Half Decent Graphics

Wow! It's Busy Out There!

2007-05-13T22:49:00.000Z

Out your window, is a world, and in that world, things are happening, including rain falling. Well if that's a surprise to you, then welcome to Britain.

Hicks Has Updated Google Reader Skin - He's at it again. At version 0.9 now.

Eboy hit another market with new trainers and some funky shoeboxes to go with them.

There's a lot of bloggers on about the dead artist, and I don't get it, so I'm obviously not 'with it', or maybe I'm normal, and they're not with it. Most likely the latter.

We have top stuff over here at Daily Monster. I love doodling, and this is top notch. This is kind of doodling, but in a more arty way. It's not just a doodle - there's more care and attention. See for yourself.

[Image from here!]

Have fun!

This Water Is Released!

2007-05-09T23:52:00.000Z

It's here! Juicy Water is now officially alive! OK, so it's not to different from Juicy Water, well infact it's just got a new label - but for a good reason.

Innocent have thought this through well. They've decided that their Innocent smoothies are for the fruit, and This Water for the water. All good in my mind.

So what do they promise? Well Innocent is a good, heart-warming company, so they promise that they will:

Always:

Be Blended With Proper Fruit

Be Very Refreshing

Be Made With Natural Spring Water

Never:

Be Made From Concentrate

Be Stuffed With Additives

Be Made With Fruit 'Extracts'

They're also doing their little bit for charity; they'll be supporting WaterAid in Etheopia, providing 77,000 people with clean, safe water.

So go grab a bottle now!

Busy...

2007-05-02T21:34:00.000Z

Things have been busy over the last few days so sorry about depriving you of the world of Graphic Design. Anyway, there wasn't too much to make news off...

Anyway, I was intrigued when I bought my Lynx the other day. The design on the can was drastically different to what you might usually find. It was less organised; it had that scrappy feel to it, I suppose to give it a bit of an edge. Anyway, judge for yourself.

Anyway, it's my birthday today. Maybe some pics of that later.

Thanks for the cards everyone!

Enjoy!

This Water Updates

2007-04-27T06:43:00.000Z

Well Innocent have said that 'This Water' is going to be released in a few days. In fact, I know it's in May, because I'm clever, and they've looked towards PearlFisher to help them with the re-branding. Innocent also mentioned the fact that with their 'plans', they're going to 'do more with water than just add juice'. There will be four flavours (mango, cranberry, lemon and blackcurrant), priced at £1.49.

[Image from ...]

I'm intrigued... I think that the criticism that happened before will slide away into nothing-ness.

3 Quick Updates

2007-04-26T18:32:00.000Z

Lucozade Giveaway - Lucozade is giving away 10,000,000 free bottles of Lucozade. I've got my coupon ready to roar out of the printer as we speak.

Opus Underground - Opus Underground, more of those great printing people (similar-ish to 1973) are selling a neat collection of prints. In fact only 30 of each print are being sold, so get your board and surf over to Opus Underground.

Innocent Petition - It's made it to the 18th spot in the online petition charts at E-Petitions, with 9,340 signatures. Help it rise up the shelves, and help those fruits, and sign up if you haven't done so already.

Eboy + 1973

2007-04-22T23:01:00.000Z

Meet Eboy, one of the largest Pixel Art websites known to pixel artists, and 1973, a company that takes fantastic work, such as Eboy's, and turns it into wonderful things such as cushions, lampshades, greeting cards etc.

So I was trotting around London, down Butchers Wharf, down to the Design Museum, had a fascinating time walking around it (that's another story), and after that, came to the shop, to find this:

[I know the image quality is pure rubbish and it's grainy, but trust me, the real thing's quite cool]

Wonderful! A mix of both Eboy and 1973. It's a piece of giftwrap with lots of randoms Eboy pixels. I love pixel art - it has so much flavour and colour.

So go and check out 1973 for some great little bit's and bobs to stick around your house.

[Update - the second picture is changed.]

This Water

2007-04-21T19:50:00.000Z

Innocent announced a new brand identity for their Juicy Water. The curtains are half open now, so all we can see is (drumroll please...)

TAH-DAH!

I think you were as overwhelmed as I was: not hugely. But wait, maybe this has potential. Maybe there's more behind the curtains. But no, the peeps of the world have gone a criticised.

"Why change a perfectly good name? sorry just doesnt make any sense!" - Helen Dixon

"Why change something that doesn't need changed. Juicy water is what it was - 'this water' doesn't make sense. Is it 'this water' as opposed to 'that water'?

I like juicy water." - Sabita Stewart

"Hm. Why not just..keep them as 'Juicy waters' ? I liked that better, But I....no, I really don't like 'this water'.It just sounds....dull. Sorry Innocent, great idea, but pleaseums - keep the juicy!" - The Carrot

Wow, 'pleaseums', someone is desperate. My reaction? Hey - look at what Innocent have achieved before. Look at their attitude. Look where they've put their smoothies. I think things will start to impress in coming months. Just keep looking up at the pink badge in the top-right corner and read it 3 times out loud, taking it all in. 'from the people at innocent'

[Via Innocent]

Just Falafs

2007-04-21T13:34:00.000Z

Oh yes! This is another great find, thanks to one of my spies around Soho, going by the name of Dan Germain. He found this little gem: Just Falafs and as he said: "You can't argue with somewhere called Just Falafs."

