The Chopping Block

The Chopping Block is an award winning design agency, known for their visually appealing, cutting edge websites. The agency was founded in 1996 in New York, by Cooper Union graphic design graduates Tom Romer, Mike Essl, Matthew Richmond and Rob Reed, when the founders decided to make a company which collaborated all their different talents with all their clients sourced from freelancing. The company has now expanded to at least 9 team members- as well as the designers there are project managers and design technologists. All the team have formal university educations- it is preferred by the company as this way makes the company more credible. The Chopping Block is known mostly for their websites, but they also do print work, corporate identity, and also have an online store which sells t-shirts with their designs on them.

Portfolio:

- Chop Shop Merch:

It is their main product sold online. The inspiration for their work is all things nerdy or geeky, which can be defined by the obsessive nature of our culture rather than simply appealing to math and programming nerds.

- Consolidated Theaters:

We asked to rebrand the website with an elegant Hawaiian feel to it that doesn't come across to the average person as too over-priced.

- Me Ra Koh

Is a photographer on a mission to empower women through her images. Chopping Block created a simple but elegant Wordpress themed website for her, also with a simple identity.

- Phish Festival: "Save The Date"

Is an interactive website for the band Phish. It was done by creating an open map of the US and as each state was eliminated in the running for the band to play there, each state would be removed in a random and bizarre occurrence.

- Rachael Ray

Created a website that combined all things Rachael Ray into one go-to site.

- TBS

Created a game for the TV series, from one of the episodes "ten Items or Less". The game involves the latest programming 3D technology from Flash called Papervision, simulating a real life grocery isle and turkey bowling.

- They Might Be Giants

US band, created the theme and album cover for their first album "NO". They also created an interactive CD/ROM for the band.

- The Happiness Project

Website designed for Gretchen Rubin as an upgrade from her blog to put her theories into practice.

other clients and portfolio pieces have been:

Dilbert Identity: United Media

Qelavi Identity

Climate Central

The chopping block manage their own website utilizing a large amount of JavaScript to create an interactive website. Giving viewers the option to view their portfolio and their future projects. The chopping block also have their own blog linked to this page. Here they talk about their work as well as several other topics even some not related to design.

They also have their own online store where viewers can purchase any poster or print design shown. The chopping block helped with the design of websites such as Consolidated theatres, Me Ra Koh photography, Phish, Rachael Ray and many more. Their goal is to continually push the boundaries of interactive web.

The Chopping Block Design Studio which was established in 1996 relocated from their original location after September 11, to their current site in Broadway.

With a team of dynamic designers or design technologists as they call themselves, they create web sites with an unusual twist, advertising, brand identities, kiosk applications, print projects. Along with these design elements they also have a Chop Shop where they sell some of their creative work (this work manifests itself as t-shirts, typefaces, mugs and prints of their designs).

Being a fully serviced graphic design studio they have created unusual web sites for bands like Phish, Dave Matthews Band and They Might Be Giants and cutting edge interface design and programming such as creating a new online player for X Satellite Radio.

My Opinion

The Chopping Block Design Studio has a very unique way of creating web designs that are very interactive, they are hard to navigate around until you get used to them. Some of their work in their portfolio is very creative whilst other work obviously suits the clients. Their book covers show a depth of the designers ability to think outside the box and their t-shirts (yes I would actually wear some of their t-shirts) show a fun and unusual bent to them.

Artist Booklet cover

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is the philosophy of design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life. Art Nouveau started and was most popular during 1890-1905. It is an international philosophy and style of art mainly focused on architecture and applied art especially the decorative arts.

Art Nouveau is French for "new art" and is also known as Judenstil which originated from Germany meaning "youth style" when the magazine 'Jugend' began the promotion of the style.

Art Nouveau was considered the 'total' style, meaning it included a hierarchy of scales of designs; architecture, interior design and decorative arts. According to the philosophy of this style it was meant to be a way of life, which was adopted and easily accustomed to by the Europeans.

The origins of Art Nouveau stems from a resistance against the artist William Morris and his cluttered compositions, theories and tendencies that formed the arts and crafts movement.

Response to radical changes caused by the rapid urban growth and technological advances caused by the industrial revolution.

Alphonse Mucha was a great influence mainly through his posters but also among the other artists of this style. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was also an influence through architecture, jewellery and furniture design as was Victor Horta through architecture.

Art Nouveau is a very decorative style, motifs were incorporated, as were flowing lines and rhythm, it took inspiration from its surroundings particularly nature.

