What I love in Visual Communications

Maria Hynes

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Reverting to Type 2020: Protest Posters

I adore these posters which I discovered from an exhibition in London  (December 2020 – February 2021) called ‘Reverting to Type 2020: Protest Posters’. With 204 letterpress posters on display, the theme is pretty obvious - rage and anguish.

The topics include global warming, fracking and inequality. The typography is expressive and the layered qualities in some of the posters gives the message such depth. I use of scale is very effective and there is little doubt as to the tone of the message. There is alot to be learnt about the hierarchy of information within these posters.

Images: http://new-north-press.co.uk/project/reverting-to-type-2020-protest-posters/

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Love the clever advertising by Chupa Chups. I love how the typography is so small compared to the imagery. I also love the colour scheme with the absence of green .

Image: www.behance.net

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While researching movie design posters today, I came across these posters for the 2021 Cannes Competition. 
What do I love about these compared to the posters I haven’t featured? The images are striking and unexpected which leads to suspense. In all these posters, the character isnt looking at the camera which again leads to the mystery. The contrasting palette is striking the most important words are set in heavy set sans-serif typography. I feel like these posters are less commercial than alot of the mainstream posters which gives them a creative edge. images: https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/movie-poster-of-the-week-the-posters-of-the-2021-cannes-competition

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Dysfluent

Dysfluent is a non-profit, independent magazine about people who stammer. It was edited, designed and self published by Conor Foran who designed the magazine as part of a final year project. It has been added to the 100 Archive which charts the past, present and future of Irish design by publishing 100 notable communication design projects,

The interviews within, demonstrate that there is power in owning our differences, whether communicative or otherwise. Instead of presenting speech as broken and fragmented as is typically done, the magazine use Dysfluent Mono, a bespoke typeface that emulates the stuttered voice. It stretches and repeats its letterforms, implying that stammered speech is forming and close to completion.

I really love how this magazine is highlighting the vulnerable moments that a person with a stammer experiences. Its not trying to cover up or look at ways people might overcome their stammer but rather it embraces. I love the way the images are treated - almost stuttering across the page. For me, reading this makes this situation much more understandable.

Images: https://stamma.org/news-features/dysfluent-magazine

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Joe Caslin - Therapy

The Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists commissioned Joe Caslin to create this artwork to help normalise therapy and inspire more young Irish males to seek help and talk to a therapist.

The project entitled 'Therapy' is a glimpse into that safe space.

A stack of stones sits on the ground between the young man and the therapist. He's systematically dumping his problems, one by one, onto a balanced stack of stones between himself and the therapist. Because the young man is the protagonist in this story, the architecture of the space permitted the therapist to stay anonymous.

I love Joe Caslins work and have been following his street art for years. He manages to capture the most pressing issues in a subtle, yet captivating way.  Caslin’s pieces have always focused on prevalent social issues in Irish society. His pieces are recognisable due to the style and grey-scale palette yet there is an added value in the hidden message which is always enriching.

Images: https://joecaslin.com/pages/therapy-ii

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My Olive Tree- Packaging

I love the packaging on these olive oil products by My Olive Tree. The clients wanted the products to be attractive as a gift. I really like the simple hand drawn illustration, the sans serif typography and the muted colour palette.

Images: https://boofos.com/my-olive-tree-packaging/

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earBudeez

Love the clever packaging for these earBudeez ear phones. No more words necessarily

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Steve Simpson

I love the work of Irish illustrator Steve Simpson. He creates hand drawn colourful illustrations for product packaging, books, poster designs and much more. He has worked for clients like Disney Pixar, Heineken, Jameson and the Wall Street journal. His work is inspired by the arts and crafts movement and I can certainly see William Morris in his work. His colourful designs are whimsical which teams well with his hand drawn type.

Images: https://stevesimpson.com/

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Darragh Mc Cullagh - The Great Irish Farm Book

My little boy received this book as a gift recently and I adore it. Darragh Mc Cullagh is best known for presenting Ear to the Ground on RTE. He also writes a column on the Farming Independent.

This book is of large scale ( 375 x 280mm) with 96 pages. Each page is filled with colour and large scale illustrations. The Illustrator (Sally Caulwell) uses a broad colour palette and the typesetting is mature even though the auduence may not  -the illustrations do the talking!! Im intrigued by the amount of detail on every page. While the book is very educational, there is a comic feel to the speech bubbles.

