Miracle Diet by Ben Harman Design

Published on November 8th, 2007

I recently received the latest Communication Arts Design Annual. I am sure I am not the only designer that feels like a kid in a candy store when I get these annuals. This year several designs caught my eye, but this particular one made me laugh too.

Miracle Diet Design Part 1

Miracle Diet Design Part 2

Miracle Diet Design Part 3

Now if only I didn’t have to gain 50 pounds and experience 9 months of mood swings to lose those 10 pounds….

According to CA, this was a birth announcement designed by Ben Harman under the creative direction of Suzanne Harman with Ben Harman Design in Austin, TX. I tried to find a website, but I don’t think the Ben Harman I found is the same person.

Unfortunately, I scanned this out of the CA 2007 Design Annual, Issue 356 (page 151), so the quality is not as good as the original. That does not change my opinion of it though. The concept is brilliant and memorable. I even love the details in the illustration — the way the “before” lady is holding her belly and how the “after” lady’s hair is perfectly styled. However, I think the baby’s name should stand out more. After all, the real point of this announcement is the baby. Ultimately, friends and family (my presumed target audience) care about that part the most.

What do you all think? Did you enjoy this announcement as much as I did? Is there anything you would change about it?

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3 Excellent Responses to “Miracle Diet by Ben Harman Design”

  1. Amberlynn said:

    You’re right Karly, I DO love it! I agree about the name… using a light color that had even been used as a background color in the other cards doesn’t help the name stand out at all. I would have made a photo a bit bigger, and switched the coloring for the name and all the baby details.

    I used to live with a designer who recieved CA publications. I would always pour over back issues and drool until she was done with the latest and I was allowed to look at it.


    Posted on November 9th, 2007 at 8:25 am
  2. Ben Harman said:

    Hey there. Thanks for the positive comments about my work.

    I was flossing my teeth before bedtime and my wife came in and said, “I just googled our names and guess what I found?”

    So that’s how we stumbled across your blog.

    Anyway, from one designer to another, have a great day tomorrow.


    Posted on May 5th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
  3. Karly Barrett said:

    Ben,

    I’m glad you stopped by, I am still a big fan of the how witty your design is. Good luck on your future projects.


    Posted on May 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

What are your thoughts?