The Art Nouveau style made itself known and present between the 18802 to the 1910s. Art Nouveau was influenced strongly by artist Alphonse Mucha. After he produced a lithographic poster in 1895, the style became popularized, as did Alphonse. The style was firstly known as the ‘Mucha Style’ before it became known as ‘Art Nouveau’.

Art Nouveau was most popular in Europe and the British Islands, but its influence was global. The Art Nouveau monuments are now recognised by UNESCO with their World Heritage List as significant contributions to cultural heritage.

William Morris was a well-known artist for his Art Nouveau style art. Although this art movement was also a style of distinctive individuals such as Gustav Klimt, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Alphonse Mucha, Rene Lalique, Antoni Gaudi and Louis Comfort Tiffany, each of who interpreted it in their own way.

The Art Nouveau style is known for its flora and fauna, as well as its flowing lines and repetitive patterns. A particular piece of this style of artwork is the image of a woman with a lot of curves and long wavy hair. Visual standards of the Art Nouveau style are flat, decorative patterns, intertwined organic forms of stems or flowers. Art Nouveau emphasized handcrafting as opposed to machine manufacturing, the use of new materials. Although curving lines characterize Art Nouveau, right-angled forms are also typical, especially as the style was practiced in Scotland and in Austria. As you may notice, a lot of churches have stained glass windows that were actually influenced by the Art Nouveau style.

Although Art Nouveau was replaced by 20^th-centruy modernist styles, it is considered now as an important transition between the historicism of modernism.

Wagga Wagga Animal Rescue Brochure

Intellectual Property

1. What is intellectual property and is it the same as copyright?

Intellectual property is basically the knowledge of a person and the application of a good idea, invention, trade mark or original idea. Intellectual property protects all of these things before they have been offically protected by copyright, this is where intellectual property and copyright differ. Copyright protects the idea that has been created.

2. How would you register your design for copyright and how much would it cost?

In Australia it is free to register your design as it is covered by the copyright law and applied as soon as it has been created by it’s original creator.

3. I have an idea about a logo design, is it covered by copyright?

An idea is not covered by copyright in itself, the idea needs to be created and applied somewhere before it is covered by copyright. That is where intellectual property comes into play as it covers the owner of that idea as it is their knowledge.

4. What is the name of the federal legislation covering copyright law in Australia?

Copywrite Act 1968 (Cth)

5. What does Copyright protect?

- textual matter; journal articles, novels, screenplays, poems, song lyrics and reports.

- Computer programs

- Compilations; anthologies, directories and databases

- artistic works; paintings, drawings, cartoons, sculpture, caft work, architectural plans, buildings, photographs, maps and plans

- dramatic works; choreography, screenplays, plays an mime pieces

- musical works

- cinematograph films

- sound recordings

- broadcasts

- published editions

6. What is the Copyright notice and its purpose?

Because there is no formal copywrite procedure the copywrite notice is there to inform people that the particular document is protected by copywrite and who it belongs to.

7. What evidence could you provide to a court to prove you’re the copyright owner of a logo you’ve designed?

If there was no copywrite notice on the logo you have designed it is important to give the court relevant evidence. An example would be to give oral evdience from the creator and people who have witness the design being created, also drafts of the work is important because there may be a date or marking on there that gives evidence of a certain time.

8. If an artwork appears in an Art Gallery, does the Gallery own copyright for that item?

No the gallery does not own the copywrite for that item because it is still owned by the creator because they were the ones who created it.

9. If I’m employed by a company as their in-house graphic designer, who would generally own the copyright?

The company would own all copywrite to any design that, that designer has created unless in another circumtance there has been a written agreement that the designer claims all copywrite.

10. If I’m working as a freelance Graphic Designer and create a logo for a company, who would generally own the copyright for the logo?

Generally all copywrite should go to the freelance designer as they were the original creator, not the owner of the company.

11. How much of an artistic work can I safely use without infringing on copyright?

You can use a “resonable portion” of the artwork as long as you havent used an important, essential or distinctive part of the original art work.

12. If you’ve done everything in your power to identify the copyright owner but they won’t contact you back, is it ok to use the work without permission as long as you use a ‘good faith notice’ stating you were unable to contact them?

No it is not ok to go ahead and use the work without the copywrite owners permission even if they havent gotten back to you for permission. It is still a breach of the copywrite law.

13. Who is VISCOPY and what might they come in handy for?

VISCOPY is a rights management organisation for the visual arts and would come in handy for providing copyright licensing services on behalf of our members to a wide and varied customer base.

14. What are moral rights?

As a designer you are entitled to moral rights under the copywrite law, it means that you are still attributed as the creator of your original idea and work, can take action if your work is fasely attributed by someone claiming your work as their own when it hasn’t been altered, if your work is distorted by someone else or treated in a way that can ruin a reputation or honour.

