On Life, The Universe, & Packaging…
Posted by: geasonfoley on: December 5, 2008
- In: Design | Life | School | Typography
- Comment!
On the verge of near insanity from culture shock and homesickness, I write not only to vent and inform, but to reacquaint myself with reality. Everyone thinks I’m crazy, but I miss the states. For years I have sought to leave the country and though England became a travel hotspot for me, my trips were neither of long duration or of “business” nature. So in effect, they are nothing like my stay here in Paris. I have always suffered from itchy feet, as in, I have always felt the need for new surroundings, adventures and discovery; never happy staying in one place or situation for very long. Perhaps I get bored after awhile; perhaps I just moved too much as a child; whatever the reason, it’s that time again.
“Merde.”
not an english explicative, but a french one passed through my head when I realised what was happening to me; the introversion, the cabin fever, the video games and lack of sleep. They’re all tell-tale signs that my mind wants to be elsewhere. This is why people are telling me that I am crazy.
“You’re in Paris!! Why on earth do you want to come back to Boston!”
“Why would you ever want to leave Europe?”
hrmmmm… good questions. Call me crazy. Paris is gorgeous, Boston is beautiful. Paris is glamour and Boston is gorged with crazed baseball fans and drunken college students. Paris is…whatever, Boston is home. Paris can’t beat that. Nothing can. I’m not even originally from Boston! I’m from Chicago, Madison, D.C., Charlotte, and a super petite ville in NH that just happens to be the home of the Ivy League school, Dartmouth College. There’s the connection. My hometown of Hanover has stolen my heart with its small town feel and its intellectual college hub, the countryside and the people. Boston has all that but the countryside which is a 40$ 2 hour bus ride away, but adds the constant stimulation that any city has.
I have met plenty of people here, a couple of whom I will sincerely miss having in my life. My boyfriend is closer than ever while here in France, just over on the otherside of the Chunnel. But without a job to sustain myself here, even that is unaffordable. There is no countryside that I have quick easy and inexpensive access to, just volumes of people from around the world to meet. However one tires after awhile of just meeting people. It reminds them of everyone they have left behind, the meaningful relationships and family. But one month is not a long time. School will be done in a week or two, England in less than three and Paris for the New Years. Then I can come back, curl up on the couch next to my mummy, wrap up in blankets and eat christmas cookies while watching Jane Austen movies. ^.^
So yes, I’m in Paris, and yes, I am crazy. But you gotta admit, you can only have fun for so long before you start running on empty. It has been 10 months since I have been back home in NH, whereas in Boston, I would have to go back every 2-4 months to retain my sanity. I imagine that I would be running away to England right now if it wasnt for the fact that I spent a day in Normandy for my birthday.
Anyhoo… Photo is cake, what else is new. Don’t get me started on my Editorial class.
Air France Magazine Typo
Thats the only work I will show from it so far. lol.
Packaging is intriguing.
Lots of Perfume is all I have to say. I’ve never been big on perfume, I wear CK One and thats the only one I knew before this class lol.
Sujet 1 - CK One Juxtapose - Self Portrait Packaging
Sujet 2 - Agnès B Parfum
Sujet 3 - Nestlé Noir Tablette de Chocolat
I have decided that I would like boxes if only I had the proper tools and money to print and assemble them. Yeah, sucks when you get graded on quality when you don’t have money to make quality craftsmanship. My ruler is the edge of my sketchbook. It looks like I took a knife to it, you know, cuz I kinda did -.- silly Xacto knives. So yeah, apart from some apparent branding issues on the Nestlé Noir bit and the inaccuracy of any dictionary being able to translate planche de tendence, I feel Packaging is going well enough. Considering I can hardly understand the professor’s feedback during critique and final presentation, I should be somewhat content. Except my computer is making funny noises >.< and I’m a perfectionist. I want to know exactly what they’re saying so I can make it perfect! Only natural, right?
After two magazine assignments in Édition, I have found myself being very conservative in my designs where I used to try to go all out. Hell, at AIB my teachers complained about it, “Carolyn, keep it simple, focus on concept and function, not just aesthetics.” Ok, well I’m trying that and now I’m being told I’m too conservative by my Édition prof here in Paris,
“Carolyn, sois créative! Tu ne dois pas garder la sensibilité originale de la magazine!”
He’s all about making your own type for practically everything, type design that borders on illegible, and off the wall originality. Simple, plain and functional? Sorry, you get a lower grade. My packaging teacher however, seems a little bit more reasonable. She says I have to keep the branding but be original. That almost sounds like a contradiction. However, for the Calvin Klein packaging (supposed to be a “selfportrait”), she stated that I did not need to keep the brands sensibility. So the first draft of the Agnès B perfume was outright feminine and purty. It was the first time I’d even heard of the brand, so fair enough, it didnt resemble anything close to their branding. I think the final one works well, and I thought the Nestlé worked as well. Apparently not hrmmmm… I give up. Too many contradictions in my opinion.
Anyhoo, I feel like sharing a little tidbit I found on the web today that reminds me of my Danboard Invasion photo series (which soon will be making an appearance on my soon to be revamped/hopefully somewhat finished website)
Danridge, Danboard's cousins. ^.^
Super long post, I know, but needed to tell all this stuff to someone who actually understands English <3
-geason
