This week Mirror80 pays homage to the wonderful world of teen-targeted media. If you think ’80s graphic and product design had eye-catching appeal, you can bet design efforts were cranked up a few notches to grab the attention of teenagers. Imagine the set of Saved by the Bell, then imagine if it were edible. That’s right–teen products looked good enough to eat (which is a bit scary since many of them were drugstore items). Graphic designers packed advertisements with candy forms and colors. Here are a few of our favorites, taken from the November 1990 issue of Teen Magazine, starting with the ad for Malibu Musk, shown above.
Friday Video Pick: “Bulletproof” by La Roux
In the spirit of ’80s graphic design, we set out to select a mind-blowingly stylish video for today’s Friday Video Pick. A video that could be a Trapper Keeper if it materialized into a school supply. There was only one choice for us: “Bulletproof” by La Roux! It may not be from the ’80s or even an ’80s copycat, but moments of ’80s influence can’t be denied. From the black and white grids to the floating geometric shapes, it’s hard to keep up with the visual changes packed into this 3 1/2 minute work of art! The beginning even features a backdrop that evokes the color and pattern combinations present in the design of ’80s powerhouse collective The Memphis Group.
A 1980s Graphic Design Revival
While an ’80s revival hit the fashion realm years ago, it’s the world of graphic design where a 1980s design revival is currently exploding, particularly on screen. Let’s start with the screen of your favorite mobile device. This year Glow Play released Radballs, a unique, ’80s-inspired puzzler for the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Set against the background of a heavy synth soundtrack, Radballs comes to life with ’80s-fabulous colors like hot pink, aqua and yellow, and with motifs including diagonal lines and dotted backgrounds.
Mid-Week Match-Up: An ’80s Deco Poster Inspires Dining Room Decor
We continue our celebration of 1980s graphic design by focusing on an ’80s Deco poster we featured in Monday’s Pic Fix. In fact, the poster inspired us to design a 1980s Deco-style dining room with a modern edge, thanks to today’s Hollywood Regency revival. Think Jonathan Adler meets Art Deco! Proving that ’80s decor can blend seamlessly with modern sensibilities, our “’80s meets modern” dining room is a celebration of ’80s Deco in the context of today’s style.
1980s Graphic Design Styles
This week Mirror80 takes a look at the attention-grabbing graphic design styles that emerged during the 1980s, an attention-grabbing decade! While a variety of techniques abounded, today we examine some of the boldest. The image above, recently designed by Andrew Guengerich to evoke the ’80s, was inspired by Trapper Keeper patterns and motifs. We continue by examining 1980s collectibles and media-related items, noting a variety of graphic design styles that captivated the decade’s consumers.
Pic Fix: 1980s Graphic Design
This week Mirror80 celebrates the bold world of ’80s graphic design, examining its styles through the posters, stickers, album covers, and yes, Trapper Keepers of the 1980s! In this decade of excess, designers sought to grab the audience’s attention with a variety of eye-catching images and fonts.
Friday Video Pick: “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club
To wrap up Album Cover Week, Mirror80 aimed to spotlight a video that looked as if an album cover had come to life. And there was no other video for us than “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club, featuring artwork by pop artist James Rizzi. Rizzi also created the artwork for the track’s single release, as well as the cover of Tom Tom Club’s 1981 self-titled LP.
1980s Album Cover Fashion
When it comes to ’80s fashion, it’s hard to beat the album cover art of Duran Duran’s 1982 release Rio and Heaven 17’s 1981 release Penthouse and Pavement. Using the artwork of Patrick Nagel, Duran Duran spotlights big hair, big ruffle and extra big earring trends that graced the fashion realm of the “more is more” decade. And how perfectly does Heaven 17 evoke the empty yet style-filled world of ’80s corporate life through the artwork of Ray Smith?
Mid-Week Match-Up: ’80s Album Cover Parallels
Join us for today’s Mid-Week Match-Up as we note the similarities between some unforgettable ’80s/early ’90s album covers. Whether it’s happy coincidence or evidence of an ’80s design trend, sometimes a parallel just can’t go unnoticed…
’80s Album Cover Trends
Oh how we love ’80s cover art! In honor of Album Cover Week, Mirror80 takes a look at three trends that put their stamp on the decade’s canvas. With examples from the cover art for both albums and hit singles of the 1980s, we give you three visual styles that continue to hold up over time. I’d frame these and hang them on my wall!..
