Fanta

Typography

Fanta has a really good labels!! The colors are amazing and they instantly catch your eye. The font is really fun and I like that its ballooning out. I think the swirls of color with the white circle in the middle also draw your eye to the word Fanta. I also like that the boxes are not white with orange text. I think its good that the boxes are not defined boxes. I think that the Fanta being purple is a good idea, it pops on every different color label. I like that Fanta looks like its going back into space, it gives you a sense of depth. Great Job Fanta!!!!

I Live Here

Typography

So this book cover has a few problems with it. First off I hate the centered feeling and I also dont like that the authors names don't line up. The M and the P are a little off which bothers me. I dont mind the black and white color scheme, I actually prefer black and white but I do have a problem with the realistic background with the messy kid like handwriting. If they wanted to keep it they at least should have made the authors name in a more solid font, not handwritten. Instead of the cement they could have done siding of a house, just an idea. Then for the back they could have done close ups of a roof and took the same solid font for the authors and used it for the comments or description of the book.

Propel

Typography

Propel has a really good label design, I like that the label is on the bottom half of the bottle instead of the middle. I also like the color scheme. I actually dont get te gum feeling from these colors probably because the blue background doesn't look like a solid blue. I also like how the "P" divides the fitness and water . The font is really good, I think the capital letter not only at the beginning but at the end is a different touch. I also like that it's a san serif font. Good choice to make propel white, it makes it pop and would defiantly catch peoples eye. I also like the strips of color at the top and the bottom to signify which flavor it is. Great Job Propel!!!

The Invention of World Religion

Typography

This is an interesting cover, if it had something to do with clocks. I dont think the title matches the cover at all, at least without reading the book. I really do like the layout though, I like the font, the color scheme and the positioning of the man, hes kind of off to the side which gets the image a little off center. I dont think I would have had the title in white, its hard to see and feels a bit washed out. I would have made it black to balance out the black strip at the bottom. 

Vitamin Water

Typography

So in my opinion the vitamin water label is a bit plan, but some aspects of it do work. I like that depending on the flavor the color scheme changes. I might have changed the white part to black and then made the color of vitamin water white. I dont really mind that there is no illustration because the layout is interesting to me. I think the information is laid out well, its very easy to read and doesn't look crowded. I like how they used the same font for vitamin and water just a different variation. Very nice. I like the vertical layout of vitamin water but I think I might have put vitamin at the top because people read from top to botton.

The Human Voice

Typography

This is an alright book cover but I feel like they could have done a lot more with it. Just by looking at it I don't get the feeling its about singing at all. I would have made a microphone out of type or something similar to that. I kind of get the feeling of the type being projected out, I just think they took the easy road out. I also really don't like the font or the composition. I think the font is way to thin and it makes it hard to read. As far as the composition I don't like the diagonal composition which is weird because I usually prefer it. I think its just way too harsh of a diagonal line, between that and the large to small lettering its just too much. If they had gone with the microphone idea, for the back of the book they could have used an image of a microphone stand and put it off to the side in the background. Then they could have had the description or comments in s silver/ metallic color to match the color of the microphone on the front. So overall I would say it needs improvement. 

A Study in Scarlet

Typography

This is a really clever book cover, it catches my attention right away. Again you see type being used to create an image which I love. I like the diagonal composition and how the fingerprint leads you to the back of the cover. I think the color scheme is really good, simple and I think it was a good idea to have the background have a texture to it. It enhances the fingerprint feeling. The only suggestion I have would be not to have the title and author twice on the front cover, I don't think its necessary.I would have only done it one and made it a tad bigger. The font is really nice though, I like that its a serif font. The cover is a bit simple and the serif gives the text a grounded more powerful feeling. I also like the line separating the two pieces of information in the back, it helps to not give it that symmetrical feeling.

Good Job!!

