Architecture/Places

ALEXANDRA PALACE

This is a brilliant piece of architecture very close to home. Located in North London, Alexandra Palace (commonly known by us locals as 'Ally Pally') boasts one of the most amazing views of London. (unfortunetly the weather wasnt too great when i took these photos, but hopefully you get the idea!)

  

The Palace itself was built in 1873 as a recreational centre, but tragedy struck just sixteen days later and the building went down in flames.
Reconstruction soon started, and on the 1st of May 1875, the new, bigger and better palace was unveiled. Ally Pally is also famous for the first public television transmission in 1936 for the BBC up until 1956.

However, tragedy struck once more and in 1980, the palace caught fire again. Reconstruction began, and the palace that still stands today was finished in 1988. Some of the more superstitious people say the statue of an angel at the top of the dome watches over the palace now and will protect it from flames.

I love the fact that I live so close to the palace as its grounds are a great place to relax, picnic, sunbathe, dog walk etc. And inside the palace there is an ice rink, bar and large hall where raves and gigs have been hosted.
The architectural design itself is beautiful, the large dome and stained glass window make the building unique, and the BBC tower still stands tall. There are also firework displays hosted every year. All in all, its North London's most loved and well used building and grounds which is inspiring for the community.

There is also a recent car advert which shows the great hall and stained glass window which you can view here:



JESTED HOTEL TOWER, Czech Republic

Built in the 1960's, this piece of Space age optimism, described as a 'revolving hyperboloid' was created to show how communist technic

al know-how would bring about a bright socialist future.
Being Rocket shaped, the design was futuristic for its time, and is still a massive tourist attraction, making it similar to the likes of Paris' Eiffel Tower, and therefore becoming a national emblem.
The space theme is continued inside the hotel, with the rooms being described as 'over sized lunar capsules' and hallways containing decorative glass meteorites.
The restaurant within the hotel actually revolves, which inspired many American designers who have taken this idea to the States.
The fact that this hotel is so modern looking in the 21st century is inspiring, as it was created nearly fifty years ago.

ZAANDAM PRISON, Dome Sports hall

In 2006, the Dutch government called out for help from designers to create opportunities for more sport to be played in Prisons. Willem van der Sluis responded to this in a very imaginative and inspiring way.

"Our aim is to create a spacious structure that would capture the feeling of being outdoors instantly, since exercise time for prisone

rs is limited".
The dome structures can be constructed and dismantled easily, allowing them to be moved around, and the perforated domes let in sunlight, wind and rain, they also allow the prisoners to see out, without been seen. I think these functions are truly innovative and unique.
The dome are becoming very popular with other prisons and organisations around Holland, hopefully, the designs will soon become a global success!

MILLENNIUM BRIDGE

London is full of amazing architecture and engineering design. A recent and famous, or should I say infamous piece of architecture is Millennium Bridge. The bridge hit the headlines a couple of years ago when it was deemed unsafe after its opening, as the wind made the bridge sway from side to side above the river Thames! however, the problems were soon rectified and now the bridge is a big tourist attraction.

Visually, the bridge is very original and stylish. the fact that it leads up to the Tate Modern is also works in its favour as the bridge is seen as a piece of art work itself.

I find the design of the bridge Futuristic and inspiring as it is the only one like it in London. although it is surrounded by Tower Bridge and embankment, i feel Millennium stands out from the rest, and will hopefully mean a new breed of bridge design will appear as it has set a standard of stylish design, as well as practicality combined which I think is a very inspiring part of engineering design!

St. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

My visit to the Tate Modern also lead me through the grounds of Saint Paul's Cathedral. This historic piece of architecture is truly inspiring. Originally built in 604AD, the cathedral has overlooked the city of London and signifies the spiritual side of life.

The Cathedral has been renovated a number of times. the current design is that of Sir Christopher Wren, built between 1675 and 1710. The fact that it is in brilliant condition to this day is very inspiring as it proves what good design can bring.

The detail is amazing, and the dome structure is a particularly favourite part for me, as i think it brings such character to buildings.

BURJ AL ARAB,

Dubai Hotel

This is one of the most inspiring pieces of Architecture and design in

my eyes. Designed by British Architect Tom Wright, the hotel is

meant to resemble the sail of a boat, as the building itself is located 280 meters off shore.

I feel it is an inspiring piece, as it has become an iconic statement of Dubai and has done wonders for tourism there.

The shape of the hotel is very ergonomic and original. It also symbolizes Dubai's urban transformation and development over the years.

The hotel is also brought to life at night with its beautiful lighting design which is very imaginative.

The Hotel has inspired latter architectural designs, such as London's Sir Norman Foster building, more commonly known as 'The Gherkin'.

