Tag Archives: design

Storytelling through design

Posted on February 13, 2022 by phb256

I spotted this in a show on Tubi TV It’s one of those interrogation scenes. The thing to notice here is how the actor’s shirt matches the color of the wall. It is a subtle message to the viewer that … Continue reading →

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All the details matter, part 867

Posted on January 2, 2022 by phb256

Lettering is communication as a base level– knowing what is being said, who is saying it, and being able to read it in the correct order. Do that and the comic is "readable". Pushing beyond (I think) is reaching for … Continue reading →

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Simplicity and Ubiquity

Posted on March 3, 2021 by phb256

A Baddie’s Blog raised a good point about simplicity and minimalism: I remember seeing a Doritos commercial where they were being very vague about naming the chip. However, they kept showing a bright red bag and a dark blue bag. … Continue reading →

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…they hate that in Italy.

Posted on May 17, 2020 by phb256

This week I watched Fernando di Leo’s 1972 film, The Italian Connection (YT). That’s the US title, no doubt intended to cash in on the success of The French Connection. The Italian title was La Mala Ordina, (The Bad Orders), … Continue reading →

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The Kidd is alright

Posted on October 3, 2018 by phb256

I picked up a copy of Chip Kidd’s book at my local library. What the Brain Pickings article says about it, that it “refus[es] to talk down to them or confine their inborn curiosity to narrow adult expectations about what … Continue reading →

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Design in action

Posted on February 19, 2017 by phb256

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (@HassanOE) has been doing some brilliant analyses of comic book illustration and design in his series Strip Panel Naked. He takes us through the details of how comic book pages work, looking at the impact of the various … Continue reading →

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“All the pieces matter”

Posted on August 3, 2016 by phb256

In Sidney Lumet’s great book, Making Movies, there’s a section on art direction, part of the design of film, where he points out that every little detail we see or hear in a scene is deliberate and planned, right down … Continue reading →

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Dispatch from the Dark: Design

Posted on February 13, 2015 by phb256

Wow, the sound came out bad on that one! I should have done it over, but I ran out of time. I mention The Non-Designer’s Design Book as another source for learning about design. Vignelli was writing to designers in … Continue reading →

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The Vignelli Canon

Posted on September 29, 2014 by phb256

Another design resource that’s worth looking at is The Vignelli Canon. It’s a short booklet by Massimo Vignelli, who was a superstar in the world of graphic design. The booklet is light on text and heavy on space and imagery, … Continue reading →

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Some opening salvos

Posted on August 12, 2014 by phb256

Here are a few thoughts on some shots from the opening episode of The Wire. Design I love this shot. the two characters are framed in the restaurant window, with “burger” in neon above Wee Bey and “chicken” above D’Angelo. … Continue reading →

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