Week 4: Research

I had originally planned on continuing to work on my logo this week, but I decided to put it on hold and focus my time further researching my subject matter. While I was researching , I discovered the line of Pullman trains which immediately intrigued me. I found them to be beautifully designed inside and out. I especially enjoyed the sophistication and feel of the inside of the trains, and the special attention to detail. The trains and especially the dining cars were said to be "the picture of extravagance, with elaborate chandeliers, silk shades and leather seating"(The History of Pullman Cars). They were a work of art in themselves.

While researching, I started to wonder what promoted people and their families to take these trains. Was it the elegance? The accessibility to certain locations? The amazing views? The questions are endless. In order to start to answer some of these questions, I looked at train promotion. Many of the vintage train-travel promotion played up the idea of meeting and socializing with interesting, well-dressed  fellow travelers. Many of the posters also featured phrases such as "forget about weather reports", acknowledging the fact that trains can travel under any weather conditions. I am drawn to the friendly feel of the posters as well as the light, muted color palette and whimsical typography.
A few examples of the promotional posters:

After being inspired by these posters, I started to look at other examples of vintage marketing and promotion. I came across vintage labels which were absolutely beautiful. The labels have a simple and delicate look that are stunning:

Goals for the upcoming week: My goal for the upcoming week is to discuss with my peers and other individuals about what would make people take a train over other modes of transportation. I would like to record this information to get a feel for people are looking for when traveling. In addition, I would like to continue to look at vintage marking and promotion and possibly do a mock up of my own poster with the same style in mind but the destination being Northern Michigan. As discussed in class, the promotion could be inspired by the "See America" campaign but rather "See Michigan". Exploration and Research are my main goals and I am excited to see what I can learn. 

IP work done this week: Discussion with Erica (45 minutes), Research on the culture and history of trains (3 hours), Research on vintage promotional material, marketing and packaging (3 hours), Started to Read my new book that I hope will be helpful with my logo and other materials titled Thinking with Type (30 minutes)