Japanese Graphics Now! – Taschen design book review

As i might have mentioned before, i’m not a big fan of modern art, nor am i a supporter of societies driven/ruled by technology. That’s the main reason why i often get a claustrophobic feeling and a general unease whenever i think about Japan or watch photos/videos of that country. From an outsider’s point of view, who’s never been there, it feels like an overly crowded bee hive, where people live and work like small robots, while ever changing futuristic technology is slowly replacing centuries old traditions. A land where herd mentality meets strange customs or prejudices which surely don’t make sense to westerners. A mind boggling environment in which you’ll find the elegance and simplicity of past millennia next to swarms of brightly (almost abrasive) colored Harajuku girls and anime graphics. If i were to trust some of my friends’ opinions concerning this country, I’d have a hard time making up my mind: some are loving every minute spent there, while others have sworn to never return again.

Yet, despite all these clearly negative reactions to the Japanese society, i have to admit that there are aspects of it which intrigue and inspire me. That’s why i was more than curious when i saw “Japanese Graphics Now!” in one of the local bookstores from my hometowns. I had seen several page previews on Taschen’s website, but other than that, i didn’t know much about the book, and being  a sealed copy meant no flipping through. Still, i had a good feeling about it. Plus, the price was  more than decent, given it’s size and the quality I’ve grown to expect from this wonderful publisher.

As  my recent work revolved largely around package and graphic design, I’m constantly looking for valuable sources of inspiration in these areas. Although i was able to find some interesting websites related to them, i keep coming back to the books that i love. Unlike checking out a website, while I’m turning printed pages i can totally immerse myself in the experience without having to worry about emails, twits, feeds or direct messages distracting me.

“Japanese Graphics  Now!” is a perfect companion during those times when you simply want to get away from your work and refuel your creativity.  It’s part of the lovely 25 Anniversary collection, which already recommends it as a great value for money item and, at 350 pages, it has a great variety of examples. Originally released in 2003, my current 2006 edition feels as relevant today as I’m sure it did back then. Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, there’s hardly any text in it besides the short introduction at the beginning. It’s a colorful showcase of full/half page visual samples accompanied by titles and designer names placed discretely on the pages so they don’t distract from the visuals. The lack of descriptions can also be a blessing in disguise because it forces you to take a closer look and spend a little more time analyzing the minor details of each design if you truly want to get the most out of it.

The whole book is structured into three main chapters: “Packaging”, “Posters & Ads”, “Print”. The reason why i think it still works, more than half a decade later (given its type), is that most of the chosen designs have a timeless quality to them. The great variety of styles and the lack of any easily recognizable trends, keeps it from being boring or outdated. It’s a collection of great designs, which just work in getting the message across in an elegant and effective manner. If you were indeed to pinpoint certain dominant traits, you’ll probably realize that most items revolve around one of these two extremes: subtle minimalist design and bright bubblegum extravaganza. As far as visual themes go, there’s a mix of traditional organic motifs mostly inspired by nature, naive or cartoon styled drawings and elegant understated futurism.

The Packaging chapter has roughly 100 pages and it’s mainly focused on several type of products: food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Without necessarily counting them, I’d say most samples are bottle (and similar recipients) designs followed by less common boxes, (plastic) jars, bags and other types. You’ll find examples of  both inexpensive, everyday products and high end, luxury goods, which is often appropriately suggested by their look. Strangely enough, there aren’t featured any technology related package designs which might be due to their often quickly antiquated look.

Posters & Ads it’s the largest chapter of the book and its nearly impossible to describe, given the incredible variety of styles. Based on my personal taste, and taken out of context, I’d say there are quite a handful of these printed ads which look more or less like crap. However, no matter how far they stray away from conventional beauty, these pieces are very well put together and you can learn a lot about how to effectively use ugliness and the shock factor. It includes everything from minimalist black and white, typography based posters to rainbow colored chaotic cartoons.

