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Is it just me or... With the enormous amount of printed and online design images we have access to now, I've noticed there seem to be localised design, layout, colour and technique preferences. The net has made a huge impact on just about every media, TV promo's now feature graphics that I believe are inspired by web design constraints, magazine adverts feature similar effects... I'm sure you can name plenty of other examples. Still, browsing through images that people post here and elsewhere of layouts and jobs, I see what I reckon are fairly pronounced national "preferences" towards design. The majority of the images here are from the US so its easy to see the styles favoured there (amongst the people that frequent this board which must be at least a reasonably large sample group)IMHO these designs favour plenty of "bells and whistles" or maybe embellishments is a better word. The little Canadian work I've seen seems to be heavily influenced by the US. The stuff from Europe/GB etc seems to lean towards a sort of traditional or classic style. Unfortunately I havent seen any work from Asia, the subcontinent or Africa so theres nothing to compare with. As for the local tastes here, they generally tend toward relatively simple and colourful. These are of course VERY broad generalisations but I cant help but notice them. We were talking up at Jons meet in Toowoomba about a more localised occurence when a signwriter moves in and leaves his impression on small town with his style, perhaps there is a similar thing happening on a larger scale with the homogenisation the web brings with it. What do you think? Now back to my navel. David
------------------ D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com
Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hi again...I didn't have a chance to finish this post this morning...I think you are right about the "box" (computer)taking over and creating a new "style" (if you can call it that)Pat has to remind me once in a while to work "outside of the box" and maintain the style I have created for myself over the years...funny how something as advanced as a computer can "dumb you down". After a while your convinced you can't do it the way you were taught all those years ...yet everytime I climb out of the box I am totaly relaxed and happy doing what I know the best...it's really tough to mix all this media with god given talents and hard earned skills and come up with a suitable product your both happy with and capable of selling at the same time.
Am I making any sense here?
well whether I do or not thats all I got to say on the subject...anyone else?
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
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Yep Pat, makes plenty of sense to me. I've often caught myself digitising something and wondered why the hell I didnt just project it and brush it straight in. Sometimes you have to remember to think like a signie and not get sucked into the "I wonder if I push this button and then that button" mentality. I probably didnt frame my thoughts too well in the original post, I was trying to cover a fair bit of ground in the one hit. I think that the net and global media/is creating a certain design "ideal" but in the same breath I think that there are still visible preferences on a national basis. You went to Tery's UK meet didnt you? (Or was that Monte?) I was wondering if others see the trend/s I'm talking about. David
------------------ D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com
Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I certainly agree with your observations David.
It is really plainly obvious, from an Australian point of view, when you flick through a Signcraft magazine at the paint shop (they over $12 an issue, so yes, I flick through them at the paint shop).
Not that there's anything wrong with the designs, but you often see designs that just look American. Probably we recognize the difference from what we see on the street here or do ourselves. It's hard to pin it down.
As for other parts: Britain - very conservative, with occaisional moments of great style, especially London. The lighter, colorful stuff seems restricted to the hanging pub signs. North Europe - Bauhaus dominates, simple, clear and functional. South Europe - Blue and white India - very colorful, highly decorated, not much technical prowess in letterforms, great pictorials. Asia - just take a look at those Philipino Jeepneys! The unknown gem is the Islamic countries. Aah! that beautiful lettering.
I'm being simplistic, I know. One unfortunate trend, is the ever increasing uniformity caused by corporate branding. Any city will be tarred with the usual global brush. The individuality is often seen only in the amatuer signage.
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"Amature signage " is becoming a curious term...with all the people that have computers now we get some really iteresting "designs" but the one that troubles me the most are the "designers" that scrawle something out on a piece of paper with a felt tip sharpie,then scan it and tranfer it to a disc and offer it up as a "Designer font".I have come to regard anything called a "designer font" as being the same as "crap".They then take this Font we'll call CRAP-BLACK ITALIC and offer it up as "Contempory Style" but when it's all said and done it still is nothing more than...yep you guessed it CRAP. Am I getting thin skinned?
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
[This message has been edited by Monte Jumper (edited February 21, 2001).]
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Monte ... I agree .. maybe I'm getting thin skinned too Comes with age hahahahaha
What I think motivated Dave's original thread on this post was our experience at the Curtain Restoration Meet we had here recently. Painted in 1918 by one of the original signwriters in this area (plus "apprentices" .. we are not certain)
We found that fonts not only changed from panel to panel but even within lines of lettering! One letter was block then next had serifs and gaps were filled with what we finally labeled "doovers" dots slashes etc. Certainly not "cosher" but overall it flowed. Something you can"t do with a 'puter
I love "freehand" brush lettering ... each sign is unique and creative and can be embelished within minutes with highlights or a drop shadow if need be without increasing the quoted cost.
