New Website Design

I have just finished updating my website I've made it a bit more user friendly with links to each project on the left side, instead of having all the projects on one page. I wanted the viewer to be able to focus on each project rather than being drawn to some and missing others. I've added a 'Freelance' section to showcase some of the work that I have been doing for ELHQ.


The website can be found at www.sophieegler.com

Any feedback on the new design is greatly appreciated!

Yell Rebrand as Hibu

So it seems Yell are rebranding themselves, getting rid of the name and image, and becoming Hibu
Yell needed to do something to refresh themselves after reporting an annual loss of £1.4 million, so they called on Landor Associates to help them out. I'm not really a fan of the made up, nonsense style names, so right now I'm not so impressed, but it may be one of those names that grows on me the more I hear it. The Yellow Pages was always seen by the phone as I was growing up, and some of the adverts (the boy getting the yellow pages to stand on so he would be tall enough to give a girl a kiss) stay in my memory. With the internet and all the information and adverts readily available, and for free, they have to really set themselves as the go-to place for when you need a plumber, a tree surgeon or even a dog walker.

Above is the new logo. Yell said in a statement,  ‘Communities are built on the connections people make and people are connected at the heart of the hibu logo. The identity utilises typography with soft shouldered edges like the human body and coloured dots represent the people behind the identity, diversity, connections and conversation. By using bold lower-case typography with soft edges we project a human and approachable company.’
I quite like the logo, although it does remind me of Gu, the luxury pudding people. I think it's the dots above the 'u' and because both logos are quite rounded.


I think ditching the recognised name and logo could be dangerous, but if done well, they could go back to their directory heyday. Only time will tell.

Metal Business Cards

I've been very busy recently, but been redesigning a few things as I'm looking for jobs. i came across these business cards which as much more interesting and will give a prospective employer a reason to remember you. Cards often get discarded if they aren't required, interesting or designed well, so this will make sure that your business card doesn't get thrown in the bin. Also the price isn't the cheapest, so it will show your dedication to the profession you are seeking to get into. Unfortunately I don't have the funds at the moment so will have to design something exceptional using standard formats.

These cards, along with standard and plastic can be found at Plasma Design

Reusing and Recycling Calendars - 28 Year Cycle

I never realised a calendar is reusable every 28 years! I found this out from  environmentteam.com. It's a great idea to reuse and recycle them, although I can't think of anyone who would keep an unused or old calendar for that long. I imagine there to be a few random shops all over the country who have old calendars for sale but I haven't found one yet. Shabby chic, old boutique, 50's, 60's, doilies and teacups and saucers are all more fashionable at the moment, so some people might like to have a slightly tatty looking calendar on their wall!

Puzzle Wallpaper

I love the idea of this wallpaper created by CinqCinq - puzzles and games which can be filled in by both kids and adults. The games include word-searches, naughts and crosses and a maze. I like how that the wallpaper would be a focus point of a room, would be a talking point and could also persuade some interaction. There's something about it which brings back thoughts of when I was younger and loved puzzle books and a pack of crayons - but from the photos is feels to me that this idea doesn't work - it looks like kids have used markers to draw over the walls.

Dispatchwork - Jan Vormann Lego Installation

This urban art installation titles 'Dispatchwork' was an idea by Jan Vormann and others who gave a helping hand. Lego pieces are contructed to fill in gaps in buildings and walls. The colours create an eye catching patchwork in the usually dull wall. The corners are executed particularly well and must have taken a while to perfect.

Axis Maps - Typographic Maps

These typographic maps by Axis Maps are brilliant. Often typographic maps created and be too cluttered or don't read well, but these have a very suitable typeface which is legible at small point size. The different colours build up an visually pleasing poster that looks like it has depth. I think these maps work much better showing cities which are built on a grid system. London or even Leeds would possibly create quite a mess which wouldn't be as pleasing to look at.

I particularly like the Chicago version in colour. The creators say...

"Typographic Maps accurately depict the streets and highways, parks, neighborhoods, coastlines, and physical features of the city using nothing but type. By weaving together thousands of words, a full picture of the city emerges. Every letter was carefully placed, taking hundreds of hours to complete for each map."

The posters and letterpress prints are available to buy for $20-150. Cities available are Manhattan, Chicago, Madison, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston and New York City.

 All photos from Axis Maps.