Sunday, September 4, 2011

Re: Museums, Baseball and design.

This is a great example of a branding campaign for our Project 1. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't understand anything because the project had to do with both sports and math and that's like speaking two different languages to me. But the design is so well done that I not only understood it, but I also enjoyed it!

The typography is top notch and it really conveys the tone of the whole campaign. Together with the colors, layout, and other little design details, the typography conveys the retro/vintage feel of the campaign. I also agree with Rich in that there's a good hierarchy in the design and a great sense of flow. Thanks for posting Steve!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Re: Museums, Baseball and design.

I’m not that into sports, especially when it comes to baseball, but the typographic elements in this exhibit grab my interest. I love when museums are more than just, as Steve put it, look, move and repeat. Adding interactive elements really enhances the entire museum experience.

When I was in 10th grade, we took a field trip to the Spy Museum in DC. Because of those special interactive elements, I will never forget it. The best part was toward the end of the museum--a cut out in an air duct allowed you to crawl through the ceiling and spy from above on people in the beginning parts of the museum. It was so concealed that there was no way they could see you. I loved that! Another thing I remember is being taken into a room with a “guard” and told that I needed to quickly adopt a cover identity and memorize specific details about it. The urgency of the scenario really made me feel (I assume) how a real spy might feel.

Re: Museums, Baseball and design.

The Baseball Hall of Fame example definitely brings a little more understanding to the project one assignment. I can see how the “One for the Books” exhibit is a different entity from the hall of fame, yet it still fits in with the hall’s brand. The signage and collateral look super fun, and the layout of factual information is really engaging and easy to visually scan.

I’ve never thought about applying design to sports but HOW Magazine has had multiple (if I’m remembering correctly) articles this past year about the application of graphic design in relation to sports teams and events. May’s issue had a 3 page article in their In-House Issues section about the Indianapolis 500. The article discussed reinventing the logo and look every year, and the pressure the designer’s feel because of how into the graphics the fans are. The article itself was a really interesting look into the design department of a yearly event, but I was most interested in the idea of memorabilia and how that plays a significant role in design. I’m sure the program for the special exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame will be held onto for years as a keepsake of the trip. Because of this idea, it’s so important to think about a lasting impression and how that should affect our design choices.

Sports and Design

Steve, I really liked the pictures you posted. The last museum I visited was Smithsonian American Art Museum, and I don't remember any exhibits having modern designs like this baseball exhibit. I know that many museums deal with serious topics, so this typographic treatment probably wouldn't be appropriate, but I think the design really fits the subject matter in this case. I'm not a huge fan of baseball, but I would definitely take a look at the One for the Books exhibit because the design would immediately draw me in. The designer really made the information aesthetically pleasing.

I know this doesn't relate to a museum in any way, but it does have to do with modernizing the world of sports. I read an article a few days ago about iPads replacing paper playbooks in the NFL, and I thought you guys might be interested in it. The Buccaneers are the first team to do so, but I anticipate other teams will follow in Tampa Bay's footsteps in the next year or two. You can check out the article here.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Just wanted to share this

I saw this advertisement for a fast food company today and I was FLOORED by the design work. The stop-action animation work and art direction, as well as the message, are truly inspiring. This could be a lesson to other companies on marketing. Just thought I would share:



Thursday, September 1, 2011

Museums, Baseball and design.


After discussing the first project further in class Wednesday, I immediately thought of what I felt was a similar project. I think this may also be where I go with my idea for the first project. Over the summer I went to Copperstown, home of the baseball hall of fame. (Don't worry, this isn't all about sports) I had been there prior and was a little less than impressed. It felt like a fairly dated museum in all honesty. This trip was quite a bit different.

It just happened to be the opening of new exhibit; “One for the Books: Baseball Records and The Stories Behind Them.” If there was ever a change of pace in a museum, it was this. Most of the exhibits in Cooperstown are fairly “normal.” Look it's an object, here is some info. Move and Repeat. The design is fairly minimal and pretty boring.

As you can see from the photos above, this exhibit seems to be changing things. They began using fun typographic treatments not only in the program guide but also in the exhibit itself. It really made for an all encompassing presentation.

And if it wasn't enough to use good design they added a few interactive elements as well. The main was a large tower in the center of the exhibit. Within it was every number and stat a baseball lover could ever hope to investigate in a digital format. The amount of information in this tower could probably fill ten Cooperstowns, but by embracing technology and digital solutions, they have made the information easily accessible. Furthermore, they had small touch screen kiosk that had a trivia game on it. Again using technology wisely.

All in all, I was very impressed with the exhibit. It made to happy to see good design applied to sports in a meaningful way. I look forward to everyone thoughts and I apologize for the bad pics, there was no photography in the exhibit during the first week. You can find links to a little more info about the exhibit here and here.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Grades

where are they? They were due yesterday. Tuition reimbursement beckons!!