Fusebox Design

Laissez-faire

Alex — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:54:37 +0000

Label for a new wine range by Larry Cherubino based around the concept of ‘letting things be’ in and around the vineyard, rather than interfering with the natural rhythms. Sometimes less is indeed more.

The illustration is based on the almost naive hand-drawn style used for many decorative botanical and wildlife illustrations in the late 1970s, and the border outline flow hints at the antique silver silver escutcheon-shaped labels that used to be hung around bottles in place of paper labels.

Photo: Frances Andrijich

Mix Master: well mixed red

Alex — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:21:51 +0000

Our label for the Ad hoc Mix Master, featuring the image of the beaters from our very own kitchen appliance.

Very aromatic, with hints of plum, berry and some gentle spice. On the palate, rich, juicy plummy fruit with a savoury touch. The palate is medium weight and velvety, the tannins are gentle and the finish is long and mouth filling. Drink now or over the next 2 years. Drink With: Spaghetti Bolognese.

Upside down, left to right: a letterpress film

Alex — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:05:22 +0000

Here’s a beautiful documentary by Danny Cooke about letterpress printing at the Plymouth University printing workshop. It’s not only a nice film, but gives a sense of how much time and care once went into producing printed materials. A vast volume of communication products are churned out at a frenetic pace these days, and it’s not surprising that some of the fine quality has been lost. But, letterpress printers are popping up everywhere: reviving the craft and bringing back the tactile, handmade feel.

Upside Down, Left To Right: A Letterpress Film from Danny Cooke on Vimeo.

The wine makers

Alex — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:24:34 +0000

Staff portrait at McHenry Honen winery, Margaret River, Western Australia.

Harvesting chardonnay 2012

Alex — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:20:23 +0000

An image of the 2012 harvest in Margaret River, Western Australia.

Designer as photographer

Alex — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:17 +0000

I’m really impressed by the work of US-based photographer and designer Peggy Wong. She is a former Deputy Art Director for Martha Stewart in New York and turns her hand to professional photography. She brings a graphic designer’s eye to every photo and the results are always impressive. Peggy describes herself as a designer, photographer, traveller – which sounds like the perfect job title to me. See more of Peggy’s work here.

I chose these two great Peggy Wong images of the beach at Malibu to remind those of us on the east coast of Australia that this is what summer should look like, and to warm up our friends in the northern hemisphere who are a little chilly right now.

Diane Keaton week

Alex — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:04:56 +0000

It’s been Diane Keaton week here at Fusebox Design. We watched Woody Allen’s classic Annie Hall last weekend. There are lots of fashion moments throughout (Diane’s hat, tie, waistcoat and chino pants, for example). This week I’m working my way through her recently published autobiography, Then Again. But what has really caught my eye is this lovely portrait of Diane Keaton by Annie Leibovitz. Just beautiful.

Butterfly beauty

Alex — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:54:12 +0000

These butterfly images are really amazing. They look like they’ve all consulted a graphic designer for those patterns and stripes. It’s beautiful inspiration straight from nature. The names are also good fun. The first image (from the top) is the neglected eighty-eight butterfly (Diaethria neglecta). The second is the peacock pansy butterfly (Junionia almana). Third is the zebra-winged butterfly and the final shot is the blue morpho butterfly (Morpho sp.). The poor old blue morpho lives for just 115 days – but what a beauty.

Ringwood Private Hospital

Alex — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:25:51 +0000

Part of a series of images for Ringwood Private Hospital (February 2012).

Paris versus New York

Alex — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:49:01 +0000

Vahram Muratyan is a graphic designer who has made a name for himself with his blog (and now book) Paris vs. New York – a playful visual comparison between the two cities. It’s cute and clever and made me smile. Have a look here for more of his great prints and the newly-released book.

Vahram Muratyan

The king of cool

Alex — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:58:58 +0000

Anyone else feel like joining me in a vote for Bryan Ferry as the coolest guy alive? I think it’s all in the fringe. And here’s a link to a bit of music while we’re at it. There’s really nothing quite like a cheesy 1980s film clip full of models.

Brown Coal Innovation Australia

Alex — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:19:22 +0000

Brown Coal Innovation Australia is a not-for-profit company with a mandate to co-invest with stakeholders in brown coal innovation and emissions reduction technologies. Fusebox created a logo and branding identity for the new company in 2010.

Centre for Palliative Care

Alex — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:05:26 +0000

In 2010 Fusebox Design created a new branding identity for the Centre for Palliative Care (part of St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne). The focus of the Centre’s activities are research and education.

Portrait: Marion Cotillard

Alex — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:07:27 +0000

Here is a really beautiful portrait of the French actress Marion Cotillard. Remember her as Édith Piaf in the film La Vie en Rose? Perhaps actors are just in a lot more photos than the rest of us, but I’m always amazed at how different they can look from one photo shoot to the next. Versatile face; versatile personality. I guess that’s acting.

ilikeproserpina, Tumblr

Rocks

Alex — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:13:57 +0000

Some people collect stamps. I collect rocks. I’m sure it’s a by-product of looking at the ground when I’m walking. Here are a few new additions to my pile. I love the colours of rocks, the feel of rocks in your hand, the smell of them.

I wonder if Virginia Woolfe had pockets full of rocks when she waded into the river? Maybe she just collected rocks too.

Mt Buffalo poster

Alex — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:05:07 +0000

This weekend we are heading to the hills: Bright in Victoria to be precise. There’s something very calming about being in the mountains for me. However this won’t be the case for Peter, who will be riding his bicycle up some of those same hills in the 2012 Alpine Classic.

Mt Buffalo is one of my favourite alpine areas in Australia. It has lovely big chunky boulders – as you can see in this vintage poster. Our Australian Alps are fairly small (compared to the mountains in other parts of the world). But they are seriously beautiful.

Image: Josef Lebovic Gallery

Sharp Berlin lines

Alex — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:51:39 +0000

I am really in love with these photographs by Berlin-based photographer Matthias Heiderich. Sharp, crisp lines and a big sky is a recipe for sucess in my book. He is a self-taught photographer – which is very inspiring.

Photos: Matthias Heiderich

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Alex — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:55:56 +0000

Happy New Year and here’s to a prosperous 2012 – year of the dragon. I think I love Chinese New Year even more than I like the regular one.

If you see a dragon, put some money in it’s mouth for good luck.

Lemon Graphic

In a nut-shell

Alex — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:39:27 +0000

Many of my picture books when I was a kid were stories of princesses, gnomes, fairies and forests. I knew that the word of Peter Rabbit and The Famous Five just was not mine. I loved Milly Molly Mandy, but she lived in a cottage with a thatched roof – and I wasn’t really sure what that meant.

But I was devoted to May Gibbs’ beautiful illustrations of Sugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gum-nut babies. I knew those gum leaves and nuts – they were in my backyard. I collected them, knew what they smelled like. Other characters were birds and lizards and creatures I knew. To this day I am still a bit afraid of the big bad Banksia man.

When I wonder how it is that I find myself as a graphic designer, I think back to moments as a kid, colouring-in and drawing gum-nut babies.

The Red-flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) are in full bloom here this Australian summer. I can’t help but imagine all those little gum-nut people in pink skirts and hats.

Images: Josef Lebovic Gallery

Vintage signage

Alex — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:54:09 +0000

Boy, signage is not what it used to be. Compared to any local shopping mall, there’s something very sympathetic, dignified and elegant about these vintage examples. Keep your eyes open around many cities and country towns, and you might see examples in quiet, unexpected places.

If you love old signage and typography have a look at Vernacular Typography – a site which documents some great examples from around the world.