Good Design Gone Boring

I really dig Trollbäck + Company.  They do some amazing video work and have clients that most of us can only dream of.  You may remember that I posted their Cooking Channel bumps awhile back.  If you are like me and you watch a lot of cartoons, you may also be familiar with this:

Collage of Nickelodeon 2010 Rebrand

Trollbäck + Company

While doing research, I decided to peruse their website to see the other things that they do.  First off, their site is incredibly boring.  They are lucky that they have such a large name, because if I was looking at the site I would never hire them.  Secondly, their print work is BORING!  To see what I mean, go here: http://trollback.com/print/  

 

I know they are more famous for their video work, but how can you be so innovative in one area and be complete crap in another?  We get it.  You really like helvetica.  How about trying another font?  If one of my students came to me with a portfolio filled with work containing pretty much only one font, I would fail them.  

Maybe the advice here is stick to what you are good at.  Everyone has a specific skill set, and while it doesn't hurt to try other things, maybe you shouldn't show those things in a public forum.