Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia: Simple, Functional, and Stylish

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is a company embodied by quality, style, and creativity. The company is geared towards helping women in making their everyday lives simpler, easier, and more beautiful. Martha Stewart products are for the home and consist of everything from kitchen appliances to curtains, rugs, paint colors and bedding. The items are stylish and sophisticated which is what draws so many women to them. The Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia magazines such as Living, Everyday Food and Whole Living aim to teach new crafting and decorating ideas, offer gardening tips as well as quick and easy recipes for parties; they even teach women how to live healthier, less stressful lives.

Behind all these goals of the company, is one thing – simplicity. Simplicity seems to be the root of the company’s success. The reason so many women turn to Martha Stewart, is because she offers simple solutions. For this reason, I think the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia logo is perfect for the company.

The logo is simple and clean -looking. The type is simple but functional, which is another key ingredient to the success of the company. It is functional in the sense that it is easy to read, it stand’s out and is visually appealing. It can easily be applied anywhere. If it were in a fancy script font it would be harder to read and wouldn’t correctly represent the ideas of the company. I think script sets off an expensive, not simple or functional tone.  This simple and bold type is perfect.

I also think the color works well. It is a light pastel blue – a color that isn’t too overwhelming or overpowering, but also not too subtle. Color can be a big turnoff to some people and this blue seems to be a very neutral color that would be hard to hate.

The layout of the logo works well. The Martha Stewart is separate, a bit smaller, and off to the left in white writing in the blue box. The “Living” is then enlarged and in the blue color. I think enlarging the word Living is very effective. “Living” is the base of the company, meaning that everything it pertains to – gardening, cooking, decorating, crafting – are aspects of life and people’s everyday living.

Blog Assignment #7

Hello all.

For this week you will need to find an example of a successful logo and post it to the blog.  You will also need to fully analyze the design choices (type, color, layout, etc.) as well as discuss why the logo works well for the company’s (or person’s) purpose.  I want your opinion, so push yourself to get a voice in your writing, but I also would like you to do some research on the company and the development of the logo (include outside sources as links).

Here are links to two of the sites Professor Taylor mentioned in class that will help you on your search.

Brands of the World

Landor & Associates

As always e-mail me with any questions and it is due by midnight on Friday.

Make It or Break It

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the way color was used in this poster.

At first glance, my eye went to the visual.  I love the way the analogous colors, orange, yellow-orange, and yellow, are used.  To me the colors resemble a sunrise or a sunset.  The red ball with the orange designs and the colored circles with yellow rays enhance this resemblance.

As the color moves away from the yellow “sun,” it fades into different colors.  As the background turns red, there are green leaves on both sides.  As red and green are complementary colors, the leaves stand out not as a distraction, but as an element that makes the poster visually appealing.  Complementary colors are also seen in the purple flower next to the gold flower and the yellow hue over the purple circle under the book.

The book’s pages are blank white, without text.  I like because it seems like this poster is advertising a place where everyone can share their own story.  It also makes the book shine white and creates a gestalt with the header, information, and logos on the bottom right.

The colors in this poster work well.  The analogous colors create harmony within the design and the complementary colors add dimension.   The poster gives off a peaceful, relaxed, feeling and I think does a good job of conveying the desired effect for the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last poster used many colors and it worked well.  However, there is also something to be said about simplicity.  The black and white colors in this poster draw the reader’s eye right to the universally recognized blue handicapped symbol.  As blue is a cool color, it would recede if there were other warm colors in this poster.  If other cool colors were used, however, they would compete with the logo for the viewer’s attention.  Thus, I think the designer was wise to just use the standard black and white colors because it emphasizes the logo.

Once the viewer looks at the logo, they see that the symbol has been distorted and the individual in the wheel chair is actually crying.  He or she is on one side of a literal barrier that they are unable to cross.  We are easily able to see the metaphor behind this message and it is truly effective.  Now that I have completed the poster project I just think of how I love this poster and it was so easy to create.  Not only that but without excessive color, this poster must have been much cheaper to produce!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like how the designer of this poster used the visual of the repeated “something good” to frame the text on the right.  Little things like this tell me he or she must know something about design.  However, this, and any other positive comment that can be said about this poster, is completely voided by the horrid use of color.

Magenta and green are complementary colors and thus when used together they create a dramatic contrast.  Contrast, when use correctly as seen in my first poster example, is a powerful tool in design.  When used incorrectly, as you can see in this poster, it makes a design look tacky, cheap, and messy.

This poster is already disorganized.  There is no consistency with typefaces.  The margins are the end of the page for the top and bottom, small but defined on the left, and bleed on the right.  The visual hierarchy is awful and some things, like the text above “the seahorse” are illegible to me.  On top of this the designer chose to use white, black, magenta, lime green, royal blue, AND yellow.

And once he made this choice he did not take any of the design notes posted earlier into consideration.  Normally magenta, as a warm color, would come forward and green, as a cool color, would recede.  But the saturation of the green pulls it forward, pushing the unsaturated pink to the back.  That’s fine, but why did he want those specific lines to come forward?  It draws your eyes right to those lines instead of allowing the viewer to follow the visual hierarchy.

