Claire Broadhurst

Guinness Commercial "Good things come to those who wait."

2007-11-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

I think this advert is really clever. It manages to create the right feeling of anticipation and makes you wonder what it is advertising. I would love to know how much of this is generated by computer and how much was actually filmed though. The way that it has built up in scale and ambition as the advert progresses sets the mood that Guinness is a drink that needs to be admired and celebrated.

Drugs and Human Behaviour

2007-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is a book cover from 1970 done by Diagram. I really like the way that it has tried to express an idea and hasn't resorted to the traditional pills image. I have read a few comments on this and they can't see the link from teapot to scorpian and have taken it on a very literal sence, but I like the fact that it simply implies a change of mood and perception that can occur and therefore suggests some themes that will continue into the book. I had never really thought of looking into non fiction covers before, but the last two posts have really made me consider a different direction angle for my independent project.

A General Theory of Love Cover - Great Design

2007-10-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

Since I first saw this book cover by John Gall, it has been one of my favorites. Its one of those designs that when you see it done you realize what an obvious yet striking an idea it is. The book explores the psychology of love, this clever photograph manages to tell you all of that instantly. The thing that I like the most is that the title itself could be visualized in many different ways, however the design shows you that bit more about the book (for example it hints that this is a non fiction study and not a novel). It is these sort of designs that really inspire me as they show that the person creating them has really understood the point of the book and is trying to communicate this to the audience. I would like to research this area and other designs like this in preparation for my independent project after Christmas.

Another Sony Bravia - Great design

2007-10-18T01:17:00.000-07:00

I was really surprised when I saw this mentioned in one of those free papers you get given on the train. The play-doh ad has not long been out and in the past all of sony's ads have been well spaced so just as the buzz from one has died down the next is released.

This article from ads of the world ( http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/sony_bravia_pyramid ) suggests that It has been made specially for the egyptian market. It is perhaps not as ambitious as some of the other adverts in the series but the concept is there and it works well as its still a large scale take over of colour. It is these type of adverts that have really inspired me to look at it as an area to explore in my independent project. There is so much that you can do with a concept when it is applied to motion, I would like to explore this further in my work. Whilst this advert itself is probably not my favorite of all the ones that this company has produced, I have included it as an example of great design for the concept application and campaign as a whole.

Sky Movies Advert,

2007-10-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

I remember reading earlier this summer on someone's blog (I forget who) that the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil was going advertising free. I was really curious about the effect that this would have on the cityscape at the time, but shortly forgot about it and didn't look into it again until I came across this advert by Sky Movies.

I think its a great example of a company making the most of the surrounding area for their own purposes. I wonder how long it was before the advertising guys at sky realized that by filming a series of short clips in the already advertising free city they could use it to create a commercial that fitted in with what they wanted. On the other hand, one thing I did wonder was how the governors of Sao Paulo reacted when their efforts to remove all advertising, was used to create the exact thing they were trying to wipe out.

Philips Dominos Advert

2007-10-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

I don't ever remember seeing this before so don't know if it is only an internet ad or one that used to be on TV, either way I think its a really clever way of promoting a light bulb. Its the kind of thing that would make you smile and therefore makes you more likely to remember the brand when you are out shopping.

Sony Bravia Play-Doh

2007-10-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

This is the latest of the adverts for the Sony Bravia campaign 'Colour like no other'. The first was so unusual and popular with the Jose Gonzalez soundtrack and the thousands of bouncy balls released down the street, it was almost inevitable that the second would not quite live up to people's expectations. This final advert features hundreds of bunnies varying in size from 6" to 30 feet tall. This quote from the Sony website gives some impression of what a large scale project this was;

"The third TV commercial for BRAVIA is the most ambitious piece of stop-motion animation ever undertaken. Devised by Fallon and shot over three weeks in New York, the commercial employed 40 animators from Passion and used 2.5 tonnes of plasticine."

The thing that I love more than anything about this campaign is that they take these crazy huge scale ideas that are all physically created with colour. Instead of going with the safe and cheep option of filming it in a studio, they film them out into the streets ensuring it goes from being a big idea to being a big campaign. In many ways I think this is my favorite of the adverts so far in what they have constructed and done. I like everyone else really liked the first but this one just seams to be more ambitious and consequently impressive. I don't like the soundtrack as much but it undeniably fits in with the style and contents of the advert. The thinking behind the idea was that they just wanted to show playfulness and a sense of fun, in my opinion they have done this really well, creating another fantastic advert in their Colour like no other series.

Gingerbread Haka

2007-10-02T04:14:00.000-07:00

I love this advert, it was launched in New Zealand about the same time as the Rugby World Cup was starting. Its a really simple way to get attention for the bakery of the year competition and create a buzz about something that may not otherwise receive as much publicity. The whole history of the Haka really supports the mood that they are trying to create as it lays down a challenge to the opposition. It is definitely a bit of fun but the whole idea and thinking behind it is fantastic.

notgoinganywhere.co.uk

2007-09-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

This is a really clever campaign that has been launched in the last few weeks by Ikea. I saw the TV advert first, and immediately liked the thinking that had gone behind it. The line that they are using is that home is “more than a roof over your head”, this is something that people can sympathise with, and strikes a chord with everyone.

The website is based on a very simple, yet fantastic idea; instead of putting signs up to say your house is for sale, you create one that shows that your not going anywhere. This is one that at the moment is one that has mainly taken off in London, where estate agents frequently contact homeowners on the most saleable streets. Whilst on the surface it doesn’t advertise Ikea’s products, it does sell the idea that ikea can help you transform a building into a home.

I can’t seam to find a copy of the advert online, but one thing I remember is it’s clever use of motion type. It also used words such as “Is your house perfect? Or is it real, and still perfect?” This is a campaign that appears on the surface to have a lot of potential and I look forward to see how this works out.

Penguin, "We print the words you do the covers" some of the results

2007-09-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

I have been checking back onto this website since I first posted about this initiative. Here are a few of my favorite covers from the 'online gallery'. I think most if not all rival what is currently on the shelves at the moment. They are all very different in style and some of those that have been done for the same title could not be more dissimilar. This shows how people can react differently to the same novel, I love this idea and the results that it has created.

What I loved by Siri Hustvedt - Book cover

2007-09-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

When I saw this cover, my thoughts immediately went to a sex in the city style novel, but from the reviews I have read this is not exactly how it is. Geraldine Bedell writing in the Observer said "Her characters inhabit a rarefied world of SoHo art galleries and universities and are so preoccupied with interpreting their lives that you wonder how they manage to live them." This is not what I would instantly link with the cover art, however I can see that it does have a certain reflective element about it. I do like the style and way that the title has been incorporated into the artwork, however, from what I have found out it doesn't lead you into the story as well as some of the other covers I have mentioned.

Then we came to the end, Joshua Ferris, book cover

2007-09-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

This very familiar imagery automatically makes you think of an office environment. From finding out what I can about this novel, I can't think of a much more appropriate way to communicate the story's plot. The book's centre is a Chicago ad agency at a time when the industry was undergoing massive change into the digital era and job losses were following as a result. One book review picked up that it was created in a similar style to the office, it drew you into the lives of fictional characters, but ones that you could actually see alot of people you knew reflected within. Although the post it note style has been used a lot in the past, I have not seen it so frequently on book covers. On top of this from what I have read it is a very suitable way to set the tone of the book which is ultimately what the cover sets out to do.

Another Orange advert

2007-09-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I can't as of yet find a video to include of this Orange advert, but from the image above you can see the gist of how it is created. This is another way of achieving animation, often one that people have been aware of since they were children and therefore can be overlooked. I like the simplicity that this advert shows, its the one that orange is famous for. I am not sure if the main animation has actually been created by a flick book way, but the idea and concept behind it is the bit I like. It creates a personal feeling to the advert, whilst I have to say I am not over keen on the actual content of the advert, I thought it was worth mentioning purely for a technique purpose.

Their eyes were watching god,

2007-09-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

I saw this on my housemates course book shelf and instantly I wanted to know what the book had to say. The cover graphics, whilst not shocking or overly innovative work well and look good with the typography that is also on the front. My first thoughts were that it had a very balanced and reflective quality about it, like you sere seeing an image of how the main character felt not looked, I think it was this that made me curious in the first place. From what I have been told and found out from skim reading the first chapter or so, the plot is about the main character Janie who is recounting the events from the last twenty of her life; This obviously is where the very reflective character pose came from. The one thing that did confuse me slightly was that very peaceful images had been shown in colors which are normally associated with danger. This is also something that is a theme within the book.

This cover uses a different technique to simply showing a scene or character from the book, in my opinion it shows a feeling and a theme. The fact that this can be communicated to the author before they even open the book is something I find really interesting, its something that has a large amount of potential for future work.

Lloyds TSB Advert

2007-09-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

I like this advert and concept. Its something that doesn't necessarily relate to the bank until you see the end. I like this technique, in a similar way to the Alfa advert someone commented on in their blog last week, it allows you to be pulled into the visuals and music. By the time you get to the end you are actually quite curious about what it is promoting. The animator Marc Craste has created a really stylized scene and characters. It flows well and doesn't over complicate things. Its an interesting direction for a bank to go in but one I think that is quite successful.