15. How would you go about obtaining copyright clearance for an artwork you want to use that you’ve found on the internet?

For some they give licensing rights out when they post their work on the internet. Depending on the era of work the artist may need to be contacted for licensing rights as well so you know what you can do with that artwork within the rights and licensing laws.

16. What is a Trademark and how do you register one?

Trademark is when the artist claims that idea or logo as their own by placing a TM on their product. You can register your idea under the trademark laws by filling out a form and sending it away to ATMOSS and finally by going online to pay a fee.

17. What does a Patent protect?

Patent protects inventions including processes, methods and techniques. It will only be granted though for a device, substance or method is it is an original idea.

18. Define Defamation.

Defamtion protects people’s reputation and their concerns about what people say about them. If in any way a designers work breaches this in their work they can be taken to court for defaming their person or name in a derogitory way.

Typography Recreation

Animal Logic

Animal Logic was established in 1991, it quickly earned a reputation as on the worlds leading design, visual effects and animation companies. Animal logic continues to produce award-winning work for a diverse, international clientele, with studios in Sydney Australia and an office in Los Angeles California.

Animal logic has worked successfully with leading advertising agencies and television commercial directors which enabled Animal logic to expand into feature film work including, Babe, The Matrix, 300 and culminating in the release of Australia’s first digital animated feature Happy Feet.

Animal logic has done a lot of ads, some you might recognise as the Optus ad, the target colours ad, Honda jazz ad, Mars bar ad, Pure blonde ads, Carlton draught and Toohey’s ads. Animal logic is famous for their digital animation; I guess it’s why they are as famous and popular as they are. If I were to choose a company to do digital animation or commercials I would defiantly recommend animal logic.

Not only does the company Animal Logic have a vast client base throughout the world they also have a long history of developing and supporting software products. They have created and built on software products such as Mayaman, Maxman, Softman, PRman. By developing these programs and software animal logic has made 3D programs and software available to not only big businesses but one-man businesses from home.

Animal Logic has worked on many high end visual effects for commercials and television programs. They have worked and designed projects for clients such as Cartoon Network and Spicks and Specks they have worked on the award winning film Happy Feet. In November 2009 Animal Logic ranked 447 in the Top500 super computer sites.

Animal Logic's online presence is wide and varied. Information found on Wikipedia is the same as what is provided on their own website. Contact information is provided on the Fox Studios Australia website; filmography is listed on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB); and they have accounts for people to follow on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Their own website is quite impressive. It is a Flash based site with stills from movies and commercials they have made looping on the background; is quite interactive (particularly in the section where you can 'meet' some of the people who work there) and has a lot of images, film clips and information about the movies, commercials, designs, jobs and products (software) they develop.

Their style, based on their portfolio, is impressive, varied, interesting and memorable. Their work is different and 'outside the box' which is why is it is memorable, although most people would never have heard of them.

Their work targets several different audiences from children with films such as happy feet, babe and legend of the guardians to adults with films such as 300, 28 weeks later and world trade center. It is hard to develop a single opinion on them as if there is something you don't like made by them then there will most certainly be something else that you would like. This is a result of several unique advertisements and filming effects that adhere to everyone's likes and interests.

Soap Creative

Soap describe themselves as specializing in delivery innovative, hight creative ad strategy-focused campaigns across websites, games, content, social media, widgets, electronic direct mail, standard and rich media, viral and metrics and reporting.

Soap creative have clients that include Unilever brands LYNX, Streets, Bushells, Impulse as well as 3 Mobile, FOXTEL, 20th Century Fox, Activision and Marvel.


You could say that soap has a work hard play hard culture, their claim to fame is that they host weekly BBQs, take their entire team to remote locations for Skiing lessons. Each ember has a soap-o-hero alter ego which they get to choose and illustrate them and place on their business card. They say this is great for client meetings and pitches as it sets them apart from other agencies, it also creates a 'tribe" and creates unity among the staff. The culture of the soap-o-hero is extended through the office where they have different meeting rooms " the hall of justice", emergency meeting room " the scape pod" and mystery room "x".


Big gamers and at the moment have three active gaming clients activision, unilever and naughty dog.


This agency is absolutely amazing!

Soap Creative has had many clients over their nine years of business, including a vast collection of widely recognised companies such as 20^th Century Fox, ABC New Media, Activision, Ben & Jerry’s, Dick Smith, Foxtel, KFC, Lynx and Marvel.

Soap Creative offer services in screen-based media such as websites, mobile phone applications, tools and games (including online and CD-Rom). This agency has also created tshirt prints for Bubble-O Bill, and a card game called the Meeting Game.

