Tag: Graphic design in the wild

What we’ve learned after 30 days of observing graphic design in the wild

January 29th, 2022

Designers in the shadows

There are famous graphic designers. Paula Shuere. David Carson. Chip Kidd and Saul Bass. But most graphic designers toil and create in the shadows. The majority of the design pieces we profiled did not have a designer attributed to them. This was a surprise. We thought a simple google search, or look on a company’s “about us” page would accredit a designer to their public image.

Not true.

For such a public art form, the majority of the artists are unknown.

Paolo “Paul” Campani – One of the few known designers

Below are the few graphic designers we could attribute designs to:

Topo Chico – Guicho Romero.

Fiesta Mart – R. Ruiz

Bialetti – Paolo “Paul” Campani

LAFC – Matthew Wolff

EPCOT font – Deborah Lord

Volkswagen – Franz Xaver Reimspiess

Contrast is king

Plain to italic.

Bold to normal.

Light to dark.

ALL CAPS to Proper-Case.

Contrast is the king of graphic design fundamentals. It draws attention to the design. It helps communicates the message. Contrast acts like a visual speed bump. It’s a quick change in weight that slows our eyes down and grabs our attention.

See this Hyper Bike Company typeface:

Thick to thin typeface

Notes on typography

Typography can stand alone as a discipline. A few typography notes to remember:

Leading – the distance between lines of type. Leading is measured in points.

Kerning – is the space between letters.

Serif = little feet.

Sans Serif = no little feet.

This EPCOT signage from the France Pavillion, combines serif and sans-serif lettering:

Serif on the top. Sans-serif below.

Wide kerning is used to convey elegance.

See the bottom Market & Bakery typeface on this Eatzi’s sign:

Wide kerning for contrast and elegance

Conclusion

Observing graphic design changes your view of the world. Every sign, every book or magazine cover, every piece of packaging you hold takes on a new meaning.

The typography, the logo, the color palette, the layout, it’s there on purpose. It’s there to guide your eye. To nudge you towards one product over another, to make you feel something. To direct you to safety. To implore you to risk.

Looking closely at any piece of graphic design will take your life off of autopilot, and that’s worth the time.

Helpful Resources:

Chris Do’s Typography Manual

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd

Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires & Riots: California and Graphic Design, 1936–1986, by Louise Sandhaus

Seth’s Blog – Avoid the clown suit. How to get better at graphic design…

Will Paterson’s YouTube Channel:
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 30: Meinl Percussion

January 9th, 2022

Meinl is a German percussion company headquartered in Gutenstetten.

Today, Meinl is a known brand amongst American drummers and percussionists, but this wasn’t always true. A strategic Reinhold Meinl led branding effort in the 80s lifted the brand into the global consciousness.

Part of any branding exercise includes logo design. The Meinl logo is instantly recognizable, but the logo’s meaning has been interpreted differently. Some have said it’s PA. Others say it’s an M with an R for Rolan Meinl. We’ll go with DRUM! Magazine’s interpretation – it’s an M.

The thick circles introduce the drum and cymbal theme. The “legs” establish the M. The simple shapes keep the logo familiar in any color. The simple shapes and thick lines makes the Meinl logo noticeable from a distance on any cymbal, drum case, amplifier, or band van.

The designer is not listed.

Steely Determination: DRUM! Visits The Meinl Factory, DRUM! Magazine

Meinl Percussion About Us Page
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 29: HERO typewriters

January 2nd, 2022
Hero typewriters are a Chinese typewriter brand. Originally known as the Flying Fish PSQ, they were rebranded Hero in the 1980s. The logo’s designer, like many of these we’ve profiled in this series, is unknown (if you know please reach out.)

The Hero logo stands out because of its variety of shapes.
- There’s the rectangle that frames the “ero”.
- The “H” which looks like a small person finishing their morning stretches has four shapes – the “H”, the arm cubes, the small house shaped silhouette inside the arm cubes, and the vertical space-bars on each side of the “H”.
- Finally the oval pulls all the shapes together and gives them a structure to live.
The designer also incorporated Chinese characters and English letters. One could assume this is the word “Hero” written in Chinese, but no need to assume here. Incorporating two languages and two typefaces in one logo is a rare graphic design feat.