Targeted TV Adverts

2007-09-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this advert for the first time last night on TV. Aside from the fact that its a good example of Chanel successfully creating a glossy luxurious advert that will not look out of place either now or at christmas, I also noticed something else. There were two guys and three females in the room at the time, both the lads after commenting on how good looking she was weren't that interested. All of the females however were more captivated by the advert and the product they were selling. I actually asked the people I was sitting with after what they thought of it, both guys said it was boring and not remotely appealing, where as the rest of us were really attracted to it. I know this in itself is not conclusive, but it was interesting to see how we all reacted to an advert none of us had seen before, when we weren't deliberately trying to form an opinion (as you do in a focus group for example). I think this is a case where they know so clearly who their target audience is they are able to design an advert that appeals directly to them. Whilst its something we all try to do, seeing this made me realize how much impact it can have if done successfully. I guess its a good example of the fact you don't have to be worried about alienating some people, in order to reach your desired customers.

Orange TV Adverts

2007-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

I have really mixed feelings about these Orange adverts. There are some things that I admire such as the fact that it has an amateur and slightly theatrical feel. I also like the fact that they have taken this through to the accompanying music so that it all fits in with the concept. On the other hand there is just something that doesn’t seam as dramatic as you would expect. The only thing I can put this down to is fact that, it doesn’t have as much impact as much as Orange’s preceding adverts. I know that this is an unusual standard to judge it from, but I can’t help but do so given the company’s track record. It is in a similar way to the Sony Bravia adverts, since the success of the first the second has so much more to live up to. The same is true here, I have included two of my favourite past Orange adverts bellow. It may just be me who thinks this but whilst the current campaign is good, it is not in the same class as the other two campaigns.

Toyo Ito

2007-09-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

I am relatively late in discovering the wonders of Toyo Ito the Japanese Architect and Designer, but simply looking at his work you can’t deny his creativity. I found out about this architect when I was investigating the architect behind the VivoCity building in Tokyo (below). This is one of Toyo Ito’s most famous designs.

The more I investigate this building the more that it intrigues me. According to their website “ The name ‘VivoCity’ is derived from the word ‘Vivacity’, evoking a lifestyle experience that is modern stimulating and accessible to everyone”. When you think about this as a type of mission statement for the building, I don’t think they could have selected a better design for the Singapore Construction. From what I can discover without having visited it myself, this building has everything. The 1.5m square foot area that it covers it contains event spaces, promenades, cinemas, shopping and food courts, gyms, a spa, living space etc, the list appears to be endless. The intertwining lines that are both an internal and external design feature make you feel that this is a fun place to live, work and relax, the whole thing screams confidence and playfulness.

This isn’t by any means the first of Ito’s constructions to reach the headlines. The design that drew him into the limelight was Sendai Mediathique. This is another multifunction building but this is done in a different almost more spiritual way. The large open spaces were created to allow a variety of exhibits and events and allow the Mediathique to continually evolve.

Another building I want to mention is his famous ‘Tower of Winds’ which was built in 1986. It’s primary function was to disguise a ventilation tower for an underground shopping centre in Yokohama, Tokyo. Toyo Ito transformed the solely functional construction into a design feature with his innovative ideas. In the day it appears to be an opaque tower (with mirrored plates and aluminium shielding the lights within).

At night this building comes to life, a computer programme controls the ring of neon lights surrounding the tower and allows it to respond to noises and movement from the city above. Technically I am not certain how they accomplished this, but the result is so peculiar and interesting I became less interested in finding out everything about its construction and more interested in finding images of it.

Then there was the Serpentine Pavilion in London, which was constructed in 2002. This is constructed within the grounds of The Serpentine Gallery, the idea of this pavilion was to create a space to be used for anything from film screenings and special programs to a café. It may not be the largest scale of his designs, but I love the lines and spaces that it creates, its hardly what you would call your standard café!

The final design that I want to mention is his design proposal for the Taichung Metropolitan Opera House. Toyo Ito himself said that ““Architecture has to follow the diversity of society, and has to reflect that a simple square or cube can’t contain that diversity.” The building is scheduled for completion in 2009, if the final result comes close to these proposal images, I think it could be a really fascinating place to visit.

I have spent a long time investigating and exploring the work of Toyo Ito. The buildings that I have mentioned are simply some of my favorites, there are many more equally impressive ones around. More than anything I love the creativity that this work shows, you can tell that each design grows from it’s surroundings and is designed to best suit the purpose. I can now understand why this Japanese Artist/Architect is considered “one of the world’s most innovative and influential Architects” (Designboom/Wikipedia)

FunkyLittleDarlings.co.uk

2007-09-09T03:41:00.000-07:00

I first heard about this design service in the Sunday Times Style magazine. It was founded by Mandy Colliss and David Quinton (former toy and Graphic Designers). The company evolved after the couple discovered the surprising lack of uncheesy wallpapers available for kids. “The idea is that parents send ideas and photos of their children and we create a bespoke picture”. This is often personalized even further when they add characters or imaged based on the child into the design for them to discover.

I think it’s a fantastic idea, I remember when I was younger wanting something bright and dramatic on my walls and my mum begging me to change my mind into something that I would like for longer that a week. Whilst these dramatic designs don’t totally eliminate this possibility, the fact that they are designed specifically to suit both the child and the adults commissioning it does reduce this chance. Its like having a large (but more permanent) picture painted for your wall, it is something that will always remain unique to you.

Tilt-Shift Photography (making reality into a toy town)

2007-09-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I read an article earlier from today’s Telegraph Magazine called “Postcards from Toytown”. The subject of this was the 29 year old Tokio artist Naoki Honjo and the way that he uses the technique ‘Tilt-Shift photography’ to create almost fake looking images from everyday scenes. The article quotes the artist as saying “It’s nothing special in terms of technique, its just a way of controlling the focus” I had never heard of this term before but I have since looked it up on the internet and found that it is not an uncommon or new thing. From what I can gather it requires the image sensor to be moved from the normal right angle with the lens, this alters the perspective and focus of the image, hence creating a toytown effect out of everyday life.

The effect is really unusual, you find yourself studying the images really closely to try and work out if the seemingly lego world your seeing could actually be real. Here are a few scans out of the article, I find this fascinating, I don’t think I have ever fully appreciated the number of different things that can be achieved with a camera and without photoshop.

The Difference in Guidebooks

2007-09-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Whilst I was dreaming of my next holiday I will probably never afford, I started looking through the guidebooks in our house. I don’t think I ever really appreciated the huge differences between the companies, I was naive enough to assume that one book was pretty much the same as another. I couldn’t have been more wrong, some go through describing a place initially by words without a single photographic prompt, where as others feel more like a printed slide show. On reflection I can see why each company has decided to do things differently, as otherwise each book would become (as I originally thought) a clone of the other.

The other thing that I noticed was that whilst each book had spent some time working on the cover, none of them appeared to consider the content layout of the book to be of particular importance. I find this really odd, you expect to feel seduced into visiting all the exotic places on each page. Instead I found myself thinking, “why did they try and put so much on one page I’m getting a headache”. Obviously I am making a very general and biased overview here, but from the 7 different companies books that I looked at, not one of them really looked as if it had been designed. So just a thought, if anyone does know of any good guidebook companies that make their books enjoyable not a chore to read, please do let me know.

Edit: I have since found a book by Alistair Sawdays that does exactly what I was struggling to find before. Also I really liked the bit in the front of the book where it basically said, if you don’t agree with what is written here, let us know, we don’t claim to be objective, this is a book on our opinion and experiences and it wouldn’t be a very good guide book if it wasnt. (I am paraphrasing as I can’t find the book at the moment)

Raise Them on Robinsons

2007-09-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

I remember commenting on this TV advert (above) on Holly’s Blog just after it had come out. At the time I thought that it was a very clever way of marketing their drinks to children, but bypassing all the new legislation and laws that have been put in place to prevent this. The “Raise them on Robinsons” line is indicative of a parental audience, as is the website contents and the placement of the press ads. On the other hand if you took out this line and replaced the nutritional information on the website with a game or picture to colour, it would look anything but out of place.

My cynicism aside, I do really like this campaign. It has a fresh feeling to both the graphics and the music surrounding it. At the time when the first TV advert was released, the press ads and website had still to be launched. Now that they have you can see that throughout this has been a well thought out and planned campaign. It defiantly feels like it belongs together as all the components serve to remind you of another. My personal favourite is the No artificial colourings adverts shown bellow. It such a simple way of doing it, yet it makes you smile and draws attention to the point well. Overall I have to say I admire the Robinson’s campaign for finding it’s way round what could otherwise be a very difficult problem. I wonder if we will see more companies being forced approach marketing this way in the future.

CocaCola

2007-09-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

I love the latest CocaCola advert, it has such a tangible feel of celebration and joy, it makes even me, who can’t stand the drink, tempted into their world. CocaCola is probably one of the most recognised and powerful brands, it must be hard in a way to know what to do next to build on their brand image. Both the website and the advert combine a mixture of graphical styles, from animation, to 3D modelling to photography, so often when you try and do multiple things the end product ends up suffering and not benefiting, thankfully for CocaCola, this is not true here.

The Advert works with the enchanting music to build up anticipation in their fantasy “world of CocaCola”. One thing that struck me when I first saw it was how clever it was from a marketing perspective. With all the legislation and rules surrounding advertising to children, and Coke’s brand image of being more of a young adult’s soft drink, it was never going to target it’s campaign specifically to kids. Having said this the animated style and fairytale like music would not isolate this audience sector either, i.e it’s customers of the future.

The website (http://www.coca-cola.com) is built on a very light hearted plane. There are interactive parts where you are able to create your own image to be left in “the coke side of life” gallery and also a bit which allows you to “discover the happiness” factory behind the advert. Apart from the expected Christmas advert, I don’t really remember that much self publicity launched by CocaCola recently. With this in mind, there was no guaranteeing that “Happiness Factory” campaign would be received well by the public, but from what I have seen this ‘invitation’ into their world has been a definite success.

