Monday Hues: Magically Delicious

I am LOVING the retro cereal boxes by General Mills. I know they're totally marketing to my age group, and you know what? I don't mind one bit! I almost, almost, bought a box of Lucky Charms last week just because the retro design took me back to my grade school years at first glance. Good job, marketeers! You got my attention by bringing back cherished memories of the days when I had no cares in the world. My only worries were wondering what mom was going to make for dinner that night. Those were the days...

Which box design do you like best?

I was roaming the Target aisles with my daughter when I first spotted the retro cereal boxes, and being the observant person that she is, she immediately noticed my excitement as I held these two boxes in my hands. "Which one do you like best?" she asked. Without hesitation, I told her I preferred the retro design. She disagreed and voted for the other. I do realize I am biased, but trust me, as a designer, there are definitely other factors influencing my preference.

• Cuteness: If you follow me on my Paisley In Paris blog or Instagram, you know I'm an avid doodler and I enjoy creating cute illustrations that are suitable for kid parties and just about anything else baby/toddler/child related. I am naturally drawn to anything cute and cutesie, and in my opinion, the retro leprechaun dude is way, waaaay cuter than the creepy 3D guy on the current box design. 

• Simplicity: I also prefer the simplicity of the retro or "throwback" design as they call it. It's almost minimalistic, compared to the current one. The latter is just so busy, my eyes feel like they're going to explode. There are tons of colors in a variety of shades, big marshmallows, sparkles, tons of text and a 3D creepy looking dude...which you already knew about...because I mentioned him and his creepiness in the above paragraph. 

• Type: There is so much more type in the current design and not only is there a lot of it, but it is also warped and outlined, and shadowed, AND to make things worse, there are so many fonts in so many different sizes. Again, waaay too much going on. So much, I'm feeling a bit of  anxiety just writing about it. No, I'm not crazy, just overwhelmed. 

So there you have it! Today's Monday Hues and graphic design tips were inspired by cereal boxes found and photographed by me, in the Target aisles. I'd also like to note that I picked today's inspiration source and color scheme in honor of St. Patricks Day, so enjoy your greens and golds and remember, inspiration is everywhere.

Happy Monday!

~ Dio

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