For all you typewriter junkies out there check out these two additional articles on Hero typewriters:

HERO typewriters, Typecasting in China, Shen Yi 沈祎 (Gerard)

China’s first typewriters, Typecasting in China, Shen Yi 沈祎 (Gerard)
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 28: Whataburger

September 6th, 2021

Not Wheezer. Not Wonder Woman. Whataburger!

On August 8, 1950, in Corpus Christi, Texas, a legend was born. Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger burger stand.

An ambitious man, Harmon sought out work opportunities from a young age. He worked as a used car salesman, a diamond courier, an aspiring oil entrepreneur, and a bush pilot.

These work experiences weren’t lost on him when it came time to market his burger stand. Whataburger’s color scheme originated from Harmon’s bush pilot career. To help pilots avoid crashing, radio towers were often painted in alternating bands of International orange and plain white. This color scheme allowed pilots to spot the hazardous radio towers from miles away. And if International orange could catch a pilot’s attention from distance, surely it could catch Dad’s attention while speeding down a Texas overpass.

The iconic flying “W” logo appeared in 1972. Like previous logos we’ve explored in this series, the designer is unknown. We do know the wings on the “W” are an homage to Dobson’s bush-pilot roots. It’s a versatile logo that scales well to fit on caps, webpages, and signage. The sharp diagonal lines of the “W” compliment Whataburger’s A-frame entries.

It can be easy to think of logos only in terms of shapes and typefaces. But a logo’s color shouldn’t be taken for granted. In keeping the International orange and plain white, the “W” logo unifies the whole Whataburger brand.

Harmon’s piloting inspired color choice 71 years ago has proven a graphic design and branding masterstroke.

Sources:

The History of and Story Behind Whataburger Logo, Money Inc.com, Lily Wordsmith, December 2020.

The Whataburger Story, whataburger.com.

Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger, stmuscholars.org, Courtney Pena, October 2, 2019.

Whatabusiness!, texasmonthly.com, Mark Mazzetti, July 2000.
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 27: EatZi’s

June 11th, 2021

Founded by Phil Romano in 1996, Eatzi’s is not your typical grocer. Eatzi’s are only located in the DFW area. They’re designed to bring a European market atmosphere to the grocery experience. The hanging cured meats, the fresh selection of cheeses and wines, and yes, the graphic design all contribute to theme.

The color palette of red and white is simple, but eye-catching. The original logo incorporated yellow and green to capture Phil Romano’s Italian heritage.

So with two shapes and two colors, how does the designer grab our attention?

Contrast.

First, note the combination of serif and sans-serif fonts. Then the blend of capital and lower case letters. Interesting design choice here, the lower case serif-font dominates, while the all caps san-serif font supports the main text above.

Alright, one more bit of contrast that I noticed late, the kerning. The main text’s kerning is tight, but balanced, as it spreads across the oval. The support text kerning is wider, giving an elegant feel to the sans-serif font. This is my interpretation of course. A graphic design uber-expert may disagree.

With limited resources a graphic designer must pull from all their tools – form, typography, content and concept. Whoever designed the Eatzi’s logo, mission accomplished.
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 26: Stripe Press

May 19th, 2021

Stripe Press publishes books about economic and technological advancement.

They also have a dope logo.

The Stripe Press logo is what I call a “take two”. It takes two looks to catch the meaning. But once your eyes catch it, you can’t un-see it.

At first glance you ask, is that an 8? Is that a slot car race track?

But then the retro soccer jersey font reveals its self. The “S” overlays the “P”. The combination of the two elicits a feeling of technological progress that remains reverent to the past.
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 25: Topo Chico Mineral Water

April 25th, 2021

Topo Chico is a staple of scorched Texas summers. The carbonated mineral water is a cool respite from July’s heat.

Topo Chico’s graphic design set and color palette reflects this. The red cursive lettering and the yellow background indicate the heat. While the white strip laid across the top of the cursive lettering gently cools the tone. Earlier iterations of the white strip was snow capped. This white strip also adds depth and contrast to the font, similar to Fiesta.

