(Unit 1 – 1.2)

Describe how formal elements & principles are visible in the work of two major designers - Designer 3

J.PINK (Jonny Pink)

Jonny Pink is a Graphic Designer and a Creative Consultant. He specifically specialises in logo design, brochure design, business stationery and websites. These are the corporate branded materials which he is involved with and he has also worked on a range of projects over the past duration of fifteen years that have had benefits and an impact on particular businesses.

I have specifically chosen J. Pink as I can effectively relate him to myself who is also an inspiration of guidance in design.

I have come across many formal elements and principles that are within Jonny’s work. These elements are an important part of his role that makes his expertise a success. For example, not only one of his designs itself, but how he presents his design effects the way we visualise it.

From a simple graphic format...


















                          ...to presenting the design on products

As you can see from the previous images, we can simply but effectively visualise Jonny’s logo design on the product and the purpose of it itself. It also creates a different effect on the audience from each individual technique. The technique and presentation method always has an impact on the way we see, feel and opinionate things.

The emphasis on image no.4 is simply obvious to the audience. We can see that the circumference of the surrounding area of the image is focusing on the jeans itself. This then immediately draws our attention to the detail of the product, the brand and the logo on the pockets. However, what they present the product on also matters. Which method would you think that works best?

- The jeans placed on a graphic silhouette?

- On a textile mannequin?

- On a real-life model?

I personally think that the real-life model method would be the best technique. This is because it represents what the design on the product would look like professionally worn by real people. It also creates inspiration on what the audience may choose to wear e.g. a particular style/design etc. However, not only that, it also focuses the audiences’ attention on the design which helps to sell the product.

The real-life photography technique shows the design in detail, whereas if a graphic silhouette was used, there would be no definition of the design. If a display mannequin was used, the parallax which we would see would have no reality in curvature. It is the closest method to reality, but a model photo shoot would sell this kind of product and design at the highest rate. Not only is the best eye catcher to sell a design, but sometimes the audience may want to purchase the product because they have seen how good it appears on someone else.

In comparison to image no.1, this wouldn’t draw an audience’s attention as much as the others. This is because the logo design is presented in a two-dimensional format, not creating any depth or emphasis to the design. It also doesn’t represent its purpose as well as being placed on the product. This would have the effect on the viewers of not having any use for it or the use would be unknown. Colour of a design also has an impact on the way we feel or visualise a design. For example:

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><>                                  : Different colour variations draw our absence of a focal point to the elements of a design itself. The black logo design alone doesn’t attract as much attention as the colour variation technique. This scans our eyes across the rhythm of the design. The rhythm and unity of the logo is visible in this example as there is continuation of black logos in row 2 which is in contrast to a coloured background. This shows the different effects the design creates when placed on a variety of different coloured backgrounds. This could also have the same effect when produced onto a product, such as the t-shirts in image no.2.

The rhythm and repetition of the logos in row 1 helps to direct our eye and attention to the colour of the designs. This also reflects on the mood which the design creates and impacts on the audience. For instance, the red logo may have a much more negative impact on us than the blue, green or black. This is because the red can relate to our emotions of a design. Red has a colour meaning of anger and power for example. Whereas the blue can represent a much more calm, cool and relaxed feel to it. Colour meanings can have a large impact on a design and its audience. However, it should also reflect on the logo’s purpose and to the story behind the logo. E.g. what the company does, what the company wants the logo to achieve on its particular audience.

In relation to the use of colour and in my designs, the keep moat homes have a colour green as their corporate colour. This is the reason for them getting across to their audience as a friendly company as well as representing nature to their homes.

Brochure Design

       I have noticed many formal elements within Jonny’s brochure designs that are an inspiration and stand out to me. An element within a brochure design is what makes the readers tend to pick up the brochure in the first place because the exterior of the design has caught their eye. Elements are the key technique and skill used in brochure design to make the work/printed media successful.

The use of colour in brochure design no.3 really stands out with character as I think it has a continuous, subtle theme throughout. I like the use of the blue border at the top of the page, along with the important parts of the information and subtitles being highlighted in the same colour. This ensures that the rhythm and balance of colour is soft and in proportion with one another. The important text highlighted in blue is emphasised to audience to make them jump to this piece of text first. The exterior should draw attention first, following on with the interior.

The light blue colour has been specifically chosen for the brochures purpose and target audience. The brochures audience is aimed at people who are nervous to have eye surgery. The colour meaning of blue is calm and relaxation, which is a perfect colour match in relation to calming nervous people down which the brochure is trying to achieve.

The use of colour also gives the design a fresh, clean and professional appearance to it. The alignment of the text is left to the page which keeps the block of information in balance with each other. However, if the text was aligned in the centre half way through, this would become out of balance and would be a bad design which could also cause confusion to the reader.

Brochure design no.2 is a simple, formal but yet an effective design. The logo has been designed very cleverly which needs our perspective to see it (the letter E and L combined). I like how colour placement has been used. For example on a white background, the colour of the logo has been made blue, enabling us to see the E from the background colour.  As for the blue background and white logo brochure, I like how placement and size has been used to make it a little more interesting. It has been scaled up and placed onto the edge of the page making us see the design of the logo at a different angle and perspective. The balance of colour and placement in this brochure has a large impact on the design.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> Brochure no.1 has formal elements involved that are effective and work really well, however I dislike this design and reject this one from the other two brochures. I like how the back pages and subtitles have been made in their cyan colour to show importance and character. I also like how the image on the cover page has been scaled up with a header layered over the top with some transparency, as this shows depth and emphasis on the exterior of the brochure. The images and text have been aligned to the left keeping the design in proportion and in balance with each other, showing professionalism with a formal appearance to its purpose.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> Conclusion

After looking at the elements and principles in other designers work, it has inspired me in so many ways to relate the techniques and methods into  my own design work.  There are many different designers and expertise out there which we sometimes may not realise that principles and elements of design are used. The majority of everywhere uses design and the formal elements that are within it. In addition to the elements and principles, they are the most important technique to make a design work and meet its purpose or a particular audience.

The summary of my thoughts and opinions on other designers work has helped and developed my creative thinking in design. When I design I think more broadly and out of the box, whereas before I thought of one idea and stuck with it.
I also design with thought, reason and purpose, creating a design that has a story or meaning to it, which means a lot more value to the client.

I have come up with a simple process which makes a successful design and product. A successful design to meet the client’s needs in order to sell their product well and efficiently.