Todd Norman Pinot & Chardonnay Labels

I know it's been a long time since I posted an actual project. Hope you all have been enjoying the Instagram photos. I've been enjoying taking them! For me it is quite the mental challenge to sit down and write out my thoughts about design since I rely on my intuition to guide many of my processes. It also didn't help that this year has been extraordinarily challenging and busy. Mostly in good ways. :)

I'm not too far behind, but I will be catching up since I've had some cool projects this year.

One of my favorites was the Todd Norman Pinot & Chardonnay Labels for my day job at Dorothy Lane Market. This spring we found a great family winery, Talley Vineyards out in California that would private label our wines. We needed the label and in quite a rush to make the bottling schedule. I did some initial sketches and thoughts, but I couldn't get my rejected wine show poster concept from 2010 out of my head. So I gave it try and it worked out beautifully for the label design. I presented to the folks who needed to give their approval and everyone loved it! Recycling my old concept into a new usage worked very well in this instance and saved us a lot of time and effort and we got everything in on time. Plus the wine is pretty darned tasty too.

Company 7 BBQ Sauce Labels

I was approached late in 2010 with the project of designing a line of barbecue sauce labels for a new local restaurant concept. The restaurant, Company 7 BBQ, wanted to have their proprietary line of sauces and one rub ready to go on opening day. The only problem was the timeline: about 2 weeks total to design and get labels printed. I initially wanted to decline the project because of the tight timeline so near the holidays.

I spoke with the folks and learned they are a family of firefighters and seemed like good people, so I accepted the project. It was the least I could do for those who have put their lives on the line to help others. 

I knew concepting would be intense and stressful. I did my standard steps of research and thumbnailing, however, I put myself on a strict timer for each stage and really just cranked out whatever came to mind. 

I developed four initial concepts, mocking up the mildest and hottest sauce to show the progression of "heat". Version A was to gradually up the flames in the background against a dark blue background:

Version B was simple, bold solid colors in the background from "uniform blue" to "fire engine red" and the heat scale was numerical starting with 1 and going up to 6 within the firefighter maltese cross symbol:

Version C was based on the very cool Peter Pirsch fire truck that is the centerpiece of the Company 7 BBQ bar area:

Version D based on the idea of fire damage, the hotter the sauce, the more the beat up and textured the label would become:

In the end, the client chose version B, the bold solid colors. I worked up retail and in-store versions as quickly as I could and they were able to open with some labels on sauces. Response to the restaurant has been fantastic from what I've heard. If you're in the area, be sure to check 'em out!

Artisan Economy

I've never been much of a cook. If you ask my friends, they will tell you that the microwave is my best friend. In fact, one of my best buddies was shocked when he learned that I actually use the stove on occasion.

Well, when I first was out on my own I did not own a single pot or pan to cook with. I cooked using the Stouffer's method. But when I decided to buy some pots and pans, I went for a set that featured a saucepan, skillet, and larger pot along with a lot of cook looking utensils that was a great price. These little cookware pieces lasted several years and were of decent quality.

However, when I decided to replace them this year, I decided to look around and spend a bit more for something of higher quality. I ended up purchasing a great T-Fal 2-quart saucepan along with their eco-friendly non-stick 12.5 inch Saute Pan.

So what does this have to do with an "artisan economy"?

Well, I got to thinking that I didn't value the cookware I had, it was disposable because I had only spent a modest sum on it. Then I started thinking about things like the apps in the app store, or office supplies, you know, the little things that are cheap and how if it breaks, you just buy a new one.

Really, when you think about it, can something that costs a dollar or less really cost less than a dollar to produce? In some cases yes, but what about something that is five dollars or even ten? When those items break, we usually discard them too.

But what would happen if we spent more for something of a bit better quality? What if that five dollar toy was ten and was built a bit sturdier and of quality materials instead of cheap plastic? Maybe your kids would value their toys a bit more and want to keep them longer. (Ok it was worth a shot... :P) Or maybe that nice utensil that you bought for $10 that was made of metal instead of plastic would last longer and do better for your needs.

As I've gotten older, I've learned that I'm willing to pay a bit more for quality. Maybe if we all were willing to spend a bit more less often for quality items, then our economy would improve as we need to fill positions to make all this cool stuff.

Ironically, soon after I had this revelation, Eric Karjaluoto over at Ideas on Ideas had a great post about the very same topic. Maybe, fingers crossed, it's the start of a good trend....

(btw, I'm not affiliated with Eric, smashLAB, or Ideas on Ideas other than I enjoy Eric's posts and once had a fun conversation about design conferences with him on Facebook that he probably doesn't remember...)

Bunkers Sauce Labels

Wow, it's been a busy year for me. So busy that I forgot to post several cool projects that I completed this year. Here's one of them...

I completed this label design for Bunker's Bar & Grill, a local sports bar earlier this year.

The client had a couple of requests: they'd like a sports theme if possible and they really wanted to do a pepper that showed a heat scale for each of their sauces.

I started out with the sports theme, but it just wasn't giving off the right vibe. Plus the addition of a pepper graphic was not working out well...