The mascot, a beautiful Aztec princess (the daughter of Moctezuma I Ilhuicamina) drinking the healing waters of Cerro de la Silla is not only a beautiful illustration, but a tribute to Monterrey.

There’s not many pieces of graphic design that displays richness and beauty. Topo Chico is the exception.

Post Script:

The credited designer is one Guicho Romero.

#topolife
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 24: Fiesta Mart

April 24th, 2021

Fiesta Mart began in Houston in 1972. The founders, Donald Bonham and O.C. Mendenhall felt the Mexican American community in Houston was under served.

BOOM! Today there are over 60 Fiesta Marts throughout Texas.

With her parrot mascot and bold font, Fiesta is one of Texas’ most recognizable brands.

The font is what I would call an “in-betweener” (that’s the technical term). It’s not a full serif font. The F and the T have the little feet. But the remaining letters are sans-serif.

Contrast plays an important role here as well. The thick white stroke beneath the red font, pushes the typography forward. Adds depth, and makes the Fiesta logo one of the most unique pieces of graphic design in Texas.

Post Script:

According to Brands of The World.com, the Fiesta Mart logo was designed by an R.Ruiz? But I couldn’t locate a website for him.

Either way, well done R. Ruiz.
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 23: Bialetti’s Little Man with the Moustache

April 23rd, 2021

I admire old companies.

They’ve thrived.

They’ve suffered.

They’ve survived.

Alfonso Bialetti opened his workshop for aluminum products in 1919. But in 1933 Bialetti released the Moka Express. A first of it’s kind, at home coffee maker. Within a few years, his Moka pot would establish Bialetti as a global company. It remains the most famous home coffee maker in the world (yeah I’m claiming it. Forget you Keurig!).

Part of the Moka Express’ fame is owed to its timeless art-deco design. But the other is owned in part to graphic design. Bialetti’s iconic symbol, the Little Man with the Moustache, first appeared in 1958. The artist, Paolo “Paul” Campani designed the logo as a caricature of Alfonso Bialetti’s son Renato Bialetti. While Paul’s career led him into comics, his foray into graphic design left a historic mark.

Is the l’omino con i baffi a symbol? Is he a mascot? Is he a logo? I’d say a little of all three. The combination of shapes, ovals, triangles, ellipses, rectangles all combine into an instantly recognizable brand.
Graphic Design In the Wild – Day 22: Comic Book Lettering, DC Edition

April 22nd, 2021
Alright. This is the DC comics edition. As I was looking these over, I thought what’s the purpose of comics lettering?

My theory is comic book cover lettering needs to “anchor” the cover. It will be the one piece of comic book graphic design that remains the same issue after issue.

The cover art will change, but the title lettering (typically) stays consistent. Comic covers are displayed cover out on spinner racks (R.I.P.) and comic book stores. Good title lettering should immediately reveal who the hero(s) are and what type of adventure you’re in for.

Let’s take a closer look.

Tales of the Teen Titans #63, 1986

Before they were a hit cartoon, The Teen Titans were a superhero group with an ongoing series. Think the mini version of the Justice League.

DC kept their wordmark recognizable for this special Tales of the Teen Titans series by keeping the same font from their 80’s title The New Teen Titans. They did switch the color from red to blue. But it remains a font that coveys strength of the team as a group.

All Star Squadron #28, 1983

The whack Justice League deserves it’s due. It follows a common trend of comic book title lettering, using red and 3D block letters. But it works in three pieces of contrast as well.
1. ALL is flat and lifted forward with the a white star behind it.
2. STAR is the largest of the font sizes and has the thickest stroke around the letters.
3. SQUADRON is slightly smaller and has a star inside the A. Also, the stroke thins out.
Batman The 10 Cent Adventure, 2002

There’s hundreds of variations of Batman covering lettering. The lettering for the one-off, 10 cent adventure has tall, blood red, san-serif font. The design foreshadows the story of Bruce Wayne being framed for murder.

Starman #13, 1989

One of the cheesiest superheros of all time. Has the name your friend’s little brother would think up on the playground. The lettering follows a similar trend. Red, 3D block letters. Tight kearning. And replacing a letter with a shape. In this case, a star for the A.