Pathway, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Leeds

2007-09-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

Even the most mundane everyday things can be made a bit more interesting through design.....

Brylcream, Effortless

2007-09-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have just seen an advert for Brylcreem on TV and surprisingly it has not yet found it’s way onto you tube. It is a clever sequence advert that whilst it shows the product, it doesn’t specifically focus on this. Instead as Honda, Skoda and many others have famously done, it sells an idea; this time the concept is “effortless”. I think this is likely to work well, obviously it is hard to predict the success of any campaign, but given the music, the style and idea, it will go down well with it’s target audience.

The advert can be seen on their website http://www.brylcreem.co.uk. This incidentally is one of the best websites that I have seen for this young but broad target audiences. The style is contrasting to the advert but there are small things like the sketched old style tv and the competitions that they have run to get the public’s take on the concept ‘Effortless’. I really hope that this is a success as it is one of the better pieces of marketing I have seen targeted at the student type age range in the past few years.

Barbie exhibit Prague

2007-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

This exhibition really is amazing for anybody who does or ever has liked Barbie dolls. It takes up a whole floor of Prague’s Toy Museum and showed not only the changing fashion of Barbie’s costumes over the years, but also less common ones that had been designed by famous names in the industry. I love the amount of detail and care that has gone into making these costumes. You can really see someone like Kyle wearing these in a show, they are the ultimate in showgirl glamour.

While I was looking for these photos, I also noticed following one which I took in Capri, (Italy) last year. I liked the way that the dolls had been used to show the creative glamour that the shop's clothes displayed.

Shop Window Displays

2007-09-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Shop window design is something that if you do it right can be talked of for years, for example most people will remember of the following design by Thomas Heatherwick Studios, even though it was done years ago.

Although not quite on the same scale, I came across these photos that I took of window displays in Paris years ago.

I think this is a really interesting area of design as people can do anything from the predictable to the outrageous, and in many ways they can be as creative as they like. The photo below is from the Londonist’s review of the 2005 Selfridges Christmas display.

One thing that I can’t help but notice is that both the Prada photo (which was taken 7 years ago) and the more recent Selfridges display would both look striking if seen today, it just shows how good design will always look just that.

Elemore Leonard UK book covers

2007-09-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

These are book covers designed by Tim Marrs for Elmore Leonard’s UK released books. They stood out when I was looking round a bookshop at the various covers, not because they were the most modern, nor because they were the most innovative. These stand out because of the attention and detail that has obviously gone into their creation.

I have not actually read any of the books myself so can’t vouch for if they are designed to specifically relate to the plot. However, given the differences between the covers I think it’s fair to assume that they are. These illustrations are of a style that is quite popular with a number of artists, yet they are well considered and created, and also very appropriate for the type of crime and mystery genre that Elmore Leonard writes in.

The illustrators personal website is also something I want to mention. It is a well-designed portfolio; its not too complicated, but everything from the page list to the background shows part of his individual style. If you are interested in illustration, it my be worth looking at. http://www.timmarrs.co.uk/

Fresh Magazine

2007-09-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

This may seam like an odd inclusion, but there is one design feature of this magazine that I really like, it’s use of colour.

If you look at the covers above, they are all remarkably similar in layout, typeface selection and style (if anything they fall into the magazine cover trap of being too crowded). In fact apart from the image on the front, the only thing that really differentiates the covers is the colour scheme. I have known a few magazines to have a palate of colours in which the title is selected from, but here the colours appear to be taken according to what fits the image best.

The same can be said for the inside of the magazine. Below are three articles from different issues, in all of them the way that both the title and subtitle colours have come out of the main photo or theme is striking.

Whilst this may not be a truly fascinating and innovative aspect to design, I have noticed that when you are flicking through the pages, none of the spreads seam to clash or compete. They are all designed in the way that is most appropriate for the photo or subject matter. As I said other publications have done a similar thing in the past, however, in this case it really works without diluting the appearance of the magazine. As with the covers, you could take off the title and still tell that they are part of a set, the colour is not needed to reinforce this. Even though it is a small thing, it has made me realise that in something like a magazine or brochure; it is less important to have a set of ‘brand colours’ and more that each page looks appealing and well designed.

Borders as a Museum?

2007-09-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my notes other day and came across the bit where Mike Sheedy had listed Tescos as a Packaging exhibition. Using this same principal, for the most recent book cover design, surely there can be no better place than a bookshop. I know this may sound obvious, but its too often the case for me that when I’m struggling to come up with something innovative and new, I tend to forget the most basic and simple things. So just to jog my memory in the future, there is no better place to explore book cover design (except maybe a library)

Susan Howatch, The Rich are Different

2007-09-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

I read this novel first about a year ago, but have just got hold of the sequel so decided to reread it and refresh my memory. ‘The Rich are Different’ tells the story of Paul Van Zale, (an incredibly rich investment banker) and other key characters whose lives coincide with his New York world. The novel is split into five sections with each of these being told through a different character in the book. This is quite a common and clever feature of Susan Howatch’s writing, as just when you are becoming involved with a character and their story, you switch and see it from another perspective. The result of this is that although you begin the story seeing the world as Paul does, you finish with a far more rounded view of the society he was in and also a hint to the repercussions of his actions. The book is set around the time of the 1929 wall street crash and through it you get a hint of just how the economy may have failed at this time.

I enjoyed reading this book the first time, and even more the second, but right at the beginning I was reminded of something I said when I lent it to my sister; Stick with it, the beginning may seam dull but it is important and when you get past the first 30 pages you will be gripped. In a strange way this book seamed to take longer to read than most, it wasn’t that I was less interested in the plot or that I was bored etc. It was more that each sentence is packed with so many words and so much information, it takes longer to digest. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading, it may not be ideal for those that prefer magazines to books as you do have to persist with it in places, but when you finally get into it, its well worth the wait.

Shrek Three

2007-09-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Shrek 3 as the title suggests, is the latest instalment of this Disney Series. I had seen both of the previous movies so was determined to see the latest when it was at the cinema. My overriding view of this film is that whilst it appears to have all of the ingredients to make the film successful, the same characters and, the witty lines and improved animation from it’s predecessors, there still seams to be something missing. At first I couldn’t put my finger on what this was, however having thought about it a bit more, I can only come up with one criticism; the plot doesn’t really progress that much from the second movie. This storyline is incredibly similar, and whilst it does have new cast additions and different aspects to it, there’s no doubt that it feels slightly déjà vu at times.

Despite this, I have to say I did really enjoy this film, we went to the cinema as a group of four and all of us came out with slightly different opinions. One said it was the best Shrek film so far, another that one was still her favourite, one that couldn’t choose and me who whilst I enjoyed it, I still prefer the second.

With regards to the design or technical part of the movie, the animation in this film is fantastic. Everything within it is has been made to look as realistic as possible, without actually breaking into photographic filming with special effects. Animated films have come a long way since the first Disney films and even since those techniques used in Wallace and Gromit. With this in mind, I can’t wait to see the results that this industry can generate in the next few years.

Tea Adverts

2007-09-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Since visiting the Tea Appreciation Society website, my mind has been focussed on the good traditional Cuppa. One thing I did think was that like so many other industries, advertising tea must be quite hard as there is not a lot that differentiates one brand from another. Yes there is the factor of brand loyalty and that people generally can tell which they prefer out of makes, but as a whole, advertising one brand of tea so that it stands out significantly against another is not an easy task. Having said that, it wasn’t difficult to remember tv adverts and marketing slogans that I liked, so the agencies out there can’t be doing too bad a job.

Here are some of the adverts that I am sure everyone knows and the lines that go with them. When you think that they all are basically marketing the same product, it’s amazing to see the different roots the campaigns have taken.

Twinings, “Blended to make every day a little better”

Typhoo “ You only get an ‘OO’ with Typhoo”

Tetley Extra Strong “For those who like their Tea with a bit of muscle” / “Everyone’s cup of tea”

PG Tips, “Put the Kettle On”

http://www.teaappreciationsociety.org

2007-09-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

The first thing about this website that caught my attention was the name. This extract from the homepage explains a bit of who they are

‘The "Tea Appreciation Society" was setup in February 2007 by a small collective of British designers who LOVE TEA. Not only do we love tea, we drink tea, we use tea for those moments when you need some inspiration, relaxation or to forget the din of the world.”

This extract made me smile, mainly as its true of so many tea drinkers across this country. When they are feeling tired, down, upset, stressed or as it says above uninspired one of the first things that they reach for, is a cup or England’s favourite drink.

The more you explore this website, the more you realise that it is using this title to promote the fair trade tea industry and ethical clothing through their own designs. On face value this could just be a site designed to make you smile and give a bit of extra publicity for the designers, but I actually think they are trying to do more than this. They are using what could otherwise be ‘just another’ blog style website and making it into one that has a purpose in trying to promote fair trade standards.

On another note, this has also got some links to artist and designer’s personal websites. If anyone has a minute I would recommend looking at them, the work is varied and really good.

With regards to the design of the website, I do really like it. It may not be the most flashy website or one that is extremely innovative in its design, but it does however look good and do what it sets out to. In a way I think my favourite part of the visual design is the background. They have used very natural greens here and constructed a leaf pattern that looks very much like my grandma’s old wallpaper. This is perfect for the site, this style is not only fashionable at the moment, but it reminds you of all the things that tea is normally linked to, such as living rooms, comfy sofas and resting at the end of the day. The only thing that I do think is a bit of a shame is that they have used a totally different, green for the main part of the site. Whilst it is not designed to match, I think that if they used this colour and style within the homepage a bit more, it would have more of an impact as at the moment it looks like many different sections not one whole cohesive site.

