The video on punch cutting was eye opening to say the least. Coming from a generation where nearly all letters are created with keyboards, and used in tweets and statuses, it is very shocking to learn how typefaces were first created and reproduced. The tedious process of punch cutting makes me very much appreciate the modern day inventions that make the practice useless and outdated. For a world where I have to hand draw every single letter is not a world I want to live in. At first when I came to class and was told to get out tracing paper to trace letters, I immediately panicked and wanted to flee the classroom. However, after much trial and errors, I learned that the seemingly ancient and outdated process can actually teach us very important elements of design, such as choosing the correct typeface and letter spacing.

This is an example of unsuccessful design of an energy shot. The reason it is unsuccessful is because the design of the bottle is far too busy for its size. There are several different fonts contradicting one another, making the bottle hard to read. Also there is a red graphic border that really just makes the text harder to read as well.

This is an example of unsuccessful design of a logo. The reason it is unsuccessful is because the graphic lines behind the logo distract from the text itself. And the matching lines within the logo are overdone and seem to distract from the logo itself. The large pointing hand in the image just doesn’t belong and appears to be an afterthought just thrown in last minute.

This is another example of an unsuccessful logo design. The reasons it was not successful is not only are the letters very overcrowded and hard to read with their dramatic overlapping, the design behind the logo takes away from the word itself rather than adding to it. Similar to the energy shot design, this logo just seems to busy and not a clear concise logo.

This is an example of successful design. The ad is for an Audi R8 which is the top of the line mass produced Audi, this is conveyed through a clever message saying, ” Then again, maybe you don’t have a few minutes.” The text is used to infer the quick speed of the super car, while the image shows its sleek and cutting edge design. The ad also has a nice flow to it from top to bottom leaving the viewer with little to ponder.

This Apple ad is another example of successful design. The tagline says ” The colors of music” which speaks directly to the message they are trying to convey. That Apple’s new iPod comes in many different colors allowing you to personalize your musical experience. The way the colors are dripping from each iPod is also another successful design element showing how vivid the colors of the new iPod are.

This is a very successful design for many reasons. The first being that it is very visually appealing right off the bat, and text and color are combined to make a rather unique image of a pepsi bottle. The text overlapping the image seems crowded and oversized but is very clear and legible which I think adds rather than distracting from the design. Also Carson used a reverse reflection of his name in a different font underneath. Through his very complex design Carson seems to ignore most basic design theories and convey his messages in unorthodox ways.