Steven's Design Picks

The Go! Team

Steven — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:14:00 +0200

Website: The Go! Team
Activity: Rock band
Address: www.thegoteam.co.uk
Purpose: Provide news, music clips, tour dates and band information

The Go! Team returns this week with "Proof of Youth", a follow-up to their infectious and critically acclaimed debut album "Thunder Lightning Strike". The 6-member Brighton-based band picks up where they left off, mixing frenetic guitars and electronica with youth entertainment artifacts from the late 1970's. The fast-paced songs feature TV car-chase music, Double Dutch vocals and early rap to create a thrilling sound.

Their website itself looks like a vestige from the 70's. It's a cut-and-paste layout of adolescent graffiti -- the kind you might find on one of those blue canvas 3-ring binders that were invaded by pen scribbles and stickers by the end of the school year. The graphic style suits The Go! Team's lo-fi old-school sound perfectly.

Add these stand-out tracks to your playlist:

"Ladyflash" -- from Thunder Lightning Strike
"Bottle Rocket" -- from Thunder Lighting Strike
"Grip Like a Vice" -- from Proof of Youth
"My World" -- from Proof of Youth

Microsoft Surface

Steven — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 13:50:00 +0200

Website: Microsoft Surface
Activity: Software development
Address: www.surface.com
Purpose: Introduce "surface computing" onto the market

For the past few years, Microsoft has been watching its smaller rivals create truly innovative software that has been changing the way we live and interact with one another. Think of how social networking websites, YouTube, news aggregators, Google Maps, Wikipedia, Flickr and the iPod have enhanced our daily lives. Meanwhile, it seems that the most life-changing Microsoft development has been new instant messenger emoticons.

But, Microsoft is back in the business of bold innovation with a product called Surface. The concept is to bring the computing experience from the isolated desk to social spaces like the living room and entertainment venues. It comes in the form of a coffee table with a touch-sensitive screen on top, allowing small groups to gather and interact with digital content. No mouse or keyboard are required because the object-oriented interface responds to natural gestures and touch. Data can be grabbed and moved with ease. Groups can engage in tasks like browsing through photos and creating music playlists to mapping out itineraries and planning vacations. It's truly collaborative in that many hands can be recognized on the screen.

Microsoft sees "surface computing" transforming the way we live. They envision the technology eventually being integrated into all kinds of household places such as the countertop, wall and refrigerator door. By the end of 2007, it will be available in select hotels, retail establishments, restaurants, and later on in schools and businesses.

A polished mini-site has been launched to introduce the technology with three well-produced videos that showcase its vast applications. Surface's defining feature -- its touch-based navigation system -- is the inspiration for the branding. The product logo recalls a finger-drawn doodle and the background is a glowing indigo trail of a hand swipe. Simple and stunning.

Whether Microsoft plans to reveal the source code and allow other operating systems onto the platform remains to be seen. It certainly has the potential to spark an entire software industry. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft will shun its monopolizing tendencies.

Russo-Baltique

Steven — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:22:00 +0200

Website: Russo-Baltique
Activity: Luxury Automobiles
Address: www.russobaltique.ru
Purpose: Resurrect a long-lost automobile marque

The unexpected star of the prestigious 2006 Concours d'Elegance automobile exposition at Villa d'Este was a daring luxury coupe by Russo-Baltique -- a curious and previously unknown Russian automaker. The "Impression", an attention-grabbing supercar with a high-performance motor, rear-hinged doors and Zambrano wood detailing has an eye-popping sticker price of $1.9 million. It was unveiled with this over-the-top press release:

It is the honor of Russo-Baltique Company of Russia to present to the honorable public a coupe called Impression –- the first model of the Russo-Baltique brand after a long intermission. On the eve of its 100th anniversary, the Russian antique car brand –- the supplier of His Highness the Emperor’s Court –- is returning to the market of luxury and high-powered cars with this model.

This sent automobile journalists scrambling to find out more about this mysterious car maker. What they came up with was a fascinating history dating back to a time of Czars, imperial splendor, and simmering revolution.

Russo-Baltique was the first Russian producer of cars beginning in 1907. Within a matter of just a few years, the car maker had achieved racing success throughout Europe, eventually winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1912. Very impressed, Czar Nicholas II bought two tourers and designated the company an official royal supplier. Russo-Baltique quickly became the ultimate symbol of luxury, performance, and elite style.

