This is a self promotional package for NNSS. What really drew me to is it the color. The bright cyan (I think it is cyan, the one shot looks a little green...) in combination with the white and then add in some thin lines and thin type. Sold.

Go check out their website too. That bright cyan again with some dark gray and again the thin type, looks fantastic. Unfortunately, most of it is in a language I don't know.

When you are working on a project are you constantly looking for a few things to make your life easier and your designing faster? It could be anything from web safe areas in cross platform browsers in a PSD file, the actual elements to create different web mockups (all in PSD if you would like), document templates, or information on binding styles. If you are, and I am one of them, Designers Toolbox is for you.

I have known about this site for awhile and finally decided to let you in on my little secret. As I was browsing their site, looking for a few things to show as images, I got extremely mad at myself. A little while ago I was designing a CD cover for a friend. They are one of those things, that if I measure an actual one, somehow, the size still is not right. So I wanted a template. I looked ALL over, finally found one, had to change a bunch of crap, etc. I should have just went to my trusty Designers Toolbox. Because they have one, along with other common DVD booklet styles etc. So mad.

So the lesson learned here, is if you have a great resource, like this one, go to it first and use it. It'll save you a lot of time, effort, and frustration.

Wine bottles for Meteor Wines designed by Osamu Akatsu. I went looking for the site for the actual vineyard to find more photos but I don't think they are in use yet.

Really elegant bottles that stray far far away from the normal boring bottle design (and also away from some of the newer styles which everyone was doing and therefore becoming boring as well). Great astrologically inspired line art combined with good color choices screened right on the bottle. I can't pass up a good design based up on space, stars, celestial bodies etc.

I think the first one is my favorite (the red one, but I think it is a white wine). It has so much energy and movement which is a bit uncharacteristic to see on most wine bottles.

Keep up the good work.

Great looking work from Marc Bessant. Vinyl sleeve and poster for the Portishead album "Third."

Pretty much everything is working for me in this. The dark bluish green, the heavy, blocky, condensed font, and the overlay of the P and 3. Great layering effect and has a great wood block printing feel to me.

I said we'd get back to some beer posts, so here we are. Above is White Ale from Hitachino Nest from the Kiuchi Brewery In Japan.

It is a somewhat popular beer, made popular because of it's great labels and awesome owl character (who also is on the caps, best bottle cap design). I can't wait to try the other beers they make. However they are a bit pricey, so it may take awhile to collect them all. They have a lot of different kinds. 

The white ale was a really nice wheat beer. I had it after a long day at work yesterday yelling at some machines who weren't operating as they should... Great wheat flavor, golden color, was really smooth but had a lot of complex flavors for it as well. Some wheat beers are a one at a time kind of thing and often don't want more then one in a row. However, I wouldn't have minded another one after the first one at all.

The other photo is of the rest of the beers I have obtained lately. Some of them are from my in-laws that they got at a german store for me, and the others I picked up at Oliver T's in Michigan. They have over 700 kinds of beer, so these the the select few that made it home with me this time. Next on the list will be the Samurai Rice Ale (also love their packaging and their bottle caps are great as well), or the Orange Cream ale.

These are some Jam jars and packing done for Andreas Caminada by Remo Caminada. 

The packages have a nice simplistic image on them that is kind of a cross between pixelation and a group of tanagram shapes. My favorite is the top one with the fire. 

I like them a lot, but I think for me at least it would be stronger as a true pixelation. On some of the other packages shown on the link above, the addition of the diagonal shapes, etc doesn't do it for me as much.

I also like the black caps with the black label coming down to seal the jar. They definitely have a unique look and would stand out on the shelf.

So lately I have beer on the brain, so there will be a few beer related posts over the next couple weeks. It could be partially because I love beer and could be considered a beer aficionado. It could also be that when I was up visiting my family for the 4th of July I went to Oliver T's in Michigan and they have over 700 beer in stock. I was like a kid in a candy store.

I find beer labels really interesting because they are all over the range of design. From horrible to amazing, standard to unique, simple to elaborate. The design of their labels really has a large power over me buying them as well. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover or a beer by it's label, however when you have over 700 to choose from, it helps you decide (along with price... can't afford a $20 bottle right now...) With new micro brews popping up all the time it is a huge market, and has great possibilities. 

I wouldn't mind taking a crack at designing a few, and I actually will a bit since I brew my own as well, but it would be cool to do a real one.

Now on to this particular beer. These images of Josefs have been around the block a few times but I couldn't resist putting them up as well. The redesign was done by Humberto Gregorio and although I haven't seen photos of the "Before" I love the "After." It has a great simple design that would be very distinguishable on the shelf among the other beers and clearly states what you're getting in the bottle (not always true on other brands, if I'm looking for a Pilsner, I don't want to have to look though all the Stouts as well...) Add in the use of swing top bottles, and the top label, and you've got a great bottle design.

The only downside is the web address on the label does not work and I would love to find out more on this beer, and when I might be able to find it. Anyone know? I would like to try just one of them, but wouldn't hurt to try them all...

The Journal of Popular Noise first caught my eye awhile back, and every time I look at it, I feel the same way all over again. The hairline type, color, whitespace, and grid all combine into one great piece. They must know they have struck a winning design as well since each edition has a similar setup just varying in the actual information and the color of the type on white (cyan, magenta, grey, and dark red).

Until now, all of these sleeves were letterpress printed, but now they are offered in a letterpress edition and an offset edition. I am guessing that a few designers might have found out about them and started to deplete the stock intended for the vinyl junkies. I would have to say we are guilty for that as well since we ordered one for the office, and it looks fantastic in person.

Not only the typographical design is to be noted here though, also the design of the vinyl sleeve itself. It folds out into a 2 sided letterpress poster, and when folded, it is a fantastic, fold only disc holder.. I might try and modify this design to see how many discs I could hold with it for a personal project.

It would make a great gift for both your design and audio friends. Keep up the good work!