So I worked on a simpler version that focused more on the pepper heat scale...

The client preferred this direction much better, but wanted a cleaner look to the label. After the client's suggestion of using white, I needed to figure out how to make the flavor name stand out more. I tried several variations and decided to give each flavor its own style of brushstroke along with a unique color that related to the heat scale imagery.

The client loved it and these are the final labels...

Pepsi Should Make Throwback Formula "the Pepsi"

I apparently haven't been keeping up with the Pepsi throwbacks. I found a new version (from the 80s(?) at my local supermarket. And of course, I had to buy 'em!

I still prefer the first throwback design. It's clean simple, nostalgic, and just plain cool. Pepsi needs to ditch the current formula, go back to the throwback formula as the regular "Pepsi".

Cheezy Trek T-Shirt Offer

The people at Cheez-It crack me up. They have a nice Trek related t-shirt reward on their recent packaging. It's a pretty cool lookin' shirt:

This is the part that cracks me up:

Now, I know that the new Star Trek has a broader appeal; however, I'm fairly confident that most "regular" folks won't be wearing this t-shirt to any social or sporting occasion...

What The?

So at my day job, we do a weekly e-newsletter and we feature new products to our stores in it. A few weeks ago, we had a new product in our healthy stuff department. It sounded harmless enough: Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice. It's supposed to help digestion. Still doing good. I was processing the photo in Photoshop and I zoomed into the product label and noticed that it says "Inner Fillet":

Come again? I associate "fillet" with filleted fish or other meat. I don't think I want to drink something that gives/makes my "innards filleted. Methinks next label design should skip that notice...

Pepsi Natural & Throwback Branding

I saw this Brandweek post talking about Pepsi's new "all-natural" soda as well as their "throwback" formulas coming to stores April 20.

The packaging is nice, simple, and clean for both designs. What really caught my attention was the Pepsi throwback design:



While I'm a fan of the new "regular" Pepsi rebranding, I know that many people are not. Perhaps if outcry is strong enough, Pepsi should just go to selling the "throwback" formula as the "regular" Pepsi and ditch the other branding in favor of this one. (I'm in favor of keeping the old formula anyway, as it has less crap ingredients in it).

I love how simple and elegant this throwback design is. Plus, it really honors the long legacy of the brand respectfully. Well done!

Reflecting on Pepsi's Rebranding Refresh

There's been quite a lot of discussion on the new direction Pepsi took with their latest rebranding. Most designers seem to think it is a step backwards and just generally don't care for it. Well, I'm going to respectfully disagree.

Pepsi's former branding was looking very dated, busy, and definitely in need of a refresh:



Pepsi cleaned up their design act for something much more crisp and clean:


And I for one, like it very much. It has a classic art deco feel to it: clean, elegant, timeless. Transforming the ugly globe (which I never liked anyway) into something reminiscent of an art deco icon was great, and then to alter the size of the white stripe depending on the product was brilliant! Combined with the simple solid color and the smooth type treatment, I have a feeling that these cans will become "classics" in due time. I think most folks are just so shocked by the change that they reacted before really taking a moment to truly appreciate the beauty of the new design.

Just what they didn't want for Christmas!

I was out shopping the other day with a friend and we were looking at the Christmas stuff. Along with the typical Christmas lights, candy, and displays there was this:

I call him "Gansta Rappa Spuds Mackenzie", and he sings and lights up. He has either a gold or silver plated "grill" in addition to his way cool pimp-dog metal. Woo. Just want I didn't want for Christmas. I wonder how this one got past the suits and onto shelves.

Poopy Packaging Idea

I was in Wal-Mart the other day buying Christmas gifts and I wanted to buy some chocolate for my dad. I went over to the holiday candy section and was browsing the selection when I came across this:

(apologies on image quality, I only had my cell phone camera handy)

What the heck? Who in their right mind thought this was a good idea? Eating "poo"? Really? I just can't see this leading anywhere good. Now Wal-Mart critics may be tempted to say "well it is Wal-Mart after all"… sadly, I found more of these poo'ing jelly bean farm animals on Amazon! Ug. I hope this is one trend that doesn't catch on.

Friday Fun: Kleenex Typo

So as I ripped open my latest box of Kleenex® tissues the other day, I noticed that the strip with the tissue count said "180". I was a bit confused because I recently started buying the larger packages that I thought came 280 in a box. So I went and got another box. And sure enough, it said 280. 

So I put the boxes next to each other, and as you can see, it is a tad bit shorter, but that doesn't look 100 tissues shorter to me. 

Looks like somebody goofed. Oh well, at least they made me smile and got a mention here on Friday Fun.

Greek Dressing

Batsakis Foods approached me to design their first product label for Andi's Authentic Greek Dressing. The client had two requirements: include the Greek Key and the blue from the Greek Flag (PMS 286C).