But Russo-Baltique's close alignment with the Czar and its proud use of the imperial heraldic seal would prove a liability. In 1917, the Bolsheviks would target the car maker, seizing their factories and shutting down car production. For the next seven decades, memories of Russo-Baltique's glory would slowly fade as the Soviet automobile industry would be epitomized by cheap Ladas and the waiting lists required to get one.

The fall of Communism in 1991 brought about a period of economic re-adjustment, but if there's any doubt about the wealth Russians are currently enjoying, consider the whiplash rate their economy has grown since 2000. A booming GDP along with the stock market's dizzying climb has contributed to a 29 percent jump in average annual income, creating a class of the very, very wealthy. Finans Magazine estimates that Russia now has 50 billionaires and 88,000 millionaires. The growing spending power of this elite and often extravagant class has led to a ravenous demand for all sorts of luxury products and services -- notably luxury automobiles. In fact, cars in the most expensive class, such as Bentley, Maserati, and Ferrari, continue to sell well beyond expectations.

Amid the consumer frenzy, a group of Russian investors stumbled upon the long-lost Russo-Baltique history and recognized the perfect opportunity the brand presented. Along with its market potential, Russo-Baltique's prestigious past could be the inspiration for a thoroughly contemporary automotive innovator. In 2003, they succeeded in securing control of the trademark and began designing a modern cutting-edge concept, embodying the traditional Russo-Baltique values of performance, refinement and exclusivity.

The website and visual communication play a crucial part in the brand's resurrection. The focus is clearly on highlighting the company's heritage and linking it to the current venture. The splash intro page does this explicitly with side-by-side photos of the 1909 Russo-Baltique Type K and the 2006 Impression. The theme is reinforced with graphic elements such as vintage patterns and Art Nouveau flourishes, popular during Russo-Baltique's heyday. The historical imperial seal reappears, fittingly worn with time. The website's main feature is a photographic timeline of the company's history, again unifying the past and present eras. The design choices not only honor the past, but position Russo-Baltique for a promising second act.

L'Affaire Twingo

Steven — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:45:00 +0200

Website: L'Affaire Twingo
Activity: Automobiles
Address: www.laffairetwingo.com
Purpose: Introduce the new Renault Twingo

Last month, French car maker Renault unveiled the first major redesign of its Twingo model since it was introduced onto the market in 1993. One of the best-selling cars in France, the frog-like Twingo is basically a low-priced hatchback with great gas mileage. Like the VW Beetle and Mini Cooper, it has a cute personality with a smart design and expressive headlights. When it was first launched, it was all the craze.

But that was almost 15 years ago and a facelift has been due for some time. The redesign brings the Twingo in line with the other new Renault models which are characterized by an angular physique -- sometimes surprisingly severe. Success has varied. For example, the mid-sized Megane does well, while the Vel Satis posts consistently disappointing sales and the Avantime was actually discontinued only a few months after its launch due to anemic sales. While the new Twingo sports the signature hard angles, they've been significantly toned and rounded compared to the jagged shapes of the other Renault models which resemble a fleet of awkwardly cut diamonds on wheels. Early reviews have been harsh.

The mini-site dedicated to the launch is, however, worth a look. It's a tongue-in-cheek caper theme presenting users with the task of figuring out who stole protagonist Laetitia's Twingo. Interspersed among videos of the trendy young Parisian culprits are photos, 3-D models and technical specs of the re-styled car. The real fun is the short intro animation in a suspenseful Pink Panther theme. A great “whodunit” soundtrack accompanies the clever opening sequence.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the original and new Twingo models:

Mika

Steven — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:20:00 +0200

Website: Mika
Activity: Singer and Songwriter
Address: www.mikasounds.com
Purpose: Promote "Life In Cartoon Motion"

Like a French pastry shop, Mika's debut album is an offering of one glazed treat after another. The Lebanese-born Londoner is obsessed with good melodies, and with "Life In Cartoon Motion", he's on a mission to make the ultimate pop album with a sugary sound all his own. Overflowing with catchy tunes, engaging hooks and a unique lyrical style, you could get tooth decay just listening to this stuff.

