The 3 Label Idea

Here is the latest. I initially had the colors more of a gradient from deeper oranginess (is that a word?) to the lighter honey shade moving from top label to bottom. But when I printed it out, it looked less great than I had hoped. But the yellow against the orange looked really nice.
I added the description in spanish too, because I needed more type. This is everything one could hope to find about the wine growing regions of Maipo Valley.
Any thoughts?

Each week I feel as though I must check in with… (week 8)

Each week I feel as though I must check in with…


I thought about this one a lot. Sure, there are websites or magazines I check in with often that inspire me as a designer: Mattson Creative, Communication Arts, How, Pentagram, Lynda.com, etc (see list of books in a previous post). Also, I could mention that I check in with my professors every week. I oftentimes seek wisdom from friends who are designers: classmates, Brenton Smith, Abby & Alex Jartos, the in-house designers at Peachtree Presbyterian, etc.


But if there was one person, place or thing that I feel I must check in with every week, or more correctly, every day, I would have to say my wife, Kellee.


I know it seems typical or like some sort of sacrifice of masculinity that a husband should have to "check in" with his wife, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Its far more than some subservient approval that I seek. I value her ideas and opinions immensely. I value her honesty and integrity. I value her thoughtfulness. I admire her talent and skill (she is a fantastic video editor, and she doesn't even realize it). I admire her ability to see things from a different perspective. Most of all, I value and admire her love and support. It is what keeps me going when I struggle. It is often what carries me through when I feel inadequate as a designer or a person. I don't get to tell her enough how much her love and support means to me. I literally could not be in school, be a designer, or be who I am without her.

Wine "Band" Labels

Trying different colors.

Inspiration for Wine Packaging

Beekeeping box.

Wine Making Supplies in Atlanta

http://www.winecraftatl.com

They are located in Sandy Springs across the street from Lowes on Roswell Rd.

Books, Periodicals, Inspiration (Week 7)

1. Logo Lounge. I've used this countless times for logo inspiration. I also have given it to clients to get a feel for what type logos they like.

2. Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, Tipping Point, & Outliers. Love his writing. It's quite motivating too.

3. Frank Matthews, A Survey of the Graphic Arts. I found this one at a book fair. Written in 1969, it's a great look into past printing methods, relief printing, letterpress, itaglio printing, phototype, lithography, paper maufacturing, inks, binding, etc.

4. Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People.


5. Communication Arts. I spend a lot of time feeling inept as I flip through this magazine.

6. Adrian Shaughnessy, How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul. A good look into what it takes to be a designer aside from talent and ability.

7. Peter Kyne, The Go-Getter. Never-give-up inspiration.

8. How. A nice magazine that gives you more than just pretty stuff to look at.

9. Dan Miller, No More Dreaded Mondays. Do what you love and the money will follow.

10. Thomas J. Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door. A look at the behaviors and patterns of the majority of wealthy people in America. Surprising.

11. James Allen, As a Man Thinketh. A classic book that basically states, "What you think is what you will become.

12. Megs, A History of Graphic Design. Our Text for History of Graphic Design. Always great to read about what the greats have done before us.

13. Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift, & The Noticer. Motivation that will kill the "woe-is-me" mentality.

14. Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

15. Natalie Avella, Paper Engineering. Paper as an art form.

16. James Craig, Designing with Type. I still consult this book when I have Typographical dilemmas.

17. Jim Krause, Design Basics Index. A decent overview of the basic principals of good design.

18. Digital Arts Magazine. I put that one there to fill in the corner. I don't really care too much for tutorial magazines.

SBO Contents Spread

Wine Bottle Creative Brief

CLIENT:

Killer Bee Wine

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile.

A medium to full bodied wine with a fine structure that supports black and red fruit flavors with notes of olive, chili and herbs that add complexity.

PROJECT:

Wine bottle and gift package

OVERVIEW:

The purpose of this project is redesign the logo, labels, and other design elements of the wine bottle as well as create a special edition gift box or package.

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES:

The overall look and feel of the wine bottle and packaging should appriciate the time-honored art of wine making, but with a clean, contemporary, sophisticated, and updated appearance. The theme of the logo and packaging could be derived from and/or suggest the name Killer Bee, but without being overstated and obvious. Killer Bee should be represented in a unique, subtle, possibly fun or humorous way.

Typography will be the most important graphical element, and therefore should be clear, consistent, visually strong, and well-organized.

The special gift box should be visually beautiful and well crafted. It should be in harmony with the design of the wine bottle. The wine bottle and the gift box should feel as if they belong together. The box will not only serve to house and protect the wine bottle, but will also be a unique selling point aimed at making the wine feel special and desirable.

Wine Bottle Labels

My idea is to cut the front label out in a circle but leaving the "points" on the left and right sides. The small label that says RESERVE is for the neck of the bottle.

A Designer's Habitat (Week 6)

Most of my design work is done at my house, named Ziegelhaus (meaning brick house). Drawing, sketching, scanning, designing, and printing take place in the Roosevelt Room. The Roosevelt Room is the spare bedroom, named for Teddy and FDR (see photo of Teddy above the piano). Photographing, Cutting, trimming, pasting, destroying, weeping and gnashing of teeth take place in the kitchen (also known as The Refectory).

Wine Bottle Redesign (Logo)

I wanted the logo concept to define the words "Killer Bee" but it had to be something new and fresh. In other words, no images of bees holding guns or knives, or dripping blood. Those are too obvious. It needs to be subtle. At first, I thought of a bee with crossbones underneath, but I don't want to infer that the wine is poison. Then I thought perhaps the markings on the back of the bee could make a subtle skull. Then it hit me, use the type to convey the message (See the following logo ideas). Also, I found a great image of the natural geometric proportions of a bee (see the circle diagram). According to "Sacred Geometry – Philosophy and Practice”, by Robert Lawlor, the proportions of the bee are a 1 to the square root of 2 ratio.

Mastheads and Cover Ideas

Examples of Great Wine Bottle Design

 Molly Dooker Wines. Not only are these fantastic wines by Sarah and Sparkey Marquis, of the famed Marquis Vineyards, but the label design is beautiful and playful at the same time.

Seriously, buy this one if you see it, and you'll know why its a cult classic.

Continuum is an amazing (expensive) bottle of wine from the Mondavi Family. The label is striking and simple. You can't see it well in this image, but the edges of the old vine leaves are lined with shimmering gold leafing.

I have never tried this wine, but I love the clever use of typography to draw attention to the name.