Prairie Gardens

This is a label sticking out of a potted plant at Prairie Gardens. I was drawn to it because of the flower photograph that was cut and used as a dress. I believe this is a very unique idea for an advertisement for a plant. It is connecting gardening with fashion and makes gardening seem "cool." I also enjoy the use of color and dynamic lines.

Mills Breast Cancer

I was at Carle for an appointment with the doctor when I studied the Mills Breast Cancer wall designs. The typography is to be expected (traditional, probably Times, serif, calming and trustworthy and all that), but what caught my eye was the use of materials. I like how the type is white on glass over wood. It's so elegant. Use of materials is kind of a second thought to most designers, but when materials are used in an unexpected way, it makes very expected designs to a new level.

Best Buy

I went to Best Buy to get a chip for my camera (which I use for these blogs) so that I can hold more pictures. This is the chip I got-plus the design on the blister pack is nice! You can't really see it in this picture but I really like how in the background is a camera with lower opacity. I thought it was in interesting way to have a camera picture in there. You know what you're buying because there is a camera in the design but it isn't too obvious. I also thought the color choices were well made. However, now that I look at it, the lower right is a little too heavy compared to the upper left-although the isolation of the logo emphasizes it so you know what brand you're looking at right away.

TSI

I was doing errands around town and got turned around. I chose the Tile Specialists, Inc. parking lot to turn around in and liked the lit up sign on the building. The "Tile Specialists" part I could do without, the type is very close to brush script and overdone. However, I enjoyed the logo on the top. I thought it was creative how the i was attached to the t in a unifying way and the s is slightly bigger than the other two letters. And guess what, the line connecting the i and t makes a tile! There are a lot of logos for local businesses that are mediocre, but this one was an interesting solution.

A Healthy Snack

I found these packages of pistacios at Kroger in Bloomington when I was visiting a friend. I thought it amusing that the two packages-one modern but maybe a little more formal, and the other very cartoony and humorous, on the same shelf. I doubt there is much of a difference between the two products-I'm sure when people decide to buy pistacios here they decide which one to get based on which package they like. Both these designs are unique and successful. The more serious one is very centered and the type is modern. The black stripe that thins down the middle might suggest a thin waist and therefore on a subconscious level get people to buy the product because they think it would be a good snack on their diet (it's no lie-nuts are a great way to get good fats and avoid carbs). The more humorous package is fun and eye catching. I'm assuming the pistachio characters were hand-drawn and traced in Illustrator, which makes the design very friendly. Again, the font is appropriate, there is good use of white space so the composition is not too cluttered, and there is clear emphasis in the middle.

The Bridge-CU

This billboard on the corner of Duncan and Springfield-I love love love! It is such a simple, no frills message about joining a religious group. It says it like it is-it is a meeting ground to start over, to find a path. No doughnuts. No childcare offered. No over the top building. No free confessions (okay, well maybe that one). Just a place for fellowship and God. The type is great-I normally would frown at such a long phrase being in all caps but it says to me, this is important. Read me.

Team

This sign was posted just outside Carpenter's Local 44. I was taking a walk because it has been so nice out and noticed the sign because it was black and white. I wasn't necessarily crazy about the overall layout but I loved the black crowd used as a backdrop for the white word team. I think that is so creative. Now that I look at it again, though, I kind of like the font also. Usually a sign like this would have a more overused, cliche font like brush script. I can't peg what font this is and I say that's great.