The Gherkin is also lit up beautifully at night, and has become an iconic and easily

recognisable feature of London's skyline.

Online

GRAPHIC NOVELS, 'Tanatos'

Graphic novels are becoming a very popular film genre. The likes of 'Sin City' and most recently 'WatchMen' have been world wide successes due to their original special effects and surrealism.Black and white film is often used with a splash of colour for dramatic effect, and visually I find this very stimulating. A lot of immagination is present in Graphic Novels, and it would be interesting to perhaps create one of my own someday.

I came across this graphic novel website which is updated every week with a new chapter, so far there are 3 chapters and 10 scenes.
Created by Tom Drabick, the idea is very intreaguing as it is getting his comic strip seen world wide. Some may think reading comics and graphic novels a 'geeky' hobbie, but recently, the genre has developed and become more 'graphic' in the sense of violence, language and sex.
In design terms, the artistic work is dark and moody which creates a tense atmosphere, even just viewing it online. I assume Drabick's hope is that ultimetly his strip can be made into a film.

You can view the novel at www.tanatosonline.net

YOUTUBE, Broadcast yourself 

I know this may seem as an obvious choice of website, but in allhonesty, I think its one of the best websites in the world, as it allows everyone from all over the world to share their ideas about things that inspire them.
Of course there is tasteless and unnecessary videos uploaded on there, but just searching through you can come across really imaginative things.
Three of my friends who run the Leeds University Union Circus Society made a video called 'Diabolo, Strain 63'. This is because they are passionate about their circus skills and wanted to share something that inspires them with anyone else who is interested in diabolo, juggling and poi for example. Here is their youtube video:



Youtube is also great, especially if you're a student as it stimulates the imagination when boredom sets in! Also, if you're looking for a clip from an old T.V. show or a music video you like, you are almost certian to find it here, so it becomes a very useful tool when researching, or simply trying to get 'inspired'.

WEBSITES, 'Cool websites'
Whilst doing my work experience at a graphic design company last summer, The Crumpled Dog Design Team, based in Old Street, London, one of the guys I was working with, Clive, told me about this website:

www.coolwebsites.dk
The website is pretty self explanatory, it shows the best web pages from all over the world, and provides all the links and reviews so that viewers can check them out. This in itself, I find very helpful as a design student, as I can browse through hundreds of websites to get ideas and inspiration for my own designs. Simply sign up for free and get email notifications concerning new web designs and helpful resources like photo shop help websites.

Web design interests me a lot. So much time and effort goes into designing and making websites, and recently, the used of programmes such as Flash and shockwave make these website more interactive and exciting.
Coolwebsites.dk has 1,914 links to the most popular and original websites, with a 'site of the month' spot for the best. This month the website is:
http://www.mariokart.com/wii/launch/ so take a look.

One of my favourite website shown on coolwebsites.dk is www.urbansilo.com
The simple lines and colours of this web page, and the imagery of price tags, linking you to other sites where you can view advertising campaigns for dozens of brands is easy to use and the design is very effective. One of the links is for Nike, showing some of their new spo

rtswear campaign which i think is also a very effective Ad Campaign, and will explore this later in the blog.

LOGO POND website

www.logopond.com is a great website that helps stimulate your imagination when thinking about logo design. As a design student, we often have to create our own logos, but its always helpfull to check out some that are already exist.

This website has 30,343 logo designs from all over the world, so you can browse through for hours to get some inspiration.

Personally, I like logos to be simple and communicate the charcter or tone of voice of the company/ product.
Here are two of my favourites featured on logopond:
 

GORILLAZ  

The Gorillaz are a virtual band thought up by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This idea in itself is very original. All the music videos involve the cartoon characters, and the artist work is very imaginative.  The 'band' is made up of four characters, and the genre of the music is a collaborataion of alternative rock , hip hop and dub. most of the vocals are sang by Damon Albarn (formally of brit pop band, Blur), but Gorillaz often feature other recording artists. 

Because I like the band and what they stand for in terms of creating a new genre of pop group, i decided to check out the website, and, unsurprisingly, the website is also innovative and inspiring. A lot of Flash is used which grabs your attention, and you can also get a virtual tour of Kong Studios, and play games.

Take a look: www.gorillaz.com/Scene.php 

Another unique thing that the band and makers of Gorillaz carried out was a hologram performance on the MTV Awards which has never been done before which is very inspiring!

Books

At this point i must hold my hands up and say, i am not a big reader. Personally, I find it hard to get into books, because they lack visual stimulation. It requires a lot of patience to read long novels, and i guess I'm not a very patient person! however, the books i have read and enjoyed have been very inspiring.