My Amoy Print Adverts

2007-09-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

I found these adverts in a magazine the other day. The main thing that stood out to me was the way they had created and laid out the typography. The text itself, whilst good, doesn’t in my opinion live up to the interesting way that they have created it. It reminds me a bit of our first year type poster project. It makes you realise that even when the strap line or even concept you have sometimes may not be the strongest, you can make even a weak idea look effective. I would like to see how well this idea would translate into a TV advert for example. It would be interesting to see if it is as effective or striking in a moving image.

Peter Blake, A Retrospective

2007-09-08T04:05:00.000-07:00

As I went round this exhibition I realised that I had been aware of Peter Blakes work for years. I knew of some of his more obvious works but there were other images here that I recognised. The type of images I liked or disliked when I first saw them, but either way a few years ago I would have been less interested in the artist than their appearance.

His work that’s on display here dates from the 1950’s to the present day. There were some of his most famous pieces displayed alongside ones that I had never seen before. The one that has stuck in my mind was the following image.

It was in the ‘Wrestlers and Pin-up Girls part of the exhibition, I spent ages just looking at it. I guess it’s one of those portraits that although you see the subject’s image itself, I could also a likeness to other people I had seen or knew. I have looked at a couple of portraits so far in my blog, to me this stood out in a different way to those of Mavis Roper, Luciano Bonacini and Henrich Nauen. Nauen’s work all seamed to be about reflecting the person’s character, and Roper’s about capturing the moment. Luciano Bonacini’s work was a display of his ability and opinions, where as this portrait of Peter Blake’s to me shows yet another thing altogether. This seamed to be about the subject’s interaction with the viewer and in a sense it’s seduction of the viewer. The subject is obviously a very beautiful woman, however there is something more captivating than just her looks, this appears to be in the eyes and the way that they hold your attention, it really is a fascinating portrait to look at.

There were various other of Peter Blake’s work which caught my eye, a couple of which I have shown bellow. I particularly liked his use of 3D sculpted objects, combined with 2D painted areas, it served to emphasize certain areas and make everything more exciting to look at.

There were several other pieces within this exhibition I could spend ages commenting on. Although I may not have personally liked them all, they were undoubtedly full of attention and detail. The bit of the whole exhibition that interested me the most was one that I nearly missed. We were about to leave when we noticed a sign saying ‘From this moment on’. This section was far more separated than the rest of the exhibition had been. Peter Blake himself described it as something that is ‘beyond the show and beyond the catalogue... the start of the next bit of my life’. These were paintings that are yet to be completed and are therefore still taking shape.

Apart from the fact that it enabled you to see how he built up and actually constructed his paintings, it lets you imagine what is yet to come. There was obviously a plan for each of these canvases, quite how detailed this will have been I don’t know, but I would love to see these again in a few years time to see what they have become or even if they have progressed at all.

Prada V Primark

2007-09-08T03:42:00.001-07:00

This was an article I came across in the September issue of the Magazine Marie Claire. I don’t often buy magazines, but when I do I tend to read them cover to cover (often not remembering what I have seen). For some reason this article stuck with me, I was out shopping the other day and I found myself wondering about the same issues that this article raises.

It is a two-part article, one half written by Tamsin Blanchard (a journalist who has just finished an article about ethical fashion) who spent a week dressed solely in Primark items. The other section was written by Kate Spicer who describes her fashion as being more about buying the odd designer item to wear alongside those from the high street, but has given this up for a week of being dressed by Prada. Whilst this swapping lifestyle principal is one that has been used so many times before, this article picks a very topical point of ethical clothing and looks at it in a very interesting way.

I don’t really think anyone can go into a shop such as Primark and not wonder how they sell jeans for £8 and still make a profit. This is one of the issues discussed within the text, as well as; are designer items practical for everyday, is there any benefit in buying clothes to last or is it better to simply buy and wear once what is currently in style and then bin it.

My only criticism of this article is that it didn’t really balance that well. The author they had selected to do the Prada week was undoubtedly a good journalist, but had been given slightly less column length. This meant that whilst it focussed on if Prada fitted into her personal lifestyle, it did not have time to go into the pros/cons of labelled clothes themselves. The first author having that bit more space, was able to balance looking at the industry in general with her experiences. This is a relatively small thing, but nevertheless one that I couldn’t help noticing.

An extract from this article is online at (http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/features/reports/Fashion_feature_Prada_v_Primark_Tamsin_Blanchard_article_131874.html)

Summer marketing Phenomenon

2007-09-08T03:29:00.000-07:00

Having just gone through the summer when the final instalment of the Harry Potter series was released “The Deathly Hallows” I felt I had to at least comment on it. I am not going to try and review the books individually or as a series as I am sure that every person out there who is interested in reading the books has already done so. Everyone who has already experienced the world of Harry Potter will no doubt have formed their own opinion, and those that have been less interested will probably not want to read a series review anyway.

I have decided therefore that I would look at the ‘media machine’ and ‘hype’ that surrounded this famed book’s release. On the 21st of July 2007, approximately 10 million people across the world first opened Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Not only was this a phenomenon for the people who worked to keep the plotline a secret, but also for those that have been waiting for ten years to finish reading the series.

At the time I followed the news articles about this book, I was not only one of those waiting to read it, but I was curious about how much interest that it was generating. I remember watching the news the day before it was released to see that some fans had been queuing for 36 hours outside a london shop for it's release. Many people have criticised JK Rowling and the “hyping hands behind Harry Potter”. With this and all the ‘Potter merchandise’ that is on sale, you could easily start to think that this is a worldwide brand and no longer a book series. However, the one thing that I did think was a bit unfair was the criticism of the author for wanting to keep the plotline totally secret. Yes there is no doubt that there was an unprecedented amount of interest and security surrounding the release of one single book. However, I personally have read the books since the age of eleven, which means that it has taken nine years to find out what has happened. If you look at it from that perspective then its hardly surprising most people wanted to discover what happened for themselves.

But even with the secrecy issue aside, you can’t blame the publicists for wanting to capitalise on the situation that they found themselves. As Dave Yoder a writer for Sioux city journal said “There’ll never be another Harry Potter, just like there will never be another Beatles. It’s not just the books, it’s the times that made it a phenomenon.”
I agree with this, the amazing success can’t be contributed to any one thing; no-one at the beginning could have predicted that the fans would become so fanatical about the series, no-one can have guessed that the author would be so well received or that the marketing would even work.

The fans and the media have made the Harry Potter series into the untouchable marketing power that it is today. With this in mind who can criticise the publicists for wanting to make the most of it. Whilst I have not counted up the column inches or the time speant talking about Harry Potter this summer; I can’t help feeling that this book’s release and the hype surrounding it, has got to be one of the most unique marketing events we have seen all summer.

On a different note, with regards to the book cover, I remember this particular article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/06/22/nosplit/booldharry12.xml) which said that there were suspicions that people were opting not to buy the traditional children's version of the book as the preferred the cover on the adult's. Although this is not exactly surprising, it does underline the importance of book covers. If you extract Harry Potter from the exceptional circumstances it was released in and the fact it is part of a series, I wonder how many people would have been put off buying the book altogether if they didn't like the cover.

Articles quoted;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/07/18/nosplit/ftpotter118.xml

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/08/02/news_opinion/dave_yoder/3953aff49d3825418625732a007970bd.txt

Brassed Off

2007-08-29T13:13:00.001-07:00

Brassed Off is a film that was made in 1995 but set a few years earlier in the Yorkshire village of Grimley. The film centres around the local communities’ colliery or coal mine which is facing closure under Margaret Thatcher’s Tory Government. The plot follows six main characters whose lives all interlink through the pit’s brass band. It is hard to say if this film set out to be a comedy, or a social commentary, but in my opinion it manages to slot well into both of these categories. This however doesn’t seam to be a view I share with most of the critic reviews that I have read.

The overriding fault that was found with this film was that people thought the characters were ‘underdeveloped’ as the film was trying to do too much. Alternatively it was said that the film was overly sentimental and one that tries to preach to its audience. Whilst I can see their point, I actually really like watching this movie. I first saw Brassed Off on the stage in Sheffield, and it wasn’t until years later that I saw this film. It is one of the few times that I have seen a performance at both the theatre and film and struggled to choose which I preferred.

Although I enjoyed watching Brassed Off, I am struggling to pinpoint what exactly it is I liked. The acting of the cast and the script have to be two of the most contributing factors, but I think overall what I appreciated was the plot. Yes, there are points when you think that they have been a bit too excessive when showing how difficult life was for some people; however, in my opinion the acting in these places compensates for this. Through the talent of the cast and directing you are actually able to believe what would otherwise be a very overdramatic part to the film. I can see that Brassed Off would not appeal to everybody, but in my opinion it is a story that manages to incorporate love, pride, duty, injustice and humour all into one. For this reason, I think it will always be one of my favourite films.

Skoda Fabia website

2007-08-29T02:26:00.000-07:00

I found this when I was looking to see if Skoda had made it’s “Full of Lovely Stuff” advert into more of a campaign. Although the website may not be the most flashy or impressive from a purely technical design point of view, I like the way that they have played on the success of the original concept and constructed the site around that. Because of the buzz that has followed the advert itself, many people wanted to know about if it was really constructed, how long it took, how they did it etc. The website seams to have more information on how they filmed the commercial rather than the technical specification of the car.

