ogilvy on advertising

David MacKenzie Ogilvy, (June 23, 1911–July 21, 1999), was a notable advertising executive. He has often been called “The Father of Advertising.” In 1962, Time called him “the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry."

Design notes: After I set the text I noticed that the computer took control of the typography again, and didn't give me a "printer's quote".



On a macintosh you have to hold the "ctrl" key down and then type the apostrophe.

Unfortunately, in the fast paced world of today, designers are used to letting old school typographic standards slide (especially in web page design) but they still stand out as good craftsmanship and attention to detail in my mind.

Notice that even in this paragraph of text "printer's" quotes are sometimes “used.”

Font: Helvetica Neue 75 Bold

charles fillmore

This quote reminds of another quote by Mencius.
“Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart.”

I try to remember this when designing, and why I chose this profession.

Charles Fillmore (August 22, 1854 – July 5, 1948), born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, founded Unity, a church within the New Thought movement, with his wife, Myrtle Page Fillmore, in 1889. He became known as an American mystic for his contributions to metaphysical interpretations of Biblical scripture.

Design Notes: I don't know the name of it... but I was inspired by the old tape / alphabet guns. If anyone knows the name of this contraption... let me know :-)

Font: Helvetica Neue 45 Light

9/11 Anniversary

Having grown up in New York, I can't help but think about family, friends, loved ones... and I give thanks.

This quote (and others) reminds me how misunderstood the teachings of Islam (and other religions) have become.

It is a good example of a "pun" used frequently in advertising.

Recently, for a project I was working on... I was invited to attend Friday Prayers at a local mosque.

This experience was excellent in that .... It helped me get out of my comfort zone and break down preconceived ideas I had of the Muslim Community. I found it both educational and enlightening.

It reminds me of the quote by Walter Hagen: "Don 't hurry. Don't worry. You're only here for a short visit. So don't forget to stop and smell the roses."

Muhammad also known as Mohammed, his full name was...

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Ibn Abd al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim,

was said to be born in c. 570, and died on the June 8, 632.

He was born in Mecca and died in Medina, both in the Hejaz region of present day Saudi Arabia. Muhammad is the founder of Islam and the Muslim community.


Design Notes: I rotated the name "-Mohammad" to put more emphasis on the quote and create a focal point.

inspiration

This design was originally created as a postcard. I can't help but think that it would be a great gift to give someone anonymously.

Design Notes: The asterisk is a symbol or metaphor of a human form.

Font: Helvetica Neue 85 Heavy

yoda

Philosophers come in all shapes, sizes and color.

Design Notes: I used two different fonts for "contrast".

Helvetica Neue "85 Heavy" and "45 Light".

yes

While touring Girvin Design... I noticed a piece created by Tim. It simply said Yes.

Now I know this design is totally the opposite of how he perceived the word. Due to the "calligraphic" nature of the lettering... (I could feel what he was trying to express through the ink.)

However, as simple as this piece may be and remembering... Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s “Less is more”, a phrase that became the focus of minimalist design principles...

Maybe it's just right.

Design Notes: I felt that the way the loop or finial of the "e" and "s" didn't suffice. So I manipulated it.

Font:Helvetica Neue 95 Black.

-g

dreams

This idea of piling up everything came to me in my sleep. Not sure what it says about me :-)

Design notes: It is all of the latest designs piled up into one. My dream gave me a large solid black area to knock out a quote in, but while working on it... the final quote didn't come to me.

I simply enjoy looking at it as "texture".

It somewhat reminds me of Harold Balaz' work and what the Swiss Architects Herzog and De Meuron do with "tags".

John & Paul & Ringo & George

I think this shirt by Experimental Jetset is brilliant...

I'm sure the Beatles concur.

-g

Six Times Over

I was inspired by the use of "Rhythm" in Swiss designs.

Title: "I Love You, Six Times Over".

Design Notes: Notice I had to go to a subset of 1/8" on the grid. It worked out nice.

Font: Helvetica Neue 75 Bold

heaven on earth

I know the Swiss Style is about readability... but this quote just wanted to be unreadable, driving home the point Jesus was trying to make.

It's all right here, if we just open our eyes.

Enough said.
-g

buddha quote

This is a quote by Siddhārtha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. He was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the founder of Buddhism. He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain.

Buddha means "Awakened one" or "Enlightened one".

This quote inspires and reminds me to watch my thoughts.

Design notes: I liked the way the "counter space" (the white space or shape in the middle of the lower case "a" in What... lines up with the horizontal grid line.

Font: Helvetica Neue 75 Bold

Old vs the New

Old vs the New:

One of the best firms currently producing Swiss Style design in my opinion in Experimental Jetset from the Netherlands. They produced the theater poster to the lower left, and as you can see break tradition and put their spin on the Swiss Style.

The other poster was produced by David Stempel for the D. Stempel AG (Type Foundry). Is a perfect example of the International Typographic Style.

David Stempel (1869-1927) founded the foundry on January 15 1895 at Frankfurt am Main.

