one part truth, two parts mixer

A little bit of fizz

I'm glad I didn't make a new year's resolution to blog more, because I would have failed quite miserably. I hope you haven't missed me, but I've been settling into a new job and working hard and neglecting my blog. 

Sadly I don't have any great insight to come back to you with, but some awesome packaging. I was obsessed with retro graphics when I started this blog, but haven't see any for a while. Liked this from Schweppes, but I'm more interested in how we can bring the retro-graphics style back without fully going back in time (in a design sense):
 

Make it hot

I was searching for some vintage Versace prints today (the chain one) and came across this unbelievably dope early 90s Versace advert. I wish I had the wardrobe to dress like this:

Found on Zone7Style

Words and pictures

Even though print is dead, I still harbour a dream of setting up a paper magazine, despite the trees. This is because magazines are lovely. Look at this lovely DPS from sixties magazine London Life.

via Creative Review

Cover stars

 
I've been going through my del.icio.us links over the last couple of weeks as I put together a Blurb book of all the stuff I bookmarked but never got round to reading (not my idea, but I can't remember who I stole it from - sorry). Like revisting Flickr faves, I came across some nice sites with examples of good book jacket design, which I thought I'd share. The images above are from The Book Cover Archive, but you should also check out the Penguin section of the Ace Jet 170 blog. Please share any sites that you know of, book design is an uber-love of mine.

Lovely lovely

I'd never come across the work of Herbert Leupin before, but it is really lovely. I'm quite smittened (sic).

via The Style Press, more images here

West-fiield

So, we have a new luxury shopping mall as we officially enter recession. I haven't been to the Westfield mall, and I'm not really interested in doing so. Apparently they aren't very kid-friendly, which immediately puts me off, plus all the shops I'm interested in have branches much closer to me.

The reason I'm writing about Westfield is because I remember reading a comment in Campaign about how unsuitable the logo is. I quite like it, but mainly because it looks like it should be a logo for a fifties cigarette brand.

Tools of beauty

Who knew brochures for power tools could be so lovely? Pics from the photostream of Depression Press, my new favourite place to waste time.
 

Celebrating the trivial

Kim Plowright's talk at Interesting was in part about vacuum cleaners and featured the best user interface ever:

If only Scouse had a remote control like this! Photo by David.

The bigger picture that Kim was talking about - and great word - was rhopography, which is the study of the overlooked and everyday. I really love the thought that the unassuming objects which fill our lives can be just as interesting as big historical events.

Artists impression

I think my calling in life is to return all communications to hand drawn ones. I also love the fact that the selling point is 'fragrant', a term that is woefully underused.

Why doesn't media look like this anymore?

Sigh. And they all have amazing names too.

I wonder if you could restore brands like this. How much fun would it be to bring a slice of old world glamour to our glossy newsstands? I want to be the editor of The Sphere.

Images are from here and here.