Print is the last and shortest chapter of the book and  somewhat expands on the previous one with a collection of visual identity and stationary designs, book and magazine covers, brochures and other printed promotional items.

From my personal perspective, the only thing that might put me off buying this book, if i were to do it all over again, is the cover jacket, as shallow as it may seem. The two graphics on the front and back simply don’t bring justice and actually might give you the wrong impression about the wonderful material contained within. Of all the Taschen books that i own, this is one of my favorites and i really enjoy revisiting it every once in a while when i need a quick creativity boost.

Lamp with shade, retro flip clock and photo frame free vector graphics

A common nightstand lamp with a classic light bulb, next to a gray metallic, retro styled flip clock which shows the time to be 12:45 AM. The clock has a shiny rectangular case with round corners. On the wall behind them, covered with a seamless pattern of fleur-de-lis and medieval cross symbols there is a small oval photo frame. The table lighting source has a soft lampshade with a simple floral repeating pattern and a shiny circular base. It projects some bright light areas behind it.

The idea for this project came when i decided to combine two of my previous graphics which felt like they would just might work very well together. In the original design, the lighting source was a blue desk lamp with a curved arm. However, it wasn’t long before i decided to switch it with the current version. Besides the fact that it would have made for a very (unnecessarily) elaborate graphic, the old one made less sense as far as general style and purpose goes.

Just like with pretty much all of my reworked pieces, i tried to keep it as simple as possible with just a handful of paths and effects which couldn’t have been replicated otherwise. That’s how i gave up on a lot of clipping and opacity masks, along with plenty of inner glow and drop shadows. Instead, i went for stacks of fill layers with various gradients and blending modes. The two patterns used for the wall and the shade were variations of symbols I’ve drawn during an earlier session. You can deconstruct it and use  just the elements you need in your designs, or the whole image for your blog. Of course, you can even substitute that cute dog with a photo of your favorite pet.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to include it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulb free vector download

A long, simple compact fluorescent lamp composed of one u-turn shaped white tube. The energy saving light bulb has a green recycling sign on the white plastic where the electronic ballast resides. The eco-friendly household item is featured against a green seamless background pattern made from the repeating image of a maple leaf.

This is a rework of a previous illustration which had a more  complicated structure, employing mostly basic visual effects of a considerable number of shapes. For this version, i went in a completely different direction in order to achieve a much more simple solution with just a handful of paths. Most of the lighting is done by superimposing stacks of  fill layers, either solid or gradient (both linear and  radial). The background symbol was created from a photo taken a couple of years ago, which i traced and then managed to reduce the number of anchor points.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Free logo designs download for spa and health retreat centers

This is the first part from a set of logo designs left after finishing a visual identity project for a posh spa. The brief described the brand as an elegant, modern urban retreat center located downtown and targeted at busy individuals mostly working in corporate environments and looking for a place to relax after a hard day’s work. It specifically asked for a very simple theme which would remind of organic ingredients, nature, incense, breeze, upscale city venues, luxury. The logo had to be easily ported to various marketing materials as well as used as an interior design element on various surfaces without a lot of changes.

As a result i decided to go for a bare bone approach, using  just basic shapes and a two color combination, free of  other unnecessary visual effects that would otherwise clutter the look. The main color combination relies on a feminine, bright shade of red next to a more understated, subdued and earthy tone that looks more masculine and inspires strength. You’ll also  find enclosed a swatch palette consisting of four bright colors along with some pastel variants. As far as the symbols employed go, you’ll find a combination of motifs such as: incense and flames, silhouettes, crude pottery items and leaves.

As with any other visual identity project, good typography is essential in establishing a professional looking image. The easy way out would have been to go  for a Neo-grotesque or Geometric typeface such as Helvetica, Univers or Futura. While these would have worked in establishing a modern, high scale urban attitude, it also meant straying too far away from nature by projecting a cold, mechanic symbolism. On the other hand, going for a script typeface or an overly cursive one, would have risked loosing part of the male demographic by going down a very feminine route. You can achieve a very good compromise by using typefaces such as Optima, Stone Sans and Legacy Sans because of their stroke contrast and subtle dynamics combined with the lack of serifs. If you’re looking for free fonts alternatives you could try Luxi Sans, Qlassik (works best for long names as it looks a bit condensed) and Andika Basic.

