Blog | Mario Antoniou

Why I’m in Love with Pinterest

Being in the creative industry, it’s no surprise that I’m an extremely visual person. I love images and am constantly searching for new inspiration. Lately I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Pinterest, but there are a few things that concern me. Like why retailers and brands aren’t embracing this tool by persuading and engaging with consumers?

If you’ve got a product to sell and you’re looking for somewhere fantastic to showcase your creations, I strongly suggest setting up a profile on Pinterest. In my opinion, it’s the most interesting and engaging platform to display products through, as mood boards attach a feeling to your merchandise instead of just plain showing customer what you’ve got to offer. For example, some clothing brands are taking full advantage of this by creating different boards for various occasions such as weddings and holidays, and accompanying different looks with a variety of accessories and locations to inspire customers and lead them to purchasing products.

Personally, I use Pinterest to build my brand identity and my various boards represent my personality and values as an art director and designer working in London. I pin images that inspire me and influence my work. I find tons of images in the things around me, like coffee shops, packagings, graphics and signage. Luckily for me, London is full of inspiration and that’s one of the reasons why I love living and working here.

Pinterest also creates conversations between like-minded individuals and can be used as a powerful word of mouth tool. It can generate interest in your work and get people talking about your brand. Content is shared among friends, networks and clients, making it my favourite social media platform by far.

What do you think of Pinterest? Tweet me at @MarioAntonion1 and follow me on Pinterest to share in my inspiration at www.pinterest.com/marioantoniou

Love it: New iOS 7 Design

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for most of this week, you would’ve already heard about yesterday’s Apple announcement at WWDC. This time the geniuses at Apple HQ previewed the new iOS 7; a sleeker, sexier design that I absolutely love.

We all knew Apple would come up with an OS to follow the ‘flat design’ trend, and after spending some time reading reviews and opinions from people in the design community, I’ve noticed that opinions are definitely still mixed! Some are outraged and some of you are utterly in love with the new design. I’m definitely leaning towards the latter side! I love that they’ve moved away from the dated skeuomorphic design and the opening statement at WWDC really made a lot of sense. Too many features can clutter any design, and focusing on distilling and creating a cleaner interface is a trick we can all keep in mind when designing.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this piece of tech when it’s released later this year! Steve Jobs would be proud.

Now that you’ve heard my opinion, what’s yours? Let me know on Twitter.

Brand Find: Granny Smith

If you’re a big fan of Apple products (and who isn’t?!) then you owe it to yourself to check out Danish accessory extraordinaire, Granny Smith. I love the products these guys come up with! Hell, even Obama owns Granny Smith products. The cool thing about them is that they create products exclusively for Apple gadgets, so they know what they’re doing and they definitely get it right!

I recently treated myself to the Black Vintage Leather iPad and iPhone covers, and I was so chuffed with what I received that I ordered another set for my fellow Apple-enthusiast friend. Like receiving something in the post isn’t exciting enough, Granny Smith wrap each order beautifully and with such loving attention to detail, it had me smiling all day.

You can’t beat the authentic smell of leather, as each product was exactly as described on their website; handmade, unique and made from quality materials.

So if you’re in the market for a fresh new brand that stands out from the cheap, manufactured plastic products we’re all so used to these days, I highly recommend these guys!

Check out their website: http://www.grannysmith.dk

Or find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GrannySmithShop

Visuelle Paper: Edition One

David Bennett’s Visuelle.co.uk is a great source of design inspiration and features some great examples of creative excellence, but now he’s created a printed booklet to feature some of the fantastic work that’s been showcased on his site over the past year. Edition One features 28 pages of beautiful work from Stockholm Design Lab, Build, Six, Manual, Bibliothéque and more.

Pick up your own copy here and start your collection.

Fontsmith’s FS Emeric

If you love typography as much as I do you’ll adore the new typeface from Fontsmith, entitled FS Emeric. The campaign for FS Emeric was constructed by design studio Believe in and consisted of a great type specimen booklet and a collection of studio posters from some amazing studios like Pentagram, Build, NB Studio, Hey, Bibliotheque and Non Format. Each poster is an example of design excellence and uses one specific weight of FS Emeric. The hand numbered, screen printed posters have a limited run of 50 and are a must-have for any typo-junkie, like myself.

I love bold lettering and simplistic design, and FS Emeric combines those two aspects into one grand and modern typeface. Well done on your superb creation, Fontsmith!

The Importance of Creativity

These days we live in a world that is heavily commercialized. I think we’re all familiar with feeling a little bit like a cog in a machine, with absurd pressures to conform at every turn we make. The world around us lacks originality as mass-produced products pile up in our local stores and society becomes less and less imaginative every year. As information is spoon-fed to us, I wonder at which point my thoughts stop being my own and become shaped by my generic surroundings.

