This is my Weekly Design Inspiration, this is a space where I share some design work that has either inspired me or caught my attention for its execution or concept. The things I feature on here can include (but not limited to) branding, web design, app design, illustration, typography, video games or anything that shows creativity in a unique way.
I have noticed recently a rise in the appearance of retro 80's style artwork. This aesthetic brings with it a heap of styles, typography, lighting, effects and colour pallets that contrast massively against the minimalist and brutalist styles we have become accustomed to in modern design. Now this style isn't going to take over in the design world, but it has a place in shaking up boring and conventional designs in a way that rolls technical skill and nostalgia into one. There are examples (which I'll show in this blog) where this bombastic style can be used to commercial success, because of its loud and bold nature.
This rise of 80's aesthetic has pulled together a number of styles including low-poly 3D, grids, decorative typography, pixels, CTR screens and a very distinctive colour scheme of dark purples contrasting against bright yellow/orange. Whether this colour scheme has developed from real world applications from the 80's or has evolved based on artists interpretations of that era over time, I'm not sure. What is obvious is that it has become synonymous with this style. In this blog I hope to show you some clever executions of this style, both for design and illustrative purposes.
Signalnoise
An artist/designer who encapsulates this style perfectly (and inspired the cover photo of this blog) is James White, aka Signalnoise. James manages to do all of the above with style and flare that looks of a time past but with a modern twist. He uses colour and themes of the 80's mixed with modern technical execution to create pieces that are truly unique. He has had the good fortune to lend his talents to world famous bands, like Metallica for their tour posters, lead the artistic design for games such as Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and work with other global companies in a style that stands out for its loud approach.
Hillary White
Hillary takes a different approach in that she takes Iconic 80's imagery and colour schemes and creates more flat style illustrations. These particular designs were put together for t-shirts and I think they really lend theirselves to this platform because of their simplistic style.
Rocky Davies
Rocky Davies' work is much more illustrative and detailed in its approach. His colour schemes are very recognisable as 80's and his themes are quirky takes on pop-culture.
Super Team Deluxe
Super Team Deluxe do not exclusively work in a retro style but they do play around with many styles and themes throughout the work and products the produce. These sale advertisements are simply amazing and if they put this much effort into their advertising collateral you can only imagine the quality of their products on offer.
I'm really enjoying the stuff that is coming out of this design style and its nice to see more colour and technical skills come out of design, as apposed to flat, mono-chromatic designs. This style has a real energy and life force to it which is unrivalled by any other ear of design/art. Below is my take on retro design, taking heavy inspiration from Signalnoise.
What Have I Been Listening To This Week?
FEVER 333 - STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS
With the departure of LetLive there was a gap in the market for a band that could rival the energy and furious nature of RATM. Fortunately, LetLive frontman Jason Butler formed FEVER 333 and brings with him the same quality of hip-hop vocals blended with hardcore scream choruses to create something amazing.
Honorable Mentions
As part of my Weekly Design Inspiration I also like to share some bits and pieces that I have seen which have inspired me in the last week. I have captioned each image with some info and relevant links so you can find out more.
Recently I was in need of finding a bunch of colour pallets for a project and came across Color Hunt, this resource is simple, clean and really useful to help you find beautiful colour pallets for any project.
During my time studying graphic design I took an elective course in Digital Imagery which was basically advanced Photoshop and image manipulation. This course was headed by digital artist and illustrator Chris Malbon. Chris is an amazing talent whose unique style is busy, detailed and captures the theme of the subject with his choice of colours.
Recently I've been looking more into 3D applications and what programmes and platforms there are for a beginner. It's a little scary because of all the technical mumbo jumbo, but I think I'm getting a grasp of things. Anyway, during my search I came across Adobe Fuse, a programme that allows you to quickly create 3D models of people and export them for whatever use you need them for. I played around with it and it's a lot of fun, a bit like a character creator in a Bethesda game. I haven't found a professional use for this yet but there are some cool things you can try using Mixamo to animate your models.
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