The Hidden Danger of Cute Pets

Introduction

The goal of this project was to select an online ad and create another ad that could be part of the same campaign. I tried to use the same typography style and structure, but change the pet referenced.

It was difficult to determine who the original designer was for this ad. I found the image via a google search for “great ads,” but couldn’t determine what organization it was actually from. The subject of the design is how pets can trigger asthma problems and promotes studies that can educate asthma sufferers on what they can do about it.

I liked this design because I thought it would be fun to try re-creating the ad with a puppy and the shadow of a wolf. It ended up being much harder than I thought, but I think it turned out alright.

Link to original design: Cute kitten, Big Problems – Pets are Common Asthma Triggers

Original Ad Analysis

Design

Contrast was well used in this ad with the gradient background, bringing the blue from dark to light. This made the shadow possible, and using the blue allowed for contrast to be maintained between the text and the black couch. Contrast was also well used at the bottom with the white text against the black background of the couch.

Repetition was used in the typography by using a smaller weight between the two messages at both the top and bottom of the page. Repetition was also used with the color of the shadow, using the same blue as the background instead of a typical gray.

Alignment was well done, placing the kitten in the right third of the page. The text on the top of the page and bottom of the page is also center-aligned, so they go well together. Alignment was also done well with the shadow and the kitten, where the feet of the lion shadow are on the same line as the kitten’s feet.

Proximity was accomplished by grouping the text at the top and bottom of page close to each other, so it was clear that both lines were part of the same message.

Color

The colors used did a good job of contributing to the message of “big problems.” The darker nature of the ad gives a ominous feeling, and the color of the text being kept to black and white maintains seriousness of the message.

Typography

This ad kept the topography pretty simple, utilizing a sans-serif font that is easy to read. However, visual interest was accomplished by changing the weight and size of the font. This helped understand what was the most important part of the message.

New Ad Analysis

Design

I also tried to create contrast by using a gradient background, bringing the blue from dark to light. The shadow in mine is on the darker side of the gradient because my shadow is a darker gray instead of the blue. This seemed to go better with the scary nature of the howling wolf. The puppy also looked better with the light background. Even though my colors are a little darker, contrast is maintained between the text and the black couch. I used the white text against the image of a black couch to create the same look as the original ad.

Repetition was used in the typography of my new ad in a similar way of the original, using a smaller weight between the two messages at both the top and bottom of the page. For alignment, I did my best to get the puppy in the left-third of the ad. I also sized the puppy and wolf shadow so that the head of the puppy was aligned with the back of the wolf. Their feet are also aligned. I kept the text center-aligned so that the ads would have the same look.

Proximity mimicked the original by grouping the text at the top and bottom of page close to each other.

Color

Since I changed the pet from a kitten to a puppy and the shadow to a wolf, I went with an even darker color scheme. It seemed to fit a little better. The puppy has a deep blue eye, so I used the color of its eye to create the gradient that I used. I liked the black and white text, so I just stayed with that.

Typography

Like the original ad, I kept the topography pretty simple and used a sans-serif font. I tried to match the original exactly, but had some issues doing that. The font I chose was Myriad Pro – Bold Condensed. However, it wasn’t quite “condensed” enough. My text stretched out a bit more than the original, but I actually liked it better like that! I also changed to weight of the text to emphasize the most important parts of the message.

Conclusion

I believe my new ad would do well in the same campaign as the original. It follows the same theme regarding structure, topology, and concept. It also used the same logo and messages. Lastly, the idea of a cute, adorable pet having the shadow of a much larger and ferocious animal is easy to make a connection with.

Photography & Typography Make Me Jump For Joy!!!

Introduction

This was a challenging assignment. Finding a picture that was a good representation of the “Rule of Thirds,” “Depth of Field,” and/or “Leading Lines” was easy enough, but selecting one that I could duplicate by taking my own picture was the challenge. However, when I looked into our backyard and saw our trampoline, inspiration struck! After a quick search, I found this picture of a child jumping on a trampoline that contained the elements I was looking for. I could also have a good time taking pictures of my sons doing something they enjoy.