A similar question is raised when wondering why he or she made “DJ IV” black while making “appearing” and “and visual MARKIT” yellow.  Should the word “appearing” really be emphasized over the guest performer?

Overall, I’m not a fan of this poster.  I think it’s graphically awful and the colors literally make me cringe.  Color can either make or break a poster design and it should be added for a purpose not as an impulse.

Color

I think this is a successful poster design regarding color because it really stands out and the colors work well together. Even though the color scheme is highlighter bright yellow, green, orange, and pink, I think the intense colors work to engage the reader. Dance Works with this poster design and color choice make the dancing seem exciting, extreme, and something to notice.

Despite the background being yellow, there is no blue in the poster to compliment it, the green streak and the orange streak complement each other. The pink adds another flavor to the color palette as well. In regards to color properties, the yellow is in full saturation while the three waves of color are in differing saturations and opacities that balance well with the strong yellow.

My second example of a successful poster that uses color well is a similar poster as the Rotterdam Dance one, yet this poster is focused on color in forms of guns. It uses color effectively in a less saturated way than the bright yellow background. First off, this poster uses a natural tan color as its background. This allows for the green, red, yellow, blue, magenta, and orange to pop out. Although the different colors that spell out ‘color’ are more subdued in value than the previous poster’s color palette, I think the color is used this way for a purpose. Although I am not sure of the meaning behind the poster’s message , I think the different colors in gun forms are a strong impact for anyone who looks at this.

 

 

This is my example of an unsuccessful poster in regards to its use of color. The first color that pops out to me is the dark orange in the corners of the poster that fades to a lighter orange using a gradient. The aqua blue stripe in the middle does not complement the orange very well. Even though orange and blue are complimentary colors,  these two off-shades do not work successfully together. I think a stronger blue would have looked much better. The addition of white shapes and edges around the visuals of the cast from “Losers” is completely lost in the strong contrast between the overall orange and weird blue. The visuals are dark and thus ideally should stick out in the center, but there is so much going on to really make clear of what is what on this poster.

 

When comparing the two successful posters to the one unsuccessful color poster, the two posters that are successful are because they used color schemes that work nicely together to catch the viewer’s eye. Although the poster with the colorful guns is more subdued than the Rotterdam Dancworks poster, both use color effectively in their visuals and use contrast to their advantage. By using different color values, and high saturation, both posters have strong color use. Their color palettes aren’t as limiting as the movie poster of “Losers.” Although I am usually a fan of simplicity, this rule does not pertain to color schemes (at least in this poster). By sticking to the orange and aqua blue, adding black and white to it, color plays no real effective role in it. The colors make me not focus on the cast of the poster but instead of the complimentary color gone wrong scheme. This poster should have stuck to a simpler design and allowed its color to speak loudly in a tasteful way.

 

 

 

Less color, is more color

This poster for Bonnaroo 2007 definitely has a green color scheme which I think is meant to remind the viewer of the location for the concert in Tennessee. There are various shades of green in the trees and fields which then match the title. The sky is also green mixed with purple. The main text is white which is simple and works well against the dark green. Also, this poster may appear text heavy but I think it is successful because the text is actually a long list of all the diferrent acts that will be performing at the festival. This list is so long and impressive that it deserves to be the main attraction of the poster.

This move poster for “Planet Terror” uses a simple and effective color scheme. The poster is mainly a red background with the female character (who has an unusual figure) silhouetted against it in black. Though she isn’t totally in shadow, which makes her seem more real. The red background, as with the whole poster, appears to be faded and torn, as if this were a poster that was hanging outside for a long time. This effect gives the colors a more textured look which adds to the character of the poster and makes it different from a poster like the Bonnaroo one above, which is almost cartoonish in how it is illustrated. Also, red is appropriate because this is a violent movie and red is the color of blood.

I feel this Lost poster is unsuccessful in its color use and overall. While the above two posters had a clear reason for using the colors that they did, this one doesn’t. When I think of Lost, I think of the tropical island setting where much of the show takes place. This looks nothing like an island setting. This poster combines the characters’ faces with blue and black backgrounds. The black is justified because every episode begins with the word “Lost” against a black screen. I’m not sure if the blue supposed to represent a drop of water or something like that, but it seems cluttered and odd, plus it is hard to tell who a lot of the characters are so it just becomes a bunch of faces.

A Truth That’s Not So Ugly, but a Rock Concert That Is

Personally I think this poster portrays a great visual.  The use of the simple black and white along with the primary red creates great contrast.  The use of white space is very strong here, and the small use of the color red provides a very effective design.  The bold black letters used in a portion of the headline creates a visual gestalt that truly benefits the advertisement for the poster.  If any other color would have been used for this poster I do not think it would have been as effective because they are using the common idea that red is seen as the color of love, while also using its bold characteristics to make the visual really pop for the reader.

