Design Debate

I stumbled across this wonderful collection of vintage sweet potato labels at UPPERCASE and couldn't resist sharing them. Bold lettering, wonderfully unapologetic colour and playful illustration turn something as humble as a sweet potato into a proper little brand. Many of these old American crate labels use the words ‘yam’ and ‘sweet potato’ side by side. There is a reason for that. In the 1930s, Louisiana growers began marketing their soft, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes nationally as ‘Louisiana yams’, helping to distinguish them from other varieties. The name stuck, which explains why both terms appear so often in vintage packaging. As a graphic designer, I love seeing labels like these together. Different brands have their own personalities, but there is a wonderful visual language running through them: chunky typography, bright blocks of colour, illustrations, badges and ...

Every year at Pickle Design we create a calendar to send to our clients. We tend to settle on a theme, turn it into an A2 poster and then spend the year unpacking it a little further. For 2019 we delved back into packaging's past and illustrated twelve British cupboard classics. I often use the computer to create vector illustrations, but this time I picked up my pen and started scribbling. Packaging has always fascinated me. We see these tins, boxes, jars and bottles every day without really looking at them, but once you start studying the details there is so much going on: colour, lettering, illustration, shape and all those little things that make a brand instantly recognisable. Lyle's Golden Syrup was a perfect place to start. When we researched the tin we discovered just how little its familiar green and gold appearance had changed over the years. Even when the details of packaging evolve, it is amazing how a colour, shape o...

    Ooo these look lovely. I love a vintage car, they just encourage you to gaze, to stare and appreciate every line and curve. The beauty of these drawings is that they invite you to stay a while longer and take in every inch of the craftsmanship and skill.  Italian artist and photographer Alessandro Paglia has really captured the spirit of these classic pieces of design, all through hours of detailed pen work. His subjects range from a 1937 Bugatti Atlantic Type 57 to a 1970 Lamborghini Miura.  More than photography, Paglia's drawings are hyper-real making use of the paper's texture and creating artworks that go beyond black and white.  originally found at The Cool Hunter . 

1887 Men on the edge - Glacier Point above Yosemite Valley 1871 The Annie, reportedly the first ever boat launched on Yellowstone Lake  1899 Tourists driving along Yellowstone River  Have you explored Retronaut ? Its a website that I can loose a few hours in. I just love old photographs, something about the real people in them with real stories. The costumes so elaborate, the joy, the tragedy, some feel so very familiar and others shockingly different. c.1900 The Geyser Basins at Yellowstone 1911 Tourist camp at Mt. Rainer National Park 1903 Two ladies slide down a snow covered slope in Yosemite What sparked my interest today was a collection of photographs of the first American National Parks. Of course this land was very much inhabited by Native Americans, but the tourist didn't really enter these breath taking space until the 1860s. It was President Woodrow Wilson who paved the way for the first National Parks and brave intrepid explorers set ab...

Yes it may be a new year but I'm looking back, to the original Star Wars. Did any of you catch the new movie, really good! I was looking through some of my favourite blogs this morning and I came across some brilliant pictures of the original cast and crew at Miss Moss . Do head there for more but these in particular I think are great shots.  Not only does making this film look like great fun but the cast really seem like a team. The black and white shots are beautiful and its no surprise to me how Harrison Ford just looks really cool in every one. A major part of my childhood and I am so glad its back.