Copenhagen Day One

Last weekend I went with some of my flatmates to Copenhagen, Denmark. It's said to be the happiest city in the world, and I believe it! It was absolutely beautiful and everyone we met was so incredibly nice. Here are my favorite photos from our first day there. We spent the day exploring Copenhagen by boat and by foot, and ate some amazing food (which ended up being the case every day--great food in Denmark!) Also, not pictured, we had our feet nibbled by a bunch of tiny fish, a "soothing" spa treatment that's illegal in the US. It was bizarre. But overall, a great day in a breathtaking city! Stay tuned for more photos from the rest of the weekend, I'll try to get them all up this week.

One of the best parts of Copenhagen--fantastic ice cream!

Prints in Copenhagen

These are a few print pieces I found in Denmark that I really liked. They are all great examples of the four principles of design: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. I also really like that they all include the Danish name for Copenhagen, København. I think the Danish language is really interesting to look at, and I particularly like the look of that word.

Postcard from a shop in the city center

Art prints in a coffee shop called Voulez Vou

Another print in Voulez Vou

Signage & Storefronts in Copenhagen

I spent this weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark (more extensive blog post to come) where I saw some beautiful signage and storefronts. I definitely noticed a difference between the aesthetic in Copenhagen as compared to in London. The feel of the whole city was more laid back and colorful, and I found that its signage reflected that. Overall I'd say that the signage was also pretty effective at doing its job, clearly indicating the nature of the store or attraction it belonged to.

I really liked the colorful, eclectic exterior of this bar.

Found a coffee shop named after me!

One of many neon signs in the city center

Beautiful handwritten menu outside of a restaurant at the harbor

Ascot

One of the best days I've had in London was at Ascot Racecourse. I got to dress up, drink champagne, and watch other people win money (I ended up losing 2 pounds). We got to talk to lots of locals and really get a feel for the culture of these kinds of events. So so so much fun.

The GRC tribe

Museum Aesthetics

Most of the field trips we've taken for class so far have been to various museums. I find that the visual layout of the museums' content often has a substantial effect on how I perceive the information. A beautiful display can draw me into reading about artifacts that I may not otherwise approach. I think that a wall or other space in a museum can benefit from the same principles that we use for graphic design: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. These are photos of displays that I feel have properly applied these principles, and that instantly engaged me when I saw them.

Wayfinding in Shoreditch

Good wayfinding requires not only a visually pleasing design, but also a clear message. It must be practical as well as beautiful. Sometimes, the difference between an effective and defective wayfinding sign can be subtle. In the following photos, just adding an arrow makes these signs effective. Weekends in Shoreditch can be hectic with markets and street vendors everywhere, and simply adding an arrow to these signs made them much more effective than those around them.

Brighton

For the 4th of July I took a day trip to Brighton, just about an hour south of London by train. Brighton is an adorable beach town full of shops, restaurants, and patisseries.

The Angel Food Bakery, home of the best cupcakes ever.