GeekOSystems has an interesting blog post about video game company logos from then and now, it’s interesting to see how a lot of them upgraded their logo but some of them just changed them, and not necessarily for the better.  Check out their site for the 14 more logos from then and now.

PacMan turned 30 today and Google had the best celebration. The iconic video game was used as the inspiration for Google’s homepage today only, but not only has the image changed, the usual “I’m Feeling Lucky” button has been replaced with an “Insert Coin” button, and when utilized it allows you to play the game on the new GOOGLE level. If you happen to be reading this post today, check it out.

Growing up, what child didn’t like going to the theater to watch and animated film? I mean we had after school/Saturday morning cartoons, but they were on our TV at home. Because the animation process it so long, it wasn’t often that a big name studios, other than Disney, released feature length animated films. Maybe because Disney did it best, Snow White was always my favorite growing up. Spyre Studios has a great post of Animated Film posters dating back to 1937, with the above Snow White poster. It’s wonderful to see how these posters still look great after all these years, Disney always gets it right when it comes to design.

In cities like New York, there are so many people who are exposed to so much it’s a little more difficult to garner attention.  Pop-up shops are a relatively new marketing strategy that’s been alive in cities like New York for a few years now. Not limited to one type of company, pop-up shops are not necessarily opened for profit, but more visibility.

Imagine living in New York, you see the same things on the same route to work, and one day you see a brand new store, whether or not you’re interested in the product, you’re going to notice it, and you’ll notice when it’s gone, a few weeks later. Similar to a band touring or a traveling art exhibition, a pop-up shop uses a space for a limited amount of time, and it’s not just limited to art anymore. Airlines have used this method of marketing to sell travel gear as well as airfare, though there probably weren’t many travelers flocking to a store where they could very well purchase the same product online, the store made a name for Song, an airline I had never heard of before.

The marketing technique has been used to promote not only companies, but movies. Last year during the much hyped opening of Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are, the studio opened up a store dedicated to the film in Los Angeles.

Pop-up stores are also trending because of the control over the store, no longer do you have to worry about your products being sold on the same shelf as a competing brand, in a pop-up shop you’re only competition is yourself.

A few years back eBay took the concept to another level, they hired interior designers to come into a New York loft and design it with items that they found on eBay, the items were still purchasable, through eBay.

Mobile pop-up shops are also becoming increasingly popular, especially in Los Angeles. With the popularity of social networking sites like Twitter, it’s becoming easier for mobile shops to notify their fan base of their whereabouts. The mobile  pop-up store is big in the food industry, even with places that have brick and mortar locations such as Sprinkles Cupcakes, they have over half a dozen locations yet still utilize the mobile store, because it’s widely popular, with nearly 9,000 followers on Twitter just waiting for the cupcakes to be in their area.

While it may not be a trend across America yet, be ready for it, there’s a pop-up shop coming soon to your area.

Graphic Design Blog.org has a really cool post displaying 30 print ads that are clever and sometimes funny. The ad above stood out to me as one of the best, maybe because I rely on public transportation? Be sure to check out their blog for more fun ads!

We’re not design snobs here, but we do know good design when we see it.

When I first seen the AVATAR poster I didn’t really care to see the movie, I don’t know why it didn’t look amazing to me,  but I just thought, I can wait until it comes out on video (I still like using the term video). I went to see it anyway, because I heard it was good, and it surprisingly was. Fast forward to today and I read this post from PrttyShtty, An Open Letter to James Cameron From Papyrus, and I realized the reason I wasn’t too interested in the movie was because of the typeface used on all marketing materials. It wasn’t a conscious judgment I made, but it’s not the first time either.

There’s a cafe near where I work, for a couple years I never bothered to go there, and a co-worker once asked if I wanted anything from there, I didn’t. When she asked why, I said “I don’t like their logo.” I had never thought of it until that moment, but it was the truth, the typeface they used looked like it came out of the 70s, and for some reason I just associated the typeface used with dated food too. I eventually gave the cafe a try, and it turned out to be pretty good,  just like Avatar. In the future I’ve got to try to see some things as a consumer, not just as a designer.