It is clear from the way that this advert was targeted that they were aiming for a different type of customer, one that is probably less worried as to its 0 to 60 speed and more wanting “just a car”. I think this is conveyed in the way that the website is laid out. It is not over complicated and has been done in a way that suggests the company is having fun and not taking itself too seriously (which brings it nicely back to the “full of lovely stuff” line).

The other thing that they have done quite cleverly is to make sure every part that you view has at least test drive link. I that Skoda in this case is good example of a company trying to differentiate itself in customer’s minds.

New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester

2007-08-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

The thing that I liked about this museum/art gallery was that it was just that, two normally separate buildings in one. I can understand that this means it can’t dedicate as much space to one exhibit as some customers would like; but on the other hand it does encourage you to explore things you may not otherwise gone to see. Whilst I enjoyed the Liverpool Museum I am very aware that I was only able to see a small amount of what it had to offer due to the size of the place. Here however, I was able to visit the entire thing my lunch break from work.

I had initially gone to see the museum’s current flagship exhibit ‘Picasso Ceramics, The Attenborough Collection’ but as undoubtedly is the intention I found myself wandering through the rest of the building as well. Firstly I aught to mention that whilst I enjoyed walking through the Picasso works, I actually didn’t find them as interesting as the other areas. There were some pieces that you could clearly tell were done by the world famous artist, (one of which is shown in the extract from the guide booklet above) but others were less impressive. There were some there that wouldn’t have been singled out at all if it weren’t for the painter that had created them. I did like looking round but it was probably my lack of total enthusiasm that made me explore the other exhibits.

There were things on view ranging from dinosaurs to ancient Egyptians and also on the local rocks and landscape. It was quite odd to suddenly walk from looking at skeletons and interactive models of dinosaurs to twentieth centaury German art. I think that the result of this as I have said is that visitors, children in particular are given a far more rounded experience than they may otherwise have had.

My favourite exhibit in this whole gallery was actually a small section that had been displayed the workshops such as ‘Inspired by Picasso- make a sculpture’ and ‘Screen-printing with a Picasso flavour’ earlier in the month. Here you got to see the work through a child’s eyes, which was a completely new way of viewing it. Some of the work here was done as a detailed study where the child had obviously taken ages to study and imitate what looking at as accurately as possible. Others had been far more imaginative trying instead to use his style to draw something that they wanted. Theses were quite refreshing to see especially when you compared the two styles. I think you often loose your imagination as you get older. Now I have a tendency to worry too much about getting marks and what the final outcome will look like, and forget to enjoy myself in the process; as some of these children had obviously enjoyed doing this artwork.

Robert Goddard's 'Never Go Back'

2007-08-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

The publisher describes this book as being the ‘new mystery by the master of the clever twist’. This is actually a very accurate introduction to this novel By Robert Goddard titled ‘Never go back’. Since reading it I have found out that it is the last in a series of three books about the character Harry Barnett and although I had read several of this authors books, I had obviously missed these other two.

I have started reading mid way through a series without realising it and found it really difficult to finish the book as because you have so obviously missed chunks of what has happened. It wasn’t the same in this case, this book really stood on its own.

Like most of Robert Goddard’s books (and as indicated in the publisher’s released comment), this book tells the story of his lead character’s surprise encounter with an old friend which in turn leads to more mysteries and twists than the reader could ever anticipate. The plot line sees Harry Barnett travel to an RAF reunion in Scotland, back to a place that he hasn’t been for fifty years. After two members of their party die in suspicious circumstances and Harry himself is suspected of their murder, he endeavours to find out the reason behind the deaths himself and hence putting himself into the path of more trouble.

My main impression of this book is that is a very well written mystery novel. Whilst I don’t think it’s my favourite Robert Goddard’s books, it is none the less one I enjoyed reading. My favourite aspect of this author’s books in general is the way that he works to make sure he is always one step of the reader. Whilst I am not one of those people who takes pride in guessing what is coming next, sadly some stories are so predictable that you cant help but come to the correct conclusion. These books are not like this, they always have something else to discover as you carry on, with the result being that you are interested from cover to cover.

Finally a quick note about the cover, whilst I am not a fan of the proportions given to the text vs image (they almost seam to be fighting for your main attention) I actually quite like the decision to use the castle as the subject on the cover. This is a central part to the books plot, whilst its significance stays unknown to some extent until near the end.

The main downside I think with it (apart from the overly large text) is that it is not particularly eye-catching. I suppose that as with Pompeii they are hoping that the author’s name will be the main pull of the book. Whilst this may be true, I still think that a bit more attention in this area wouldn’t go a miss. As Michelle Almond pointed out in her blog, we all know the phase don’t judge a book by it’s cover but lets face it, this is exactly what we all do.

School Website Design

2007-08-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

The image above was taken of my old infant school website, www.greenlane.leicester.sch.uk

I personally love it, and not just as it’s my former school, but because everything has been created in a fun way and with the children in mind. This is the element I like the most, it is not a clinical or generic website, it is one that is specific to the school and the children in it.

You can tell that it’s been created with the target audience in mind. This is shown in everything from the way of navigating, to the way that each section has been made to attractive for the children.

Yes there are elements that if it were my site I would change. However, overall I think that it is a fantastic site for it’s purpose which is to promote the school and create a fun way for the children to discover the internet.

On another note, some of the flash work that has been done by the original Webmaster is really clever. (My particular favourite is the ‘We are building a seaside’ shown in the photo above.)

Luciano Bonacini's Photography Exhibition

2007-08-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this small art exhibition whilst on wandering round a local town on holiday. It was held in what would otherwise been a small shop in Malcesine, Italy, this itself was at first something that really surprised me. I have been to quite a few photography exhibitions in the past, this one appeared to be held in quite unassuming place and with only little publication that I am aware of. The thing that surprised me was not that an art exhibition would be held here, but more that the quality of the artist’s photographs that were there.

Luciano Bonacini’s photographs were fascinating to look at both technically and yet also in a way that made you realise that the artist had real talent. I spent ages just looking at the composition and trying to guess what settings the photographer would have used to capture the mood he did.

Unfortunately its quite hard to see the detail in the small prints that I was able to bring back with me, however hopefully they give some kind of indication to the original images. The majority of his subjects were naked women, shot in various positions and situations, (I overheard one visitor saying “one man’s art is another’s pornography). Having said that, apart from a handful of shots that I didn’t want to spend to long studying, most of these didn’t look out of place amongst the other still life shots.

Luciano Bonacini’s decision to photograph in black and white is one that I found particularly interesting. I am sure that I have said before when commenting on someone’s blog that the decision to put a photo into colour or Black and White can either detract from, or make the photo, this largely depends on the individual image itself. Although it doesn’t surprise me that the artist decided to shoot the entire 50 photos of “A Retrospective” in black and white, it has left me wondering if individually these some photos would not have had more impact in colour. Having said that the photos as a collective work do have a great impact and therefore I suppose that this was the right choice to make.

Since coming back from Italy I have tried to find out a bit more about this artist and how successful he has been. Sadly as my Italian is very poor I haven’t been able to work out much more than I could when at the exhibition itself, apart from the fact that the majority of the books around about this artist appear to be self published.

Personally I think that the work of this photographer is very different to that of the artist Mavis Roper that I mentioned previously in my blog. Mavis Roper’s work shows you so much about the subject and you feel that you are almost witnessing the scene itself through her lens. Luciano Bonacini’s work on the other hand somehow feels more detached and you are aware that you are seeing the scene through another person’s eyes. This is largely due to the staged shots of one in comparison to the more spontaneous photography of the other.

I don’t prefer one style over another by any means, but it has made me more aware that the viewer can tell the difference. i.e if you are creating a campaign where part of it’s appeal is to be seeing ‘real life’ situations then these should be as close to spontaneous as possible as staged photos have the tendency to look exactly that.

Norwich Union Direct Advert

2007-08-28T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am sure the original advert I saw of this on tv was quite a bit longer but I can't seam to find it. (if anyone can track down a copy of the full length version I would be very grateful)

The main thing that I like about this advert is the fact that it doesn't try and imitate the successful if very irritating quote me happy campaign. The concept is quite simple and I really like their execution of it. It may not be a groundbreaking advert but it is definitely one that made me smile and stuck in my mind. I suppose therefore to some extent it has achieved what most advertisers hope to do, and increased awareness of the company.

(i can't seam to embed the video into my post so the link is as follows; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO4tW9iw350)

Irn Bru 2006 christmas Advert

2007-08-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

Sadly this one passed me by at the time but I have just come across it on the internet.

Like other successful adverts it takes uses imagery that millions of people know (in this case it also uses a the song), the fact that it is familiar normally makes you more likely to pay attention and therefore makes you more likely to remember it. Aside from that, I just like the innocent yet amusing lyrics. Although it is only the end of August and therefore a bit premature to be thinking of christmas, it does strike exactly the right tone of voice for both the target audience and the time of year it was released.

La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi ~ Arena di Verona Italy

2007-08-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

La Traviata is the first opera that I have seen. I have never really been interested in this style of music before, but I had heard from various people that live opera is a various different experience to the one of listening to it on a CD.

Whilst on holiday my mum and I were staying about an hour away from the Arena di Verona so decided that we would give it a try. To be honest I had absolutely no idea of what to expect, I knew that the operatic concerts were held in an old roman amphitheatre; but I could never have imagined how amazing this would actually be. I think that each performance can hold up to about 17,000 people, with padded velvet seats at the bottom to those on the original stone tiers at the top. The photo below shows something of the scale and uniqueness of the venue. (Unfortunately we were misinformed before hand that cameras found inside the arena would be confiscated so I haven’t been able to include any of my own.)

