Vintage Car Logos and Typography

A few months ago I was at the Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona and was drawn to all of the fantastic vintage logos. The shiny chrome typography truly evokes an era when cruising was a pastime and global climate change wasn’t a concern. I pulled out my iPhone and snapped as many of the logos as I could.

It’s no secret that iPhone’s camera isn’t the greatest — and iPhone 3G doesn’t bring any improvements — so many of the photos were pretty shitty (oxymoron). I did my best in Lightroom to polish them up for your viewing pleasure. The retro typography is quite nice to look at, and might be a source of inspiration for you designers out there. Here’s a couple of my favorites:

The other 21 can be found at Flickr. Enjoy.

What is graphic design?

Here is my entry to Veerle’s What is Graphic Design Poster Competition. Needless to say, it’s best viewed at full size.

I was inspired by the idea, “graphic design speaks for itself.” What is graphic design? “I am graphic design,” speaks the design itself. I incorporated some very basic examples of graphic design, as well as references to measurement, placement, constraints, typography, and so forth.

For example, the “i” in the blue circle is a well-known product of graphic design, visually communicating the word information. The word graph in graphic was emphasized and altered to resemble a bar graph, which is another very basic example of graphic design. And, of course, there is the reference to a stop sign, with the red octagon surrounding the word sign in design. Sign, which has four letters and begins with an “s” just like the word stop, is not only a reference to a stop sign, but also an allusion to signs in general, for graphic design very often deals with the creation of signs and symbols that convey information or instructions.

Having used blue for the information sign and red for the stop sign, I chose green for the word graph. This completes the RGB color model, and helps convey the idea that graphic design is the combination of four essential elements — type, shapes, lines, and colors — to create complex and communicative art.

The design strictly adheres to a 50×50 pixel grid.

The competition ends on Friday, at which point Veerle will select twelve prize winners. So far, it has been great to see what other people have come up with. Best of luck to all!

One Photograph, Five Color Schemes

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Photographs are one of the best sources for color inspiration. Click through Flickr for about five seconds and you’re bound to come across a photo that has the potential to be translated into a different, but related, language: color. Oftentimes, in fact, a photograph will inspire not one color scheme, but many. Such was the case when I came across this striking image, captured by the talented Garrett LeSage.

I realized instantly that by focusing my attention to certain portions of the photo, I could easily pick out a handful of beautiful, organic color combinations. So, without further ado, here they are. Leave a link in the comments if you use one!

Finding Color Inspiration in Men’s Spring Fashion

I am one of the lucky few that actually has very little trouble finding inspiration. Almost any visual object can get my creative cogs grinding, from a corkboard filled with colorful bulletins to the warm light cast by the sun as it sinks towards the horizon.

One of my favorite hunting grounds for inspiration is the catwalk — that long runway where the art of some of the best designers in the world is put on display, hanging not on walls but on bodies. And, of course, one of my favorite things to do with such a great source of inspiration is to extract beautiful color schemes that can be applied elsewhere, for example in a website design or the tint of a photograph.

I dug through the Spring 2007 menswear collections at men.style.com and found some great color inspiration in the outfits of five well-known fashion designers. Enjoy.

Gucci

I pulled out the sandy colors of the belt and pants, then combined them with the ocean blues of the shirt. The dark color of the sandals brings it all together, allowing the other colors to “pop.”

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Color Forecast: Hues to Use in 2005

About a year ago, I had the self-righteous idea to “forecast” the in colors of 2004. What I thought most people would simply brush off as “some random designer’s questionable hunch” wound up being quite a hit, and after many emails from supporters hoping for a 2005 edition, I decided to assuage their request.

To all of the nonbelievers, this forecast was derived from more than just a hunch. I take a considerable amount of time assessing design of the year past and the year to come. I take into consideration not only online design trends, but also trends in fashion, automobiles, and television. True, I pay attention to my personal thoughts on where design is headed, but, considering myself a fairly “trendy” and design-aware person, I think that’s permissible.

Take this forecast for what it is: a prediction, not a definition, of the year that follows. In some ways it may be dead on, and in others not further from the truth; regardless, design is in the eye of the beholder, and when it comes down to it every single color in the visible spectrum is a possibility. So, go forth with an open mind and, if nothing else, be inspired. Best, Adam.

The Purples

As everyone knows, there are two sides to every story, and this year’s forecast is no different: some say pink is still the color of the moment, while others insist that purple is the new pink. I agree with both, but, as you can see, moreso with the latter. The whole ooh-la-la pink trend is tired if you ask me, and purple is the perfect replacement.

Purple is one of those colors that will last through the year because it can change with and adapt to the seasons. Dark purples express warmth and sophistication for the winter, while brighter purples and lilacs will express a fresh playfulness for the spring and summer.

Desaturated purples such as DAD1E9 and 5E4D80 will rule all others. Get ready to see these duller purples in both the fashion and car world. They’re great for carrying those of us in the Northern hemisphere through the rest of winter, and, mixed with some more vibrant hues, will transition perfectly into the warmer seasons.

