Unit Interactive

I had the chance to look at all of the web sites listed and actually enjoyed the site "ThoughtLab" the most. I also see that it is the most written and critiqued site listed so I have decided to use "Unit Interactive" as the site I critique.
At first glance, the site uses the principles of quiet structure very effectively. There is nothing very complicated about the layout of the site. They make very good use of the way they wish to communicate the sites structure using a very strong grid that displays the rule of thirds throughout the site.
They have used affordance icons to give the visitor to the site a better indication of what's in store, which would seem very appropriate coming from a company that designs logos, web applications and web sites. These same affordance icons are displayed in a downward angular fashion that seem to guide the visitors eyes downward toward the rest of the page.
The site is easy to navigate and does have a intuitiveness about it that makes it easy for a first time visitor, like myself, to surf through the site. It has a very simplistic approach that allows you to navigate the site and know where it is you are going and what you will be presented with.
For example, you see a tab labeled "Have a look at some of our work" that takes you to another page that displays a series of logos that they have either designed or worked with. It is very clearly layed out and you are able to click on each logo that is displayed to get a little more info behind the design concepts used in each creation. I believe this is a very powerful and compelling sales tool that they have used in a way to display their expertise and set them apart from other competitors in the industry.
The overall ease of use and navigation throughout the site makes it appealing and aesthetically pleasing. The structure and simplicity of the site adds to its appeal. A good use of Gestalts Law of Pragnanz where less actually becomes more.

Ok, so the secrect is out! I didn't draw/write my own font. It was, however, created and designed (for the most part) right here in the USA, and the actual layout and production was outsourced to a third party.

I'm simply following the corporate American model, work smarter not harder. I can assure you that there were no third world countries involved and no children were exploited in the creation of my font. Although, I must admit that I have been told my font looks like it was done by a 13 year old girl. This is only half true. Yes, she was a female but well beyond 13 in terms of years and creative ability. Not to mention I happen to be related to her, my older sister, bless her soul!

This was truly an inspired, collective effort. The meeting of two similiar, yet very different minds to come up with such a truly unique piece of work. A corroborative effort with very satisfying results shown below for your viewing pleasure!

My Font

After looking through many sites on fonts, I decided to spend my time looking into Fontstruct. A very well put together site with a myriad of design options to play around with. The options are seemingly endless. After taking a brief and informative tutorial, I was on my way.

I worked with several differnt font designs before coming up with the one I used. The reason behind my particular font is simple, very uniform and symmetrical. This is appealing to my eye and sense of style. Patterns are repeated over and over as you look through the letters and even with the numbers.

I didn't really know where I was going with it in the beginning and the first few letters seem to take the most time to create. Once I had established a pattern the rest was much easier as I tried to remain consistent to my original font concept. Although there may be inconsistencies noticed, I believe that the perceptual influences involved in the font's character remain true.

This is very subjective depending on ones own sense of design and personal taste. Personally, consistency and uniformity are things I'm drawn to. I like the balance and symmetry and followed these concepts throughout the design and creation of my font.

MY NEW FONT

Design Presentation

                                                                                                                                                                              For my design presentation, I have chosen to use "G Scale" Trains. "G Scale" is the largest, and far and away the most popular series for long time collectors and first time buyers alike.

This is a hobby I've recently been more involved with in large part because I have an 11 year old son who enjoys then even more than his dad!

I have used two different examples to compare and contrast. The first, and better example, is the LGB brand. LGB is a company that began back in the late 1800's in Brandenburg, Germany. They were the manufacturers of mechanical toys which quickly gained world wide recognition for their exceptional quality. That reputation has carried through to the present time making LGB the designer and manufacturer of choice by virtually any collector.

One of the first things you notice about LGB is the bright red packaging with the green horizontal stripe running through it. This has been their signature for many years and has made them very recognizable in the industry from novice to expert. Each package has been individually crafted to fit the product it is showcasing. Simply picking up an LGB package, and you know it's something substantial and the great detail becomes more obvious. The German design and manufacturing are second to none. If you have ever owned anything that was designed and built in Germany, than you know that they have a reputation for very high quality. LGB trains are certainly no exception.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               The second manufacturer I am using to compare is an American company, Aristo-Craft. They have been around for a little more than 70 years, but have only been in the train business since the late 80's. Thats 1980's in comparison to the 1880's with LGB.

Aristo-Craft trains are all designed in the USA but the big difference comes in the manufacturing, all outsourced to China. This really comes as no suprise as the majority of products we now use are manufacture over seas in China. The connotation is that products made in China are usually of lessor quality. In the case of Aristo-Craft trains, in my opinion, the same could be said.

Aristo-Craft uses a simple yellow package that when picked up does not give the same substantial feel as the LGB. The packaging also has much more print on the front than LGB, which ,to me, seems to be more of a distraction than informative. The old addage "Less is more" would apply here.

Now, as with many products manufactured in China, there is an upside. That upside is a cost savings, the reason most things are manufactured over seas. It's a good product for the money but as you becomes more familiar with the various manufacturers of trains, it becomes clear that the LGB products are superior in almost every way.

                

  

This is an example of an LGB engine and caboose, 1940's circa.