Shortly before the opera began the people on the tiers all lit candles, I can’t really describe what it was like to sit listening to someone singing without amplification, fill the stadium with their voice whilst being surrounded by candlelight. It really was a unique experience. Like most people, I had a preconceived idea of what I thought opera music was like. Whilst I know there are many performances that are warbled and difficult to listen to, I have to say I actually didn’t find this with La Traviata.

The opera of La Traviata tells the story of the lead character Violetta Valery (Inca Mula) a Parisian courtesan),and how she falls in love with and is later forced to leave the young gentleman Alfredo Germont (Roberto Aronica). Alfredo’s father Giorgio (Franco Vassalo) is the one to encourage Violetta to leave his son as their relationship he says is bringing disgrace upon his family. After scenes at a party where Alfredo, not knowing the true reason why Violetta left, publicly humiliates her and throws money at her feet for her ‘services’. Giorgio later confesses to his son what really happened. The opera concludes with Violetta who has been ill with tuberculosis dying in the arms of Alfredo after the two have been reconciled only moments before.

La Traviata is split into three different acts with four distinct sets the designs and costumes of which were created by Paul Brown a welsh designer. Apart from the setting this is the element that interested me the most. Since going to the opera about a week ago, I have found out that whilst director Julian Kovatchev was very true to the plot and score of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, he also commissioned some more daring visual accompaniments.

At the time I didn’t understand why the American couple who were sitting behind us were so shocked by the set and costumes saying “just shut your eyes and listen to the music it makes it much better”. I of course knowing nothing of what to expect was actually found that the sets helped me to understand what was going on (with everything being sung in Italian and me knowing little more than I have included above before we went in) however I now know why they found them so shocking. The following is an image of what most people would expect from an opera such as La Traviata and my very poor sketch that I did shortly after I had been of what the actual costumes looked like.

As I explained above I didn’t have my camera on me so the following are photos I found on the internet of some of the operatic sets, as you can see they are a long way from the elegant ball rooms that are common in this performance.

Being so totally new to opera I am probably not the best one to comment on how appropriate these designs are, however my personal opinion was that they added to rather than detracted from the performance. As was highlighted by the fact all Arena announcements were done in four different languages, there is a very wide audience that goes to these operas. Many like me will not have really gone knowing anything of the plotline and therefore seeing it performed in such a outlandish and theatrical way meant you got a better picture of what was going on. There were elements that were far from traditional of course but I these were all there with some purpose, often to highlight a fact that some people may not otherwise be aware of such as a change of location or attitude in the characters.

On a different note, the technical construction of the sets was actually amazing, the heart shaped backdrop that can be seen from above folded out from the floor as did the fan of cards in the other image.

Overall I loved my visit to see La Traviata in Verona. I have to admit I won’t be rushing to listen to opera music when at home, however if ever given the opportunity to see another live performance I would go. The technical ability of the cast was amazing as was their ability to convey intense emotion in their singing, I don’t think I will ever forget Violetta’s dying moments on stage. It was such a fantastic experience, I would say that even if like me you don’t think you enjoy opera music but you get the opportunity to go, take it. Seeing something of this scale in the setting of Verona at night is something that I will always remember.

Penguin Books "We print the words, You do the Covers"

2007-08-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

I decided to go to into borders earlier to look continue my book cover investigation, I deliberately went in not looking for anything in particular so I could just walk up and down the isles and see what stood out. There were several different ones that I did notice but the most significant were the Penguin Design your own book cover novels.

The editorial Director commented on this innovative project saying “Anyone can draw sketch or scribble their own cover, and make the outside of the book as personal as their reaction to the insides.” I love this idea, every person reacts differently to books, situations and stories, the reason I chose to look at book cover art in the first place was because I noticed very few reflected the contents of the novel.

Have a look at the gallery of art that this has produced, I could talk about the idea and concept of this for ages, but to be honest its best if you view the results yourself.

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/mypenguin/gallery.html

Wallace and Gromit, Curse of the Ware Rabbit

2007-08-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I used to be a fan of the short films like the ‘Wrong Trousers’ and ‘A close Shave’. I didn’t actually make it to see When ‘The Curse of The Ware Rabbit’ at the cinema, but at the time I remember being surprised when I found out it had received a mixed reception. After going to The ‘Animated Adventures’ exhibition I decided I would see if I could borrow this and finally get round to watching it (it says something that it took me ages to find someone with a copy of the film).

Overall I was actually quite disappointed after watching the Wallace and Gromit’s first feature length film. You would never expect the most realistic or even plausible plot line with this type of film; however, with this in mind I expected to get lost in their world of gadgets and ridiculous scenarios for over an hour. Unfortunately although all the parts were there for this to be a success, the original animator and creator Nick Parks, the same two main characters and a large amount of ‘British-ness’ it somehow didn’t have the same captivating power I expected.

At first I thought it was just because I had grown up since I first watched these shows, but my mum who had also watched the first ones said about 20mins in, they should have stopped at the last one, this isn’t nearly as good. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that didn’t really work in my opinion, but all I can say is the plot didn’t seam to grab me and although their inventive flair was present, it wasn’t nearly so prominent as in it’s predecessors.

Having said the film did open with one of the best invention sequences I have seen so far, for anyone who hasn’t seen Wallace and Gromit before, they remind me slightly of the Honda advert from a few years ago called the cog, where one small action set off the well planned sequence of movement before it reached the end point. The alarm Clock sequence is similar in this way, it is very much how I remember the old short films to be, there are a few extracts in the following trailer of how it works if your interested.

Overall I wasn’t that impressed with this film, however this was more due to the plot than the animation itself. It was quite refreshing to see the fingerprints in the plastercine, and you could really feel how much attention had gone into creating each individual set and expression. I still like the style of animation, but once again (at the risk of sounding like a broken record) the thing that I love more than anything is the detail that went into creating it.

Henrich Nauen

2007-08-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Henrich Nauen was a German painter who lived from 1880-1941. This image was a portrait of his friend Dr Walter Kaesbach. The image that I have included is unfortunately a poor quality as I took it on my phone, but the actual print is one of the most gripping portraits that I have come across. I have always been interested in this area of art, as being not particularly talented when it comes to drawing peoples faces, I have been curious as to how other people do this. I haven’t been able to find many other images of the subject to compare it to, so I don’t know if it is a true likeness or not. However, in my opinion, the portrait is so expressive it probably wouldn’t reflect any more of Dr Kaesbach’s personality if it were a photograph.

I can’t quite determine what it is about the facial expression that I love. I saw this in a local gallery, and every time I walked past the portrait I saw something different reflected within it. At first I thought that it was quite a sad, reflective and vulnerable piece. It almost appeared that this was done as tribute to Henrich Nauen’s friend instead of a portrait for him to display in his house. However, the more I looked at it the more I felt that this was also about this man’s power. There are many strong dominant lines in the portrait which give me the feeling of strength and determination.

I have looked into the other works of Henrich Nauen, but haven’t seen anything that I admire quite as much as this portrait. It was that when I first looked at it I felt like I was looking at a person not a piece of art, this was what I really liked about it.

Animated Adventures Exhibition

2007-08-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

Most people will have seen something of Wallace and Gromit over the years. Before I went to this exhibition about all I knew of the way that they were animated was that they were based around plaster sine models that had interchangeable mouths to get the right shape according to the sound that the character was making. The exhibition showed the process from the initial concept drawings through to the animation of these two famous and a few of the studios other characters. The first thing I noticed was how amazing the initial illustrations were, most people will roughly sketch out stick figures of where they want things, but all of these could clearly be linked to scenes in the film.

I loved seeing the different stages of a figure being constructed; the photo I have shown above was one of the Ware Rabbit taking shape. The wire frame is used to build around and in a way restrict the proportions of the character and the way it can move, to prevent this altering too much throughout the film. The time and detail that had gone into each stage was fantastic, I have read somewhere that it can take a whole day to create just two seconds of finished film, it’s amazing to think of the dedication it would take to finish the final 85 minutes.

The exhibition itself had so many different aspects; there were the things you would expect such as the written boards documenting the process from start to finish along with videos of the models being made. But there were also set models, and interactive parts where you could add your own sound effects to a pre done animation or create your own motion sequence with a still set camera and a range of plastic figures and scenes. Another thing I really liked was the fact that they had used the 3D glasses technique but with scenes from the film, these were put inside an interior lit building from the set with the red and blue lenses inlaid. In a way this film showed something of the film, either intentionally or not in that the level of detail is everywhere.

You could really appreciate the time and effort that had gone into both the film and exhibition; I have not actually seen the film myself but think after going to this I will try and look it out. The main thing that this has shown me is how important the little details are, even the newspapers have writing on and the store windows are all constructed. Although I don’t for one minute think that I could produce anything like these results, I think it would be really interesting to explore this and other types of animation in the future.

World Museum Liverpool, (From Wallace and Gromit to Egyptian Mummies)

2007-08-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

The first thing I noticed was that it has a real mix of exhibitions being advertised and held here. The building holds thousands of exhibits; the official line the museum uses to describe them is ‘with everything from real life bugs to Egyptian mummies, prehistoric pottery to space exploration, as well as lots of hands-on-fun, there’s something for everyone. But aside from this slightly predictable advertising introduction, I was actually impressed by what they had done.

I am one of those that have bad memories of school days in dull buildings surrounded by old things I didn’t want to look at, but I decided it would be at least worth a try. It may be that I have grown up since I was first dragged round these things but I actually didn’t find this too bad. I had been advised before I went that it’s best to pick what you want to see first and then go to those bits. Although you end up missing things you do avoid most of the people moving from one interactive part to the next.

