Envelope Design

CGR 115

Not only does this envelope design need work but it also violates some restrictions of where things are allowed to go on an envelope. First off they have a solid black line going right into the area thats designated for the stamp. Second off they have a dark red line in the area designated for the bar code. So right off the bat theres two things that need to be fixed. Now, what I would do is make both of those lines much thinner and move them closer together. Then I would start then in the space next to where the address starts and run them over to the front of the envelope. This will make it so the viewer feels the need to turn the envelope over. I like the overall design of the logo bout I feel like the line underneath the company title should be under the whole title, not just centered in the middle. The color scheme is nice, I like that they have some different variations of grey in the logo, it makes it look a bit less harsh.  I also like the faded triangle on the right hand side, although I not sure if that would create a problem with the address placement. Overall good idea, the placement just needs work. 

The Wave

Typography

I really like the idea for this book design, however there are a few things that need to be improved. I like the idea of the white lines being like water but to me it looks more like a current then it does a wave. I think they either need to adjust the drawing to look more like a wave maybe they could just do some simple line variations to make it a bit more eye-catching. I don't mind the font for the title, I actually like that its serif since its just the outlines of the letters, it makes it seem less heavy. I think that if they went with a more script like font it would have gotten lost in all the lines. Plus waves are powerful and bold so I like how they have the font representing the power of a wave and the illustration representing the flow. Even though I like the font for the title, I have no idea what they were thinking for the font of the author. It looks like a child's handwriting. They should have just gone with a regular serif font and maybe changed the color to the lighter teal they have in the background. I really like the composition, how its diagonal. It makes the viewers eye move across the cover. The color scheme is great as well. I love the lighter teal and how it looks like light is hitting it, it really makes you think of the ocean. They defiantly need to do something with the back as in some readers comments or book reviews, it just looks unfinished.

Salon Indulgence

CGR 115

I think this is a really successful letterhead and logo design. The font is fantastic in my opinion, its really original and it gives you an exotic kind of feeling. I love how the color scheme is simple, these two colors really go well together and I think the gradient in the brown was a really good choice. I think that the design is also really intriguing. I like how the line go from thick to thin and make dip at the end. This makes it so there is a flow to the piece and it makes your eye travel. The branding is also great, you can defiantly tell these two pieces are from the same company. Great use of space as well. My only complaint is that the name of the company is placed differently in the envelope then it is in the letterhead.I feel if they would make salon larger or indulgence smaller so they are even, that would get rid of that weird negative space in the sides. Other then that great job!!

Ohara

Typography

This book cover gives me an instant headache. I don't know what they were thinking, but clearly this needs to be re worked. First off the "the collected poems of" in not legible. It disappears in the yellow Frank Ohara and at the same time makes Frank Ohara hard to read. An easy fix would be to have "the collected poems of" running across the top or you could make all the Frank Ohara's smaller and move it up. If your going to do that though, I would make sure all the words line up under the C in collected. Right know the word collected looks weird sticking out there by itself. As far as the color scheme goes, its just bad. The olive green background is a horrible choice, I would go dark blue or a dark grey, those would make the lighter colors pop more. I have no idea what they were thinking putting the editors name on the side right up against the F in Frank. They should have put it in the bottom right corner somewhere. Finally, the font. This cover would make anyone hate a serif font. That is literally all I see when I look at this, just a bunch a serifs. They should have gone with a san serif font and just done a few variations on the same font. It would have made it more legible and it would have felt less cluttered. They also could have played with the opacity of the Frank Ohara's, that would have been cool.

Art

CGR 115

Even though these cards are a bit cut off it's, there is enough there for me to comment on and I want to because I think this is a pretty cool idea. I really like the look of the texture in the background. It reminds me of skin, I also like that there are both light and dark values in the background,. Its makes it less simple but I think it works, on the first one. I feel like on the second one the text just gets lost. I think only having text on the front side may be a solution to this problem or make the text a different color, or they could adjust the spacing between the letter to make it more legible. The pink on the second card was a bad choice, they should have gone with the blue they used on the front. I also like that "art" on the second card is cut off, you can still tell what it says, it just makes it a little more eye catching. I also think it was a good idea to use the we site as a line at the bottom, it helps balance out the texture.

The Reactionary Mind

Typography

I'm all for simplicity but this s just simple in a bad way. There is something there with the idea but the execution is terrible. I like the idea of the arrows and how they move your eye around the page, but those ate some pretty bad arrows. If they were a bit thicker or if one was thicker then the other, that would be more visually pleasing. I feel like maybe they could have make the title smaller so it wasn't taking up the whole page and then they could have taken the sub-title out of the box and put it under the title. Then they could have put the authors name in the red circle. I like the font, I like how it has the power of the serif font without being a serif font. The mind is a powerful thing and should go with a powerful font .The color scheme need work. Its honestly very bland and boring and the red circle is the first thing I see which is not good. Going back to the idea of thicker arrows, if the arrows were thicker you could make the circle and outline instead of a fill and change the color of the text to blcak to match the title. Needs work but could still be a good idea.

2001

Typography

I really like this book cover, its original and it attracts you instantly because of the contrast. I love that you have the worms eyes view when your looking at this cover, it pulls your eye right up. I also like the mysterious vibe that the cloudy overcast gives you and the little shine hitting the side of the building catches your eye that much faster. I also like how the sky is carried over to the sine of the book, but I don't like that it doesn't continue on the back. To me the back cover feels a little awkward because its a different hue and it has a very clear starry sky unlike the front. I do like the glow in the middle lighting up the title because it ties in with the shine on the side of the building. I like the typography, I think the way they have the authors name shining is good, it ties in with the cover. I do feel like the title should be less condensed, the spacing of the letters just feels off. I would adjust the tracking so there is a bit more space between the letters. I like the thinner font though, it matches the thinness of the building. The building slightly off center is a nice touch as well.