Moby Dick

Typography

I came across this book cover and it really caught my eye. I really like when type creates an image. Some people may argue that it is difficult to read but I think they did a good job of making it readable. Its only the "M" that is out of place when you really think about it. I like that they went with the white lettering, it stands out against the darker background. I also like the font, I like how it doesn't look all flat, it has shape to it which helps you understand that its meant to be a image of a whale. I think its clever that they have whale shapes making up the ocean. As fas as the font and color of the authors name, I don't think they should have used quit a scripty font, it makes it really hard to read especially with all the patterns and images in the water. I think they should have gone with a light blue for the name and maybe a font similar to the one in the title but italic. Overall good job!

Nestle

Typography

I think the layout of this label it nice but I have a sever problem with the color scheme, yes its blue but it reminds me of the colors for dentine ice gum or some kind of winter fresh gum. If they went for a more lighter water looking blue then the label would have been much more successful. I like how all the information is in its own little box. Everything is very clear and easy to read. The font is also great. I like that its not all in caps and I like the slight slant they used for the pure life font. They simple little family at they bottom is a nice touch as well. It appeals to the family audience that much more. Overall this is a very successful label. Good job!!

Gatorade

Typography

I like the Gatorade label, I think the logo is very strong and the colors work. I've seen Gatorade labels in many different colors and the logo is such that it works in many colors. I really like the font and how it is placed on a white background cut out to fit around the logo, it really makes it pop. It also gives you a little sense of depth. I also like how the font has the italics feeling to it, it gives it a more fluent feeling. The smaller information looks pretty good, I like that its in white, it makes reading it a bit easier. The two orange strips at the top and the bottom are also a good design choice, it ties in with the lightening bolt and connects the whole label. Good job Gatorade!

Aquafina

Typography

In my opinion the Aquafina logo is pretty good, there are some improvements I see that it could make. I like the color choice; the white lettering really stands out which is important to point of purchase. The logo is also simple which is good design wise. I think they could have done without the red. When I think of water the farthest color from my mind is red. They should have kept it all blue or a least cool colors. I also think the label in general looks way too crowded. They should have used only used one logo and then they could have spaced out the smaller information.  The back is way too cluttered. As for the font, I like it and I don't like it. I feel that it kind of matches the look of the mountains in their logo but at the same time I think it looks too pointy and bold for a water logo. I do like that they used different font variations, like the italics under the logo.

Hope

Typography

As I was searching for examples of water bottle labels, I came across this one which is a little different then the others I have found. This label is appealing to charity and faith. This label is directed to a more religous audience. As far as the design goes, I think its a good one. I like the ocean feel that it has and where the light hits the name of the brand, it draws your eye right to the word hope. I don't care for the font though, I feel like it looks like a video game font. I would have gone with a more flowing font. I  think that the website is in a good place, I like that they are at the bottom and I like the font for the side writing much more then the logo font. 

Palm

CGR 115

I think this magazine ad is very clever and it immediately catches your eye. I think it being symmetrical and asymmetrical at the same time is cool. I think the white space on the right side is ok because its giving you that non cluttered feel. The logo at the bottom is placed well and I like that the orange fron the logo is carried over to the word organized. The font works in this ad as well, the only complant I have is that I think the font for Chaos should be more chaotic. I think it;s weird that the fonts are the same when they are showing opposite images. Other then that its a good ad, I was interested right away.

Label

Typography

I don't see this water bottle label as a water bottle label, I see it more as a Tuscany Italy scene advertising something like garlic bread. I don't get a fresh feeling, I get more of a warm, fuzzy, food feeling. Also the way they designed the outer boxes dont give me a water feeling either. With the grapes and vines it reminds me more of a wine label then a water label. If they are going to use an image they should have used a more rain forest  looking photo with a spring in it. That would have given it a more wet, watery feeling instead of a dry winery feeling. Then I would have made the outer boxes some sort of green to match the photo. As far as the logo, I think they should have gone with a font more similar to the font under it. Not the same one, just a different variation. Needs work!!

Philbest

Typography

These water bottle label's are really interesting and designed very well. I like the fact that the label isn't the same shape all the way  around. I think that the circle in the middle of the label is a good idea because it resembles the idea of the a water droplet. I also like the font thats used. I like that its a thinner font and that its serif. It pops well and the yellow looks good on both backgrounds. The texture in the background is a cool idea, it adds depth as well as the color changing from light at the top to dark at the bottom. I also like that the not so important information is not on a colored background, I think it makes it more legible.  Great balance, good composition, awesome piece!! 

