Word + Image

A picture is worth a thousand words.  Often, this statement is understood to be quite true.  A freestanding, text free image can be extremely powerful.  While the image can range anywhere from a simple doodle, a large billboard advertisement, to a massive building sized mural, it has the ability to capture a person's attention, as well as convey messages that can be quaintly elusive or startling in its clarity.  In the image above, a small child looks upon the form of a flying spacecraft painted on the surface of a public wall.  The whimsical spacecraft is further enhanced by the playful use of light and shadow.  There are no words to be found, but the image is thought provoking and interesting.  In this particular case, the image does not need the use of text and words.

In this second image, a picture of a McDonalds billboard, text is also not a necessity. Also designed with an innovative use of light and shadows, this billboard is able to convey to its viewers wonderful suggestions for breakfast every hour from 6am to 11am.  Again, the message that the designers intended with this billboard is clear and does not need text convey its meaning.  However, found in the lower, left hand corner is the McDonalds logo above their well known slogan "I'm lovin' it".  Although this text is not a necessity in regards to this advertisement, it does play a supporting role to the actual ad.  It's presence here in the ad serves to further suggest to the viewer that these breakfast items would be a good choice.  The image itself is powerful enough that the words only appear as supplementary elements.

This is not the case for all images.  There are many others found in society today that without the aid of written word would be highly confusing, and thus, unsuccessful in conveying whatever message it was anticipated to deliver.  In another advertisement, this time done by Formula brand toothpaste, words are a necessity.  If the image were to be freestanding of any text, the image, although highly entertaining, would be hard to understand outside of its aesthetic qualities.  Word and image both can stand alone, but sometimes they must work together to have the best results.  With that said, I will leave you with one last image in which I feel would not be successful at all if the text were to be eliminated.  Enjoy.

Superman's new kicks

Although I have never been a devout follower of comics, I have always appreciated the designs of many that have been produced.  Thousands of characters, places, and events have been created in the world of comics, but only some have achieved fame of epic proportions.  One such figure is the ever cherished Superman.  Not only is he nigh unbeatable, he has a strong sense and understanding of morals and is portrayed as tall, dark, and handsome.  His iconic dark locks and chiseled features are easily recognizable to any person with a basic knowledge of superheros, but in a new turn of events, Clark Kent is being revamped.  In a graphic novel based on the days of his youth, he is trading in his side-swept hair, glasses, and button down shirts for low-cut pants, messy locks, and hooded sweatshirts.


Graphic novelist J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis are retelling the superhero's origin story.  Understandably, this is not a new storyline by any means and in order for a successful retelling, their work has needed to find a different avenue to entice followers.  Superman's new kicks, and subsequent makeover give the novel an aura of innovation. By giving Mr. Kent a new and modern look, they are manufacturing a new character with an old history.  Fans of the Superman comics will be able to re-experience the beginnings of a favored hero while enjoying a different style of artwork.  It is hard to say whether or not these changes will be profitable, but in a comparison of current trends, this edgier version of Clark Kent may be exactly what the masses are looking for. Characters like Stephanie Meyer's shockingly handsome Edward Cullen have swept the world into a frenzy, and the results of Kent's makeover shares striking resemblances to the teen vampire.  This new look may be zeitgeist.  Perhaps the adoration of dark, brooding figures has influenced Straczynski and Davis in their work.  Maybe they are simply seeking to deviate from the style of the original series in order for their works to be appreciated in its entirety.  All I know is that Superman is younger, darker, and a lot more stylish.  He may not be the hero that i grew up with, but as this is a story of his origins, maybe he just hasn't yet become the iconic figure known today.  This new look is not a replacement for the original comic series, but how will avid followers of the Superman comics react?  

In the olden days, we just used our hands...

Imagine that you are out in the wild and the unrelenting sun is beating its searing hot rays down upon you.  Your thirst is nigh unquenchable but luckily, you come across a stream.  Immediately, you fall upon your knees, cup your hands in the water, and bring the cool, refreshing liquid to your parched mouth.  Now open your eyes.  The chances are slim that this will ever happen to you and if you are out in the wilderness, rather than hunt for that ever elusive stream, you will most likely slip your hand to your pack and pull out a water bottle.