Child jumping on trampoline — Parents.com Martin Novak/Shutterstock

Typeface Categories Used

This article does a good job of using typefaces from different categories to create contrast and visual distinction between the different headings and content. At the top the source of the article is posted, which is “Parents.” The typeface used is from the modern family with a touch of decorative, giving it radical transitions from thick to thin and with horizontal serifs. Next up is the title of the article, “Are Trampolines Safe?”, which is displayed in a sans serif font. The typeface is “monoweight” and has no serifs at all. The body of the article switches back to a modern font, but a much more standard version.

Elements That Contrast

The contrast between the article title (sans serif) and the body content (modern) is plain to see. The absence of serifs in the title compared to the pronounced serifs of the modern style is easy to spot. The title also has no apparent transitions from thick to thin, whereas the text in the body does. The “Parents” heading contrasts well with both the body and the article title because of the modern/decorative style.

Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines & Depth of Field

The photograph takes advantage of all three techniques: Rule of thirds, leading lines, and depth of field. The child is positioned along the vertical line to the right of the rule of thirds grid. Her feet and stomach are also placed at intersecting lines.

The poles supporting the netting act as leading lines and also frame the child nicely.

Depth of field is accomplished by focusing on the child who is up close, allowing the trampoline to gradually move out of focus and shrink in size.

Mimic Photos

I’m not a professional photographer, but the pictures below use similar techniques to the articles photo. My son is located along the rule of thirds vertical line to the right, and his torso is right at the intersection of the horizontal/vertical lines. He is also in the forefront of the picture, allowing the background to go out of focus. He is also framed by the leading lines created by the trampoline poles.

Conclusion

The article and associated typology utilize many of the elements in our recent lessons. By using typefaces of different categories and changing their size, contrast is achieved between the titles and content. The photograph is striking and attractive because it makes good use of the rule of thirds, leading lines, and depth of field. All of these elements work together to create something that is attractive and draws the reader in.

Visually Incredible Core Values

Introduction

When searching for a well designed ad, I wanted to find one that represented all the elements of C.R.A.P. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity). I came across this poster ad and immediately knew my search was over. Kreative Fingers, an Indian designer, created this for the project ‘Signage Design job – Healthcare IT Company Needs a Core Values Poster for Office’. It was awarded 3 out of 5 stars. This is Kreative Fingers’s 17th submission to this poster design project for a business in United States.

Core Values: Who We Are Poster — DesignCrowd
Kreative Fingers: Bold, Colourful Poster Design

Contrast

There is powerful contrast in this ad. The designer was not a wimp when creating the title, making it very large. There is also great contrast with the orange shape pushing into the title along with the complementary blue background to the white-texted subtitle. Those three elements go together very well and draw the eye in. The main content also made good use of contrast by color-coding each topic, making the titles big and capitalized, and color-coding key words and phrases within the body of the test that highlight important elements.

Repetition

The repetition used in this ad is phenomenal! The headers are all the same size, font, and capitalized. Also, even though they are all different colors, the color change is repetitive (if that makes any sense!). Within the text body the color theme repeats to highlight important points which is smart. The lines separating the topics repeats as well as the spacing between the lines and the text. Triangles are also repetitive as a design element and the use of the faded gray triangles creates great visual interest.

Alignment

Alignment is the element I love the most. Nothing bothers me more than things that are not aligned! The headers are aligned to the left with each other, and the main text is block-aligned. This provides great structure to this ad and also makes it obvious what needs to be read. Even though block-alignment can sometimes make the sentences stretch out strangely, I think it works well in this ad. If the right edge was soft it wouldn’t look as organized and the text wouldn’t seem as united.

Proximity

The proximity in this ad is simple but effective. The title and subtitle are grouped together at the top and separated from the rest of the text. Each topic is then grouped together with several elements (spacing, color, lines). The headers are in close proximity to the text, and the triangles containing the art design are in close proximity to the text they are associated with. It’s very easy to quickly look at this ad and see that there are four different topics and a title.

Color

This design makes great use of primary and secondary colors. It does not come across as childish, thanks to the shades and tone used. The colors are also placed so that the complimentary colors are next to each other, making them look good. The shades and tones are very well done, making the text that is colored easy to read. The darker shades are also easier on the eye. The combination of both warm and cool colors creates a nice balance as well.

Conclusion

This ad incorporates all of the key design elements we have learned about and makes great use of them. Like the lessons have said, a great design (like this one) includes contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, and good color choice. As demonstrated here, when the design elements are all brought together and used appropriately a creation that is pleasing to the eye and functional is developed.