GRAPHIC DESIGN REFERENCE SOURCES
Ask anyone in the art department and their favorite part of the process (besides designing), is likely research. Highly detailed research informs good design - and I really don’t think it’s possible to overdo it in prep. A big thank you to all of the graphic designers that have helped me find these over the years.
Here’s my non-exhaustive list of all of my favorite graphic design research references:
Always stop #1 for any research - whether it be architectural, set dressing or graphics. The search filtering tool is surprisingly accurate and helpful especially when you need to narrow your search to a specific era. On Minx Season 2 we were tasked with recreating our own versions of historical events multiple times an episode. In episode 2.01 we made the “Beverly Hills Kennel Club” dog show - using the Westminster Dog Show as our reference point. See below for a couple images that guided the design:
Public Libraries: The Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library
Nothing ever ever ever beats the library (I have a Matilda tattoo to prove my dedication). The LOC, NYPL & LAPL generally have the most robust digitized collections. Some are easier to search than others - and the filtering tools aren’t great. I usually will use an aggregate database like RefSeek of World Cat to search other libraries outside of these big 3. Having a public library card also usually gets you access to ArtStor, a subsidiary of JStor, specifically for pulling artwork from the collections of academic institutions. Also! A lot of the material found in libraries is within the public domain. Always double check the licensing though, as it can be finicky depending on the production company you’re working under.
Here are a few neat labels from fruit companies in Southern California, courtesy of the LAPL.
Museum Digital Collections - Impossible to list them all but here’s a batch to start with:
Cooper Hewitt - this has absolutely non-existent filtering for searches. The collection is incredible, but they really don’t make it easy for you.
This one has everything. Over 30,000 images (you can also purchase) that culminate in a treasure trove of the cool, weird and wacky. I’m especially fond of the KLM and Air France travel posters.
The Merrill C. Berman Collection
This collection is incredibly well-organized and curated. It’s mainly focused around graphic design and artwork created between WWI & WWII in Europe. Big Bauhaus and modernist gold mine.
Flickr: State Library of Queensland - Vintage Packaging Labels
Flickr itself is full of endless albums of research on anything you can imagine if you have enough patience. A surprisingly large amount of state-run organizations once stored their archives there.
Flickr: 1980s Firework Packaging Scrapbook
This falls into the category of “When Will I Possibly Be Need Something This Specific?”. However - when I end up on a period 80s project with a firework scene, I’ll be the hero of the art department. Therefore, I include it here.
What I lack in knowledge of fonts I make up for in my enthusiasm about them. I commend anyone who can ID a font purely from glancing at it - but for most of us we need to see it in context. Fonts In Use is perfect for that. It’s a giant collaborative archive of typography across mediums.
