soulsight®

Recently, I've been seeing quite a few things around that make me remember growing up in the 80s. Maybe you are like me and you grew up on synthesized music, bright geometric shapes, pizza rolls and brilliant television shows such as Perfect Strangers and Alf. Maybe you're not, but it's hard not to appreciate some of the ways that designers are borrowing from that era to create catchy pieces.

I found this artist online that I love named Sakke Soini. I've included a Ray Ban ad that Sakke did as well as something that I want to hang somewhere on my wall -- though I have no idea what it's for. Call me weird, but seeing a neon blue tiger wearing a ball cap and spitting guitar chords out of its mouth with the death star looming in the background is nothing short of genius. I've also included a few album covers that have that 80s feel, specifically, the Beck 8-bit disc that looks just like an old Nintendo cartridge. And, of course, the study would not be complete without a set of retro Reebok pumps donning the standard bright color palette of the era. Maybe this trend is more of a small niche than a huge movement, but I know I'm digging it.

Nearly ten years ago, BP rebranded themselves as "beyond petroleum". However, with this year's controversial oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Greenpeace has suggested that the company is in need of a new logo better suited for its "dirty business" and has launched a contest in search of the best redesign. The winning entry will be used as a part of Greenpeace's international tar sands campaign against BP.

To enter Greenpeace's Behind the Logo competition, submit your redesign by June 28th, 5:30 GMT.

For more information on the recent BP Gulf oil spill, visit the Greenpeace site.

As designers, we are always referring to the Pantone Color Matching system for any project we work on. I find myself constantly gravitating toward the same colors time after time. Well, Pantone is now introducing more colors and several user-friendly tools to make our lives just a little easier. This new Pantone Plus system will include a new chromatic arrangement of colors (where they used to add any new colors to the end of the pack) as well as ink formulations for mixing colors, a color index, and a lighting evaluation tool. Picking the right color can make or break a design and hopefully this new system will provide a new spectrum of opportunities.


The video below is a cool look behind the scenes into the making of colors.




For more information, visit the Pantone site.

If you can't get enough Pantone, check out the Pantone Hotel in Brussels.