The Evolution Of The Box

Being a graphic designer by trade, it’s important to keep up with what’s happening in the design world. It never ceases to amaze me how simple elegant and beautiful design can be. It is also quite amazing how a simple object such as a box can evolve over the years. When I was in school everyone just jumped on the new aesthetic the way most of us kids in the 80′s jumped on the new Air Jordans when they came out. It was astounding how different treatments would change and evolve into something just a little different. How the simplest of shapes would be tweeked to give it a new dynamic. The best place to find examples of this shape evolution is on the internet. Websites are forever reinventing the wheel. The box has been altered so many time over the years. The above example are just a few illustrations of boxes I have used or seen used from the last year of college to now, two years into my professional career. Of course there are so many more examples, too many to show in fact. However as reckless as the box has been used it seems that it’s back to simpler times in design. After looking through the latest issue of Print magazine, I was surprised to see the treatment of the box back as God intended. Four pointed corners, and a solid color, or a thick stroke. It looked peaceful. It looked complete. I found this back to basics approach refreshing and encouraging. For a while design methods were crazy and complicated. A designer pulled out all their tricks just to make an order form or a business card. Now it seems the proper use of type and a simple shape and color do the trick. It’s nice. Another trend that has seem to been given a new sophistication is the gradient. Once deemed as the tell tale sign of a “noobie” who like to use painter, has been resurrected to show depth and life to the simplest forms. However I will save that for another post.

FART………Sorry I was feeling a little pretentious, I needed to bring myself down to earth a bit.

Why should you hurry up and send your orders in for SACKCLOTH?

So I can have the money to get this bad boy printed! It’s like this, we want to have enough money to pay for the next run of shirts so that we can get more designs out for you guys. There are a few ideas I have sketched out and so does Joel but we can’t get them printed until people buy the ones we have for sale now. So those of you that said you were going to buy shirts you can place your orders here. Right now we have like 7 shirts sold for sure with tons of people saying they will buy them but haven’t placed their orders this is your reminder. Let me know what you think of the new design.

This is based on my favorite piece of artwork. The Creation Of Adam from Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. It depicts the personal touch that God gave man. Making him with HIS hands in HIS image.

BAD STUDIO Are My Heros

So about 2 weeks ago I was flipping through Graphic Design America 3 and saw one of the coolest things ever. A company by the name of BAD STUDIO designed a style guide for The Man Of Steel. This guide shows companies how and where to use the logos, patterns, and even Big Blue himself on all sorts of things from T-Shirts to Lunch boxes.

So being the huge fan of good design and Superman of course, I wrote an email to Scott Banks over at BAD STUDIO in Atlanta, GA., telling him how I really liked his work and also the style guide he did for Superman. I also told him that I was a huge fan of Superman and that I would love to have a hard copy for my nerd collection. Within hours of the email Scott replied that he still had some style guides laying around and if he could fine one he would send it my way. So of course I was pumped. So Yesterday I got my style guide in the mail. THANKS SCOTT! It is awesome. Only downside is Scott couldn’t give me the Cds with all the workup files. Understood, but that would have been awesome. Anyway, I just want to thank Scott again for extending his generosity. I really appreciate his time and patience with me. You’re awesome!

Yet Another New Design

This new one comes out of Revelation. Isn’t it amazing that there are creatures in heaven that worship the king 24-7 singing holy holy holy…? This design is to illustrate that and to be a reminder that our King is worthy of such unending praise. This is the last design util after the first run of orders.

New Sackcloth Shirt Up For Sale

This shirt comes from Psalm 140. Another Praise shirt. We should have this one up on the actual site soon.

Would you buy these shirts?

So it’s official, Joel Klampert (CEC Worship) and I are starting our own T-Shirt company. The company will be called sackcloth. The name comes from Psalm 30.

“… You changed my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…”

These shirts were designed with worship in mind. They will be a small test run. Basically we are taking pre orders starting now and if we get enough we’ll get them printed up. Joel and I both agree that we hate paying 20 bucks for a sweet shirt. We also aren’t looking to make a killing off these either. So look for these babies to be about 10 bucks plus shipping depending on printing costs. If you live near one of us then no shipping just 10 bucks. We hope to have a website up soon or just a blog for starters so that you may be able to order through that. It may be a while till that is up and running. So for now a simple comment on this blog or on CEC Worship will put you down for a shirt. After we have enough orders to make a run we will contact you and get shipping addresses. Also different color shirts may be available as well.

Close Up Praise Him Close Up In HIS Splender

Show Your Desk Contest

So like the mudpuppy I too am entering the show your desk contest over on Victor’s site. Some things are similar to the Mudpuppy’s desk because we work at the same place but as you will see there are some different things as well.

1. Picture of me and all my bros at the Navy Pier in Chicago for my Bachelor party.
2. Superman Lamp
3. Engagement picture of me and my wife.
4. Dock for 30GB Video iPod
5. Apple Cinema Display
6. Business Card holder
7. Brain stressball (mostly used for throwing to get the mudpuppy’s attention)
8. 17″ View Sonic Display
9. Crazy wild haired creature made out of cieling fan spare parts. I have no idea who made this and put it on my desk!
10. Conway Freight stainless steel coffee mug.
11. 512MB SanDisk Jump drive
12. Herman Miller Aeron Chair
13. 2005 Mustang GT toy car.
14. Superman Optical Mouse
15. Silent Bob In-Action Figure
16. Superman Action Figure
17. Superman Desk Calender
18. Sony MDR-V150 Dynamic Stero Headphones
19. Apple G5 Computer
20. Stack of Wierd Magazines
21. Pen/pencil/sharpie/calender/thermometer/clock holder thing
22. Far Side Desk Calender
23. Olympus SP-350 8MP Digital Camera
24. 250GB Maxtor External Hard Drive.

I was gonna link all this stuff but that would take FOREVER. So you can look it up.

T-Shirts Anyone?

So it has been my desire for a long time to start my own t-shirt company. I think I could really get into it. I think my designs are pretty fly and think that people would buy them. There are a few things standing in my way though.

1). I need a good screen printer.

2). I need a MAC computer at home to allow me to work on my designs.

3) I need a good designer to be my partner and so we can bounce ideas off one another.

4.) I need customers. People willing to spend their hard earned money wearing something I created.

If anyone can help me out with all or some of these problems that would be wicked awesome and entitle you to a free shirt or two. Also if you are in need of a t-shirt and want me to design one for you or a youth group or whatever let me know. I’m down! Thanks for your help.