Week Four

Website: 

The website I chose this week is really interesting. It's the website for a mental health consultant company called Psych & Psych. The home page of the website lists common symptoms of mental health issues and visitors can click the symptoms to find out information behind what may be causing them. The aim of the site is "To make psychology digestible for the masses". What makes it good is that it takes a really fresh approach to mental health and psychological issues. The site is really accessible and easy to understand. The way the information on the site is presented, along with the graphics and typography used gives it a sort of lighthearted feel. I like it because I think the design of the site could also help to absolve some of the stigma anyone might have about looking up mental health issues. It has no institutional feel whatsoever, and manages to be quirky without undermining the seriousness of mental illness. I think the site is a step in the right direction in terms of the way mental illness should be approached and I wouldn't change anything about it.

Logo:
This week's logo is for a Norwegian wedding photography company called sparks studios, designed by Nick Brue. It's a good logo because it is a direct representation of the company's services, executed in a clever, quirky way. The design is subtly brilliant in its simplicity; it uses minimal shapes to create not only one, but two coexistent images in a way that perfectly represents the company. I like everything about this logo from the images, to the font, and even the colour. I especially like the colours, actually. The sort of taupe-y/champagne colour is atypical, I wouldn't ever think to use a colour like that, but against the white background it looks great and definitely gives off a wedding vibe.

Week Three

Website:
The website I found for this week is freakin' awesome.It's a promotional website for Michelberger Booze, and at first glance it doesn't look all that great. The font on the home page is sort of AC/DC-esque; it looks kind of hardcore. The way the site is set up, I don't think the visitor is really supposed to know what it's for. You're given instructions to scroll gently to "drink" the booze and then click the screen to feel the effects. Visit the site, it's so cool. Once you've finished your drink, you put on a mask and are transported to these stunning, surreal little partially animated scenes. There are two of these, each representative of the two different kinds of booze the company makes. Once you've experienced both of them, you get to see the bottles and information is given about each one. Normally, this is the opposite of what a website should be. Visitors usually lose interest if they can't figure out right away what the site is about. But in this case, the site manages to be so captivating that you don't really mind being confused during the whole experience, and then once you do figure out what's going on, you realize how brilliant the whole thing is. That's what makes the site so good. I like it because it gives you an experience rather than just something to look at. I love the little scenes, inspired by the tastes and (apparent) effects of the booze; they are SO beautiful to look at. They are the main focus of the site, but the whole thing is rounded out so nicely by all of its other components. I wouldn't change anything about this website.

Logo:

This week's logo is from Folksy, a british crafts company. This logo is good because it's bright and appealing and appropriate for the company - everything a crafty company's logo should be. It isn't necessarily innovative, but it reflects the cutesy, lighthearted tone of the company well. I like it because it's fun, I think it draws the attention of a very specific market which makes sense, because not everyone wants to buy "Modern British Craft", but the people who do will probably be attracted by this logo. The only thing I might change about the logo is to make the font just slightly less bubbly, because the 'S' pretty much just looks like a blob. Other than that, I think this is a great logo for this company.   

Week Two

Website:

For this week's inspiration collection, the website I chose the Kinetic V5 website. This website is good because it uses design to make a topic that would otherwise be kind of dull, really interesting and exciting. The way the site is laid out makes users want to see the whole thing. I like that even if you don't take in all of the information presented on the site, you're still likely to pick up some information based on the way certain information is presented. I like that you never have to leave the home page, the entire site has all of its information on one page and you just scroll through to see it, or, you can jump to certain points by clicking their titles. I also love that the site is designed so boldly, it's sort of grungy in a captivating way. The only thing I might change about the site is the fact that it has music; and it isn't subtle. I do like the music and I think it enhances the experience of the site, but not everyone would want to have music all of the sudden blaring when they go to a web page. The music can be turned off, but once it is, it feels like the experience of the site is incomplete. 

Logo:

The logo I chose for this week is a concept by Paulo Gabriel for McFly Originals, a bicycle company specializing in vintage/retro custom bikes. The logo is good because it accurately encompasses the company and gives a good idea of the product. I like the font used in the logo, it has a 50's diner feel, which is appropriate since the company specializes in vintage. I like that the logo is simple enough to not be overbearing, but not so simple that it's boring. I also think that it's the perfect combination of modern and retro, which suits the company really well. Overall I just think it's a really appropriate and well designed logo for the company, and I wouldn't change anything about it.

Week One

 The website I chose for this week's inspiration collection is me & oli, an indie clothing site. I chose it because it was the first site that caught my eye. I love the design of this site – it uses a cute forest theme and manages to be somehow delicate and bold at the same time – reflecting the type of clothing it sells. One aspect that I think is really interesting and innovative is that each visitor of the site has the ability to customize the way they view it to a certain extent. You choose the type of garment and can scroll through shapes and patterns, giving the impression that you are the one designing the clothes. The mannequin on which the clothes are shown is also customizable – you can choose from seven forrest critter heads and feet, creating your very own little model. I like this because it makes the website fun to use as well as interesting to look at. I also like that the only thing in colour on the entire page is the garment on the creature-model. The way it's executed puts the emphasis on the clothing, but doesn't take away from all the other beautiful things to look at on the page. The interface is really simple to use, as well, which adds to the appeal. I don't think I would change anything about the design of this website.

The logo I decided upon for this week is for something called unplugged. I'm not exactly sure what it's for, but I like it. I like the simplicity and the subtle brilliance behind the design. I'm a fan of creative use of font, and I think this logo is a really great example of it. I like everything about this design, it's genius without being flashy or prestigious. It's also fun to be able to look at the end of the logo and switch back and forth between seeing it as an unplugged plug, and the “ED” in the word unplugged. I honestly just can't get over how clever it is, and I love when things are clever. The only thing I might change about the design of this logo would be maybe to add some colour to it, but the colour pallet it uses now works well with the simplicity of design, letting the creativity of the design take centre-stage rather than trying to overcompensate with excessive colours. Although I think a tiny splash of colour, maybe some orange, could add to the overall design of the logo without being overbearing.