Get a sneak peek into what’s brewing in Adobe Research. MAX Sneaks is where Adobe engineers give a first look at potential future technologies, which may or may not make it into upcoming versions of Adobe products. Actor, Comedian, and Entrepreneur Kevin Hart will co-host Sneaks.
As mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II has come to a close, King Charles III—the oldest person to take over the British throne—has chosen the monogram to represent his reign.
The new royal cipher features the initial ‘C’, for Charles, entwined with the letter ‘R’ for Rex, Latin for king. The Roman numeral III sits inside the latter, and the British Crown floats atop the visual identity.
It was designed by the College of Arms, made up of members of the Royal Household, and takes the place of Queen Elizabeth II’s longstanding ‘E II R’ symbol (‘R’ here denoting Regina, or queen). An alternative version in Scotland will replace the top with the Scottish Crown.
Charles himself has been the patron of numerous art and design efforts. Last year, as the Prince of Wales, he founded the Terra Carta design lab with former Apple design chief Jony Ive through London’s Royal College of Art (RCA). King Charles was appointed the Royal Patron of the National Gallery in London back in 2016, and he presented nearly 80 of his watercolor landscape paintings for the first time earlier this year.
King Charles III’s monogram first went into use in the Buckingham Palace post room on Tuesday, franking letters from the Royal Households for the first time. Following that, it will be decked across public buildings, uniforms, post boxes, and official stationery.
“The decision to replace [ciphers] will be at the discretion of individual [organizations], and the process will be gradual,” elaborates Buckingham Palace in a statement.
A new monarch means banknotes, coins, and stamps will have to be redesigned too.
Source: DesignTAXI
Just last week, Instagram users noticed that the app icon had randomly become a lot brighter. Well, now we know why – it’s all part of Instagram’s biggest rebrand in years. But it seems the internet is torn over the platform’s new look.
Meta-owned Instagram has revealed a new visual identity comprising of a brand new bespoke typeface, and the aforementioned brighter logo. Perhaps the most notable change is the new wordmark, now rendered in the ‘Instagram Sans’ typeface.
Instagram says the refresh is designed to help the platform “create more immersive and inclusive experiences.” In a blog post, the company breaks the rebrand down into three core areas:
We’ve already seen the tweaked icon (designed by Rose Pilkington), which appears to be blinding some users. But now we’ve been given a much more comprehensive look at the new brand identity. ‘Instagram Sans‘ is a fun new typeface based around what Instagram “lovingly” calls the “squircle” – the rounded square of its logo. The typeface is also available to use in Stories and Reels.
But the most noticeable use of the typeface is in the brand new wordmark (above). Replacing the ‘handwritten’ style that’s been around for as long as Instagram, the new wordmark is a much more contemporary affair – and considering how long we’ve had to look at the last one, Daniel Piper’s a fan.
But over on that other social media platform, reactions are mixed. Yes, Twitter is, as Twitter does, making its feelings known about the new look, and the responses range from really loving it to really not loving it.
And responses to the new icon have been doing the rounds for a few days now. “I’m going to have to reduce my screen brightness for that,” one Twitter user complains, while another adds, “New Instagram icon is way over-saturated. Gross.” And lots have users have shared screen recordings of iOS seeming to struggle with the new icon – when closing the app, the icon appears to judder between the old and new design.
Source: Creative Bloq
For the first time ever, Coca-Cola will be launching a unified, global advertising campaign for Sprite, with the new logo slated to be rolled out across all 200 markets, alongside its new brand identity ‘Heat Happens’ slogan.
The marketing initiative will first debut in the US and India this month, just in time for the summer, so you’re always reminded that when it gets too hot out, it’s time to crack open a refreshing can of the lemon and lime soft drink.
Sprite’s cans and bottles will don a more minimalist logo with upright typography, making it more legible. The surrounding starburst has also been burst.
Additionally, the brand has a new focus on sustainability and will be phasing out its iconic green bottles to be replaced with clear ones, which are reportedly easier to recycle. These bottles will also feature a “recycle me” reminder.
