Packaging

Pasta Packaging with Personality

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 22, 2013September 4, 2014

Russian design studio, Fresh Chicken Agency, developed the brand name, Italian Chef Pietro mascot, and packaging for this premium pasta brand. It’s delightfully understated yet memorable. The simple line drawing of Pietro is printed in one color on what looks like unbleached cardboard, which, in this case, suggests naturalness more than low production budget. The pasta product itself is kept the focal point with the die-cut window peek inside. Most other pasta brands are wrapped in clear cellophane so consumers who don’t remember the difference between radiatori and conchiglie, for instance, will know which is which on sight. Pietro Gala’s approach is more integral to the design and less likely to crush the dry pasta inside.

Illustration

The Backstory Behind “Obsessions”

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 21, 2013September 4, 2014

At age 68 when Kit left his partnership at Pentagram after 23 years to set up his own independent studio, we discussed how it would give him the luxury of doing what he wanted to do simply because he wanted to do it. Since I’m not that far behind him in years, I understood the importance of the question, “if not now, when?” Speaking for myself, when I fantasized about becoming a writer in high school, I didn’t have corporate brochures and power point presentations in mind (not that I’m complaining). Our quasi-serious venture, Hirasuna + Hinrichs Special Projects – or as Kit calls it “Hinrichs + Hirasuna Special Projects” – was intended to set aside a small portion of our time and energy to focus on the topics we found of compelling personal interest, whether it was profitable or not. We promised to take turns choosing the topic, since the things that interest me don’t necessarily interest him, and vice versa. Our first project is “Obsessions,” a series of small perfect-bound books on things that fascinate us, even though others may find that inexplicably odd. Kit’s collection of alphabet postcards, an offshoot of his passion for typography, launches the series. We also agreed that the production value must live up to our high standards – i.e., nothing cheesy. This is why it was printed beautifully by Blanchette Press on Sappi McCoy Silk.

Packaging

Traditional Folk Art Meets Pop Culture

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 1, 2013September 5, 2014

Here’s a new twist on an old Japanese folk art – painting kokeshi doll faces on matches. The original kokeshi figures, introduced a couple centuries ago, were inexpensive souvenir items that visitors to the onsen (spa) villages of northern Japan would buy to give to friends back home. (Even in California, we used to have a half dozen kokeshi, along with snow globes from New York, native American trinkets from the Grand Canyon, and seashells from Hawaii – don’t know what happened to any of them.) It’s the kind of gift that would merit a T-shirt that read: “Grandma went to the onsen and all she brought me was this wooden kokeshi.” Kokeshi dolls were distinguished by their simple rectangular torso, lacking arms and legs, and their enlarged round wooden heads, minimally painted to indicate eyes, hair and maybe a mouth or nose. (Think “Hello Kitty,” who is also missing a mouth.)

Motion Graphics

Moleskine Introduces Color

By Delphine Hirasuna | February 22, 2013September 4, 2014

For decades, Moleskine has been renowned for its little black notebook that artists, designers, and writers carry with them everywhere to capture their first inklings of brilliant ideas. Other brands offer notebooks too, but only Moleskine, in iconic black with its external elastic band and ribbon bookmark, signals that you are an authentic and serious creative type. So, Moleskine’s announcement that it is releasing its notebooks and planners in four bright colors, in addition to black, is newsworthy. Insecure creatives may be reluctant to buy a color other than black.

Posters

Spontaneous Quiz: 85 Years of Oscar Picks

By Delphine Hirasuna | February 13, 2013September 4, 2014

UK-based graphic designer Olly Moss collaborated with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Gallery 1988 to create the official “85 Years of Oscars” poster for the 85th Academy Awards, which will be held February 24th. Asked to incorporate a reference to every single Best Picture winner over the last 85 years, Moss managed to personify the lead character in each of the statuettes. Click on the poster to enlarge the image and see how many Oscar winners you know. If you are like me, some will come easy and others will stump you until you learn the answer, and say “oh, I get it!”

by Corporate Design Foundation

Category: Illustration