Workspaced Out

WORDS HEATHER VAN DOORN DESIGN DEB HANSON A long time ago on a drafting table far away, graphic designers used physical hand tools and a drafting table to create layouts. Maylines, Letraset, rulers, French curves, paint, non-photo blue pencils, pens, and many other analog tools, were among some of the necessary supplies kept in the toolbox for a designer. Layouts were designed, photographed, printed, and sent out to clients to sell products. Today, motion graphics are an important and valuable addition to the toolbox to help modern designers spread the advertising word.

As graphic designers, we are always on the hunt for new and better ways to sell a product, a vision, or an idea. Even though animating type has been around for over 100 years, it has only been in the past decade or so that the art media, motion graphics, has come on the scene and exploded. Motion graphic software such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro have made the genre easily accessible to anyone with a computer and has given way for this new way to announce those visions and ideas.

Motion Graphics, as we have come to know it, is a somewhat modern term which came into use with the advancement of computer generated images (CGI). Officially, the two words were put together, when John Whitney, a computer scientist, named his company, Motion Graphics, Inc. in the 1960s. It could be argued that motion graphics even predates film if you consider flip books created in the late 1800s. Then the silent films of the 1920s relied solely on type to tell the story, the thirties and forties employed talented calligraphers to hand letter the static title cards, but it was in the 50s that animated type came to life. Arguably, this era was the birth of what has inspired all of us who are fascinated with typography and moving type. Pioneers like Saul and Elaine Bass, Pablo Ferro, and Maurice Binder created a whole new, captivating way to introduce movies and in the process a newline of work, the title designer.

This group produced title masterpieces such as North by Northwest, Psycho, Dr. Strangelove, and Dr. No. In the two minutes it takes to run the opening credits, these title designers have begun to tell the story which fully unfolds when the first scene opens. Saul Bass, whose career began as a graphic designer, approached his title design as he would a logo design, functioning it as the centerpiece just as he would in a marketing campaign He would meet and work hand in hand with the director to capture the essence of the film and put the audience in the mood, before a single frame of live action had started.

Just like in any design medium a good foundation in graphic design is a good place to start, to be employed as a title or motion designer. Experience in film or animation, and storyboarding is also good. Knowledge of the fundamentals of typography, color, balance, and on the technical side, sound, editing and pacing are essential for becoming a successful motion graphic artist and is just as essential as knowing the software. With the endless world of digital graphics and typography, a designer is really only limited by one’s own imagination and you don’t have to be a title designer to work in motion graphics. There isn’t any corner of the advertising world where we don’t see motion graphics. We see them anytime we look at our phones, tune into television, or watch movies. Motion design is present to convey brand messaging and is incredibly cost-effective.

The future is wide open for this creative, fun, and exciting medium. It is the perfect blend of graphics and motion pictures. For those of us who already see typography dancing around on a page, it is a natural field to get lost in. The work is plentiful, and the compensation is competitive. The job market is already looking for designers who can work in motion; the sooner you add motion graphics to your tool kit the better.

GRAPHIC DESIGN & &BEER BEER

WORDS + DESIGN SCOTT STURGIS PHOTOGRAPHY ALEC TUCKER Oregon made craft beer. From left:

Mckenzie Brewing, Ninkasi Brewing Co., Rogue Brewing, Ninkasi, Deschutes Brewery, Oakshire Brewing, Coldfire Brewing Co.

Have you ever stopped at a grocery store to pick up a six-pack only to find yourself completely overwhelmed by the massive selection of craft beers to choose from? It’s easy to feel that way these days with the enormous number of craft breweries that have popped up all over this country, each with its own uniquely designed packaging and labels. How is one to choose? This explosion in the growth of the craft brew industry has created a huge opportunity for graphic designers and artists to create unique branding and package designs for all the different brews and their seasonal varieties. The alcohol industry overall has been growing rapidly in the US in the last decade, with craft breweries increasing in numbers at an astonishing rate. In 2012 the craft brew industry was estimated to be worth about 10.2 billion dollars; in 2016 it had more than doubled in value. Approximately 8,000 breweries opened over the last ten years, with the overall number in the US reaching over 9,000 in total by 2021. This growth in craft breweries is not unique to the US; countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada, and parts of Scandinavia have experienced a craft boom.

With so much competition in the market, craft brew companies have to find a way to stand out from the rest to catch the attention of the consumer. Labels and packaging are crucial in making that happen. Graphic designers have become increasingly innovative with the massive variety of design work that they are producing on bottles, cans, packaging and merchandise that become the visual identity of these craft brew companies. Using new and advanced materials such as metallic labels, multiple gloss labels, and labels with color changing inks, designers are working with breweries to produce innovative and visually striking labeling and packaging.

While craft brew has had a giant surge in popularity, wine, spirits and hard cider have all seen significant growth over the past decade. Graphic designers are creating fantastic artwork to go on all of these differently shaped bottles, cans, mugs, and kegs. This platform that the alcohol industry provides seems to be ever growing and changing to meet current trends, giving graphic designers and artists a great canvas to display their unique talents. So next time you are in the beer aisle having trouble deciding what to drink, just relax and enjoy the artwork for a moment before you grab and go.