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![_Heat Things Up With <em>Desire</em> at the Blanton [Art Preview]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2010/02/minter-thumb-110x110-478584.jpg)
Heat Things Up With Desire at the Blanton [Art Preview]
Over 450,000 Texans voted for the new license plate design, shown above, which features the new 7-character numbering system. The digitally-produced, full color plate depicts the Davis Mountains, Texas' most extensive mountain range, and will be available as soon as the Travis County tax assessor's office exhausts its supply of the current 6-character plates.
Love it or hate it? Tell us what you think in the comments. The Statesman also has more fun facts about the new design.
Update: Just for reference, here's the original set of plates that Texans were asked to vote for.
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Terrible. This was voted on?
Hate it - the mountains at the bottom look nice, but aren't very representative of Texas. The top part is just horrendous.
I'd love to know more about the middle school design student who created this masterpiece.
I remember voting, but the rest of Texas voted for THIS plate? Oh man that's awful.
You know, I saw this a while back. I hated it then, I hate it now. I didn't see any voting option though.
Burt is right, it looks extremely second rate. We're Texas, not South Dakota, we should have a few decent graphic designers in the state. You should've commissioned me. I'm a designer, born and raised Texan. I would've done it for free.
wow, that's pretty awful. A good example of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should".
I'll have to remember to order my "state of the arts" plates which are simple and classic.
Other states' plates
North American Plates
What is with the '90s-style crayon scribble in the upper left? Boo.
It's so ugly. So very, very ugly.
Horrible horrible horrible. I only found out about the vote toward its last days and this thing was already way in front so that no one could stop it. Why they didn't ask decent designers to create the plate is beyond me. What professional designer would pull out Brush Script, a font that comes free with Windows, for something so prominent?
The vote was not well communicated. Had we had more time, professional designs, and a fair vote, I'd imagine the outcome would be different.
At least this didn't happen?: http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10639217
Oh god. I HATE photos on license plates. It should always, always be a graphic. Photos never look good. I'm glad I have my old one and don't plan on getting another anytime soon, I'd be ashamed to drive to other states with that thing.
And....Brush Script?!?!?!?!! really?
For an extra $30-$40, you can skip the new plate and get any one of a plethora of special plates. I like the grapefruit:
http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/SpecialPlateOrderServlet?grpid=60&pltid=96
It looks like a "Come visit Branson!" chamber of commerce ad.
This plate totally gets what Texas is all about. I can't wait to see how it will look on the back of my F-150 SuperDuty. I especially like that the artwork at the top left corner will match my Zubaz pants.
http://www.goodlookin.tv/news/zubaz_ful.jpg
Ploy to drive up customized plate sales?
a good reason to never drive a car in Texas. or better yet, how could you ever drive outside this great state...they're all gonna laugh at us!
I'd like to mix'n'match some of the special plates. I'm leaning towards "FIGHT TREES."
I thought this was a prank when I first read this. This is so 1984. I think the '64 plates were best. Plain black with white lettering. They looked cool on anything.
Can't wait 'til my new Choose Life plates arrive. They'll look great next to my "Perry 2010" bumper sticker.
Horrendous graphic in the upper left corner detracts from the mountains of a state that is mostly coastal plain. Also missing: Lonesome cowboy below and a Space Shuttle whirling overhead, perhaps making a stylized comet trail that includes the face of Jesus or the Virgin of Guadalupe wearing a cowboy hat; airbrushed with mastery and technique heretofore unseen by the eyes of non-El Camino/F-150 truck owners.
Once the design was almost completed it looks like the designer decided to take his/her own life and bled to death on the upper left corner. Apparently the state thought is was just a highlight spot color and ran with it.
I'm running a little project for designers to create their own design of the Texas license plate.
The project name: Redo, y'all!
Check it out: http://redoyall.tumblr.com
This certainly was not the design that I voted for. Yuck. Maybe you all are right: time for personalized plates when my next plates expire (of course that isn't for 7 years).
1. never repeat motifs: the texas flag shows up in an absurd 80's "spontaneous" treatment at top left, AND in the map of texas at center.
2. don't cram a flag inside a map. just because it can be done and has been done is not a good reason.
3. the best license plates - like the best design - have a sense of timelessness about them, and in the case of plates, have a flat graphic look. think new mexico's zia pueblo symbol, wyoming's buckeroo, colorado's rocky mountains. and sadly, all those iconic plates have also been messed with.
4. photographs belong on your wall, in your wallet, on your desk, not on your car.
5. the brush script lettering at the bottom would NEVER make it out of any first-year design school. never. that is one of the most over-used and poorly designed scripts. why is THE offset? what makes a contemporary Windows script appropriate for THE LONE STAR STATE? nothing.
please, this plate was NOT designed. NO professional or amateur designer would create this ugly mess. this was done by committee, fostered by committee, and approved by committee. and no one on the committee has a clue about what A) what makes great design for the masses, or 2) what makes texas so special. this is in fact a sad testament to how design and the design process is undervalued and we are under served.
for the record, one of the best design studios in the Lone Star State was retained to create new plates, and they did a fantastic job working within narrow constraints. they were paid, they produced great work. none of that is seen here. very disappointing to add the financial aspect to this mess as well.
Hate it! Hate it! I am now going to have to order a special license plate just so that I do not have to display this. As someone said a middle school design project. A come visit Branson plate.
When was simple and understated ever bad? Now we have a mish mash of antiquated graphics.
Horrible, horrible, horrible!!!! I will be ordering the special license plates when it is time. What a sad day for the Great State of Texas
My tuck had plates that were fine. Then one day new ones showed up with out my ordering them. They were the new plates of the old design. Now a couple of months later I guess I will be taking the new old plates off and replacing them with these newer ones.
I think we are paying too much taxes!!!! I think they are trying to use the remaining budget from last year so they can keep asking for too much money to keep there jobs so they can continue this kind of bull!!
I have a voice, WE the people are their boss, I say FIRE them and get a competent government!!!!!!!!!!
What? lol on so many levels
HO!!,.. Then my mom called me yesterday and asked me if I would put some new license plates on her van, hahahaha. I guess they think she needs new ones to replace her perfectly working old plates.
I think these plates are an improvement over the old ones, (they were too busy) but I do miss the cowboy image. As a former NY'er I can tell you that is the nation's image of Texas. Tough and independent! The scribble on these new plates in the upper left corner looks ridiculous. I say they should of gone with the old black background with white numbers, from the 1960's - a nice clean simple look that stands out. I voted for the runner-up plate (natural texas) that most resembles the old 60's plates.
This thing is ugly. Have you seen it on cars yuck! Why would anyone vote for this?
the clouds in the upper right corner look like a rubber duck
I was just sent these hideous plates to put on my car and I literally want to cry. I absolutely hate these. I am so embarrassed to put these ugly things on my car. Why can't I just keep my old ones?
If you look at the pictures we voted on, the sky is blue on the winner...not turquoise!!! Why did they come out looking turquoise? I think they are horrendous and you can't even see the numbers very well because they blend in with the sky too much.
Wow! Maybe in California! But Texas? Isn’t this a little "fruity" for the state that executes the most people each year? I’m very ashamed to have these on my truck! is this some sort of a joke? Maybe the state is doing this on purpose so we all get the more expensive 'personalized plates'! I think we should all write in and complain!