Symbol Disco
Carl Gregg : Sign & SymbolPackaging Inspiration at Smashing Mag
Smashing Packaging
Here is a super article full or some super inspiration regarding packaging meshed with graphic design. If I had to mesh the two, I would have to mesh this way. Mesh away!
Initial Illustrator Comp
Step 1: Sketches, Step 2: Illustrator Comps, courtesy of Carl Gregg. Took some ideas, sketched them out and picked this one after some trial and error. I initially began on paper, looking at the most simple ways to achieve the best result. First, magnets. Quickly concluded that magnets would not be the best or safest route. Second, simply glue and paper. Yes. I want this to be clean, and take up space in a dynamic and realistic way. I’m going to opt out of illustrating anything on the paper but make it as architectually sound as possible. This way I will get a clean result. Finally, I want to use as little pieces as possible so that things fit together nicely, and if they don’t, the viewer can’t detect many flaws. This is not laziness, this is good planning. Write that down.
Corn on the Blog
My food product is corn on the cob, possibly with butter, possibly without. The trick is, how am i going to create corn on the cob the way the Creator did? He probably started out with a vision, translated that vision onto a two dimensional surface in the form of a layout (blueprints if you will), then started folding. He also probably chose the ultimate paper for the project, with real textures and colors. Well, I’m going to attempt this, omitting the final step, because the last time I tried to touch something and make it real, it didn’t. Instead of omniscent tools, I’m going to use an exacto, a cutting board, and possibly spray adhesive, but you have to stay tuned to find out. (Just kidding about the spray adhesive, maybe…)!!!
Headphone Symbol
STEREOTYPE : gangster, punk, emo, ska, sadcore, jazz, classical, country, folk, gospel
FEELING : sound, isolation, comfortable, passion, vibration, hidden, pumped, balance, serene, electronic
TECHNICAL : ipod, playlist, guitar, technology, audio, mp3, volume, radio, ears, noise
Symbol Sketches
The symbols I chose were headphones and a television for obvious reasons. When I die music and t.v. will, sadly, make up 52.9% percent of my life, so you could say I am attatched to these technologies. I also chose them because I thought I could make relatively cool symbols out of these objects because of their distinct shapes and possible metaphors. In the end, I wanted to go with the vintage television but the class betrayed me. I hope you enjoyed that.
Previous symbols displayed were static forms but the one shown for the “West Side Story” uses the same basis but performs an action. You can almost see the next movement the guy is about to make by the way his body is contorted. There is just enough detail in the figure to make him look interesting, but enough simplicity to be called a symbol.
This little piggy is the one that died. The symbol shown is used for a “Twist On America’s Oldest Food” article. I picked it for the individual style and to show that all symbols don’t have to look corny or boring. The shape of the pig is irregular with pointy feet and a prickly tail. All the basic features are created in the white space in the form. Nicely done
Symbol Disco 