1. It has an awesome name.

Just Falafs. You know you just smile when you read it. It just works. A falafel. Nothing more.

2. It's got an awesome brand identity.

OK, take a look again at the picture above, and take a look around their website again. The main creature with arm-less hands is cool, he's got a proper welcoming smile, it makes you smile, he has warm colours, he's about to give you a hug. The words 'Good Mood Food' fit in to the brand like water. It deserves its brownie points.

3. It has scrumcious food.

Dan Germain - "...behind the immense pun lies some tasty and nutritious food."

[Via Dan Germain]
[Images are screenshots from the Just Falafs website]

Vote For Me!

2007-04-19T22:47:00.000Z

Please vote for this blog, and tell the world how wonderful it is!

Rate Me on BlogHop.com!
Help?

Gü

2007-04-19T15:43:00.000Z

You deserve a treat. You know you do, so this weekend, treat yourself to the wonderful world of Gü. Gü is a company that produces high quality chocolaty products, such as a pack of 2 choc + vanilla cheesecakes, which I got yesterday. The chocolate in it was incredibly rich, and normally I'm not a big fan of cheesecakes, but this one I loved!

I want to try the Hot Chocolates, as they don't use powder, but a thick liquid, so I presume that's going to be just as rich, because it's basically going to be a watered down hot fudge!

Go and get one!

Shin Tanaka

2007-04-18T21:47:00.000Z

Shin Tanaka has created a great website, that's based around something nice and simple, but yet a little complex too. It's one of those projects that makes life a little more fun.

His site is all about paper/card creatures, in a variety of shapes. The idea behind it is that companies can come along to his website, give him a quick email, and he replies with the wanted template for one of the creatures. The company then goes away, designs all over the template, and sends back the custom template. Shin then creates one of these, and shows it on the website. The creator of the template can also cut out and create the being. The only ones available to the public though are his 'Mask Hoody' and 'Spiky Baby' beings.

[Spiky Baby (L) and Masky Hoody (R) models. Images hosted on Shin's site. I'm sure he won't mind me publicising his site :)]

Overall, I think Shin's models are great. The link for his site is also in the 'Links' bar to the right.

Sign Up To Help The Fruit!

2007-04-18T15:44:00.000Z

Those poor fruit being left on the racks at Sainsbury's aren't being bought. Why? There's the normal amount of tax on them. This really isn't good considering we ought to be eating healthier, which is why Innocent has decided to set up a petition to ask of the lowering of tax on fruit.

Here's what Innocent themselves had said about it:

"Some things just aren't right. Tartan jeans for instance. And the fact that the government charges VAT on healthy fruit juices and smoothies. Seems wrong to us. Especially when other foods, like hotdogs and chips, remain tax free. Not quite encouraging healthy eating, is it?

That's why we've set up a petition on the Prime Minister's website to tell the government that they could help more people get to their five a day by removing this daft tax. To sign up go to

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/fruitjuiceVAT

It only takes 30 seconds to type in your name. And feel free to send this mail on to your friends afterwards.

Thanks for your support

Everyone at innocent

www.innocentdrinks.co.uk"

[From here.]

So you know what the right thing to do is: go and sign up! I have. So far, there's been 3,963 signatures.

I'm thinking, if the tax on this fruit is lowered, then surely so is the price of Innocent. That's even more of an incentive to go out and sign up! Go, surf like the wind!

New Google Reader Layout

2007-04-17T22:25:00.000Z

The wonderful Jon Hicks has gone and made the world a happier place by creating a new layout for Google Reader, following up his similar skin for Bloglines. The skin is based around the Mac OS X layout, which is pretty cool.

You have to admit that it looks pretty damn good compared to this. Why? It looks like a Mac, and that was the whole idea.

The download and installation instructions for Firefox, Camino, Safari, Omniweb and Opera can be found at Jon's website, here.

About

2007-04-16T16:43:00.000Z

Hi there,

Just so you know, the person living behind your screen putting this eye candy is me, Ben Hampson. I live in the UK, and I really hope you enjoy this blog. I just want to post some points about who I am and what I use.

Well, I use:

Firefox
GMail
Thunderbird
Flickr
Digg
Radio.Blog.Club
RSS
Google Reader
Who's Amung Us
Feedburner
Del.icio.us

And soon I should be using:

Technorati

I hope you can make use of them.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

2007-04-16T09:14:00.000Z

Welcome to my blog. What's it all about? The world of Graphic Design. The beauty of Graphic Design is that it's all around us, and it makes life a little more interesting, easier, or just puts a smile on your face.

The name was inspired by Ben Terrett's, Noisy Decent Graphics, which is the website that first got me interesting in Graphic Design, so a big thumbs up to him. NDG can also be found in the 'Half Decent Sites' bar to the right.

So enjoy it!

Ben.