Chick-fil-A

CGR 115

Being a person who is in love with food I have decided to comment on one of my favorite fast food places, Chick-fil-a. Such a cleaver design mixed in with font. They took the "C" and made a very simple chicken design. Six small add ons and you have yourself a recognizable chicken. I really like the font used, I like that its not just a plain serif or san serif font. I like that they have a script like font but it still has a fun feel. The simple red a white color scheme not only makes you think of chickens but its eye catching because of the red. Good Job Chick-fil-A!!

Macy's

CGR 115

Macy's is a famous department store known nation wide, its so famous that its used in the thanksgiving day parade. I think this logo is extremely successful, the simple symbol of the star is great, its something everyone knows and can relate to. The simple color scheme is amazing, I really like that they used red for the star, it draws people in  and red catches everyones eye right away so you cant miss it. I like the typography in this logo too, I think the choice to have it all lowercase is good because the star is so strong that if the letters were in uppercase they may be fighting with the power of the star. The star as the apostrophe is a nice touch as well. Good Job Macy's.

Tresor

CGR 115

Since I work in a fragrance department I figured I would look at am ad for a product that I sell. I really like this ad, I really like the composition, it's very balanced without being symmetrical or centered which I love. I like the font for the company and for the product. I thinks its good to have the company name in a very readable font and then having the product name in a more script like font. It helps separate the two ideas a bit. I like the color scheme a lot to. The light skin tone colors next to the black  really works and all the words line up with each other. So great job!!

Vacation 2

CGR 115

This is a much better example of a travel ad. They have a great design, compositionally everything is good, your eyes don't go crazy and all the information is clear and legible. I really like the shape at the bottom and how you can't see all of the figures. I also like that they used colors from there background in there text. I like the font too, I like that they have it in all caps because everything is small so it gives it a little more pop. I do wish that the fonts varied a bit more is size. The color scheme is great to, very cool and inviting. Good Job!!

Vacation

CGR 115

This is an ad that in in complete over kill mode, there is so much going n in this ad that I don't know what to look at first. A big problem with this ad is all the curved text and imagery. Not to mention they have everything in this ad centered which is killing me. First they need to cut down on the images, either have the images in the circles or a background image but not both. I personally would go with the bottom image, lose the curve font, move the logo over to the right, make the top text straight and move it closer to the top and then have the slogan closer to the bottom but off center. There are many thing that could be done but as it is now its way to cluttered. I would also lose the glow around the logo, it gets lost anyway. The fonts not bad but its not great either and since your cutting back on the images I would go with something a little less boring.

Nikon

CGR 115

So this image is a bit blurry but I can still critique it. First off I love the position of the camera, I like that its cropped and that it looks tilted. I also like how there are small green parts on the camera to match the background. Now for the problems. The spacing on all the word in this ad is killing me and so is that huge green empty space. That feels so awkward. I see the green space before I can see the camera. I feel like at the very least they need to move the slogan up a little more and enlarge it a bit. I wouldn't make it dead center though, I would probably have it closer to the bottom then the top. Then again there is a weight issue with the bottom being so much heavier then the top so maybe if the moved the slogan closer to the top it would fix the weight issue. I really like the font, it mimics the font of Nikon which is a good branding element. Just fixing the spacing would make this a really great ad.

Stick With Us

CGR 115

I really like this ad, there are so many good things going on here. One being the great composition. The way everything is spaced out is nice, the diagonal movement is good, and eve though the space s filled it doesn't feel crowded. I also love the color scheme. I like how the end of the stick is blue to match the blue on the square of chalk and I like how they used the colors from their logo. I think their lithe catch phrase at the top is really clever, it made me giggle a little when I saw it and thats the kind of thing that catches the readers interest. I think the font works here, The serif font doesn't seen like its to much because theres not a lot of text and its up against a white background. It gives it a stronger feeling, like its going to "stick" around. Really good job, the only thing I would suggest would be to move the logo down just a hair.

