[no. 010] imagehaus.net

I recently came across the website for imagehaus.net, which is a design company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their client list includes 3M, Target, and some others that I do not readily recognize. The website describes themselves as having "escaped the big agency environment and created an intimate design firm with all the creative and strategic power of the big boys, but without the processes, layers and three-hour meetings. Our HAUS is a close-knit group of designers, writers and strategic planners who focus exclusively on strategy+design+production. We use this power for our client's good, creating everything from brand names, identity systems and point of sale promotions to catalogs, packaging and advertising."

After you enter their website, there is a pop-up window that has colored vertical bars that function as links to some examples of their work. I chose the following because they are among my favorite from this design firm. I am drawn to the use of the natural color palette, it harmonizes with the choice of paper they print on. The design elements are very subtle and minimalistic. I also like how in the PAGODA identity system, the designer used embossing/debossing to create inkless words. It also adds a tactile level to an otherwise flat appearance. In the SCMIDTY’s identity system, on the business cards on the right-hand side, the top corners are rounded, it is something small, but still sets it apart from every other rectangular business cards that you usually see.





These next ones also caught my eye because of their very clean design and bright-whiteness. The paper itself is very bright, but paired with the bold colors, then the design seems to pop. The geometric shapes in the Wilsons Leather gift cards reveal a grid system within. Also, the roundness relates to the type choice which is also round in form.




At the bottom of the pop-up window is a “navigation paragraph”—a paragraph that has words that are hyperlinks. The intro for each linked page feels like we’re being shown glimpses of their little haus, just hints that fade in and out.

[no. 009] CD Design

When I took 201 (Expanded Arts) during a summer session with Thomas Wasson, and we had to create packaging designs for the CDs that we submitted our projects on, I did research on different kinds of CD designs there are. When I went to the Library, I borrowed a book that I just absolutely love, and I have recently acquired it for my own collection, it is called CD-ART: Innovation in CD Packaging Design.

The main aim of such innovative design involves really breaking out of the typical jewel cases that are mainstream music-industry’s standard. There are logical reasons to have a jewel case, for instance, it allows for a uniform storage system on store shelves and at home. However, these designs are predominantly not for mass-commercial purposes. I really like how each design has a short description of the project, what decisions were made and what they were motivated by, and the types of materials that were used.

There are so many designs that just amaze me, but if I had just pick a couple, here they are:

The first CD packaging was used for a catwalk show opening. The materials used were clear acrylic that has been etched into, accompanied by the black CD itself, both lend themselves to the air of glamour that a fashion show exudes. The two pieces that sandwich the CD are comprised of a male and female disc that screw into each other. As the designer points out, “This elevates the CD to coffee table display item as opposed to providing another CD to be put in the collection.”








The second design is based on the idea of the four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. There are four CDs in this series, and each on has its own logo and color, but together have a unified format. A belly-band was used to close the minimalist packaging. The only thing that hindered their minimalist design was that retailers required a barcode to be placed on the packaging, but the designer felt that would spoil the design. In order to overcome this hurdle, they designed the seemingly innocuous concentric circles that are on the CDs themselves. These serve as barcodes that can be read by any store barcode reader, but also as a design element that still conforms to their minimalist design.







The final design is for Frou Frou, an electric pop band. “Once the PVC slipcase is removed the viewer is faced with two sheets of plastic. The first is a blank sheet with the instructions ‘breathe on’ in the corner. Warm breath makes heat-sensitive ink letters visible, forming lyrics from the album. The second sheet is visibly printed with lyrics but these need to be read through the enclosed eyeglasses.”

Ultimately, this book really inspired me toward the packaging aspect of design. I love creating things with my hands, having the tactile feeling really makes me feel like I am creating something. I enjoy not only thinking about the art of the packaging, but I really do like to think through the process of what the experience of opening up the packaging will be like and interacting with it too. I hope that in the future, I will be able to produce such innovative designs as ones that are published in this book.