But luckily I have a secret weapon, to ward off the constant stream of ordinary and make me feel like a unique human being. I’m talking about creativity and the freedom of expression that comes with it. Expressing my creativity reminds me that I have a vibrant and unique spirit that can’t be tamed, no matter how much commercial junk is pushed on me. I’m so fortunate and proud to work in the creative industry and earn a living by sharing my day with extremely talented individuals. I get to embrace my passion daily, and not many people can say the same thing about their work. So here’s to the importance of creativity and to making it a goal to find a platform for yours, no matter what your passion may be.

If you like to get creative in your spare time, or even on a full time basis like me, connect with me via Twitter and share your inspirations, ideas and creative thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!

I’m Not the Only Creative in The Family

Over the past few months I’ve been sharing, tweeting and commenting on some fantastic work from people in the industry, but embarrassingly enough, I’ve forgotten to mention a creative that’s close to home; my cousin John Yianni.

In 2006 John set up the hugely successful design agency in Amsterdam called YYDesign. YYDesign focus on fashion and sportswear, working on apparel graphics, brand identities and art direction for clients from Nike to Adidas to Asics and Hummel. It goes without saying that I am a massive fan of his creative direction and particularly love the abstract designs and well planned randomness.

Although John’s work is a million miles away from the corporate and regimented style of the work I produce, that is probably why I am so drawn to it.

Take some time to look over his work this week and let me know what you think via Twitter. Check out www.yydesign.nl and get inspired!

Welcome Aboard, Pernilla Greek!

I’m thrilled to announce my fantastic new client, super talented Scandinavian fashion designer, Pernilla Greek! I have been commissioned to create their new brand identity, which will roll out across many printed and digital platforms. I’m so excited to get started on this inspiring new project!

I initially met Pernilla at the Melvin Galapon exhibition, where we chatted about our shared love for clean and well-crafted minimalistic designs as we admired the exhibits. If you’re interested in avant-garde work, visit Pernilla’s website and learn more about this fascinating designer: pernillagreek.com

Catch Up With Me In The Social Media Revolution!

People often say I have a lot to say, so it was just a matter of time before I joined the social media revolution. The great thing about living and working in London is that I’m in the epicenter of creativity, surrounded by thousands of fellow creatives and a whole world of their beautiful creations and inspirations.

I love to share my thoughts, dreams and everything that gets my imagination flowing, so connect with me on Twitter and Pinterest for a glimpse into my creative world. Find out what inspires me, excites me and what furthers my love for the world of visual communication. But it’s not all about me! My favourite part of social media is hearing what you have to say. What inspires you and what catches your interest. So click that follow button and let’s start a conversation!

Twitter: @MarioAntoniou1
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/marioantoniou
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/marioantoniou

Adventures in Snowdonia

Back in February, a group of friends and I set out on an adventure to Snowdonia in Northern Wales. We hired a minibus for the weekend and got all our gear ready for a serious photography excursion in the beautiful Snowdonia mountains. But alas, this is not quite what ended up happened! Throughout the course of the weekend I can honestly say that I have never walked so much in my life. Thankfully we rewarded ourselves with frequent stops at the local pubs, even though I wasn’t too sure if beer and photography were such a great match!

Nonetheless, the trip was fun and filled with laughs – a great way to relax and escape the bustle of London. As is the nature of trips like these, new friendships were formed and memories made. We can’t wait for our next adventure to Torquay later this summer.

You can be sure to see some interesting shots from that trip on my blog!

Clicking Towards Portrait Photography

Like a lot of designers in the industry, I too have a love for photography. Even my partner will tell you that I have wanted to develop my photographic skills for some time now, so finally, I took the plunge and bought myself a decent SLR. Friends and family couldn’t be more excited about my new hobby and I must say, I’m eager to learn the ins and outs of my new toy.

After being an art director on many shoots for clients and agencies in recent years, being behind the camera for a change feels somewhat strange, but exhilarating at the same time. I’m relishing in my new challenge and definitely enjoying all this great art form has to offer. As I’m such a people’s person and spend my time surrounded by the company of good people, exploring portrait photography just felt natural, so that’s where my focus lies at the moment.

The above image is just a taste of what I’ve been up to lately behind the lens, but I’ll be adding some more of my favourite photos soon, so keep an eye on my blog if you’re as interested in the ins and outs of photography as I am.

The Big Fat Picnic – London Graphic Designer Meet-up

It’s time to get those picnic blankets out and grab the sunscreen! I’ve finally got my act together and organized an awesome meet-up for my somewhat neglected London Graphic Designers group. (Sorry, guys! But this will make up for it)

Join us for a Big Fat Picnic at Regents Park on June 16th, 2013. This one is for all you creatives, living and working in London, who want to connect and have some great conversations over a drink or two. If this sounds like a lot of fun (which it will be) but you’re not a creative, well, don’t worry! You’re more than welcome to come along and meet up with some fun people for a laugh and a drunk game of rounders. We’ve got a pretty open ‘the more the merrier’ policy and we’re all looking forward to get out into the sun and have some fun with some interesting people.