Simple, lightweight containers that are capable of porting liquids around without the worry of spillage, water bottles are often purchased, used, and then thrown away or hopefully recycled.  People use them daily, but are they appreciated for more than what they are tasked to do?  Water bottles today take on various different shapes and have been designed and redesigned many times. They vary in size and form depending upon the amount of water you wish to port but the standard 0.5L bottle is one of the most common of sizes being toted around today.  While it does not carry the recommended amount of water for daily consumption, its compact size and ergonomic designs make for the greatest selling points.  The Arrowhead brand water bottle, for instance, stands just shy of 8 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches at its widest point.  At about a thirds way up from the bottom, the shape of the bottle curves slightly inward before it slopes back up to its dominant width.  By incorporating this curve, the thickness of the bottle attains a girth that is directly proportional to the curve of the human hand.  The decreased size of this part of the bottle is designed so that the fingers and thumb may comfortably wrap around the bottle.  In conjunction, the continuation of the curve back to its dominant width serves as a stopper for the hand from slipping up the length of the bottle, much like a cross-guard on a sword.  The bottle itself has several indented ridges that circulate horizontally in a repetitive manner giving the bottle some much desired texture.  Since the medium used for this bottle is plastic, the indented areas make for tactile texture that the smooth plastic would otherwise have lacked.  There are many features to be found in this water bottle, but there is great harmony in its composition.  Every contour serves a purpose and comes together to form an aesthetically pleasing and useful item.  It is simply amazing how far the ways in which we may drink water have developed.  We still have the natural cups of our hands but have simply added the water bottle to our arsenal.  

Interaction of content and form in Objectified

There are many items that people as a whole disregard daily and with ease.  The everyday products that we use, items that surround us, and things that we would never spare more than a thought or a passing glance at, meld into the background that is life.  Though seemingly unimportant in the grand scale of things, how they came to be and what form they take today is often overlooked and understated in their quality.  After watching the film, Objectified, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit, I came to understand how innocuous day to day items are actually products of extensive research and design.

A simple object such as a vegetable peeler, for instance, has come a long way from its initial creation.  The image to the left is an example of a peeler that I myself used to own.  This item was able to perform its function of skinning my vegetables, but the successful usage of the product was always shadowed by the unpleasant design of the handle.  Comprised of a thin metal bar molded into the silhouette of a handle, with the peeler attached to one end and secured via a small bolt or locking mechanism on the other end, nothing about this product spoke of comfort.  The handle did not conform particularly well with the natural curve and shape of a persons hand when gripping the item.  Although the item was able to perform its proposed function, the form in which it was designed was ill conceived.  Understanding the purpose of such simple items is important.  The goal of the designer was to create something that assisted in peeling vegetables.  The content or significance of the item was perceived, and ultimately achieved.  In this case and with many others, however, the form in which the designer gave it did not correspond well with the content.  The designer did not take into consideration who might be using this product and for how long a period of time.  Anyone ranging from a young child learning how to cook, an elderly person with arthritic hands, or a chef cooking for a large mess hall with hundreds of potatoes to skin could come across this product.  In this initial design, the interaction between the content and the form was unsuitable, but luckily, the vegetable peeler has come a long way from this grisly piece of metal.  Comfortable, easy to grip handles can now be found at your local grocers.


This is only an example of a singular item that can be and has been improved. Today, it has been recognized that the form of an object ties in directly with the successful design of any product.  Let us hope that the future of design continues with this ideal in mind and products like the one above may be improved, or never have been made to begin with.

The Legend of the Scarecrow

The Legend of the Scarecrow from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

In my recent travels through the world wide web, I came across The Legend of the Scarecrow.  It is a short animated film about the life of a lone scarecrow.  Although it is in a language that I cannot understand a single word of, it was because of this film that I was reminded that design need not be only in English.  In the overall scheme of things, design is a universal language.

Carlos Lascano, the creator of this short film, is a multi-faceted artist who has successfully combined several different forms of art and come out with his own techniques and styles that are amazing to view.  Through the combined use of animation, vivid facial expressions, music, and an expressive narrator, The Legend of the Scarecrow was born.  In my own personal experience, the narration remains a mystery to me, but the other elements of his film tell a great story.  The life of the scarecrow is shown in vivid detail.  It's despair at the obvious hostility and fear that the birds have for him serve as a great starting point for this story.  As the time passes, you begin to understand why the birds have such reservations for him.  Lascanos is able to portray this in the scene with the fallen bird.  Using images of a ferocious scarecrow, it is implicit that this is the view in which the birds have of him.  This feeling of negativity is furthered when the citizens of the town gather to destroy the demonic scarecrow.  Ultimately, the scarecrow is torn down, but his death is only a thorn in his side in comparison to the scarecrows own personal devastation.  His want to be wanted is agonizing and only in his death does it seem that he may be missed.