The foundry fast became one of the biggest German foundries. Shares of other foundries were bought, so the resources constantly grew. In the early 1900s, Stempel developed an exclusive relationship with Linotype, becoming one of just a few producers of matrices for the Linotype Machine worldwide. In 1985, Stempel became part of the German Linotype AG corporation.

More About the Typeface: Helvetica

Helvetica mentioned earlier... was developed by Max Miedinger with Edüard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland.


In the late 1950s, the European design world saw a revival of older sans-serif typefaces such as the German face Akzidenz Grotesk.


Haas' director Hoffmann commissioned Miedinger, a former employee and freelance designer, to draw an updated sans-serif typeface to add to their line. The result was called Neue Haas Grotesk, but its name was later changed to Helvetica, derived from Helvetia, the Latin name for Switzerland.


Haas' German parent companies Stempel and Linotype began marketing the font internationally in 1961.
Note: I was born in 1963.

amore

Sept. 3rd
It's my birthday :-)
45 great years.

This design was inspired by my visit to Sayulita, Mexico this summer.

The people there were the most loving and peaceful people I have ever met.

The trip gave me a great sense of appreciation for learning another language. Especially, one as beautiful as Spanish.





Design Notes: I wanted to do a piece that was simple yet had a slight spin on the typography.

I manipulated of the "Lower Stem" of the A to have more "similarity" to the letter forms.

Also, notice the kerning of the "O" to the negative space between the "m" and "r".

powerful beyond measure

This quote by Marianne Williamson reminds me to carry on and try not to trip myself up. Especially, when it comes to the ego talking. Because... the ego wants to say "negative" as well as "positive" things to me. I continually trying to stay on the positive side...



Design notes: Font: Helvetica Neue Bold

This design was inspired by my highlighting / selecting the type. Many Swiss Style designs use rectangular shapes. I think Garrett McFarland's design below shows this well, it was inspired by a previous swiss style design. Notice the shapes in the body text.

everything

I saw this quote on a shirt at the Youth of Unity Retreat called Rendezvous. It was one of the inspirations to create this site and helped me "calm down".

It also reminds me of the Bob Marley tune... Three Little Birds.

In "I AM LEGEND" Will Smith explains Marley's work as.... the infusion of love to music.

It made me wonder, what would happen if...
one infused love with work?

Design notes: Many times something says, "I have to line up." This happened with the T and the L.

Font: Helvetica Neue 97 Black Condensed

i love you

My son, Tyler, requested I create this shirt.
So, from now on... you'll need to quote him on it.

Design notes: The leading is evenly spaced to adhere to the grid. Notice the word "LOVE" floating at the top and bottom of the grid. Yet it is aligned, left and right on the horizontal bar. I manipulated the capital "I" to a lower case "i" as a metaphor.

Font: Helvetica Neue 45 light.

thoreau

One of my favorite quotes by Henry David Thoreau.

Born David Henry Thoreau... July 12, 1817... he was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher.

Design notes: Fonts: Mix of Helvetica Neue. This design may have gotten the best of me, as I was looking at the "negative" space, not so much the grid. In the future I will take more consideration and bow down to the grid.

one love

This quote and the title of a song by Bob Marley... reminds me that we are all one, seeking the same things.

Design notes: The type is set in all lower case. I took liberties in producing the "l". The lower case "l" didn't suffice, so I designed it as a capital for readability. The positioning of the "O" and the "V" abstractly represents a human form.

Font: Helvetica Neue Regular

Change

Mohandas Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement.

This quote reminds me to take responsibility for my actions and lead by example. Which is easier said than done :-)

Design notes: Font: Helvetica Neue 45 Light. The font size was set at 48 pts and the leading is 24 points.

I divided the font size in half and that's how I came up with the 24 points of leading (the space between the lines).

I liked how the tight spacing made the design fit the grid at the top and bottom. Notice the overhanging of the t, y and w to the left. Since the font was designed this way, I decided to let it hang over.

Imagination

I used this quote from Albert Einstein because it reminds me of how a "grid structure" can sometimes seem limiting or possibly "stifle" one's imagination.

Design notes: The grid is 1"x1". Using Adobe Illustrator's grid preferences, I had to go to a subset of 1/8". You can see it at the bottom of the design.

The font "Helvetica" was developed by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann in 1957 at the Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei (Haas type foundry) of Münchenstein, Switzerland.

This design uses Helvetica Neue 97 Black Condensed.

Helvetica... a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which recently celebrated its 50th birthday) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. Helvetica is used profusely in the Swiss Style.

The International Typographic Style

The International Typographic Style, also known as the Swiss Style, is a graphic design style developed in Switzerland in the 1950s that emphasizes cleanliness, readability and objectivity. Hallmarks of the style are asymmetric layouts, use of a grid, sans-serif typefaces like Akzidenz Grotesk, and flush left, ragged right text.

The image above was created by AisleOne. An inspirational resource focused on graphic design, typography, grid systems, minimalism and modernism.