'TYPE AND TYPOGRAPHY' By Phil Baines and Andrew Haslam

 Typography is an area of Graphic design that inspires me and really gets my imagination going, its such a versatile thing to play around with and matching copy writing with typography is really interesting. 

This book is very useful as it has many examples of unique typefaces designed by artists from all over the world, and it also provides essential information about constructing letters, kerning and spacing which is really good if you need to make reference to a specific typeface. 

'WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN?' By Quentin Newark 

This is one of the books on the 'Reading List' for my course. Essentially, it has everything we need to know about design and advertising, and most importantly, the differences (or should i say lack of differences) between design and advertising. This is very important to me as I

 want to delve into this matter for my dissertation.

Another reason why this book is so good, is the tone of voice. Its very light hearted and Witty which makes an interesting read, and there is a lot of information about other design agencies, artists and exhibitions. If you don't have this book, i would recommend buying it as it is an 'essential' for our Graphic and Communication design course.

STEPHEN KING

Probably my favourite author! Stephen King is world famous for his horror novels, many of which have been made into film. I must confess that Ive seen more film adaptations than read the novels, but those i have, are far superior to the films.

The first time I came across Stephen King was after watching a mini series in 1994, based on his novel 'The Stand', and this remains my absolute favourite to this day. I hope the BBC show a repeat soon because its such an intense and dark story that everyone should check it out. 

A brief summary of the stand is so hard to explain as so much happens, but basically, a human made biological weapon wipes out most of North America's population, and is soon spreading all over the world. The few survivors that remain embark on a journey to see a 108 year old woman who haunts all of their dreams to see if she can help them. King also highlights social issues such as violence and martial law. 

His writing is just so inspiring. King goes into so much detail about the characters personality, but it is never tedious. I really felt a connection to certain characters, especially Nick Andros, a deaf mute. Stephen King's imagination is really something special, often very dark at times and surreal but it really hooked me so if you haven't read any of his books, i would advise you to, especially 'The Shining' as it is very  different and SO much better than the film, also this is a classic too!

JAMES FREY, 'A Million Little Pieces'

A couple of years ago I read Frey's autobiographical novel, 'A Million Little Pieces' and was truly touched by his style of writing and the subject matter. The book follows Frey's time in rehab to help him overcome alcohol and drugs abuse. The tone of voice and style in which it is written is very original and personal which really inspired me, as i enjoy writing pieces of copy for design projects, and like to combine quotes from people, books or films where possible.
In this book, Frey combines his initial thoughts with direct speech from himself and others, which to begin with was slightly confusing, but once you get used to it, the 'stream of consciousness' style is very unique.
here is a quote i found particularly poignant, as it reflects his emotions whilst in the rehabilitation centre:

"I would like to be soft and warm. I would be terrified to be that way. I could be hurt if I were soft and warm. I could be hurt by something other than myself. It is harder to be soft than it is to be hard. I could be hurt by something other than myself."

However, it recently emerged that the book was not autobiographical, and was highly fabricated by Frey. Many fans were outraged by this, but doesn't it suggest that if the book is purely fiction, then Frey's imagination and skills as a writer are even more impressive to think up a character like that, and make the audience believe he went through such torment. Personally, as an author, i find his style of writing incredible, and due to the fact that I'm not a big reader, James Frey really captured my imagination.


CHIP KIDD, Book Cover Designer

'Don't a book by its cover', we've all heard that saying, but as designers, how true do you find it?
As i've mentioned, im not a big reader, however, when I am in a book shop, the book with the best cover will automatically stand out for me and make me pick it up to read the blurb.
Chip Kidd, an American editor, author and probably one of the most famous book cover designers in the world, has created around 800 designs for endless authors.
His designs are innovative and eye catching which is something i think authors should really think about when they are about to get a book published. Obviously press releases can get a book a lot of media attention and they may not need a eye catching cover, but if i were to write a book, i would make sure the front cover was inspiring!

Here are some examples of Chip Kidd's Front cover designs. I particularly like the design for the book 'Dry, A Memoir', as it is so simple, yet so effective...

Designs

Designs are all around us, from products and advertising campaigns, to street signs, and in this case, Chewing Gum!

'Chewing Gum Man' Ben Wilson

In North London where I live, there is a place called Muswell Hill which is where i work part time as a waitress. On my way to work one day, i looked down at the pavement and saw that some one had painted all the old chewing gum that was stuck to the floor!
some might say this is a form of graffiti or criminal damage, but, personally i feel why not make something as disgusting as old chewing gum that has been spat out and embedded in the pavement, almost impossible to remove, look vibrant and attractive!?

