Menu Research: The Pelican

The Pelican Menu:

Foreign Policy

Critique: Aside from the fact that the main information is center aligned, this is a really attractive menu. Hot pink and navy blue is a classic color combination that seems almost forgotten, and this design brings it back in an intelligent way. I most love the intricate border and how the same design is carried over onto the various mini-menus of the restaurant. The design uses line to frame and organize the copy really well, and even though there's a lot of information, nothing gets lost. This is definitely another favorite.

Menu Research: Bean & Berry

Bean & Berry Menu:

Nick Wagner

Critique: Overall, the menu seems a little plain, but it works for the general, old world theme. The illustrations seem a little floaty in places, but could be easily reworked into the flow of the design. I think what's really throwing me off are the slanted divider lines. There's a love-hate feeling I'm having with them. While they make the menu more interesting and create movement, they just feel too heavy and are distracting. It might help just to make them thinner. Aside from that, the bold, inverted headers were a great idea to add balance between the information and heavy border, and the information had a nice readability and is kept simple in its organization.

Menu Research: Dressage | Brand Identity

Dressage Menu:

Nikos T.

Critique: At first, I thought I was really into this design, but when I started to try and explain why I liked it, I couldn't think of what to say. Overall, it's just uninspiring. It offers the information well enough, it's easy to read through and there's nothing overly complicated about it. However, there's nothing unique to set it apart. There's no personal touch to enhance the design, no real style. It sort of feels like a word document. I love the logo and the cover, so incorporating a bit of that could enhance in the inner pages dramatically.

Menu Research: Cafe 76

Cafe 76:

Samya Arif

Critique: This is a very cute and homely design that uses a handwriting-styled type to its advantage. Everything feels hand done and personal, so they nailed the overall aesthetic. The use of color to divide information was a nice touch, as well. The cover gives off a brochure feel at first impression, though, and I think that just might be due to the colors used in the illustration's sky. Bringing in the parchment color from the other panels might help it escape from that brochure feel and tie everything together more.

Menu Research: Blokes & Birds Branding

Blokes & Birds Menu:

Maria Kuznetsova

Critique: 

Menu Research: Sweet Chick

Sweet Chick Menu:

No Entry Design

Critique: Being a menu that uses strictly typography in it's design, this piece is very attractive. It has so many elements that are being used - from inverted headers, outlined and drop shadowed headers, bold menu items, arched categories - and it still feels extremely organized and tidy. I really appreciate the intricate borders around each category, too. It completes the overall bistro aesthetic. 

Menu Research: The Cheese Shop

The Cheese Shop:

Charlotte Estelle Littlehales

Critique: 

Menu Research: Hatch & Sons

Hatch & Sons Menu:

Trevor Finnegan

Critique: There's nothing I don't love about this menu. The colors are soft, but rich against the parchment background, every category as its own little thinly bordered box with a unique header, and the logo at the top of each page keeps it all tied together. The design has so much going on, but nothing clashes. And all the information is neatly organized with various weights to set items apart from descriptions. This design mixes simple with complicated design, and for that, it's my favorite menu piece.

Menu Research: RedOniOn TakeOut Fast FOod Branding

RedOniOn Menu:

X A R C T I X

Critique: Using a chalkboard theme definitely gave this designer a lot of creative freedom. Using an erased, used chalkboard texture for the background was very creative, as it fades from lighter to darker as it reaches out, which draws the eye in to the information in the center. They made this fun with using lines that appeared hand drawn to separate information, and each page offers new elements to keep things interesting. This is a menu design that really does well in incorporating the feel of the logo with the entire piece.

Menu Research: Sunny Garden Spa Hotel

Sushi Menu:

Vlado Nacev

Critique: 

Menu Research: La Azotea de Benito

La Azotea de Benito Menu:

Alejandro Gómez

Critique:

Menu Research: Warehouse Restaurant Xmas/New Year Menu

Warehouse Menu:

Logs Matthews

Critique:

Menu Research: Shishalove

Shishalove Menu:

Michael Stylianou

Critique: At first glance, it looked like a nice piece. Looking closer, the way the information is organized makes the menu difficult to read. Everything, from the headers to the items and descriptions and prices, is centered. This makes the eye jump left and right when reading through because the center alignment makes for a jagged edge on each new line of text. Also, there's an awkward space between headers. Assuming that each page is made with two columns of info, the left column would have it's information aligned left, while the right column has it's information aligned right. Rather than doing the same with the headers, they aligned them center, which throws off the structure even more. It's just not a very readable design. 