Lascano's ability to deliver such a heartfelt story in this finite amount of time is a great feat.  Through his images, I was able to comprehend the subtle changes in the scarecrow as time passed.  The narration was there, but it was not necessary.  It was a language in which I could see and understand.

To view more of Carlos Lascano's work, go to http://www.carloslascano.com/carloslascano/works.html

Compare and Contrast

In a world full of artists, the interpretation of a person's work varies from viewer to viewer.  To a certain degree, it generally depends on the preferences of the audience.  For example, the work of the graffiti artist is often disregarded as a true art form.  In most cases, it is looked upon as an act of vandalism; it is a destructive mode in which street artists mark a particular piece of public property.  In the images to the left, it is easy to understand why graffiti is associated with such negative connotations.  Although each individual signature of the artist appears stylized and unique, the method in which it was executed seems crude and uncultured.  There is seemingly no structure to the design.

Compared with this next image, the level of thought put into this piece can be discerned in a heartbeat.  While it is comprised of basic line structures, much like the signatures of the aforementioned graffiti art in images one and two, the actual establishment of a recognized structure serves to elevate this particular piece to a higher set of standards.  A single point perspective leading off into the right hand corner of the image gives the staircase a sense of depth. It is additionally tricky in that the actual surface of the piece changes from one wall to the floor at a 90 degree angle.  The artist would then have had to adjust his sight lines to accommodate this change in order to retain the optical illusion of a three dimensional staircase.  Sadly, this piece may still be considered a blemish upon the walls of the subway station, but it is understandably easier to overlook that fact and  enjoy the intriguing aesthetic qualities. It may simply be that the level of skill and thought processes displayed in the making of the piece correlates directly to its rise in opinion.  With the increase in technique, complimented with a well thought out design, graffiti art begins to take on an entirely different aspect of the genre.  Whilst the artwork still retains the qualities that exemplify graffiti art, it loses the negative connotations of the stereotypical baser works seen in abundance.  



In this last image, graffiti style art can be looked upon as great works of creative design.  As you can see, this particular piece envelops many basic concepts in art and design.  There is a thorough understanding of light and shadow; shape and form; and color theory.  With each curve of what appears to be a dragon, white highlights are visible gracing strategic areas in representation of a light source hitting the surface of the animal.  The form of the animal itself is highly stylized, but easily recognizable.  As for color, the usage of cool colors on the wide face of the building gives the image and appealing nature whilst joining the piece together.  While being a technical masterpiece, this work still retains the bold, edgy style found in all graffiti art.  That being said, graffiti can definitely be considered a higher form of art.  All that is needed to become a good graffiti artist is a combination of thought put into its creation, some technical skills, and personal style.  Style and skill greatly differs with each artist, but it is not entirely difficult to become a respectable practitioner of the art. 

With that said, I would like to leave you with this short film by Blu, an artist from Buenos Aires.  What is interesting is that he covers earlier works of graffiti with his own.  In this case, do you consider his works a similar desecration of the public wall, or an amazing sample of design genius?

Design as a conversation

Conversations can take place at any time, anywhere.  It can exist between two close friends or the most unlikely individuals possible.  It is a process in which information is shared or exchanged.   It is not limited to the verbal word. In this context, a simple design can serve as a conversation of epic proportions.  Something as simple as an advertisement, or as grand scale as a giant billboard has the ability to convey information in the space of seconds.  As you drive down the boulevard, the time allotted to viewing a billboard is often reduced to the span of mere seconds, resulting in short, to the point designs that are either highly effective, or not.

In 2009, I came across an advertising battle between the luxury brand car names Audi and BMW, that to this day has served as an inspiration to good design.  Located on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Beverly Glen Blvd, Audi directly challenged BMW with an advertisement for the new Audi A4.  This ad featured a black model of the A4, with the accompanying text, "Your move, BMW".  BMW immediately responded to this virtual chess match by featuring its own billboard, a classic white model of the BMW, with the singular phrase "Checkmate".  The campaign for this advertisement was positioned within the same sight line of those driving along the boulevard, making the communication between both pieces highly engaging, and extremely effective.  Few words were exchanged, but the message conveyed to the audience in this specific circumstance, that BMW was the leading luxury car is unmistakable.

The conversation of this particular design is one of the many examples of how effective design can be.  It can be seemingly simple, but communicate much more information than most will come to expect. Whether it is a simple grouping of text, or a singular image juxtaposed with another, design is a language that can be understood by many and it is everywhere.