A-Z | Vintage Inspired

Designers across all disciplines have always been inspired at the past. From vintage packaging through to letterpress typography designers have found the past a great source of inspiration. This goes hand in hand with consumers buying into vintage styled brands in a desire for nostalgia from simpler and less stressful times. 

Certainly we at P&W created a biscuit tin design for Tesco which was inspired directly from 20s typographical design. Even the Tesco logo was based in a vintage style.

Retro styled typography and vintage black and white photography were used to create a beautifully detailed labels for Stiegl Haus Beir. 

Designed by Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann  Country: Austria

This range of chocolates used classic 50s styled pin-up girl illustrations. To keep faith with the original 50s illustrators, the Bessermachen design studio, first photographed the models and then painted over the photos.

Designed by Bessermachen for Brandhouse Country: Denmark

The Old Tom Ale’s website is built on a “heritage” theme, including the old brewery cat, sketched by Robinsons’ head brewer in 1899.

Designed by Moshen. Country: UK

An example of retro Americana design for Intuition Ale Works of Jacksonville giving the cans an individual look and a strong sense of history.

Designed by DeRouen & Co. Country: United States

Last year Procter & Gamble Target created nostalgia-themed marketing with a limited edition packaging for Tide, Bounce, and Downy at Target stores, in the USA.

                                              Example of 1950s packaging.

A-Z | University Branding

It has taken a while for branding to seep into the world of higher education but over recent years, because of increased competition in the sector many universities and colleges have begun to re-vamp their branding so that it communicates their unique attributes more effectively and attracts students and staff.

 Many of these universities have developed flexible systems for their brands, such as Norwich University College of the arts, which uses the N on a slant to show the “creative spark” which is flash of lighting moment you get when you get an idea.

University of East Anglia have created a typographic solution creating an icon within their E and A, which flags can be used as an asterisk to flag up their own ethos, Whereas University of Sussex show togetherness by joining up the u and s to make the words “us” and create a conversational brand from that.

These universities aim to look appealing, fresh and modern to prospective students who will be considering going into a lifetime of debt to attend. However it seems that some of the most famous more traditional institutions still have unbelievably dated and dull branding, perhaps they can afford to do this, but it seems a bit of a let down and would be nice to see a little more personality within them.

A-Z | TRENDS

Throughout the years, packaging has evolved from a information tool to an identifying tool and, at present, is the focal mechanism used by consumers when relating product experience.

Packaging has evolved from a mere functionality of housing a product. It has now become a intricate part of the consumer decision making process. Creating simple and engaging packaging that directly impacts customer loyalty and brand credibility will always be at the forefront of design trends.

Here is a just a few 'trends' for this year:

Hand drawn Typography/Tactile design

80’s Retro/Vintage design

This has been around for a year or so and is not planning on going away just yet.

Colours

Pantone has selected 'tangerine tango' as the color of the year for 2012.  

A-Z | STAR HU

Vicky from the London office recently went to Paris to help a friend at ParisFashion Week exhibiting her label ‘Star Hu’ www.starhu.com in the Vendome luxury show a high end womenswear exhibition In ‘up and coming designers’ one of the many exhibitions happening across PFW.

The Vendome luxury show is held at one of Paris’s most prestigious 5 star hotels Le Meurice, also know as the hotel of Kings. The hotel is set on the riverside overlooking the Concorde and the Eiffel tower, a truly stunning setting for such a glamorous event.

A few images from the AW/12 look book.



Star Hu was supported by the UKFT www.ukft.org an association focused on helping British based fashion and clothing businesses to sell effectively worldwide. This is a great opportunity for designers to branch out with their creativity and gain recognition internationally.

The beautiful interior and surrounding area of the hotel, and enjoying a well deserved glass of champers to celebrate the success of the collection.

Olympic Stadium

 Rachel, our Studio Manager, had the opportunity over the weekend to visit 

the new Olympic Stadium. This was the first time the public could 
visit the stadium as part of the National Lottery Park Run

http://nationallotteryrun.com/EventInfo/EventDay.aspx

Below are Rachel's photos to get us ready for the main event this summer...

A-Z | RAARR exhibition

The RAARR exhibition (pronounced RAAARRRGHHHH!) is an exhibition of 22 commissioned drawings of animals by some of the worlds leading illustrators. The twist… they weren’t aloud to draw the head or face; instead this was the job of 22 school children. The young felt-tip wielding children added their own personal touch to the illustrations by adding heads, colours, limbs and anything else they could imagine.

The result of this unique and intriguing project can be seen below....

The exhibition was launched at the Book Club in Shoreditch.  All the commissioned inter-generational illustrations on display were for sale and all profits went to the NSPCC, a UK children’s charity based a stones throw away from the Book Club.

Contributing illustrators and their chosen creatures:

There is the old rule of not working with children and animals but in art terms this is surely the perfect combination. Gifted illustrators of all styles and persuasions put together with the inherent levity and enthusiasm of every child when faced with colouring in. The result of this fascinating combination can be seen below in these pictures taken at the 

Book Club of the work on display...

                 

A-Z | Quentin Blake

A new exhibition at the Foundling Museum showcases recent work of one of Britain’s most successful and best loved illustrators, Quentin Blake.

The Exhibition showcases over 60 works commissioned by 4 hospitals. Blake’s aim was to create work that would make being in or visiting hospital a “less alien” and more of a normal experience. “What I have tried to include is a certain amount of detail, some interesting activities, and some suggestions of the little drama of relationships, so that the viewers - especially any who have to wait - may feel the desire to go on looking and perhaps even 

to speculate about the stories happening in front of them."

The illustrations are in 4 separate hospitals and took 5 years to complete. The first was Planet Zog for The Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Care Centre in South Harrow. This hospital cares for young children so Blake wanted to create an alien planet to fit the alien feel of going to the hospital. Blake cheekily reversed the roles of doctors and aliens to make the patients and visitors feel more at ease with going to the hospital and maybe seeing the doctors in a different more fun light.

 The second commission was completed in 2009 and entitled ‘Our friends in the circus’ for The Ellington Ward in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow – an older persons mental health ward within the hospital. These light-hearted illustrations feature tightrope walkers, clowns and fire-eaters all of an older age. “I didn’t want people to take it too seriously, so it’s a parallel life.  I drew people of my generation swinging from tree-to-tree and things of that kind, it corresponds to their mental activities” Blake explains.

The third and possibly the most sensitive set was for Vincent Square Eating disorder Clinic in London. Before he created this set he spoke to the users of the clinic as he had no brief and wanted the users to be able to relate to the illustrations. 

The feedback form the clinic was that the users wanted subtle characters doing seemingly everyday activities with food. Blake created a set of foody images in a very relaxed everyday way.  Blake makes clear that “The drawings don’t insist on food but there is food about as part of everyday life. I hope they are optimistic. There is a lot of humour in them but they are not making fun of anyone. They are a form of praise.”

His biggest hospital project is in the Maternity unit of Hospitalier Universitaire in Angers, France.  Here he has created over 50 images whose sole aim was to say to mothers that “it will be alright, in a minute”!

The theme for these illustrations is the meeting of mother and baby for the first time. Blake has captured this by creating a “parallel world where their swimming expresses and celebrates their newfound liberty after the pains of labour”.

Quentin Blake’s As Large as Life exhibition comprises of 60 illustrations and will be displayed at the Foundling Museum on Brunswick Square until 15th April before touring the UK well into 2013.