Of course, my first step was to visit my friend Dr. Google to research Greek history and culture. I’ve also been a fan of Greek history since college, so I dug into my old notes to see if there was anything interesting there. I think my favorite part was discovering the different patterns associated with Greek culture. I also learned that there are many ways to make a Greek Key. I never really understood or noticed the subtleties before, but I see them now and am still amazing at the versatility and creativity within just this one pattern element.



While doing my research, I discovered a really neat “flower” icon that I thought might give an interesting perspective versus the traditional Greek key. I also explored the idea of doing mosaic tiles, but quickly ruled it out as I couldn’t seem to get the right feel to the label. It just always seemed too cluttered and busy with the tiles there.




Oddly enough, the cream color was inspired by one of my Netflix movies. I for the life of me can’t remember which movie it was. All I remember is that the female lead worked for her parents in a cool little Greek cafe and the blue and cream colors were on the walls.

Using the Greek flag blue and cream as a base, I broaden the color palate out to five colors: Cream (PMS 1205), Burnt Umber (PMS 491), Olive (PMS 582), and Black. Burnt Umber and Olive were inspired by some ancient Greek pottery that I found in my research.



I complemented the traditional "Greek" typeface of Lithos pro with Trajan Pro to maintain a clean, upscale look for the label.

So far, the client has been extremely pleased with the results, completely selling out of 500 jars at the local Greek Festival.



All in all, I’m satisfied with the label. I wish I could have explored more untraditional type treatments that could have still given a Greek flavor to the label. And if I could’ve figured out the mosaic pattern or a way to incorporate some Greek text into the label, that would’ve rocked it. Oh well, maybe next time…

Remember

This year marked the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To commemorate the solemn occasion, the folks over at Rule29 made a pin and were giving it away for free. I checked for strings, but couldn't find any, so I decided to take them up on the offer. I fully expected just the pin to arrive in a padded mailer. After all it was free.

What arrived was coolness. The pin was packaged in a simple box with custom imagery, and a hand-written thank you note from Rule 29's principal and founder, Justin Ahrens.

When I opened the box, there was another custom image that was attached to the pin, which made for quite a nice presentation when you open the box.


On the reverse, the symbolism of the pin was explained.


This was one of the best freebies I've ever received. What could have been just a pin in a padded envelope turned out to a pleasant and memorable reminder of how to present any gift, free or otherwise. Thanks to the folks at Rule 29, especially Justin, on a job well done!

Always Practice Safe Labeling!

I've done a lot of product labels since becoming a graphic designer. I've seen the birth of the revised and improved Nutrition Facts and the rise of the allergen warning labels. I'm a fan of making sure that people who are allergic to certain ingredients don't get exposed to them. Especially those who have deadly reactions. However, what I find utterly ridiculous is the "over protection" that the government has seen to enforce: namely, that we need an "milk" allergen statement on a container of milk. What the heck? I'm pretty certain that anybody who is allergic to milk is going to avoid containers of it like small children avoid green vegetables. So I just had to shake my head, laugh, and take photos of my recent milk purchase...

Cool Packaging: Aquadeco Water

I love pretty much anything Art Deco. Something about the streamlined lines, the muted colors and the furture-forward aesthetic really just fascinate me. Whether it was created in the 30s and 40s or in the 2000s, Art Deco works still seem up-to-date and cool.

Whoever designed the Aquadeco Water packaging really did it right. I believe that they took their tagline "The Art of Water" very seriously, and the results are fantastic.

Confused Packaging

I've been buying the Uncle Ben's instant microwave rice for years. It is a wonderful product for an ADD creative like me: tear the top of the package open, pop it into the microwave and 90 seconds later, you have steaming hot rice. For whatever reason, I ended up actually reading the back of the package the other day. It's made in the US, wait, maybe it's from Canada...does this mean I just pick where I'd like it to be from?

Sugar Coated Evil Comes to Zazzle

I've used the saying "Sugar Coated Evil" for quite some time now just in jest to describe myself. And I was thinking it might make a good t-shirt...so after a bit of work I've developed a Sugar Coated Evil line of products on Zazzle. I've got just a few items to start and I have plans to add another line or two of items down the line. So for now, you can just enjoy being evil.

Unfortanate Packaging

Or at least price label placement. I was recently out purchasing Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii and noticed this other game...



...either the employee at the game store was being very clever or the package designer needs to take a minute to think about how the final package will appear on store shelves. Either way, I was amused!

Envelope Fun!

I recently picked up a box of security envelopes. I really didn't pay much attention to the packaging, because, well, let's face it, envelope packaging is rarely engaging (my apologies if you are one who designs envelope packaging, I'm sure you are a good designer).

When I went to open the box, I found this bit of text:


Now I've opened quite a few packages in my life and I'm used to seeing the phrase "Tear Here". I've never seen "Tears Here", and I actually read it at first as tears, as in crying. So naturally I took a photo of this oddity.

But then the fun began. Silly me, I actually tried to open the box! And naturally, I started where it said "Tears Here". The problem is it didn't tear "here". It tore everywhere but "here" (what great glue they used!). So after a few minutes, my box now looked like this:


So perhaps my original reading of "Tears Here" was indeed correct…