Juli Gudehus: Mindestens Haltbar bis 31.12.99

(Area book, pg. 131)

Mindestens Haltbar bis 31.12.99 is translated as "Best Before 12/31/99." It is a calendar designed by Juli Gudehus in which she uses nothing but photographs of expiration dates from food products to represent the date for each day. The printing techniques of the expiration dates range from embossed, debossed, stamped, letterpressed, flexi-printed, and ink-jetted. The viewer is able to see a wide variety of colors, textures, and typography that are combined differently within each card. This reminds me of the typeface journals that we made in 200 level typography.

Gudehus photographs seem quickly and randomly taken, however, she takes great consideration in making sure that the expiration date is the main focus while still giving the viewer enough information to guess what the food product is.

The presentation of the calendar adds another level to the design. Each date is printed on its own card, and all the cards are combined into a deck of cards which are then placed onto a green styrofoam food tray and then shrinkwrapped. Not only is this calendar fun to look at, it is fun to hold in your hands and flip through the deck of cards. It is kind of like a guessing game for the viewer. This interaction is what sets this calendar apart from ordinary calendars. It serves as more than a calendar, so after the year is over, you will most likely not throw it away.

Qoo

www.qoo.com.sg/
(english website)


www.qoo.com.hk/
(japanese website)

"Qoo" is a popular drink from the Coca Cola Company which was introduced in Japan in 1999. It is now available in most of Asia and in Germany. "Qoo" is pronounced "koo," which is what the mascot always says after it takes a drink of Qoo.

I really enjoy the playful and imaginative designs of this product. From the bright, bold colors and thickness of lines to the soft, hand drawn typefaces, Qoo is a perfect balance between cute and sophisticated. At first glance, Qoo designs may seem childish, however, if you take time to explore their websites and look closely at their labels, you will begin to notice the intricate details that make this product full of little surprises.

I especially like their interactive websites. They are designed to be like mini "Qoo communities." In the English website, you can go to the "Qoo mall" and shop for Qoo products, go to the "Qoo Entertainment Center" and play games, etc. And if you look closely at the building with the clock on it, you will notice that it is an actual working clock with the correct time on it (I'm assuming that it adjusts to whichever time zone you are in too). In the Japanese website, you can make the Qoo mascot icon walk around and visit the various categories. In both these websites, the environment changes according to the time of day it is. During the day, the sun is shining and during the night, the stars and moon come out. All these little details keep you interested and make you want to keep searching for what else there might be.

As for their products, rather than just putting their company logo on their products, Qoo labels often consist of mini illustrated scenes which are designed with a particular flavor in mind. So each flavor has a differently designed label. Also, they make multiple designs for flavors and are frequently coming out with new designs, so it is likely that you will get a different Qoo can depending on when and where you buy it. I also like the design of their drink container. It looks like a cross between a soda can and a bottle.


*See Qoo dance! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1047052613450433741

Radical Type Design (pgs. 37-38)
David Carson

When I think of David Carson, I think of very loose, abstract, and sometimes "illegible" designs. However, his Table of Contents designs from Surfer magazine (pg. 37) and Speak magazine (pg. 38) are different from the other David Carson designs that I have seen. I like these better. In these table of contents designs, Carson still sticks to his "experimental design" qualities, but he organizes the type into a orderly, legible pattern.

David Carson's table of contents designs go beyond its purpose. It is an artwork in itself. Through the contents pages, he is able to convey the attitude of the company which he is doing the work for.

"the table of contents should get somebody intrigued and in a way excited about what is to come- and, to not give it all away. Equally, to not allow them to simply read through the entire contents page." -David Carson

"It is more of a teaser than a road map" -David Carson