Mika is essentially a vocalist and performer in the tradition of Freddy Mercury, Jimmy Somerville, The Bee Gees and even The Scissor Sisters. Fearless, unapologetic with antics you either love or hate, he's the black licorice of pop. Beyond wanting to be loved or hated, Mika focuses on creating an original sound. He explains, "I'm always going back to great artist songwriters... These people make amazing pop records that couldn’t be performed by anybody else and that’s what I always wanted to do.”

The website design captures his colorful sound through the carefree style of 1960's psychedelic pop graphics. It's an animated interface of flowers, machinery, plants and humans living together harmoniously in fruit-flavored hues. It brings to mind Peter Max's bright escapist landscapes, Milton Glaser's kaleidoscopic portrait of Bob Dylan or even "Yellow Submarine", the 1968 animated feature film based on the music of the Beatles.

It's delicious springtime fun!

M Studio

Steven — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:55:00 +0100

Website: M Studio
Activity: Web Technology Specialists
Address: www.mstudio.com
Purpose: Attract Partners

M Studio is a New York-based company that develops technology for websites, games and applications. They consult design agencies by proposing the most suitable back-end solutions to create powerful user experiences. Solutions range from multimedia integration and content management systems (CMS), to databases and more complex scripting functionalities.

Their stylish website centers on an unconventional but surprisingly intuitive navigation system. It consists of an animated stack of horizontal planes, each representing a page of content. Clicking on one flips it forward and displays text or portfolio pieces. Clicking elsewhere refiles it back into the stack. It's smooth and very satisfying!

For a company that markets itself to creative agencies as a developer of seamless and innovative solutions, they nailed it with this engaging website.

Jonathan Yuen

Steven — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:25:00 +0100

Website: Jonathan Yuen
Activity: Graphic Designer
Address: www.jonathanyuen.com
Purpose: Experimental Portfolio

Take a look at this personal project by Singapore-based graphic designer Jonathan Yuen. It consists of what he calls "design narratives" -- simple but powerful animated vignettes inspired by East Asian ink and wash painting.

Through these narratives, he poetically contemplates his role as a graphic designer, focusing on the act of quiet and intent observation. It's well-suited because it's the kind of activity familiar to graphic designers. With each new project comes a process of observing, researching, and reflecting on the client and message.

Embracing this early part of the project is invaluable to an inspired finished product. Yuen uses frogs, birds and fish to make his point: even the most common subjects eventually reveal their unique qualities and eccentricities. This is where the possibilities of visual communication come to light.

It's wonderful to see someone celebrate the early stages of the design process in such a thoughtful way.

Coca-Cola Blak

Steven — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:21:00 +0100

Website: Coca-Cola Blak
Activity: Beverages
Address: www.coca-colablak.fr
Purpose: Launch coffee-flavored Coke in France

Riding the Red Bull and Starbucks caffeine craze, Coca-Cola has launched its own spiked beverage: Coca-Cola Blak. Fusing the classic soft drink with coffee extracts, Coca-Cola believes it has invented not only a new drink, but a completely new drinking occasion. The French ad campaign and website envisions scenarios ideal for this new lifestyle beverage.

Though campaigns vary from country to country, all include an eye-catching system of graphic elements nicely representing the qualities and effects of the drink. Silhouettes of various shapes in warm mocha and russet shades are energetically splattered across the window. Sparkling bubbles, effervescent fizz and the soothing color palette express Blak's dark frothy texture. The psychoactive effects -- a burst of energy and caffeine buzz -- are visualized though plant forms springing forward and through the overall vitality of the animation. You get the idea that this is a drink that will get the creative juices flowing.

And the verdict on the beverage? It's actually not so bad. Though, as someone who considers Dr. Pepper a special treat and who cried when Vanilla Coke went to soft drink heaven last year, I might not be the best judge. Give it a try on one of those late nights at work.

CA Design

Steven — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:33:00 +0200

Website: CA Design
Activity: French Graphic Design Agency
Address: www.ca-design.fr
Purpose: Present Agency and Attract Clients

Of so many websites I look through everyday, it's refreshing to see a project as sleek and refined as this website for CA Design, a Paris-based graphic design agency. It's actually the work of my friend and fellow graphic designer Matthew Phillips, whose modern and clean style always really stands out. In this site, he's opted for a simple layout with strong color combinations and carefully thought-out typography.