I was lucky enough to catch the artist, Ben Wilson, 41 from Barnet, at work one day, and had a little chat with him. He was saying that he has often been arrested, and even beaten up by policemen once for his 'art' but still carries on regardless! Passers by often ask if he will make a personalised design, for example, 'happy birthday' or 'will you marry me?', and even an 'R.I.P' design for someone who was stabbed earlier this year in Muswell Hill.
Some people have said that it brings more attention to the gum on the floor which is a bad outcome of Ben's work, however, some people walk past oblivious to the designs!

The designs themselves are so intricate as they are on such a small 'canvas', which is what makes them so interesting and unique to me.
Here are a couple of photos i took in Muswell hill, however, there are designs all over central London.
  

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
Metropolitan Police, Counter-terrorism posters 2008

I have often been inspired by police campaigns, as they employ the 'shock tactic' which works well due to the issues they cover, such as murder and road safety. However, their 2008 counter terrorism campaign is very uninspiring:

Although this project states I should review designs i find 'inspiring', I want to include these counter terrorism posters to find out others opinion, as I think they are really lacking somethings when compared to some previous campaigns like this:

This award winning Anti-Drugs Poster campaign is one of my favourites, the sheer shocking reality really hits home, and is very inspiring, as Advertising is something I wish to pursue further. 

However, there is a 2008 Metropolitan police Poster campaign concerning imitation firearms which i do find visually appealing:

NIKE, 'Just Do It'
Advertising Campaign
Many well known brands like Nike and Adidas have huge budgets for their advertising campaigns, therefore, they should be good!
Over the years, I have found Nike's campaigns particularly effective and inspiring. Their tag like, 'Just Do It' and 'swoosh' logo all work brilliantly together and create a brand that is recognised and identified with immediately.

One of my favourite Nike Ad campaigns is the controversial Wayne Rooney, return to England poster. Many religious groups slated the image, arguing that it was reminiscent of Christ's Crucifixion. MP's stated that the image was 'war-like' and very inopropriate.

Personally, I think the image is extremely patriotic, and grabs your att

ention immediately! Whenever controversy surrounds a campaign, more hype is created, and in any case, all publicity is good publicity!

Here are a couple more example of Nike's advertising campaigns which stimulate the imagination, as they are slightly surreal, yet portray the message and values that Nike uphold.
For example, stylish, bold and sporting:

 

GUINNESS, Coaster Campaign

Guinness has always been a front runner in their advertisng campaigns, from the CGI white horses jumping over the waves, and the surfing race to pull the perfect pint have been innovative and memorable. 

whilst having a drink in my local pub, i noticed a new beer matt which was very unique and eye catching. It is an octagon shape with two triangular sections that you t

are off. This then allows you to unfold different compartements and to reveal the Guinness campaign:

 

  

This is a great way to advertise, and the origami style design is really incapsulating. I find little things like this very inspiring as they are simple, but very effective. 

people really take notice of little things like this, infact, everyone in the pub was playing with the beer matt rather than placing their drink on it, which suggests the campaign will be embraced by the public. 

TATTOO DESIGN

Tattoo design interests me alot as it requires so much skill and precision. Tattoos are a very personal form of design as it is something that you will have on your body for the rest of your life so making the decision to have one should not be taken lightly. 

For a few years now i have wanted to get a tattoo. this summer i finally plucked up the courage to

get mine done, i had chosen a design and edited it myself to make it more personal and ori

ginal. however, 

being a 'skint student', I ran out of money and missed my appointment.

But, when i have saved up enough money, I will be getting it done.

This is the basic form of my tattoo design: 

To me, a humming bird is symbolic of strength and uniqueness, so i felt it would be approporate to have a tattoo that meant this to me, and is therefore inspirational symbolically.

Also, the vector style of the design is clean and simple, which i like, as sometimes tattoos can look too 'busy' and over the top.

However, the more complex tattoos are still very inspiring as they have so much detail and design. here are some examples of tattoo designs i think are brilliantly done, but would never get myself!

  

Films

Personally, Films are very important to me in terms of inspirational material. there is so much 'visual stimuli' involved in every aspect of a film, from the credits, to the acting, editing and directing.

STANLEY KUBRICK is a world famous film director. His controversial films include 'A Clock Work Orange' (which for many years was banned), 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'The Shining'.


During my first year of university, we were assigned a typography based project to explore what a certain typeface represented, the typeface i was given was 'Futura'. During my research i discovered that Futura was often used in the credits for Kubrick's films. This allowed me to create a piece of copy writing, inspired by his films and title sequences.

