Edible Menus

Homaro Cantu is the half chef / half mad scientist at Chicago's very own Moto restaurant. They are famous for wild dishes that push the limits on presentation. They're also known to print their own menus directly on food. First a base is created, usually something starchy like a chip. Then they print out their menu, or design to be incorporated into the dish, using an edible ink they make themselves. It's a great way to introduce a customer to their way of plating a dish. Above, you can also see a printed sushi roll. Chef Cantu has also used this process to incorporate the Exxon Mobil logo into a tuna dish to make a statement about population becoming a forced part of our diet. Not sure how tasty that is, but it's a different approach to combining design and food.

Business Cards

Years ago, I was working for a company where we were revamping business cards for our sale reps. I found this website for inspiration, and I still think it's relevant today. It is a list or innovative business card design. Cards on here range from simply stunning design to the less practical but wow. I picked some of my favorites but you can check out the whole list at http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs.
I feel that the most successful examples are have contact information clearly visible without being wieghed down by excessive distractions. If they choose to use a little gimmick to get your attention, ones that directly relate to the profession are the most successful. With so many business cards floating around out there, it does pay to stand out. I know people who save any unique card they get so they can show them off to other people. If word of mouth is great advertising than this isn't far off. However, it should not be done at the expense of loosing valuable contact information. People may love your card but if they can't figure out how to reach you, what's the point? I should also mention, many on the list would cost more than your standard business card (some much, much more). Your budget and printing limitations should be considered.

Olympic Posters Over the Years

David Ross was interviewed on the Colbert Report yesterday. You can check it out the interview or whole episode at colbertnation.com He brought with him examples of Olympic art and how it has changed over the years. He began with ancient Greek designs, (not yet in poster form of course) focusing on forms of athletic Greek men. In more recent times the Olympics have been advertised with these posters. Designers first looked back and imitated ancient Greek style fused with the popular trends of the time. Ross discussed how the athletic human form over time was pushed aside in favor of more nationalistic themes. After more time, designers seemed to prefer to use more corporate themes. I looked around on the internet and can see where Ross is coming from, but I see that human figures often reappear as do national symbols. The best culmination of the three can be seen in the 2008 Beijing poster where the character actually represents the city but is assuming a human figure in what can be considered a good corporate kind of logo. Scroll down to 'previous blogs' for examples. I apologize for doing it this way but the blog won't allow any other rational solution.

France 1900 Olympic Poster

Belgium 1920 Olympic Poster

London 1948 Olympic Poster

Tokyo 1964 Olympic Poster

Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Poster

Beijing 2008 Olympic Poster

'A Psych Fest' Poster

Record shops are magnets for all kinds of musical posters. This one was found at Reckless Records, and it really stood out to me because off how its using the Psychedelic style to reach any would-be fans. The event is for some psychedelic music show and is envoking the earlier style to match the environment they are trying to create. It is primarily bands of warped lines of text that are not immediately readable, and the letters have a carved out appearance. The colors are very bright, especially on the blackness of the background. The two crudely drawn veiny eyes seem to go along with the metaphysical/higher state of being vibe. I think this poster is an effective use of Psychedelic style. Although, if this was my design, I would have done a few things differently.

5 4 3 2 1 Go's Bus Ad

The 5 4 3 2 1 circling around clockwise caught my attention from almost a block away. Other than the tiny logo the colors are a dark blue, a lighter version of that blue and white. Only the numbers and central message stand out in white. The dark blue text recedes into the background and becomes secondary information. This text is also sized to fit each given line with main ideas larger, like 'Activity'. The lighter blue boxes are arranged around the center in a non-symmetrical fashion giving this a less formal look. The white silhouetted icons support each boxes idea and are very similar to IPod or Wii icons. The designer was probably trying to use a similar design to attract that audience. When I got closer and realized I am pretty much looking at a public service announcement, a good looking one. I usually associate public message with cheesy pictures or outdated slang; but I think this one is clean, simple, and actually pretty effective.