This poster completely captured my attention because of the visual design along with the colors chosen to create the design.  Unlike the poster above, this designer chose to use a larger palette of colors.  The use of many colors can be either a designer’s dream or a terrifying disaster.  Luckily, the warm tones of purple and yellow is very soothing and fun.  The different colors of the petals demonstrate a very pale color wheel.  I think the way the background looks like it is painted on is beneficial to the poster because it allows the visual and colors chosen to complement each other.  This natural image along with the look of the hand painted colors are very appealing.

 

This is the prime example of a poster that abuses the use of color.  The color scheme of the Rock Rhyme and Reason poster has no visual appeal because of the color scheme it uses.  The lime green in combination with the dark red completely ruins the image.  Although red and green are complementary colors, the shade of green the designer chose ruins any successful contrast.  The typography and headline are visually attractive for selling the event, however the color destroys the design.  In comparison to the two posters above that use different hues and saturation to complement the poster, this poster looks as if the designer had no interest in creating any form of balance with its use of color.

 

The World Is Not Black and White

My obsession with color most likely began after seeing “The Wizard of Oz” for the first time. The scene where Dorothy steps into Oz and the world goes from goes from being sepia-toned to colorful and vibrant is one of my favorite parts in the movie. Color is one of the most important elements to any design, but it is only appealing if it is used correctly.

This ad campaign by the clothing brand Bebe stuck out to me when I saw it while flipping through a magazine. The primary colors (red in the models hair and lipstick, yellow for the background, and blue in the dress) are altered so that their values are different, but they are still complimentary and work well together. This ad has lots of appeal because of the way the colors compliment eachother. The red of the models hair and makeup compliment the cyan color or the dress, and the yellow, with its lighter value, is the perfect choice for the background because it doesn’t distract from the image nor does the image get lost.

 

I chose this next ad from the same Bebe campaign because once again it uses color in a smart way, but different than the ad above. The ad above utilizes primary colors that compliment each other, while this ad uses a color scheme based on analogous colors. The different values of red, purple, and blue are harmonious and work well together. The Bebe logo, which is white in both ads, was also a smart color choice because it stands out and is easy to read over top of the vibrant background colors. Overall, this entire ad campaign has smart color use and design. All of the ads are shot in brilliant colors and in my book the brighter the color, the better the design.

 

 

These posters about The Decemberists’ concert I found to be boring and dull. I like the artwork, but the color use is rather bland and not very eye catching. I am a fan of black and white tones when they are used effectively, but I just don’t find these posters to use black and white in a smart way. Overall, the posters kind of looks unfinished. I do like the visual, but if I were designing this poster I think even just a little bit of color, maybe using red for the type or outlining the image, would make the poster a lot more appealing and less boring.

 

 

Kelly Bucci’s Poster

Color: A Designer’s Best Friend or Worst Enemy

I chose the poster to the left because I think its success relies not on its headline (which is obviously not very clever!) or it’s image (which is still very strong), but its color harmony. There is an apparent color scheme of blues here that, in my opinion, work brilliantly.  The spectrum adds dimension and depth to the picture and allows for an image to be created out of basic shapes. The juxtaposition of light and dark shades of blue allows for wording, images, etc. to be placed next to each other but still stand out.  This poster therefore becomes engaging and aesthetically pleasing.

 

To the right is another poster that I felt used color in a unique and skillful way.  Unlike my previous example, this poster uses contrasting colors.  By doing this, we are able to easily read overlapping letters. This poster, though using unconventional color, grabs attention and holds interest.  It uses the primary colors but in uncommon hues. The reds, blues and yellows therefore still interact extremely well but are not overwhelmingly bright. Setting the black next to and within these three colors prevents it from becoming too crowded and unreadable.

Unlike the first two posters, this poster to the left (which is already far too busy and cluttered), demonstrates how color can work against the design.  The greatest color problem is the “TNT” and information section at the bottom’s maroon-like tone. The dark red takes away any power that the classic, bright red would have had in this design.  It also ruins what would have been an American color scheme (red, white & blue).  This color choice adds to the business of this poster and takes away from any chance of hierarchy. The eye does not know where to look.  If I even stopped to look at this poster, I would give up on trying to follow it.  It is an example of how color has the power to determine where your eye travels (or where it doesn’t travel, in this case).

Color Color Color

I love the colors used on this poster. This poster was created to promote the World Cup in South Africa. The South African flag contains many colors, most of which are very vibrant. This poster utilizes all of the prominent colors on this flag and effectively uses them to create a national sense of pride as well as make the poster stand out when looking at it. I think using all of the red, green, and yellow as accents also is used very effectively.

I love all of Absolut’s posters. They are very memorable, and always focus on the color of the Absolut logo on the bottle. In this specific poster, they use the idea of a mandarine and made their label orange, and placed a slice of an orange next to the bottle, which is reflected in the bottom of the bottle. Overall, the graphic works perfectly with what Absolut is trying to sell in this poster, and the color plays a large part in that.

I am not a big fan of this Pepsi Lime poster at all.While I like the idea of the poster, the colors do not work together well whatsoever. While the brown color of the soda and the blue of the bottle work well, the brown clashes with the lime green of the lime. Also, the background is too prominent. If it was a plain white background, I think the poster would have been more effective. The use of the bathroom works for the idea of the poster, but the execution does not work with the colors on the poster.