Sam Kittinger Creates Simplistic Designs for Popular Board Games
Susan Keefe — October 22, 2011 — Art & Design
References: samkittinger & lovelypackage
Designer Sam Kittinger has taken it upon himself to fix the lack luster packaging that currently adorns many popular board games.
These days many designs seem to have more flash than substance. Take these much-beloved board games. Many of your old favorites like Clue and Risk are now packaged with unnecessary garishness. Designer Sam Kittinger finds this visual loudness particularly offensive. He used this disdain for the "overdone packaging board games nowadays are so known for" and set about creating new boxes for some of his rainy day favorites. According to Kittinger, he gathered inspiration from "vintage, modernist game box designs, these re-inventions focus on simplistic imagery, experimental typography, and limited color schemes."
Reminiscent of the work by the master of effective simplicity the late designer Saul Bass, Kittinger creates restrained and recognizable icons drawn from the games themselves. Clue is adorned with a bright red candle stick and a chunky grey wrench. These designs avoid detail, sidestepping shading and utilizing minimalist line work. The color combinations are eye-catching and decidedly retro, favoring palettes of turquoise, orange and a muted lime green.
Sam Kittinger proposes a return to a more thoughtful form of artistic expression. Leave the bell and whistles at home, because sometimes simple is simply best.
These days many designs seem to have more flash than substance. Take these much-beloved board games. Many of your old favorites like Clue and Risk are now packaged with unnecessary garishness. Designer Sam Kittinger finds this visual loudness particularly offensive. He used this disdain for the "overdone packaging board games nowadays are so known for" and set about creating new boxes for some of his rainy day favorites. According to Kittinger, he gathered inspiration from "vintage, modernist game box designs, these re-inventions focus on simplistic imagery, experimental typography, and limited color schemes."
Reminiscent of the work by the master of effective simplicity the late designer Saul Bass, Kittinger creates restrained and recognizable icons drawn from the games themselves. Clue is adorned with a bright red candle stick and a chunky grey wrench. These designs avoid detail, sidestepping shading and utilizing minimalist line work. The color combinations are eye-catching and decidedly retro, favoring palettes of turquoise, orange and a muted lime green.
Sam Kittinger proposes a return to a more thoughtful form of artistic expression. Leave the bell and whistles at home, because sometimes simple is simply best.
Trend Themes
1. Simplistic Packaging Designs - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create minimalist packaging designs that focus on simplistic imagery, experimental typography, and limited color schemes, reminiscent of vintage, modernist designs.
2. Nostalgic Retro Aesthetics - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Capitalize on the growing nostalgia trend by incorporating retro color palettes, recognizable icons, and minimalist line work in product designs.
3. Thoughtful Artistic Expression - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embrace a return to simplicity in artistic expression and create designs that prioritize substance over flashy details.
Industry Implications
1. Board Game Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new packaging techniques and designs for board games that prioritize minimalist aesthetics and evoke a sense of nostalgia.
2. Graphic Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Offer design services that specialize in creating simplistic and retro-inspired packaging for various products, including board games.
3. Print and Packaging Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new printing technologies and materials to create eco-friendly and visually appealing packaging designs that cater to the growing demand for minimalist and retro aesthetics.
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