Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: Anyone can do design.

164 Responses

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  • Sacha,

    That logos a stinking pile of dog turd

    Reminiscent of catering at mass sports events I thought

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    See how easy this design stuff is.

    Well, took me a couple of weeks so far, but am starting to get the hang of it :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Is that a big Blue "A"
    I bet that Council has a good Logo.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Rude import from Designers Institute undermines his argument by insinuating all Kiwis are "visual illiterates" and that culture started here 200 years ago with people who no doubt look and think like him.

    What else is possible? Why have higher aspirations…like civilisation?

    So the cultural legacy of the scavenger lives on. The towns and cities are gimcrack shantytowns pretending to be sophisticated. The extraordinary beauty of the countryside is ruined by a nasty little brick farmlets, corrugated sheds, shiny silos, and telegraph wires.

    The tourist hot spots are a disgrace. The cities are the playground of moronic highway engineers and property speculators. Everything that nature gave you is wonderful, while everything that follows on as human constructions is just astonishing- in its brutality and in its unthinking ugliness - raw, naïve, cheap and counterfeit.

    Because visual quality is not very well understood, then we seem to be quite content to put people at the tops of organisations, who have their eyes tight shut from birth.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Because visual quality is not very well understood, then we seem to be quite content to put people at the tops of organisations, who have their eyes tight shut from birth.

    Gee, tell us what you really think. The client is always right, except when they're too stupid to recognize my genius.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    SHORT BIO David Walker

    Architect /designer
    David Walker trained as an architect in the UK at the University of Bristol. He practiced architecture for ten years mainly in the realm of social housing.

    And the architecture of "Social Housing" in 70's UK was stunning, in its ugliness.
    Mr Walker, you can bury your head back in the sand now.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    Is this "pick on designers" week? I didn't get the memo.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Phil Twyford notes the irony of public involvement in the supercity's logo compared with more substantive matters such as removal of the standard right of all other NZ local electors to vote on amalgamation or be consulted on privatisation.

    It is like forcing someone to live in a house against their will, in a location and with design and materials they don’t like. And then asking them what colour they want the front door to be painted.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    So, moving along from a public logo competition, how about this:

    An Auckland typeface competition. A proper competition, with a proper prize, and a good proportion of experts in the judging panel(s). The brief would include the following:
    - the Auckland logo would be "Auckland" (or possibly "AUCKLAND") rendered in the winning typeface.
    - the winning typeface would be used for signage throughout the region.

    Then: yay. Auckland gets a big heap of visual identity. Some typeface designer (or maybe a design student! or maybe a passionate amateur!) gets a decent prize. The world gets a new typeface. Everybody smiles and dances!

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    Andre wrote:

    I spent a couple of hours attempting to draw penises in MS Paint. Harder than it looks!

    Thatʻs because you are using the wrong tool, for logos I suggest a vector graphics program like the free Inkscape one. For example my attempt at an Auckland city of sails logo:
    looks something like this

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    attempt at an Auckland city of sails logo:

    "Auckland, Prick of a place" ?? :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    No, No, you arenʻt seeing my logo _properly_. I blame New Zealanderʻs poor visual literacy for failing to see the overall heart in this piece of quasi-corporate self-indulgence.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    I quite like this logo. It's already been created, and is quite strong visually. I don't think we need a competition - just use this one.

    I haven't seen it in blue before, only in the volcanic reddy/orangey colours - which I think is pretty cool.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Alien Lizard (anag),

    I quite like this logo

    hmmm... but what is it saying
    Auckland - frayed knot!
    or
    Auckland - the unravelling fabric of Society

    though I quite like the subtle volcanic cone
    in white in the middle

    The Arrrgh Complex • Since Jan 2010 • 158 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    I've done a very quick (4:12) tutorial on using Inkscape for making logos.
    youtube link

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    It's better seen in the reddy/orangey colours - it's quite striking and volcanic looking - which avoids comparisons such as you make - with frayed knots, or something being unravelled... though, given Wodder's, the description is apt.

    The volcanic coloured one is here - at the right hand side.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Hamilton is not in Auckland

    Give it another 50 years and it will be.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    attempt at an Auckland city of sails logo

    Auckland, we may be dicks, but at least we know it!

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    avoids comparisons such as you make - with frayed knots, or something being unravelled..

    those associations were made pretty widely when the thing first came out

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Alien Lizard (anag),

    IMHO this Big A logo is a bit of a space sucker
    basically occupying a square

    using this in paper ads and on posters
    it would make the word Auckland
    very squitty in many applications
    and i don't think the A cuts it on its own as a brand

    having spent many years dealing with disparate logos to fill up those "Logo Ranches" of sponsors on arts projects / posters, and the like those square ones with "modest type" just disappear when ya have them the same relative size to the others

    I think the tourism Auckland one is fine -
    the low horizontal format works better and saves column centimetres in paper ads as well!
    Sure it is a tad "all-things-to-all-people"
    (but luckily no kids with balloons!
    or latte swilling proles under umbrellas... :- ) )

    it has the sea and sails and Rangitoto
    (and really Rangitoto is Auckland's Eiffel Tower -
    ie an instantly recognisable symbol

    and at least Auckland is largest word/element - maybe use the stronger font from the A logo to punch it out a bit...
    Then they could just change the "Tourism" to whatever word was needed
    "Transport", "Water", "Parking", etc

    if it ain't broke and all that...

    The Arrrgh Complex • Since Jan 2010 • 158 posts Report Reply

  • Alien Lizard (anag),

    those associations were made pretty widely when the thing first came out

    Understandably - when did it come out?
    this is the first time I have seen it I think...
    if it was used in conjunction with that "Wrought Iron Gates" Ak promotion we all had fun taking apart last year I didn't pick up on it...
    ...and what happened to that campaign, it seems to have disappeared.... or maybe it doesn't get as far south as Chch

    The Arrrgh Complex • Since Jan 2010 • 158 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The frayed A brand came out in September 2008 but not widely promoted to the public. Follows 7 years of joint regional economic development/long term planning work. The AucklandPlus EDA site I've linked to explains.

    Also has its own Brand Auckland site.

    Unrelated (typical) to last year's Heart of the City visitor campaign which had the flashy tv advert up front with lower key follow-ups in print and online pitching specific events for visitors. I presume those are still going but as a non-visitor I don't pay much attention.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    I'm ever so glad the council is taking the logo seriously because good grief we can't possibly manage to run a city without a logo.

    Of course the designer is absolutely right leaving such an important decision to amateurs is a disaster waiting to happen. I, as the author obviously does, believe that after this process the new logo will fail to result in a well managed and functional city and hence will require professional remediation.

    The time for protest is now - gird your loins gather all your resources to protest this critical decision failure.

    No effort is more important than ensuring a city logo is created, by professionals, that can carry us through the next century.

    ------------
    I nominate Fraser Gardyne for a seat on the B ark.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Come to think of it, the kind of logo likely to result from this process will be just the thing for the kind of city likely to result from that process.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Alien Lizard (anag),

    No effort is more important than ensuring a city logo is created, by professionals, that can carry us through the next century.

    indeed, after all Logos is the Word of God, or principle of divine reason and creative order...
    ...after all those years in the wilderness Auckland sorely needs a burning brand!

    The Guild of Hermetic Mark Makers rests its case...

    The Arrrgh Complex • Since Jan 2010 • 158 posts Report Reply

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