than bad design. Of course, I don't just mean the overall cost of the services and product, but also the return on investment.

Take simple window graphics, for instance. If you hire a Designer, the cost for the actual design is usually based on industry standard pricing guidelines, and fluctuates slightly based on the competency of the Designer. In most cases, however, the price for the actual design falls in a very specific range. The cost for fabricating and installing the window graphics is also more or less a fixed cost. Only varying slightly depending on the vendor. Some vendors offer design services for free. Beware, the cost of those services can sometimes be hidden in the total cost. Plus, the designers they have on staff are typically not the best designers in town. (My apologies to sign vendors, but in my experience it's true.) Most of my examples of bad window graphics are from the websites of sign companies.



In any case, these photo examples of beautifully designed window graphics versus very poorly designed window graphics clearly show which is the better investment. Poorly designed graphics can actually hurt a business in the long run. Which would you want for your business? See my point? I'll say it again, the price of good design often costs less than bad design.

Happy New Year!

After a nice long holiday break, my keyboard is starting to look like this lovely outdoor installation. I have to admit to slacking on my blog in December. I was super busy last month with work and Holiday festivities. I resolve to get back into posting at least once a week!

Tile Mosaics

I've always been intrigued by the sweet Art Nouveau tile floor of the Hotel Tassel in Brussels, designed by Architect Victor Horta. I recently came across SICIS, an Italian tile supplier with an incredible gallery of beautiful mosaics. If you have some time, I highly recommend taking a look at their website gallery. They have a showroom in New York and one in Milan.

House Industries

Check out these beautifully simple specimens of House Industries Letters & Ligatures show at the Subliminal Gallery in LA. The show opened on November 8th and will be up until December 5th. It is an "exhibition of prints, patterns, installations and sculptures based on House Industries’ 15-year excursion into the alphabetical world." I ran across these photos on the House Industries blog, so I can't take credit for them. I only wish I could go to the show.

These installations are perfect examples of how sometimes the simplest (an least expensive) materials combined with fabulous typography can make for excellent displays!

ill-Luminous

Technology is racing at a break-neck speed when it comes to innovations of light products. The most versatile, marketable, economical and environmentally respectful product designs will be the winners. The uses of these products are innumerable. Some of the applications are a bit eccentric, but they can be used commercially, especially for Signage. I'm not talking about the cheesy "We're Open" signs. I'm talking about more appropriate and less trite applications. Below is one of my designs which uses Flexible LED Tube to simulate Neon. With the flexible tubes, the corners and overall look is clean and sharp. By using LED technology the overall cost savings and longevity far exceeds traditional Neon. The only downside is that LEDs are not as bright as exposed Neon.

Textures

Utilizing different textures and materials can really make a sign stand out. Whether the texture is applied to the substrate/mounting surface, the letters themselves, or as a decorative element, it can really add depth and character to a sign or signage system. Here are a few examples and links that I've compiled.

It's great to see sign examples that not only consider the sign letters themselves, but the substrates they are mounted to. I love the sign for The Getty Center. The live wall behind the pinned-off letters is great. Sometimes the substrate can offer a nice contrast in surface to make the sign really stand out.


Here is a fun, permanent shade structure that I designed to accommodate retail signage at 701 Eden Street in Baltimore. Not only does it provide shade, it also adds texture and a simple mounting detail for entrance signs.


I also really like the creativity behind this art exhibition entrance. It was for Royal College of Art Summer Show in 2007. The 2008 show entrance is also amazing and larger than life, literally.


Here is another example of how I've used texture to my advantage with my designs. The number 3 is a level indicator for a painted concrete wall in a parking garage elevator lobby at Harbor East in Baltimore. I selected a bright wall color for the plain concrete block wall and designed a sleek cut-out brushed aluminum number that is pinned off of the wall surface. The contrast really makes the number pop.


Using an architectural metal mesh material or custom perforated metal can also add texture to your designs. There are many sites that sell this material including Banker+Wire and Cambridge Architectural Metal.


Here are 40'+ painted perforated metal banners that I designed for tenants at Harbor East. This gave the more permanent anchor tenants a presence along Fleet Street. Most of the traffic flow travels along Fleet. Even though these anchors didn't have storefronts along the main street, they had an opportunity to advertise their location in the project. The perforated metal provides a lightness and translucency that is unique and eye-catching.


You can also use the perforated metal as a letter face. This allows the letter to be a solid color during the day, but light up internally at night. I used this technique for the two signs below.


You can also add texture to your designs as a decorative element. At Maple Lawn in Columbia, MD, I was inspired by all of the maple trees they intended on planting in the community. It was a perfect opportunity to incorporate the maple leaf motif in my signage. The cut out leaf pattern of various maple leaves painted to match the sign frame was a subtle detail that really made the sign system unique. The maple leaf brackets for the sign panels on all directional and way-finding signs pulled the theme together.


I hope that these examples inspire textural creativity in your designs. Feel free to post comments or inquiries about my posts. It's always nice to get other opinions that could be both helpful and inspirational!

Colors I Love...

Lately, I've had sort of an obsession with deep teal. I love all colors, but I'm really digging that blueish green color. There is just something about it. Even the appliances that are on the sales floor are sporting this shiny new color. My cousin, Sarah, says that it is the new 'avocado'.Colors of everyday random objects can inspire new color palettes for your designs. Here are some other colors that I'm liking this year...

Purple Plum & Berry
Saffron Yellow & Fire Orange
Emerald & Olive Green
Colbalt & Teal Blue

Light & Shadow

Recently, I've seen a few sign projects that harness visible light and manipulate light waves in order to produce unique effects. Below are some examples that use modern materials, shadows and projected light to enhance their design. Some of the materials, including Litracon and Corian Illumination Series, I'd love to use in future projects. The last four images are SEGD award winners.