This was my copy:

"Fear and Desire may lead you to The Killing, but follow the Paths of Glory and you will learn ho to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Make sure you wear a Full Metal Jacket and have your Eyes Wide Shut, for this is no Strangelove, but a Shining Spartacus of all typefaces...Futura."

This is the Trailer to 'The Shining', the typeface used is 'Futura', and the sequence itself is very original. There is only one long shot used of a Hotel lift from the hallway. The soundtrack used is very eerie and tense, a typical trait of Kubrick, then the river of blood bursting out of the lift is shocking, yet doesn't give away too much of the film which i really admire, as it intrigues the viewer.
I find most of Kubrick's work very inspiring as it is often shocking and risque, which is something i like to incorporate within my work.

'THE ELEPHANT MAN'

This film is probably one of the saddest, yet most inspiring films I have ever seen. Made and directed in 1980, By David Lynch, 'The Elephant Man' is a biopic, based on the life of Joseph Merrick, a hideously deformed man who lived during the 19th century.

Life, culture and social acceptance was very different in the 19th century than it is today, and during the time when Joseph Merrick was alive, he was considered a freak who scared and repulsed those around him, and was forced to wear a hood and cape when out in public. His deformity was caused by cancerous tumors oh his spine and head. it meant that he had trouble eating, breathing, and lying down. Its so strange to think that if he was alive in this day and age, modern medicine would have saved his life.

The reason why this film inspired me so much, was the portrayal of Joseph Merrick (played by John Hurt). His charatce r and personality is so kind, sophisticated and articulate, in terms of education, intellect and spirituality. Even though he is subjected to ridicule and mental anguish from those around him, he remains one of the most loving and decent men portrayed in film. This is also a comment on social acceptance, the fact that people in the 19th century were disgusted by such tragic deformity isn't surprising, but i would like to think that today, in the 21st century, we would not act in that manner towards those less privileged.
I would really recommend this film to everyone. But trust me, you will be in tears.
you can watch the trailer here:

TIM BURTON 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Award winning film director, Tim Burton, has produced some very immaginative films. Always dark and quirky, its easy to tell when he has been involved with a film, which is very inspirational, as it suggests he has a unique, yet memorable style of film making.

Some of his most famous films include: Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Mars Attacks, and two Batman films. However, the film I wish to concentrate on, as it is so immaginative, is 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'.

This 3D Animated family film appeals to people of all ages. Some scenes could be cosidered a scay for kids, but it remains a children's favourite, and adult favourite too. I think its brilliant how a film like this can capture the immagination of such a wide audience.
The storyline is so dream like, yet so realistic at the same time, a typical trait of Burton. And the characters can seem sacry at times, but you grow to appriciate their view point, from living in 'Haloween Town', and how they react to 'Christmas Town'.
Also, the musical factor plays a big part in one's imagination, and draws you in further, especially children.

DISNEY PIXAR

In terms of design, 3D and CGI Animation is very clever and an effective new genre of film. Most notably, Disney Pixar is now the front runner for this form of animation. 21st century CGI Animation has developed so much over the years and sometimes its hard to tell that a character is Animated as they look so real. For example, the tiny details like the movement of fur on an animal, or the light and movement of the sea must be so hard to create, but the artists have nailed it!

This sort of computer aided design is such an inspiration to young designers, and it can only be assumed that artists will continue to develop this type of animation. Considering how realistic it is now, imagine how it will have evolved in 20 years time!

SHANE MEADOWS is one of my favourite directors,
Born in Staffordshire in 1972, Meadows is famous for his gritty and harsh films portraying life in Britain in the 1970's-80's.
The first film of his i saw was, 'A Room for Romeo Brass'. this film follows a couple of young boys who befriend a troubled man, but take on more than they can handle, as the man (played by Paddy Considine), has some serious mental issues.
Last night, i watched 'Dead Man's Shoes', a very gripping film about a soldier (once again played by Paddy Considine), who returns home to the Midlands to reek revenge on a gang who took advantage of his mentally ill brother. although this film is very violent, the way it is shot and directed is very emotional and really grips you.



However, the film i want to show a clip of is probably Shane Meadows most famous film, 'This is England', a comment of life in the 1980's and a disturbing take on how racism and factions like the National Front were in the forefront of British life at this time.
There are some shocking scenes in this film including a brutal murder and just the racism in general is often hard to watch, but the reality of how life was in the 80's, and the superb acting, especially from Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham makes this film what it is.

films like this are inspirational to me as they convey a harsh reality, with the use of shocking scenes and brutal language. the directing and writing is outstanding and i would recommend any of Shane Meadows films if you want a realistic look at how Britain used to be.
Here is the trailer for 'This is England'