Water Bottle Research: GL(E)AM

GL(E)AM:

Christian Serrano

Critique:

Water Bottle Research: Egyptienne

River Water:

Agnes Beate Hamland

Critique:

Water Bottle Research: Solaris

Solaris Water:

Emma-Jane Robinson

Critique:

Water Bottle Research: Purpleberry Issai

Purpleberry Issai Water:

Audrey Ma

Critique:

Water Bottle Label: Aqua Spring

Aqua Spring:

Moaad W. Khalil

Critique:

Water Bottle Research: S Water Bottle & Label Design

S Water:

Grafiket Adworks

Critique: This label is so minimalist, it might actually be too simplified for me to like. I can appreciate the subtleties like the soft but popping blue, the aristocratic-feeling serif font, and how it sets the bottle apart from the more bold, commercial label designs. But there really isn't much else to point out. I like it, in concept, but there just seems to be a little too little.

Water Bottle Research: Water Bottle Concept

Providence:

Eva Reese

Critique: Being one of my favorite designs, the label of this bottle puts emphasis on the fine details. The way 'natural' and 'spring water' mirrors each other makes for a really nice flow, and puts emphasis on the brand name, 'Providence'. The structure of the copy fits really well in the water-drop shape, and makes for an overall attractive piece.

Water Bottle Research: Mineral Water High Fashion Campaign

Mineral Water:

Erin McManness

Critique: This is a label design that properly combines illustration and type fluidly. The designer used wispy, whimsical type to accent the the wispy, whimsical lady illustrations, and it works without getting lost or feeling out of place. However, above the brand name, there's an arched line of text, and that does feel a little out of place. The arched line doesn't flow well with the lines of 'mineral', which you could say arches in the opposite direction, leaving a strange gap between the two. 

Water Bottle Research: Glacial

Glacial:

Carlos Zuniga

Critique: I personally like the overall design of the second label more, but I prefer the colors of the first label. I love how soft and clear the ice is on the first label, and it would be cool to see the ice illustrated on the second label in place of it's jagged mountain silhouettes. The second label uses a type that's more appealing because of its softer lines and better legibility.

Water Bottle Research: Font Vella

Font Vella:

Motxuel

Critique: I like this bottle simply for the crazy characters. The line-work and simple color choice make the design stand out without it being bright and clashing. Unfortunately, the pink font under the logo gets lost within all the illustrations behind it, and the logo leaves much to be desired. The logo is bold and to the point, but this doesn't mesh with the style of the background.

Water Bottle Research: Amvrocio

Amvrocio:

Dimitris Florakis

Critique:

Water Bottle Research: Sirma

Sirma:

Emrah Dogru

Critique: This is another minimalist design, but it has more details to explore. Instead of excluding parts of it's already simplified design in it's alternate label like S water did, Sirma alters colors and plays with new type faces and sizes. I feel like the white on light blue might be a little difficult to read on the first label, but it would probably look better when actual size. The hierarchy of type frames and accents the big and bold label on both designs, however, the thick stripe across the top feels heavy. Instead, a thinner strip could replace it, and the thick stripe with its text could be moved to the bottom of the label, which would help underline everything and balance out the design.

Book Cover Research: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Book Cover:

Laura Marsden

Critique: I'm not a huge fan of the messy border design being mirrored on the back of the book. I think it would look better if they kept the texture and used a simple box for the synopsis. That way it would be easier to align the text left so it would be easier to read. The airbrushed black behind the synopsis looks messy, too. The title, on the other hand, is gorgeous. They incorporated a theme from the book and created a dynamic, memorable design that creates interest. I think they chose the wrong font for the author name, though. The font seems a little playful, sort of. It feels like it belongs on a light-hearted romantic comedy novel, not a grundgy, dark cover.

Book Cover Research: Biopsy

Biopsy:

Drew Needham

Critique: This is another piece that is just as intricate as it is simple. The delicate design creates interest and draws the eye to the title. It also makes the book look refine. The color they used for the background is rich and makes the title box pop. There isn't much to this piece, but it still has a professional feel, and it makes me want the book just for it's shelf appeal.

