Design : Branding

I am not a frequent fast food eater, and was never partial to KFC, but I do remember when the name of the franchises started shortening, dropping the letters that described the food they were actually selling. It puzzled me at the time, but then I started thinking about the connotations those descriptors put forth. I was even more puzzled when I noticed the letters coming back. Last month my local KFC was reincarnated as a Kentucky Fried Chicken. What is going on? Describe the branding process of a company like KFC and what they have to consider in terms of their customers. Why did they change? Why did they change back? Think about any other companies that have gone through this sort of transformation. Does the power lie in the board room or in the hands of the consumer?

Art History : Appropriation

Every quarter someone asks me why it is necessary for an art student to study art history. Aside from the fact that "art" appears in both phrases, interest in the past, even the past of their own field, alludes them. I have begun collecting examples of art historical references in everyday life to try to counter this apathy. I've included two examples, but there are hundreds more. Grab your camera and walk around SF, or the city of your choice, with your eyes open to the past. Examples can be found on signs, posters, bus shelters, etc. Bonus points for identifying the source and uploading a photo of that as well.

Design : Type

A few months ago, Wired magazine ran a feature called "Very Short Stories". The premise was based on a 6-word story written by Ernest Hemingway. Each of the "stories" in Wired was designed by a prominent typographer. Check out the article and create your own 6-word story. Lay out the type to reflect the feel of the story.

Design : Concept

With the fall of the Atkin's diet, people started looking beyond carbs for fulfillment, both nutritional and spiritual, and the Bible Bar was created. This product appeals to two overlapping audiences- those with health concerns and those wanting to stay closer to the "good word". Using this as the starting point, design a bar or supplement that targets a specific clientele. The primary concern should be nutrition, but the secondary should be tapping a unique market. Outline the characteristics of your audience and upload a comp of the package design.

Design : Target Audience

Thumbing through the East Bay Express a few weeks ago, an advertisement for the new Camel cigarette (No. 9) fell out. The packaging is clearly designed for a specific market. The design of the packaging even mimics the color palette, name and typography of another type of product. Whose product is this and who is the target audience? Upload an image of it and compare and contrast the advertising, audience and purpose of these two products.

Design : Concept

I just received a postcard from my parents. As I was trying to decipher my mother's handwriting, my eyes wandered to the stamp. She chose a commemorative stamp celebrating 75 years of aviation. This feat is represented using the figure of Icarus. What is the story of Icarus and why is this a strange conceptual choice for the designers?
Extra points: redesign the stamp using a more appropriate concept.

Design : Ethics

Over the last few quarters the subject of plagiarism has been a constantly recurring topic. Written plagiarism (or accidentally cutting and pasting from Wikipedia) is much easier to see, but what about design plagiarism? Below are two published images. The first is an illustration by Michael Schwab from a campaign promoting recycling. The second is an advertisment for wallcoverings. While the image from the first is clearly used in the image from the second, does this count as plagiarism? Describe why or why not. Feel free to add any examples that you have found to this posting.

Design Scout

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