Source: DesignTAXI
The fever dream of the past year has spawned a great deal of rebellion from creatives, who are now coloring outside the lines as restrictions begin to lift. Recent months have also seen the inception of the metaverse and the unlatching of the blockchain.
It thus comes as no surprise that typography trends for 2022 are more dynamic than ever. Rounded up by font foundry Monotype, the report reveals that designers and brands aren’t just communicating their individuality but also slowly assimilating into unfamiliar virtual environments.
The list of 10 trends includes Neue Nouveau, where the legibility usually found in organic lines is challenged with flowy and psychedelic silhouettes; Svelte Serifs, old-style serifs made even lighter for a more sophisticated feel; Mix-Up, a mish-mash of type styles that “turn diversity into unity”; and Flux, hyper-kinetic, sometimes variable, fonts that always seem to be on the move. Not to mention, there’s NF-Type, a sign of the times questioning the transition of fonts into decentralized platforms.
To illustrate the report, Monotype brought in real, published examples created by the global design community. “This is not our work, but it’s great work,” the foundry’s Creative Type Director Charles Nix emphasizes.
“This year, we explicitly sought to connect these trends to the times in which we are living. That is, the environment, the pandemic, the warpage of time, the rapid adoption of digital everything, social media as a vehicle for social change, nostalgia, questioning truth, diversity and unity, and of course, care for the self. The result is a celebration of the type industry as a whole, the art and the science that both reflects and contributes to driving our culture.”
Source: DesignTAXI
1) Early Ballots
Early ballots were printed using letterpress with the voter writing in the candidates name by hand. These pre-printed tickets from the 1850s made it easy confirm the sale of intoxicating liquors in Boston.
2) Ballots as Propaganda
Ballots were often used to illustrate a particular party platform, like this vivid anti-Chinese ticket for the Workingmen’s party in San Francisco. Several parties touted the protection of White labor, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first federal law barring a specific ethnicity from immigrating to America.
3) Impressive Displays of Typographic Grandstanding
The mid- and late-nineteenth century was a period of heavy experimentation in the printing world. Wood type, metal type, and lithography were often combined, creating layouts that are impressive displays of typographic grandstanding.
4) DIY Ballots
Ballot modifications were not discouraged by political parties and were so habitual that small strips of gummed paper called “pasters” would be sent to voters or handed out at the polls. Glue pots were provided at polling stations so voters could literally stick alternative candidates’ names on top of the printed ones. Ballots layouts became more elaborate as a reflection of the period style, but also served as an attempt to foil pasting efforts with serpentine typesetting.
5) The Australian Ballot
The adoption of the new Australian ballot format in the late 1880s was a radical shift in format, but these examples are more aligned with ballots we recognize today. Mandated by the government, all candidates were listed by office and the ballot was cast in private. Despite the regulations, modifications still persisted, like this New York ballot from 1914 that used tiny emblems to denote party affiliation. Voters were now able to freely select candidates across different parties, but detractors claimed the layout was too arduous as the volume of candidates and offices necessitated sometimes huge and unwieldy trim sizes.
Ballot reformers like civic activist Richard Childs proposed ‘short ballots’ to simplify the decision making process and make it easier for the average voter. “The people must take an interest in all their electoral work if they are to be masters. If they do not take an interest in a given ballot, there are two solutions—change the people or change the ballot,” he wrote in his 1911 book, Short Ballot Principles. “As the people are too big to be spanked, and since human nature in the mass responds but slowly to prayer, it is good sense to change the ballot.”
Source: AIGA
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks today revealed new uniforms, inspired by the franchise’s signature colors and marks synonymous with the team and its history in the city of Atlanta since 1968. In addition to the uniforms, the team also released new primary and secondary logos along with new ‘Atlanta Hawks’ wordmarks. The team will begin wearing these uniforms to start the 2020-21 season.
Infinity Black and Legacy Yellow rejoin Torch Red and Granite Gray to create a visual identity derived from the Hawks proud heritage. These core colors have been present throughout the Hawks’ time in Atlanta, having adorned more than five decades of Hawks Basketball including Hawks Legends Lou Hudson, Pete Maravich, Dikembe Mutombo and Dominique Wilkins.
Source: NBA
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