If you’re interested in using any of these ideas, please also check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it as your own identity but it’s forbidden to register it as a trademark by either you or your clients. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it (either as part of derivative works or in whole) or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Tips for choosing the right prize while running a design contest

Just because most designers fancy themselves somewhere in the back of their minds as promising artists, doesn’t mean they should have to work the way struggling painters of past centuries used to. Unlike a musician or poet, who could turn their problems into great songs, a graphic artist seldom finds working for scraps as a good environment for creativity. Great innovative ideas come when you’re able to distance yourself from the mundane and focus solely on the task at hand.

It’s true that coding or other left brain activities can be automated to a certain extend, reducing development time and resulting in competitive prices. Yet, applying the same principle to graphic or web design activities, in order to achieve lower costs, would defy their very same purpose: achieve a distinctive solution used to best communicate an often commercial message to the target audience.

Like it or not, it’s just not possible to achieve a professional end result, while working at an amateur  level.  Unless you’re willing to offer at least the market’s average, then don’t be surprised if the submissions look more like working granny’s talent showcase or basement kid’s bid for a PlayStation. These are actually the lucky situations, when their submissions are actually subsidized by their current conditions and they’re driven by a need to gain experience or fill their time with something. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if a large amount of the submissions seem strangely familiar.

Your deja-vu feeling should be a clear indication about one of these two things: either the designs are deeply “inspired” by other existing examples or you’re paying for generic, no name and definitely no personality work. It might help you fit into the crowd, but usually that’s a case where you want to stand out as much as you can.  Also, try not to fool yourself into thinking that your clients won’t recognize an amateurish or cheap looking piece, just because they’re not professionals in this area. We’ve all been bombarded with quality design examples for the last few decades that we’re pretty competent at subconsciously recognizing good work when we see it.

Suppose it’s your first contest and you’re still unsure as to how much should your budget stretch. Here’s what will usually happen depending  on your choice:

• obscenely small prize, about half or two thirds than what you’d normally get. Don’t expect to see more  than a dozen designers joining in. If you do, then you should be convinced they are at the very best hobbyists going for a quick buck or poor East Asian “professionals” who don’t have much time or the interest to spend on your  project. This might work for a brochure with a limited distribution or some vector tracing work where there’s not that much creativity involved. However, would you run the risk of buying a copycat concept or execution if  you were redesigning your logo or the packaging of a product you’ve invested extensive time and effort to create? I bet not. Plus, most respectable designers would feel offended by having  their work underrated. Even those joining in would be reluctant to provide you with more than shallow, one  minute revisions.
• a  moderate prize or slightly higher than the market’s average. This is usually the most common scenario out there. The number of submissions you’d receive can range from a couple dozen up to even a hundred or more. In this case, the decision to enter the contest will usually be driven by some emotional aspects as well: how easy it is perceived, how fun/interesting  it looks, how knowledgeable of the subject the designer is. Do not expect any overzealous participants, nor more than a couple completely different concepts per designer.
• a generous prize.  That’s the ideal scenario of the three and it works on multiple levels: the actual financial gains, showing respect to the designers’ work and earning their respect in return, generating positive word of mouth etc. It’s not uncommon to receive hundreds of submissions of which there would  be plenty five star designs.

If you’re not happy with the way things are moving along, you can always increase the amount. However, it’s best to do it from the start.

You should always consider the amount of time needed to come up with a proper submission and then consider adding a little extra to compensate for the risk of actually losing the contest. It’s also better to increase this bonus based on the project as well. Designers will be more reluctant to waste two or three days on a  project, if they feel it’s not worth it, than they would  about spending a couple of hours.