Images: Amazon.co.uk

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RMIT Graduate Show

I came across the branding and visual language for this graduate show in RMIT (Melbourne). It was designed by Irish graphic designer Meave Queally, who was lecturing there at the time. The aim was to express the diversity and creativity in the works exhibited,  yet demonstrate how well the artists work together (like when you combine the letters SHOW). I love the bold typography and colour palette. The style feel youthful, exciting and promising.  

images: http://mfagraduates.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/MFA_Show_Catalogue_2014.pdf

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Balance Chocolate rebrand

Balance Chocolate has long been known as a genuine Belgian chocolate brand with a strong connection to nature, promising a healthy balance between delicious enjoyment and a healthier living.The company market to health-conscious consumers, retailing through organic specialist stores. I love how the brand features flexible human forms - it feels very person-centred. The movement and shapes the bodies make are interesting and dynamic. The colour scheme is balanced and visually pleasing. The font used in the word balance is subtle yet there is a certainty about it.

Images: https://thedieline.com/blog/2021/7/12/balance-chocolates-is-moving-toward-a-world-of-sweet-moderation?

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Calyx - Branding Project designed by So Studio

Calyx is a New York-based firm that uses affordable, sustainable housing development and preservation to level the playing field and amplify the voices of historically underprivileged communities. The aim of the branding project was to have a warm and approaching personality. Calyx is the word given to the plant portion that supports and protects the growing bloom. The studio came up with a series of strange, fun graphics of plants that were literally growing homes. I feel that the illustrations combined really well with the  vibrant colour palette and all elements of the identity came together to create a brand which feels fresh, confident and stands out from its peers.

Images: https://worldbranddesign.com/so-studio-designs-brand-for-calyx-in-new-york-city/

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Inner West Rebrand

Following the amalgamation of three councils in Sydney's Inner West district, the region needed a new identity. The newly formed Inner West Council wanted a visual identity that reflected the area's vibrancy, innovation, and variety, so they commissioned brand agency For the People to create one. The new logo and identity system had to serve as a foundation for all communications, local events, and community activities, while also instilling pride in the surrounding areas. They worked to include local landmarks, structures, and locations into the identity. The multidimensional logo may be customized to meet its purpose, allowing for creative expression. For example, it can be filled in with patterns or colors to reflect the community's variety while still conveying the council's brand. I love the diversity of the new brand. It is designed to allow visuals be seamlessly incorporated. It is younger, fresher and cutting edge which is really important when dealing with communities.

Images: https://www.behance.net/gallery/91660273/Inner-West-Identity

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The Dead Zoo - Peter Donnelly

My little boy got The Dead Zoo by Peter Donnelly today. I just love the style of the illustrations. They are dynamic with an ever-changing scale. I also love the font used on the front cover. It illudes a sense of seriousness about the museum but the colours and illustrations are playful-this works really well.

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National Museums Liverpool Branding

The national museums in Liverpool have rebranded to include this wave-like pattern which spells NML. It was designed by an agency called SomeOne. The fuscia colour palette brings an exciting and youthful stance to the brand. I love how cleverly it has been continued throughout the digital and printed material. I also love the symbols designed to compliment the brand.

Images: https://www.museumnext.com/article/national-museums-liverpool-reveals-new-branding/

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Poster Design

I adore this poster by Havas Hong Kong. It depicts the urgency with chimpanzee extinction. Its extremely clever and subtle at the same time. The obvious might be to use natural, organic colours but I think this blue/grey works really well. No words are required on this one!

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Beara Bitters

Loving this packaging designed by Reddog for BEARA BITTERS. This beverage is the brainchild of Mary O’Sullivan and is inspired by the  Beara Peninsula, a rugged, wild and beautiful peninsula on Ireland’s south-west coast. I just love how the flora and fauna of the Beara Peninsula has been depicted on the packaging design - yet in a modern and fresh manner. The gold lettering gives a stylish feel to the bottle - which will primarily be seen in cocktail bars and restaurants.  Well deservedly, this design was the IDI award winner in the the Visual Communications category for 2020. 

"A perfect balance of old & new through the blending of ornate typography and exquisite symmetrical illustration with a tactile quality inspired by the local landscape" JUDGES THOUGHTS

Images: https://www.idiawards.ie/projects/beara-bitters/