The Browns & Naturals

This year, deep browns and natural hues take the place of 2004’s blacks and grays. Online design can often be cold and “techy” as it is, and grays tend to reinforce that feeling, so this year look to browns and beiges to act as the base colors of your design. Throw in an ochre hue and a purple from above, and you’re set.

Like purples, browns and naturals will easily adapt to the changing seasons. Rich, dark browns are great for the colder seasons, while straw hues and brighter yellows will complement the warm months.

The great thing about this palette is that, like blacks and grays, it goes great with any color: colder hues such as blue and green, or warm reds and oranges. (If you’ve been paying attention, though, you’ll know to match it up with purple.)

A few words of warning: don’t let this palette steer you towards more natural designs; that’s not the point. Instead, mix it with vibrant hues to create a warm, contemporary look for 2005.

The Desaturateds

This palette consists of colors that have been… well, desaturated. These washed out hues are relaxed and warmer than their more vibrant brothers and sisters. For that reason, they’re great for the winter and fall seasons, but perhaps not so fitting for the warmer months. Therefore, these colors might disappear for a while, but reemerge later in the year.

This palette is partly based on the muted metallic fabrics that are popular in fashion right now, such as Gap’s sparkly scarves and Banana Republic’s metallic thread coats and skirts.

Make sure not to be overly vintage with this palette, which would be an easy thing to do seeing as these colors look very aged. Luckily, it’s easily avoidable by utilizing the other colors in this forecast.

The Trippy Tints

The previous palettes have more or less represented the toned down, more natural approach that is likely to be seen in 2005. Come June or July, though, people will grow sick of the whole thing and throw it out the window, instead looking towards these trippy tints for some rebellious fun.

These out-there colors won’t come alone, or even in pairs… they’ll be seen in packs. Designers, desperately searching for something fresh and new, will go balls out, applying this palette to tripped out patterns of stripes, polka dots, and plaids to create looks similar to those seen on the streets of Tokyo. I picture a sort of grunge-goes-neon theme, with shock value being a top priority among designers: who can pull off the most off-the-wall design without scaring their audience away? And don’t be surprised if black resurfaces for at least a couple months, as I see it being quite essential to making this palette work.

If right now you’re scared and asking yourself what the hell am I thinking, don’t fret: this palette is meant to be fun and freeing, like a release from the traditional rules of design. Instead of a pirate draped in red, white and black, picture one tripped out and draped in neon purple, yellow, and and yellow-green. With this palette, everything becomes a little less ordinary.

Color Forecast: Colors Galore in 2004

A brand new year is only a week away, and with it three hundred and sixty-five days worth of evolution in design. Sure, when the clock strikes midnight to announce January 1, 2004, everyone isn’t just going to morph and start designing differently than they did the day before, but the embarkment into a new year definitely symbolizes a step forward into an untraveled world where new styles and trends are going to be born (or, in many cases, reborn).

This past year has whipped through such trends as the dark, and oftentimes depressing, gothic look, the sleek and vibrant “mod” look, and even some throwbacks to the earth-toned ’70s and the fluorescent ’80s. After an acid-trip like that, designers are very likely going to be searching for repose in more laid-back design trends. This leads me to my color forecast for 2004: calming neutrals, peaceful blues and greens, stable dark shades, and a few vibrant hues to add life.

The Neutrals

This palette is the perfect break from the hectic go-go-go attitude of 2003. Gazing at them makes you want to just sit down and breathe for a moment. Nearly every color here is simply a pale gray with a small touch of a soft hue. The result? A color scheme that you could do yoga to!

The Blues and Greens

Blues, greens, and aquas will be a big hit in 2004 because they’re tranquil, but still very fun and enlivening. This palette is very much a reminder of the sea, and who wouldn’t like to relax on the sandy seashore? These clear, airy hues are nicely complemented by exquisite reds, oranges, or other such colors that you can find in the “vibrance” palette below.

The Deep Shades

2003 was a shaky and often unsettling year, so in 2004 it’s time for some stability. Enter black, charcoal gray, and the other shades that make up this palette. They are just what the “neutral” tones need: some confidence. Just don’t overdo it. You want to strengthen your design, not make it gloomy.

The Vibrance

2004 might be a slower-paced year, but people are still looking to have some fun! Use these hues to add accent in just the right places. This palette will keep your designs from becoming overly melodrmatic.

Suite and Complete

The ultimate design bundle has just been released: Adobe’s Creative Suite, in both Premium and Standard editions. Built especially for Mac OS X and optimized for the Power Mac G5, Creative Suite Premium and Standard run for $1,230 and $950, respectively.

Included in the Standard Edition are Adobe Photoshop CS (8), Illustrator CS (11), and InDesign CS (3). In addition to those, the Premium Edition includes Acrobat Professional CS (6) and GoLive CS (7). And, as always, there’s an upgrade, only available for the Premium Edition, which runs for the fair price of $750.

Also worth mentioning, the new packaging design is quite awesome – silhouettes of vibrant, flowery photographs.

Check out all the new features at Adobe.com!