Pantene

CGR 115

This ad is not terrible but there are a few things that I think need improving. The first being the readability of the text at the bottom, it gets totally lost in her body. I would change it to a darker grey to match some of the other values in the ad. That said, I do like the overall color scheme. I like that its mainly black and white with a few pops of color in the logo. I also really like the font and how its clean yet bold. It was a good chic to put the bottom text in a different font then the logo however, I would make it the slightest bit thicker. There is a lot of movement in this ad which I like. The direction of the face and the flow of the hair drawing your eye toward the bottom text was a good idea. I like how the logo is not dead center at the top, its of set a bit the the left. Good choice. 

JC Penny

CGR 115

Ok so I am aware that this ad is a bit cut off but I'm going to comment on it anyway because I think its a good ad and I love a lot of aspects in it. First off I love the old car in the background, I think classy cars offer a great background when your shooting models for a clothing ad. Between that and the fact that I love photos with models this ad had me from the start. The way they have her off to the side is great and I like how you can only see part of the car. I don't like her pose but I can deal with it. I like how they have the " seen and be seen" at the top and off centered and also how the color scheme is so consistent, the red and the surrounding warm tones are fantastic and it all ties in with the logo. Obviously the JC Penny logo would be on the page in a perfect world and if it was the only thing I would suggest would be to make sure the words under it matched up with the length of the box. Great ad, I'd buy cloths from here! 

Ride For Aids

CGR 115

This is a great example of a magazine ad for a corporation. I really like how there is so much typography used in the ad. I think the bike looks amazing; they did a really good job of not making the text cluttered . Its a very clean and simple design and gets the point across. I think they did a good job of tying the logo in with the bicycle image. The pop of red in both is really nice and I like that the red directs you eye to the information thats most important. I also like how the bike is not overpowering the ad, its a great design and the image does not detract from the cause. The spacing of the words from the edges is really good, nothing seems cramped. I think the background color was a good choice, you kind of get the red, white, blue, USA feel from it which I like because this is a problem nation wide. My only suggestion is maybe to make the text underneath the bike a bit larger or put it in red. Otherwise great job.

Gillette

CGR 115

This ad is not only clever but its funny too. This is a great use of image and typography together. I think this ad draws you right in not only because it cleaver but its also odd. Anytime you have some sort of sex appeal in an ad it makes the product more marketable. Some guys will look at this ad and think, well I'll go out and buy this razor and maybe I'll get a girl that looks like this. You have to appeal to peoples interests. I also love how the image takes up the whole page, great composition. The line with the logo and information in it is also placed well. It was a good decision not to put it right on the bottom edge. The type on her face also fallows the curves of her face really well and the font is a longer san serif font. I like hoe the letters range in size depending on where they are on her face. Great Job, this ad may even make me buy this razor.

Help Direct the Future

CGR 115

Great ad, very inspirational and it is directed to a wide audience, basically everyone who is a parent. I really like the typography and how they made the verb a script font, it makes it look as though you hand wrote it in. I also like the way the light is shinning down on the opened chair, it makes you visualize your child in the chair. The worms eye view is also very cleaver, its more intriguing and dramatic they a straight on view. I like the black and goldfish yellow color scheme, it really puts the emphasis on the chair and the type.Its also cool how the chair looks as though its emerging from the black background. I think the website should move up from the bottom a little more, it looks a bit tight there. I also like that there is a little description of the company at the bottom, I would however have made the logo a bit more legible thats a weird script like font. Good job overall.

Brantano

CGR 115

I think this is a really cleaver ad. The idea is great and so is the composition. I really like how everything is moving diagonally, it really draws your eye through the ad. I do think that the placement of the logo could be better, it gets lost up there it the corner. I would have moved the image over all the way to the right and then moved the brand to the top left corner, that would have moved your eye to the logo instead of away from it. I like the color scheme and how its not overly bright; it makes you feel as though your in a basement or somewhere dark. I think the logo should be a tad bigger and used some colors in the ad, possibly the green on the shoe. Typography is good, it reminds me of the type for converse shoes. Overall good job, just needs a few tweaks.

