Cowie and Fox » graphics

Semperviva Yoga Goes Big

Nicole Phillips — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:17:32 +0000

Over the weekend, Semperviva Yoga installed the new window graphics we designed for their City location on West Broadway. They are large, in-charge, bright and fun.

There has already been some great feedback on them, through their facebook wall.

Lost Art: Hand Painted Billboard Advertising

Nicole Phillips — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:01:23 +0000

I recently watched a short documentary about the dying art of hand painted billboards. It was created by Stella Artois (yes….a big corporation, but it’s a really inventive way to promote your company!), and it featured colossal paintings completed during a 28-day period on a 20- by 50-foot wall in SoHo.

According to some people the technique of hand painted advertising is making a come back, but it’s hard to believe it when we live in such a fast paced society where a 20 foot billboard can be printed off and hung within a few hours.

Apparently the larger companies are willing to fork out the big bucks because it’s authentic and it creates a spectical in the city or a “buzz.” I can definately understand that, since you can actually watch the image appear over a period of time, while the guys are dangling above the city in their rigging.

I am blown away by the skills they have. Unfortunately I don’t think those skills will be passed on to too many more people in the future if their industry really does die.

So next time you think of designing a billboard, why not think of the artists and get it hand painted for a change!

Check out the documentary here:

Arial & Helvetica

Nicole Phillips — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:28:32 +0000

Helvetica is like a celebrity, (no really it is, it’s in a movie). It’s so highly regarded among designers and never hated on like Comic Sans or Arial.

I’ve discovered a brilliant crafty exploration, showing Arial vs. Helvetica side-by-side. You’ll notice that in most cases Helvetica is the simpler, more elegant of the two. (see the angles of the r, t and c).

You might also noticed that there’s only 10 characters listed here, is it because all the others are identical? Some investigation needs to take place! Anyone up for the challenge?

(image via: google.com)

New Semperviva Yoga Location Coming Soon!

Nicole Phillips — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:00:19 +0000

It’s still in the works, but the new Semperviva location on West 4th Ave at Yew Street in Kitsilano is nearing completion! For now I thought i’d share a photo of the signage, but look forward to photos of the completed exterior soon. Learn more about Semperviva today.

Crisis of Credit Visualized

Alex Rakic — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:29:08 +0000

This is an animated video explaining the credit crisis that’s currently all around us. It’s a very visually appealing piece of work created with simple graphics and sounds. Of course the subject matter isn’t most pleasant, but the presentation still stands out.

Check it out!