Their work is very clean and professional its very groovy and all the content that I have viewed has all been very awesome, I never felt negative when interacting or viewing the content it was very attention catching and fun.

The lynx content was a bit sexist however it is targeted towards men and sex does sell as there statistics show, I wasn’t offended it just didn’t hold my attention as the rest did.

They have many notorious clients and deal with a broad medium from games to videos and websites that are all targeted towards a variety of audiences.

William Caslon

William Caslon

Career:

In 1716 he built his own type foundary in London, which produced some 16 years later his most famous typeface Caslon. He first started out in his business as an engraver of gunlocks and barrels and as a bookbinders tool cutter. He later established contact and encouragement through the printers William Bowyer and John Watts that lead to cutting type punches for various presses London.

In 1720 he designed an “English Arabic” typeface used in the New Testament. Soon after in 1722 he released his first typefaces, which were based on seventeenth century Dutch old style designs and were used extensively in England because of their practicality. 1726 was when the typeface Caslon was first used and soon after it’s release he received loans and sufficient trade, which enabled him to complete the setup of his foundary. Up until the 1780’s there were few books that weren’t printed in one of his typefaces.

In 1735 his typefaces spread all over Europe and American colonies that lead to the font being used to print the American Declaration of Independence. His son William Caslon II soon joined the company and in 1745 became partner and took over the family business after his death.

Achievements:

William Caslon designed a number of serif typefaces in his lifetime, some of which are still used today. The first three fonts by William Caslon were Arabic, Hebrew and Koptic. He also designed typefaces such as Caslon 540, Caslon Bold, Caslon Old Face, Big Caslon, Caslon Open Face, Williams Caslon Text and most likely in any other that has the name ‘Caslon’ on it.

The United States Declaration of Independence was set in Caslon type, which would have to be one of William Caslon’s greatest accomplishments.

The name ‘Caslon’ comes from the 18^th Century typeface that was designed by William Caslon. This serif typeface was printed in the earliest English language texts and is also know to the typeface used for the New Yorker Magazine.

William Caslon’s typefaces immediately became popular and were used for many important printed works. Caslon’s type became so popular that the expression about the typeface choice, ‘when in doubt, use Caslon,’ came about.After William Caslon’s death in 1766, his typefaces fell out of favour but were revived in the 1840s, some of which are widely used today.

Biography:

William Caslon was born in 1692 in cradley, Worcestershire, England. In 1706 at the age of 13 he began a seven-year apprenticeship as an engraver with a London harness marker. In 1716 he became a self-employed engraver of gunlocks and barrels, and as a bookbinders tool cutter. In 1721 the society for promoting Christian knowledge commissioned Caslon to cast Arabic alphabets where his font became an instant success. In around 1720 William Caslon founded a typeface foundry called the Caslon Foundry. That foundry became the leading English typeface foundry of the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. He died in 1766. Caslon is cited as the first original typeface of English origin.

Caslon’s font is characterized by its short ascenders and decenders, bracketed serifs, moderately high contrast, robust texture and moderate modulation of stroke. The Caslon’s typeface has become one of the most famous typefaces in the world today. The first copy of the declaration of independence was printed in Caslon. There are many typefaces that have been derived from Caslon’s font in existence. Caslon’s type is now considered a good, readable typeface for text.

The good the bad and the ugly - website designs

www.formtroopers.com

I really like the design of this page, its clean and simple and really communicates well with the audience intended. They have great information on their site and theres some great motion graphic designs.

www.serialcut.com

I really love this website, its so modern and the works speak for themselves as to how amazing this company is. The website is great to use, very user friendly but still keeping that modern feeling throughout.

www.m1-design.de

This website is a great interactive one for viewers. Its fun and relatively easy to use once you know what to do. The only bad thing is it doesn’t have an option to change the language into English which makes things really hard if a viewer cant read that language.

www.colourpixel.com

I like this website because of the colour and detail that has gone into it. The page is very easily read and is in the right language even though he’s from India. All the information is there its just a matter of clicking on the works that appeal most or want to find out more information about. It’s a great website and the works are as equally good.

www.spoongraphics.co.uk

I love everything about this site. There’s not much more to say the works he has done match everything to do with this site, accessible, clean, creative but not done over the top. He has even included design sketches in his portfolio website. Everything about this site is amazing.

http://foxie.ru

I’m not sure how I feel about this website, its good but its just not as good as what it could be. Its set up very randomly and it tried to be creative but I just don’t think it works. The idea has potential but just no executed the right way. The only thing I do like about this website is the works in particular the logo designs.

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