Hidden elements

If you’re interested in logo design then Logo, from Lawrence King Publishing is a great reference and it’s not just image after image, a lot are accompanied with an insight from the designer or client into the idea behind the logo. But what caught my attention was something less remarkable and which had been staring at me in the face all along and somehow, through looking at it in a different context ie. in a book and displayed in black and white, it made me spot something ‘new’.

Call me daft but I’ve watched Formula 1 since i was old enough to get downstairs at 6 in the morning to watch it, but never did I regard the F1 logo as any good, in fact I thought it was a bit naff (which the typography generally is). Yet when I flicked through Logo, I noticed straight away what i had missed, that the 1 in F1 is the white space in between the F and the speedy swooshes opposite! Where did that come from?

Another one I noticed was the playstation logo, I had never realised that the strange shadow of the P was an S!

I have no idea how I missed theses little touches (seen as they are so obvious), I suppose that when something has been in your line of sight for so long you just don’t take note of it anymore, you just recognise it’s shape.

Here I a few more nice and not so obvious examples of typographic trickery from the book including one that for obvious reasons, I wish I had done.

Get the book on here.

Letterpress loveliness

Just received this letterpressed beauty in the post from Glasgow Press. I’m probably one of many designers who went straight over to order their own copy as soon as they read about it on Creative Reviews blog. It is designed by Kerr Vernon and really is pretty nice to hold, it features five A5 postcards with lyrics from Glaswegian bands pressed into the GH Smith Colorplan and all held together by a belly band with a wax seal — brilliant.

A great mailer that will surely succeed in bringing in some work and at the least rasing their profile in the minds of print loving designers everywhere.

 

Get a copy here.

Logo Book Love

I recently finished this brilliant book by identity design guru David Airey.

I’ve followed his blog for quite a while, where he posts interesting and informative articles for budding/experienced designers, with contributions from many others in the industry. Airey also runs a blog solely on Identity design called Logo Design Love and from that comes this great little book. Packed full of advice on identity design, including insights into top designers process’ and advice on the day to day running of been a freelance identity designer, it’s a must have for designers of all levels and especially anyone starting out as a freelance designer.

Get it here.

Amazing Illustrations from Loopy Dave

Here’s some ridiculously good illustration work by a bloke called Loopy Dave.

There’s a great selection of his work over on Abduzeedo, but you can also check out his portfolio here.

Block Printed Cake

Combining two of my favourite things; printmaking and cake.

I must admit that I do have a sweet tooth. When I was a little robot, I was quite partial to an after-school treat and sometimes used to come home, whip up some butter icing to spread onto Rich Tea biscuits and then sneakily eat them all up while snuggled next to the radiator behind the sofa. Once I got a little too confident and attempted to make some flap-jack but it went horrendously wrong and I had to chip it out of the saucepan with a hammer and screwdriver before my Mum could find out! I now know that a little hot water and fairy liquid would have done the trick, but I was only about 10 so give me a break!

Anyway…

This delightful dessert from Ashley Brown is just genius. You can find out more here. It’s probably worth mentioning that if you are tempted to have a crack at one of these print-inspired cakes, then please do remember to use edible food colouring rather than lithographic ink. Although printing ink stuff does look like treacle, it really doesn’t taste quite so good.