Discussion 1: Research A designer
Today id like to talk to showcase Rafael Serra, or faelpt on Instagram. I’ll start with the biggest thing you’d probably follow him for; his logo redesigns. I know redesigns can be a bit of a taboo or dirty thing, especially when it’s not necessarily done with a purpose or specific improvements, but I think his work deserves a closer look.
His spin it taking existing brands and applying his own style too it, a style that can be traced to a more 70/80s retro vibe mixed with a bit of Russian Constructivism. I’ve attached 3 groupings of some of his work to talk on. These logos I feel would be something you’d find on a vintage jacket or even vanity stickers on a cup, car, or some other third thing. They retain the personality of the logos they derive from whilst taking them back in time to a different era.
Using his PlayStation logo for example, you get the idea that it’s the future the 80s imagined. Almost like it was designed as a company from the 80s that sought to make products in the 2000s. In a sense, that’s what PlayStation was in the 90s, a company founded off a bad deal with Nintendo and seeking to break into the market with more modern technology than its competitors.
You can also see this sort of approach with his McDonald’s set. McDonald’s is a very simple presenting company; they make burgers and other fast-food items. He’s managed to not just simplify the logo, but also retain a certain style to it that keeps it appealing. While, it would still count as a very pointless redesign, this batch doesn’t fall into the “Techy San Sarif” trap the FGCU logo fell into for example. It has a certain flair to it that can be found through the Cheeseburger or the Happy Meal logo. A personality locked behind simplicity.
Finally, I’ve included a sort of mixed bag batch of logos. You can see a lot of his style throughout these, tying all of them together through his blocky nature and their oddly de-saturated colors. Though these films all stand on their own, they all fit together.
