London Underground

What a confusing place! However, the London Underground map has been designed in such a simple way that it would be hard to get lost with one of these on you. The lines are all straight, and clearly colour coded, and you simply have to know your North, South, East and West!

Coca-Cola Glass Bottle

In 1915, the Root Glass Company won the competition to design the Coca-Cola bottle, and the rest is history. Personally, I much prefer having a coke in a glass bottle rather than a can... probably because it reminds me of holidays! The bottle design has developed somewhat over the years, but the Coca-Cola typeface has remained as strong as ever. 

Marc Newson

I first came across Marc Newson's designs on a visit to Londons Design Museum. I had not heard of his works before, but after a bit of research I discovered that over the years he has created for many prestigious clients, his work ranging from chairs and household objects to restaurant and private jet interiors.

Newson was born in Australia, but has had his own studios in Tokyo, Paris and London, making his success over the years worldwide. I am intruiged by his designs as they challenge the way we interact with design, whilst ensuring they are functional pieces. 'The Black Hole Table' and the 'Orgone Lounge' are two of Newson's most exhibited designs (see below). The chair is a real statement, from the choice of colours and materials to the structure of it (which I am not sure looks too comfy?!). Nevertheless, it is very memorable, which shows the strength of the design.




Marc Newson's website is worth a visit; www.marc-newson.com. 

Inflate

After Inflates success with its launch at the first ever 100% Design Show, the company rapidly grew from producing household objects to architectural structures and are now an award winning agency. Their inflatable designs are quirky, fun and innovative in comparison to anything else I have seen. 

Inflate have a vast range of products, my favourite being their inflatable egg cups (which I can't find on the website!). I came across Inflate in the Icons of Design book by Charlotte and Peter Fiell. See link below!

www.inflate.co.uk

Antoni Gaudi

I went to Barcelona in 2006, and was absolutely fascinated by the beauty of Gaudi's architecture around the city. The style is gothic, which creates a romantic air about the place, particularly at night when the city is lit up. 

La Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's most spectacular piece, which he never lived to see finished. It is very overwhelming and the design is so detailed it seems like a never ending task! Gaudi was interested in natures angles and curves, which explains why his work compliments the surroundings so beautifully. 

Adrian Boot

Adrian Boot is renowned for his music photography, and has freelanced for NME, Melody Maker, The Times, The Guardian and The Face (to name a few!). He has also been chief photographer for worldwide events such as Live Aid (for Nelson Mandella) and Green Peace in the Soviet Union. 

I think his photos of the Sex Pistols are just brilliant, particularly because of the chosen settings, which really make them stand out. Also, their rebellious streak really shines through in the photography. 

Changing Faces

DDB UK created a moving campaign for 'Face Equality' in May 2008. The University of Washington discovered that a shocking '9 out of 10 people were in denial about their prejudices against people with facial disfigurements.' This is clearly awful for people who do live with a facial disfigurement, who presume they will not get a job, get into university etc. 

The objective of the campaign is to get people to confront their own prejudices and change them for good. This is done by advocates who are prepared to put themselves forward in order to raise awareness and spark debates about the subject. 

I find these posters highly impactful, particularly because it is a shock to see people that look so different. DDB have allowed the photographs to have centre stage, with simple typography in white. The campaign is a print campaign, but there will be more TV/viral activity to follow. 

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst dominated the British art scene during the 1990s, and is now internationally renowned in the prominent group, 'The Young British Artists'. Hirst has a wide range of practices, including installations, sculpture, paintings and drawing. With each piece he is inventive and challenging, and the above works are no exception. 

The iconic 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) explores ideas behind the meaning of life and the fragility of existence, which is represented through the window boxes that objectify the shark. 

These pieces have energy and interesting thoughts that shape their meaning, which is why so many are drawn to Hirst's pieces. 

Orange

Orange's warm and optimistic tone of voice is captured through a very successful logo. The use of Helvetica Light typeface is now instantly known to all, so much so that I believe Orange would not need to use their name on an advertisement to recognised as they have such a strong tone of voice. 

Naked Agency

'Naked' have one of the most interactive and exciting websites I have seen from a design agency. It works in their favour by showing their excellent capabilities in design; particularly web/animation. The random animals around the house scene show their quirky side, which would suggest to clients the nature of briefs they excel in dealing with. 

See website below!

www.nakedcomms.com

Kiss On The Green

The Kiss On The Green campaign was created by Naked Communications. The idea behind the campaign was to encourage Londoners to change to Kiss 100 FM from the default station Capital. Kiss wanted to market themselves to the young, free and daring London crowd, so Naked created a highly interactive campaign, involving brands such as Subway, and embracing the summer with events in parks. This drew in many new listeners and secured their presence in the radio sector. 

The Warholiser

The aim was to encourage new faces to visit the Tate Modern, and Naked Communications did this by utilising the broad appeal of Andy Warhol's art. The medium of the internet was not around during Wahol's time, but Naked claim that they believe Warhol would have embraced it, and that it was the best way of reaching a wide audience. 

The micro-site allowed viewers to upload their photograph and have it transformed into a Marilyn Monroe style piece. The user even got their own 15 minutes of fame on the home page once they uploaded their photo. More than 10 thousand people uploading onto the site, creating a new buzz about the Tate Modern. 

Cactus Kid Episode Three

Mother have created an on going campaign for Oasis soft drinks with the Cactus Kid storyline. It all seems a bit bizarre, but Oasis are targeting those who don't want to drink regular water, making the cactus an appropriate idea.

What I like most about this campaign is that viewers are encouraged to get involved by voting on the final part of the storyline on a website set up for the campaign (see link below). Mother have created two possible endings, and only the viewer can decide. This is such clever marketing, as it creates a buzz about the drink and gets viewers onto the website where there are even more opportunities for visual promoting.