You can find all the information you’ll need at this link: London Graphic Designers Meetup.

Pick Me Up Exhibition at Somerset House

Last Friday some friends and I decided to pop around to The Pick Me Up exhibition at Somerset House for a glimpse at the work of the design industry’s elite. Colleagues in our industry had tons to say about the exhibition and it definitely was worthwhile seeing. It’s even been dubbed ‘The UK’s original contemporary graphic arts festival’ and judging by the level of design excellence we encountered there, I can see why!

Although we all agreed that this year didn’t quite match up to the extremely high standards of last year’s superb exhibition, it was a great chance to enjoy an exciting and diverse mix of quirky workshops. Plus it’s a great place for an inspired conversation over a pint or two!

Unfortunately, the exhibition ended last week, but you can still pick up some great stuff over at their webstore.

BVD’s Latest Identity

BVD, a Swedish advertising company, have an innovative identity which they express through a great website using mobile optimization. The change of identity came last year when they appointed a new CEO and installed a new Chairman of the Board. They had this to say about their latest identity: “Our new identity reflects our ambitions och represents our quality standards in all parts. Now we have a distinct logo with clean, geometrical lines. A logo that stands out, that is useable in all medias and, of course, easily recognized. Simplify to clarify!”

The above photo is of their simplistic stationary that manages to convey the company’s entire identity in one photo.

I’m definitely a fan of what these guys have done and can’t wait to see what they produce in the future.

Munich ’72 – Otl Aicher

Over 40 years ago, Atl Aicher and his team brought the 1972 Munich Olympic Games to life with their bold and beautiful designs that became the revolutionary identity system for the Munich games that it is today.

Last year UCA Canterbury in the UK celebrated his iconic work by hosting an exhibition of posters, informative designs, pictograms and a range of print and promotional materials from the 1972 Olympic Games. The exhibition was held at the Herbert Read Gallery and if you were lucky enough to see this great exhibition, comment and tell me all about it.

For more photos from the exhibit, click here.

Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer 1918 – 1981

If you’re a fan of American graphic designer Herb Lubalin, or just a fan of superb graphic design in general, you’ll love this gem from Unit Editions. This limited edition monograph features the works of Lubalin from 1918 to 1981 and covers the beginning of his advertising career, all the way to his status as one of the most influential designers in history.

It’s a great addition to any designer’s book collection and makes a perfect coffee table book for the reception area. You can get your very own copy here, for a cool $140.

Braun’s TG 60 Tape Recorder

Braun really went above and beyond with this minimal and beautifully designed tape recorder that has even inspired designers at Apple. If this tape recorder looks familiar, it may be because it inspired the design for Apple’s popular podcast app. It definitely is a beautiful piece of hardware that I’m sure every design buff would love to have in their homes. The TG 60 just proves that all you really need is a sharp, simple design to really wow people.

We can’t wait to see what else Braun has up its sleeve!

Zurich’s Armin Hofman – Farbe Exhibition

If you happened to be in Zurich during 2012 and you didn’t check out the Armin Hofmann – Farbe exhibition then I’m sure you’re just about ready to kick yourself. The exhibition ran from August to September 2012 at Galetie Susanna Kulli in Zurich and featured a whole portfolio of silkscreen prints. Hofmann used the prints as a chance to focus and experiment with colour and I love the final results. These might not be what you’re used to seeing from Hofmann, but the prints that were created from 1989 up until 1999 are definitely worth doing some research on, if you’re a fan of his interesting use of colour. You might just find yourself staring at these designs for hours on end!

Posters within A Poster – Wim Crouwel

I just came across this lovely collection of posters within a poster and couldn’t wait to share it. The poster features designs by the legendary designer Wim Crouwel and was released to coincide with the Wim Crouwel exhibition entitled ‘Wim Crouwel – A Graphic Odyssey’ that was showcased at The Design Museum in London during 2011.

The poster also includes text by Adrian Shaughnessy, in case you were wondering!

If you love this poster as much as I do, you can purchase a copy over at Print Process.

Vintage Paper Bag Chic

If you’re into vintage style with a unique history, then have I got something cool to share with you. Introducing To Have and To Hold, a Tumblr that really packs a punch in the vintage design category. The page features a collection of awesome paper bags from the 70′s and 80′s that practically jump out of the screen at you with their great use of colour and cold, simplistic designs. I can’t get enough of this site and hope you spend as much time as I have browsing through this beautiful collection that offers tons of inspiration.

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