Hot Dog Packaging

I have discovered an interesting blog dedicated to the progress of the package design industry and its practitioners. The name of the blog is http://www.thedieline.com/about/.  One of the packaging that caught my eye is the Hot Dog one:

I think it is great!  The image delivers the message perfectly: Hot Dog.  The packaging is clean, simple and memorable.  I love it!

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Mystical Distribution Company - ad from the street

Cool idea for the washroom labeling

For those who did not know, in Vancouver the bathrooms are called washrooms.  I took this picture in one of the local restaurants.  I think this was creative.  Instead of boring words - Males/Females or Ladies/Gentlemen - the owners used these paintings.  Recognizable and elegant.

Don't have cold feet

"Pick a color using your image" (Reynold, 2010, p.84).   I used the color of the jeens for the color of the font.  The color palette of this image looks simple and pleasant.

More ducks and colors

"When you put a word into a type, you have given it a visual form while the verbal meaning remains. This dual nature of typography is what makes it so fascinating and so potentially powerfull". (Reynolds, 2010, p. 33) 
I already posted this image of the ducks on June 9, 2011.  The font of the message "Get your ducks in a row" was more elegant and decorative. In today's post I switched the font to a heavier one. I think it presents the statement in a bolder and more demanding way.

One of the images has a different message, "Save the planet - carpool". The font here is more rounded and organic.   The color and shape of it helps to bring it closer to the representation of water, clean air.

The background colors add different emotions to the same message.  Neon green background expresses adds more urgency to the message, black one - more drama, as if something bad is going to happen if you don't get your ducks in a row.

Experimenting with font and messages

One of the pictures I took in Vancouver while waiting for a table at the restaurant.

I added the text:

I will also try to experiment with colors and change the message in my next posts.

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Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/hut_weber_hitler_vs_chaplin

Catchy hotel in New York City

Gershwin Hotel in New York City is definitely an eye catcher.  I took this picture about a year ago and as far as I can remember the building of the Gershwin hotel really stands out among the greyness of the buildings around.   The building is red and has funky white things sticking out from its side, nevertheless, none of these touches seem to be overwhelming.

If you check the website, the rooms and overall aura of the hotel looks artistic and unusual.  Some of my friends stayed at this hotel and confirmed that it was one of its kind.    

I think the best feature about the hotel is its uniqueness and distinction from the design of the objects around it.

 This is the picture of the room from the Gershwin's website:

Why I named the blog this way

Creating blog for the class is really exciting and somewhat new to me.  I've unburied my digital camera and went for a hunt for design artifacts today.  I have not found much but I've noticed so many things that I haven't noticed previously even though I've being to the places I went today many times before.

This experience reminded me of the time when I used to study archeology and participate in the archeological excavations, i.e., digs.  The common things such as rocks or bones just below the ground or sometimes even above the ground can actually be an arrowhead, a piece of jewelry, or simply a story telling piece. 

I am back again to being an archeologist looking for the artifacts.  This time around, the artifacts are pieces of design and I need to start paying more attention and spend more time looking around.