Above is episode three, but take a look at the others! The website keeps viewers updated on the story so far and has fantastic visual effects. As a website, it is easy to navigate whilst keeping it interesting with movement and the soundtrack of the advert. All this enhances the fun, care free and quite rebellious nature that Oasis want to portray through their products. 

www.runcactuskidrun.com 

PSP Twisted Faces

TBWA London have a created a comical advertisement for the new PSP, using characters Milo and Maria. I have no idea how they went about producing this, but it is so cleverly done that it looks real! It just shows how endless the possibilities are with technology available today. 

Hide & Seek

In my opinion, the Orange brand has one of the strongest identities around at present, and they have particularly successful TV advertising that captures a wide target market. 'Hide & Seek' is one of my favourite Orange adverts because of the clever animation and intruiging story line. I particularly like how even though there is no explanation as to why the socks are playing hide and seek, the music and the 'look' of the advert instantly say 'Orange'. 

Wieden and Kennedy London were the creatives behind this advert, which I found on www.eatpes.com, a really good website with quirky videos. If you are interested in animation and digital effects this website will definitely interest you!

Nike Mayfly

The Spin have created an interesting idea for the advertising of the new Nike Mayfly trainer, which completely compliments the important features of the product. They have printed onto a 38G thermal blanket to portray the light weight and fragile nature of the new trainer. The shoe is designed to be light weight for sprinting short distances rather than long distance running. The simplicity of the idea encapsulates the visual identity of Nike, keeping to black, sans serif type, with the tick logo quite discreetly at the bottom. The brand is so well known, they do not need to be too loud about the logo if it does not enhance the design. 

Chrissie Macdonald

Here is another example of Chrissie Macdonalds work, where she has used catalogues to create beautiful and intricate pieces. It just shows how such mundane objects can be used to create something very complex and beautiful. 

Harvey Nichols Cat Fight

Another successful campaign from DDB UK, showing the comical side to the lengths fashion conscious women will go to find the best bargains. The cat fight image is definitely my favourite!

Harvey Nichols Fashion Statement

DDB UK have successfully portrayed Harvey Nichols commitment to high impact fashion with this campaign, whilst keeping it accessible for all language barriers (this was key as it was to be run in the UK and Asia). I find the campaign comical whilst combining sleek photography to emphasise the designer clothing. 

Martyn James Brooks

Brooks is a brilliant photographer, particularly in my eyes for his collection 'Painting With Light'. The last two images are examples from this. His website states 'Every image has been created on camera, and no post-processing or digital manipulation has been used'. I find this fascinating and would love to know how he created these effects (when I find out I will post it up!) Within his travel collection I found these montages of Las Vegas and Los Angeles that were produced for Orange Mobile. Montages were used to capture the fast, sun bleached life of LA that Orange were looking for. 

Serge Seidlitz

I am a huge fan of Serge Seidlitz, an illustrator who has built a large and reputable client base, including Vodaphone, MTV, Match.com, NME magazine and TopGear. He studied Graphic Design at the Camberwell college London, and now boasts awards such as 'The Best of British Contemporary Illustration 2006'. Just one visit to his website shows he has a very unique and intruiging style that can be utilised for many different clients. I love the Vodaphone map of the world, as it is so intricate it can hold a viewers interest for ages. In my opinion, Seidlitz strength lies within the creation of characters, which you can see he has done a lot of for MTV. 

www.sergeseidlitz.com

Unseen Africa

Pieter Hugo is a South African photographer who has won prizes for his distressing images of some of the continents most marginal people. Hugo was born in South Africa, yet being white he has encountered similar experiences of being labelled an outcast, similarly to the subjects of his photography. I found an article on the Guardian website, where Hugo explains he is drawn 'to that which we do not want to look at, be it the old or the terminally ill or the marginalised'. 

Hugo's best known work includes the project above; 'The Hyena & Other Men' and 'Looking Aside', but Hugo has also explored matters such as Aids victims in their coffins and mass slaughter in Rwanda. Although his images are unsettling, I cannot help but be drawn to them, particularly because I see them as very stark and honest. It is very inspirational to see a photographer documenting real life and creating awareness of people in society that are generally overlooked. 

The Hyena Men of Nigeria are a feared group, who live on the edge of society, creating havoc, and also entertainment with wild animals; hyenas, snakes and monkeys. Hugo tracked them down and photographed them before and after their 'circus' type acts, witnessing much cruel treatment of the animals, as well as the experience of living with a group that society feared. I would highly recommend reading the Guardian article about Pieter Hugo and his experiences with the Hyena Men as well as his accomplishments. The link is posted below.

www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/july/20/photography.southafrica

Made of Bricks

I found Chrissie Macdonald's work through the Peepshow Collective web page, where I discovered she had created the artwork for Kate Nash's debut album 'Made of Bricks'. I find the fun, eclectic style of this artwork very complimentary to Kate Nash's musical persona, as she embraces a more 'retro' look that has become fashionable within particular musical genres today.

The busyness of each scene reminds me of the old Victorian style dolls houses where each little object was collected and added to build an imaginary family home (like Sylvanian Families... does anyone remember them?!). I think the use of 2D cut outs adds to this idea, creating a layered look that reminds me a lot of Hannah Hoch and various other artists who specialised in photomontage. 

I would recommend visiting Chrissie Macdonald's website to look at her other artworks that include 'Wonderland Fukasawa' (featured in Creative Review) and one of my other favourites; 'Catalogues'. Chrissie Macdonald applies her own unique twist to each piece, making her design work distinctive and recognisable.  

www.chrissiemacdonald.co.uk