30 Olympic posts every designer should read!

XXVI. 'Olympic Vermin' animation

We love this quirky animation, created by Amael Isnard and Leo Bridle to give an alternative spin on the Olympic torch relay that took place in London this week. In the short created for animation production studio Beakus, a series of creatures including rats, squirrels and pigeons carry their very own Olympic torches made from matches, twigs and cigarettes. Exceedingly charming.

XXVII. Art in the Park

26 art installations have been specially created for the Olympic Games in celebration of the 2012 Games. We like this one, by Italian artist Monica Bonvicini, the best. The three, 9m tall letters are made of glass and stainless steel; by day they act as a mirror, at night they glow with internal LED lighting. To see more of the installations, check out this post by Creative Review.

XXVIII. Gymnast animation

The video, directed by Moisés Arancibia, conveys the story of US gymnast John Orozco in a primarily red, white and blue animation heavy on geometric angles and typography that reinforces key inspirational words and messages.

Each of the 12 videos begins with a live interview with a different athlete, then the view cuts to an animated interpretation of their story. The campaign, titled 'The Team Behind The Team' is a collaboration between Y&R, VML, Cohn & Wolfes and Duck Studios.

XXIX. Olympic Logo Designs from 1932-2012

This excellent post categories 80 years of Olympic logos into design archetypes with a specific focus such as shapes, abstraction and geographic. Looking back it's clear how the different logos reflect the design and trends of their time, such as the art deco theme of the Lake Placid logo shown above.

XXX. The 10 best Olympic poster designs

Take a look at the 10 best official and unoffical posters spanning more than 100 years of graphic design, from Mexico's iconic campaign to more abstract offerings.