The Art Of Impression

Typography

I like this book cover, I think the design is extremely cleaver but it needs a few tweaks. I love how the face is so simple and from the design you get a sense that its moving which I love. I think that the face being centered is a problem because you lose the authors name and the description at the bottom. Personally I would not have make the words at the bottom fallow the shape of the design, I think its weird how it starts and stops and it just feels unfinished and awkward. I would have put it straight along the bottom or straight along the top. Then I would have off set the face so it wasn't so static. I would have the authors name inside the face with the title instead of on the outside of the design, that just feels weird. I also would have kept the color scheme black and white, if they wanted to use a pop of color they should use it on the title no the author and description. Something that would have made it even more cool is if the design had just gone right off the page. Then you could just get rid of the bottom words or put them on the back. For the back of the book they could have that same design with a low opacity to make it transparent and less in your face or they could do that same thing but with the face. I like the typography but I feel like it needs to be more bold, the design is overpowering the text at this point. But I do like that they stuck with a  plan san serif font, anything else would have been overly complex. 

Got Milk

CGR 115

I really like this magazine ad. Its powerful and you know what its advertising right away. A key thing that a lot of companies use in advertising is a famous person to promote their product. This ad makes milk sexy and sexy appeals to a lot of people. I love the colors in this ad. The dark red and the olive forest green really go together. Both of these colors really make the white milk pop. I like the font used for the got milk also. Its a tall san serif font and I like that its small and at the bottom, it kind of feels like they are whispering it which is funny because the image is so powerful. But I like it that way. I think it was  a good idea to have the focal point, which is the exploding glass of milk, off to the left of the page. Good composition, Great ad!!!

Just My Type

Typography

This book cover is really successful in my opinion, I can only see a few minor tweaks it may need. One thing that I don't like is how there is so much information in the red middle block. They could have put the quote along with the fact that its an international best seller on the back. Then I would have make the title go on three separate lines and put the author somewhere at the bottom or the top. I actually don't have a problem with the title and author being centered. I think that the surrounding design is so strong and has so much movement that its not overpowering. If however you do find it a bit static then I would recommend either not having a red block or moving it up toward the top or the bottom to off set it a little. I like the color choice, I like the contrast between the the red and yellow and the black and white. I love the idea of the alphabet and how you have to look for the teeters, it kind of reminds me of a puzzle and it fits the theme of the book great. Good Job!!!

The Thing About Life

Typography

This book cover is ok but there are some things that could be improved on.  I do like the black and white aspect, I am very into black and white, I love color but I think it stands in the way of what a piece is trying to say. People get so consumed and distracted by color they forget what the message is. So I like that the color scheme is black and white. Now for the typography, it needs work. I don't have anything against the handwriting typography but I feel like here its inconsistent. I think its distracting to have so many different variations of this handwriting style. Just stick to one variation and maybe not have it take up the whole cover, to me that kind of gives it the same feeling as it being centered. I would have it more toward the top or to the bottom and a bit smaller. Needs some tweaks but not horrible. 

Lucky Brand Jeans

CGR 115

I was drawn to this magazine ad right away. Maybe because I like ads with good photography but it just gives you a soft, warm, peaceful feeling. I love how most of the color scheme is light and tan with a hint of pink and then you have the dark jeans which you are drawn to right away. I love how they put the focal point off to the side. The light coming from the window directs your eye to the logo which is good composition wise. I love the typography of the logo, its a cross between script, italic and serif font, its fantastic. I like the choice of the white for the logo, if it was black or anything darker it would detract from the product. I also like the crop of the photo and how it cuts off in a diagonal slant going downward toward what they are advertising. The slogan being in all upper case works because its a bit smaller then the logo and the font the logo is in is actually stronger then the font used for the slogan in my opinion. Great ad!!!

Top of The Heap

CGR 115

I really like this magazine advertisement. There are many things that make it successful. One is the composition. Its great the way they have the car in the upper left hand corner; this gets away from the piece becoming static. I also like how the car is the only real pop of color, it makes it stand out and because it's red on a black grey background I don't feel like its too heavy. The whole idea in this ad is amazing. The sitting on top of a pile of symbols from others car brands is a great idea. I love how the pile starts out wide and spacious and as you go up it gets smaller and more compact. It helps draw your eye right to the car. I like how the type is strong and bold and ends in a period. It gives the sentence more power. The only thing I might change is the size or placement of their logo. Right nows its a bit small and in the bottom right corner, I feel like it gets a little lost. You want people to know what car is at the top of the heap. Other then that, good job!

