Inspirational Graphic Standards Manuals

It was much more difficult to find an inspirational graphic standards manual than I imagined it would be. Thus, I think out of the manuals I looked at, which was a great number of them, the graphic standards manual that Spunk created for the College of Design for the University of Minnesota is inspirational to me. Additionally, I think that the simpler the graphic standards manual the easier and more likely users will be to follow the guidelines in the manual.

Miscela ID

Miscela's identity system emulates the shape of the snails shell as well as a meandering path, in an attempt to communicate the slow relaxed pace at Miscela. This is all done through die cuts (on the business card, the member card, the envelope, and the welcome booklet), as well as the pattern that will be applied to each piece of the communication system. The initial communication system consists of a welcome booklet for New Coop Members, which includes Miscela's story, What coop members mean to Miscela, a Miscela Member card, and a business card for Miscela. Additionally, the booklet will come in a envelope/package that emulates all of the design elements of the booklet. The communication application will be a menu for Miscela, in addition to the standards guide.

Images are yet to come.

Miscela Logo Crisis

I am not sure what I am doing with my logo. I am having a hard time achieving the quality that I want. I am using india ink and then I bring it into illustrator. I want a hand drawn quality, but I also want it to be professional and clean. Clean and rugged at the same time.

Miscela Identity initial sketches/materials

I went to Anchor Paper on Friday and picked up a bunch of paper samples and browsed the aisles for over an hour! If you haven't been there, definitely check it out! The staff there are amazingly helpful too.

I have focused the target of my identity system to be NEW members of the Miscela Restaurant Coop. The identity system will include a business card to be distributed via mail/or in the restaurant. It will also include a letterhead with a member card attachment at the bottom that will be perforated (Anchor Paper has a perforator blade!) so that members can take their member card and put it in their wallet. Additionally, Miscela's identity will include a container to hold all of this information. Currently I am working on the structural framework. I found tags at Anchor Paper too that I thought would be a subtle detail to add to the container. The problem that I found at Anchor Paper with their paper is that if you want to get a 11"x17" sheet of paper, it will cost $10 for the first cut (and this only works if they have the "parent" paper in stock)! Does anyone have any other great sources for paper??

I'm unsure about ordering plates for the letter press, because I am not sure how to implement the production portion of the assignment. I think I would use the letter press for Miscela's entire identity. I'm not sure how big the plates would need to be.

I looked into getting a stamp made. For a stamp that is 4"x1" it would be $21 at Anchor Paper.

Anyway, I really want the identity of Miscela to wow you all. That is the goal.

Uncertain

For now, Miscela's system identity consists of a letterhead, business card, menu, and an envelope. The purpose of the letterhead is to use it to send out letters to potential members of the coop, members of the coop, future artists, artists, future musicians, musicians, and farmers (for fresh produce), bakers (for fresh breads), and other potential vendors for other food items. I will post my sketches at a later time...

My ID Inspiration Source

I forgot to include where I found all of the identity systems that I have noted as my inspiration for the Miscela ID. All of them were drawn from the AIGA archives. 

Miscela Logo Revision....