Posts tagged as:

colour

CFS-ACELIFT: FIRST STEPS

by Amber on May 28, 2009

To be honest, while I’ve been writing  Code For Something for a over a year now, my focus has been purely on content. It’s a very uninspiring design history, and I’ve put little effort into it.

That’s where the lovely Emma comes in! We are working via email, having face to face discussions and participating in the occasional bout of shoe shopping.

My brief: to develop an identity for Code For Something (both for the web and is flexible enough to fit with other projects in the future) that is distinctive, feels cool and works with the content. Layout options will also be explored.

THE BACKGROUND

We kicked the project off by having a look at Code For Something’s previous and current incarnations:

CFS design evolution

Left. CFS v1.5 – veryplaintxt theme with a little bit of flair injected through the repetition of the button device.

Right. CFS v2.0 – Thesis theme. The header features hand written type, while the rest of the site is mostly text, set in Georgia.

Emma reviewed the current look and feel of my site, commenting: “Somehow the type doesn’t quite fit the content you are attracted to and therefore have images of on your page.” She said it felt disconnected, but on the bright side, it was an opportunity to vamp it up once more -  “One can never have enough makeovers!”

DEVELOPING A DIRECTION

To start with, Emma sent me a wee task:

“Compile a moodboard: of your key images online + what you like + anything random you are attracted to. Then I’ll have a crystal clear idea of your aesthetic and I can whip up something tasty!”

A moodboard is a collection of imagery that designers use as inspiration before starting design work. A moodboard can include: images of designs we like, photographs of similar products, packaging examples, illustrations, colours, textures and descriptive words.

I got to work and eventually sent Emma a page jammed with shiny pretty things I’d picked up trawling around the internet:

cfs-inspiration-board

Little did I know there was some sense to be made of my madness! From my board Emma deduced that I liked:

  • Grids and type: Germanic, sanserif, strong and concise.
  • Colours: Wide range, fresh, aqua-turquoise-pink-blue-purple-oranges. Never primary colours, and never full strength. Think pastels who’ve seen a little sun.
  • Overall: Functional, with little moments of fun. A look that lets the content shine.

(As a little bit of entertainment, and because I really want this identity to be a reflection of my personal style, we cross-referenced these conclusions with the outfit I was wearing. My favourite Crystal Castles t-shirt, violet Uniqlo skinny jeans, safari ankle boots; accessorised with white Ray Ban specs and a grey scarf printed with an over sized hounds tooth pattern. It’s reality – I really do like hard geometric edges with soft colours.)

REVERSE BRIEF

Based on the information at hand and moodboard, Emma sent me back 3 pages with comments as a reverse brief.

A reverse brief comes from your design partner, and can take the form of a written statement, a moodboard or rough sketches, to confirm the design direction and offer initial thoughts on the design problem.

cfs-reverse-brief_page_1

cfs-reverse-brief_page_2

cfs-reverse-brief_page_3

Page 1. Samples of cool geometric patterns. Could become little sign-off motifs, house headings, create a header etc.

Page 2. “I think to contrast the sanserif type that would be predominant, something really considered would work for the logo. I love the ‘g’. We could create a CFS emblem using those 3 letters,  as well as an extended Code For Something.”

Page 3. Colour examples, as mentioned above. Plus cool gradients.

These boards were spot on, and I completely agreed with Emma’s emblem suggestion. I also really liked the flexible idea of geometric shapes – they could extend to web elements such as favicons, dividers and sign offs. What a champ!

NEXT STEPS

Phew. After all that important up front stuff, Emma is heading off into her bat cave for a bit to make some magic happen – and develop a colour palette. She will then show me the results of her alchemy for feedback – I can’t wait to see it! Another thing I’m looking forward to in the near future: Emma will be sharing some design tips. Hurrah!

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SNEAKY FASHION

by Amber on March 4, 2009

I picked up these candy-flipping Tigers in London. To be formal, they are Onitsuka Tigers – Ultimate 81 Dragon Limited Edition. Inspect at your leisure:

crazy shoes

“The Ultimate 81™ is a technical running shoe with a focus on heel stability and light weight. This vegan friendly version combines synthetic suede and nylon material to create a durable and comfortable upper. Onitsuka Tiger™ is commemorating it’s 60th year by introducing shoes inspired by the Japanese Zodiac calendar.”

I adore them, right down to the honey-comb embedded soles. In the box with the shoes I also found a fierce iron-on patch, a dragon key ring and a dinky 60th anniversary booklet in the form of a wheel chart. A great limited edition experience.

Aside from that, the kicks definitely give me a bright injection of happiness every time I see them. It’s easy to start the day right when you’re wearing excellent great colours.

Someone else who ignites their world when they get dressed is my friend Tineke. Check out her super cute style – purple jeans paired with chirpy yellow canvas plimsolls.

yellow shoes purple jeans

She says that whenever she wears these, people stop her on the street to talk about her shoes. Awesome. We both wore our shoes today, so of course we felt obliged to engage, not in a conversation, but in a sneaker battle! Pow!

battle

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HOUSE OF PANTONE

by Amber on March 4, 2009

I like Pantone. There’s something about the numerous blocks of organised pigment that appeals to me. I think it’s because categorising and naming the shades means that you can always find something again. You can’t lose the perfect shade of strawberry; once it’s captured in your minds eye, you can look it up. Soothing.

pantone
I’ve found the pull of solid colour has been even stronger in recent weeks, thanks to my Uniqlo excursions, where I kitted myself out as per the mannequins’ instructions. No marbling, no tie dying; just tangible yellows and reliable blues. So you can imagine my pleasure at catching up on the London FW coverage and finding House of Holland’s latest collection.

house of hollandOui, it is all based on a systematic Pantone analogy. On one hand I agree with Style.com’s observation that the collection is all about “style” and no substance – a gimmicky execution. On the other hand, it’s clever and could have a tangible place in the “real world”. That’s what appeals to me most about fashion – garments worn and explored in a real life, not just hung on a model. Anyway… I like the monochromatic jackets, cardigans and the accessories in particular. I want to run out right now and buy myself some 256 C stockings right now!

House of Holland

This is my favourite shot, yup, the practical application of clothes, as demonstrated by Henry himself:

henry holland

Joy. It's a really nice shirt.

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Colour Theory

by Amber on December 16, 2008

What do you get when you combine bibliophilia with an aesthetic obsession?

A personal curatorship that amuses and inspires!

Adobe Bookshop

Green Books

photos from the adobe bookshop project

Book Shelves

bookshelves by chotda

Red and orange and yellow and green, indigo, violet and blue…

The power of colour can not be underestimated for bringing interesting new dimensions to your life. Gorgeous and so easy… anyone can do it!

Red clothes

Make your whole life seemingly organised – Rearrange your CD’s like Nattbarn has done or your clothes – a la Nubby Twiglet. Read only green books for a month. Eat a rainbow of foods for a week (at your own risk). Only take photos of yellow objects or, if you’re feeling sassy, pink. Write your diary out in lime green ink. Work within constraints to break new ground in your life. Feel the power of the spectrum… Embrace it!

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