Next time, we’ll delve deeper into what other elements contribute to the success of a design contest.

Bald mexican with sombrero sleeping on hammock in the desert

A partially bald, fat Mexican man dressed in a plain white costume and wearing black boots is sleeping on a hammock tied between two cactus plants in the desert. His right arm is almost touching the ground, casting long shadows along with the plants. He has a large nose, thick eyebrows, a swirly mustache, a ponytail and has his mouth open. A large sombrero is balancing on the man’s belly, with a black scorpion crawling over it. In the background there are some barren rocky peaks, with the scorching sun low in the sky behind them.

The design process involved drawing the basic shapes with a graphic tablet to achieve some natural shapes. Once that was done i went and simplified the paths. You’ll find the character, background and  foreground on separate layers for easy editing. This was actually a remake on a previous illustration, improving mostly on the man’s figure and fixing some lighting issues.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Running a design contest – tips for first timers

The outcome of every design contest, from the client’s point of view, is picking the most appropriate solution from a significant amount of submissions. It also doesn’t hurt if you can get it at a noticeably lower price than what an advertising agency or high priced design bureau would normally charge. There are two ways to approach this situation: either as a boss or as a businessman. In the first scenario, you would unload all of your everyday frustrations and nastiness on a bunch of designers, more or less willing to put up with it for a potential win. In the second one, you would actually regard them as the target audience for your contest and find ways in which you can motivate them to achieve the best results.

Don’t hold your hopes too high in finding similar information on any of the websites hosting this type of contests. Just like those dealing with stock photography, project bidding and other contributor based communities, they are more interested in keeping the customer happy. They might know the rules of the game such as a referee does but they don’t know it first hand as a sportsman. What they usually fail to realize is that if the content’s quality is lacking, then sales will too.

At the end of the day, unless you’re one of those intermediary agencies specialized in running design contests for their clients, rather than doing actual work, you won’t have to deal with this too often. That’s why rushing and constantly complaining about it being tiresome to manage, it’s not only a real waste of time but also very impolite. After all, when compared to the designers, you’ll be spending a lot less time reviewing, then they will spend working. That’s why if they perceive you don’t care about it, they probably won’t either.
Here are just several elements that would motivate designers to engage in  your project:

• the prize – a decent or generous amount will often mean the difference between amateur and professional submissions;
• the brief’s quality – a thorough brief will usually speed up the process and help designers create better quality work;
• the amount of feedback and ratings received for each submission – essential for improving the designs and getting plenty of revisions;
• the overall respect and tone of communication between the contest holder and the designer;

You should also maintain a fine balance between how you want your product to be perceived and the amount of resources you’re willing to invest in promoting it. If you’re bragging about how you’re aiming  for a premium or high end spot, then you should take care that you can reflect that into the way the contest is run as well. To avoid appearing shallow and  eventually creating negative word of  mouth, it’s best to award a motivating prize, create a  professional written brief, treat the designers with the respect you’re hoping to achieve for your brand and don’t change the rules (aka the requirements) halfway through the game. Normally, this would be considered common sense advice. However, a quick search would show just how often most of these guidelines are blatantly ignored and the end results fail to impress.

Also, try not to forget that this is not some philosophy class in Ancient Greece, so sharing ideas and inspiration between designers is a big turn off. Because in the end a participant is either a winner or a loser, nobody wants to see parts of their designs (and time) contributing to the financial welfare of the competition. Not only that, but unless you’re actively coming  up with concept ideas, suggesting other designers try a certain path you’ve seen in one submission it’s also more or less copyright infringement.