Much of the strength of the site comes from the decision to keep the content concise and concrete. An overview of the agency, its services, and portfolio selections are efficiently summarized within the bright page layout. You quickly get a good feel for their design philosophy and approach.

My favorite part, though, is the subtle optical aspect. It brings to mind 1960's Op Art principles which concentrated on color contrasts and geometric patterns to tease the viewer's eye into falsely perceiving movement, vibration or pulsating. The bright color transitions of the site already have a hypnotic quality about them, but it goes further than that. If you focus on the exact center of the page during the color transitions, you'll see that the surrounding neutral gray appears to slightly change tint. It's a fantastic trick on peripheral vision that makes this a visually provocative experience.

Dave Werner

Steven — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:29:00 +0200

Website: Dave Werner's Portfolio
Activity: Graphic Designer
Address: www.okaydave.com
Purpose: Present Portfolio Projects

One of the most exciting personal portfolios I've seen online is by the very talented Dave Werner. As part of a graphic design master's program at Portfolio Center in Atlanta, he produced several in-depth conceptual projects, including an eloquent rebranding proposal for the Kennedy Center and monumental identity graphics for the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Of the master's program, he explains: "The greatest value came from learning how to take the chaotic ideas swirling around in my head and turn them into strong, clear concepts with distinct messages." The wonderful thing about this portfolio is that he shares these chaotic ideas by walking us through his creative process. Using animation and video, he presents project goals, inspiration, preliminary sketches and proposals, right down to the beautiful finished designs. He has a knack for discovering and celebrating his subjects' unique qualities. Sit back and enjoy his engaging narration and sheer enthusiasm.

Can't wait to see more of his work!

World Circuit

Steven — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:25:00 +0200

Website: World Circuit Records
Activity: Record Company
Address: www.worldcircuit.co.uk
Purpose: Promote World Music artists

World Circuit is a brilliant record label devoted to West African music and its relationship to Cuban, Brazilian and even American blues music. They just launched a redesign of their website and it's a great example of how a simple page layout and clear navigation can be adopted without compromising character.

They took several steps to improve the usability of the site starting with the implementation of navigational tabs. In my opinion, tabs are always a good idea when dealing with a large amount of content. They're intuitive and allow you to quickly scan what a site has to offer, much like a table of contents. Extraneous landing pages have been deleted, tightening the information hierarchy. It's much easier to explore their musicians, browse releases and read reviews. The best part is a dragable mini music player on album description pages that opens directly in the site and offers fast-loading sample clips.

The strong graphic style of the website is conveyed through prominent photography and subtle details like textured paper and stencil-style typographic heads suggesting the multi-layered nature of the music. Page transitions are animated with a blurry-to-clear effect. It's an appropriate choice because much of the music is very rich: only after many listens does it begin to reveal its charms.

As you might have guessed, I'm a big fan. I've been listening to West African music for a few years and it's absolutely amazing. World Circuit's releases, in particular, are really well-produced. You just can't go wrong with any of them. If you're interested, try Ali Farka Touré's Malian blues, Cheikh Lô's Senegalese mbalax, Orchestra Baobab's Cuban-influenced jam sessions, or Oumou Sangare's stunningly beautiful Wassoulou ballads. Most albums are available on the iTunes Music Store, but consider buying the CDs for the great package design and liner notes that are definitely worth having.

I promise: once you start listening, you'll really get hooked.

A few links:

Rough Guides Music: I'd recommend starting with two Rough Guides compilations: "Senegal & Gambia" and "Mali & Guinea". They give a great overview of the diverse sounds coming out of the region by leading musicians.

Benn loxo du taccu: Matt Yanchyshyn's excellent African music blog.

Sterns Music: A UK-based World Music distributor with a massive catalog. They also post a monthly chart of best-selling albums.

Erykah Badu

Steven — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:36:00 +0200

Website: Erykah Badu's Official Website
Activity: R&B / Hip Hop / Jazz / Soul Singer and Songwriter
Address: www.erykahbadu.com
Purpose: Provide news, music clips, tour information, and artist biography

I was just about to post Erykah Badu's official website when I realized that it had been replaced by her MySpace page!