The main bit we went into was the ‘atrium’ which was one of the parts the bought and rebuilt after the fires and bombing during the war. I had gone to see the Wallace and Gromit ‘Animated Adventures’ exhibition (which I will review separately), where as my boyfriend also wanted to go again to see the Egyptian Mummies that he had seen as a kid.

The actual sections were laid out well and weren’t so huge that you got fed up before you reached the other side, but the main thing we were disappointed in was that it looked like they had forgotten to turn half the lights on. This was a shame as you couldn’t see some of the things let alone read about them.

Aside from that there was quite a good mix of hands on things and more traditional exhibits. In my opinion one of the things that this museum did well was manage to make it accessible for both children and adults. I have read some reviews that say that it re-opened in 2005 with a more dumbed down appeal. I can’t really comment on that as this weekend was the first time I visited, but all I can say is they will never get the hands on technologically orientated younger generation in the doors unless they include things to appeal directly to them. Overall although I normally prefer Art Galleries to Museums, I was quite impressed with the World Museum Liverpool, and I would consider going back, just in a few years and another time except during the school holidays.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King

2007-08-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Photo from jonathan.rawle.org

I only saw this building at a distance and sadly didn’t get a chance to go and have a closer look; I have since found out that this is Liverpool’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. The building itself has quite an interesting history; plans were being deliberate from 1847 when the first design for Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool was first commissioned, to 1960 when a worldwide competition was launched to find a new and more affordable design.

The selected design was done by Sir Frederick Gibberd, its outside construction is both imposing and striking, as is necessary for it to be so noticeable from a distance. I am not totally sure if I like the look of the exterior, one book I read on Liverpool Architecture described it as “product of the space age” and a “capsule on the launch-pad, waiting for lift off” both of these are actually quite accurate. Although I admire its ambition and intention I think it is too concrete and abrupt for me to say that I like it.

Photo from Wikipedia

On the other hand the more that I have found out about the interior of this design the more interested I have become. The top part of the design is a large stain glass lantern which floods the building with brightly coloured light. This use of these Multi-Coloured panes are designed to evoke different moods throughout. This element reflects how powerfull colour and lighting can be in altering the feel of something.

Photo From freefoto.com

At the centre of the circular nave underneath the 1000 tonne lantern is the marble alter, having the service conducted from the centre of the congregation is quite a unique feature and puts the speaker at “heart of the circle of worshipers”.

One of the things I like the most about this Cathedral is slogan that it was designed around ‘A Cathedral in our time’. It may be fairly irrelevant to most people, but as I was reading up about this building, the more I saw of the design the more I remembered this phrase. In my opinion this is the mark of a design that has achieved what it set out to even if there are mixed opinions on its architectural style.

The need for good photography

2007-08-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw these photos, they reminded me of Martin Delin's post 'Photos to die for'.

Here he was basically questioning what it is that makes some photos so much more captivating than others? When I saw Mavis Ropers photos, it made me wonder this same thing. I would really love to be able to take photos like these, so often the photography used in Graphic Design can make the difference between people paying attention to and ignoring an idea. (look at the marks and spencer tv adverts and premium brand food packaging that both use delicious looking images to tempt customers.)

I guess a lot can be put down to the technical knowledge of the photographer such as the exposure and focus of both shots, but the rest has to be down to her tallent of capturing the moment and seeing the photo oportunity in the first place.

Philippe Chancel DPRK

2007-08-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Philippe Chancel’s exhibition DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is one of the most impressive and powerful sequences that I have seen. The French born artist uses his work to explore art, documentary and photographic journalism; the result is a striking set of images with one very distinct style. In 2005 he was allowed to access and photograph within North Korea’s public sphere, DPRK is a selection of what he saw in his time out there and gives an insight into life in an otherwise very secretive culture.

I first saw this exhibition in a Liverpool last year; the photo that I still remember now is the one that I have shown above. They had a large-scale print of ‘Reunification Avenue’ on a wall by itself and looking back at it I can see why. This one image says so much about the communist country that he was in. The first thing I picked up on was its uniformity and cleanliness; it looks such a surreal image I first thought it might have been doctored. All the buildings here are constructed in the same style, with each side of the road being a virtual reflection of the other even down to the lampposts and road markings. Everything is so uniform, which is as much reflective of the country’s culture as the single street Philippe Chancel is photographing.

The next thing that struck me was the proportion within the photo. The eight-lane road is obviously being photographed in day light, yet it looks deserted and unnecessarily wide. This is especially true when you look at the amount of land, or in this case area in the photo that has been dedicated to what I assume is public housing. Everything here is done for the benefit of the whole not the individual, and when you look at this photo even those who like me know very little about communist regimes can interpret that.

The next two images included I have been unable to find the titles of, but are equally as expressive without. The Image above is shocking for an obvious reason. Even in today’s society where we are used to seeing images designed to challenge us, seeing a photo where child carries a gun is still haunting.

One thing I really want to mention here is that it is not only the subject that makes these photographs so powerful. Philippe Chancel would probably have had a split second opportunity to take this photo in which the smaller of the two boys is looking directly into the lens. This timing alongside the overall composition is equally key to the photo’s success. It shows the younger boy’s look of suspicion and almost fear at a photographer being there, this in turn draws the contrast between what is considered the norm in both western and Korean culture

The final photo that I have included is so dramatic not only due to the building in the centre but also the seemingly deserted place all bar one figure. I read a review of this exhibition that concluded “Although I admire this work, I also find it quite disturbing, which is a reflection of the power of the photography rather than a criticism”. This is how I feel when I look at this image. Although architecturally I am sure that this building is truly unique, its not this that you look at, it’s the implication in the sculpture and the way it towers over the solitary figure. It reflects true power and uniformity, but overall I can’t find a better word to sum it up than disturbing.

Book Cover art :'Rant' by Chuck Palahniuk

2007-07-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Whilst looking more in-depth at the cover art of Pompeii (see previous post), it made me realise how restricted book jacket design in this often is. It comes across as a less glamorous industry sector, which many designers wouldn’t choose to work in. You occasionally see something really innovative in bookshops within the design section, however I have seen very few examples of this extending to novels.

I am going to make this one of the areas I look into in more detail, as I think if I can highlight the scope of designs within this one category, it may help me to understand ways to be more creative and push the boundaries within design as a whole.

The above example is the cover for ‘RANT: An oral biography of Buster Casey’ written by Chuck Palahniuk. The most striking thing about this design, is that neither this title nor the Author’s name features anywhere on the cover. In fact when you initially look at it the only indicating a title is the ‘R’ which is cut through window to the title which is placed on the layer beneath.

The graphics are undeniably abstract, however as you look closer it could represent any number of things. My initial thoughts were this was designed to indicate a curious yet confused scene which is constantly changing. However looking it again it could also be symbolic of a human heart, which has mutated into an abnormal form and is aggressively taking over the page.

The book follows the fictional life of someone who ‘may or may not be the most efficient serial killer of our time’. Having read this book’s synopsis I can see exactly why the artist has created such a curious image,

I really admire Rodrigo Corral and Jacob Magraw who have designed this cover. Although you are not certain what it may indicate about the plotline, the omission of the title and Author’s name would probably make people curious enough to read the book’s abstract. Having done this you somehow look at the cover in a different light.
Overall I actually like this cover, I don’t think it is in any way flawless and having done some research I have discovered that many books have used the not title technique in the past. But regardless of this I think that the design is eye-catching enough to get people to want to know more about the contents. Therefore in this way it would be a successful design.

Innocent Smoothie's Eco-Bottle

2007-07-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

(image from innocentdrinks.co.uk)

I came across this on the Internet the other day. I had been aware of the whole environmentally friendly, compostable materials push by consumers; but had not actually heard of many but the major supermarkets using this as a feasible alternative.

The first thing that struck me was that it's the sort of thing that would have worked well with many of the Bottled water vs. Tap water projects last year. It is obviously a very practical alternative to the standard material PET and would be reusable in the same way as standard water bottles. Yet it has the added bonus of being compostable when its no longer required therefore reducing it's environmental impact.

As far as I am aware this eco-friendly drive has been going on for a while with regards to packaging and this is just one of a number of solutions companies have come up with.

The second thing I liked was Innocent Drinks overall statement on recycling:

'We have managed to get our plastic smoothie bottles to 50% recycled plastic (we're working on the rest)

As has been discussed many times in the past, this is a brand that is very clear about what it stands for and the image it wants to portray. It does this very well and is probably the company I admire the most for it’s overall feel and advertising.

Cover art of Pompeii by Richard Harris

2007-07-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

As with most covers on novels I see this as being very predictable which is a shame, as people tend to use their innovative skills purely for when working with design titles. You can tell that in places the designer has made an effort to keep the feel in keeping with the book but sadly this has been done by the usual black background, faded image which is normally not the main focus of the book but looks quite distinctive and then the large scale coloured text.

I did a bit of work on book jackets in my A-level to mixed success. I found that although I personally didn’t like the covers, a lot people I asked who were less interested in design often said that they did.

The main thing that I don’t like about the design is that the cover is so non-distinct. The book could have been set in any time period from imaginary to an actual event and fails to highlight the books biggest asset, the enormous amount of research inside. The book is largely based on historical fact and therefore this should have been one of the first things the viewer is aware of, in doing this it would probably be more likely to reach the type of reader that will best appreciate it.

Thank you for reminding me about the cover art, I would be interested to hear other peoples opinion on this design and cover graphics in general.

