Adam Schlesinger interview

In 2007, Frank Goodman of the e-zine, Puremusic, conducted an interview with bassist and songwriter of Fountains of Wayne, Adam Schlesinger. While the interview was a nice read, similar positive remarks can't exactly be said about its cover art. It provides all the necessary information, but it is rather bothersome to look at. The first issue I have is with the leading. The 'F' and the 'W' in particular practically touch the letters above them to the point of almost blending in, but the fact that they just barely touch makes it all the more frustrating. The type also finds itself blending in with the similarly-colored press photo, but fortunately, these are all easily fixable issues.

It is a little late to really even be suggesting change (Puremusic has not updated in at least five years), and it hardly matters in relation to the reviews and interviews that make up the site, but it would make the e-zine look a little more appealing. If they had the time and the chance to go back (but who really does?), the cover art designers might want to consider adjusting the leading in the type and scaling the picture down a little to decrease the blending and tension effect, or at the very least, keep this in mind for future issues (should any more even come out).

Bite snack bar

The packaging for the Bite snack bar is very simple in appearance, but full of information on the front. The snack was created in Russia, so it makes sense that some of that information is Russian, in addition to what is primarily English that the makers were kind enough to include for any English-speaking consumers. The font is an interesting mix of type and a handwritten-looking script font. Also included is an image of half a banana with the product name inside, as well as images across the bottom that provide information that appeals to the health-conscious target audience. Overall, this is a nice design, although it does require some turning to read everything in the best manner. However, this is not too much of an issue because the logo is the only part that really needs to be seen from a distance, and the rest can be read properly if the consumer picks up the bar.