Though no longer online, her old site still merits a few words because it was so lively and original. It was also the perfect complement to the free-flowing musical style of her last album, the excellent "Worldwide Underground". The album is more of a rough collection of ideas than a slickly produced LP of radio-ready tracks. Badu concentrates on the creative process, whether through experimentation with word repetition, scat singing, abrasive electric guitars or her signature soulful sound. She's unafraid to take her time exploring different grooves, even if it demands patience on the listener's part. It's an inventive approach to an album and the website design really captured its character.

Implemented in Flash, the page layout had a sketchbook feel to it with lively doodles and words scribbled arbitrarily around the page. Drawings were mixed with photographs in a coursely textured way. Content areas were irregular, recalling a charcoal-drawn surface. The whole site had an unfinished and grainy quality, perfectly embodying the improvisational style of "Worldwide Underground". Nicely done!

The decision to replace the website with her MySpace page is probably not a bad idea considering there are now over 100 million accounts and sharing music has become an integral part of the MySpace experience. Users can research bands and easily embed songs onto their profile pages. A number of bands have garnered impressive audiences (and recording contracts) solely thanks to special band profile pages that allow artists to maintain a dynamic community atmosphere. Musicians can keep in close contact with their fans through blog tools, forums and comment areas.

Take a look at a full-size screenshot of the old site below and definitely check out the album.

Telenor

Steven — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:59:00 +0200

Website: Telenor
Activity: Swedish Mobile Phone Operator
Address: www.telenor.se/valkommen/
Purpose: Introduce brand to Swedish market

Telenor is a Norwegian mobile phone operator who recently expanded into Sweden through the aquisition of Vodafone Sverige. They changed the brand to Telenor and launched a full ad campaign including this impressive mini-site in order to introduce themselves to the Swedish market. The design is exactly what I've come to expect from the Scandinavians: clean polished layout, smooth responsive animation, and a sensibility that's just a little goofy.

The ad campaign itself focuses on the rebranding and what it means for customers. Color is used to explain: "all that was red turns blue". Literally, red (Vodafone) is replaced by blue (Telenor). Various objects, such as a hen, a lifesaver and a candycane, are taken out of context and painted blue. It's corny, but a humorous way to illustrate the sometimes controvertial and heated business of rebranding.

The site design itself is just as important in communicating Telenor's identity. Clarity, for one, is expressed through the simple but refined page layout. A solid black content area lies over a lusterous vertical gradient. Content is easy to read through high contrast, distinct heading and paragraph styles and the elegant sans-serif typeface. Another of Telenor's qualities, responsiveness, is conveyed through animation. The excellent animated logo whips around like it's ready for action. Page transitions are fast and satisfying: click a link and the site jumps to attention. The content area immediately resizes and loads the desired page.

All of these design choices leave us with the perfect image for a telecommunications operator: clear, responsive and accessible.

The site is in Swedish, but click around anyway to see the page transitions. Note that the tab labeled "Start" brings you back to the homepage.

Enjoy!

Webpopulation

Steven — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:17:00 +0000

Website: Webpopulation
Activity: French Graphic Design Agency
Address: www.webpopulation.com
Purpose: Attract clients

Hello web design fans! For my first post, I present "Webpopulation", a French design agency and self-proclaimed "creators of sensations". Their website provides the standard overview of services and portfolio selections, but functions primarily as a showpiece and testifies to their design skills and very zany imagination.

As far as digital photo montage goes, this is some high quality work blending breathtaking landscapes with quirky retro revelers. Pinup girls perched in front of snow-capped mountains invite us into the scene. Teenagers twist and shout and a Vegas showgirl shakes her beads beside a tranquil lake. In the background, cheerleaders form a pyramid behind a thick swath of mountain pines. It's really a beautiful composition.

Meanwhile, industrial marvels dot the landscape. A zepplin, a propeller plane, a fantastic 1959 Cadillac Cyclone concept car, and shiny chrome escalators are flawlessly integrated into the scene. Subtle animated details bring these wonders to life: a submarine radar spins, propellers swirl and smoke rises from an old factory. Webpopuplation has, in fact, created a shrine to the boundless and even outlandish innovation of the past, and through this website prove to be true heirs to this fearless creative spirit.

It's pure retro madness and great fun! Check it out!