Book Cover Research: Washingtonian

Washingtonian:

Michael Goesele

Critique: I absolutely love how intricate this piece is. I just wish the smaller print stood out more against the wall of bottles. It might look better in person if I was looking at the actual magazine cover, but in this case, I looked right over them and just saw 'bars'. Aside from that, this piece has a great flow and is an attention grabber. The style of font they chose is perfect for the old fashioned bar scene, and filling the magazine name with the same design was a good touch. I especially like the intricate white lines, and they do help to separate the type from the image.

Book Cover Research: PoV (UK)

PoV (UK):

Ben Turner 

Critique: What sets this deign apart is the popping solid color against the grungy background. It was hard to miss, and I liked it a lot at first. Then a noticed a bunch of little changes that could be made. The heart gets lost behind the massive 'love', and I though it was a blob until I looked closer. They could shrink the heart down a little and move it into view. Also, 'amor' gets a little lost in the background. I do like how the solid strip on the bottom balances everything out, and they used the background really well to create hierarchy and depth.

Book Cover Research: COVER (China)

COVER (China):

Ltrichard 

Critique: The simple censor strips serve as a strong symbolism, and the simplicity in this piece overall is what I enjoy most about it. The way the emphasize 'last' with a alternate background color and how the color of the censor strips is a really good touch. I'd fix the censor bar over the name of the magazine, though. It just makes it look like a blob compared to everything else.

Book Cover Research: New York Times

New York Times:

Nancy Harris Rouemy

Critique: This is the neon sign effect I wanted to try on the Kinetik poster, but I would have never achieved anything like this. I'm not sure if they design and created all this on the computer, or just made the signs and took a picture of them, but that just says how well they pulled this off. All the colors play well with each other and help keep the names legible. The varying sizes also help create interest and keep the piece flowing.

Book Cover Research: Tentações (Portugal)

Tentações (Portugal):

Fernando Barata

Critique: The tattered cover texture/theme has been done a lot, but what's unique about this one is how they made the text look water damaged and worn, and it sells the theme. I think they went a little overboard with the draining ink, though, because some of the words look muddy and illegible. 

Book Cover Research: Critic (New Zealand)

Critic (New Zealand):

Unknown

Critique: Hopefully, you're not supposed to be about to read the words of the treaty, because it's almost impossible. I love the symbolism of this entire piece, though, and how they conveyed toilet paper and a dirty bathroom wall without being blatantly obvious. This design allows for many unique font styles and typographic strategies, like how they made the magazine title look like sharpie graffiti. 

Kinetik Poster Research: Technix

Poster:

Andre Bergamin

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Critique: What first noticed in this poster is how little information is actually on it, and I kind of like that about it. It gives just enough info about the venue and leave the space open for eye-catching design. However, I'm not sure putting the name vertical as they did was a good idea, even though it fits well, because I notice the names before I notice the title/event. 

Kinetik Poster Research: Trochut

Poster:

Alex Trochut

Critique: This is an interesting design, but it's difficult to read. The spaghetti noodles forming the letters might need more intense shading, or the artist could use the red to make the letters stand out more. Otherwise, the illustration is beautiful.

Book Cover Research: Wired (Japan)

Wired (Japan):

Unknown

Critique:

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Aileen Wu

Book Cover:

Alison Wilcox

Book Cover:

Malorie Westmoreland

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Stefania

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Bo Mi Kim

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Michal Vardi

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Nhung Duong

Book Cover Research:

Book Cover:

Christina Button 

Kinetik Poster Research: The Hampden Picture House

Poster:

Designed by Stewart Scott-Curran

Critique: 

Kinetik Poster Research: The Year Was 2005

 The Year Was 2005:

Designed by Alex Banks

Critique: This poster reads as loud, and not just because of the generous use of yellow. The purpose of the poster is to greet the new year, and it has a few details that follow the theme well. The copy is tightly packed together with different weights and fills, which reads as energetic, and it's still legible. They also use a relatively faint but eye-catching yellow for the main color. My only problem is that, even with the loud color, the poster can be easily ignored. The viewer sort of has to dig for the message the poster is giving, and I think the black bar at the top could either be moved to the bottom, or even expanded to a full border to make the poster pop more.