Pompeii by Robert Harris

2007-07-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pompeii follows Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD and the events immediately surrounding it. Robert Harris’ main character is aqueduct engineer Marcus Attilius who has been recently posted to the Bay of Naples following his predecessor’s mysterious disappearance.

The book begins just days before the eruption and we see our main character struggling gain the respect of his colleagues and managing the challenges of his new job. The plotline cleverly uses this engineer’s knowledge and experience to guide the reader through the warning signs of the eruption and the impact that it had on the Bay. Throughout the book we come across several characters both historical and fictional, this helps to create a very plausible book and helps to understand why the volcanic eruption had such a huge impact at the time.

One thing that was apparent from the start was that the author had done a large amount of research before writing. I visited Pompeii last year and through reading the novel I almost felt as if I were back walking through the streets once again.

The story worked hard to contain detailed accounts of both the explosion and the culture of the people living in the Bay of Naples at that time. Although this research is essential for this to be plausible, it is in my opinion one of its biggest downfalls. I love reading, yet I found the book quite hard going at times. It felt that you were wading through paragraphs of information and facts before you reached the storyline.

I almost think that this book was trying to do too much at once, it was balancing a love story, with the missing person plotline, whilst providing an account of the events from both a 21st centaury and a 1st centaury perspective. The result of this is that the characters are never fully developed and at times it is like reading a textbook account instead of a novel.

Overall I would say that this is a very well planned and thought out piece of writing. It would probably suit someone who is particularly interested in finding out more about this era. However, as I have said, the sheer volume of factual information contained often makes it feel that the tale of the characters is an afterthought.

There were some elements that I really enjoyed about this book, however I was surprised at how successful it had been. From what I can tell it has received good reviews from both readers and critics, it was readable but unlike many other novels, I wouldn’t choose to pick it up again.

National Gallery Grand Tour

2007-06-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

(Photo from the Guardian by David Levene)

I heard about this today and thought what a great idea it was. The national Gallery are going on a 'tour' of London in which they take 30 framed reproductions of masterpieces with them. The plan is that they display the artwork in places that it would never normally be seen for example on the outside walls of pubs in Soho or Covent Garden. It’s a really different way of attracting people to their Gallery that would not otherwise have thought to visit.
As I don't live in London I haven't actually seen any of these or the publicity behind this. If anyone has any images or information on how successful it has been I would be really interested to hear about it.

"Why just a logo is now a no-no" (BBC NEWS)

2007-06-21T01:24:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6765355.stm

I found this article the earlier which I found quite interesting, it basically verifies what we had all thought, that it is now no longer enough to just sponsor an event or put your logo onto something. People have become to used to that and therefore you have to offer something more to interest the very difficult market aware 18-30's audience.

The main focus of the article is on Orange's Sponsorship of the Glastonbury Festival and 02's Sponsorship of Wireless, if you have a spare few minutes I would say its worth reading, although there is not a lot that most people don't already know, it does highlight what two of the biggest competitors are doing to get around this problem.

Rotating Wall, Liverpool

2007-06-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the news this morning; I still have mixed views on this as both a piece of art and a gimmick as it is being called.

Firstly, I like the fact that they have taken one of the most run down and derelict buildings in the area to make into something that intrigues passers by. It would really create something new and this concept does fit in with 2008 regeneration. When you are the capital of culture, in my opinion it should be as much about the art being part of everyday life, as well as impressive one off exhibitions etc. For this reason I really like what the artist Richard Wilson has done here with his inside out idea.

On the other hand, I can't help thinking that they could have done something more with exposing the inside of the building, as the current office block is empty it simply is used to expose the space left inside. This part of the concept for me is underdeveloped as I am sure they could have found a way of displaying or revealing things behind it.

The other thing that I think is a shame is that the whole building is due to be destroyed later next year, it would have been nice to think that the money that went into this moving sculpture was a more permanent exhibit.

The various news stories regarding 'Turning the place over', seams to be on one main theme; "is this art?" Having not actually seen it in person I don't really think I am able to comment on this area, however I am visiting Liverpool in a few weeks so I will hopefully be able to discuss this further then.

Beijing Water Cube

2007-06-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is currently under construction but when completed it will be the main swimming venue for use in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I love the overall look of this "Water Cube". The concept of the structure was based around that of soap bubbles and the way that they appear in a regular geometric pattern yet each one forms an irregular shape itself. The designers and Engineers from Arup have done a really good job at making something new, innovative and most of all original.

The building is currently under construction however when completed it will consist of the large steal frame with each bubble made and altered individually to create the desired look, once they are attached to the structure they will be inflated and have air constantly pumped into them so that they maintain their shape. The actual size of some of these bubbles will be up to 9 metres in diameter.

One of the main things that I like about this design is that the concept is not simply applied to the outside as decoration. The wall of air and plastic is also that on the interior and would create a very surreal and open feeling inside.

On a practical note the only problem that I can foresee with this design is that it will be costly to run and potentially noisy inside. However the designers have anticipated the high maintenance costs and where possible are using things like solar energy sources to heat the pool. I have been really taken with this proposed construction; it appears to be due for completion in October 2007. I think that if they can do this so it is as close to the original design proposal as possible it will be a really impressive building.

Mr Kipling

2007-06-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

I came across this roundabout a few days ago when I was driving into Rugby. You see a lot of signs such as Welcome to .... or the odd sculpture occasionally, but for some reason this just made me smile.

I like the fact that it is a sculpture made of shrubs not simply plants arranged in a pattern. Its such a simple form of brand awareness but given the fact that it is on one of the main commuter routes in the area, I imagine it would be successful. It made me wonder how many other companies could do something like this. Martin highlighted in his blog that there is so much "dead space" surrounding us and this in my opinion is one area that could be used effectively.

Alnwick Castle Gardens

2007-06-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

I visited these while on holiday recently, we weren't expecting all that much and one of the only reasons that we went was as I had heard it was an impressive castle.

I was actually really taken with the whole grounds. In a similar way to the architecture of Frank Ghery , every aspect had been thought through and designed, from the fountains that the kids could play in to this rock that I came across which had been engraved with the quote by Malcolm Muggeridge.

Another thing that struck me was that Water is often a very overlooked medium in design. We normally would consider using any number of digital shapes or light sculptures when trying to be innovative, but I think with regards to event or exhibition design water sculptures still have a large amount of potential.

The final part of the grounds that I was really impressed with is the Tree house there that has been designed by Napper Architects and constructed between 2004-2005. This really was amazing to see, its the kind of structure that you can't really appreciate from photos alone. It was a tree house containing at least one cafe, several shops and areas for people to explore themselves. Its the kind of thing that makes you think that you are a child again as the scale of it is so impressive. I would like to explore this type of architecture in future.

Casino Royale Opening Credits

2007-06-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

I loved these when I first saw the credits at the cinema. I think its really clever the way it builds up and evolves one action, hence setting the tone of the film to come. Although these received very mixed opinions at the time, I personally think that it works well with the style of the james bond films. I understand that it is not in the same format or even feel as those which preceded the other films. However, I admire the fact they are not simply imitating the initial ones, with film remakes you always have to add a modern twist or there is no point in doing it in the first place. I think the Casino Royale trailers work well at their two primary functions getting people to watch instead of simply talking through them and also setting the fight feel for the movie.

Hotel Marques de Riscal by Frank Gehry

2007-05-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

I came across this building earlier, it's so innovative and daring, I can't help but like it. This is the flagship building of the Marques de Riscal vinyard in Rioja which is one of the oldest in the area. At first I thought that it was too unsympathetic for it's surroundings, however the more I look at it the more It grows on me. It was commissioned to provide visitors with a unique experience and there is no disputing that this building would do that.

Wine like many other premium products, often need something to place the brand name in peoples mind. This hotel obviously targets the design-conscious customers and uses its gift wrapped appearance to promote the wines name. Yes given the area that it is in it does look out of place, but thats the thing I have grown to like most about it, it almost implies that something new and great can come from anywhere. If I were to look out of my window and see it everyday it may get a bit tiring, however, for the hotel's visitors I imagine it is amazing. There is an obvious attention to detail in every element, for example the pink titanium on the outside or the coridoor;

or the hotel lobby:

I would be interested to see what other people think of this building, as I said, it really is growing on me.

Two Way Shoes

2007-05-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

These CAMiLEON Heals have had quite alot of press coverage recently so I guess most will already have come across them. I decided to include it as I think the idea and reasoning behind creating them is really clever. It addresses the practicality v style issue and comes up with a compromise. I believe they have had quite a bit of success in the US and are now being launched in the UK. I have no idea how well they will take off, but I have to admire their idea.

The illustration above is from the mirror, but this has a video of how they work. http://www.camileonheels.com/youtube.cfm

Skoda Advert

2007-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

I can't seam to find out who made this, if anyone has any idea please let me know. For some reason I really like this advert, its probably something to do with it reminding me of Hansel and Gretel and as someone before me said Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

The overriding impression you are meant to take from it is that Skoda has carefully thought of and crafted every part of the Fabia. Although this may seam very obvious it's the way they have done this, not only through the concept, but the way it was delivered that I found interesting. The skill that the chefs showed as they were handling the ingredients showed that they genuinely knew what they were doing. The close up shots on their hands and the way the camera moved with them made you feel almost like you were there.

In many ways this advert seams a little predictable, but having said this I can't think of any other advert that is too similar, especially not for a car. I imagine that this will be very successful in reaching an area of the market that the BMW type ads simply pass by.

Testing

2007-05-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Let's see if I can get this to work!