As for "styles" ... hard to tell on an international basis. What gets published on the net or in magazines is the "cream of the crop" .... very specialised mostly. If we all had paying customers like that we would be rich
Yes I think Oz Styles are more "down to earth" America tends to "over do it" Europe is clean cut or "traditional" Asia is garrish!!!!
Just my opinion
------------------ Bushie aka Jon Butterworth Jonsigns old signwriters never retire ... they just fade into the background! Toowoomba,Queensland Australia.
Posts: 4014 | From: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Sorry bout the mistaken identity earlier on in the post there Monte, got my posts muddled... didnt you go to the UK meet? or am I just getting my Americans more confused? (Of course you know you guys all look the same to us ) David
------------------ D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com
Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
i would have to agree with most of what everyone has said on this post, different areas denote different styles of signs required, just as certian folks work can be spotted a mile away. traveling round oz u can pick certian ppls work as u drive into their area, i can tell when we get close to 'rigby' country down south just as darrens work near to hervey bay jumps out and bites u on the bum. visitors to our humble workshop has said the same thing about our stuff, u just kinda know.
from the little devo and i got to see round-a-bout last year the over all look of signs from place to place is completly different within the umberella of that region the 'other' type of sign that no-one mentioned that is taking over every where is what i call corporate, or maybe that was the 'puter' style u mentioned it is the same the world over.... dull, dull, dull!! with a capital F!
i had the great joy of watching as dave butler's wall in vinton came together and his style of sign is what i see in most of the up-over mags, as u said.. the cream of the crop. i see that type of work as... u see the design first and notice everything else later kinda sign.... beautiful stuff!
in chicago we went to a couple of sign shops and drove around town looking at everything i noticed a lot more dementional stuff than u find here the signs in canada around where steve lives and down to niagra changed again from area to area.... but lots of very pretty stuff, as u said dave maybe the american influences? or maybe just the time line of things... these are places that are older than here
what i saw at terry's meeting in the uk was again design orintated but as the meeting has a real 'oldie worldie' pub theme maybe the extreme decorations were just for that reason?
what we saw in amsterdam & singapoor was limited to the small area around airports so i dont think it can count as a 'real' look
most of the ozzie stuff i agree is simpler in style, enviromental or economic? i cant say.
just as we are a nation known for understating the obvious maybe that influence is also apparent in our visual comunication?
i would love to see a project drawn from these different areas... say along the lines of what signcraft do with there' how would you do this job' section.
good post dave
regards gail
------------------ on chat T2
Gail & Dave NSW Australia
taurus_signs@one.net.au
sumtimes ya just gota
Posts: 794 | From: 552 O'Regans Creek Rd Toogoom Qld 4655 Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
One of the funnier things that has happened during our quest fot the "puter age" was a situation that existed for about 5 years...right when the first Gerber IV B came out...everyone was so eager to get rid of Helevetica as a standard the entire U.S. was stuck on(of all things)Murray Hill Bold Type style that with Clarendon became the absolute "Norm" For a while...hows that for a style change.lol
Because of the computer I find it harder to pick out one guys work from another...but I can still remember the days you could ride down the street and pick out everyones work just by the way the did their "S's and R's". Still the guys that have an eye for design are still fun to look at.Even if it was done electronically.In a perfect world I could wake up tomorrow and go to work in a "sign shop" smell the lard oil,taste the charcoal and burn my ass with a mineral spirits rag(stuffed in my back pocket) Gawd, I love dreams like this.
No David I didn't make the england meet, but did Irelanmd the year before...I'm comin yer way next...as soon as I can find a rich dead uncle.
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
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My thinking on this electronic "mass media" theory.Would be connected to both Gail's observation of different individual styles per their relative location.Mixed with Monte's discription of thinking(Out Of The Box)sums up what David is noticing worldwide. Artist by nature have ALWAYS been out of the main stream.Both in thinking and execution of their talents.The One World,Global status quo simply won't work!Wheather it is Language or design.As much as "The Bork" would like to think.Resistance is NOT futile! With out Artist in the world,it would be a very Bland place to live. This must be what you are noticing. Hope this helps
------------------ PKing is Pat King of King Sign Design in McCalla,Alabama The Professor of SIGNOLOGY
Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Comes with age hahahahaha
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