Archive for the Category »Graphic Design «

27
Jun
Designer Moist Towelettes
By Max Univers | Posted on: June 27, 2008 |
On Thursday, I spent the better portion of the day at a training session. As anyone who knows me is aware, I struggle to sit still for that long without doing SOMETHING to stay awake. I’m a hands-on guy; watching someone else demonstrate best practices bores me to the verge of sleep. I needed something, anything, to get my mind rolling at 100 MPH. Lucky for me, there was lunch, because inside the plastic tray was a moist toilette.
Now I know what you’re saying. You shouldn’t use a moist toilette on your face because the chemicals will make you blind, no matter how refreshing it might seem. Well, don’t worry, you. I’m talking about the packaging, specifically, the art deco wrapper.
Before you say it out loud and disturb everyone around you with your musings about how I’ve lost my mind, I’ll say it (or type it) for you…

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09
May
I Give Up
By Max Univers | Posted on: May 09, 2008 |

Another post in the “Randomly Occurring Periodic Post About Something Design Related” series.


I got an email from my mom this week, and she thought I’d be amused by a font case study. Guess what: not amused!

This is from the list serve for our programs–it references a document
that we have to sign with all of the places where we place volunteers.
Some programs are having a problem getting non-profit agencies to sign
them–I thought you’d get a kick out the latest posting.

Oh, I got a kick out of it. As a matter of fact, you will too. After the jump…the post.

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27
Mar
Shopko Logo Makes Me Violently Ill
By Max Univers | Posted on: March 27, 2008 |

Another post in the “Randomly Occurring Periodic Post About Something Design Related” series, because although I wasn’t asked to participate in the Grand Finale Series on a certain website, that doesn’t mean I don’t have things I’d like to write.
One day last week, I was out running errands over my lunch hour, and I needed some general consumable household items. Paper towels, toothpaste, garbage bags — real exciting stuff, let me tell you. I happened to be on 140th and Center here in Omaha, so I decided to swing by Shop-Ko because it was the closest store.
I’ve always held a certain kind of fondness for Shop-Ko, because its always reminded me of Target before Target was TARGET, if you know what I mean. A cleaner, friendlier discount department store than Wal-Mart. Everything from the layout of the stores to the price signs on the shelves typeset in black Helvetica Bold on plain white stock reminded me of Target: 1990. They weren’t trying to be hip, cool or trendy, just a nice, clean store. They were what they were, and I respected that.
But as I pulled into the parking lot, I metaphorically dropped my chalupa on the floor of my car. Not literally, because chalupas are too tasty to actually drop no matter how shocked you may be by an event. But metaphorically, sure, I dropped it. And it was a metaphorical mess, just like this story. Shut up.

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08
Feb
Max Univers Guest Stars, Discusses Super Bowl Ads
By Max Univers | Posted on: February 08, 2008 |

Quite a while ago, I helped to launch a podcast with my good buddies Cliff Glypha and Dick Herculanum. After the first season, I departed, but have occasionally lent my rather insignificant talents to the show since then. For this week’s show, they asked me to come on as a guest — and to host their annual Super Bowl Extravaganza. I agreed, with one caveat:
I get to run the show, and do whatever I want. They said “sure”, and this is what the result wound up being. It turned into a broadcasted frat party, the result of which is hilarious…and probably makes Cliff and Dick happy I only get to wreak such havoc on their show once a year!

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13
Dec
QB #15 Approves Of This Shirt
By Max Univers | Posted on: December 13, 2007 |
Another post in the “Randomly Occurring Periodic Post About Something Design Related” series, to fulfill my Monthly Quota.

At first glance, this looks like a perfectly ordinary t-shirt, no? I mean, if you can get past the deuchebaggery of wearing a shirt that says “My team’s player won the Heisman!”, that is. I have a lot of sports-themed clothing, and I can’t imagine owning, or even wearing, a shirt exclaiming a player on one of my teams won an award. You don’t see me wearing a Johan Santana “Cy Young” t-shirt. Or an Adrian Peterson “I rushed for 297 yards” shirt. And I never would, even if such lame things existed.
But anyway, that’s not the point. Look closer at this shirt; it doesn’t say “Tim Tebow: 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner”…it says “Florida Quarterback”. Nice.
QB Eagles approves of this (warning: gratuitous Tecmo Bowl reference). Omaha Blogger also approves of this. My question is, does this mean Brandon Fraizer, the backup QB for the Gators, could wear this shirt and tell people he won the Heisman? He is technically “Florida Quarterback”…just not THE Florida Quarterback.
All kidding aside, this ridiculous shirt is made possible by the NCAA, which prohibits players from marketing their names or likenesses, but allows schools to put their name and logo on anything, anywhere. It makes for a pretty ridiculous design, and out of all the hilarious things about it, my favorite is probably that the word “Quarterback” is so small…almost like it was tacked into the design at the last minute.
Wouldn’t it be hysterical if this principle of generic naming was a regular occurrence in other walks of life?
Instead of Random Guy At Burger King, we’ll call him “Steven Smith”, it might be “Cashier BK”. Instead of Cliff Glypha, it might be “Host BADCast”. Instead of Jay Leno, it might be “Unfunny”. You bet. The possibilities are endless, really.
What a ridiculous shirt. SG Bulls approves.
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