Supposed you’ve reached the point where you have to make a decision and pick a winner. Usually, there are three main types of individuals whose opinions will weigh in more or less:

• You should always have the last saying in this. It’s your choice because at the end of the day, it’s also your hard earned money on the line, your job and your credibility. Nobody else will take the blame if things fail miserably, yet they might take the credit if it works out fine.
• Your friends and family. It’s quite common to hear clients say how their spouse told them how they didn’t like the colors or their beer buddy didn’t think it was a manly enough concept. However, before taking their feedback into account, you should definitely see if they fit into the target audience. You might hold a lot of respect for them but unless they’d be willing to spend money on your product in real life, then their choice is not only useless but also harmful. Would you sell organic soy milk to junk food aficionados? I bet not.
• The designers can give you a lot of insight into why they picked certain design elements. It’s only risky if you can’t spot a very convincing smooth talker from a bunch of seasoned professionals. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot to gain if you lend an ear or even ask for additional information. Their experience will help anticipate any problems that might arise and take care of minor details which often go unnoticed, but can make or break a piece.

At the end of the day, holding design contests should be just a means to an end: finding a good designer for your brand while minimizing the risks associated with it. Of course, you could run one for each and every job there is. However, a brand is best promoted when it’s part of a coherent branding and marketing strategy. You won’t be able to achieve that if you constantly swap designers, no matter how thick or well constructed your identity guide is. There simply isn’t enough time for the newcomers to get to know the gist of your product and how it related to your target audience. In the end, the result will be choppy and the savings insignificant compared to the amount of time and money wasted during the process.

You might want to check back in the future as i would be covering certain aspects of successfully running a design contest, more in depth.

Moorish fleuron ornaments and leafy swirls – free vector graphics

Groups  of floral ornaments inspired mainly by the lavishly ornate mihrab from the Great Mosque of Cordoba. The set consists of over 20 symbols with all sorts of Moorish themed designs ranging from simple leafy swirls to intricate curly fleurons.  It also  includes three seamless background patterns made by combining some of the graphics. All the elements are saved as swatches for ease of use. You can simply drag and drop them into your files, either as they are or tweaked to your own needs.

The design process involved manually tracing the paths and then fine tuning each anchor point to achieve curves with a natural, flowing rhythm. For the patterns, the biggest issue as  usual was ensuring continuity and coherence between the several items used in each case. You might find them to work best as background elements either in a website or to complement some ornate romantic design  for print.

If you’re interested in using these ornaments, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to include them in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

15 grunge mug coffee stains – free vector graphics

15 different coffee stains vector graphic marks made by different mugs, teacups and glasses with round bottoms. This is based on a previous set of  just five models which i’ve decided to update. You’ll be able to find anything from very thin full circle symbols to very thick ones which are only partially visible. Along some of them there are also punctual stains dripping from the base, similar to those left by ink drops. Although they appear to have roughly the same size, the graphics are saved as black and white swatches at their original sizes in order to have a better idea about their actual look.

The design process involved (the dirty job of) creating the actual stains on a couple sheets of white paper. They were then scanned into the computer and cleaned/erased all the wrinkles and other unnecessary shades of gray. Applying a threshold step allowed for better control over the amount of details preserved. This also meant speeding up the tracing process and improving the overall results.

If you’re interested in using the graphic, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Shiny spoon, fork and knife on napkin – free vector download

Simple tableware set consisting of four items, namely a teaspoon, spoon, fork and knife on a cream colored paper napkin with red lipstick marks spread all over it. The silver cutlery shines,  having  all sorts of diffused reflections due to the relatively soft light coming from the side, which also helps create some soft shadows. Beneath the shiny metallic items there is a table cloth with a repeating diagonal pattern consisting of  green rhombuses, each with one of three stylized icons (white signs of plates, forks, spoons and knives). These can be used as standalone graphic elements when needing a quick icon for a restaurant sign or other food  related things.

This file is a rework of a previous vector graphic i had done some time ago. As i wasn’t really content about the way that turned out, this was the perfect opportunity to completely redo the lighting effects, while also learning a thing or two about the topic. The main idea was  to improve its realism while also simplifying the design and removing some unnecessary effects.  The end result uses mainly a number of fills with different gradients, each with a proper blending mode. A simple blur effect was used to soften the shadows.

If you’re  interested in using the graphic, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.