The Nature of Design

Nature has always been an important element of design, it is where we see some of the most amazing designs in the world. Above we can see two examples of how nature, specifically flowers and plants, are used in design and advertising. On the left is a sculpture of a horse made entirely of wire and flowers. This sculpture was on display at the Ascot horse races. On the right is the store front of a shop in Edinburgh that sells cashmere goods. So what do these elements add to the overall atmosphere of the space they are in? In my opinion they add a softer more elegant touch to the venues in which they are placed. All of these elements are specially chosen in order to enhance the branding of their business.

The Art of Food

In the photos above, one is of a painting, the other of a salad. Can you guess which is which? The one on the left is indeed of a painting, the right is a salad. However, they look oddly similar. This is because the salad was created to imitate the painting. This was on display in an exhibit at the Science Museum showing the chef, or artist, creating his masterpiece. This exhibit really makes us look at food in a whole new way. Is it food? Or art? Or perhaps both? A lot of thought went into the design and execution of this work of art. This is yet another example of how we can find design everywhere in our lives.

I'm late, I'm late...for a Very Important Date

Clocks! Clocks! And more clocks!
Clocks are beautiful, and they are everywhere. When you think about it, clocks are a way that human beings try to control the concept of time. The things that makes the design of clocks beautiful is that every clock you see will be unique. Even just looking at the five example of clocks I have taken photos of so far in London have distinctive features. That is one of the awesome things about design, you can take the same general idea or object and can take so many different creative freedoms with it to make it your own piece of art.

Wayfinding

Navigating you way through a new city, especially one as large and busy as London, can be really tough, and confusing. I myself have gotten lost more times than I care to admit, but luckily there are a plethora of maps and signs to help out lost travelers trying to find their way. But what makes up an effective map. In my opinion the most effective map of the three shown would be the one in the upper left corner. In this map it is very easy to tell where you are, and instead of just providing road names as a guide, the map also gives use famous landmarks in order to orient ourselves and find our way. Comparatively, the other two maps are not as clear, they are kind of a mess of streets and buildings. In my opinion thats what makes the map that includes image most effective (also since I am more of a visual learner having visual landmarks to associate with the directions helped me find my way). 

Signage

We see them everywhere, signs tell us the information we need and want to know about a restaurant or store before we even step inside. This being said, signs have to be designed and executed very well in order to make customers want to come in. Here are a few examples of signage from around London and Paris. The Two at the top use the same type of element in order to draw the eye. The intricate and beautiful designs of the single letter stands out and interests us. This technique works, and I ended up going into both of these places. The third sign on the left I just thought was very interesting because for the lettering they used lights. This makes an interesting contrast because the lights are bright but they spell out the word 'black'.

Here Comes the Sun

  

 Repetition is one of the most fundamental elements of design and something out eyes pick up on easily. In all three logos on the left there is a common element, the use of the sun shape. The sun can symbolize many different things. It can represent light, or symbolize an enlightenment. But the fact that we can recognize the same elements of design around the world is fascinating. The first photo on the left was taken on a weekend trip I took to Paris last weekend. The second is the symbol of a group that wrote newspapers on the infamous Fleet Street, and the third was the logo for a café in Notting Hill. The fact that the same design element can be used over so many different medias and purposes shows us just how versatile design is.

The Doors

Which will you choose?

You see them everywhere, everyday. But have you ever thought about the design of a door? Take the three examples of doors in the pictures above, the one on the left is from Notting Hill, the one in the center in from the Cadbury Factory in Bourneville, and the one on the right is from the streets of Kensington. The amazing thing is that they are all different, in almost every way. They are all different colors, one has windows, etcetera. Many questions also come to mind, for instance, why did they decide to paint the double doors at the Cadbury Factory with a barcode pattern? Well as you can see around the door, the rest of the building is the signature Cadbury purple color, adding the barcode doors makes the entire building look as though it is a giant bar of Cadbury chocolate, very fitting for a chocolate factory. All of these choices, color, shape, and so on, are made consciously and purposefully. Design is not accidental. 

Do you see what I see?

Mural Madness

Walking around the streets of London there are things to see everywhere. This past weekend I went to a beautiful flower market and when walking about saw these awesome wall murals. As we can see in this street art, design is all around us, even if you are not consciously thinking about it it is there. The mural on the left catches your eye right away with the brightly colored blocked against black and white text. The mural on the right uses the circular shape and the black background to create a perspective from which any body on the street can look at these two children, who are on chains, playing rock paper scissors for an apple with a sunset and war planes dropping shells in the back ground. The thing I love about street art is that it is always trying to send a message. Whether or not you understand that message is a different story,but there always is one. It is amazing how through an image you can tell an entire narrative.