Fluevog shoes print ad

This ad demonstrates several design themes layered on top of one another. The green background uses a formal gridded structure of repeating silhouettes, spaced at equal frequencies to create visual rhythm. A loosely-illustrated “figure” is layered on top, limbs positioned at angles to create a sense of movement. The shoe itself, positioned carefully to align with the contours of the figure, begins to resemble a torso or dress. The url slashes across the bottom, again adding to the dynamism of the composition and drawing attention to the figure’s foot.

YSL print ad

Playing off the idea of depth and 3 dimensionality, this ad intentionally confuses figure with ground. In most fashion advertisements, the designer’s logo is incorporated into the design at the layout stage. This ad breaks with that convention by photographing the model with a 3D cutout of the logo. The model’s pose subtly mirrors the angles and curves of the YSL letterforms. The photo itself is presented simply, with a white border of equal proportions on each side, in essence creating a window within a window.

New York Taste print ad

This typographic ad succeeds in conveying a lot of information in a limited space without looking too cluttered. The “call to action” information is grouped together on the upper left, clearly called out in high-contrast white and orange font (serif) set against a dark background. The participating restaurants are listed in another font (non-serif) that emulates hand-lettering. The colors and fonts work together to reference the idea of a chalkboard sign. The horizontal and vertical dotted lines draw the whole composition together and create subtly rhythmic visual patterns of varying frequency.