Movie Advertisements

Typography

This is a great example of point of purchase. When you go to the movies to see one movie your hit with all these cool posters for other movies coming out. This is a way to ensure that you come back to see them. Most of the time they are placed outside the theater, so you see them even before you go in. The posters get you ready for the trailers that you see before the movie. Usually these posters have the main characters face on it and the typography is usually big and bold so that you notice it right away. Sometimes they even have a backlight behind them so they light up and catch your eye at night. So whether is the posters outside, the giant cutout advertisements inside or the trailers before the movie, you are being hit with all there advertising before you even get what you came for. Great for point of purchase.

Fish

Typography

Oh my god, I don't know what to say about this other then what the hell. I was so confused the first time I saw this cover, I had know idea what the title was. At first i thought it was "so thanks fish" because those are the words that pop out because they're in white. There are so many different font styles in one title that you get a headache just looking at it. I mean I'm all for catching the viewers interest but you don't want the viewer to be like, I don't know what this says and I don't care because its so bad. So a few things they could do to fix it would be, one, change the color scheme or at least make the whole title one color. Second change the layout of the title. The & sign being so large is just throwing the whole thing off and "for all the" looks like its one word. People don't want to feel like an idiot trying to read a book title, make it legible!!!! I would make the title all one font and maybe have one variation of that font if necessary.Then I would make it all the same size and put it on three lines. Lastly I would get rid of the thin black lines, thats just awkward. Either make the background a darker blue then the one in the title or make the title a lighter teal then the one in the background. Something has to change because right know these colors are clashing like nobody's business. 

Absolute Vodka

CGR 115

Since our next assignment is to create a magazine ad, I decided to look up some popular ones, the first being an ad for Absolute Vodka. Everyone knows the absolute vodka slogan changes in every ad, the consistent thing is that they have absolute before the changing word. This is an extremely cleaver idea. It catches peoples interests and can make people laugh at the same time. I love the image in this one, the glass being attracted to the bottle is great and you really get a sense thats whats happening. I think the color scheme rocks. I love that they used grey and white and its still intriguing. The font is also great. I think it was a good choice to have a bold san serif font because the words are the most important and you need then to connect to the image. I like that absolute attraction is at the bottom because it gives you the chance to think about what the image is showing you before you get your answer. Great job Absolute Vodka!!!

Leather Experts

CGR 115

This is an ok envelope design, but it needs some improving. One of the things that needs to be re thought is the placement of their designs. Its moving into the restricted areas and thats something to be careful of. I feel like the information on the left side should be reversed. The address should go in the top left where its suppose to and the company logo should either go on the bottom somewhere or the top middle, which is iffy or the other side. I like the fades circle in the bottom right corner but I think the faded togo is way to much. They already have the logo on here, they don't need another one. I also feel that there is a weight issue. The left side feels much heavier then the the right for obvious reasons. I think is they made it so there was only a sliver of the curve near the left edge, it would take care of the weight problem and the placement problem all at once. I love the blue, grey white color scheme, very simple and cool. I like the font as well, the italics compliments the serif font nicely, I usually don't like serif font but here I don't mind it.

Crunch

Typography

This is a great example of what we were talking about today in class, point of purchase. This candy bar wrapper has everything to draw your attention to it in order to get you to buy it. One of the main things that makes it eye catching is the simple bold font. If you want people to look at something when they are in a hurry, you need to make sure it short sweet and to the point. You want it to be legible. The other main thing that will catch peoples eye is the color scheme. Its very bold and in your face and it uses two of the primary colors. Using primary colors catches everyones eye, especially children! and that is a big marketing technique. Also you notice that the required information is on the back where for the most part goes unnoticed, this is so theres no distractions where the logo is. Good job Crunch, I have bought you many times. 

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.